The Beacon of Basra : Etiquette, Wisdom and Asceticism of Hasan Al Basri

by Ibn al-Jawzi

The Beacon of Basra By Imam Ibn Jawzi There are many individuals who left a profound mark in Islam's history; few however, combined within them virtues and qualities that are rarely found in one person. Such was Abu Sa'eed Al-Hasan Al-Basri, the Tabi'i, the Imam of elevated rank, the exegete of the Qur'an, the jurist, the one known for immense worship and given to much asceticism and reflection. Abundant knowledge has been gathered and preserved and passed down the centuries through him. It is enough of a testimony to appreciate the status of Al-Hasan than the words of the famous Companion, Abdullah ibn 'Umar al-Khattab who said, "Had the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him met Al-Hasan, he would have been pleased with him." Every work written on the character of Al-Hasan attests to his close resemblance and likeness to that of a Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him) in terms of his manners and etiquette and worldly outlook. In this short work penned by Ibn Al-Jawzi, he highlights certain aspects of Al-Hasan's life, his morals and the words of deep wisdom and contemplation he is known for. Readers will no doubt, be moved by Al-Hasan's scattered gems and be inspired to evaluate life's priorities and renew their own commitments.

Genres: Islam

Unknown Binding

About the author

Abu al-Faraj Jamal al-Din Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hasan Ali Al-Jawzi also known as Ibn al-Jawzi (c. 1116 – 16 June 1201) (Arabic: ابن الجوزي) was a Muslim jurisconsult, preacher, orator, heresiographer, traditionist, historian, judge, hagiographer, and philologist who played an instrumental role in propagating the Hanbali school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence in his native Baghdad during the twelfth-century. During "a life of great intellectual, religious and political activity," Ibn al-Jawzi came to be widely admired by his fellow Hanbalis for the tireless role he played in ensuring that that particular school – historically, the smallest of the four principal Sunni schools of law – enjoy the same level of "prestige" often bestowed by rulers on the Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanafi rites.

Ibn al-Jawzi received a "very thorough education" during his adolescent years, and was fortunate to train under some of that era's most renowned Baghdadi scholars, including Ibn al-Zāg̲h̲ūnī (d. 1133), Abū Bakr al-Dīnawarī (d. 1137–8), Sayyid Razzāq Alī Jīlānī (d. 1208), and Abū Manṣūr al-Jawālīkī (d. 1144–5). Although Ibn al-Jawzi's scholarly career continued to blossom over the next few years, he became most famous during the reign of al-Mustadi (d. 1180), the thirty-third Abbasid caliph, whose support for Hanbalism allowed Ibn al-Jawzi to effectively become "one of the most influential persons" in Baghdad, due to the caliph's approval of Ibn al-Jawzi's public sermonizing to huge crowds in both pastoral and urban areas throughout Baghdad. In the vast majority of the public sermons delivered during al-Mustadi's reign, Ibn al-Jawzi often presented a stanch defense of the prophet Muhammad's example, and vigorously criticized all those whom he considered to be schismatics in the faith. At the same time, Ibn al-Jawzi's reputation as a scholar continued to grow due to the substantial role he played in managing many of the most important universities in the area, as well as on account of the sheer number of works he wrote during this period. As regards the latter point, part of Ibn al-Jawzi's legacy rests on his reputation for having been "one of the most prolific writers" of all time. As scholars have noted, Ibn al-Jawzi's prodigious corpus, "varying in length" as it does, touches upon virtually "all the great disciplines" of classical Islamic study.

Reviews

[Abeer Arain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book which every Muslim woman and man must read!
An excerpt from the book is below,

"O people! By Allah, you have woken up to find your life span reduced, your deeds counted and guarded, death above your heads, and Hellfire ahead of you. O people! Each of you has but one soul; if it is saved from the punishment of Allah, it would not care who perished, and if it is perished, it would not care who is saved. Avoid procrastination, may Allah bless you, for it destroyed those before you. You have no idea when your time (of death) will come and where your destination will be. May Allah be merciful to a man who prepared for his day before his provisions run out."

[Fahad Qazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harsh and honest reminders. Many forget the important of adab with Islam. Quotes to consider include:

1. “He used to say: 'A person attains completeness if he has four qualities. Even if a person has one of it, he is (still) the best among his people: his religion that guides him, his intellect that directs him, his sense of fulfilment that beautifies him and his modesty that protects him.'”

2. He used to say: To whom else should a Muslim confide in, if not his Muslim brother? Who else will feel duty-bound as will a Muslim brother? Verily a Muslim is a mirror to his brother. He hides his shortcomings and forgives his sins. When a man from among the righteous predecessors met another, he would say to him: O brother! I do not see my own sins and do not realise my own shortcomings, so if you see goodness in me, command me (to do more of it) and if you see evil in me, forbid me from it.
'Umar Ibn Al-Khattäb (radiy: Allahu 'anhu) used to say: May Allah shower mercy upon this affair [of Islam] which has made us equals.
One of us used to readily accept warnings from his brother and benefit from it."

[Warda Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very detailed and had very good reminders. It has some harsh reminders though, so i’d be vary of reading it if you’re unable to stand something like that. However, it’s very good for an imaan boost otherwise. The author and his writing style make you ponder and think in the best way.

[Syed Md Muzahidul Islam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reminder of this world and hereafter.