How to Win Heart

How to Win Peoples Heart

One of the most difficult things is winning the hearts. This journey starts with knowing a human being and understanding, then winning his heart. Really this is a big challenge. Very few people are able to achieve this art. Art of winning hearts is difficult art.

All people endeavor to specialize in techniques that are needed in order for them to excel in their fields of operation or work.

Winning hearts is also an art with its own ways and means.

Some-one successfully captures your heart, not with wealth, status, or lineage, but merely by his interpersonal skills. Hence, hearts are not won by force, wealth, beauty or status. They are won by much less of a sacrifice, yet few are able to win them.

Deal with the people so skillfully that they love you for who you are and what you say, and for your smile, gentleness and generosity. They will love the fact that you overlook their faults and stand by them at times of hardship. Do not allow their hearts to be attached merely to your status and your purse!

The one who provides his children and wife with wealth, food and drink only does not win their hearts by doing so, but only their stomachs! The one who showers his family with wealth while he mistreats them does not win their hearts; rather; he only wins their pockets. For this reason, do not be surprised if you see a young man who faces a problem and therefore complains to his friend, teacher, or the Imam of a mosque, but not to his own father. This would be because the father has failed to win over his heart and break down barriers. On the other hand, it is the teacher or the friend, who has managed to win his heart;

A believer worships Allah by being well-mannered and dealing pleasantly with all, not to attain status or wealth, or for people's praise, or to get married, etc., but only so that Allah may love him and make him beloved to His creation. Yes! Whoever considers exercising good manners as worship will deal courteously with everyone, be the rich or poor, a manager or a tea-boy. If one day a poor cleaner on the street stretches out his hand for you to shake it, and then another day a director of some company stretches his hand out in the same way, will you treat them equally? Will you welcome them both, and smile at them equally?

The Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) wouldcertainly treat them both equally in terms of welcoming them and showing them sincere conduct and compassion. Who knows, perhaps the one you may belittle and look down upon might actually be better in Allah's sight than he who you look up to and show honor and respect to. The Prophet PBUH said, "The most beloved of you to me, and the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in manners." (al-Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The Prophet PBUH also said to al-Ashaj bin 'Abd Qays, "You have two qualities that Allah and His Messenger love."What are these two qualities? Praying at night? Fasting all day? Al-Ashaj became overjoyed and said, "What are the two qualities, 0 Messenger of Allah?"

The Prophet PBUH said, "Forbearance and patience." (Ahmad and Muslim)

The Prophet PBUH was asked about piety, and he replied, "Piety is to show good manners:' (Muslim)

He PBUH was asked about the deed on account of which most will enter paradise, He PBUH said, "Fear of Allah and good manners." (al-Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The Prophet PBUH said, "The most complete in faith are those best in their character, those who are easy to socialize with, and those who get along with others and others get along with them. There is no good in the one who cannot get along with others and others cannot get along with him:' (al-Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The Prophet PBUH said, "there is nothing heavier in the scales than good manners:' (Abu Dawud, Sahih)

The Prophet PBUH said, "A person by his good character reaches the rank of the one praying at night and fasting all day." (alTirmidhi, Sahih)

The one who improves his character becomes successful in both worlds. Consider the incident of Umm Salamah - may Allah be pleased with her - when she sat with the Messenger of Allah PBUH and thought about the Hereafter and what Allah had promised her.

She said,"0 Messenger of Allah! A woman might be married twice in this world. When she and her husband’s die and they all enter paradise, who is she going to be with?"

What did he PBUH say in response? That she will be with the one who prayed the longest? Or the one who fasted the most? Or the most knowledgeable of them? No! Rather, he (PBUH) said, "she will be with the best of them in character?'

The one who improves his character becomes successful in both worlds.

As a matter of fact, Allah's words in his praise are something we will continue to recite until the Last Day, "And indeed, you (0 Muhammad Peace be Upon Him) are on an exalted standard of character!"

The Prophet's character in its entirety was the Qur'an. When he recited, "Be good, for Allah loves those who are good" he was good to the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the noble and the weak. When he heard Allah's words, "Forgive and overlook..." he forgave and overlooked. When he recited, "Speak well to the people..." he spoke well to all.

The Prophet PBUH was so eager to improve his character that he would pray to Allah,"0 Allah, just as you have beautified my physical being, beautify my character." (Ahmad, Sahih) He PBUH also would say,"0 Allah, guide me to the best of manners, for none guides to them except You. Protect me from bad manners, for none can protect me except You." (Muslim)

Purify your intention so that your interpersonal skills can turn into acts of worship, with which you can draw closer to Allah.

