Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says in His book:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ اْلأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَاْلأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا اْلأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
Those who were earlier were the first (converted to Islam) among the emigrants and the Ansar and those who followed them well, Allah is pleased with them and Allah has provided for them paradises, beneath which many rivers flow. ; they abide in it forever. That's a big winr. [At-Taubah : 100]
In the above verse Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala gives praise to the companions and those who follow them in goodness. They are the best generation chosen by Allah as the companion of His prophet in carrying out the divine message.
The praise of Allah is enough as proof of their virtue or superiority. They are the Salaf generation, known as the Rabbani generation, who always follow in the footsteps of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.
By retracing their footsteps, the last generation of this ummah will be able to regain its golden age. As Imam Malik said, "may Allah be pleased withIt will not be good for the last generation of this Ummah except with what makes the first generation good" It's a word that deserves to be written in gold ink. If this ummah takes the best generation as an example in all aspects of life, happiness will surely meet them.
On this occasion, we will explore how the Salaf purify their souls, which we quote from quotes and wisdom that are very useful for us.
SALAF AND TAZKIYATUN NUFUS
One side of religious teachings that should not be forgotten is tazkiyatun nufus (purification of the soul). Allah always mentions tazkiyatun nufus along with knowledge. Allah says:
كَمَآأَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّالَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ
As We have sent to you Messengers among you who recite Our verses to you and purify you and teach you the Book and Wisdom, and teach you what you did not know. [Al-Baqarah: 151]
That is, knowledge can backfire if it is not accompanied by tazkiyatun nufus. Therefore, we can find in the biographies of Salaf scholars about zuhudan, sincerity, tawadhu'an and cleanliness of their souls. That is, they always remind each other about the urgency of this tazkiyatun nufus. From there we find that the words of the Salaf scholars are very deep and full of wisdom.
Hamdun bin Ahmad was once asked: "Why are the words of the Salaf more beneficial than ours?" he replied: "Because they speak for the glory of Islam, the salvation of souls and seeking the pleasure of Ar-Rahman, while we speak for the glory of self, pursuing the world and seeking the pleasure of mankind!"
SALAF AND PERSISTENCE IN STUDYING
Imam Adz-Dzahabi said: "Ya'qub bin Ishaq Al-Harawi narrated from Salih bin Muhammad Al-Hafizh, that he heard Hisham bin Ammar say: "I came to meet Imam Malik, then I said to him: "Give me some hadiths!” He said: “Read!”
“No, but it was master who read it to me!” I answered.
"Read it!" said Imam Malik again. But I continue to deny him. Finally he said: “O servant, come here! Take this guy and hit him fifteen times!” Then the servant took me and beat me fifteen lashes. Then he brought me back to him. The servant said: “I have whipped him!” So I said to him: "Why did you oppress me? Sir, have I flogged fifteen times without doing anything wrong? I will not forgive master!”
"What's the ransom?" he asked.
"The ransom is that you have to read to me fifteen hadiths!" I answered. So he read fifteen hadiths for me. Then I said to him: "You may hit me again, as long as you add hadith for me!" Imam Malik just laughed and said: "Go!"
Salaf and sincerity
The Salaf generation is a generation that is very careful with the activities of the heart. A man once asked Tamim Ad-Daari about his night prayers. Angrily he said: "By Allah one rakaat that I do in the middle of the night in secret, I prefer to pray all night and then in the morning I will tell the people!"
Ar-Rabi 'bin Khaitsam said: "All actions that are not intended to seek the pleasure of Allah, then the act will be corrupted!"
They know that only with sincerity, people will follow, listen and love them. Imam Mujahid once said: "When a servant turns his heart to Allah, Allah will turn the human heart to him."
Admittedly, keeping the heart's practice is very hard because it seems as if you don't get any part of it. Sahal bin Abdullah said: "There is no one thing that is heavier on the soul than sincere intentions, because he (as if -ed.) does not get any part of it."
So Abu Sulaiman Ad-darani said: "Fortunate for the one who swings a step foot, he does not expect anything but to hope for the pleasure of Allah!"
They are also very far away from traits that can damage sincerity, such as crazy popularity, crazy position, likes to be praised and promoted.
Ayyub As-Sikhtiyaani said: "A servant is not said to be honest if he still likes popularity."
