How The Salaf Would Deal With The Fitnah of Strange Women

How The Salaf Would Deal With The Fitnah of Strange Women

*Taken from SalafiPublications.Com >Tazkiyah>The Soul and It's Purification>How The Salaf Would Deal With The Fitnah of Strange Women*

Al-Imaam Al-Haafidh Ahmad bin ‘Abdillaah bin Saalih Abil-Hasan Al-‘Ijlee (d.261H)
Taken from: Ta’reekh Ath-Thiqaat of Al-‘Ijlee (Daar ul kutub al-‘ilmiyyah) p.321-323
Trans Aboo Haatim Muhammad Farooq

Al-Imaam Al-‘Ijlee (rahimahullaah) said:

There was once a beautiful married woman who resided in Makkah. So one day she looked at her face in the mirror and said to her husband:
‘Do you see that there is anyone who would look at this face and not be put to trial due to it?’
So he replied:
‘Yes.’
So she said:
‘Who?’
He said:
‘‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr.’[1]

{note}
[1]  He was ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr Ibn Qataadah bin Sa’eed bin ‘Aamir bin Junda’ bin Laith Al-Laithee Al-Junda’ee Al-Makee – Aboo ‘Aasim the judge of the people of Makkah; the admonisher; the Mufassir (Scholar of Tafseer) the possessor of great dignity. He was born in the lifetime of Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and was from the Thiqaat (trustworthy ones) of the Taabi’een and from amongst their Imaams in Makkah. He narrated from: his father* (who was a companion) and from: ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, ‘Alee, Ubayy bin Ka’ab, Abee Dharr, ‘Aa’ishah, Umm Salamah, Abee Moosaa Al-Ash’aree, Abee Hurairah, Abee Sa’eed (Al-Khudree), Ibn ‘Abbaas and others.
Those that narrate from him include: his son ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Ubaid*, ‘Ataa bin Abee Rabaah, Mujaahid, Ibn Abee Mulaikah, ‘Amr bin Deenaar, ‘Abdul-‘Azeez bin Rufai’, Abuz-Zubair and a great many others.
Yahyaa bin Ma’een and Aboo Zur’ah declared him to be thiqah (trustworthy), Al-‘Ijlee said: The Makee; the Taabi’ee – thiqah. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar would sit in his gatherings and say: ‘To Allaah is attributed the goodness of Ibn Qataadah; for that which he comes with’. Ibn Sa’ad mentions: Al-Fadl bin Dukain informed us saying: Aboo Bakr bin ‘Iyyaash narrated to us from ‘Abdil-Maalik from ‘Ataa who said: Myself and ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr entered upon ‘Aa’ishah, so she said: ‘who is this?’ he replied: ‘I am ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr’. So she said: ‘The admonisher of the people of Makkah?’ so he said: ‘yes’ so she replied: ‘be light/gentle; for indeed the reminder is heavy.’(Meaning: if you admonish).
Abee Na’eem Al-Asbahaanee said: Aboo Haamid bin Jablah narrated to us that Muhammad bin Ishaaq Ath-Thaqafee narrated to us that Yoosuf bin Moosaa narrated to us that Jareer narrated to us from Al-A’mash from Abee Sufyaan who said: ‘Abdullaah bin Az-Zubair once met ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr, so he said: ‘Your affair/prestige is not small O Abaa ‘Aasim’.
It is reported from Mujaahid that he said: ‘We are honoured to have amongst the Taabi’een four people: (our reciter) ‘Abdullaah bin Saa’ib, (our Muftee) Ibn ‘Abbaas, (our mu’adhin) Aboo Mahdhoorah, (and our judge) ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr’ – meaning from the people of Makkah. {end note}



So she said:
‘So give me permission then to approach him – such that I may put him to trial.’
So he said:
‘I grant you permission!’
So she came to him in the guise of a woman seeking a fatwa (religious verdict). So he went with her to a corner in the Masjid Al-Haraam. So she disclosed (unveiled) a part of herself like that of a half a moon. So he said to her:
‘O Amatullaah!’[2]
So she said:
‘Indeed I have been put to trial because of you; so look into my affair.’
So he replied:
‘Indeed I am going to ask you something; so if you are truthful in it – then I shall look into your affair.’
She said:
‘You will not ask me anything except that I shall be truthful to you.’
So he said:
‘Tell me; if the Angel of Death came to you in order to take your soul. Would it then please you that I had fulfilled for you this request?’
She said:
‘By Allaah; no.’
So he said:
‘You have spoken the truth.’
He then said:
‘If when you are entered into your grave; and you are sat up for questioning. Would it then please you that I had indeed fulfilled for you this request?’
She said:
‘By Allaah; no.’
So he said:
‘You have spoken the truth.’
He then said:
‘When the people are given their books; and you do not yet know whether you are to be given your book in your right hand or in your left. Would it then please you that I had fulfilled for you this request?’
She said:
‘By Allaah; no.’
So he said:
‘You have spoken the truth.’
He then said:

{note}
From his speech: ‘were the grave to be given a tongue it would say: ‘O son of Aadam; how could you forget me? Did you not know that I am the abode of decay! And the abode of worms! And the abode of desolation and the abode of loneliness!’
He passed away a little while before the passing away of Ibn ‘Umar – as was mentioned by Al- Bukhaaree, Ibn Hibbaan said in ‘Ath-Thiqaat’: ‘he died in the year 68H’ as did Ibn Qutaibah in ‘Al-Ma’aarif’.
*It has been said that he did not hear (narrate) from his father (See: Tahdheeb ut Tahdheeb 7/71).
(Taken from: Siyar 4/156-157, Tahdheeb ut Tahdheeb 7/71, Tadhkiratul Huffaadh1/50, Tabaqaat
Al-Kubraa5/463-464, Al-‘Iqd Ath-Thameen 5/543-544, Al-Hilyah 3/266-271).

[2] Feminine for: Slave of Allaah. {end note}


‘When you would want to cross The Bridge (in the Hereafter); and you do not know whether you will advance (upon it) or that you will not advance. Would it then please you that I had fulfilled for you this request?’
She said:
‘By Allaah; no.’
So he said:
‘You have spoken the truth.’
He then said:
‘If then when The Scales are bought forth; and you likewise are bought forth – and you do not know whether they are going to be light or heavy. Would it then please you that I had fulfilled for you this request?’
She said:
‘By Allaah; no.’
So he said:
‘You have spoken the truth.’
He then said:
‘If when you are standing before Allaah for questioning. Would it then please you that I had fulfilled for you this request?’
She said:
‘By Allaah; no.’
So he said:
‘You have spoken the truth.’
He then said:
‘Fear Allaah O Amatullaah, for indeed Allaah has endowed blessing upon you – and has shown you excellence.’
Then the woman returned to her husband, so he asked her:
‘What did you do?’
She said:
‘You are idle (inactive) – and we are idle, so I have instead turned to praying and fasting and worshipping.’
Thereafter her husband would say:
‘What’s with me and ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umayr – he’s corrupted my wife. Every night she used to be like a newlywed; but now he’s turned her into a Nun.’