Adab al-Mufrad

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Jurayj was a monk from the Children of Israel. The meaning of "rahib" is "one who fears." The righteous among the Children of Israel would isolate themselves from the world, abandon its pleasures, and deliberately impose hardships upon themselves in order to worship Allah. Some would even castrate themselves and put chains around their necks, subjecting themselves to various forms of torment. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) declared monasticism (rahbaniyyah) to be impermissible and forbade Muslims from practicing it.

➋ Islam has permitted asceticism (zuhd) to the extent that one may benefit from the world as needed, but should not be attached to it. However, imposing restrictions upon oneself that the Shariah has not imposed is impermissible. In the present era, the appearance and dress of the wandering ascetics (malang) who sit at graves and shrines are borrowed from Hindu yogis. There is no concept in Islam of wearing filthy clothes or going years without a ritual bath (ghusl); rather, Islam has made the Friday ritual bath obligatory once a week. Therefore, this self-invented concept of sainthood (wilayah) is nowhere to be found in Islam.

➌ A child does not speak in the cradle, but Allah is capable of granting speech to a newborn, and if He wills, He can even grant the ability to speak to inanimate objects, as the pebbles bore witness to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) by speaking. From this, it is evident that the miracles (karamat) of the friends of Allah (awliya Allah) are true. Sometimes a miracle appears upon request, and sometimes without request. If an extraordinary event occurs at the hands of a person who adheres to the commands of Shariah, it is called his miracle (karamah); otherwise, it is a trick of Satan. Remember, the occurrence of a miracle is not a sign that someone is a friend of Allah (wali Allah). It is not necessary for every wali Allah to manifest a miracle. Every believer who adheres to the commands of Shariah and is pious is a friend of Allah. The supposed concept of sainthood (wilayah) prevalent in India has no sound basis in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

➍ "It is mentioned in the hadith that the village woman used to come and go to the shepherd." From this, two things are understood: First, that the mixing and especially seclusion (khalwah) of non-mahram men and women is never free from danger, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has forbidden seclusion with a non-mahram in other ahadith. Second, that bad neighbors can be a cause of a person’s disgrace, just as the shepherd became the cause of the monk’s disgrace. Therefore, it is necessary to choose good neighbors. Similarly, the company of bad friends also brings infamy, as the poet said:
((La tus-hab al-arda fata rda))
"Do not keep company with the wicked, lest you be ruined."

➎ This hadith shows that one should avoid the curse (bad-dua) of parents and should not anger them. When parents call, it is obligatory to respond to them. Is it necessary to respond to parents during prayer? As far as obligatory (fard) prayer is concerned, it is not necessary to break it to respond to parents, but it can be shortened, just as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would shorten the prayer if a child cried, so that the mother would not be distressed. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith: 707)
Regarding voluntary (nafl) prayer, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) states that this hadith is evidence that it is obligatory to leave a nafl prayer to respond to parents, because continuing it is voluntary, while responding to the mother and treating her well is obligatory.
Imam al-Haramayn Juwayni (rahimahullah) states that if the time for the obligatory prayer is ample, then even breaking the obligatory prayer to respond is necessary.

➏ In this hadith, there is a lesson for parents that they should not curse their children for their disobedience in such a way that their hereafter is ruined, because the mother of Jurayj did not say, "Commit adultery, die, or disobey Allah," but rather, "Be disgraced among the people." Therefore, parents should never pray for their children to disobey Allah, and mothers who curse their children should also be careful with their words.

➐ This hadith also shows that if one has a sincere relationship with Allah, then the trials that befall the truthful and loyal do not harm them; rather, they become a means of their elevation and honor, just as Jurayj was honorably acquitted and his status among the people increased. Similarly, in the Islamic Shariah, there is the incident of the slander (ifk), in which the wife of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Sayyidah Aishah (radi Allahu anha), was falsely accused. This was a great trial for her, but Allah acquitted her with such honor that a surah of the Qur’an was revealed regarding her innocence.

➑ The stronger one’s certainty (yaqin) in Allah, the more Allah accepts his supplication. And certainty is only attained when a person’s relationship with Allah is strong. When a person obeys Allah in times of ease, then in times of trial, Allah does not disgrace him. Our situation is that when calamity strikes, we remember Allah—and that too only for the fortunate ones; otherwise, the majority, even in times of hardship, call upon others besides Allah, and in times of ease, they forget Allah. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
((Ta‘arraf ila Allah fi al-rakha’ ya‘rifka fi al-shiddah)) (Sahih al-Jami‘, Hadith: 6202)
"Recognize Allah in times of ease, and He will recognize you in times of hardship."
Jurayj’s heart was pure and his certainty was complete that Allah would not disgrace him, and if his certainty had not been complete, he would never have asked the child to speak.

➒ This hadith also shows that when two important tasks are required at the same time, the more important one should be given precedence. Responding to parents is more important than voluntary prayers, so Jurayj was tested for abandoning the more important task. People of knowledge and piety should keep in mind that they should arrange their priorities according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and they should also be aware that sometimes, acting on the less preferred (marjuh) instead of the preferred (rajih) can also lead to trials.
The duration of trials and tribulations is usually very short, and if certainty is complete, the trial is lifted quickly. However, sometimes, for the refinement and elevation of a person’s rank, this duration can be prolonged, so one should not lose heart.

➓ The way of the people of Allah is that every sin is present before their eyes, and when a trial or calamity befalls them, they first examine their own deeds to see where they have stumbled and disobeyed Allah. When Jurayj saw the immoral women, he immediately remembered his sin—that he had not responded to his mother and she had cursed him.

⓫ In some narrations of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that he performed ablution (wudu), prayed two units (rak‘ah) of prayer, and then came to the child and asked, "Who is your father?" From this, it is understood that in times of difficulty, one should seek Allah’s help through prayer. Allah has also taught this in the Qur’an, saying:
﴿Wa ista‘inu bi al-sabri wa al-salah﴾ (al-Baqarah: 45)
"And seek help through patience and prayer."

⓬ In the time of ignorance (jahiliyyah), a child born from adultery (zina) was considered to belong to the adulterer and was given to him. But Islam has attributed the child born from adultery to the mother, and the man is not made the child’s heir. The statement of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is:
((Al-waladu lil-firash wa lil-‘ahir al-hajar)) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hudud, Hadith: 6818)
"The child belongs to the (owner of the) bed, and for the adulterer is the stone."
That is, if he is married, he will be stoned (rajm), and if unmarried, he will be flogged.

⓭ This incident also shows that if an accusation is made against a person of good character, it should not be immediately accepted and a negative opinion formed; rather, the matter should first be investigated, and only then should any action be taken. Forming an immediate opinion can later lead to regret, as happened to those who acted against Jurayj.

⓮ Demanding one’s right is not contrary to piety (taqwa); however, it is better, as much as possible, to avoid accepting the offers of worldly people. This is as Jurayj ordered them to rebuild his hut, which they had demolished, but refused the king’s offer to build it in gold.