Smile when you ride!

Smile when you ride!

A report by Ali Rabeeah mentions that he saw Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin mounting a horse,

 “As he placed his foot in the stirrup he said: ‘In the name of God’, and when he was over it, he said: ‘All praise be to God.’ He then said: ‘Limitless in His glory is He who has made this subservient to our use, since we would not have been able to attain to it without Him.’ He then said: ‘All praise be to God (or alhamdu-lillah, 3 times), God is supreme (or Allahu akbar, 3 times). Limitless in Your glory are You! I have certainly wronged myself, so please forgive me. None but You forgives sins.’ He then smiled .

I asked him why he smiled. He answered: ‘I saw the Prophet doing what I have just done and then smiled. I asked him the cause of his smile and he replied: ‘Your Lord is pleased with His servant when he prays to Him to forgive him his sins, knowing that none but God forgives sins.’” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood).

As our focus is on the occasion that caused the Prophet to smile or laugh we begin with the explanation he gave for his smiling after riding his mount. His smile is because God is pleased with anyone praying for forgiveness. This is an admission by that person that only God forgives sins. As God is pleased He grants the supplicant his wish and forgives him his sins.

It is, however, useful to reflect on the Prophet’s remembrance of God in such an everyday action like riding a mount. It begins with mentioning God’s name, and then praising and glorifying Him. It also mentions that it was only by God’s will that such mounts are made subservient to man. This part of the Prophet’s prayer is in fact taken from the Qur’an, Surah 43, Verses 13-14. Today, when most of us do not use mounts, but travel by other means of transport, this supplication may be used when we drive in a car or a van, or take a bus or train or fly by plane, or indeed ride a bicycle. It should be noted, however, how the Prophet’s companions were keen to follow his example in every respect. Ali smiles at the point when the Prophet smiled. May be he did not have the same thought the Prophet had, but because the Prophet smiled at this point, he also followed suit.