Encyclopedia of Prophetic Hadiths

We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and among us were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, along with a group of people. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and left. When he delayed returning, we feared that he would be taken away from us. We felt terrified and got up, and I was the first to feel terrified. I went out searching for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until I came upon an orchard belonging to the Ansār, from Banu An-Najjār. I looked around for an entrance but could not find one. Then I noticed a streamlet entering the orchard through a well outside the orchard. I crouched down and entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "Abu Hurayrah." I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: "What is the matter with you?" I said: You were among us, then you left and delayed in returning. We feared that you would be taken away from us, and we felt terrified. I was the first to feel terrified, so I came to this orchard. I crouched down as a fox would crouch down, and those people are behind me. So he said: "O Abu Hurayrah," and gave me his two sandals, saying: "Take these two sandals of mine and go. Whoever you meet beyond this orchard who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise." The first one I met was ‘Umar. He said: What are these sandals, O Abu Hurayrah? I said: These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He sent me with them to give glad tidings of Paradise to anyone I meet who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart. ‘Umar struck me on my chest with his hand, causing me to fall on my backside. He said: Go back, O Abu Hurayrah. I returned to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I was about to weep, and ‘Umar was following close behind me. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is the matter, O Abu Hurayrah?" I said: I met ‘Umar and told him about what you sent me with. He struck me on my chest with such a strike that it caused me to fall on my back, and he told me to go back.The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O ‘Umar, what caused you to do that?" ‘Umar said: O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Did you send Abu Hurayrah with your sandals to give glad tidings of Paradise to anyone who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart? He said: "Yes." ‘Umar said: Then do not do that, for I fear that people may rely on this. Let them continue to work. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then let them."

I said: O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam regarding which I can ask none but you. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Say: I believe in Allah, then remain steadfast."

"Islam is built on five: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, establishing prayer, giving Zakah, performing Hajj to the (Sacred) House, and fasting Ramadān."

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as part of what he narrated from his Lord, said: "Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then, He explained that: He who intends a good deed and does not do it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed; and if he intends it and does it, Allah writes it down with Himself as ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. Yet, if he intends a bad deed and does not do it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed. But, if he intends it and does it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed."

He was with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on one of his journeys, and he sent a messenger ordering: "There should not remain any necklace of string or any other kind of necklace around the necks of camels without being cut."

Some captives were brought to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then a woman from among the captives was seen pressing milk from her breast to feed [a child], and whenever she found a baby among the captives, she would take him, press him to her chest, and nurse him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then said to us: "Do you think this (woman) would throw her child into the fire?" We said: No, not if she can prevent throwing it. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah is more merciful to His servants than this is to her child."

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as part of what he narrated from his Lord, said that Allah Almighty said: "O My slaves, I have made oppression forbidden for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My slaves, all of you are misguided except those whom I guide, so seek guidance from Me, and I shall guide you. O My slaves, all of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so ask Me for food, and I shall feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked except those whom I clothe, so ask Me for clothes, and I shall clothe you. O My slaves, you commit sins by night and day, and I forgive all sins, so ask Me for forgiveness, and I shall forgive you. O, My slaves, you can neither do Me harm nor do Me any good. O My slaves, if the first and the last amongst you and all humans and jinn were all as pious as the most pious heart of any man amongst you, that would add nothing to My dominion. O My slaves, if the first and the last amongst you and all humans and jinn were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any man amongst you, this would cause no loss to My dominion. O My slaves, if the first and the last amongst you and all humans and jinn were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he asked for, that would not decrease what I possess, except what is decreased of the sea when a needle is dipped into it. O, My slaves, it is only your deeds that I record for, and I shall recompense you for them. So, whoever finds good should praise Allah, and whoever finds other than that should blame no one but himself."

’Umm Salamah mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that she had seen a church in Abyssinia called Māriyah, and she mentioned the images that she had seen therein. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Those are a people who, when a righteous slave or a righteous man from among them dies, they build a place of worship over his grave and place those images therein. Those are the most evil people in the sight of Allah."