Reblogged from Katib:

Love

The notion of love is only a secret hiding place for the Beloved.

It is the final station which would lead us to the Divine,

Know that the objects of love are only veils which separate us from the True Love; the Beloved.

Katib

Ja’far bin abi Talib

I have always been fascinated by the great Muslim personality Ja’far al’tayyar whose name was altered, as a medal of honor, by the Prophet of Islam after the battle of “mu’tah” in which he was martyred. His original name was Ja’far bin Abi Talib; the brother of Ali bin Abi Talib (as).

The reason for my fascination lies in the nature of his given title “al’tayyar” which literally means “the one who flies with wings” As a young boy I thought this kind of ability that is to fly with wings was a cool thing and it had truly captured my imagination. And this imagination made me look at this great personality as being the “Superman of Islam”!!

The days of God

Metaphysical Perspective

  وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّه إِنَّ فِي ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ  

 14:5 ..and teach them to remember the Days of Allah.” Verily in this there are Signs for such as are firmly patient and constant,- grateful and appreciative.

Muslim Quran commentators offer various interpretations for the notion of “ayyamil-lah, the days of Allah” but the most prevailing  opinion refer to as “God’s final judgment of man on the Day of Resurrection”. However, such opinion is not conclusive and may be far fetched simply because the Quran often refer to the notion of the “Day of Judgement” in plain words and in the singular form, such as “the day of resurrection”, “the Day of Deen-Judgement”, etc.. But the format in this verse came in the plural which may suggest to more profound meaning than it is rendered by our Quran commentators.

Looking at this notion from a higher understanding the “Days of Allah” has more profound meaning. I believe that there is an ontological relationship between the “Days of Allah” and patience and gratefulness. When a person becomes the embodiment of patience and gratefulness then in essence this person is living the “Days of Allah”. So those moments, segment of time, hours, day, or days in which we live the attributes of patience and gratefulness, are the “Days of Allah”

The “Days of Allah” is a spiritual state of the heart. A state of being in which we are enabled to bring the best out of us in pursuing  the acts of goodness in serving the human cause.

Furthermore, in light of some comments stated below, it seems that there is a need to elaborate further on my short essay above.

The prophetic hadiths mentioned below, Sahih bukhari,  which states that the prophet gave a definition for the “days of Allah” as being “the bounties of Allah“. In addition another prophetic hadith according to  the renowned Quran commentators, such as, Zamakhshari, who states that; on the authority of Ibn Abbas, the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that “the days of Allah are His Blessings and His trials“

Accordingly, now we have two meanings in reference to the “days of Allah” offered by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), according to Sahih bukhari, and Zamakhshari. And these two meanings are, “Bounties as well well as Trials.

Now if were to take the first meaning offered by shaih bukhari, which state that the “days of Allah” to be “the bounties or the blessings of God” and  see how does it agree with the findings mentioned above.

When God bestows His blessings upon a true believer then he or she would be grateful to God. In other words, the expression of gratefulness by a believer is a manifestation of true faith from within. A true conviction in the Omnipotence and Authority of the Giver of his or her bounties. When a believer is always grateful to God’s bounties as the verse implies “shakoor-constantly grateful .” then such believer is continuously conscious of the presence of God and His bounties which are prevalent everywhere. A true believer is always conscious of the Divine presence every moment every hour, and every day. Hence a true believer’s days are passing in the presence of God. Every day that passes a true believer is conscious of God. And that is how the verse above implies that we are reminded to live our days in the presence of God. When we help others we are conscious of the divine presence then we are living the day in the presence of  God; when we spend our days in the pursuant of goodness then we are in essence living the “Days of God”   Furthermore, the same kind of approach in respect of the second meaning offered by the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which is to be as “Trials” according to Zamakhshari as stated below.

Katib

Adill Hissan

Comments were left at “reddit” website and these are:

imra7il

حدثني المثنى قال : حدثنا الحماني قال : حدثنا محمد بن أبان ، عن أبي إسحاق ، عن سعد بن جبير ، عن ابن عباس . عن أبي ، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( وذكرهم بأيام الله ) ، قال : نعم الله .

الحديث المرفوع الذي رواه عبد الله ابن الإمام أحمد بن حنبل في مسند أبيه حيث قال : حدثني يحيى بن عبد الله مولى بني هاشم ، حدثنا محمد بن أبان الجعفي ، عن أبي إسحاق ، عن سعيد بن جبير [ عن ابن عباس ، عن أبي بن كعب ، عن النبي ، صلى الله عليه وسلم ، في قوله تبارك وتعالى : ( وذكرهم بأيام الله ) قال : " بنعم الله تبارك وتعالى ] “

these are hadiths reporting that our prophet peace be upon him told them that the “Days of Allah” means the grace (favours) of Allah

Muadh

This seems highly speculative and unsupported. By no means is it a “higher understanding” to choose a mystical seeming hidden type of explanation (baatiniyyah) over the opinion of Rasulullah, the companions, the scholars of language, etc, which is tafseer.

Further, read the full verse, the Days of Allah clearly refers to particular, special days of worship given to the people of Musa. No need for tenious connections

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adillhissan

Thank you for your input. As I mentioned in my post that there are various opinions regarding the ‘Days of Allah” and I only rendered “the most prevailing opinion” However, the hadith you stated is another opinion. In addition there is another opinion to the one you stated, rendered by several renowned Quran commentators, such as, Zamakhshari, who states that; on the authority of Ibn Abbas, “the days of Allah” are His Blessings and His trials وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما: نعماؤه وبلاؤه- . These opinions are related to the exoteric meaning of the Quran. Having said that, none of these opinions are final and further contemplation  is a virtue supported the Quran.