There are things which people unanimously love and appreciate, and things which they unanimously dislike. There are also things upon which they differ so while some may be appreciative of them, others Il) may find them cumbersome. Hence, everyone loves to be smiled at and hates to be frowned at, yet some may appreciate jokes whilst others may not. Some people may like others visiting them whilst others would rather be left alone may love to talk excessively whilst others may not. Often feel comfortable with those of the same nature as themselves.

On another occasion, the Prophet PBUH fought the Jews of Khaybar briefly and then made a peace agreement with them where he stipulated that they were not to hide any of their wealth, or conceal any gold and silver, and that they must present everything to him so he may decide what to do with it. He also warned them that if they were to hide anything, then they would have no agreement or pact..

Huyay bin Akhtab was one of their leaders who had returned from Madinah with a leather bag full of gold and jewelry and then passed away, leaving behind all his wealth, which the Jews concealed from the Messenger of Allah PBUH. The Prophet PBUH saidto the uncle of Huyay bin Akhtab, "What happened to what Huyay brought from Banu Nadheer (i.e., the leather bag )?"

He said, "It was all spent on expenses and wars." The Prophet ~ thought about what he said, and it occurred to him that Huyay had only died recently and that the wealth he had brought over was of a huge amount. Moreover, there had not occurred any war recently that it could have been spent on. The Prophet ~ said, "The wealth was only brought here recently, and it was too much to have been spent so quickly."

The Jewish man said, "The wealth and jewellery have all been spent." The Prophet PBUH realized .that the man was lying, so he looked at his companions, who were many in number, and each of them understood his message. The Prophet ss then turned to az-Zubayr bin al-'Awwam and said,"0 Zubayr, give him a taste of punishment."

As az-Zubayr began his approach the man was terrified. Knowing that his situation was grave, he said, "Well, I did see Huyay once going into this deserted place!" and pointed to an old abandoned house. The Muslims went into the house and found the wealth hidden therein. This is how the Prophet ~ was with az-Zubayr.

Yes, everyone has a special key to open his heart, earn his love and influence hlrn. We notice this often in our lives. Perhaps you have heard work colleagues say that if you want to get the manager to agree to something, then so-and-so is the key, or if you want anything, ask so-and-so to speak to him on your behalf. Why not then use your skills to open up people's hearts and be a head instead of being a tail? Yes, be special and look for the keys with which to open up the hearts of your mother, father, wife and children. Find the key to the heart of your manager at work and your colleagues. Knowing the keys to their hearts helps them accept good advice when it is offered, that is if the advice is presented in an appropriate manner, as people do not all react the same way when advised.

Once, the Prophet $ was sitting in a blessed gathering of his and speaking to his companions, meanwhile, a man entered the mosque, looking to his left and right. Then, instead of sitting in the Prophet's circle, he headed for a corner of the mosque and began to undo his lower garment. The people were left in suspense as to what he is going to do next. Then, to their horror, he raised his lower garment, sat down quite calmly and began to urinate!

The Companions were shocked and exploded upon seeing him urinate in the mosque. They were about to rush towards him, but the Prophet ~ asked them to stay seated and keep their calm; he said, "Do not interrupt him!" The Companions watched as he urinated and perhaps he wasn't even aware of them looking on! The Prophet ss, as he witnessed the scene - a man urinating in the mosque - continued to calm his Companions down.

How forbearing he was! When the Bedouin had finished and stood up to tie his garment around his waist, the Prophet ~ . called him gently. The Bedouin came and stood in front of the Prophet ~.The Prophet ~ said, "The mosques are not built for this purpose. They are only built for prayers and reading of the Qur'an."

This was end of his brief advice. The man understood the Prophet's words and left. When the time for prayer came, the Bedouin came and prayed along with them. The Prophet ~ initiated the prayer with his Companions by saying "Allahu Akbar". He then recited and bowed. When he raised up from bowing, he said, "Allah hears the one who praises Him." The Companions said, "Our Lord, to you belong all the praise!" Except that this man added,"0 Allah, have mercy on me and Muhammad, and no one else!"

The Prophet ~ heard him, and when the prayer finished, he turned around and asked who said those words. The Companions pointed out the man to him, so he asked him to come forward. When he came and sat in front of him, 10 and behold, it was the same Bedouin. The Prophet's love had entered into his heart so deeply that he wished that the Prophet and he be the recipients of Allah's mercy exclusively.

The Prophet ~ said to him, "You have narrowed what is vast!" Meaning that Allah's mercy was enormous enough to include them two and everyone else, so it should not have been restricted to the two of them only. Notice how the Prophet ~managed to capture his heart by knowing how to deal with him, for he was a Bedouin who had just come from the desert. He could not be expected to be as knowledgeable as Abu Bakr and 'Umar, or even Mu'adh' and 'Ammar, and hence he should not be treated like them either.

Let's look at the case of Mu'awiyah bin al-Hakm, - may Allah be pleased with him - who was just a regular Companion. He did not live in Madinah, or even accompany the Prophet PBUH often; rather, he had cattle in the desert to tend to. One day, Mu'awiyah entered Madinah and visited the mosque. He sat in the gathering of the Prophet ~ and his Companions as they were discussing the etiquettes of sneezing. One of the etiquettes the Prophet ~taught was that if one hears his brother sneeze and then praise Allah, he should say to him 'YarhamukAllah' (i.e., 'May Allah have mercy on you'). Mu'awiyah committed this to his memory and left. After a few days he returned to Madinah to fulfil a need and entered the mosque where the Prophet PBUH  was praying with his Companions, so he joined them. As they were praying, one of the Companions sneezed, and before he could say "al-Hamdulillah", Mu'awiyah remembered that he was supposed to respond, so he hurriedly said i in a loud voice, "YarhamukAllah!" The people who were praying became confused and began to look at him with disapproving looks. When he noticed the commotion he became confused and said, "Woe be to me! Why are you staring at me?!"

The Companions began to strike their hands on their thighs, insisting that he be silent, and he complied. When the prayer was over, the Prophet $ turned to the congregation. He had heard the commotion and the voice of the one who spoke, but the voice had belonged to a new, unfamiliar person. He asked, 'Who spoke?' and the people pointed at Mu'awiyah. The Prophet PBUH asked him to come forward and he did. He was terrified as he didn't know what would happen to him for interrupting the prayer and ruining people's concentration.

Mu'awiyah said, "May my mother and father be sacrificed for him! By Allah, I have never seen before him nor after him a leader who gave better instruction than he. I swear that he did not scold, beat or revile me, but simply said: 'Talking to people is not befitting during the prayer, for it consists of glorifying Allah, declaring his Greatness and recitation of the Qur'an. This is how brief his advice was:' Mu'waiyah understood the advice and when he felt more comfortable.

The Messenger of Allah PBUH dispatched a group of his Companions to al-Huraqat, a, sub-tribe of Juhaynah. Usamah bin Zayd was one of the warrior .The battle commenced in the morning the Muslims became victorious and the enemy fled. A man from amongst the pagans saw that his men were defeated, so he threw his weapons and fled. A man from the Ansar and Usamah began to chase him as he attempted to escape in terror, until he hid behind a tree. Usamah and the Ansari caught up with him and raised their swords to strike him. When he saw the two swords above his head about to come down on him, and realized that death was at his doorstep, he said, "There is no one worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger!" Usamah and the Ansari were puzzled; did he accept Islam sincerely or did he simply say this to save his neck? They were in the middle of a battle and surrounded by bodies, blood and flesh, as the man looked on. They had to make a quick decision, for they could have been struck by an arrow anytime. There was no time to contemplate. While the Ansari withheld, Usamah thought that it was a trick, so he struck him with his sword and killed him. They returned to Madinah victorious. Usamah stood in front of the Prophet ~ and told him the entire story, including what happened to the man they killed. The story was that of Muslim victory, and the Prophet PBUH was rejoicing, that is, until Usamah said, "Then I killed him..." Suddenly, the Prophet's complexion changed and he said, "He said: La Ilaha Illallah and you killed him?!" Usamah said, "He did not say it intentionally! He only said it out of the fear of our weapons!" But the Prophet PBUH repeated his question, "Did he say, 'There is no god worthy of worship but Allah,' and then you killed him? Did you split open his heart to know for certain that he had only said it out of fear of your weapons?" The Prophet PBUH fixed his eyes on Usamah and kept repeating, "Did he say 'There is no god but Allah', and then you killed him! Did he say 'There is no god but Allah', and then you killed him?! How will you deal with his testimony, 'there is no god but Allah', on the Day of Resurrection?" Usamah said, "He continued to repeat himself until I wished I had only accepted Islam that day."

