Two Exquisite Insights – By Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Allah, The Most High, said:

أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُڪُمۡ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ ۥ جَنَّةٌ۬ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ۬ وَأَعۡنَابٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ لَهُ ۥ فِيهَا مِن ڪُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلۡكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ۥ ذُرِّيَّةٌ۬ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعۡصَارٌ۬ فِيهِ نَارٌ۬ فَٱحۡتَرَقَتۡ‌ۗ كَذَٲلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَڪُمُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Would any of you love to have a garden with date-palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein, while he is stricken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a fiery whirlwind, so that it is burnt? Thus does Allah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses) to you that you may give thought. [Al-Baqarah. 266]

Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“By Allah! Very few amongst the people understand this parable. A very old man whose body is weak and his children are many would be very much in need of his garden. By Allaah! One of you would be more in need of his deeds when he is cut off from this worldly life [i.e. through death]”. [1]

Imam Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon him, reported that Bin Subayh, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned that  man complained to Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, about me drought; Al-Hasan said to him, “Seek Allah’s forgiveness”. Another person complained about poverty, to which Al-Hasan similarly responded, “Seek Allah’s forgiveness”. A third person said to him, “Supplicate to Allah to grant me a child”, Al-Hasan again said to him, “Seek Allah’s forgiveness”. Then another complained about the dryness of his garden, Al-Hasan said to him, “Seek Allah’s forgiveness”. Rabee Bin Sibayh said to him, “Men came with different complaints and you commanded all of them to seek Allah’s forgiveness!” He replied: “I did not say anything from myself, rather Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, says in Surah Nuh:

فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًا
يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا
وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَٰرًا

I (Nuh) said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord; Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; ‘He will send rain to you in abundance; and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.” [2]

[1] An Excerpt from Tareeq al-Hijratayn pages 456-458. Publisher Daar Ibn Rajab 2nd edition 1421AH (2001)]

[2] Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 18/301-303