"Do not cause our Religion to die"

ditta

Alhamdu'Lillaah
Staff member
As-salaamu'alaykum,

Umar (radiyAllahu anh) believed that piety was displayed, not through affectation, not through wearing coarse garments for show, and not through lowering one's head and speaking in an almost inaudible tone - but through sincerity and righteous deeds. After the generation of the Companions (radiyAllahu anhum), some people began to focus, not so much on actual piety or on deeds of the heart, but on an outward display of righteousness. These people did not fool Umar; in fact, Umar did not tolerate their behaviour.

One day, Umar saw a man who, in order to show off his asceticism, pretended to be weak, and so he walked with an affected, feeble, overly slow gait. Umar struck him with a stick and said,

"Do not cause our Religion to die, for if you do that, then may Allah cause you to die!"

(Akhbar Umar, pg. 190)

What Umar meant was that, when people would begin to focus on the outward aspects of asceticism, and not on actual piety that is based on sound knowledge, they would corrupt the teachings of Islam - as occurred later on with the advent of Sufi orders.

On another occasion, Ash-Shifaa bint Abdullah (radiyAllahu anha) saw a group of young men walking slowly in an affected manner, and speaking slowly also in an affected manner. It was as if they were trying to show off their humbleness and devoutness. Shifaa asked,

"Who are they?"

Some people who were nearby replied,

"They are devout (Muslims)."

She then exclaimed,

"By Allah, when Umar ibn Al-Khattab would speak, he would make sure others could hear his voice; when he walked, he walked at a fast pace; and when he hit someone, he did so in such a way that he inflicted pain (upon the person he hit). And yet, by Allah, he was a truly devout (Muslim)."

(Ash-Shaikhaan min Riwaayatil-Baladhiri, pg. 226)
 
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