Masjid Al Aqsa is Waiting ........ Waiting for Salahuddin

Thinking positively of Allah

Ibn Shaddad related: (Salah ad-Deen) - may Allah sanctify his soul – thought positively of Allah, relied on Him and turned to Him. I myself witnessed the effects of what I am saying. That was when the Franks - may Allah humiliate them - were camping in Bayt Noobah, which is a place close to Jerusalem - may Allah guard it - which was only one day's journey away. The sultan was in Jerusalem, and he had stationed scouts"? Surrounding the enemy, he had sent out spies and was receiving constant news of their firm resolve to come up to Jerusalem, lay siege to it and fight for it. The Muslims were very afraid because of that, so he summoned the emirs, informed them of the hardships that the Muslims were going to face, and consulted them with regard to his staying in Jerusalem. They said kind words, but their real feelings were different from those which they expressed. All insisted that there was no interest to be served by his staying in the city himself, and in fact it would pose a danger to Islam. They told him that they would stay in the city, and he should go out with a group of men from the camp to surround the enemy, as had been done at Acre. He and these troops were to cut off the supply of provisions and put pressure on the enemy.

Meanwhile, they would guard the city and defend it. The council broke up, having agreed to that, but he insisted on staying there himself, knowing that if he did not stay, no one else would stay either. When the emirs had left to go to their homes, a messenger came from them , informing him that they would not stay unless his brother al-Malik al-'Adil or one of his sons stayed there, to be in charge of them and they would follow his commands. He realized that this was an indication that they would not stay, and he was distressed and did not know what to do. I was on duty for him that night, and it was wintertime. There was no one else with us two except Allah. Whilst we were discussing all options and possible outcomes, I began to feel sorry for him and to fear for his well-being, as he had some heart problem" I urged him to go to bed so that he might sleep for a while, and he (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "You must be sleepy too." Then he got up (to go and rest). When I went home, I did some chores, then the muezzin gave the call to prayer and dawn broke. I used to pray Fajr with him most of the time, so I entered upon him and found him pouring water over his limbs.

He said, "I did not sleep at all."

I said, "I know."

He said, "How do you know?"

I said, "Because I did not sleep either; there is no time for sleep." We busied ourselves with the prayer, and then we sat and resumed our discussion.

I said to him, "I have an idea, and I think it will be useful, if Allah wills."

He said, "What is it?"

I said, "Turning to Allah, seeking His help and relying on Him to save us from this calamity."

said, "What should we do?"

I said, "Today is Friday. Your highness should perform a ritual shower before going out, and pray as usual in al-Aqsa, the site of the Meraj' (night journey) of the Prophet Pease Be Upon Him, Your highness should give charity in secret, at the hand of someone you trust to do it on your behalf, and your highness should pray two units of prayer between the adhan and iqamah, calling upon Allah whilst prostrating, as there is a sound hadith concerning that. Say within yourself: 0 my God, all my earthly means of supporting Your religion have been cut off, and there is nothing left except to tum to You, cling to Your rope and rely on Your grace. You are sufficient for me and are the best Disposer of affairs. Allah is too generous to let you down."

So he did all of that and I prayed beside him as I usually did. He prayed the two units of prayer between the adhan and iqamah, and I saw him prostrating and his tears falling on his grey beard and the mat, but I could not hear what he said. The day did not end before a dispatch arrived from 'Izz ad-Deen Jurdeek , who was in charge of the scouts, informing him that the Franks were in a state of confusion; that day they had mounted their horses and all moved to the desert, where they stayed until midday , then they returned to their tents . Early on Saturday another dispatch arrived with the same news. During the day a spy carne in and told him that there was discord among the Franks; the French were 0f the view that it was essential to lay siege to Jerusalem, whereas the king of England and his followers were of the view that they Should not risk the Christian cause by throwing the troops into mountainous country where there was no source of water because the Sultan had destroyed all water sources around Jerusalem. They had gone out to discuss the matter, as it was their custom to hold councils of war on horseback. They had appointed ten men to decide, and whatever they decided upon, they would not go against it. Early on Monday morning, a messenger came with the good news that they had departed, heading in the direction of Ramlah. This is what I saw theeffects of his turning to Allah and putting his trust in Allah·

Jerusalem was Liberated - Waiting for Salahuddin

The Great Warrior and Ruler - Sultan Salahuddin Ayoubi 

History tells us that when Sultan Salahuddin recaptured Jerusalem from the invading and ruthless Crusaders. Who had ninety years earlier massacred and savagely treated its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, he met a group of Latin Christian women who addressed him, "0 Sultan! You see that we are leaving. Among us are mothers, wives, daughters or sisters to the soldiers in captivity with you. These men are our support in life; and if we lose them we will lose everything. But if you leave them for our sake, you will be giving us back our lives." At this Salahuddin smiled and gave orders that the sons and husbands of those women be set free. He went even further and gave money to the women whose supporters were killed in the battle. An irate French girl came up to the Sultan and said, "You murderer, you have killed my father and captured both of my brothers. So there remains no one to support me!" Salahuddin calmly ordered that her brothers be set free, and then addressed her: "your father was killed in a war which he started himself, and in which many innocent people were killed." The French girl looked down, full of shame and regret for her insolence with such an honorable man and, with tears in her eyes, she said, "Forgive me, Sir! It was the bitterness of grief and the descriptions and bad impressions given to us about your people and their cruelty in our country (that caused my insolence). But now I see the reality: that you are honorable and I have not despaired of your forgiveness. May God curse the liars in our homelands who deceived us and depicted you as savage assassins who had desecrated our holy places? They exploited our emotions (and sent us here). But when we came to know you well we could not see the truth in any of their claims."

Salahuddin used to say, "It is better for one to err in forgiveness than to be right in punishment." However, we should not forget that this was only one of many special qualities that adorned his character.

Salahuddin was born of Kurdish parents in Takreet (in Iraq) in 1137 G., came at a time when the Islamic world was at its worst state, politically and even morally. In the Fertile Crescent (Today’s Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq) the ruler of almost every small town had an independent state of his own and tried to expand his authority through fighting with the other neighboring city states. Besides, almost all the major coastal towns on the East Mediterranean were captured and ruled by the Crusader invaders. Jerusalem (the claimed target of the Crusaders) was, of course, already under ruthless foreign domination. In brief, the picture was very bleak indeed.

Salahuddin was a man of unflinching faith. He knew that through the application of Islamic teachings and its principles, miracles could be made. Had not the early Muslims gone out of the desert and defeated the two greatest Empires on earth of their time? What were the arms with which they faced fighters who were much superior in number, training and equipment? It was certainly their firm faith in Allah, devotion to justice and unity. These three things were then the goals which Salahuddin tried to achieve in order to liberate Muslim lands from the Crusaders.

To Salahuddin Jihad started from inside. He had to watch himself and his aids and soldiers to make sure that they behaved in compliance with Divine commandments in all spheres of life, spiritual, moral and material. It is reported that prayers and devotion to Allah were the constant companions of Salahuddin. Once an adviser of his suggested, "Why do you not save the money you give in charity to the poor and religious teachers, and spend it in your war efforts?" He answered that he could not do that, because the prayers of poor men were a sure source of his strength in his wars.

Ibn Shaddad (an intimate companion of Salahuddin) reports, "In faith and practice the Sultan was a devout Muslim, ever conforming to the tenets at Islam. He was regular in the performance of religious observances, assiduous in offering the ritual prayers, founded on the practice of the Prophet; he also performed the voluntary prayers during the night." Salahuddin’s attitude to material luxury and gains is revealed in the fact that when he died he left nothing except one dinar and 47 dirhams. Nothing else did he leave by way of houses, goods, gardens or any other type of property. He did not leave even as much as that could suffice to defray his burial expenses. As for the acute sense of justice of Salahuddin, it is enough to mention that he did not object to go with one of his subjects to the Qadi (the judge). When he won the case he forgave the man and even gave him what he had claimed.

"0 believers! Stand out firmly for Allah as just witnesses; and Let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice, Be just: that is nearer to piety and fear of Allah. Verily, Allah is well acquainted with what you do," (Al-Our'an: 5:8)

His greatness was due to two main qualities namely,

(1) His inborn leadership qualities, and

(2) Meticulous application of the Islamic teachings in all aspects of his life: spiritual and material, individual and social, at war and in peace.

The liberation of Jerusalem from the hands of the ruthless Crusaders was only one of the great achievements of Salahuddin.  At the age of seven, Salahuddin moved with his father Najmuddin to Damascus, where he closely witnessed the heroic deeds of his relative Nouruddin, the ruler of Damascus and some other parts of Syria, who was at constant war with the invading Crusaders. So, besides the civil education Salahuddin received (especially in religious learning), he had the opportunity of training in the arts of war and military maneuvers as well.

Later, when Salahuddin Uncle Asaduddin Shirkoh was sent to Egypt,  Salahuddin was ordered to accompany him, which he did. However, this trip proved to be the most critical in Salahuddin’ s life, For not only did he learn so much from his second teacher , his great uncle Asaduddin in the tactics of war, but he also succeeded him later to the position of minister to the Fatimide Caliph in 564 A.H. (1169 C.E).

