6829 – 0219
Question:
Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu
May my email find you under the best of conditions and under the protection of Allah!
I live in an area where I am mostly surrounded by Non-Muslim. I spend time talking about Islam with my Non-Muslim neighbours and others within the area. Alhamdulillah, thus far 5 reverted to Islam purely by the Mercy of our Rabb. Only Allah can put the light of Islam in the hearts of those whom He wishes. Over the last 2 weeks I have been in discussion with a Non-Muslim brother that is visiting in the area and he will be here for another 3 or 4 months. He lives in a town about 230 klms from where I live and stated that he never speaks to any of the Muslims in his area. He is very interested in Islam and expressed his unhappiness with his current faith. He engages me constantly and 2 questions he posed I need guidance on.
1. Loss of an 11 year old son
About a year ago he suffered a double loss. His son as well as the son of his sister in law, who was in his custody, drowned. His son was 11 and the sister in law’s son was 10. As per him, he blamed God as this son was his pillar of strength. He, the father, suffers from a muscular disease and the son would help him stand up, massage his aching muscle, pick him up when he falls etc. He feels that God took away the one person that loved him unconditionally and helped him albeit he was of such a young age. So he wants to know what he must find comfort in? He says he no longer blames God but his faith is very low due to the event.
2. Nabi Adam A.S. and Hawa A.S. banishment to this dunya
As per him, he spoke to many priests and no answer could thus far be given. This is his argument-Nabi Adam A.S. and Hawa A.S. came to this earth. Cain and Abel were born. Cain killed Abel and thus there were only 3 left. His question is, where did Cain find a wife? As per him, was there other human on this earth that is not mentioned or was there incest which is hidden in the scriptures?
May Allah reward you all for always being available to guide us with sound Fatwas and may Allah grant you all the best in dunyah and akhirah.
Wa Alaykum Salaam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu
Y.Barron
Answer:
As salām ʿalaikum wa raḥmatullāhī wa barakātuhu
In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
May Allāh ﷻ bless you immensely for your sincere efforts in Daʿwah, and for your concern on guiding others to the truth. You may send him the following answer as a response to his questions:
Islām acknowledges the pain that any human experiences through the different challenges which they are faced with. Losing a child is one of the most difficult trials a person can experience. However, from an Islāmic point of view, it is also a sign of the love of Allāh ﷻ for that individual, as Allāh ﷻ tests the ones whom he loves with the greatest of trials.
If we look into the lives of any messenger who was sent, he was faced with multiple trials before his days of ease. Yūsuf u was abandoned by his brothers and thrown in a well after which he endured many years of trials and difficulties, Mūsa u was chased from his childhood home and he was driven out of that land, Ayyūb u lost all his wealth, family and children, ʿIsā u was faced with a threat of being killed, Nabī ﷺ was chased out of Ṭā’if with his shoes heavy with the weight of his blood, boycotted in a valley for three long years, which was followed by the passing on of two of his closest pillars of support; his wife Khadījah (Radiyallāhu ʿanhā) and his uncle Abū Ṭālib. Although they were the beloveds of Allāh ﷻ, then too they had to go through many challenges throughout their lives.
Consider the following Ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ regarding the one who loses a child:
“When a man’s child dies, Allāh ﷻ asks his angels, “Have you taken out the life of the child of my slave?” and they reply in the affirmative. He then asks, “Have you taken the fruit of his heart?” and they reply in the affirmative. Thereupon he asks, “What did my servant say?” They say: “He praised you and said: Innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rājiʿūn (Indeed, we belong to Allāh and to Him we shall return).” Allāh ﷻ says: “Build a house for my slave in Jannah and name it Bayt al-Ḥamd (the house of praise).”
In Islām, children who die before puberty are considered completely innocent and go straight to paradise (Jannah), regardless of their parents’ faith. Your son, and the nephew you raised, are now safe, free of any pain or trouble and are by Allāh ﷻ. If you believe in Him and have trust in His mercy, there is a promise of you being reunited with them in Jannah forever.
You may not see it now, but this tragedy may be the very thing that leads you back to God and to a place where there will never be any difficulties or pain. You may find solace in reading through the rewards promised to parents who have lost children at a young age in the following book:
The issue of Cain’s wife is indicated to in the Qur’ān and addressed by Islāmic scholars with clarity. We believe that Adam and Ḥawwā’ (Eve) (ʿAlaihima al-Salām) were the first humans on earth, and from them came all of humanity.
It is narrated by early scholars that every time Ḥawwā’ (ʿAlaiha al-Salām) gave birth, she would deliver twins, one male and one female. And Cain and Abel (Qābil and Ḥābil) were from different sets of twins.
The law for marriage at that time was that the male of one set could marry the female of the other set, but not his own twin. This was not considered incest or shameful in that era, due to the need for humanity to multiply from a single pair. Therefore, when humanity had spread, such close relations were no longer needed and became prohibited. So, Cain married a sister from another twin pair which was permitted only during that foundational time of human history.
