On the authority of Ameer ul-Mu'mineen (the Commander of the Faithful), Aboo Hafs `Umar ibn al-Khattaab radiAllaahu anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam say:

It is related by the two Imaams of the scholars of Hadeeth, Aboo `Abdillaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa`eel ibn Ibraheem ibn al-Mugheera ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhaaree and Aboo-l-Husain Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj ibn Muslim al-Qushairee an-Naisaabooree, in their two Saheehs, which are the soundest of compiled books [i.e. the most truthful books after the Book of Allaah, since the Qur'aan is not 'compiled'].

Explanation of Hadeeth 1

This is a saheeh hadeeth that has been agreed upon by the scholars, and is collected in both the collections of al-Bukhaaree (Hadeeth No. 1) and Muslim (Hadeeth No. 1907). This hadeeth is great in its benefit and importance, and it has been said that the religion of al-Islaam revolves around it. Some of the scholars have said that it is 1/3rd of Knowledge, because the actions of man involve his heart, his tongue and his limbs, and hence the intention in the heart is 1/3rd of that. Other scholars have said that the whole religion is encompassed in three hadeeth - this one, the hadeeth "The Halaal is clear, the Haraam is clear and between them are doubtful matters...", and the hadeeth "Whoever innovates in this religion that which is not from it will have his actions rejected [by Allaah]". [Note: These other hadeeth will be covered later in shaa' Allaah]

Some of the scholars have said that this hadeeth should be mentioned at the beginning of every book, in order to establish that the seeking of knowledge is for the sake of Allaah alone, and not for anyone else.

In the hadeeth, when the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) says "actions are but by intention" then the 'by' here means that the acceptance and correctness of any action depends upon the intention behind it. An action which is apparently good, such as giving money in charity, will be rejected if the intention behind it is wrong, for example: to show off. Indeed, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has narrated from Allaah that if a person performs an act for Allaah's sake and also for the sake of someone else, then Allaah will reject the deed entirely and leave the whole of it for the partner that the person made. This shows us how grave the sin of shirk is - it is the only sin that Allaah will never forgive.

In the hadeeth, the words "shall have" means that the person will be rewarded for only that which he intended. So, as mentioned in the hadeeth, if a person performed the Hijrah, but did it with the wrong intention then he would not be rewarded for that action of Hijrah.

The word "actions" refers to those actions which are part of the Sharee'ah of Islaam. Thus, any action of the Sharee'ah - such as making wudoo', or ghusl, or making tayammum, or the prayer, or zakaat, or fasting, or the Hajj, or i'tikaaf in the masjid, or any other act of worship - will not be accepted and rewarded unless it is performed with the correct intention.

Summary

Everything we do has to be intended to be for Allaah, i.e., for anything we do we want to make sure that it will be acceptable to Him and will not in any way interfere with the upholding of His Deen. A good action with the wrong intention will not get us any reward in the Hereafter.

Hadeeth 2: An Explanation of Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan

Also on the authority of `Umar (radi Allaahu 'anhu), who said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 2

This is no doubt a great hadeeth, in that it includes within it all the outwardly apparent and inwardly actions, and all the Sciences of the Sharee'ah return back towards it due to its encompassing all the Knowledge of the Sunnah. Hence some of the scholars have termed this hadeeth the Mother/Core of the Sunnah (Umm as-Sunnah), just as soorah al-Faatihah has been termed the Mother/Core of the Qur'aan (Umm al-Qur'aan), due to its succintly containing all of the Message of the Qur'aan.

And in this hadeeth (from the mention of the white dress and black hair) is evidence for the beautification of ones appearance when entering upon the scholars, the pious and the kings, as Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) came to teach the people by his appearance, his statements and his actions.

The fact that the 'man' had no sign of travel upon him, and yet no one had ever seen him before surprised the Sahaabah, as if he did not live amongst them then how did he just appear from 'nowhere'. In this way, Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) was able to attract their attention to what he was to say next. His statement 'O Muhammad' rather than the respectful 'O Messenger of Allaah' that was obligatory upon the Sahaabah, also helped to attain the full attention of the Sahaabah.

His questions regarding Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan show us that these are three distinct levels, with the level of Ihsaan being the highest. It is important to note here that these terms when used together indicate specific meanings, whereas when used on their own they may encompass the meanings of the other terms. What this means will be explained in more detail below in shaa' Allaah.

The term 'Islaam' in its specific meaning refers to the outwardly apparent actions - such as the Shahaadah, the Prayer, paying the Zakaat etc. If a person has the basic amount of eemaan required of him and then performs these major outward actions then he is at the level of 'Islaam'.

The term 'Eemaan' in its specific meaning refers to the inward beliefs of the heart, and for a person to enter the fold of Islaam he must adhere to the basic beliefs mentioned in this hadeeth. However, in a more general sense the word Eemaan denotes the beliefs and actions in the heart (eg aqeedah and fear of Allaah), the statements of the tongue (e.g. dhikr of Allaah) and actions of the limbs (e.g. fighting jihaad in Allaah's cause). If a person achieves the basic outward actions of Islaam, and then increases upon that in terms of his belief and his other actions, then he rises to the level of Eemaan.

Having eemaan in Allaah means the attestation that Allaah - Glory be to Him - exists, and is described with the Lofty and Perfect Attributes, and is free from all deficient characteristics. And it includes the belief that He is One, The Truth, The Independent, and He is the Only Creator of all that exists, and He changes the creation as He wishes and He acts within His Kingdom whatever He wishes.

And eemaan in the Angels means attesting that they are His honoured slaves, and that they do not act except according to Allaah's command.

And eemaan in the Messengers involves attesting that they are Truthful in all that they have conveyed about Allaah, and that they were aided by Allaah in the miracles that they performed to prove their truthfulness, and that they conveyed and explained the Message of what Allaah has ordered us with. Also, we must respect and honour them all, and we must not differentiate between them.

And eemaan in the Last Day involves the attestation that we shall be brought back to life again after our death, and shall be collected together on the Day of Judgement, and on that Day will be the Accounting of our deeds, and the weighing in the Meezaan (Scales), and the crossing of the Siraat (Bridge), and finally the entry to either Paradise or Hellfire. And the belief that Paradise is the place for rewarding the doers of good, while Hellfire is the place for retribution for the doers of evil.

And eemaan in Qadr (Divine Preordainment) includes the belief that Allaah knows all that has happened and all that will happen, and that He has written this down in the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfooz) which is with Him, and that nothing can happen except by Allaah's Will and Permission.

And the way of the Salaf and the Imaams of the later times has been that whomsoever attests to and believes in these matters with a firm conviction having no doubt in them, then he will be counted amongst true Believers, whether he arrived at these beliefs through detailed study of the intellectual proofs or not.

The term 'Ihsaan' refers to the third and highest level, and is attained as mentioned in the hadeeth when the person worships Allaah as though he sees Him, and if he does not see Allaah, then he worships Him knowing that Allaah sees him. The scholars have mentioned that the higher level of worshipping Allaah as though one sees him is the level of mushaahadah. This implies that the person worships Allaah seeing the effect of Allaah's Names and Attributes in all the things around him. For example, when he sees mercy shown by an animal to its young he sees this as the effect of the Mercy of Allaah upon His Creation, and so on and so forth. Thus whatever the slave sees around him he is reminded of the Perfect Attributes of Allaah 'azza wa jall. It does not mean that the slave sees Allaah with his eyes, as this ru'yaa (Seeing) is only for the Believers on the Day of Resurrection. The second and lower level of Ihsaan is where the slave is constantly aware of Allaah watching him at all times.

The statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that "the one questioned knows no better than the questioner" shows that even the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam had no knowledge of when the Last Hour shall be. This knowledge is with Allaah, and Allaah alone. Regarding the Signs of the Day of Judgement, then two are mentioned in this hadeeth.

The first states that a slave-girl shall give birth to her master. Some of the scholars have suggested that this could mean that the people will degenerate to the extent that they will sell their women slaves, from whom they have already had children. These children may then unwittingly buy their mothers as slaves, and thus become their masters. Others have suggested that it means that children will become so bad mannered and insolent towards their parents that they treat their parents as though they were their slaves - and this is what we see in todays society.

The second sign is that the poor, destitute shepherds will compete with one another in building tall buildings. We only have to look to the Arabian Peninsula to see how people who were desert bedouins only a few decades ago are now literally competing with one another in constructing lofty sky scrapers. And there are some ahaadeeth from the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam indicating that constructing tall buildings is hated, if there is no genuine need for doing so.

So this hadeeth contains an explanation of Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan. It has been narrated from the scholars of the past, such as Imaam Aboo al-Husain ibn Bataal al-Maalikee that Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa'ah are united upon understanding Eemaan to consist of Beliefs, Speech and Action, and that Eemaan increases with the obedience of Allaah and decreases with His disobedience. This is contrary to the statement of some of the deviant sects that Eemaan is fixed or constant, and a person either has it or does not. So different people have different levels of Eemaan, and we are not all equal in this respect. Rather, we know from the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam that the Eemaan of Abu Bakr radiAllaahu anhu was greater than the eemaan of the rest of the people combined (excluding Allaah's Messenger, of course).

And we also learn from this hadeeth that the person who attests to the shahaadataan and displays the major outward aspects of Islaam is considered a Muslim, while the one who goes further than that and increases in actions and beliefs is called a Mu'min. Thus the Mu'min is at a higher station than the Muslim. And the one who achieves the level of Ihsaan is the best of the three and is called a Muhsin - may Allaah 'azza wa jall make us of them.

Summary

Hadeeth 4: Deeds are by their Final Actions

On the authority of Aboo `Abd ir-Rahmaan `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood (radiAllaahu anhu), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and he is the Truthful, the Believed, narrated to us:

Explanation of Hadeeth 4

The statement of ibn Mas'ood that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam was "the Truthful, the Believed" means that he was Truthful in his speech and that he was Believed in whatever he came with of the the Wahee (inspiration).

Regarding the statement that "the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days ..." then some of the scholars have commented that this means that the sperm and egg are initially separate within the mother's womb, and it is Allaah who brings them together (to form the zygote) and they remain in this 'basic' state for a period of forty days. [Please note that this comment was made before the 8th Century Hijree, showing the knowledge of the 'Ulemaa at that time - and further evidence of the Truthfulness of what the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam came with]

The further description of the embryo in the various stages of 'alaqah and mudghah are also incredibly accurate - and in our times Dr Keith Moore has described this in detail in his books on Human Development.

The angel that is sent to the embryo is the angel who is deputised with the Responsibility of the Womb.

Regarding the statement "verily one of you performs the actions of the people of Paradise ..." then we understand that this means that a person may perform good actions correctly until he is an arms length away from Paradise, but then what has been previously written about him (i.e. his Qadar) will override that and he will perform evil deeds and thus enter the Hellfire. And this is in conformance to the hadeeth that "Deeds are by their final actions".

And it is understood and seen that the changing of a person from good to evil is rare and is not the norm, whereas the changing of a person from evil to good is far more common - and this is from the Kindness and Mercy of Allaah subhaanahu, the One whose Mercy knows no bounds, and we thank and praise Him for that. And we know from the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam that Allaah has said: "Verily My Mercy precedes My Anger" and in another narration "Verily My Mercy overcomes my Anger".

And in this hadeeth is the establishment of the Belief in Qadar, and this is the belief of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa'ah. We believe that all occurrences are by the Pre-ordainment of Allaah (i.e. everything that occurs has already been decreed by Allaah) and everything that happens is only by His Will - both the good of it and the evil of it. Allaah 'azza wa jall has said concerning Himself in His Noble Book:

Allaah Acts as He Wishes in His Kingdom, and no one else may act except by His Will.

Imaam as-Sam'aanee said:

And in other ahaadeeth it is established that a person should not leave performing good actions, depending upon what has already been written for him in his Qadar, but rather he should act according to whatever has been prescribed for him in the Sharee'ah. For whoever is of the People of Bliss then Allaah will make easy for him the actions of the People of Bliss, whereas whoever is of the People of Sadness then Allaah will make easy for him the actions of the People of Sadness, as is mentioned in the hadeeth. And also there is the saying of Allaah 'azza wa jall in His Noble Book:

Some of the Scholars have said : It is obligatory to have eemaan [faith] in the Book of Allaah, and the Lawh (Protected Tablet) and His Pen [which was ordered to write down everything in the Lawh], but as for the precise nature of these and their modality or 'howness' (kayfiyyah) then this knowledge is with Allaah alone, and no one attains any of His knowledge except what He wishes, and Allaah knows best.

Summary

Hadeeth 5: Rejection of Evil Deeds and Innovations

On the authority of the Mother of the Faithful, Umm `Abdillaah `Aaishah (radi Allaahu 'anhaa) , who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaau alayhi wa sallam) said:

In one version by Muslim it reads: He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected [by Allaah].

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 5

And in the second narration which states that "He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected" there is a clear and unequivocal command to leave all things which are newly introduced into the religion, whether the person invents that action himself or whether he follows someone else who has preceeded him. For verily some of the obstinate innovators give as a proof for their innovation the fact that they themselves have not introduced the innovation, but rather they are following the action of someone else - and they use the first hadeeth above to show that they are then not blameworthy.

And this hadeeth should be acted upon meticulously in all our affairs, and it should be preserved and spread amongst the people and used as an evidence to show the invalidity of all innovations and evil actions, for verily it includes in its meaning all of that.

However, as for the Furoo' (branches) of knowledge which are established from the Usool (basic principles) and which do not depart from the Sunnah, then these are not referred to by this hadeeth. For example, the writing down of the Qur'aan as a Mus-haf by 'Uthmaan (radiAllaauh 'anhu), or the establishment of the various madhhabs in Fiqh (Schools of Jurisprudence), which are from the understanding of the Mujtahid scholars of Fiqh, those who built the matters of Furoo' upon the Usool (which are the statements of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). And also, from amongst the matters not included in this hadeeth is the writing of books on subjects such as Grammar, or Arithmetic, or the Laws of Inheritance, and other than that from the sciences that are built upon the statements and commands of the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Summary

Hadeeth 6: The Halaal is Clear and the Haraam is Clear

On the authority of Aboo `Abdillaah an-Nu`maan the son of Basheer (radiAllaahu 'anhumaa), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say:

Explanation of Hadeeth 6

The statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters" implies that matters are of three types.

Whatever Allaah has established to be permissible in a text, then it is the 'clear' Halaal, such as the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa:

And whatever Allaah has established to be forbidden in a text, then that is the 'clear' Haraam, such as the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa:

And also such as the forbiddance of fawaahish (evil lusts and desires), that which is apparent of it and also that which is hidden of it. And every matter concerning which Allaah has established upon it a limit or associated with it a punishment or a threat, then that matter is also included amongst the 'clear' haraam.

As for the the 'doubtful matters' then they are those issues in which there appears (to the layman) to be opposing evidences from the Book and the Sunnah, and so in this case restraint from them is from piety.

And the scholars have differed regarding the ruling upon the doubtful matters mentioned by the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam in this hadeeth.

So one opinion is that they are all Haraam, due the saying of the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam "[he] clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour", as whoever does safeguard his religion and his honour has definitely fallen into the Haraam.

Another opinion is that they are Halaal, due the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary", so this indicates that these actions are permissible, but leaving them is from piety.

And a third opinion is that we make no ruling regarding the doubtful matters, and do not say that they are Halaal nor that they are Haraam, as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayi wa salaam placed them between the clear Halaal and the clear Haraam. Hence it is required that we refrain from passing judgement and this too is from piety.

