رياض الصالحين

Rawh wa Rayāhīn Sharh Riyād Al-Sālihīn

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Praise be to Allah, who is praised for His beautiful Names and perfect Attributes, and for their effects in the present life and in the Hereafter. We ask for Allah’s peace and blessings upon the leader of all prophets, who, from among all humans, has the most perfect praiseworthy attributes, the best morals, and the most eloquent sayings, and we ask for Allah’s peace and blessings upon his family, Companions, and all his followers.

To proceed:

Aside from the words of Allah, the Exalted, there are no words more truthful, more beneficial, or more inclusive of the good of this life and the Hereafter more than the words of His Prophet and His chosen one, Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He was the most knowledgeable of all mankind, the most truthful, the greatest giver of advice and guidance, the most eloquent, the best taught, and he was given pithiness of speech.

Hence we recognize the dire need of people to know the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and what he was sent with, to believe him in what he told, to obey his orders, to avoid what he forbade, and to worship Allah, the Exalted, according to his teachings. There is truly no road to happiness and success for this blessed Ummah except by following the path of its Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), inwardly and outwardly, for there is no road to Allah and to Paradise except through the guidance of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

So, whoever seeks the best for himself and wishes to deliver it to safety and happiness should learn of his guidance, biography, and habits what takes him out of the group of those ignorant of the Prophet and admits him into the group of his followers and adherents to his Sunnah. People in this regard are divided into three categories: one that is deprived, one that takes a little, and one that takes a lot; and grace (in taking much of the Prophet's guidance) is in the Hands of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Most Bountiful.

One of the ways that makes such knowledge accessible is to consider the comprehensive beneficial summarized books about the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his practices, such as:

The book of Riyād al-Sālihīn min Ahādīth Sayyid Al-Mursalīn (Gardens of the Righteous from the Hadīths of the Leader of the Messengers), compiled by the ascetic erudite scholar: Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf Al-Nawawi (631-676 AH, 1234-1277 AD) – may Allah have mercy upon him. He compiled therein a concise collection of authentic Hadīths, which represent a provision for the reader towards his afterlife, and an inventory of inward and outward etiquettes. It also combines encouragement and warning, and all the types of character traits for those who seek reward in the Hereafter and eschew this tempting life; all taken from Hadīths on asceticism, disciplining of the self, perfecting morals, purification and healing of hearts, guarding the body parts and the senses (against committing the unlawful) and straightening their crookedness, among other objectives.

Muslim scholars have vehemently recommended this book, gave great care to explaining it and teaching it to the general body of Muslims. This indicates the sincerity of its author and people’s need to such a concise and beneficial book.

Following the example of our scholars and imitating them in their good deeds, we have participated in this endeavor to make Riyād Al-Sālihīn accessible to those who seek its benefit. Our objectives are:

1) To make this an advice to believers in abidance by the guidance of the leader of Prophets (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), for it is surely the best guidance.

2) To follow the example of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in hastening to venerate the command of Allah, the Exalted, and the command of His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), for the Companions are the best of generations in terms of faithfulness in following the example of the the sent Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

3) To make people aware of the greatness of this lenient Abrahamic religion, with which Allah relieved the world, and whose goodness extended to all mankind. Allah Almighty singled out the Ummah of Muhammad with blessings, mercy, and facilitations that they attain by virtue of following the guidance of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Our methodology can be summed up in five points:

1. Explanation of the words that the reader does not comprehend in the Hadīth and which the author left unexplained. This is called Gharīb al-Hadīth (unfamiliar words in the Hadīth).

2. Inferring guidance from the chapters and evidences of the book that we hope can be messages of guidance and advice in following the example of the master of worshipers, Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). We were keen on placing the 'Guidance from the Hadīth' at appropriate places with regard to the evidences of each chapter. We have also added important points and useful notes relevant to some evidences. These were written under the sub-title "Benefit", in order not to confuse them with the wording of the author.

3. When Hadīths are repeated in chapters, we reexplained the unfamiliar words they contain and rewrote the guidance derived from them in accordance with the chapter in which they are mentioned. This is done in imitation of the Qur'an's approach; {Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration} [Al-Zumar: 23] The verse means that statements, stories, rulings, and all useful subjects are repeated in the Qur'an for great reasons that include assertion of these meanings in the hearts of people by repetition; for if something is repeated it becomes established. Hence, we repeated the meanings of the recurrent Hadīths so that they become established in minds and hearts. It is noteworthy to mention that there are 168 recurrent Hadīths in Riyād Al-Sālihīn.

4. We have drawn the reader's attention to a number of Hadīths that the scholars judged to be weak in this great book. They are few compared to the total number of Hadīths cited therein. The reader can find the note to the weakness of a Hadīth in the footnotes of the book. We relied in this regard on a fine version of the book verified by Shaykh ‘Isām Hādi, published by Al-Rayyān Institution. Whoever wishes to learn the reason for judging a Hadīth as weak can consult Takhreej (Hadīth documentation) books.

It is well know, dear brother – may Allah guide us all to the true path – that it is the duty of all Muslims to worship Allah based on the authentic traditions of our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). If authentic Hadīths are available, there us no need to resort to weak ones. As for what some scholars cite of weak Hadīths - of minor weakness - it is due to the fact that these Hadīths have authentic grounds in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Therefore, they are correct in meaning, despite being weak in the chain of narration.

That is why we have included the weak Hadīths in the general body of Hadīths cited in the book and treated them in the same way by explaining their unfamiliar vocabulary and deducing guidance from them, for there are other texts that corroborate their meanings. We excluded a few rare Hadīths whose meaning is Munkar (denounced), given the principle that what is rare is not to be taken into consideration.

5. We attached three appendices to help the reader, as follows:

First: Appendix of Hadīths and traditions, which includes:

Parts of the prophetic Hadīths and traditions narrated by Companions of the Prophet; which facilitates for the reader access to any Hadīth or tradition in the book.

Second: Index of repeated Hadīths, which include:

Reference to the Hadīth's repetitions in the book. The objective is to show the aptitude of the author, may Allah have mercy upon him, in including a single Hadīth in different chapters. This shows the real meaning of Jawāmi‘ al-Kalim (succinct speech) that was an exclusive characteristic of our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), as he would make statements that are brief in wording but broad in meaning, thus making a single Hadīth relevant to many contexts.

Third: Index of subjects of the book, which includes:

Indexing the book's subjects according to chapters; totaling 372 chapter. Each chapter includes a group of textual evidences. Most chapters contain Qur'anic verses and Prophetic Hadīths. The total number of Hadīths in these chapters are 1896, according to the most popular versions of the book.

That said, we have relied, in the arrangement of Riyād Al-Sālihīn, on the version verified and documented by Shaykh Shu‘ayb Al-Arnā'ūt and published by Ar-Risālah Foundation. Some minor mistakes in this version were corrected by comparing them with the original books.

We prefaced the book with a summarized biography of Imam Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) and brief excerpts from the statements of the scholars regarding the merit of Riyād Al-Sālihīn and their advice to Muslims to read it.

Finally, we have named this advice of ours 'Rawh wa Rayāhīn Sharh Riyād al-Sālihīn'.

We dedicate it to every believer who is interested to follow the example of the leader of all prophets (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and the example of the first forerunners in Islam (may Allah be pleased with them all). We ask Allah, the Exalted, to bless this work and make it useful, just as He blessed and made useful the original book upon which it is based. Whatever correctness the book contains, it is by the grace of Allah; and whatever incorrect content it contains, it is due to our negligence, ignorance, and misdeeds, which barred us from receiving the favors of our Lord.

We ask Allah, the Great, the Lord of the Exalted Throne, not to deny us the good He has due to the bad we do, for He is Bounteous and Generous.

Praise be to Allah who guided us to this; and we would not have been guided if Allah had not willed so.

May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions.

Blessed Levant

Damascus

Third Print/ Rajab/ 1434 AH [1] [1] Rawh wa Rayāhīn Sharh Riyād al-Sālihīn was first published in 1426 AH, and was later reprinted with some additions and corrections in 1427 AH. This is the third print, which includes useful additions, that delights whoever loves Tawhīd (monotheism) and Sunnah. We ask Allah to bless this work and make it a guide to His path, for He is the Hearer of Invocation.

Biography of the author of Riyād al-Sālihīn, the erudite scholar Yahya ibn Sharaf Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him), 631-676 AH.

His lineage:

He is the great ascetic scholar Abu Zakariyya Muhy al-Dīn Yahya ibn Sharaf ibn Murry ibn Hasan ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Jumu'ah ibn Hizaam Al-Nawawi, named after his hometown Nawa, a village in Hawran, Syria. He then moved to Damascus. He was a leading Shāfi'i scholar, and was the leading scholar of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) in his time.

Birth and Early Life:

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) was born in the month of Muharram 631 AH, in the village of Nawa, to righteous parents. When he turned ten, he started memorizing the Qur'an, and learning Islamic Jurisprudence from some scholars in Nawa. By coincidence, Shaykh Yāsīn ibn Yūsuf Al-Marākishi was passing by that village. He saw the boys forcing the young Al-Nawawi to play with them while he was running from them and crying and reading the Qur'an. Al-Marākishi went to Al-Nawawi's father and advised him to devote his son to learning religious knowledge, and he agreed. In 649 AH, Al-Nawawi went with his father to Damascus to continue his learning in Dār al-Hadīth School, and he lived in the dormitory of the Rawāhiyyah School, which was adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque from the eastern side. In 651 AH, he performed Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) with his father then returned to Damascus.

Academic Life:

In 665 AH, Al-Nawawi became the Grand Imam at Dār al-Hadīth, and he continued to teach there until he died at the age of 45. After arriving in Damascus, Al-Nawawi's academic life was characterized by three things:

First: perseverance in seeking knowledge and learning in his early life and in his youth. He was totally absorbed in seeking knowledge and found in this endeavor an unparalleled delight. He was indeed serious in reading and memorization; for he memorized 'Al-Tanbīh' in four and a half months, and memorized a quarter of the Chapter of the Worships from 'Al-Muhadhdhab' in the remaining months of that year. In a short period of time, he managed to win the admiration and affection of his teacher Abu Ibrāhīm Is-hāq ibn Ahmad al-Maghribi, so he made Al-Nawawi a teacher assistant in his class.

Second: broadness of his knowledge and culture, as he combined diligent learning with diversification of fields of knowledge and a multi-cultural education. His pupil 'Alā al-Dīn al-Attār mentioned that during Al-Nawawi's time of learning and seeking knowledge, he used to read twelve lessons daily with his teachers with explanation and verification. Those lessons were two from Al-Wasīt, one from Al-Muhadhdhab, one in Al-Jam' bayn al-Sahīhayn, one from Sahīh Muslim, one from Al-Lumma' by Ibn Jinni, one from Islāh al-Mantiq by Ibn Al-Sikkīt in (the Arabic) language, one in morphology, one in fundamentals of jurisprudence; and sometimes one from Al-Lumma' by Ibn Is-hāq and sometimes from Al-Muntakhab by Al-Fakhr al-Rāzi, one in the biographies of Hadīth narrators, and one in the fundamentals of the religion. He used to write down all that is related to these lessons such as the explanation of problematic aspects, clarification of wording, and adjusting grammar and diacritics.

Third: prolific writings. Al-Nawawi started writing books in 660 AH, at the age of 30. Allah blessed for him his time and supported him, so he concentrated his thoughts into great amazing books and writings, in which you sense the simplicity of phrasing, clearness of evidences, and fairness in presenting the views of jurists. To this day, his books are popular amongst Muslims and are a source of benefit to them in all parts of the world.

Among the most important of his works are: Sharh Sahīh Muslim, Al-Majmū' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, Riyād Al-Sālihīn, Al-Adhkār, Tahdhīb Al-Asmā’ wa al-Lughāt, Al-Arba‘ūn al-Nawawiyyah, and Al-Minhāj fi al-Fiqh.

His Morals and Traits:

Biographers unanimously agreed that Al-Nawawi was a devoted ascetic, a role model in piety, and second to none in giving advice to rulers and in enjoining virtue and forbidding vice. In this brief biography of Al-Nawawi, we would like to pause with the following prominent aspects of his life:

Asceticism: Al-Nawawi found in the delight of seeking knowledge a substitute for all other transient joys. So, he immersed himself in the sweetness of knowledge and faith. What is noticeable is that he moved from a simple environment to Damascus which had an abundance of joys, and he was at an age when desires are overwhelming. In spite of that, he eschewed all lusts and joys and led an extremely austere and hard life.

Piety: in Al-Nawawi's life, there are many examples of extreme piety, among them is that he used not to eat from the fruits of Damascus. When asked why, he answered: “It is full of endowments and properties owned by those under guardianship (after being declared legally incompetent). It is impermissible to dispose of that except in favor of their owners, and watering such properties is shared, and there is disagreement among scholars in this regard. Even those who permitted eating from properties in this case said it has to be in favor of the orphan or the one under guardianship. And people do not do that except with regard to one thousandth of the fruit for the owner, so how can I eat from such a property? He chose to live in Al-Rawāhiyyah School and not any other school because it was built by some traders.