May Allāh ﷻ open the heart of this brother to the truth. We make Duʿā’ that your efforts be the spark that lights that path for him. Āmīn.
And Allāh Taʿālā knows best.
سنن الترمذي — محمد بن عيسى بن سَوْرة بن موسى بن الضحاك، الترمذي، أبو عيسى (ت 279 هـ) 3/ 332
1021 – حدثنا سويد بن نصر قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن المبارك، عن حماد بن سلمة، عن أبي سنان، قال: دفنت ابني سنانا، وأبو طلحة الخولاني جالس على شفير القبر، فلما أردت الخروج أخذ بيدي، فقال: ألا أبشرك يا أبا سنان؟ قلت: بلى، فقال: حدثني الضحاك بن عبد الرحمن بن عرزب، عن أبي موسى الأشعري، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ” إذا مات ولد العبد قال الله لملائكته: قبضتم ولد عبدي، فيقولون: نعم، فيقول: قبضتم ثمرة فؤاده، فيقولون: نعم، فيقول: ماذا قال عبدي؟ فيقولون: حمدك واسترجع، فيقول الله: ابنوا لعبدي بيتا في الجنة، وسموه بيت الحمد “: هذا حديث حسن غريب،
سنن الترمذي — محمد بن عيسى بن سَوْرة بن موسى بن الضحاك، الترمذي، أبو عيسى (ت 279 هـ) 2/ 363
1062 – حدثنا نصر بن علي الجهضمي وأبو الخطاب زياد بن يحيى البصري ، قالا: حدثنا عبد ربه بن بارق الحنفي ، قال: سمعت جدي أبا أمي سماك بن الوليد الحنفي يحدث أنه سمع ابن عباس يحدث أنه سمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «من كان له فرطان» من أمتي أدخله الله بهما الجنة، فقالت عائشة: فمن كان له فرط من أمتك؟ قال: ومن كان له فرط يا موفقة. قالت: فمن لم يكن له فرط من أمتك؟ قال: فأنا فرط أمتي، لن يصابوا بمثلي.
هذا حديث غريب لا نعرفه إلا من حديث عبد ربه بن بارق، وقد روى عنه غير واحد من الأئمة.
زاد المسير في علم التفسير — جمال الدين أبو الفرج عبد الرحمن بن علي بن محمد الجوزي (ت 597هـ) 1/ 536
وفي السبب الذي قربا لأجله قولان: أحدهما: أن آدم عليه السلام كان قد نُهِي أن يُنْكِحَ المرأة أخاها الذي هو توأمها، وأُجيز له أن يُنكحها غيره من إِخوتها، وكان يولد له في كل بطن ذكر وأُنثى، فولدت له ابنة وسيمة، وأخرى دميمة، فقال أخو الدميمة لأخي الوسيمة: أنكحني أُختك، وأُنكحك أُختى، فقال أخو الوسيمة: أنا أحق بأختي، وكان أخو الوسيمة صاحب حرث، وأخو الدميمة صاحب غنم، فقال: هلمَّ فلنقرّب قرباناً، فأينا تُقُبِّل قربانُه فهو أحقُّ بها، فجاء صاحب الغنم بكبش أبيض أعين أقرن، وجاء صاحب الحرث بصُبْرَةٍ «2» من طعام، فتُقُبِّل الكبش، فخزنه الله في الجنة أربعين خريفاً، فهو الذي ذبحه إِبراهيم، فقتله صاحب الحرث، فوَلَدُ آدم كلهم من ذلك الكافر، رواه سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس. والثاني: أنهما قرّباه من غير سبب.
تفسير ابن كثير – ت السلامة — أبو الفداء إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي (ت 774 هـ) 3/ 82
قال السدي -فيما ذكر-عن أبي مالك، وعن أبي صالح، عن ابن عباس -وعن مرة، عن ابن مسعود-وعن ناس من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم؛ أنه كان لا يولد لآدم مولود إلا ولد معه جارية، فكان يزوج غلام هذا البطن جارية هذا البطن الآخر، ويزوج جارية هذا البطن غلام هذا البطن الآخر، حتى ولد له ابنان يقال لهما: قابيل وهابيل (3) وكان قابيل صاحب زرع، وكان هابيل صاحب ضرع، وكان قابيل أكبرهما، وكان له أخت أحسن من أخت هابيل، وإن هابيل طلب أن ينكح أخت قابيل، فأبى عليه وقال: هي أختي، ولدت معي، وهي أحسن من أختك، وأنا أحق أن أتزوج بها. فأمره أبوه أن يزوجها هابيل، فأبى، وأنهما قربا قربانا إلى الله عز وجل أيهما أحق بالجارية،