The Sahabi Who Was Bathed By Angels

[Abu.Aliyah]

Hadhat Hanzalah radiyallahu anhu was nicknamed 'Gaseelul Malaaikah', which means the one bathed by the angels.

There is a thought provoking incident regarding this. When the call for the Battle of Uhud was announced and the army was beginning to leave, he was having relations with his wife. In this state he heard the call for war, and heard the army leaving for the battlefield. He left everything at that moment and joined the army. He did not have a chance to do ghusl (bath). He was martyred in the battlefield and because a 'shaheed' (martyr) is not given a gusl, he too was not given.

Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam saw the angels bathing him. He made inquiries and, on returning to Madinah Munawwarah, was informed by his wife of his condition.
(Shamail Tirmidhi - Khasail Nabawi by Hadhrat Shaikul Hadith RA)

Truly, these people gave their lives for the sake of deen....

[bugmenot]

:mash: indeed.

May Allah be pleased with them all.

[Abu.Aliyah]

Hadhrat Hanzalah radhiAllah anhu is buried in the same enclosure as Sayyid us Shuhadah Hamza radhiAllah anhu at Mount Uhud.

[Abu.Aliyah]

Hadhrat Hanzalah (RadhiAllaho anho) says:

"We were once with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) when he delivered a sermon. Our hearts became tender, our eyes were flowing with tears, and we realised where we stood. I left the Prophet and returned home. I sat with my wife and children and cracked jokes with my wife, and I felt that the effect of the Prophet's sermon had completely vanished from my heart.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I was not what I had been, and I said to myself; '0, Hanzalah! You are a Munafiq'. I was stricken with grief and I left my house repeating these words in sorrow; 'Hanziah has turned Munafiq.

I saw Abu Bakr (RadhiAllaho anho) coming towards me and I said to him; 'Hanzalah has turned Munafiq.' He said; 'Subhanallah' What are you saying? Hanzalah can never be a Munafiq.

I explained to him: 'When we are with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and listen to his discourses about Paradise and Hell, we feel as if both are present before our very eyes but when we return home and are absorbed in our domestic and family affairs, we forget all about the Hereafter. Abu Bakr (RadhiAllaho anho) said: 'My case is exactly the same.

We both went to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and I said; 'I have turned Munafiq, 0 Prophet of Allah!' He inquired about the matter, and I repeated what I had said to Abu Bakr (RadhiAllaho anho). Thereupon the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) remarked: 'By Him Who controls my life, if you could keep up for all times the fervor aroused in you when you are with me, angels would greet you in your walks and in your beds. But, 0, Hanzalah! This is rare! This is rare!"
(Sahih Muslim)

[The Fake Shaykh]

The Messenger of Allah had told Hadrat Abu Hudhaifa the names of all the hypocrites among the Muslims, and had sworn him to secrecy. Hadrat Umar summoned Hadrat Hudhaifa during the period of his Khilafah and said to him, “I know that the Messenger of Allah told you the names of all the hypocrites, and I also know that he swore you to secrecy in the matter. I therefore will not ask you those names but just tell me whether or not Umar’s name is among them.” This was the extent of their fear and they were never relaxed in their worship.

[The Fake Shaykh]

On the continuous absence of Hazrat Hanzalah (radhiyallahu’anhu) for a few days Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) out of the great regard he had for his companions, asked:

“Ma Fa’ala Hanzalah”
How is Hanzalah?

As nobody knew it Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq (radhiyallahu’anhu) said, “I will go and find out”. He went to the house of Hazrat Hanzalah (radhiyallahu’anhu) and said to his wife, “Where is Hanzalah?” She said, “He is in his small room”. He said, “Is he alright?” She said, “He is all right, but downcast”. On entering the cell he found that Hazrat Hanzalah (radhiyallahu’anhu) sat with eyes down cast and all wet with tears. He said, “What is the matter with you?”

Hazrat Hanzalah (radhiyallahu’anhu) replied:

“Naafaqa Hanzalah”
“Hanzalah has become a Munaafiq”

On further questioning he said, “When we are with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and he talks about the Heaven, the Hell, the Hereafter, and the Last Day, I feel as if I see all these things with my eyes; my heart is solely turned to Allah, but as soon as I reach home and am with my wife and children the condition of my heart undergoes a change. Is this not Nifaaq?”

Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq (radhiyallahu’anhu) said, “Same is the case with me”. He too started weeping. Both of them wept for a while then Hazrat Siddeeq (radhiyallahu’anhu) said, “It is no use to sit here and weep. Let us go to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and tell him all about it”. Both of them came to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and revealed to him the whole truth. On hearing it, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “If you always remain the same as you are in my presence and in my company, the angels shall shake hands with you in your beds. These are two different conditions: one, when you are in my presence and the other, when you leave me”. This can be explained by the example of the sun. An object, facing the sun, with the light on it becomes radiant and luminous, but when it is removed from the sun the radiance vanishes into thin air. All those Muslims who came to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) with due sincerity, had their hearts purged of impurities, love of worldly possessions and Ghaflat. This was due to the impact of the great spiritual force radiating from the mighty heart of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) on the hearts and minds of his companions (radhiyallahu’anhum) and the impact was according to their respective capabilities. But a change used to take place in their conditions, the moment they were left alone.

In the lifetime of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) it was very easy to attain Ihsan. A Muslim, without making any effort, would attain it, just by being in the company of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). This was due to the extraordinary spiritual force of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that in his presence, the heart of a Muslim was so charged with the love of Allah that he would forget all else

[True Life]

:salam:
Hadhat Hanzalah radiyallahu anhu was nicknamed 'Gaseelul Malaaikah', which means the one bathed by the angels.

