--
BLESSED FRUIT
Allah Ta'ala says in the noble Qur'aan,
'Do you not
see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and we produce therewith fruits
of various colours.' (Surah Faatir 27).
And Allah Ta'ala says, 'And he sent down rain from
the sky and brought forth fruits as a provision for you.' (Baqarah 22)
Fruit and vegetation are a great bounty of Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala upon humanity. Some provide nourishment and others are a source of
satisfaction and refreshment. We, as Muslims, have been taught in the
Qur’aan and Ahadith to be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala – our sole sustainer –
for every minute bounty. Similarly, it is only becoming of a true
Muslim that he remembers his creator during the times of enjoyment,
happiness and ease just as he remembers Almighty Allah in times of
difficulty.
The practice of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam, at the time of receiving the first fruit of the season was that he
would firstly show utmost respect for it, then he would recite a
supplication to Allah. Thereafter, he would not partake of it
himself, instead he used to give it to any child that was present.
Abu Hurayrah,
Ibn Abbaas, Anas and
Aaisha, may Allaah be pleased with them,have reported that ‘when the first
fruit of the season used to be brought to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam, he used to take it, kiss it and touch it to his eyes, he would
then recite the following Du’aa:
‘Allaahumma kamaa araytanaa awwalahu, arinaa aakhirahu’
Oh Allah, just
as you have shown us the first of it, also show us the last of it
These narrations have been recorded by Imaams
Ibnus-sinni Hadith280; Tabraani in Mu’jam Saghir vol.2 pg.11 and in his
Kitaabud-Du’aa Hadith2004, 2005 with slight variations. Imaam Haythami has classified the narration of
al-Mu’jamus saghir as Sahih (authentic).
Ibn Allaan mentions that the reason for
Tthe Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, kissing it and touching it to his
eyes is because it is something that has just been newly created by Almighty
Allah. Just like how he used to go out in the rain and open his chest (so
that the rain may touch it) and he would say,
‘Verily it has very recently
left my Lord!’.
The reason for giving it to a child is either
because of the similarity between the two in the fact that both are new in
the world or because of the extreme joy that a child experiences through
this. (Futoohaat al-Rabbaaniyyah vol.6 pg.235-236)
The following Du’aa has also been authentically
recorded to have been recited by the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam,
upon sighting the first fruit of the season:
Allaahumma baarik lanaa fiy thamarinaa, wa baarik lanaa fiy madeenatanaa,
wa baarik lanaa fiy swaa’inaa, wa baarik lanaa fiy muddinaa
O Allah grant us
Barakaat in our fruit, and grant us Barkaat in our Madinah (town) and grant
us Barkaat in our measure, and grant us Barkaat and our weight.
This narration has been recorded by Imaam Muslim in
his Sahih on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra
