(First ten taken from my brother's blog here, who is a current student at the University of Madeenah in KSA.)
- The forty hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi aren’t actually forty, they are forty-two. (Note: He is the Shaykh al-Islam, the great Imam of Ahlus Sunnah, Yahya an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him. He is noted for his beneficial works such as Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadiths, Explanation of Saheeh Muslim, etc. A brief yet touching biography of him can be listened to from here.)
- Imam al-Bukhari lost his eyesight as a youngster but due to his mother's supplication, Allah gave it back to him and it became even stronger than before! (Note: He is the great compiler of hadeeth, known as "Saheeh al-Bukhari", which is said to be the most authentic book on Islam after the noble Quran. A 6-part audio series describing the life of Imam al-Bukhari can be listened here. Glimpse of his life can also be listened to from here and here.)
- The Satan, Iblees, may Allah's curse be upon him, was amongst the biggest worshippers of Allah before his rejection and disbelief. (Note: The Satan or Devil is called Shaytaan in Arabic and the father or head of them is called Iblees. He was from the Jinns (Spirits) and not from the Angels (Malaikah). He is specifically cursed by our Lord and has been declared a Kaafir. See Surah al-Baqarah 2:34, Tafsir Ibn Katheer.)
- When a person repents to Allah sincerely, than Allah does not just forgive the person's sins, rather He changes the sins into good deeds. (Note: This is from the bounty and blessing of Allaah that He gives to His servants who turn to Him in repentance.)
- It is said that Imam Ibn Taymiyyah never actually climbed up on a mimbar (slightly raised place as in a Masjid) and gave a khutbah. (Note: Lots of lies and fabrications have been attributed and spread about Ibn Taymiyyah (just as lies and slanders have been spread about some of the Companions such as Abu Bakr as-Siddique and Umar, some of the early Salaf (righteous predecessors) such as Imam Abu Haneefah, Imam Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, etc); hence some Muslims have preconceived evil notions about him. Ibn Taymiyyah is the Shaykh al-Islam, a great Imam of Ahlus Sunnah, may Allah have mercy on him. Detailed biography of his life and works are available in Arabic and parts of them are translated into English as in here, here and here. Listen to brief commentary of his life from Shaykh Saleem al-Hilali here and here and from Shaykh Dr Saleh as-Saleh here.)
- Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal married at the age of 40. (Note: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal needs no introduction to Muslims. For non-Muslims, suffice to say he was one of the early leaders of the Muslims and is a glowing example of the Inheritors of the Messenger of Allah. A 3-part transcribed and translated lecture on his life and piety and humbleness can be read from here. Shaykh Dr Saleh as-Saleh also described Imam Ahmad's humbleness briefly here.)
- Fudayl bin ’Iyyad used to be a thief (before being the great righteous predecessor he is). (Note: He was from the second generation of Muslims, i.e. the generation after the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. A rich collection of his sayings, including his repentance story can be read here. A very brief account of him can be read here, and his repentance story, along with other repentance stories, have been compiled in this magnificent book 'Stories of Repentance' by Darussalam Publications. They say every righteous person has a past and every sinner has a future ...)
- Only one person dared to raise their voice above the noble Companion 'Umar radiyAllaahu 'anhu: his wife! (Note: This excludes the Prophet himself and Abu Bakr as-Siddique.)
- Alfiyaat ibn Maalik in arabic grammar was originally about three thousand couplets, then Ibn Maalik shortened it down to one thousand so it would be easier for children to memorize it. (Note: Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik fee an-Nahw was-Sarf (ألفية ابن مالك في النحو والصرف) is a magnificent piece of Arabic literature, authored by Aboo 'Abdillaah Muhammad ibn Maalik, may Allaah have mercy on him. He was an Arab grammarian, who lived and died in the seventh century AH (thirteenth century CE). Ibn Maalik was born in al-Andalus (الأندلس), commonly known as Spain today. He mastered the Arabic grammar and the Shaafi'ee fiqh after migrating to Damascus in Syria, where he lived and died.)
- Contrary to popular belief, the noble Companion Aboo Hurayrah did not get his kunyah 'Aboo Hurayrah' because he carried around a small kitten in his sleeves. He got the kunyah because as a youth he one day went out to look after the sheep and he got so preoccupied playing with a little kitten that he did not see that some of the sheep were being attacked, so his mother called him Aboo Hurayrah. (Note: Abu Hurayrah means 'father of kittens' and it is a kunya. Refer to: Beginner's Guide to Arabic Proper Names Part 1 and Part 2)
- Neither Imam an-Nawawi nor Imam Ibn Taymiyyah got married before their death. (Note: Imam Nawawi passed away before he reached 50 and Imam Ibn Taymiyyah lived past his 60, may Allah have mercy on them both. While it is encouraged to get married in Islam, the specific reasons for their single lives remain unknown and unverified, but it may be that they feared they would not be able to fulfill the rights of the wives that Allah made obligatory on the husbands. And Allah knows best.)
- The first recorded act of modern view of terrorism in the 20th century was done by none other than
MuslimsZionist Jews in 1946 in Jerusalem. (Note: In July 1946, bomb explosion by Zionist terrorists at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem killed 91 people. Read from wiki, or see British documentary from both Muslim and non-Muslim youtube users as in here and here.) - Ali ibn al-Husayn Zaynul Abideen used to carry sacks of provisions on his back in the darkness of the night and follow the poor people (to give it to them), and it was only discovered after his death when people saw marks on his back. (Note: He is the great grandson of the Prophet, peace and blessings be on him. He was the son of the grandson of the Prophet, al-Husayn, who was the son of the Leader of the Believers Ali, may Allaah be pleased with them all. Ali ibn al-Husayn was the great Salaf, the ascetic pious worshipper, a Zaahid, a Saalih, a Mu'meen, a Muttaqi. He is the author of soul-searching poem 'Laysal Ghareeb' and a small collection of his sayings can be read here. How many of the Muslims can secretly admit to even go close to what this righteous Salaf did, rahimahullah?)
- Abu Idrees al-Khawlani was so concerned about religious innovations creeping into Islam, that he used to say, "I would rather hear of a fire in the Masjid, than hear of a bid’ah in it without there being anyone to do away with it. Never do a people innovate a bid’ah in their religion except that Allah removes a sunnah from them." (Note: Abu Idrees was the great Taabi'ee, the second generation of Muslims and his father was regarded as a Companion of the Prophet. He narrated from various Companions and passed away in 80 AH, may Allah have mercy on him. Indeed the religions of Judaism and Christianity were corrupted and rotten when the Jews and Christians started innovating in the religion, forsaking the Sunnah that their Prophets enjoined them with, when they abandoned the Commandments in their Scriptures for the sayings of men and their leaders. How evil is the one who replaces a Sunnah with a bid'ah, thinking it brings him closer to the Lord! Imagine a Muslim saying this today and the reaction he would receive, that he'd rather see a Masjid being caught by fire than to see it being overtaken by People of Innovation and their innovations.)
- The only person to have spat in the blessed face of the Messenger of Allaah, peace and blessings be on him, was 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ait, may he be cursed. (Note: He spat in the face of the Prophet when another Mushrik Ubay bin Khalaf reproached Uqbah for attending a lesson given by the Prophet and ordered him to spit. Neither the Prophet, nor the early Companions, blow themselves up or went up and struck Uqbah with a sword.)
- The first female martyr in the Ummah was Sumayyah, the mother of 'Ammar, may Allah be pleased with them both. (Note: The Shaheedah, Sumayyah, died out of being beaten to death by Abu Jahl, may he be cursed. She did not become a martyr by blowing herself up or running around killing Mushriks/Kafirs in Makkah, even though large number of them were severely torturing and oppressing the best of the mankind and the best of the Ummah.)
