The Forty Rules of GuidancePart Six

Prepared by: Hacene Chebbani

Qualifications for Success

إّن خير من استأجرت القوّي األمين“ ”28سورة القصص/

“Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy.” 28/26

• The two key words in this passage are:– Strong: having strength or power greater than

average or expected.– Trustworthy: worthy of reliance or trust,

reliable and dependable.

What is the Context of this segment?

• Prophet left behind Pharaoh and his people, and set off to Midian.

• At the water of Midian, he found a crowd of people and found aside from them the two women driving back their flocks.

• He watered for them their flocks, he went back to the shade and made his beautiful supplication.

Continued

• One of the two women said:

• “Oh my father hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy.” 28/26

• This woman must have been a wise lady.

• These two qualities are found to be universal requirements for every job or leadership position.

Different Aspects of strength

1. Strength of Iman:Hadith: “The strong believer is better and more

beloved to Allah the weak believer, while there is good in both. Desire that which brings you benefit, seek Allah’s assistance and do not give way to incapacity. If something befalls you, then do not say ‘If I only had done such and such, rather say ‘Allah has ordained this and He does what He wills’ , for verily the phrase ‘If I only had done’ makes way for the work of Shaytan.” (Muslim)

Continued

• Different Statements:– Firm will and strong desire to work for the

Hereafter.– More firm in the way he enjoins the good and

forbids the evil.– More firm in his patience with the harms he

faces– Stronger in the way he carries out difficult

tasks for Allah’s sake.– More active in his ibadaat.

Continued

• Opinion of Ibn Uthaimeen:

• Physical strength is not intended here.

• It is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy.

• The intended meaning is the strength of Iman. The strong believer has the strength to carry out what Allah has commanded him to do, and to increase upon that by doing extra good deeds.

Continued

2. Physical Strength:“The one who is capable of performing his

prayers properly is more sound and more virtuous as the Prophet (salla Allah alaihi wa sallam) said: “the hadith”. Ibn Taymiyah (rahimahu Allah).

This scholar believes that physical power is one aspect of the intended meaning of strength in this hadith.

Continued

3. The Power to implement the truth or to call to it:

“The one who has insight into the truth and an awareness of it, but he is weak and has no strength to implement it or to call to it, then this is the situation of the weak believer. The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than him.” Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahu Allah).

Trustworthiness and Strength in the Quran

• “That indeed, it is a word (conveyed by) a noble messenger (Jibreel)* Who possessed power and who is secure in position with the Owner of the Throne* Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy.” At-Takweer/19-21

continued

• The Qualifications of Yousuf (alaihi assalam).• Yousuf said: “Appoint me over the storehouses

of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian.” 12/55

• They are the same qualities:– Knowledge (strength).– Ability to guard, protect and preserve the public

properties (strength and trustworthiness).