There is a thought provoking incident regarding this. When the call for the Battle of Uhud was announced and the army was beginning to leave, he was having relations with his wife. In this state he heard the call for war, and heard the army leaving for the battlefield. He left everything at that moment and joined the army. He did not have a chance to do ghusl (bath). He was martyred in the battlefield and because a 'shaheed' (martyr) is not given a gusl, he too was not given.

Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam saw the angels bathing him. He made inquiries and, on returning to Madinah Munawwarah, was informed by his wife of his condition.
(Shamail Tirmidhi - Khasail Nabawi by Hadhrat Shaikul Hadith RA)

Truly, these people gave their lives for the sake of deen....One Shaykh while taking the foreigners' Karguzaris in Raiwind Markaz said regarding this famous incident, that Hanzalah :anhu: was already taking the bath and had lifted already the bucket of waiter. If he had thrown the water over himself, the Ghusl would've been finished and it would've made no significant difference to the outcome of the battle nor his joining the forces. But if he didn't make this instant decision, he wouldn't be known as Ghaseeul Malaikah - the Sahabi who was bathed by Angels - till the End of the times.

Subhan'Allah, which honour Allah Ta'ala gave him just for sacrificing one moment more.

[Abu.Aliyah]

In the lifetime of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) it was very easy to attain Ihsan. A Muslim, without making any effort, would attain it, just by being in the company of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). This was due to the extraordinary spiritual force of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that in his presence, the heart of a Muslim was so charged with the love of Allah that he would forget all else

This can be explained by the example of the sun. An object, facing the sun, with the light on it becomes radiant and luminous, but when it is removed from the sun the radiance vanishes into thin air. All those Muslims who came to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) with due sincerity, had their hearts purged of impurities, love of worldly possessions and Ghaflat. This was due to the impact of the great spiritual force radiating from the mighty heart of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) on the hearts and minds of his companions (radhiyallahu’anhum) and the impact was according to their respective capabilities. But a change used to take place in their conditions, the moment they were left alone. This has been shown in one Hadith reported by Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu’anhu):

“Qaala Lammaa Kaanal Yaumalladhee Dakhala Feehi Rasulullahi Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam Almadeenata Adhyaaunm Minhaa Kulla Shayin Falamma Kaanal Yaumalladhee Maata Feehi Azhlama Minhaa Kulla Shayin Wa Lafaqnaa Aydeenaa ‘Anit Turaabi Wa Ana Lafaa Dafnahu Hattaa Ankanaa Quloobanaa”

As Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) entered the city of Madinatul Munawwarah we noted that every thing became bright and effulgent and it remained so as long as Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) lived. But we perceived a change in our hearts, though we had hardly cleaned our hands after burying Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was the bright sun of the spiritual powers. The condition of one’s heart used to undergo an immediate change as soon as one attended his pious company. There is a general consensus, among Ahl us Sunnah wal Jama’ah, that Sahabi, if he had the honour of being with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) even for a few minutes is far superior even to the greatest Wali and pious person of a later period. (The reason for such change has been explained by Hazrat Shaykhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahumahullah) as: The Glow and effulgence experienced in the direct communication of divine grace, and in the contemplation of divine essence, in the Holy presence of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came to an end. Even today in the company of Mashaaikh we can experience a spiritual light, which dies out as we leave their company. It is to create and retain this divine grace that Adhkaar and Muraaqabah are now prescribed, but were not required in the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). The phenomenon of change and decline was interpreted by Hazrat Hanzalah (radhiyallahu’anhu) and Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq (radhiyallahu’anhu), due to their intense love for Imaan, as Nifaaq, which, for their satisfaction, they referred to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Love breads a thousand suspicions.)

[Abu.Aliyah]

It was sufficient for the spiritual attainment just to be present in the Holy company of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as a sincere Muslim, as his spiritual force was more intense and speedy that lightening in dispelling the darkness of the hearts and minds and in irradiating them. Therefore it was unnecessary to practise the austerities, a later development, for the attainment of Ihsan.

But, as Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu’anhu) has reported, in the above quoted Hadith, after Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) left this world there was a decline. The spiritual light of the Sahaba (radhiyallahu’anhum) which they had enkindled from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) waned as that luminous orb set and disappeared. Farther as the Muslims were being removed from the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) dimmer was becoming the spiritual light and force of their hearts and souls in proportion to their being remote. With the passage of time the hearts became so rusted and thickly coated with the dust and dirt of the worldly indulgence and decrease of spiritualism, that like neglected utensils, it became difficult to clean and polish them. Naturally added efforts and special methods were required if one was keen to burnish them, without which it was not possible to attain Ihsan, and Ihsan is the sole aim of Tasawwuf, as mentioned before in Hadith e Jibreel.

With this end in view, the great masters and Imams of Tasawwuf like Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jaylaani (rahimahullah), Khawaja Moeen ud Din Chisti (rahimahullah), Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (rahimahullah), Hazrat Shibli (rahimahullah) and Siri Siqti (rahimahullah) with their varied experience evolved a course of Dhikr, devotions and austere practises for their followers. Some of us without understanding their aim and significance erroneously raise objections to them. It is said that the forms of Dhikr like Bara Tasbeeh, Pas Anfas, and Muraaqabah (contemplation) as are prevalent in Naqshbandiyyah, Qadiriyyah, and other Sufi orders are all Bid’ah as they are not mentioned in any Hadith but it is incorrect.

(Taken from THE IMPORTANCE OF SULOOK AND TASAWWUF IN ISLAM BY SHAYKHUL ISLAM HAZRAT MAULANA SAYYED HUSSAIN AHMED MADANI rahimahullah)

The book can be found at: http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17722