At the age of 32 he was given the title "The Supporting King". This appointment seemed to have changed Salahuddin’ s temperament and attitude to life in a manner reminiscent of another earner hero of Islam, 'Urnar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz. For to both, authority was a responsibility rather than an honor, and they felt that they had to shun the life of ease and comfort in order to carry out the responsibility placed upon their shoulders. Salahuddin started by rectifying the corrupt conditions in Egypt. His first target was to clean the government from corrupt elements and the heads of treachery, some of whom he caught red-handed. The second major step was to abolish the whole ailing Fatimide Dynasty, sending parts of the unjustly earned and heaped property of the Dynasty to the Abbaside caliph in Baghdad and to his commanders-in-chief in Damascus to be used in his war efforts. The rest of the properties of the Dynasty Salahuddin sold, and he deposited the money in the public treasury.

As an honest and sincere leader, Salahuddin stayed in his old residence and refused to move to the luxurious palaces of the Caliphate, until he built the castle at AI-Mugattam mount in Cairo. Then he launched a long campaign in an attempt to unify the Muslim world; thus, bringing into the fold a great part of North Africa {Libya and Tunis}, the West of Arabia (where the Sacred Cities of Makkah and Madinah are situated}, down to Yemen. Upon the death of Nouruddin , Salahuddin became the undisputable master and Sultan of Egypt, Yemen and the Syrian region, which were subjugated by Salahuddin after some battles in which some rulers of the area allied themselves with the invading forces. Despite the fact that Salahuddin had by then a very strong army, we believe that he had something far greater on his side in those battles; that is, his charitable nature, for that won him the hearts of the residents of the fortified towns even before he entered them. We find an illustration of this charitable and chivalrous nature of Salahuddin in the following incident. While Salahuddin was besieging Haab {Aleppo} and attacking it, the young daughter of his former leader Nooruddin Mahmood came out of the city to meet him. He gave her a very warm welcome. Then he asked her about her request. She told him that the people wanted 'l'zaz' (honourable departure). He complied with her request and even accompanied her and her soldiers to the gates of the city. Then he set free all the soldiers captured in that battle, soldiers whose hearts Salahuddin had already won, due to his kindness and charitable nature. As pointed out earlier, Salahuddin was in his kindness and charity only applying the teachings of Islam, which instructs its followers to demonstrate justice even with the most detested enemies.

Salahuddin returned to Egypt after unifying the newly founded state under his command. He sent his soldiers to their families and directed his attention to civil projects, such as building hospitals, schools, bridges and public parks. He also ordered the fortification of Cairo.

All these and similar incidents increased Salahuddin's conviction of the necessity of a major offensive. The battlefield was Hitteen at which Salahuddln met with a huge army of the Crusaders for which the conflicting Crusader rulers came into form with each other. The battle was very fierce but Salahuddin finally won the day, and the invaders were beaten. Thus, the way to Jerusalem was half paved for Salahuddin who captured (or rather liberated) it after ninety years of occupation. This was in Rajab 583 A.H. (July 1187); thus, opening the doors of the Masjid AI-Aqsa the most sacred mosque in Jerusalam, or (Bait-ul-Maqdis which is regarded as the third Sacred Mosque in Islam) again for the pious followers of Islam.

Ata bin rabah

'ATA' BIN RABAH

The Slave who became a Teacher, to King (d. 104 A. H 225

The characteristic typical of all the Muslim heroes was their effort to direct their work for one and only one purpose; that is, the Pleasure of Allah. Whether in the Battle or in the mosque, in the royal courts or in the market-place those heroes' conduct never faltered.

Ata bin Rabah was an eminent personality of the second generation of Muslims who met or accompanied many Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). 'Ata' ibn Rabah was once at the doorsteps of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn 'Abdul Malik in Damascus. Let us listen to what goes on between him and the Caliph.

The Caliph: What can we do for you, Abu Muhammad?

Ata : The people of the two Harams (Makkah and Madinah), the guests of Allah (i.e. pilgrims) and the neighbors of the Messenger, give them their allotted annual gifts.

_ We will (Turning to Secretary): Write a decree to that effect. What else, Abu Muhammad?

_ The people of Hijaz and Najd are the heart of the Arabs and leaders of Islam. , request that you return to them the surplus of their charity.

- Yes, anything else?

_ Yes. leader of the faithful, the soldiers at the frontiers of the Muslim lands. They are there in the face of your enemies, fighting whoever attempts to attack the land of Islam or hurt the Muslims. These people deserve generous salaries and supplies to be sent to them. For if they are lost our frontiers are gone.

- Yes. (Addressing the Secretary) Write a decree to that effect. Anything else I can do for you?

- (the non-Muslim subjects living in the Muslim State who, in return for paying tax, enjoyed protection and safety) should not be asked to do things beyond their means. For whatever tax they pay you is a help against the State's enemies.

The Secretary was ordered to write a decree to that effect. The Caliph asks: Anything else, Abu Muhammad?

- Yes. Fear Allah for your own sake. Remember that you were born alone; you will die alone, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection alone, and you will receive the Judgment alone. No one of your friends or relatives can be of any help at those times."

With these words Ata bin Rabah bid farewell to the Caliph.

Before going out a man sent by the Caliph offered a pouch full of money for him. 'Ata ibn Rabah, declined to take the money, quoting from the Qur’an: "I ask you no reward (for the advice). For my reward is with the Lord of the universe."

Now let's go back to the earlier day’s life in Makkah. 'Ata ibn Rabah was an Ethiopian, born a slave to a Makkan lady. Since his childhood he became interested in learning. He divided his time into three portions: one third he spent in the service of his mistress carrying out his duties as a faithful servant. The second portion he devoted to worship and prayers, and one third he devoted to learning whatever he could from the former companions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The Makkan lady was impressed with her bondsman's devotion. So she set him free, giving him the chance to spend all his time in the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, learning first then teaching and engaged in devotions.His knowledge and piety earned him a high place in the hearts of the rulers and the ruled alike. Of his knowledge we are told that a great man like 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was reported to have been surprised that people in Makkah needed to seek religious guidance from anyone while they had a man like 'Ata ibn Rabah amongst them.

In the presence of 'Ata' even the greatest of Muslim Caliphs humbled themselves as we saw in the incident mentioned earlier (where we witnessed the encounter between Hisham ibn 'Abdul-Malik and Ata bin Rabah). In Makkah, another Umayyad Caliph, Sulaiman ibn 'AbdulMalik, accompanied his two sons to sit humbly in the presence of the ex-slave to listen to his teachings in the Sacred Mosque. When he was asked about the man by his sons, the Caliph answered, "This was 'Ata ibn Rabah." Then he said, "My children seek knowledge. For through knowledge and learning the humble becomes great. The fool becomes wise, and slaves become superior to kings."

He lived about one hundred years and performed pilgrimage (Hajj) no less than seventy times.'ATA' BIN RABAH

The Slave who became a Teacher, to King (d. 104 A. H 225

The characteristic typical of all the Muslim heroes was their effort to direct their work for one and only one purpose; that is, the Pleasure of Allah. Whether in the Battle or in the mosque, in the royal courts or in the market-place those heroes' conduct never faltered.

Ata bin Rabah was an eminent personality of the second generation of Muslims who met or accompanied many Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). 'Ata' ibn Rabah was once at the doorsteps of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn 'Abdul Malik in Damascus. Let us listen to what goes on between him and the Caliph.

The Caliph: What can we do for you, Abu Muhammad?

Ata : The people of the two Harams (Makkah and Madinah), the guests of Allah (i.e. pilgrims) and the neighbors of the Messenger, give them their allotted annual gifts.

_ We will (Turning to Secretary): Write a decree to that effect. What else, Abu Muhammad?

_ The people of Hijaz and Najd are the heart of the Arabs and leaders of Islam. , request that you return to them the surplus of their charity.

- Yes, anything else?

_ Yes. leader of the faithful, the soldiers at the frontiers of the Muslim lands. They are there in the face of your enemies, fighting whoever attempts to attack the land of Islam or hurt the Muslims. These people deserve generous salaries and supplies to be sent to them. For if they are lost our frontiers are gone.

- Yes. (Addressing the Secretary) Write a decree to that effect. Anything else I can do for you?

- (the non-Muslim subjects living in the Muslim State who, in return for paying tax, enjoyed protection and safety) should not be asked to do things beyond their means. For whatever tax they pay you is a help against the State's enemies.

The Secretary was ordered to write a decree to that effect. The Caliph asks: Anything else, Abu Muhammad?

- Yes. Fear Allah for your own sake. Remember that you were born alone; you will die alone, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection alone, and you will receive the Judgment alone. No one of your friends or relatives can be of any help at those times."

With these words Ata bin Rabah bid farewell to the Caliph.

Before going out a man sent by the Caliph offered a pouch full of money for him. 'Ata ibn Rabah, declined to take the money, quoting from the Qur’an: "I ask you no reward (for the advice). For my reward is with the Lord of the universe."

