Crying: The Eye That Weeps Will Not Be Touched By The Fire Of Hell
Crying is a part of man’s natural disposition:
Man cannot help stop himself from crying because he was created with it as Allah Says (to the meaning): “And that it is He who makes [one] laugh and weep” [Quran: 53:43]. When commenting on this verse, Imaam Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him said: “Allah decreed the causes for crying and laughter” Imaam ‘Ataa’, may Allah have mercy on him said: “Allah decreed joy and sadness, because joy results in laughter and sadness leads to crying”.
Crying in Islam is recommended in some situations, if you can’t cry then make yourself cry: it is a blessing to such an extent that it may be the cause of you entering Paradise. The Prophets, the Companions, many righteous people cried, so you should also cry.
The Benefits of Crying
- Crying softens the heart.
- It is a quality of the righteous.
- It is a distinct character of those deserving Paradise.
- It is the way leading to the pleasure of Allah and attaining His love.
Here are some situations where crying is recommended.
- Fear of Allah
Allah praised some of His Prophets, and then explained the reason for the praise as in His saying:
When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping. [Qur’an:19:58]
Making yourself have the fear of Allah is the type of weeping that is the fruit of beneficial knowledge, as al-Qurtubi says in his commentary on the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they fall down on their faces weeping” [Qur’an17:109]
It is the duty of everyone who acquires knowledge to reach this level, so that when he hears the Qur’an he is filled with fear and humility. In Musnad al-Daarimi it is narrated from Abu Muhammad that al-Taymi said: Whoever is given knowledge and does not weep, he deserves not to have any knowledge, because Allah has described those who have knowledge; then he recited this verse.
Al-Jaami’ li Ahkaam il-Qur’aan, 10/341-342.
Ibn `Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him saying: “Two eyes will never be touched by the fire of Hell; an eye which weeps out of Fear of Allah and an eye which spends the night in guarding in the Cause of Allah.” [At- Tirmithi].
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said, If, through fear of Allah, tears–even to the extent of a fly’s head–fall from any believer’s eyes and drop on some part of his cheek, he will be kept away from Hell. And: by Allah and One who weeps out of fear of Allah, will not enter hell till milk returns back in the udder; and the dust raised on account of fighting in the path of Allah and the smoke of hell will never combine together. [At-Tirmidhee]
Abu Umaamah Al-Baahili may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “Nothing is dearer to Allah than two drops and two marks: A drop of tears shed out of fear of Allah and a drop of blood shed in Allah’s way. Regarding the two marks, they are: Marks left in the Cause of Allah and a mark left in observing one of the obligatory acts of worship of Allah, the Exalted”. [At- Tirmithi].
Our Salaf (i.e. righteous predecessors), may Allah be pleased with them, realized the value of crying out of fear from Allah, and this is noticed from their statements and actions. Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say: “It is dearer to me to shed one drop of tear than to give out in charity one thousand Dinaar (i.e. golden currency)”. Ka’b Al-Ahbaar, may Allah be pleased with him used to say: “It is dearer to me to cry out of fear from Allah and my tears run on my cheek than to spend my weight in gold as charity”.
- Reading the Quran and pondering its meanings
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad to them): Believe in it (the Quran) or do not believe (in it). Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration.
And they say: Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the Promise of our Lord must be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility” [Qur’an 17:107-109]
“Those were they unto whom Allah bestowed His grace from among the Prophets, of the offspring of Adam, and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nooh, and of the offspring of Ibrahim and Israa’eel*and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the Verses of the Most Gracious (Allah) were recited unto them, they fell down prostrate and weeping” [Qur’an 19:58]
It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be pleased with him said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “Recite the Quran to me.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, shall I recite it to you when it was revealed to you?” He said: “I like to hear it from someone else.” So I recited Soorat al-Nisa’ to him, and when I reached this verse – “How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people?” [Qur’an 4:41] – he said: “That is enough for now.” I turned to him and saw his eyes were streaming with tears. Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
- Knowing the greatness of the reward for weeping, especially when one is alone
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah , may Allah be pleased with him said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “A man who weeps for fear of Allah will not enter Hell until the milk goes back into the udder, and dust produced (when fighting) for the sake of Allah and the smoke of Hell will never coexist.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa’i.
“until the milk goes back into the udder” is a metaphor for it being impossible, as in the verse where Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle” [Qur’an 7:40]. Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi.
And it was narrated that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the day when there will be no shade but His: a just ruler; a young man who grows up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to the mosque; two people who love one another for the sake of Allah, meeting and parting on that basis; a man who is called (to commit sin) by a woman of high status and great beauty and he says, ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing; and a man who remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes flow with tears.” Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Weeping when alone is singled out because being alone is a time when the heart tends to become harder and there is a stronger motive to commit sin, and it is farthest removed from the possibility of showing off. So if a person strives to do this, and makes himself feel the greatness and might of Allah, and his eyes flow with tears, then he deserves to be beneath the shade of the Throne of the Most Merciful on the Day when there will be no shade but His shade.