Yahya bin Muadz said: "There will be no luck for people who have a position madness."
Abu Uthman Sa'id bin Al-Haddad said: "There is nothing that turns a person away from Allah more than being crazy about praise and crazy about flattery."
That's why the Salaf scholars are very much willed the sincerity of intention to his students. Ar-Rabi 'bin Shabih said: “Once, we were present in the assembly of Al-Hasan Al-Basri, at that time he was giving advice. Suddenly one of the audience burst into tears. Al-Hasan said to him: "By Allah, on the Day of Judgment Allah will ask what is the purpose of you crying at this time!"
Salaf and repentance
Every Bani Adam must be guilty, and the best of people who are guilty are those who immediately repent to Allah. That is what the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said in an authentic hadith. The Salaf generation is at the forefront of this issue!
'Aisyah Radhiyallahu anha said: "Fortunately for those who have a lot of charity records filled with istighfar."
Al-Hasan Al-Basri once said: "Do more istighfar in your homes, in front of your meals, on the streets, in the markets and in your assemblies and wherever you are! Because you don't know when mercy will come!”
CRY OF THE SALAF GENERATION
Salaf generation is a generation that has a very soft heart. So that their hearts are easily moved and cry out of fear of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. Especially when reading the holy verses of the Qur'an.
When reading the word of Allah:
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ
"And stay in your homes" [Al-Ahzab: 33]
'Aisha Radhiyallahu 'anha wept so much that her clothes were wet.
Likewise, Ibn Umar Radhiyallahu 'anhu, when reading the verse.
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
"Has not the time come for those who believe, to submit their hearts to the remembrance of Allah and to the truth which has come down (to them)." [Al-Hadid: 16]
He cried until he could not hold back his tears.
When he read Surah Al-Muthaffifin after arriving at the verse
لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
"On a great day, (i.e.) the day (when) man stands before the Lord of the worlds." [Al-Muthaffifiin : 5-6]
He wept and his weeping grew louder so that he could not continue his recitation.
Salaf and Tawadhu'
It was mentioned about tawadhu 'in front of Al-Hasan Al-Basri, but he kept quiet. When people urged him to speak he said to them: "I see you guys talk a lot about tawadhu'!" They said: "What is tawadhu 'O Abu Sa'id?" He replied: "That is, whenever he goes out of the house and meets a Muslim he always thinks that that person is better than him."
Ibnul Mubarak was once asked about a problem in front of Sufyan bin Uyainah, he said: "We are forbidden to speak in front of people who are more senior than us."
Al-Fudhail bin Iyadh was once asked: "What is tawadhu'?" He replied: "That you submit to the truth!"
Mutharrif bin Abdillah said: "No one praises me except that I feel less and less."
Salaf and Politeness
One dark night Umar bin Abdul Aziz entered the mosque. He passed a man who was sleeping soundly. The man woke up and said: "Are you crazy!" Umar replied: "No." But the guards tried to arrest the man. But Umar bin Abdul Aziz stopped them saying: "He only asked: Are you crazy! and I said: No."
A man reported to Wahab bin Munabbih: "Verily so and so have insulted you!" He replied: "It seems that the devil has not found a courier other than you!"
SALAF AND NATURE OF ZUHUD
Yusuf bin Asbath once heard Sufyan Ats-Tsauri say: "I have never seen zuhudan that is more difficult than zuhudan to power. We meet many people who are zuhud in matters of food, drink, property and clothing. But when given power to him, he will defend and dare to be hostile to defend him."
Imam Ahmad was once asked about a man who has a thousand dinars, does that include zuhud? He replied: "It is possible, as long as he is not too happy when it increases and not too sad if it decreases."
These are some of the pearls of the Salaf which, God willing, will be useful for us in the process of purifying the soul. May Allah always give us strength in following the footsteps of the Salaf generation in every aspect of life.
Studies related to this article: Attuhaf bil-ma'tsuuri 'Anis-salaf – Pearls of the Salaf
Copied from As-Sunnah Magazine Edition 04/Tahun VI/1423H/2002M Published by the Lajnah Istiqomah Foundation, Surakarta, Jl. Solo – Purwodadi Km. 8 Selokaton Gondangrejo Solo 57183 Tel. 08121533647, 08157579296
Source : Almanhaj
Sunnah.
