Allah Almighty says: {And they fall upon their faces weeping, and it [i.e. the Qur’an] increases them in humble submission.} [Al-Isrā’: 109] He also says: {Then at this statement do you wonder? And you laugh and do not weep.} [An-Najm: 59-60]
1) The reason behind a person weeping out of fear from Allah is either fear after the commission of a sin that left within him a feeling of being rejected, or longing for Him, if this follows a pious act that left within him a feeling of love for Him and closeness to Him.
2) Expressing disapproval of hard-hearted people whose tears dried up because of their harshness.
446/1 - Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: “Recite the Qur’an to me.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, should I recite it to you while it has been revealed to you!” He said: “I like to hear it from others.” I recited to him Sūrat Al-Nisā’ till I reached this verse: {So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and We bring you, [O Muhammad], against these [people] as a witness?} [An-Nisā’: 41] Thereupon, he said: “Enough, now.” I turned toward him and saw him shedding tears. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) We are urged to contemplate the Qur’an as we recite it or listen to its recitation. This brings tears to our eyes and fear into our hearts. Indeed, the thirst of our hearts is quenched by remembrance of Allah Almighty.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to weep and feel fearful of Allah during Qur’an recitation, and Allah Almighty says: {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern.}
447/2 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) delivered to us a sermon the like of which I have never heard. He said: “By Allah, if you were to know what I know, you would laugh a little and weep much.” Thereupon, the Prophet’s Companions covered their faces and began to sob. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim] It has been previously cited in the chapter on fear.
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1) It shows the Prophet’s guidance in preaching people and urging them to weep out of fear of Allah Almighty.
2) A person’s ignorance and wrongdoing cause him not to weep.
3) It points out the Companions’ merit and how they were directly moved by the Prophet’s preaching. How far from it are those to whom clear verses and Hadīths are read and they are not moved! And they may be humbled and weep upon hearing songs and poems. We should find a way to revive the approach of the Companions in listening.
In another version of the Hadīth: “Allah Almighty revealed to him: ‘O Muhammad, why do you cause my slaves to despair?’ So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) returned and said: ‘Rejoice, and do good deeds properly and moderately.’”
So, the Hadīth urges us to combine hope and fear, for fear alone causes despair, and hope alone inspires arrogance and self-conceit.
448/3 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “One who weeps out of fear of Allah will not enter Hellfire till milk returns back in the udder; and the dust raised on account of fighting in the way of Allah will not exist together with the smoke of Hellfire.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
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1) Weeping out of fear of Allah Almighty inspires uprightness, and thus it protects one from the punishment in Hellfire.
2) It is a sign of sincere faith that a person sheds tears out of fear of his Lord.
449/4 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Seven people Allah will give them His shade on the Day when there would be no shade but His shade: a just ruler; a young man who grew up in the worship of Allah; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for the sake of Allah so they meet and depart from each other for His sake; a man whom a woman of status and beauty tries to seduce but he (rejects her advances and) says: ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude so his eyes overflow with tears.” [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) He who weeps out of fear of Allah is among the seven types of people whom Allah will shade under His shade.
2) It is recommended that a person remembers Allah Almighty while his mind is free from any other thought and his place is free from any other person; thus his weeping would be purely for Allah’s sake.
450/5 - ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Shikhkhīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) while he was praying. He was sobbing with his chest wheezing like a boiling pot. [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhi in Al-Shamā’il with an authentic Isnād]
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1) It highlights the Prophet’s perfect fear of Allah Almighty. The sound of his weeping was a clear sign of that.
2) There is nothing wrong with signs of humility showing on a person without affectation. Verily, a good deed brings light and radiance to the faces of the pious.
451/6 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him): “Allah Almighty commanded me to recite to you the Sūrah of Al-Bayyinah.” He said: “And He mentioned me by name?” He said: “Yes.” Thereupon, Ubayy wept. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
In another version: “Ubayy kept weeping.”
1) It shows the merit of the Companion Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him), for he was one of those versed in Qur’an’s memorization and recitation. So, Allah Almighty mentioned him by name.
2) It is permissible to weep upon the occurrence of pleasant things and blessings.
3) It highlights the merit of Sūrat Al-Bayyinah, as it includes Tawhīd (monotheism), the message, the Hereafter, the scrolls, the scriptures revealed to the prophets, mention of prayer, Zakah, and sincerity, and demonstration of the conditions of people in Paradise and Hellfire. So, it sheds light on good things in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.
452/7 - Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: After the Prophet’s death, Abu Bakr said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them): “Let us visit Umm Ayman just as the Messenger of Allah used to visit her.” When they came to her, she wept. They said to her: “What makes you weep? Do you not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah?” She said: “I am not weeping because of not knowing that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah, but I weep because the revelation from the sky has stopped.” Her words moved them to tears and they began to weep along with her. [Narrated by Muslim] It has been previously cited in the chapter on visiting good people.
1) The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had soft hearts. A small reminder of faith would move them and touch their hearts.
2) When a person visits his fellow Muslims, he ought to mention to them what revives their faith and brings tears to their eyes out of fear of Allah Almighty.
453/8 - Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: When the Prophet’s illness got worse, he was asked about (leading) the prayer so he said: “Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” Thereupon, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “Abu Bakr is a softhearted man; when he recites the Qur’an, he cannot help but weep.” He still said: “Order him to lead the prayer.” In another version by ‘Ā’ishah, she said: I said: “If Abu Bakr leads the prayer in place of you, people will not be able to hear him due to his weeping.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) It describes Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and how much he feared Allah Almighty.
2) Unaffected softheartedness and weeping during recitation of the Qur’an is commendable.
454/9 - Ibrahīm ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf reported that food was brought to his father, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was fasting (that day); so he said: “Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr was martyred and he was better than me, but only one garment was available to shroud him. It was so small that if his head was covered, his feet remained uncovered, and if his feet were covered, his head remained uncovered. Then, the bounties of this world were bestowed upon us generously - or he said: We were given of this world what we were given - I am afraid that the reward of our good deeds has been hastened to us in this world (instead of the Hereafter).” Upon saying this, he started crying and left the food untouched. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) It is recommended to remember the lives of the righteous people, for this helps one proceed on the path to Paradise.
2) When a person mentions his companions and fellow Muslims, he should mention their good actions and attributes, and he should ask Allah’s forgiveness for them and avoid saying about them what would upset them.
3) In terms of worship, a person should compare himself to those better than him, and in terms of worldly affairs, he should compare himself to those below him. In this way, he will always be keen to do more good deeds and show gratitude to his Lord.
455/10 - Abu Umāmah Sudayy ibn ‘Ajlān al-Bāhili (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Nothing is dearer to Allah Almighty than two drops and two marks: a drop of tears shed out of fear of Allah and a drop of blood shed in the cause of Allah. As for the two marks, they are a mark left in the cause of Allah and a mark left in observing one of the obligations prescribed by Allah Almighty.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
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1) Weeping out of fear of Allah Almighty is one of the best virtuous deeds.
2) It points out the merit of drawing close to Allah Almighty by performing the various kinds of obligations He ordained.
456/11 - Al-‘Irbād ibn Sāriyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) delivered to us such a sermon that brought fear to our hearts and tears to our eyes. It has previously been cited in the chapter on prohibiting religious innovations.
1) It highlights that a sermon should be eloquent and touching; making the eyes tearful and the hearts fearful.
2) The moving speech is what comes out of the beacon of Shariah and the guidance of revelation and thus finds its way into the hearts.