- Thinking about your situation and your boldness in committing sin, and fearing to meet Allah in such a state
One of the righteous people used to weep night and day, and something was said to him about that. He said: “I am afraid that Allah will see me committing sin and will say: ‘Go away from Me for I am angry with you.’” Hence Sufyan used to weep and say: “I am afraid that my faith will be taken away at the moment of death.”
Isma’il ibn Zakariya described Habeeb ibn Muhammad, who was a neighbour of his. He said: “Every evening I heard him weeping and every morning I heard him weeping, so I went to his wife and said: ‘What is the matter with him? He weeps in the evening and he weeps in the morning!’ She said to me: ‘By Allah, when evening comes he fears that he will not live till morning and when morning comes he fears that he will not live till evening.’”
The salaf (righteous predecessors) used to weep and grieve a great deal. When Yazeed al-Raqaashi was criticized for weeping a great deal and it was said to him, “If the Fire had been created exclusively for you, you would not weep more than this,” he said: “Has the Fire been created for anyone other than me and my companions and brothers among the jinn and mankind?”
When ‘Ata’ al-Sulaymi was asked: “What is this grief?” he said: “Woe to you! Death is close at hand, the grave is my house, on the Day of Resurrection I will stand and my path is over a bridge across Hell, and I do not know what will become of me.”
Faddalah ibn Sayfi used to weep a great deal. A man entered upon him when he was weeping and said to his wife: “What is the matter with him?” She said: “He says that he wants to undertake a long journey and he does not have proper provision for it.”
One night al-Hasan woke up weeping, and he disturbed the other people in the house with his weeping. They asked him what was the matter and he said: “I remembered a sin that I committed and I wept.”
It was narrated that Tameem al-Daari (may Allah be pleased with him) recited this verse (interpretation of the meaning): “Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah- Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds” [Qur’an 45:21] and he started repeating it and weeping until morning came.
Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to weep intensely, and it was said to him: “Why are you weeping?” He said: “I do not know what is ahead of me – Divine pleasure or divine wrath.”
Sa’d ibn al-Akhram said: I was walking with Ibn Mas’ood and he passed by the blacksmiths, who had brought a piece of iron out of the fire. He stood and looked at the molten iron and wept.
- Making yourself feel regret and feeling that you have fallen short in your duties towards Allah
The tears of the repentant at night quenches thirst and cures sickness, as the Shaykh of the Mufassireen (exegetists), Abu Ja’far al-Tabari, said in his commentary on the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do you then wonder at this recitation (the Quran)?
And you laugh at it and weep not” [Qur’an 53:59-60]
Do not weep at the warnings contained therein to those who disobey Allah, when you are people who commit sin, “Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)” [Qur’an 53:61] – you are heedless of the lessons and reminders contained therein, turning away from its verses.
Jaami’ al-Bayaan ‘an Ta’weel Aayi al-Qur’an, 27/82.
- Weeping out of fear of a bad end
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by al-Hijr (the land of the people of Thamood) he said: “Do not enter the dwellings of those who wronged themselves, lest what befell them befall you, unless you are weeping.” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) covered his head and walked quickly until he had left the valley. Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Al-Nawawi included this hadeeth in a chapter entitled “Weeping and feeling fear when passing by the graves of the wrongdoers and the places where they were killed, and expressing one’s need of Allah, and being careful not to be negligent in that.” Riyadh al-Saliheen.
- Listening to moving speeches and lectures that will soften the heart
It was narrated that al-‘Irbad ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of those who used to weep, said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered a deeply moving speech at which our eyes began to overflow and our hearts melted.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah.
The weeping of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
Ibn Mas`ood may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said to me: “Recite the Quran to me”. I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I recite the Quran to you, when it has been revealed to you?” He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him replied: “I love to hear it recited by others”. So I recited to him a portion from Chapter An-Nisaa’. When I reached the verse (which means): “How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as a witness against these people?” [Quran: 4:41]. He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “Enough for now”. When I looked at him I saw his eyes were shedding tears”. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him saw his companions, may Allah be pleased with them digging a grave to burry one of the Muslims, he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stood at the edge of the grave, cried and said: “O my brothers! Prepare for this day (i.e. death).”
‘Abdullaah Ibn Ash-Shikhkheer may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when he was performing prayers. He was sobbing and his chest sounded like a boiling kettle”. [Abu Daawood & At-Tirmithi].
‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported: “Once he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sitting and started crying until he wet his beard. He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continued to cry until he wet the ground under his feet. When it was Fajr time, Bilaal came informing him that it was due. Upon seeing him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, crying this hard he exclaimed: `O Messenger of Allah! Why do you cry so much while Allah has forgiven whatever you might have done wrong in the past and what you might do wrong in the future?` to which he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied: `Should I not then be a grateful slave? A verse was revealed upon me tonight, woe to him who recites it and not reflect on its meaning` then he recited the saying of Allah (which means): “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “ Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire-You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller [i.e. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] calling to faith,[saying], “Believe in your Lord,” and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous … and fear Allah that you may be successful.” [Quran: 3:190-200].”
The weeping of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them:
Anas Ibn Maalik may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, delivered a Khutbah (i.e. Friday speech) to us the like of which I had never heard from him before. He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much”. Thereupon those present covered their faces and began sobbing’. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].
Another narration is: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, heard of something (wrong) regarding something that some of his Companions did, upon which he addressed them and said: “Paradise and Hell Fire were shown to me and I have never seen the like of this day in good and in evil. If you were to know what I know, you would laugh little and weep much”. His Companions experienced such suffering on that day that had no equal. They covered their faces and began to weep”. [Al-Bukhari].
Whenever ‘Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, used to stand by a grave he would cry until he would wet his beard, so he was told: “When paradise and Hell are mentioned you do not cry to the extent you are crying now, why is this?” he, may Allah be pleased with him, replied: “It is because I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: `The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter, whoever is rescued from it (i.e. its punishment) then whatever will come after that would be easier, and whoever is not rescued, then whatever comes after that would be severer`” he, may Allah be pleased with him, added: “The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: `I have not never observed anything worse than the grave`”
Abu Hurayrah may Allah be pleased with him, cried when he was sick once, and when he was asked about the reason for his crying he said: “I am not crying over this worldly life, but rather, I am crying because the journey ahead of me is long (i.e. after death), and my provisions are not sufficient (i.e. good deeds) and ahead of is Paradise and Hell, and I do not know to which of the two I will be taken”.
One day Mu’aath, may Allah be pleased with him, cried very hard, and when he was asked about the reason he said: “Allah has destined a group of people to Paradise and another to Hell, and I do not know amongst which of the two I will be”.
Food was brought to `Abdur-Rahmaan bin `Auf, may Allah be pleased with him, when he was observing fast and he said: “Mus`ab Ibn `Umayr, may Allah be pleased with him, was martyred and he was better than me, but only one sheet was available to shroud him. It was so small that when his head was covered; his feet remained uncovered and if his feet were covered, his head remained uncovered. Then the bounties of this world have been bestowed upon us generously. I am afraid that the reward of our good deeds have been awarded to us in this world.” On this he began to sob and left the food untouched. [Al-Bukhari].
Whenever Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be pleased with him, would pass by a blacksmith, he would look at the fire and the melted metal and cry, because it would remind him with Hell.
Once Abu Moosaa, may Allah be pleased with him, delivered the Friday Khutbah in the city of Basrah (of Iraq) and mentioned Hell and started crying so hard to the point that his tears wet the pulpit. This seen made people collectively cry very hard that day.
Naafi’, may Allah be pleased with him said: “Whenever Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would recite the saying of Allah (which means): “Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?” [Quran: 57:16] he would cry extremely hard and could not control himself.”
Masrooq, may Allah be pleased with him said: “ ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, recited the saying of Allah (which means): “So Allah conferred favour upon us and protected us from the punishment of the Scorching Fire” [Quran: 52:27] she cried and said: `O Allah! Confer Your favour upon me and protect me from the punishment of the scorning Fire.”
One day ‘Abdullaah Ibn Rawaahah, may Allah be pleased with him, was lying down placing his head in his wife’s lap and started to cry, which made his wife cry, then he asked her: “Why are you crying?” she said: “I saw you crying so I started to cry to your tears” then he said to her: “As for me, I cried because I remembered the saying of Allah (which means): “And there is none of you except he will come to it (i.e. Hell). This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed.” [Quran: 19:71] and I do not know whether I will be rescued or not”
Anas may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to Ubayy bin Ka`b, may Allah be pleased with him: “Allah Almighty has ordered me to recite the Quran to you” Ubayy bin Ka`b, may Allah be pleased with him, asked: “Did He name me?” Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied in the affirmative. Whereupon Ubayy, may Allah be pleased with him, began to weep.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].
‘Ataa’ As-Sulami, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked why he always looked sad, to which he replied: “How can I not be, when death is closer to me than my neck, the grave is my abode, the Resurrection will be my stance, over the bridge of Hell I must pass, and I do not know what will done to me”.
Abu Sulaymaan, may Allah be pleased with him, said once to his companions: “Train your eyes to cry and your hearts to ponder”.
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