Parable of a Dog

The statesman said, "O young man, Allah likens the one to whom He gave His Book and taught him knowledge that He excluded others from having, but this person gave it up and chose to follow his vain desires - choosing Allah's Wrath over His Pleasure, and the worldly life over the Hereafter, and the created beings over the Creator - with the dog which is from among the worst of animals, and the lowest in value; meaning in terms of its self - its desire does not surpass its belly - and, the most keen in safeguarding its own selfish interests.
An example of this, is that it does not walk except with its snout on the ground, smelling and sniffing - and keeps on sniffing its rear end from among all the parts of its body. If you toss a stone at it, it runs after it, to bite it, with its teeth due to its extreme voracity; it is from among the most despicable of animals, the most tolerant in bearing degradation, and the most content with low things. It prefers stinking putrid carcass to fresh meat and filth to pleasant food; if it comes in possession of a dead animal that would suffice a hundred dogs, it would still not allow a single dog to partake of it, growling at it, due to its greed and selfishness.
And from amongst its strange behaviour is that, if it sees someone of a shabby appearance and clothes and poor condition, it barks at him and attacks him as it perceiving him to be a contender in its power - while if it sees someone with a good appearance and beautiful attire and a commanding presence, it puts its snout down submissively on the ground to him, not even raising its head.

So, let me tell you a story. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said that Allah’s statement,

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

"And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators." - [QS.7:175]

Is about Bal'am bin Baura’, a man from the Children of Israel.” Qatadah commented that Ka'b said, “He was a man from Al-Balqla' (a province of Jordan) who knew Allah's Greatest Name. He used to live in Bayt Al-Maqdis with the tyrants.” Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, “He is Bal'am bin Ba'ura', a man from Yemen whom Allah had given the knowledge of His Ayat, but he abandoned them. Malik bin Dinar said, “He was one of the scholars of the Children of Israel whose supplication was acceptable. They used to seek his lead in suplication in times of difficulty. Allah's Prophet, Musa, sent him to the King of Madyan to call him to Allah. That king appeased him and gave him land and gifts, and he reverted from the religion of Musa and followed the king's religion.”
Therefore, it is well-known that this honorable Ayah was revealed about a man from the Children of Israel in ancient times, according to Ibn Mas*ud and several others among the Salaf. Ali bin Abi Talhah also reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When Musa and those with him went to the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem), the cousins of Bal'am and his people came to him and said, ‘Musa is a strong man, and he has many soldiers. If he gains the upper hand over us, we will be destroyed. Therefore, supplicate to Allah that He prevents Musa and those with him from prevailing over us.' Bal'am said, 'If I supplicate to Allah that He turns back Musa and those with him, I will lose in this life and the Hereafter.' They kept luring him until he supplicated against Musa and his people, and Allah took away what he bestowed on him (of knowledge).

He became interested in the adornment of this life and its delights. He indulged in the lusts of life and its joys and was deceived by it, just as life deceived others like him, without sound comprehension or a good mind.
Ibn Ishaq narrated that when Musa entered the land of Bani Canaan in the area of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), the people of Ba'lam came to him, saying, “This is Musa, son of Imran with the Children of Israel. He wants to drive us out from our land, kill us and replace us with the Children of Israel. We are your people and have no other dwelling area. You are a person whose supplication is acceptable (to Allah), so go out and supplicate to Allah against them.” He said, “Woe to you! Here is Allah’s Prophet (Musa) with whom the angels and believers are! How can I supplicate against them when I know from Allah what I know?” They said, “ We have no other dwelling area.” So they kept luring and begging him until he was tempted by the trial and went on his donkey towards Mount Husban, which was behind the Israelite military barracks. When he proceeded on the Mount for a while, the donkey sat down and refused to proceed. He got off the donkey and struck it until it stood up again and he rode it. The donkey did the same after a little while, and he struck it again until it stood up. So he proceeded and tried to supplicate against Musa and his people.
However, Allah made his tongue mention his people with evil and the Children of Israel with good instead of his people, who protested, “ O Bal'am! What are you doing? You are supplicating for them and against us!” He said, “ It is against my will. This is a matter that Allah has decided.” He then said to them, as his tongue was made to loll out of his mouth, “Now I have lost this life and the Hereafter.”

Some scholars said that the end of Bal'am’s tongue, flickered out of his mouth. Therefore, his example is the example of the dog, its tongue pants regardless of whether it is driven away or not. It was also said that the meaning here is a parable of this man - and his like - concerning their misguidance, persisting the wrong path and not being able to benefit from faith or comprehend what they are being called to. So his example is that of a dog which pants whether it was driven away or left alone. The person described here does not benefit from the advice or the call to faith, just as if the advice and call never occurred. Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْهُمْ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ

"Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe." - [QS.2:6]

And also, Allah said,

اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِنْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

"Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muhammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times - never will Allah forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people." - [QS.9:80]

The heart of the disbeliever, the hypocrite and the wicked is weak and devoid of guidance, therefore, it keeps faltering.

Allah said next to the Prophet (ﷺ), "Relate the stories, perhaps the Children of Israel, who have knowledge ot the story of Bal'am and what happened to him when Allah allowed him to stray and expelled him from His mercy. Allah favored him by teaching him His Greatest Name, by which, if He is asked, He will grant, and if He is called upon, He answers. But Bal'am used it in disobedience to Allah and invoked Him against His own party of the people of faith, followers of His servant and Messenger during that time, Musa, alaihissalam, whom Allah spoke to directly, perhaps they may reflect and avoid Bal'am’s behavior."
And Allah says that evil is the example of the people who deny His Ayat in that they are equated with dogs that have no interest but to collect food and satisfy lusts. Therefore, whoever goes out of the area of knowledge and guidance, and seeks satisfaction for his lusts and vain desires, is just like a dog; what an evil example. Narrated Ibn Abbas, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَعُودُ فِي قَيْئِهِ، لَيْسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ

"The one who takes back his gift is like a dog swallowing its own vomit, and we (believers) should not act according to this bad example." - [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves by rejecting guidance, not obeying their Rabb, being content with this life that will soon end, all the while seeking to fulfill desires and obey lusts."

Then the statesman said, "In Allah’s likening of the one who prefers the worldly life and its hastened pleasures over the final abode - despite his abundant knowledge - to a dog in the intensity of its yearning (for low things). This person, whose condition as Allah has mentioned in regard to his withdrawing from the signs of Allah and choosing to follow his vain desires, it is only due to his extreme yearning for worldly desires and due to his heart being cut off from Allah and the final abode. He resembles in this respect the dog in its constant panting, whether it is provoked or left alone. Ibn Jurayj said, 'The dog is insensate (cut off from emotion and feeling) whether you attack it or leave it alone it simply pants, which is the condition of the one who leaves guidance because he lacks a heart.' And Allah knows best."

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الأرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

"And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought." - [QS.7:176]

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References :
- Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Paragons of the Quran, Dar As-Sunnah.
- Syaikh Safiurrahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume IV, Darussalam

Victory is not Dependent on Numbers

The clay said, "Every blessing that man enjoys is bestowed on him by Allah. He must be grateful for the blessings and not become proud or feel superior and unique. If anyone becomes proud or has a superiority complex, then the blessings are withdrawn from him.
Allah shows singular favour and benovelence to His Prophets, alaihimassalam. The story we are to relate also concerns a Prophet on whom Allah had showered spiritual blessings and worldly favours. He had a very large Ummah. There were a large number of individuals in his community, a great army was at his command and they had a tremendous fighting spirit.
This Prophet was granted these favours and he was pleased with · that He had a superiority complex because of that and he said, "Who is there that will come against this army and fight my combatants." This attitude or thought was disapproved. It was a sign that his sight had moved away from the true Benefactor and the Real Power. The Prophets, alaihimassalam, are very close to Allah, so they are warned promptly on such behaviour. It was Allah's wish that seventy thousand of their numbers were slain in war against the enemy.

lmam Ahmad has transmitted in his Musnad, a Hadith narrated by Suhayb, radhiyallahu 'anhu. He said, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he led the Salat, said something softly which I could not make out and he too did not tell us about that. He asked us if we wished to know what he said, and we confirmed that we did wish to know. He said, "I suddenly remembered a Prophet of the Prophets who was given a large army from his people and he said, 'who can match them?' Or, he said, 'who is there that can survive against them?' Or, he said, something else to the effect.
He received a revelation from Allah. He was told to choose one of three things for his people on whom he felt proud. First, another people should subdue them, or second, they should suffer hunger, or third, they may be put to death. He consulted his people about the choice and they told him that he was ftie Prophet of Allah and he was authorised in every affair and so may select what he chose for them.
The Prophet stood up for Salat for it was their habit to stand up in Salat whenever they were confronted with a problem. He stood in Salat as long as Allah Willed and then made a supplication to Him. He said, 'My Rabb! As far as subjecting them to an alien people is concerned, do not do that. Also, do not let the severity of hunger seize them. However, as for death, let it come over them'. So, they were put to death and seventy thousand men died."
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The words that I spoke softly and you heard them was that because of this event. I made this supplication, 'O Allah! I fight with Your help. I attack with Your support. And there is no might or power save with Allah.'

It was the habit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he narrated to his Companions, radhiyallahu 'anhum, such episodes as helped build their character. They were supposed to shoulder great responsibility later on in their lives. They had to run the government, play their part in politics, society and in raising the religion of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) narrated to them the reasons for the rise and fall of nations so that they might think on a proper line and develop the art of administration.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has narrated the case of a Prophet whom Allah had granted a superior and large man power. One day, he felt elated at the tremendous strength at his command and he thought that his army was invincible. He thought that no one could oppose it and survive before it.
Obviously this thought is displeasing to Allah. It was a Prophet relying on the strength of the created beings and those besides Allah and neglecting the One Who grants this power and is the Owner of that power!

The Prophets, alaihimassalam, are made to commit such oversights so that their ranks may be raised for once there is an ommission on their part, they engage themselves in extraordinary repentance and seek forgiveness with deep sincerity. As they continue to be so engaged Allah rewards them with elevated ranks while these minor oversights do not in the least dampen their innocence. Thus, when the said Prophet happened to do that, he was immediately alerted by Allah. "You are Our Prophet and close to Us, but you have turned your sight away from Us although victory is dependant on Our unseen help. It is not dependent on numbers, large or small.
Thus, numbers are not a reliable sign of victory or ·defeat in His sight. The real thing is belief in Him and ·supplication to Him. It is most disliked by Him that anyone should rely on his own strength and power. He has said about those who place reliance on their numbers.
It is thus imperative that all Muslims particularly the Prophets, alaihimassalam, keep this in mind. When he rejoiced on his numerical superiority, Allah did not like that and He cautioned him. Allah offered him to choose one of the three kinds of punishment, and enemy may subdue them, hunger may overpower them or death may come over them.

It is the responsibility of leaders that they should not take hasty decisions in important national matters. Also, they must not decide by themselves. Rather, they must first ponder and deliberate on the affair deeply and then consult ihe responsible men and intelligensia of their nation. Then they must take a decision in the light of these conslutations. This will preclude possibilities of loss or set back at a later stage. The Prophet whom we have heard in this Hadith first consulted his people and then came to a conclusion.
Why were these three options given to him? There could have been other choices. Of course, Allah alone knows best but these three kinds of punishments are such that they weaken the collective strength of the entire people and they are disgracing, that very thing that brought about an impression of superiority in their minds was eliminated by these punishments.
The Prophet selected death from the three options available to him. Why was that? In fact, his choice was prompted to him by Allah. If he had made the selection himself, he might have chosen something else. If an enemy were to overpower and subjugate them then there was much disgrace in that. So, that was not chosen. There is much hardship in hunger and it causes tremendous weakness which would allow the enemy to ove"rpower them. So, that too was rejected. Death was prefered over the other options because at the hands of others in it, for death is an undeniable conclusion which has to be faced at some time by everyone.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has taught us that we must ask Allah for help under all circumstances. We may have all the means and tools at our beck and call but we must always seek the help of Allah, and we must rely on Him. The Prophet then occupied himself in Salat. Whenever they were in distress they turned to Salat, because it is instrumental in focusing the mercy of Allah on the worshipper. He chose death and Allah decreed that they should die. The shadow of death spread over them until seventy thousand of them died in one day. Those who died will hopefully become the approved people of Allah. Their ranks will rise for they met death at the command of Allah and the respect of His Prophet.
Those who were spared took a lesson from it and shuned pride all the rest of their lives. As for the reduction in their numbers because of their death, Allah was able to offset the loss if He wished for He has everything in His Hands.
In particular, all the people generally, and the leaders in particular, must make the supplication taught in the Hadith in times of war."

Then the clay said, "This narrative imparts a lesson to the leaders and guides and rulers of nations to summon their followers, fans and subordinates to the path of Allah and shun egoism, pride and arrogance. We have seen how the Prophet (ﷺ) summoned his people to obey Allah. In our era our leaders, reformers and guides, boast about their strength and numbers but they do not care to correct the character, deeds and sayings of their followers. They do not even exhort them to act according to the commands of Allah. Often, the leaders are religious in their private lives but when they are among their fans and followers they toe the line of these people and behave against the teachings of religion lest they lose their support and have a reduced following.
For anyone to consider himself or his people or army as better and superior than other people is a cause of the downfall of his people. This sort of thinking destroys the biggest of nations and the strongest of them because Allah dislikes it most. Whatever advantage a nation has, and its ·goodness and perfection, is a blessing of Allah. If they are strong, the Strength is bestowed by Allah and if they have superior knowledge that is a blessing from Him. Thus if anyone boasts of his strength or knowledge and considers other nations and people as inferior to them then Allah does not like it at all and that is the point from where the downfall of that people commences. We have seen how a slight thought of superiority in the mind of the Prophet caused them to lose seventy thousand men. So, we must always place our trust and reliance on Allah. And Allah know best."

لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الأرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ

"Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing." - [QS.9:25]

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Reference :
- Maulana Muhammad Zakaria Iqbal, Stories from the Hadith, Darul Isha'at.