Lesson 4 of 6 · Small and repeated beats big and rare
The unit is two
Two things here. A prophet asked Allah, by name, for one particular person to be alongside him in the work, and asking was not treated as weakness. And in the report below the unit named is not the whole congregation. It is two.
Take that one clause and nothing around it: Shaitan is with one, and he is further away from two. The report is a long address of Umar's and the material either side of that clause is about other things. The pair is the part this lesson is using.
Qur’an and Sunnah
A prophet asked Allah, out loud, for one particular person to be alongside him in the work, and the asking was not treated as weakness.
وَٱجۡعَل لِّي وَزِيرࣰ ا مِّنۡ أَهۡلِي
and give me a helper from my family
Qur’an 20:29
My brother Harun. The person asked for is named, which is the part to notice: this is not a general request for support but a request for one particular person, and asking was not treated as weakness.
هَٰرُونَ أَخِي
my brother Aaron
Qur’an 20:30
What is asked for through that one person is stated plainly, and it is strength for the work rather than company for its own sake.
ٱشۡدُدۡ بِهِۦٓ أَزۡرِي
augment my strength through him
Qur’an 20:31
The four verses are one request and are shown whole, because the shape of the request is the point.
وَأَشۡرِكۡهُ فِيٓ أَمۡرِي
Let him share my task
Qur’an 20:32
Take one clause and nothing around it. Shaitan is with one, and he is further away from two. Honestly, this is a long address of Umar's and the material either side is about other things. The pair is the part being used.
Ibn 'Umar narrated:" 'Umar delivered a Khutbah to us at Al-Jabiyah. He said: 'O you people! Indeed I have stood among you as the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) stood among us, and he said: "I order you (to stick to) my Companions, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then lying will spread until a man will take an oath when no oath was sought from him, and a witness will testify when his testimony was not sought. Behold! A man is not alone with a woman but the third of them is Ash-Shaitan. Adhere to the Jama'ah, beware of separation, for indeed Ash-Shaitan is with one, and he is further away from two. Whoever wants the best place in Paradise, then let him stick to the Jama'ah. Whoever rejoices with his good deeds and grieves over his evil deeds, then that is the believer among you
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2165graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading
Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur'an, Oxford University Press, 2004.