Now let's go back to the earlier day’s life in Makkah. 'Ata ibn Rabah was an Ethiopian, born a slave to a Makkan lady. Since his childhood he became interested in learning. He divided his time into three portions: one third he spent in the service of his mistress carrying out his duties as a faithful servant. The second portion he devoted to worship and prayers, and one third he devoted to learning whatever he could from the former companions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The Makkan lady was impressed with her bondsman's devotion. So she set him free, giving him the chance to spend all his time in the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, learning first then teaching and engaged in devotions.His knowledge and piety earned him a high place in the hearts of the rulers and the ruled alike. Of his knowledge we are told that a great man like 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was reported to have been surprised that people in Makkah needed to seek religious guidance from anyone while they had a man like 'Ata ibn Rabah amongst them.

In the presence of 'Ata' even the greatest of Muslim Caliphs humbled themselves as we saw in the incident mentioned earlier (where we witnessed the encounter between Hisham ibn 'Abdul-Malik and Ata bin Rabah). In Makkah, another Umayyad Caliph, Sulaiman ibn 'AbdulMalik, accompanied his two sons to sit humbly in the presence of the ex-slave to listen to his teachings in the Sacred Mosque. When he was asked about the man by his sons, the Caliph answered, "This was 'Ata ibn Rabah." Then he said, "My children seek knowledge. For through knowledge and learning the humble becomes great. The fool becomes wise, and slaves become superior to kings."

He lived about one hundred years and performed pilgrimage (Hajj) no less than seventy times.

Umar Bin Abdul Abdul Aziz - The Righteous Caliph

Umar Bin Abdul Aziz

The Umayyads, who gained control of the Islamic Caliphate, after the four Righteous Caliphs, chose Damascus for the capital of the Islamic Empire.  Umar Bin Abdul Aziz was not a man of war and military battles but rather a simple man who strived to live a very humble life in the midst of that type of life of luxury and affluence. What makes this all the more remarkable is that 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz did all this after he became the Caliph or the ruler of a great Empire. 'Umar the Caliph who was accustomed to the life of ease and comfort shunned all the amenities and luxuries of royal life and led a humble life like any of the ordinary citizens of the Empire he ruled. 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz was born in Madinah around 59 A.H. (680 G.). He was a descendent of 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab on his mother's side. So his life of material luxury and richness did not spoil the moral and religious aspects of his life. In his youth he memorized the Holy Ouran and kept the company of many religious scholars in Madinah and elsewhere. At the age of twenty-six, 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz was appointed Governor of Madinah. This was the first test of his character. 'Umar successfully passed the test. For as soon as he was appointed, he chose ten 'Ulama' (religious scholars) to help him carry out his duties, by giving him sincere advice and warning him of any injustices incurred by the citizens. In the year 99 A.H. (ca. 720 G.) 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz ascended to the throne in Damascus after the death of Sulaiman ibn 'Abdul-Malik who chose him for a successor.

And according to the conventions of the time, people swore the oath of allegiance to 'Umar who told them to make their pledge conditional on his obedience to Allah; in other words, he did not want allegiance of his subjects to be a blind one. People had to obey him and be loyal to him only as long as he did not break any of the Divine laws; otherwise, they did not have to obey him. In this great attitude 'Umar ibn' Abdul-Aziz was certainly following the path of the four Righteous Caliphs, who always insisted that subjects should show obedience to the ruler only so long as he broke no law of Allah.

To him worldly comfort and wealth had no meaning but rather were considered hindrances in the path of piety. He had never transgressed the laws of the faith; neither had he caused any harm to anyone intentionally. When he became the Caliph, however, in contrast to many or most rulers, he rejected the soft way of life and started a new way of austerity and hard work for the Pleasure of Allah. He refused to be accompanied by the official parade, and he sent off his royal guards saying: "I have no need for this; for I am only a member of the Muslim community."

Another practice discontinued by 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz was the practice of giving rewards and incentives to the poets who praised the Caliphs. To him this was an unfair way of wasting the money of the public treasury. For that money should only go to the people who really needed it.

What makes 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Aziz a heroic model is the fact that to him piety and justice were not matters of preaching only, but they were matters of practice, and that practice began at home. He divested himself of all the unnecessary amenities of life and asked his wife Fatimah to return her dearest and valuable jewelry to the Muslim treasury. To him, members of the royal family were no better than the common people, and they deserved no special favors.

It was In fact this sense and practice of justice and sincerity in carrying out the duties of the caliphate that made the whole empire free of the poor and needy people, which made it difficult to find people who deserved the poor dues (Zakat).

Another important aspect of his personality was his extreme modesty and humility. He, the ruler of one of the greatest empires in history, wore the simplest of inexpensive garments, lived the simplest way of life and served himself whenever possible. His order to his servant was: "Rulers usually appoint people to watch over their subjects. I appoint you a watcher over me and my behavior. If you find me at fault in word or action guide me and stop me from doing it."