Encyclopedia of Prophetic Hadiths

One day, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave us an eloquent admonition that caused hearts to become afraid and eyes to shed tears. Someone then said: O Messenger of Allah, this is the admonition of someone who will soon part; so, advise us. He said: "I advise you to fear Allah and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave. You will see after me great discord. So, hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs. Bite onto it with the molar teeth. Beware of newly invented matters (in religion), for every newly invented matter is misguidance."

"Verily, I shall give this banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah will grant victory at his hands." ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said: I never liked leadership except on that day. He said: I kept showing myself in the hope that I might be called for it. He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib and gave it to him and said: "Proceed and do not look back until Allah grants you victory." He said: ‘Ali walked for a while and then stopped without looking back and shouted: O Messenger of Allah, on what should I fight the people? He said: "Fight them until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they do so, their blood and properties become inviolable for you, except what is rightly justified, and their reckoning is with Allah."

"I advise you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey even if a slave is appointed as your leader. Whosoever among you shall live after me will see much discord. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and cling to them firmly. Beware of new things (in religion) because every religious innovation is a misguidance."

He came to the Black Stone and kissed it and said: Verily, I know that you are a stone that can neither harm nor benefit. Had I not seen the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.

I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) five (nights) before he died, say: "I stand acquitted before Allah that I should take anyone of you as an intimate friend, for Allah has taken me as an intimate friend just as he took Abraham as an intimate friend. Had I taken anyone from my Ummah as an intimate friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as an intimate friend. Beware! Those who were before you used to take the graves of their prophets as places for prayer. Beware! Do not take graves as places for prayer, for I forbid you to do so."

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said about the Ansār (Supporters): "No one loves them except a believer, and no one hates them except a hypocrite. Allah loves whoever loves them and hates whoever hates them."

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) noticed the absence of Thābit ibn Qays. A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I will bring you his news." So, he went to him and saw him sitting in his house, his head drooping (sadly). He said: "What is wrong with you?" Thābit said: "An evil situation; he used to raise his voice over the Prophet's voice, and so all his good deeds have been annulled, and he is from the people of Hellfire." The man returned and told the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that he had said such and such. The man went to Thābit again with glad tidings. He said: "Go and say to him: You are not from the people of Hellfire but from the people of Paradise."

"The best of you are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them." ‘Imrān said: I do not know whether the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned two or three generations. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, after you, there will come people who will betray and will not be trustworthy, testify without being called to give testimony, make vows but not fulfill them, and obesity will be widespread among them."