Moreover, Dār Al-Hadīth was assigned a large stipend, but he did not take a penny thereof. Rather, he used to save it with the principal, then, when he had saved the stipend of a whole year, he would buy real estate with it and make it an endowment to Dār Al-Hadīth, or he would buy books and make it an endowment to the School library, and he never took any stipend from elsewhere. He would also not accept a gift or donation unless he needed something and the gift or donation came from a pious person. He did not accept anything from anyone except his parents and relatives. His mother would send him garments to wear, and his father would send him something to eat. He used to sleep in his room in which he stayed when he arrived in Damascus at the Rawāhiyyah School, and he was seeking nothing beyond that.

Giving sincere advice to rulers: Al-Nawawi carried the characteristics of a sincere outspoken scholar in performing Jihād with his tongue and fulfilling the duty of enjoining virtue and forbidding vice. He was true in his advice to the rulers without hoping for any personal interest or private gain. He was indeed courageous; not fearing any reproach for the sake of Allah. He had the eloquence and the proofs to support his claim.

People used to refer to him in serious and grave issues and ask for his Fatwa (juristic ruling), and he used to receive them wholeheartedly and work towards solving their problems, as in the case of the confiscation of the Shām (Levant) orchards:

When the Sultan Al-Zahir Baibars came from Egypt to Damascus after fighting the Tatars (Mongols) and driving them out of his territory, his treasury minister claimed that much of the orchards in Syria were the property of the state, so the Sultan ordered confiscating them and demanded that anyone who claimed ownership of any of these orchards prove his ownership and produce documents. The people resorted to Shaykh Al-Nawawi in Dār Al-Hadīth, so he wrote a letter to the Sultan, saying in it: “Muslims are indeed suffering because of this confiscation of their properties to an unspeakable degree, and they were asked to prove what they are not in need of proving. This confiscation is not held as lawful by any Muslim scholar; rather, whoever has something in his hand then it is his, and no one is permitted to object to that and burden him with producing proof.” The Sultan was angered by such boldness against him and ordered severing the payment of Al-Nawawi and firing him from all his posts. He was told that Al-Nawawi did not receive any payment and did not hold any posts. When Al-Nawawi saw that his letter did not have an effect, he went himself to the Sultan and spoke to him sharply. The Sultan wanted to deal violently with him but Allah directed his heart otherwise and protected Al-Nawawi from his harm. The Sultan then canceled the confiscation order and the people were saved from its evil.

His death:

In the year 676 AH, Al-Nawawi returned to Nawa after returning the books he had borrowed from the Endowment Department. He visited the graves of the scholars who taught him; he prayed for them and cried. Then he visited his living friends and bid them farewell. After visiting his father, he visited Jerusalem and Hebron then went back to Nawa where he fell ill and passed away on the 24th of Rajab of that year. When news of his death reached Damascus, the people of Damascus and neighboring areas were all in tears, and Muslims mourned him deeply. The Supreme Judge, ‘Izziddīn Muhammad ibn al-Sāyigh, and a group of his companions went to Nawa to perform the funeral prayer on him at his grave. A number of poets composed elegiac poetry of him. Thus came to an end the life of a renowned Muslim scholar after great endeavors in seeking knowledge. Al-Nawawi left treasures of knowledge for Muslims and they still hold him in high esteem and ask Allah, the Exalted, to bestow His mercy and forgiveness upon him.

May Allah have mercy upon Al-Nawawi, and may he be resurrected among those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous; and excellent are those as companions. [2] This biography is quoted from the introduction to the book titled Nuzhat al-Muttaqīn Sharh Riyād al-Sālihīn with slight modification. Whoever wishes to learn more should refer to: Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah by Ibn Kathīr (13/278), Tadhkirat al-Huffāzh by Al-Dhahabi (4/1470-1474), Tabaqāt Al-Shāfi‘iyyah by Al-Subki (5/165-168), and Shadharāt al-Dhahab by Ibn al-‘Imād (5/354-356).

The value of Riyād al-Sālihīn to scholars

Riyād al-Sālihīn is a book of tremendous value that was highly recommended by scholars, and consequently has spread widely and benefited many people. This can be attributed to a number of reasons, among which are the following two reasons:

First: what was known of the devotion of its compiler, Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him). As a fruit of his devotion, Allah blessed his book and benefited Muslims with it. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: “A man will attain according to his intention.”

Second: The dire need of common Muslims to a book about morals, etiquette, encouragement, and intimidation; which Riyād al-Sālihīn offers. Writing about these matters comforts people with sound innate nature, and they readily accept it. Hence, the book found its way to peoples’ hearts. To them, it was like good health to the body and like the sun to the earth; i.e. nothing can compensate for their absence. The author himself asserts this meaning by saying:

“I hope that when this book is completed it would drive the one who reads it well to all goodness and deter him from committing all evils”

* Al-Hāfiz Al-Dhahabi (d. 748 AH) said:

“We ask Allah for beneficial knowledge. Do you know what beneficial knowledge is? It is what was revealed in the Qur'an and explained by the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in word and deed, and no forbiddance has been reported about it. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings peace be upon him) said: ‘Whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me.’ So, dear brother, you have to contemplate the Book of Allah, and to addictively read the two Sahīhs (i.e. Sahīh Al-Bukhāri and Sahīh Muslim), the Sunan of Al-Nasā’i, and Riyād al-Sālihīn of Al-Nawawi and his Al-Adhkār so that you may attain prosperity and success." [Sirat A‘lām al-Nubalā’ (19/340)]

The erudite scholar Ibn al-Wazīr al-Yamāni (d. 840 AH) said:

“The second type of knowledge: what is needed in religion, and this is of two categories; one whose excellence is indisputable, such as Hadīth texts, exegesis in which there is consensus, obligatory faith, and the field of asceticism. Among the most valuable books in this category is Al-Nawawi's Riyād al-Sālihīn, because it is restricted to sound Hadīths and is devoid of Bid‘ah (religious innovation).” [Īthār al-Haqq ‘ala al-Khalq, p. 33]* Al-Hāfiz Al-Sakhāwi (d. 902 AH) said:

“Riyād al-Sālihīn is a valuable book that is indispensable.” [Al-Nawawi's Biography, p. 12]

* Shaykh Ibn ‘Illān al-Siddīqi (d. 1057 AH) said:

“The book gathers all that the one seeking true knowledge needs in all situations, and contains all the morals that should be adopted and the words and deeds that should be adhered to. Its wealthy source is the Book (the Noble Qur’an) and the Prophetic Sunnah from which he extracted all those gems.” [Muqaddimat Dalīl al-Fālihīn: 1/4)

There is a consensus amongst the general majority of contemporary scholars on recommending Riyād al-Sālihīn.

Examples of these are:

* What Shaykh Faysal ibn Mubārak al-Najdi (d. 1376 AH) said in the course of his advice to the seeker of knowledge:

“And he should read Riyād al-Sālihīn and memorize the last part of it; from the Book of Virtues to the end, for it comprehensively lists what is commanded and what is forbidden, and it disciplines its reader and urges him to do good deeds.”

[Wasiyyah Jāmi‘ah, p. 76]

Shaykh Shu‘ayb al-Arnā’ūt (may Allah, the Exalted, preserve him) said:

“One of the best books written in this regard is Riyād al-Sālihīn. It is the most widely read and circulated book of Hadīth. It is celebrated everywhere and is highly regarded by scholars, authors, preachers, and laymen.” [Muqaddimat Tahqīq Riyād al-Sālihīn, p. 6]

Overall, all the scholars and researchers who cared for the book in terms of verifying its contents and documenting it unanimously agreed on its high status and great benefit.

We ask Allah, the Most High the Most Great, to grant Al-Nawawi the highest level of Paradise and reward him abundantly. We also ask Allah to grant us and all Muslims a good end while being sincerely upon Tawhīd and the Sunnah.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Introduction by the compiler, Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Praise be to Allah, the One, the Ever-Subduing, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. He makes the night overlap the day, to be a reminder to those who have lively hearts and minds, and an enlightenment to those with intellect and who ponder. He awakens a selected group of His creation and make them less inclined towards this world, and makes them heedful of Him and ever contemplating, and makes them adhere to learning from lessons. He guides them to be persistent in doing deeds of worship and being prepared for the Hereafter, and He makes them wary of the acts that incur His wrath and lead to Hellfire. He blesses them with being persistent on this despite changing situations and circumstances. I praise him in the best, most inclusive, and most blessed types of praise. and I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Most Kind, the Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, His favorite and beloved, the one who guides to the Straight Path, and the one who calls to the True Religion. May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him and upon all the prophets and their families and all righteous people.

Allah, the Exalted, said: {And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.} [Al-Dhāriyāt: 56-57] This verse explicitly states that they were created for worship. Consequently, they should tend to that for which they were created, and meet the pleasures of this world with abstention and asceticism, for it is an abode of perishing, not of eternal life, and a boat that carries them across to the abode of bliss and delight. And so, the most vigilant of its people are the worshipers, and the most rational amongst them are the ascetics. Allah Almighty says: {The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb – [those] from which men and livestock eat – until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who reflect.} [Yūnus: 24] Verses that refer to this meaning are numerous. Well said were the following words:

Who divorced life and feared its trials Verily Allah created some sagacious men that it is not an (eternal) abode for the living They pondered it and when they learned Good deeds their arks They considered it a wild sea and made

If this is how it is, as I described, and if this is our situation and why we were created, then it is the duty of every accountable person to take the path of the righteous, and follow in the footsteps of the wise and intelligent, and to prepare himself for what I pointed to and take care of that which I stressed. The soundest and wisest way for him to achieve that is to adopt the morals that were authentically reported from the leader of mankind, past and future, and the most honorable of the predecessors and successors, Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and upon all other prophets. Allah Almighty says: {and cooperate in righteousness and piety} [Al-Mā’idah: 2] It was authentically reported that Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: “And Allah will aid His slave so long as he aids his brother.” And that he said: “Whoever guides to a good deed gets the same reward as the doer of that deed.” And that he said: “Whoever calls others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness) without their reward being diminished in any respect.” And that he said to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “...for by Allah, if Allah guides one single man (to the right path of Islam) through you, then that will be better for you than red camels (i.e. the most precious possessions)”.

So, I have decided to collect an abridged version of authentic Hadīths, to include what might guide people to the Hereafter, be a concise collection of internal as well as external etiquette, to be inclusive of invitation to earn the reward from Allah and intimidation of earning His punishment, and all other etiquettes which those aspiring to the Hereafter seek such as the Hadīths on asceticism, disciplining the self, refining the manners, purifying the hearts, and maintaining the senses and body parts and fixing their crookedness, and other objectives which the pious would deem wise.

I oblige myself therein to cite only authentic Hadīths from the well-known authentic Hadīth books. I start each chapter with holy verses from the Qur’an, and I explain the parts which need elaboration with worthy notes. And when I say at the end of a Hadīth: [agreed upon], this means that it was narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim.

I hope that when this book is completed it would drive the one who reads it well to all goodness and deter him from committing all evils. I ask my fellow Muslim who benefits of any part of this work to supplicate Allah for me, my parents, my teaching scholars, and all our loved ones and Muslims in general. On Allah I depend, and in Him I confide and trust; He is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. There is no change nor power except by Allah, the Almighty, the Most Wise.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

1- Chapter on sincerity and mindfulness of intention in all words and deeds, the apparent and the hidden thereof

Allah Almighty says: {And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that is the correct religion.} [Surat al-Bayyinah: 5] And He says: {It is neither their flesh nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is your piety that reaches Him} [Surat al-Hajj: 37] And He says: {Say, “Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 29]

Guidance from the verses:

1) Intention means the purpose and objective. It emanates from the heart. Its place is not the tongue (i.e. should not be verbalized) in all acts of worship; because the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), who is our example and role model, used to make ablution, pray, fast, give charity, and perform Hajj without pronouncing the intention.

3) An individual should be heedful of his intention in all acts of worship. So, he should hold the intention to perform worship, the intention to perform it solely for the sake of Allah, and the intention that he is performing it in compliance with the command from Allah. This is the most perfect state. For example, he intends to make ablution, that his ablution is for Allah, and that he makes ablution in obedience to the command of Allah.

1/1- The Commander of the Believers Abu Hafs, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb ibn Nufayl ibn ‘Abdil-‘Uzza ibn Riyāh ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Qurt ibn Rizāh ibn ‘Adi ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ai ibn Ghālib al-Qurashi al-‘Adawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “Verily, the reward of deeds depends on the intentions, and each person will be rewarded according to what he intended. So, he whose Hijrah is for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, then his Hijrah is for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration is to achieve some worldly gain or to take some woman in marriage, then his migration is for that which he migrated for.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim] It was narrated by the two most prominent Muhaddiths: Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismā‘īl ibn Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mughīrah ibn Bardizbah al-Ju‘fi al-Bukhāri, And Abu Al-Husayn Muslim Ibn al-Hajjāj ibn Muslim al-Qushayri al-Nīsāburi (may Allah be pleased with them) in their two books, which are the most authentic Hadīth compilations.

Words in the Hadīth:

Hijrah: moving from non-Muslim states to Muslim states.

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) This Hadīth is like a scale with which people weigh their inner deeds: Are they sincere to Allah or not regarding them?

2) People differ with regards to their acts of worship according to their intentions. The intentions of some people have reached the ultimate level of sincerity (to Allah) and keenness in following the Sunnah (of the Messenger of Allah) with regard to doing good and righteous deeds, while the intentions of others are below that.

3) Moving from non-Muslim land to Muslim land is obligatory on those capable of doing that, as was the case with the early believers; the honorable Companions of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who migrated from Makkah to Madinah before Makkah became a land of Islam and belief.

Benefit:

Hijrah includes forsaking a deed, a doer, and a place.

First: Hijrah of a deed; meaning that a slave of Allah refrains from all the sins prohibited by Allah and His Messenger, as in the following Hadīth: “The Muhājir (i.e. the doer of Hijrah) is the one who forsakes what Allah has forbidden.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Second: Hijrah of the doer, like forsaking a man who sins openly and announces his sins. If deserting such a person would bring about benefit, such as prompting him to stop committing what Allah prohibited, then he is to be deserted.

Third: Hijrah of the place, by moving from a place infested with sins to another place that is free of such sins or where they are comparatively less, because the individual is affected by his environment either positively or negatively.

Benefit:

What is the ruling on a Muslim traveling to disbelievers’ countries?

It is not permissible for a Muslim to travel to disbelievers’ states, and it is prohibited unless certain conditions are met; these conditions are:

1) That the Muslim is equipped with sound knowledge to refute suspicions raised by others, for the disbelievers might put forward to him difficult issues and questions related to Islam, the Qur’an, the Prophet and so on, which he might not be able to answer.

2) That he has a strong base of religiosity and piety to protect himself against the widespread prohibited lusts, such as drinking alcohol, committing adultery, and staying up late at night to party and the like.

3) That he needs to make that trip. As for traveling for tourism, it is impermissible. An example of a need is to travel to seek medical treatment, to seek knowledge that is not available in Muslim countries, or to conduct trade that would benefit him and Muslims in general.

One kind of permissible or obligatory traveling is when a preacher or a scholar travels to invite people to the religion of Allah Almighty.

2/2 - The Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “An army will invade the Ka‘bah, and when it reaches a desert, all of them will be swallowed up by the earth.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, how will they sink into the ground while amongst them will be their markets and the people not belonging to them?” He replied: “All of them will be swallowed up by the earth then they will be resurrected and judged according to their intentions.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim. This is the wording narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Swallowed by the earth: when they disappear underneath it.

Markets: refers to the people who came to buy and sell.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Anyone partaking a role with transgressors and wrongdoers will share their punishment because it is inclusive.

2) This Hadīth agrees with and clarifies the Hadīth that says: “Deeds are judged based on the intentions behind them;” so each person will be recompensed in accordance with his intention.

3) When punishment occurs, it strikes both the righteous and the corrupt. However, on the Day of Judgment, they will be resurrected and judged according to their respective intentions. Therefore, the believers should exchange sincere advice to follow the truth lest punishments descend upon them. Acts of obedience alleviate afflictions and punishments whereas sinning breeds misfortune and adversity.

3/3 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There is no Hijrah after the Conquest (of Makkah), but there is Jihad and good intention, and whenever you are called for Jihad, you should respond to the call.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

It means that there is no Hijrah from Makkah because it has become an abode of Islam.

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) This Hadīth bears glad tidings for the believers that Makkah will never revert to disbelief but will rather remain an abode of Islam until the Day of Judgment.

2) The Muslim defends the religion of Allah and strives against the enemies of Allah so that the Word of Allah reigns supreme. He defends his homeland because it is an Islamic state, thus defending it protects Islam as well as what Muslims hold sacred.

Benefit:

The intended meaning of the statement of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “There is no Hijrah after the conquest,” is relevant to those who had not made Hijrah to him (in Madinah) before the conquest. As for Hijrah from non-Muslim countries, it is valid until the Day of Judgment, because a Muslim is expected to make Hijrah to a country where he can uphold the rites of Allah and preserve his religion. Allah Almighty said: {When the angels take the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they will say, “What was the matter with you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” They will say, “Was not Allah’s earth spacious enough for you to migrate?” They are those whose refuge will be Hell – what a terrible destination!} [Surat an-Nisā’: 97]

When does Jihad become an individual obligation?

In the following cases:

1) If the ruler mobilizes people to participate in Jihad for the sake of Allah.

2) If the enemy lays siege to a town, Jihad becomes an individual obligation and every capable inhabitant of that town if obliged to fight because it is a fight to defend inviolable honors.

3) If the two armies, the Muslim and the non-Muslim, come face to face, it is impermissible for anyone to flee: {O you who believe, when you confront the disbelievers in battle, do not turn your backs to them.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 15] The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) warned that: “Fleeing from the battlefield is one of the seven destructive sins.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

4) If a person is vitally needed for Jihad such that only he can deliver a given task, like having knowledge about a specific weapon, then he must join Jihad.

4/4 Abu ‘Abdullah Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansārī (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: We were with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in a battle. He said: “In Madīnah, there are men who are with you whenever you cover a distance or cross a valley but they have been detained by illness.” In another version of the Hadīth, he said: “who share the reward with you” [Narrated by Muslim]

Al-Bukhāri narrated it from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: We returned from the battle of Tabūk with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and he said: “Some people have remained behind us in Madīnah but they were with us whenever we crossed a mountain path or a valley; they were held back by an excuse.”

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Anyone who participates in Jihad for the sake of Allah shall receive a reward for the distance he traveled. This is a favor from Allah that the means are rewarded just as much as the deed itself because the means share the same rulings as their objectives.

2) If someone intends to do a good deed but was prevented by a valid excuse, he shall gain the reward of his intention.

5/5- Abu Yazīd Ma‘n ibn Yazīd ibn al-Akhnas (may Allah be pleased with them; as he, his father, and his grandfather were Companions) reported: “My father Yazīd had taken some gold coins for charity and kept them with a man in the masjid (to give them to the poor) but I went and took them and went to him, so he (my father) said: ‘By Allah! I did not intend to give them to you.’ I took my case to Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who said: ‘For you, Yazīd, is (the reward for) what you intended, and for you, Ma'n, is what you took.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Actions are recompensed according to the intentions behind them, and the individual shall receive the reward of what he intended even if the outcome was contrary to his intention.

2) It is permissible to give out charity in public if there is a benefit in making the charity public.

3) It is permissible for the father to give his child from the Zakah due on him if the child is eligible to receive Zakah, provided that the father does not intend thereby to waive the obligation upon him to provide for his child.

6/6- Abu Is'hāq Sa‘d ibn abi Waqqās Mālik ibn Uhayb ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ay ibn Ghālib al-Qurashy az-Zuhry, who is one of the ten Companions promised Paradise (may Allah be pleased with them), reported: Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit me for an illness which became so hard to bear in the year of the Farewell Hajj. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you can see the severity of the illness which I am experiencing. I have property and none will inherit me except a daughter. Shall I give two thirds of my property in charity?' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'No.' I said: 'Then shall I give one half, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'No.' Then I said: 'So, (shall I give) one third?' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: '(Give) one third, and one third is too much. Indeed, leaving your heirs rich is better than leaving them poor and begging from people. You never spend anything seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah but that you are rewarded for it, even what you place in the mouth of your wife.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, will I be left here in Makkah after my companions have departed for Madinah?' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'If you are left behind and do good deeds whereby you seek Allah's pleasure, you will be raised a degree and your status will be elevated on account of them. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people may benefit by you and others may be harmed by you. O Allah! complete for my Companions their Hijrah (immigration to Madinah), and do not turn them back on their heels. The unfortunate one, however, is Sa‘d ibn Khawlah.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) felt sorry for him, as he had died at Makkah).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Left behind means to age.

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It shows the Prophet’s good manners towards his Companions manifested in his visitations, inquiries about their affairs, and supplication for them.

2) It is permissible, even recommended, to visit the sick because of the blessings gained by both the visitor and the sick person.

3) It is permissible for the individual to consult scholars, because Sa‘d ibn abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) sought the advice of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) when he wanted to spend a portion of his money. This is one of the means to establish a tight connection between laymen and scholars.

4) There is not a single good deed intended sincerely to please Allah except that its doer will be raised in rank and status thereby, even if it is providing for his family, wife, and himself. Therefore, the individual must have in mind the intention to draw closer to Allah in everything he spends so that he would reap the full reward.

7/7- Abu Hurayrah ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Sakhr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah does not look at your bodies or at your forms but He looks at your hearts.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Love and contentment is measured by good deeds and intentions because they are the criteria for Allah’s acceptance of the servant; perhaps a small deed reaps great reward because of the intention behind it and perhaps a big deed reaps little reward because of the intention behind it.

2) One of the proofs Allah supports the servant is the latter’s sincere endeavor to rectify his intention and purify his heart by good deeds.

8/8- Abu Mūsa ‘Abdullah ibn Qays al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about a man who fights out of bravery, one who fights out of pride, and one who fights to show off. Which of them is in the cause of Allah? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever fights so that the Word of Allah reigns supreme is fighting in the cause of Allah.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

Pride: fighting out of loyalty for his family or his country.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) This shows how people share different intentions when they are on the battlefield. The one with the most righteous intention is he who fights to make the Word of Allah reign supreme.

2) The path of Allah is one whereas the paths of the devil are many; and a truly guided individual is he whom Allah Almighty guided to His path. Allah Almighty said: {This is My straight path; follow it and do not follow other ways, lest they lead you away from His way.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 153]

9/9- Abu Bakrah Nufay‘ ibn al-Hārith ath-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If two Muslims fight each other with their swords, both the killer and the killed are doomed to Hell.” I exclaimed: “O Messenger of Allah! As for the killer, it is understood; but what about the one killed?” He replied: “He was keen on killing his companion.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It highlights the major principle: “Deeds are judged according to the intentions.” Since the one killed wanted to kill his foe and used the means to do so but his foe overcome him, then he is just like the one who committed the killing.

2) It highlights the difference between fighting to ward off an attacking transgressor and fighting with the intention to kill a fellow Muslim.

3) It is a stern warning against killing, as it is one of the causes of admission to Hellfire.

4) It reflects the approach of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in seeking knowledge. They used to ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about what they found confusing and he would answer them. Notably, there is not a single ambiguous issue in the Qur’an or the Sunnah except that its clarification is already there or is presented in reply to a question.

10/10 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man's prayer in congregation is twenty-something times more superior (in reward) to his prayer in his market (workplace). For when one perfects ablution then goes out to the mosque, seeking nothing but prayer and nothing motivating him except prayer, then for every step he takes he is raised one degree and one sin is erased for him until he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he remains in prayer as long as prayer is what keeps him therein. The angels will keep invoking the blessings of Allah on you as long as you are in the place where you performed prayer, saying: 'O Allah, have mercy on him! O Allah, forgive him! O Allah, accept his repentance!' as long as you do not harm anyone therein and do not break your ablution.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim; this is the wording of Muslim]

"Motivating him" means making him get up and go out.

Words in the Hadīth:

Twenty-something: something means a number from three to ten.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The merit of praying in congregation at the masjid.

2) It is recommended that a man makes ablution at home to join the congregational prayer, in order to increase the reward.

3) Intention is primarily considered in securing such a great reward while failing to evoke a sincere intention reduces the reward.

4) Waiting to do a good deed is in itself a good deed.

Benefit:

My dear Muslim brother, may Allah grant you success! Bear in mind that attending the congregational prayer is an individual obligation on every Muslim man who hears the Adhān (call to prayer) and does not have a valid excuse for not attending. The proofs of its obligation are many, such as the saying of Allah Almighty: {When you [O Prophet] are with them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you...} [Surat an-Nisā’: 102] Allah mandated the congregational prayer even when Muslims are at war and fear an enemy attack. So, it is obvious that it is obligatory at times of peace and safety with greater reason.

In addition, there is proof in the Sunnah that the congregational prayer is obligatory upon the blind man; so, how about the one who can see?

11/11- Abu al-‘Abbās ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās ibn Abdul-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said in what he narrates from his Lord, Glorified and Exalted: “Verily, Allah has recorded good and bad deeds and He made them clear. Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, then Allah will record it as a complete good deed. If he intends to do it and does so, then Allah Almighty will record it as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times as much or many more. If he intends to do a bad deed and does not do it, then Allah will record for him one complete good deed. If he intends to do it and actually does it then Allah will record for him a single bad deed.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Good intention leads its holder to good things.

2) Variation of reward for good deeds is based on sincerity and following of the Prophet’s guidance. The more a person is sincere to Allah, and the keener he is on following the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), the more perfect his worship will be, and consequently his reward will be bigger.

3) Whoever abstains from sin for fear of Allah will be rewarded for that, as explained in the Hadīth: “ He only abstained from it for My sake.” [Narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)]

4) One of the manifestations of Allah’s mercy is that He uses justice to recompense the sinner but uses His grace and bounty to recompense the good-doer.

12/12 - Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “Three men from among those who were before you set out together until they reached a cave at night so they entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and blocked the entrance to the cave. They said to each other, ‘Nothing will save you from this rock but to call upon Allah by the most righteous of your deeds.’ So, one of them said, ‘O Allah! I had old parents and I never provided my family or workers with the evening milk before them. One day, by chance I came late (at night) when they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them but I found them sleeping. I disliked providing my family with the milk before them. I waited for them to wake up with the bowl of milk in my hand and my children crying (from hunger) at my feet until daybreak. Then my parents got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, then relieve us from the distress we are in because of this rock.’ So the rock shifted a little but not enough for them to get out. The second man said, ‘O Allah! I had a cousin who was the most beloved of all people to me (in another version: I had a cousin for whom I loved in the most passionate way a man can love a woman), and I wanted to have sexual relations with her but she refused. Later she was having a hard time in a famine year and she came to me and I gave her one-hundred-and-twenty Dinars on condition that she would not resist my sexual advances, and she agreed. When I sat between her legs, she said: “Fear Allah and do not break the seal except by its right (i.e. by legitimate marriage).” So, I turned away from her though she was the most beloved of all people to me, and I left her the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, then relieve us from the distress we are in.’ So the rock shifted but not enough for them to get out. The third man said, ‘O Allah! I employed some labors and I paid them their wages except for one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and much property resulted from that investment. Then after some time he came and said to me: “O servant of Allah! Pay me my wages.” I said to him: “All you can see is from your wages; the camels, cows, sheep, and slaves.” He said: “O servant of Allah, do not mock me.” I said: “I am not mocking you.” So he took them all and drove them away and left nothing thereof. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, then relieve us from the distress we are in.’ So the rock shifted completely and they got out walking.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Do not break the seal: a warning against committing adultrey.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Sincerity is one of the means to alleviate adversity because each one of them said: “O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, then relieve us from the distress we are in.”

2) Good deeds are means to alleviating adversity.

3) The merit of dutifulness to parents, refraining from adultery, honesty, and doing what is good for others.

4) Allah indeed answers the supplication and never disappoints anyone sincerely supplicating Him. So, the believer should be keen on making sincere supplication to Allah.

5) One kind of the legitimate Tawassul (imploring Allah) is that a person implores Allah by the sincere good deeds that he did.

Benefit:

The great ascetic Imam Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shikhkhīr (may Allah have mercy upon him) said:

“The righteousness of the heart results from the righteousness of deeds, and the righteousness of deeds results from the righteousness of intention.”

[Quoted by al-Hāfizh Ibn Rajab in his book Jāmi‘ al-‘Ulūm wal-Hikam]

2- Chapter on Repentance

The scholars said that repentance is obligatory from every sin. If the sin is between the servant and Allah Almighty with no human involved, it has three conditions:

First: One must give up the sin;

Second: One must show remorse for committing it;

Third: One must resolve never to do it again. If any of these conditions is missing, one’s repentance is invalid.

If the sin involves the right of a human, the above three conditions for repentance apply in addition to clearing one’s liability from the right of that human. For example, if one owes money or so, he must pay it back; if it is defamation or so, one should let him reciprocate or ask for his pardon; and if it is backbiting, he should ask for forgiveness, and he must repent from all sins. If he repents from some sins, his repentance is valid according to the scholars of Sunnah, but he is still held accountable for the remaining sins. There is a considerable amount of evidence from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of Muslims on the obligation of repentance:

Allah Almighty says: {And turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.} [Surat an-Nūr: 31] He also says: {And seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance} [Surat Hūd: 3] Allah Almighty also says: {O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 8]

Benefit:

In addition to the three conditions of repentance that the author (may Allah have mercy upon him) mentioned, the following are added:

Repentance should take place in its proper time; and this is of two types:

The first type: the time related to each person individually; it must be done before death.

The second type: the time related to people in general, based on the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): "Hijrah (migration) is acceptable as long as repentance is acceptable, and repentance is acceptable until the sun rises from the west." [Narrated by Ahmad] As soon as the sun rises from the west, repentance becomes worthless.

Guidance from the verses:

1) The verse shows the obligation of repenting from sins, the excellence and reward of repentance, for Allah loves the repentants.

2) Repentance is a cause for success, which is why a true successful person is the one seeking and committing to a means leading to success.

13/1 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “By Allah! I ask Allah for forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

14/2 - Al-Agharr ibn Yasār al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O people, seek repentance from Allah and seek His forgiveness. Verily, I seek repentance from Him one hundred times a day.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīths:

1) The obligation of repentance because the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it: “O people, seek repentance from Allah,” and he always hastened to repentance. Doing so reflects compliance with the command of Allah Almighty and the command of His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), in addition to following the Messenger’s example.

2) It shows the tremendous dedication of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to worship his Lord and make sincere repentance to Him.

3) An aspect of the Prophet’s guidance is to teach people both verbally and in practice.

4) One of the etiquettes of the preacher is to be the first to comply with the very command he is preaching people about as well as to be the first to refrain from what he advises people to abandon.

15/3- Abu Hamzah Anas ibn Mālik al-Ansārī (may Allah be pleased with him), the servant of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah is happier with the repentance of His servant than one of you is with finding his riding camel after having lost it in a desert.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

In a version narrated by Muslim: “Allah is happier with the repentance of His servant when he repents to Him than one of you who was on his camel in a waterless desert and then it broke away from him whilst carrying his provision of food and drink and he lost hope of finding it. So he went to a tree and lay down in its shade, hopeless of finding his camel. While in that state, he all of a sudden finds it standing before him, so he takes hold of its rein and then out of intense joy he says: ‘O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord.’ He makes this mistake out of intense joy.”

Words in the Hadīth:

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rein: the rope used to lead the camel.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Encouraging repentance because Allah loves it and is pleased with His servant when he repents.

2) The love of Allah Almighty for the repentance of His servant is in the servant’s interest, because Allah loves to forgive and pardon. To Him, pardoning is more pleasing than punishment, thus He is happy with the repentance of His servant.

3) Establishing the attribute of happiness to Allah, the Exalted; for indeed He shows happiness, anger, love, and hate. But: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 11] It is a happiness that befits His Majesty and Glory, and it does not resemble the happiness of creatures.

Benefit:

Unlike the individual who intentionally or mockingly utters a word of disbelief, the individual who inadvertently or mistakenly utters it is not to be held accountable for it; which is a reflection of the mercy of Allah Almighty. This is similar to the situation of the man who said: “O Lord! You are my servant and I am Your lord.”

16/4 Abu Mūsa Abdullah ibn Qays al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah Almighty stretches His hand during the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and He stretches His hand in the day so that the sinners of the night may repent. He keeps doing so until the sun rises from the west.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Allah Almighty accepts repentance from the servant even if it came late (not immediately after committing the sin), which is a reflection of the mercy of Allah Almighty towards His sinning servant.

2) Allah Almighty loves repentance, and therefore He accepts it from the servant and stretches His hands for it.

3) Hastening to repentance is one of the causes to earning the pleasure of Allah with His servant.

17/5 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept his repentance.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) One of the conditions of repentance requires its occurrence within its general legitimate time frame, based on the Hadīth: “(The time for) Repentance does not end until the sun rises from the west.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

2) The sun rising from the west is one of the major signs of the Final Hour, following which no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good.

3) The faith that benefits the believer is voluntary faith, whereas the faith expressed after the advent of the warning signs is of no benefit because it is generated by dire need. An example is what Allah Almighty said about Pharaoh: {... until when he was drowning, he said, “I believe that none has the right to be worshiped except He in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of those who submit to Allah.”} [Surat Yūnus: 90]

18/6- Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah accepts the servant’s repentance as long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Repentance is worthless at one’s deathbed, thereby, on an individual level, it must be made before the time of death.

2) Faith due to dire need at one’s deathbed is worthless because the servant is witnessing death already. So, the believer should take advantage of his life before death takes him by surprises.

19/7- Zirr ibn Hubaysh reported: “I went to Safwān ibn ‘Assāl (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about wiping over the leather socks. Safwān asked me: ‘What brought you, Zirr?’ I replied: ‘To seek knowledge.’ He said: ‘Indeed, the angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure with what he seeks.’ So I said: ‘There is some doubt in my heart concerning wiping over the leather socks after defecation and urination, and you were one of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), so I came to you to ask you: Did you hear him mention anything concerning that?’ He said: ‘Yes, he used to order us when we were traveling to not take off our leather socks for three days and nights except from Janābah (major ritual impurity), but not from defecation, urination, and sleep.’ I said: ‘Did you hear him mention anything concerning love?’ He said: ‘Yes. We were traveling with the Messenger of Allah when a Bedouin man called him with a very loud voice: “O Muhammad!” So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) answered him in a similar voice: ‘Here!’ So we said to him: ‘Lower your voice for you are in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and you have been forbidden from this.’ He said: ‘By Allah, I will not lower (it).’ The Bedouin said: ‘A person loves a people but he is not on the same level with them (in terms of deeds)?’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘A person is with whomever he loves on the Day of Judgment.’” He continued to speak to us until he mentioned a gate in the direction of the west whose width is traveled – or a rider would travel its width – in forty or seventy years.” Sufyān (one of the sub-narrators) said: “(It is) in the direction of the Levant (west of Madīnah), Allah created it the Day He created the heavens and the earth, open for repentance. It shall not be closed until the sun rises through it.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The excellence of knowledge as well as seeking it. The beneficial knowledge is what is contained in the Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah, and seeking it is considered a form of Jihad for the sake of Allah Almighty.

2) As for the statement that “the angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge, out of pleasure with what he does,” we believe in its literal meaning because any statement reported from the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and has been verified as authentic must merit our compliance. We are to believe in it without skepticism or hesitation. It is quite often that the Prophet’s practice and the truth do not conform to personal opinions and desires.

3) Wiping over the leather socks is one of the distinctive practices of Ahl-us-Sunnah, as it is established by the concurrence of multiple Hadīths reported form the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

4) A believer who loves a people of faith becomes one of them even if his deeds are comparatively less.

5) The encouragement in the great testament that “a person is with whomever he loves on the Day of Judgment.” It is obligatory to love people of knowledge and faith and to dislike people of disbelief and aggression.

6) An indication of the blessedness of the land of the Levant is that Allah Almighty created the gate of repentance in the direction of the Levant.

20/8 - Abu Sa‘īd Sa‘d ibn Mālik ibn Sinān al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among those who lived before you, there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a monk. When he went to him, he informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked if his repentance could be accepted. The monk said, ‘No,’ so he killed him and made him the hundredth. Then he asked again about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a scholar. He informed him of his hundred murders and asked if there was a chance for his repentance to be accepted. The scholar said, ‘Yes, and who could place a barrier between him and repentance? Set out to such-and-such for there are people who worship Allah, the Almighty, so join them in their worship, and do not return to your land, for it is a land of evil.’ The man set out and when he was halfway there, death came to him. The angels of mercy and the angels of torment disputed over him. The angels of mercy said: ‘He came with a repenting heart to Allah, the Almighty.’ The angels of torment said: 'He has never done anything good in his life.’ An angel then came in the form of a human being and they agreed to take him as an arbitrator. He said: ‘Measure the distance between the two lands and see to which one he was closer.’ They did that and found him closer to the land he was traveling to, so the angels of mercy took his soul.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

In another authentic narration: “He was one span closer to the land of piety, so he was considered one of its people.” In yet a third authentic narration: “Allah, the Almighty, ordered this land (evil place) to move away and this land (good place) to move closer and said: ‘Measure the distance between them,’ so they found him to be one span closer to this one (the good land), so he was forgiven.” In another narration: “He directed his chest towards it (the good land).”

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The excellence of knowledge and its holders. Unlike the devout worshiper who lacks knowledge, a scholar guides people and does not make them despair of Allah’s mercy.

2) It shows how a person’s environment affects him in terms of being righteous or corrupt. An environment of righteousness encourages the believer to do good whereas an evil environment weakens the believer or discourages him from doing good altogether.

3) A sincere intention complements the deed of the believer even if he had not done it.

4) It shows the vastness of the mercy of Allah towards His servants as He opened the gate of repentance to excessive sinners and accepted their repentance.

5) Whoever sins then feels remorseful for what he committed, his remorse is proof of the validity of his repentance, based on the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “Remorse is repentance.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

Benefit:

A killer is liable for three rights:

The first right pertains to Allah, the second to the killed, and the third to the relatives of the killed.

As for the right pertinent to Allah, He forgives it through repentance.

As for the right pertinent to the killed, the repentance of the killer does not waive this right because it is no longer possible for the killer to obtain pardon from him. He will answer for it when Allah judges between him and the killed on the Day of Judgment.

As for the right of the relatives of the killed, the repentance of the killer is not valid until he surrenders himself to them, after which they either pardon him or ask for retribution or for bloodmoney.

21/9- ‘Abdullah ibn Ka'b ibn Mālik, who was his father’s guide after Ka'b lost his sight, reported that he heard Ka‘b ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrating the story when he failed to accompany the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the battle of Tabūk. Ka‘b said: “I never stayed behind in any expedition that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) undertook except the battle of Tabūk and the battle of Badr. As for the battle of Badr, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as the Messenger of Allah and the Muslims, when they set out, had in mind only to intercept the caravan of the Quraysh. Allah made them confront their enemies unexpectedly. I witnessed with the Messenger of Allah the night of ‘Aqabah when we pledged our allegiance to Islam, and it was dearer to me than participating in the battle of Badr, although Badr was more well-known among the people than that. And this is the account of my staying behind in the battle of Tabūk. I was never stronger or with better means than at the time of this expedition, and, by Allah, I had never before possessed two riding-camels until the time of this expedition. Whenever the Messenger of Allah decided to go on a campaign, he would not disclose his real destination till the last moment (of departure). But on this expedition, he set out in extremely hot weather; the journey was long and the terrain was waterless desert; and he had to face a large army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual situation so that they should make full preparation for the campaign. The Muslims who accompanied the Messenger of Allah were large in number but no proper record of them was maintained (meaning a written record). Ka‘b (further) said: Few were the persons who chose to remain absent believing that they could easily remain undetected unless revelation came from Allah relating to them. The Messenger of Allah set out on this expedition when the fruit were ripe and their shade was sought. I had a weakness for them. The Messenger of Allah and the Muslims made preparations. I also would set out in the morning to make preparations along with them but would come back having done nothing and would say to myself: ‘I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like’. And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) till the time of departure came and it was in the morning that the Messenger of Allah set out along with the Muslims, but I had made no preparations. I would go early in the morning and come back, but with no decision. I went on doing so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. Then I was about to march on and join them. I wish I had done that! But it was not destined for me. After the departure of the Messenger of Allah, whenever I went out, I was grieved to find no one like me (who stayed behind) except confirmed hypocrites or weak men whom Allah had exempted (from marching forth for Jihad). The Messenger of Allah made no mention of me until he reached Tabūk. While he was sitting with the people in Tabūk, he said, ‘What happened to Ka‘b ibn Mālik?’ A man from Banu Salimah said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, (the beauty of) his cloak and an appreciation of his finery have detained him.’ Upon this Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, ‘What a bad thing you have said! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing about him but good.’ The Messenger of Allah kept quiet. At that time, he (the Messenger of Allah) saw a man in white in the distant mirage and said, ‘Be Abu Khaythamah,’ and it was Abu Khaythamah al-Ansāri. He was the one who had given in charity a small measure of dates and was ridiculed by the hypocrites. Ka‘b continued: When the news reached me that the Messenger of Allah was on his way back from Tabūk, I was greatly distressed. I thought of fabricating an excuse and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger the next day. In this connection, I sought the counsels of every prudent member of my family. When I was told that the Messenger of Allah was about to arrive, all the wicked ideas vanished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing but the truth could save me. So I decided to tell him the truth. It was in the morning that the Messenger of Allah arrived in Madīnah. It was his habit that whenever he came back from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and perform two Rak‘ahs (of optional prayer) and would then sit with the people. When he sat, those who had remained behind came to him to present their excuses and take an oath before him. They were eighty-something men. The Messenger of Allah accepted their excuses at face value and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left the true intentions in their hearts for Allah to judge, until I appeared before him. When I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person then said, ‘Come forward.’ I went forward and sat in front of him. He said to me, ‘What kept you behind? Had you not purchased a riding animal?’ Ka‘b said: I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, if I were to sit before anybody else, a man of the world, I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext or the other as I have a gifted skill in argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware that if I were to put forward before you a lame excuse to please you, Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me. If I speak the truth, you may be angry with me, but I hope that Allah would be pleased with me (and accept my repentance). By Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I stayed behind.’

He said: Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said, ‘As to this one, he has spoken the truth, so get up (and wait) until Allah gives a decision about you.’ I left and some men from (the tribe of) Banu Salimah followed me. They said to me, ‘By Allah, we do not know that you committed a sin before. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before the Messenger of Allah like those who stayed behind him. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that the Messenger of Allah would have sought forgiveness for you.’ By Allah, they kept on reproaching me until I thought of going back to the Messenger of Allah and retract my confession. Then I said to them, ‘Has anyone else met the same fate?’ They said, ‘Yes, two men have met the same fate. They said the same thing that you said and were given the same order that you were given.’ I asked, ‘Who are they?’ They said, ‘Murārah ibn Rabī‘ah al-‘Umri and Hilāl ibn Umayyah al-Wāqifi.’ They mentioned two pious men who had taken part in the battle of Badr and in whom there was an example for me. He said: So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. The Messenger of Allah forbade the Muslims from talking to us, the three aforesaid persons, out of all those who remained behind from that battle. So the people avoided us, or he said: they changed their attitude towards us, until the very land (where I lived) appeared strange to me as if I did not know it. We remained in that condition for fifty nights. As for my two companions, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest and strongest of them. So I would go out and attend the prayer along with the Muslims and roam the markets, but none would talk to me. I would come to the Messenger of Allah and greet him while he was sitting in his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether he even moved his lips in return of my greeting or not. Then I would perform prayer near him and look at him stealthily. When I was in prayer, he would look at me and when I would cast a glance at him he would turn away his eyes from me. When the harsh boycott of the Muslims to me continued for a (considerable) length of time, I walked and I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatādah, who was my cousin and the most beloved of all people to me. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not return my greeting. I said to him, ‘O Abu Qatādah, I adjure you in the Name of Allah, are you not aware that I love Allah and His Messenger?’ I asked him the same question again but he remained silent. I again adjured him, whereupon he said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ My eyes flowed with tears, and I came back climbing down the wall. As I was walking in the market of Madīnah, a man from the Syrian peasants, who had come to sell food grains in Madīnah, asked people to direct him to Ka‘b ibn Mālik. People pointed towards me. He came to me and delivered a letter from the King of Ghassān, and as I was a scribe, I read that letter whose purport was: ‘It has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Prophet) was treating you harshly. Allah does not make you live in a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So, join us, and we will console you.’ As I read that letter I said, ‘This too is a trial,’ so I put it in the furnace and made a fire burning it. When forty of the fifty days had elapsed and the Messenger of Allah received no Revelation, there came to me a messenger from the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wife.’ I said, ‘Should I divorce her or what else should I do?’ He said, ‘No, but only keep away from her and don’t have sexual contact with her.’ The same message was sent to my two companions. So, I said to my wife: ‘Go to your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case.’ The wife of Hilāl ibn Umayyah came to the Messenger of Allah and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Hilāl ibn Umayyah is a helpless old man who has no servant. Do you disapprove if I serve him?’ He said, ‘No, but he should not have any intimacy with you.’ She said, ‘By Allah, he has no such desire left in him. By Allah, he has been in tears since (this calamity) struck him.’ Some members of my family said to me, ‘Why don’t you seek permission from the Messenger of Allah in regard to your wife, for he has given permission to the wife of Hilāl ibn Umayyah to serve him?’ I said, ‘I would not seek permission from the Messenger of Allah regarding her for I do not know what the Messenger of Allah might say in response to that, as I am a young man.’ It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty days had passed since he forbade people from talking to us.

After I had offered my Fajr prayer on the early morning of the fiftieth day of this boycott on the roof of one of our houses, and had sat in the very state which Allah described us (in the Qur’an): ‘My very soul seemed constrained and the earth seemed constrained to me despite its vastness’, I heard the voice of a proclaimer from the peak of Mount Sal‘ shouting at the top of his voice: ‘O Ka‘b ibn Mālik, rejoice!’ I fell down in prostration and knew that there was (a message of) relief for me. The Messenger of Allah had informed the people that Allah accepted our repentance when he offered the Fajr prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my companions in order to give them the glad tidings. A man spurred his horse towards me (to deliver the good news), and another one from the tribe of Aslam came running for the same purpose and went up the mount. His voice reached me before the rider did. When the one whose voice I had heard came to me to congratulate me, I took off my two garments and gave them to him for the good news he brought to me. By Allah, I possessed nothing else (of clothes) except these garments at that time. I borrowed two garments, dressed myself and went to the Messenger of Allah. On my way, the people were receiving me in batches and congratulating me saying: ‘Congratulations for Allah’s acceptance of your repentance.’ I entered the mosque where the Messenger of Allah was sitting amidst people. Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah got up and rushed towards me, shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the Muhājirūn except him.” Ka‘b said that he never forgot this good gesture of Talhah. Ka‘b further said: I greeted the Messenger of Allah and he said with his face beaming with joy, ‘Rejoice with the best day you have ever seen since your mother gave birth to you.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is this (good news) from you or from Allah?’ He said, ‘No, it is from Allah.’ And it was common with the Messenger of Allah that whenever he was happy, his face would glow as if it were a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognized it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said, ‘As part of my repentance, I will give up all of my wealth in charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.’ Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Keep some of your wealth with you, as it is better for you.’ I said, ‘I shall keep my share from Khaybar.’ I added: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of my truthfulness, and therefore, repentance obliges me to speak nothing but the truth as long as I live.’" Ka‘b added: “By Allah, I do not know of any Muslim whom Allah has helped to tell the truth more than I since I said this to the Messenger of Allah. By Allah! Since the time I made a pledge of this to the Messenger of Allah, I have never intended to tell a lie, and I hope that Allah would protect me (against telling lies) for the rest of my life. I hope that Allah would save me (from trials) for the rest of my life.” He said: So Allah, the Exalted, revealed these verses: {Indeed, Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship [at Tabūk]... } he recited until: {... for He is All-Gracious, Most Merciful to them. And [Allah also turned in mercy] to the three who stayed behind, until the earth became constrained to them, despite its vastness... } until: {... fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 117-119] Ka‘b said: “By Allah, since Allah guided me to Islam, there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who had told lies, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else. Allah Almighty said: {When you return to them, they will swear to you by Allah so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone, for they are evil. Their abode is Hell, as a recompense for what they used to do. They will swear to you in order to please you. Even if you are pleased with them, Allah will not be pleased with the rebellious people.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 95-96]

K‘ab said: The matter of us three persons was deferred as compared with those who took an oath before the Messenger of Allah and he accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them. He deferred our case until Allah, the Exalted, gave the decision therein. Allah Almighty said: {And [Allah also turned in mercy] to the three who stayed behind} The verse does not mean by "left behind" our staying behind from Jihad, but that he left our case behind and deferred our matter as opposed to those who took oath and presented excuses to him so he accepted them. [Narrated by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim]

In another version: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) set out for the battle of Tabūk on Thursday, and he liked to set out for battle on Thursdays.” In another version: “He (the Messenger of Allah) used to come back from travel only during daytime in the forenoon. When he arrived, he would first go to the masjid and pray two Rak‘ahs then sit down.”

Words in the Hadīth:

Caravan: camels loaded with supplies.

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Confirmed hypocrite: disparaged with hypocrisy.

The beauty of his cloak and an appreciation of his finery have detained him: boasting with one’s clothes and showing them off.

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Sal‘: the name of a mountain in Madīnah.

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It is permissible that an individual informs others about his negligence and shortcomings in obeying Allah and His Messenger, and what he went through as a result. The purpose is to offer warning and advice, and to point out the ways of goodness to be followed and the ways of evil to be avoided.

2) The individual should firmly seize any opportunity to do good. If Allah Almighty opens a door to do good for a person and he does not go through it, Allah may punish him by not offering him another opportunity; or worse, he may become afflicted with preoccupation with what harms him.

3)The legitimacy of not greeting a sinner to discipline him if this would be of benefit (in reforming his condition). It is also permissible to reprimand one’s friends for the purpose of disciplining them.

4) Sins cause feelings of alienation in a person’s heart. However, the intensity of such feelings depends on how alive the believer’s heart is.

5) Destroying what is feared to harm one’s religion. The advice for the believer is to remove from his house anything that might lead him to commit sin lest he weakens and commits it.

6) The absolute best day of a person’s life is the day Allah accepts his repentance and forgives him.

7) Whoever feels remorse for a sin, Allah will guide him to repentance and help him fulfill it.

22/10- Abu Nujayd ‘Imrān ibn al-Husayn al-Khuzā‘i (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “A woman from (the tribe of) Juhaynah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and she was pregnant as a result of adultery. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have done something that makes me liable to receive Hadd (a prescribed corporal punishment), so apply it on me.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) called her guardian and said to him: ‘Be kind to her, and when she gives birth, come to me.’ He did so and the Prophet of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that her clothes be secured on her and that she be stoned to death. He then offered the funeral prayer over her. ‘Umar asked him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you pray over her even though she committed adultery?’ He said: ‘Indeed, she has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy people of Madīnah, it would be enough for them all. Has she found something better than offering her life to Allah, Glorified and Exalted?’” [Narrated by Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It is obligatory to stone the married adulterer. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did this stoning and so did the rightfully guided Caliphs after him. This punishment is out of the mercy of Allah Almighty to purify his slave from the sin.

2) The recompense for a deed is of the same nature as the deed. Since the adulterer’s whole body indulged in sin, it is wise that the whole body suffers punishment for the sin just as it received pleasure from it.

3) It is permissible that a person admits committing adultery to be purified through the prescribed corporal punishment, not to expose himself or to brag about his sin.

11/23 - Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If the son of Adam were to own a valley of gold, he would desire to have two valleys. Nothing can fill his mouth except dust (of the grave), and Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The human nature cherishes piling up wealth, except the one who purifies himself and reminds it that it will meet Allah Almighty.

2) Repenting to Allah Almighty is a cause for quitting sins and for contentment with the provision that Allah alloted for His servant.

3) Allah erases sins through repentance even if they are related to the financial rights of others, on condition that they are paid back to their rightful owners.

24/12- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah, Glorified and Exalted, laughs at two men, one of them kills the other, yet both enter Paradise. This one fights in the cause of Allah and gets killed. Then Allah accepts the repentance of the killer, so he embraces Islam and dies as a martyr.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The residents of Paradise are cleansed from spite and grudge to the extent that the killer and the one he killed both enter Paradise without harboring any grudge or hard feelings for each other, and it is in this respect that Allah Almighty laughs at them (in a way that befits His Majesty).

2) Just as "embracing Islam wipes out the sins that preceded it", so does "repentance abolishes the sin committed preceding it." Hence, the believer should always be keen on renewing his repentance.

3- Chapter on Patience

Allah Almighty says: {O you who believe, be patient and endure} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 200] He also says: {We will surely test you with something of fear and famine, and loss of property, lives and fruits. But give glad tidings to those who are patient.} [Surat al-Baqarah:155] He also says: {Those who observe patience will be given their reward without measure.} [Surat az-Zumar: 10] He also says: {But whoever observes patience and forgives, it is indeed a matter of great resolve.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 43] Allah Almighty also says: {seek help in patience and prayer, for Allah is with those who are patient.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 153] Allah Almighty also says: {We will certainly test you so as to reveal those of you who struggle [in Allah’s way] and remain patient, and We will test sincerity of your assertions.} [Surat Muhammad: 31] There are many other well-known verse addressing patience and its merit.

Benefit:

Linguistically, Sabr (Arabic term for patience) means confinement. In Islamic terminology, it means confining oneself to three matters: first, obeying Allah; second, avoiding what He prohibited; and third, patience with what Allah decrees of painful fates.

Guidance from the verses:

1) Allah Almighty commanded the believers to be steadfast in obeying Him, abandon sins, and be content with His decree and fate.

2) Afflicting the believers is meant to test them and reward their patience, each according to his level of faith and patience.

3) Patience is a virtue and a praiseworthy behavior endured only by strong-willed individuals.

25/1- Abu Mālik al-Hārith ibn ‘Āsim al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Purity is half of faith. (Saying) Al-hamdulillah (All praise be to Allah) fills the scale. (Saying) Subhānallah wal-hamdulillah (Exalted is Allah above every imperfection and all praise be to Allah) fills what is between the heavens and earth. Prayer is light. Charity is proof (of faith). Patience is illumination. The Qur’an is an argument either for you or against you. Everyone goes out in the morning and sells himself either freeing it or destroying it.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Freeing it: saving it from punishment.

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The merit of purity in Islam such that it amounts to half of the faith.

2) The merit of the remembrance of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, and its great reward.

3) Prayer illuminates the path of truth for its observer in this life and the Sirāt (bridge over hellfire) in the Hereafter.

4) The merit of patience, for it is a praiseworthy trait that shines a ray of light in the intense gloom of adversity. It was described as illumination because it involves burning as well as brightness, given how hard it is.

5) It urges giving care and attention to the Qur’an in terms of recitation, understanding, implementation, preaching, and finding sufficiency in revelation apart from any other source. This is the reward of the believer who pays great care to the Book of Allah Almighty.

26/2- Abu Sa‘īd Sa‘d ibn Mālik ibn Sinān al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that a group from the Ansār asked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to give them [money] and he gave them. They asked him again and he gave them until he ran out of money. After he had spend everything he had, he said to them: “Whatever good I have, I will not withhold it from you. Whoever seeks to be chaste, Allah will grant him chastity; whoever seeks to be self-sufficient, Allah will grant him self-sufficiency; whoever seeks to be patient, Allah will grant him patience. No one is granted a gift better and ampler than patience.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) When the servant refrains from unlawful deeds, Allah, Exlated and Glorified, will grant him virtuousness and protect him and his relatives from such unlawful deeds and their allure.

2) When the servant suffices himself with what Allah gives him rather than beg people for what they have, Allah will make him needless of people and aid him in keeping his integrity intact without having to beg.

3) One of the best blessings the servant is granted is to have patience in all his affairs.

27/3 - Abu Yahya Suhayb ibn Sinān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “How wonderful the affair of the believer is! Indeed, all of his affairs are good for him. This is for none but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful to Allah, and that is good for him. And if something bad happens to him, he has patience, and that is good for him.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It urges showing gratitude to Allah in times of prosperity because it increases the blessings.

2) The believer who has complete faith and sincere certitude displays gratitude when blessed and patience when afflicted.

3) The excellence of patience because it is one of the most particular traits of the believers.

28/4- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) became fatally ill and was suffering the agonies of death, Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “How agonized my father is!” So he said: “Your father will suffer no more agony after this day.” When he died, she said: “O Father, who answered the Lord Who called him. O Father, whose abode is the highest garden of Paradise. O Father, whose death we announce to Gabriel.” When he was buried, Fātimah said: “How could you find it pleasing to your hearts to throw dust over the Messenger of Allah?” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Words in the Hadīth:

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--

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) like other human beings; suffered from illnesses, hunger, and thirst. Therefore, it is impermissible to seek his help after his death, which some ignorant people do. May Allah guide them to achieve Tawhīd and sincerity for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

2) There is no harm in slight lamentation as long as it is not caused by discontentment with the decree of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, but rather by overwhelming sadness.

3) It encourages adherence to patience in the face of adversities and refraining from discontent.

29/5- Abu Zayd Usāmah ibn Zayd ibn Hārithah, the Prophet’s freed slave and his beloved and the son of his beloved (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), said: “The daughter of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent him a message saying: ‘My son is dying, so come to us.’ He sent her his reply, greeting her with peace then saying: ‘To Allah belongs what He takes, and to Him belongs what He gives, and for everything He sets a specific term. So she should have patience and seek the reward from Allah.’ She then sent a message adjuring him (to come to her). So he got up along with Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah, Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal, Ubay ibn Ka‘b, and Zayd ibn Thābit among others (may Allah be pleased with them). The boy was brought to the Messenger of Allah so he placed him on his lap while he was breathing his last. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Messenger of Allah, so Sa‘d said: ‘What is this, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘This is mercy which Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants.’” In another version he said: “This is mercy which Allah has placed in the hearts of whomever He wills of His servants. Verily, Allah bestows His Mercy on the merciful among His servants.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It shows the obligation of patience at times of calamity and refraining from discontentment.

2) It displays the humility of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his concern for the affairs of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He would feel happy when they were happy and sad when they were sad.

3) It is permissible to cry out of mercy towards the afflicted but without wailing. If women gather and cry loudly in an exaggerated manner when someone dies, this is prohibited.

4) Merciful people who show mercy towards one another in the life of this world, Allah Almighty will grant them mercy in this life and in the Hereafter, because one of the means to obtain Allah’s mercy is to show mercy to one another.

30/6 - Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among the people who lived before you, there was a king who had a sorcerer. When the sorcerer became old, he said to the king: ‘I have become old, so send me a boy whom I will teach sorcery.’ So, he sent him a boy to teach him. On the boy’s way, whenever he went to the sorcerer, there was a monk. The boy sat with him and listened to his speech and admired it. So, whenever he went to the sorcerer, he passed by the monk and sat with him; and on visiting the sorcerer, the latter would beat him (for being late). The boy complained about this to the monk. The monk said to him: ‘When you fear the sorcerer, say to him: “My family detained me,” and when you fear your family, say to them: “The sorcerer detained me.”’ The boy carried on like that (for some time). One day he saw a huge beast that blocked the people’s way. The boy said: ‘Today I shall know whether the sorcerer or the monk is better.’ So, he took a stone and said: ‘O Allah! If what the monk is upon is dearer to You than what the sorcerer is upon, then let this beast be killed so that people can pass.’ Then he threw the beast with the stone and killed it and people managed to pass. The boy came to the monk and informed him about that. The monk said to him: ‘O son! Today you are better than me; you have come to a stage where I feel that you would soon be put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial, do not inform them about me.’ The boy used to treat people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. One of the king's companions, who had become blind, heard about the boy. He brought many gifts for the boy and said: ‘All these gifts are for you on condition that you cure me.’ The boy said: ‘I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah Almighty who can cure people. If you believe in Allah Almighty I will supplicate Him to cure you and He will cure you.’ So, he believed in Allah Almighty and Allah cured him. Later, that man came to the king and sat with him as he used to. The king said: ‘Who gave you back your sight?’ The man replied: ‘My Lord.’ The king then said: ‘Do you have a Lord other than me?’ The man said: ‘My Lord and your Lord is Allah.’ The king tortured him and did not stop until he told him about the boy. So, the boy was brought to the king and he said to him: ‘O son! Your magic has reached the extent that enables you to cure congenital blindness, leprosy, etc.’ The boy said: ‘I do not cure anyone. Only Allah Almighty can cure.’ So, he tortured him also until he informed him about the monk. Then the monk was brought to him and the king said to him: ‘Abandon your religion.’ The monk refused and so the king ordered a saw to be brought, and it was placed in the middle of his head and he was split until he fell in two halves. Then the king’s companion was brought and it was said to him: ‘Abandon your religion.’ He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and placed in the middle of his head and he was split until he fell in two halves. Then the boy was brought and it was said to him: ‘Abandon your religion.’ He refused and so the king turned him over to a group of his people and said: ‘Take him to such-and-such mountain. Ascend the mountain with him till you reach its peak, then see if he abandons his religion; otherwise throw him from the top.’ They took him and when they ascended to the top, he said: ‘O Allah! Save me from them the way You wish.’ So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came back walking to the king. The king said: ‘What did your companions do?’ The boy said: ‘Allah saved me from them.’ So, the king turned him over to a group of his people and said: ‘Take him on a boat to the middle of the sea and ask him to renounce his religion, but if he refuses, throw him overboard.’ So, they took him out to the sea and he said: ‘O Allah! Save me from them the way You wish.’ So the boat capsized and they drowned. Then the boy came walking back to the king and the king said: ‘What did your companions do?’ The boy replied: ‘Allah saved me from them.’ Then he said to the king: ‘You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you.’ The king asked: ‘And what is that?’ The boy said: ‘Gather the people in one place and tie me to the trunk of a tree, then take an arrow from my quiver and say: "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy." Then shoot it at me. If you do this, you will kill me.’ So, the king gathered the people in one place and tied the boy to a tree trunk, then took an arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in the bow, then said: ‘In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy,’ then shot the arrow. It hit the boy in the temple, and the boy put his hand over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed: ‘We believe in the Lord of the boy!’ The king was approached and was told: ‘Remember what you were afraid of? By Allah, what you feared has happened; people have believed.’ So he ordered that trenches be dug at the entrances to roads, and they were dug, and fires were kindled therein. Then the king said: ‘Whoever does not renounce his religion, throw him into the fire.’ They did so until a woman came with her child, and she was hesitant to jump into the fire (out of fear), so her child said to her: ‘Be patient mother, for verily, you are upon the truth!’” [Narrated by Muslim]

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Words in the Hadīth:

-- Leprosy: white patches on the skin.

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Temple: the part of the face between the eye and the ear-lobe.

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It is recommended to learn at a young age because it is like engraving on stone.

2) Those who believe and are mindful of Allah are His allies, and they are blessed with supernatural occurrences because of their merit in the sight of Allah.

2) It is out of Allah’s mercy that He answers the distressed person when he calls upon Him.

3) It urges sacrificing for the sake of calling to Allah, Glorified and Exalted, and manifesting the truth.

5) One of the fields of Jihad for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, is to endure the harm caused by the disbelievers, sinners, and those who introduce innovations into the religion, It is also among the highest-ranking good deeds at times of tribulation.

6) Tawhīd (monotheism) of Allah and doing good deeds sincerely for Him are among the most important rights of Allah Almighty upon His servants. They measure how close or distant the servant is from Allah, Glorified and Exalted. The stronger one’s faith becomes and the more rooted Tawhīd is in his heart, the more he draws closer to Allah and gains His love. On the contrary, the weaker one’s faith and Tawhīd become, the more distant and humiliated he becomes.

7) Tawhīd of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, and refraining from all kinds and forms of polytheism is the greatest cause a scholar should pursue and preach.

31/7- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He said to her: ‘Fear Allah and be patient.’ She said: ‘Leave me alone, for you have not been afflicted with my calamity,’ and she did not recognize him. She was later told that he was the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). So, she went to the house of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and there she did not find any doormen. Then she said to him: ‘I did not recognize you.’ He said: ‘Indeed, patience is only at the first shock.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

In a version narrated by Muslim: “...a woman crying over (the death of) a child of hers.”

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It shows the good morals of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the manner he preached the truth and showed mercy to the people.

2) The praiseworthy patience is when one reacts as such at the first shock.

32/8 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah Almighty says: My reward shall be nothing less than Paradise for My faithful servant who, if I take the life of his beloved one from the inhabitants of the world, he bears it patiently in expectation of My reward.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Words in the Hadīth:

Beloved one: it may be one’s child, mother, father, sibling, uncle, or friend.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The excellence of exercising patience when a beloved one dies, because Allah will reward with Paradise the servant who expects the reward [of patience] from Allah.

2) It shows the kindness of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, towards His servants as He compensates those who are patient with great reward; so, how blissful the patient ones are!

33/9 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about the plague. He told her: “It was a Punishment sent by Allah upon whom He willed, and Allah Almighty made it a source of mercy for the believers; for if one patiently stays during the plague in his country hoping for Allah’s reward and believing that nothing will befall him except what Allah has written for him, he will gain the reward of a martyr.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

34/10 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: If I afflict my servant in his two dear things (i.e. his eyes), and he endures patiently, I shall compensate him for them with Paradise.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Guidance from the Hadīths:

1) It shows excellence of patience and awaiting Allah’s reward, for they are intertwined. If the individual wishes to obtain the reward for his patience, then his patience must be for the sake of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, rather than worldly purposes.

2) A person afflicted with the plague should remain in his country, exercise patience, and await Allah’s reward, based on the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “If you heard of it (the plague) striking some land, then do not proceed towards it, and if it struck a land while you are in it, then do not leave to flee from it.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

3) Whomever Allah Almighty loves, He afflicts him with trials to fend off harm heading his way, or to absolve him of a sin, or to raise him in rank in this life and the Hereafter.

4) Paradise is the ultimate compensation because its bliss is everlasting; so, the individual should always seek Paradise as compensation for any harm afflicting him.

35/11- ‘Atā’ ibn abi Rabāh reported: “Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said to me: ‘Shall I show you a woman of Paradise?’ I said: ‘Yes, please do.’ He said: ‘This black woman. She came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “I suffer from epileptic seizures and, as a result, my body becomes uncovered. So please supplicate Allah, the Exalted, for me.” The Prophet said: “If you wish, be patient and you will enter Paradise, or, if you wish, I will supplicate Allah to cure you.” She then said: “But I become uncovered, so supplicate Allah that I do not become uncovered.” So he supplicated for her.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It shows the excellence of patience, for it is a cause for admission to Paradise.

2) It is possible to bear witness that someone will enter Paradise for those whom the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) testified.

3) It shows the intense modesty of the female Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Muslim women of today should take them as role models and adhere to proper Hijāb, for Allah has blessed them with the obligation of Hijāb.

36/12- Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “It is as though I am looking at the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as he tells the story of one of the Prophets (peace be upon them) whose people struck him and caused him to bleed, and he wiped the blood from his face, saying: ‘O Allah! Forgive my people for they do not know.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

Tells the story of a Prophet: act like the past Prophet who suffered as much harm as our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the battle of Uhud.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) One should follow the example of the Prophets’ patience and endurance of harm for the sake of preaching their call to people.

2) One should not deal with the ignorant in the same manner they do because a believer is expected to be a gracious forgiver of the harms inflicted by them.

3) One should not supplicate for the swift punishment of the opponents and the enemies of the religion.

37/13 - Abu Sa‘īd and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No fatigue, disease, sorrow, sadness, harm, or distress befalls a Muslim, even a prick he receives from a thorn, but Allah will thereby expiate some of his sins.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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38/14- Ibn Mas‘ūd ‘(may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I visited the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) while he was suffering from fever. I said: “O Messenger of Allah! You are suffering from a strong fever.” He said: “Yes, I suffer as much as two men of you.” I said: “Is it because you gain double the reward?” He said: “Yes, it is so. No Muslim is afflicted by a harm, be it the pricking of a thorn or anything more (painful than that), but Allah thereby expiates his bad deeds and causes his sins to fall away from him just as a tree sheds its leaves.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadiiths:

1) One of the aspects of Allah’s mercy towards His servant is that He expiates some of his sins by what he suffers of grief, distress, fatigue, and illness among others.

2) The more the believer suffers sickness and harm and he is patient with it, the greater the reward Allah grants him and expiates his sins thereby.

3) The individual should not make himself suffer both the harm and the loss of reward due to impatience; it is obligatory at times of distress to adhere to patience and avoid discontentment.

39/15 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If Allah wills good for someone, He afflicts him with trials.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

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Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Facing affliction with patience and expectation of the reward from Allah raises one’s ranks and expiates his sins.

2) The afflictions befalling the believer is a proof that Allah loves him and wills good for him.

40/16 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Let none of you wish for death due to a harm that afflicted him. If he cannot help but do so, let him say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me and cause me to die as long as death is better for me!” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It instructs against wishing for death at times of trials and distress because it runs counter to the obligation of patience and indicates the impatience of the distressed individual.

2) A believer relies on Allah in all of his affairs and loves to meet Him, Glorified and Exalted; for the best of people is the one whose life is long and his deeds are good.

41/17- Abu ‘Abdullah Khabāb ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We complained to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the persecution inflicted upon us by the disbelievers while he was lying in the shade of the Ka‘bah and using his cloak as a pillow. We said: “Would you seek help for us? Would you supplicate (Allah) for us?” He replied: “Among those who came before you, a man would be seized and held in a pit dug for him in the ground and he would be sawed into two halves from his head, and his flesh torn away from his bones with an iron comb; but, in spite of this, he would not wean away from his faith. By Allah, Allah will bring this matter to its completion until a rider will travel from San‘ā’ to Hadramout fearing none except Allah, and except the wolf for his sheep, but you are in too much of a hurry.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

In another version: “while he was using his cloak as a pillow, and we had suffered considerable persecution from the disbelievers.”

Words in the Hadīth:

--

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The obligation of enduring the harm of the enemies of the Muslims whilst taking the means to victory and relief.

2) Among the proofs of Prophethood is that what the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) foretold came true. The consequence of patience was exactly what he foretold; the matter of the religion was completed (and Islam prevailed).

42/18- Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “On the Day of (the battle of) Hunayn, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) favored some people in the distribution of spoils. He gave Al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis one hundred camels and gave ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn the same. On that day, he gave to some of the nobles of the Arabs, favoring them over others in the distribution of the spoils. A man said: ‘By Allah! There is no justice in this distribution and it is not intended to please Allah.’ I said to myself: ‘By Allah! I will tell the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about this.’ I went to him and informed him of what the man had said. The color of his face changed as if it was dyed in red, and he said: ‘Who will observe justice if Allah and His Messenger do not?’ Then he said: ‘May Allah have mercy upon Mūsa (Moses); he was hurt more than this, but he remained patient.’ Having heard this, I said to myself: ‘Surely, I shall never convey any speech of this kind to him any more.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It is permissible for the ruler to give to people based on the benefit expected, such as appealing to their hearts.

2) The individual should follow the example of the Prophets in their patience in the face of harm, and he should expect the reward from Allah Almighty. If one is harmed, he should console himself with [thinking of] the harm inflicted upon the Prophets before us (peace be upon them).

43/19 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If Allah willed to do good to His servant, He expedites his punishment in the life of this world, and if He willed to do ill to His servant, He withholds the punishment for his sins until He comes with all his sins on the Day of Resurrection.”

The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also said: “The greater the tribulation, the greater the reward. When Allah loves a people, He tests them. So whoever is content, for him is content; and whoever is discontent, for him is discontent.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Punishment expiates sins.

2) The individual should endure adversity in order to gain the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted.

3) The respite that Allah, the Exalted, grants the sinners is only a gradual destruction for them, because their punishment is delayed for a wisdom and until a prescribed time that Allah Almighty destined for them. {until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.}

Benefit:

The above Hadīths explicitly indicate that the stronger the believer’s faith is, the greater the afflictions and trails he goes through. Conversely, the weaker his faith is, the lesser the afflictions and trials. This refutes the feeble-minded people who claim that if the believer is afflicted, then his Lord is displeased with him. This is a faulty assumption whose purpose is to associate the pleasure of Allah in the Hereafter with prosperity in the life of this world. {Do they think that what we extend to them of wealth and children, is [because] We hasten for them good things? Rather, they do not perceive.}

44/20- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The son of Abu Talhah was sick. Abu Talhah went out (on an errand) and his son breathed his last in his absence. When Abu Talhah returned home, he asked: ‘How is my son?’ Um Sulaym (the child’s mother) said: ‘He is now calmer than he ever was.’ She served him the evening meal and he took it then he had sexual intercourse with her. When he was done, she said: ‘Make arrangements for the boy’s burial.’ The next morning, Abu Talhah went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him, whereupon he said: ‘Did you and her have intimate relations last night?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah said: ‘O Allah, bless (it) for them,’ so (as a result of the blessing she became pregnant and) she gave birth to a baby boy. Abu Talhah told me (Anas) to carry the baby to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and he sent some dates with him. He (the Prophet) asked: ‘Is there anything sent with him?’ They (the Companions) said: ‘Yes. Some dates.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) took the dates and chewed them. He then put them in the baby’s mouth and gently rubbed his palate with them, and he gave him the name ‘Abdullah.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

The wording of another narration of Al-Bukhāri reads: Ibn ‘Uyaynah said: “A man from the Ansār said: ‘I saw nine children, and all of whom memorized the entire Qur’an,’ referring to the children of the infant boy ‘Abdullah ibn Talhah.

In a version narrated by Muslim: The son of Abu Talhah and Um Sulaym died, so she said to her family: “Do not tell Abu Talhah about his son until I mention it to him myself.” Abu Talhah came home and she gave him supper. He ate and drank. She then beautified herself the best way she ever did and he slept with her. When she saw that he was satisfied after sexual intercourse with her, she said, “O Abu Talhah! If some people borrow something from another family and then the latter ask for its return, would they refuse to give it back to them?” He said, “No”. She said, “Then expect the reward (from Allah) for your son (i.e for his death).” Abu Talhah got angry, and said; “You left me uninformed until I stained myself (with sexual intercourse) and then you told me about my son!” He went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about the matter. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, “May Allah bless the night you spent together!” He (the narrator) said: She conceived. (One day) the Messenger of Allah was in the course of a journey and she was along with him. When the Messenger of Allah used to return to Madīnah from a journey, he would not enter it during the night. When the travelers were near Madīnah, she felt labor pains, so Abu Talhah remained with her and the Messenger of Allah proceeded on. Abu Talhah said: “O my Lord, You know that I love to go along with the Messenger of Allah when he goes out and enter along with him when he enters, and I have been detained as You see.” Um Sulaym then said: “O Abu Talhah, I do not feel (so much pain) as I was feeling earlier, so we better proceed on." So we proceeded on and she felt the labor of delivery as they reached Madīnah. She gave birth to a male child. My mother said to me: “O Anas, none should suckle him until you go to the Messenger of Allah tomorrow morning.” The next morning I carried the baby with me to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. Then he reported the remaining part of the Hadīth.

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Today, women should follow the example of the female Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) with regard to their patience such as Um Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her).

2) A sign of a person’s prudence is to choose the best names for his sons and daughters.

3) Anyone who bears a calamity patiently and awaits Allah’s reward, Allah, the Exalted, will compensate him with better than what he lost either in himself or his family.

45/21 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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46/22- Sulaymān ibn Surad (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was sitting in the company of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), two men insulted each other and the face of one of them turned red and his jugular veins swelled (out of extreme anger). The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I know a word that if he said, his rage would go away. If he said: A‘ūdhu billāhi min ash-shaytān ar-rajīm (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil), his rage would subside.” So they said to the man: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadiiths:

1) It urges the individual to adhere to self-restraint at the time of anger.

2) Seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed devil helps the person to be patient and restrain himself. The devil is the source of all evils. He keeps fanning the rage of the angry person until the latter speaks ill and does what displeases Allah, the Most Merciful.

3) Getting angry for a cause other than the cause of Allah Almighty is inspired by the devil, whereas getting angry because of the violation of Allah’s prohibitions is a sign of sound faith.

47/23 - Mu‘ādh ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever suppresses his rage while being able to vent it, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, will call him before the entire creation on the Day of Judgment so that he can choose whomever he wishes of the houris (damsels of Paradise).” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hasan (sound)]

48/24 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “Advise me.” He replied: “Do not get angry.” The man repeated this several times and every time he replied: “Do not get angry.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

49/25 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Trials will not cease afflicting the believing man and the believing woman in their self, children, and wealth, until they meet Allah without having any sin.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]

Words in the Hadīth:

Suppresses his rage: to withstand its cause and bear it patiently.

Guidance from the Hadiiths:

1) It shows the excellence of patience as it is one of the major means to draw oneself closer to Allah, the Exalted, and a most important advice to be heeded by the believer.

2) When the believer bears patiently and awaits Allah’s reward, Allah Almighty expiates his sins.

3) An aspect of Allah’s mercy towards his believing servants is that He expiates their sins by afflicting them with calamities and plights of this world.

50/26- ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn came to Madīnah and stayed with his nephew al-Hurr ibn Qays who was among the people close to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The Qur’anic reciters, old or young, had the privilege of joining ‘Umar’s council and he used to consult them. ‘Uyaynah said to al-Hurr: “My nephew! You are privileged in the sight of this Commander of the Believers. So, seek permission for me to sit with him?” Al-Hurr asked ‘Umar and he granted permission. When ‘Uyaynah came into the presence of ‘Umar, he addressed him thus: “O son of al-Khattāb! By Allah, you neither bestow much on us nor deal with us justly.” ‘Umar got so angry that he was about to beat him. Thereupon, al-Hurr said: “O Commander of the Believers! Allah said to His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): {Be gracious, enjoin what is right and turn away from those who are ignorant.} [Al-A‘rāf: 199] Indeed, this one is from the ignorants.” By Allah! ‘Umar stood committed to the verse when al-Hurr recited it, as he always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah Almighty. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) When one is stricken with rage and anger, he should remember the words of Allah, the Exalted, the words of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and the practice and patience of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) so that one commits to the limits set by Allah Almighty.

2) It shows the great merit of the honorable Companion ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) as he was committed to the limits of Allah, the Exalted. Today, Muslims should follow the example of role models like the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and avoid the likes of disbelievers, sinners, and heedless people.

3) The ruler is obligated to choose people of knowledge and faith to be his companions.

51/27 - Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There will be favoritism after me and other matters that you will disapprove of.” The Companions asked: “O, Messenger of Allah, what do you order us to do (under such circumstances)?” He said: “Fulfill the duties upon you and ask Allah for your rights.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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52/28- Abu Yahya Usayd ibn Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man from the Ansār said: “O Messenger of Allah! Will you not appoint me as you appointed so-and-so?” He replied: “You will experience favoritism after me, so have patience until you meet me at the Hawd (the Basin).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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Guidance from the Hadīths:

1) It urges people to bear patiently the rulers’ unlawful treatment of their subjects and that they should fulfill their duties of listening and obeying in what is good.

2) Asking Allah, the Exalted, of His bounties is one of the greatest means to secure one’s needs and ward off what he fears.

3) The reward of those who were patient on the Day of Judgment is drinking from the Basin of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). If the believer misses any of the fortunes of this world, he should remember the great reward in the Hereafter.

53/29 - Abu Ibrāhim ‘Abdullah ibn abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “On one occasion as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was in a battle against the enemy, he waited till the sun declined, then he stood up to address the people and said: “O people, do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for safety. And if you meet them, have patience and know that Paradise lies under the shadows of swords.” Then the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Mover of the clouds, Defeater of the armies, defeat them and give us victory over them.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It forbids the individual from wishing to meet the enemy; but if it happened, one must be patient and ask Allah, the Exalted, to aid him in fulfilling this task.

2) It is recommended to supplicate Allah for the defeat of the enemy, because a fighter in the cause of Allah always resorts to Allah to grant him victory over his enemies.

Benefit:

The prohibition of wishing to meet the enemy does not imply dislike of Jihad, or not cherishing the idea of fighting in the battlefield, nor wishing to be a martyr for the sake of Allah. Instead, all of these wishes are encouraged by the Sharia and are traits of those who are righteous and truthful.

4. Chapter on Truthfulness

Allah Almighty says: {O you who believe, fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 119] Allah Almighty also says: {... and the truthful men and women} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 35] Allah Almighty also says: {... it would be better for them to be truthful to Allah.} [Surat Muhammad: 21]

Guidance from the verses:

1) Allah, Glorified and Exalted, commands His believing servants to be truthful and adhere to the truth so that they be among the people of the truth.

2) Truthfulness is a praiseworthy trait that is required of believers, males and females alike.

3) Truthfulness is all good and it is a savior. It is what imparts value to words and deeds.

As for the relevant Hadīths:

54/1 - First: Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Truthfulness leads to Birr (righteousness), and Birr leads to Paradise. A man continues to tell the truth until he is written as truthful with Allah. Lying leads to Fujūr (deviance), and Fujūr leads to the Hellfire. A man continues to lie until he is written as a liar with Allah.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

Birr: an umbrella term comprising all aspects of good.

Fujūr: evil deeds.

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It encourages committing to truthfulness at all times because it is the cause of every good. It warns against lying and against taking it lightly because it is the cause of every evil.

2) Lying is prohibited and it is absolutely impermissible to lie even for the sake of joking or jesting. What laymen call a 'white lie' is also prohibited because all lying is black and incurs evil on oneself as well as on the people around him. The only exemption to lying is the type classified as permissible by the Lawgiver.

Benefit:

There are reported situations where the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) permitted lying for a greater interest. They are as follows:

1) during war;

2) when reconciling among people;

3) and in what the wife tells her husband and what he tells her.

These situations are listed in the Hadīth reported by Um Kulthūm bint ‘Uqbah: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) permitted lying in three situations only: in war, in reconciling among people, and in what a man says to his wife.” In another version of the Hadīth: “... and in what the husband says to his wife and what the wife says to her husband.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

55/2- Second: Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “I memorized from the words of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): ‘Leave what you doubt for what you do not doubt, for the truth brings tranquility while lying sows doubt.’” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Sahīh (authentic)]

What you doubt: means leave what you doubt in terms of lawfulness for what you do not doubt to be lawful.

Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The individual must abandon lying and commit to the truth, because lying plants doubt whereas the truth inspires tranquility.

2) A manifestation of one’s piety is to avoid the doubtful and ambiguous matters.

56/3- Third: Abu Sufyān Sakhr ibn Harb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported, in the course of his long narration about his story with Heraclius, that the latter asked him: “What does he – meaning the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) – command you to do?” Abu Sufyān replied: “He says: ‘Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him, and give up what your ancestors say.’ And he commands us to perform prayers, speak the truth, to observe modesty and to uphold the ties of kinship.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) The central pillar of this religion is Tawhīd of Allah Almighty because it is the source of all types of good. All Muslims must pay Tawhīd their utmost attention because its presence is indispensable for the validity of any deed and the lack of which bars from admission to Paradise, for it is the key to it.

2) It warns against blind following of the forefathers, chiefs, or dignitaries, especially in issues of religious nature. Instead, one must learn the Sharia from its genuine source, namely the Qur’an and the Sunnah as interpreted by the early predecessors of this nation (Salaf). As for what people grew accustomed to – that contradicts the revealed religion – it must not be followed as if it is religious law.

3) Truthfulness is among the essential morals that one must internalize; and it is a trait of the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them).

57/4- Fourth: Abu Thābit (it was said his nickname was Abu Sa‘īd or Abu al-Walīd) Sahl ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him), who attended the Battle of Badr, reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever sincerely asks Allah Almighty for martyrdom, Allah will make him reach the ranks of martyrs even if he dies on his bed.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) Truthfulness of the hearts is a cause to attain what is desired. Whoever intends to do a good deed will be rewarded for it even if he were unable to do it or failed to complete it.

2) It is recommended to sincerely ask Allah for martyrdom.

58/5- Fifth: Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “One of the Prophets (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them) set out on a military expedition. He said to his people: ‘Let not anyone accompany me who has married a woman and wishes to consummate his marriage with her but has not yet done so, or one who has built a house but has not yet erected its roof, or one who has bought sheep or pregnant camels and is waiting for their offspring.’ Then he marched on and approached a village at the time of the afternoon prayer or close to that, so he said to the sun: ‘You are commanded and so am I. O Allah, hold it back (from setting) for us,’ and it was held back until Allah granted him victory. He gathered the spoils of war, and the fire came down to devour them but it did not devour them. He said: ‘Some of you misappropriated the spoils of war, so one man from each tribe should give me his pledge of allegiance.’ They all did so and the hand of one man stuck to his hand, so he said: ‘Your tribe is guilty of misappropriation of the spoils of war. Let all the members of your tribe give their pledge of allegiance to me.’ They did so and the hands of two or three men stuck to his hand. He said: ‘You have taken something from the spoils of war illegally.’ So they brought an amount of gold equal in size to the head of a cow. They placed it among the spoils so the fire approached and devoured them. The spoils of war were not made lawful for any people before us, then Allah made the spoils of war lawful for us when He saw our weakness and helplessness, so He made them lawful for us.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

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Words in the Hadīth:

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) If the individual intends to perform an act of worship, he must devote his heart and body to it, so that he approaches it while yearning to it and performs it with deliberateness, tranquility, and an open-heart.

2) It displays the blessings of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, for this nation because He made lawful for them war spoils while they were made unlawful for the preceding nations; this reflects how Allah bestowed mercy on this nation.

3) It makes clear the severe consequences of lying as opposed to the pleasant consequences of truthfulness.

Benefit:

The prophet mentioned in the Hadīth is Yūsha‘ ibn Nūn (Joshua son of Nun) because the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said in an authentic Hadīth: “The sun was not held (from setting) for any human except Joshua, on the nights he marched to Jerusalem.” [Narrated by Ahmad on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)]

59/6 - Sixth: Abu Khālid Hakīm ibn Hizām (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Both parties in a business transaction have the right to annul it so long as they have not separated. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them, and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Words in the Hadīth:

Parties: the vendor and the buyer.

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Guidance from the Hadīth:

1) It is obligatory to display any fault in merchandise, and it is prohibited to hide it. How remote the market vendors are from the guidance of this Hadīth!

2) Honest trading is an ambitious goal that demands a level of patience enjoyed only by highly self-restrained individuals.

3) Truthfulness in buying and selling is the source of blessings and growth.

5. Chapter on Mindfulness of Allah

Allah Almighty says: {Who sees you when you stand up [for prayer], and your movements among those who prostrate.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 218, 219] Allah Almighty also says: {He is with you wheresoever you are} [Surat al-Hadīd: 4] Allah Almighty also says: {Indeed, there is nothing hidden from Allah on earth or in the heaven.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 5] Allah Almighty also says: {Indeed, your Lord is ever vigilant.} [Surat al-Fajr: 14] Allah Almighty also says: {He knows the sneaky glances of the eyes and what the hearts conceal.} [Surat Ghāfir: 19] There are many other well-known verses in this regard.

Guidance from the verses:

1) The servant must be mindful of his Lord and know that Allah is watching him.

2) The attribute of Ma‘iyyah (Withness, or Allah being with His servants) that Allah attributed to Himself in the Noble Qur’an has multiple categories:

First: It means encompassing the creation in terms of knowledge, power, authority, and disposal of their affairs. This is meant in the following verse: {And He is with you [wih His Knowledge] wheresoever you may be.}

Second: it implies a threat and a warning as in the following verse: {They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allah, and He is with them [with His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And Allah is All-Encompassing of what they do.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 108]

Third: it means granting victory, support, and steadfastness, as in the saying of Allah Almighty: {Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who do good.} [Surat an-Nahl: 128] One of the requirements of such Ma‘iyyah is to be mindful of Allah and be fearful of Him; so you obey Him, abandon what He prohibited, and believe what He revealed.

As for the relevant Hadīths:

60/1- First: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “One day, we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) when there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes, and had very black hair. No traces of travel were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He came in and sat down opposite to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and rested his knees against his and placed the palms of his hands on the thighs of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He said: ‘O Muhammad! Tell me about Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Islam is to testify that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer (daily obligatory prayers), to pay Zakat, to fast (the month of) Ramadan, and to perform pilgrimage to the (Sacred) House if you are able to find a way thereto.’ He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.’ It surprised us that he asked him and at the same time he affirmed that he had told the truth. Then he said: ‘Tell me about Imān (belief).’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in Qadar (fate), what is good and what is bad thereof.’ Then, the man said: ‘You have spoken the truth.’ He then said: ‘Tell me about Ihsān.’ He said: ‘It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.’ He said: ‘Tell me about the Hour.’ He said: ‘About that, the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.’ The man said: ‘Then tell me about its signs.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and you will see the barefoot, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.’ Then the man departed. I stayed for a while, and then the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: ‘O ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?’ I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘That was Jibrīl (Archangel Gabriel), who came to teach you your religion.’” [Narrated by Muslim]

“The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress: means that the female slaves will increase to the level that the slave will give birth to a daughter of her master, who would become her mistress. Other interpretations were also given for this sign of the Hour.

Words in the Hadīth: