[18].Surah Al-Kahf [The Cave]: Ayat 6

 

Ayat 6. Perhaps, you, would kill yourself (O Muhammad  [SAWW](PBUH) in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), because they believe not in this narration (the Qur'an).  

[Tafseer] In a reasonable world the preaching of a reasonable Faith like that of Islam would win universal acceptance. But the world is not altogether reasonable. It caused great distress to the unselfish Preacher of Islam that his Message met with so much opposition. He wanted to point the way to salvation. He only got, in the Makkan period, abuse from the chiefs of the Makkans-abuse and persecution, not only for himself but for the Truth which he was preaching. A heart less stout than his might have been appalled at what seemed the hopeless task of reclaiming the world from falsehood, superstition, selfishness, wrong, and oppression. He is here consoled, and told that he was not to fret himself to death: he was nobly doing his duty, and, as later events showed, the seed of Truth was already germinating, although this was not visible at the time. Besides, these "chiefs" and "leaders" were only strutting in false plumes: their glory was soon to fade forever.

Hazrat Saad bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We left Makkah with the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) for Al-Madinah, and when we were near `Azwara,' he  [SAWW](PBUH) alighted (from his riding-camel) raised his hands in supplication to Allah for a while and prostrated himself. He remained for a long time in prostration. Then he stood up and raised his hands for a while, after which he prostrated himself (again), and remained for a long time in prostration. Then he stood up and raised his hands for a while, after which he prostrated himself for the third time. Then he  [SAWW](PBUH) said, "I supplicated my Rubb and made intercession for my Ummah, and He granted me one-third of them. So I again prostrated myself in gratitude to my Rubb. Then I raised my head and supplicated my Rubb for my Ummah, and He granted me another third of them. Again I raised my head and supplicated my Rubb for my Ummah and He granted me the last third of them. So I fell into prostration out of gratitude before my Rubb.''

[Abu Dawud, Hadith # 2775]. 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Kahf Ayat 06. "Perhaps, you, would kill yourself (O Muhammad [SAWW](PBUH) in grief," The phrase "I supplicated my Rubb and made intercession for my Ummah'' means that the Prophet (PBUH) prayed to Allah to pardon his Ummah and to admit them to Jannah. The interpretation of this Hadith is stated to be that ultimately all the Muslims will be sent to Jannah. They will not abide in Hell for ever. Some of them will go to Jannah after suffering the punishment for their major sins, some through the intercession of the Prophet (PBUH), and some by the Special Grace of Allah. This interpretation is no doubt true. This is confirmed by other Ahadith and forms the belief of the followers of Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). But the Hadith under discussion is not "Sahih''. However, Sujud-ush-Shukr (prostrations for thanksgiving), in support of which Imam An-Nawawi has reproduced this Hadith here, is also proved by other Ahadith. To prostrate in gratitude to Allah is correct and permissible .