And in the hadeeth from 'Adiyy ibn Haatim that he said to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam:

So the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam gave a verdict based upon a doubt, fearing that the dog which killed the game was the other dog upon which the name of Allaah had not been pronounced, hence making the kill slaughtered for other than Allaah. And Allaah has said about this:

So this verdict contains evidence for taking care regarding those actions or events that involve some judgement regarding what is Halaal or Haraam, due to the similarity between the different situations. And this is encompassed in the meaning of the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam: "Leave that which causes you doubt, for that which does not cause you doubt." [narrated by an-Nasaa'ee]

And some of the scholars have said the doubtful matters can be divided into three types:

1) That affair which a person knows to be Haraam, but which he then doubts as to whether its forbiddance still continues or not. For example, a person cannot eat from an animal until he is sure that is has been slaughtered Islaamically, and so if he has doubts about this then the forbiddance to eat continues until certainty of the correct slaughtering is achieved. And the origin of this is in the hadeeth of 'Adiyy mentioned above. [Note: this is referring to a situation similar to when 'Adiyy came upon the dogs next to the kill - and not when your butcher says the meat is Halaal and you doubt it!]

2) The opposite of this, where the affair is originally Halaal, and the person has doubts regarding whether it has become Haraam. And whatever is of this type then it is considered permissible until its forbiddance is clearly established. And the origin of this is the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Zayd, regarding the doubt in ones wudoo' if one is sure that previously he had made wudoo'. [i.e. one continues upon the assumption of being with wudoo' until it becomes clear that the wudoo' has broken]

3) The third type is where one has doubts about a matter and one does not know whether it is Halaal or Haraam, and the matter could be of either of the two, and there is no clear evidence to establish either ruling. Then in this situation the best course of action is restraint. For example, once the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam found a date in his house, but did not eat it for he feared that it may have been from that given as sadaqah (as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam was forbidden from taking of sadaqah).

However, if a person chooses the opposite of what is clearly apparent due to an imaginary doubt which has no evidence, then restraint in such a situation is foolishness, and is from the whisperings of shaytaan. For example, a person may restrain from praying in a place which has no visible traces of filth, simply out of a fear that maybe some urine had fallen there and since dried. Or a person may wash a dress simply out of a fear that some filth (najaasah) came upon it but which he did not actually see upon it. So in all such situations where there is no 'real' doubt then it is required that one does not leave the action.

And the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "about which many people do not know" means that many people do not know the shar'ee ruling upon these matters. However, the People of Knowledge may be able to associate such matters with other principles that they must follow, and thus achieve a ruling upon them as to whether they are Halaal or Haraam, and thus they cease to be doubtful matters.

As for the statement "but he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful" then this is from two angles:

1) The one who does not fear Allaah and indulges in doubtful matters, eventually begins to practise the Forbidden actions too, and becomes lenient in these affairs. And this is as some of the 'ulemaa have said that minor sins lead to major sins and major sins lead to kufr.

2) The one who often indulges in doubtful matters oppresses himself as his heart is deprived of the Light of Knowledge and the Light of Piety, so he ends up falling into the Haraam and does not realise it.

And just as a King has a sanctuary, which the shepherds must keep their sheep away from, so too has Allaah specified certain things as Forbidden for his slaves, which they must refrain from - such as murder, interest (ribaa), theft, drinking alcohol, backbiting and tale-carrying, and other such things, all of which we should keep well away from for fear of falling into them.

As for the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole ... ":

Allaah ta'aalaa has blessed only man and the animals with this special organ - the heart - and through it we find that even the animals recognize that which benefits them and that which harms them. Then, Allaah has singled out al-Insaan from amongst all the animals with the faculty of the intellect, and additional faculties within the heart. Allah says:

And the various limbs of the body are subservient to the heart, so whatever the heart decides upon, that action appears upon the limbs. So if the heart is good then the actions of the limbs are good, and if the heart is corrupt then the actions of the limbs are also corrupt. And if this fact is understood then the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "if it be whole, all the body is whole, and if it is diseased, all of [the body] is diseased" becomes clear.

We ask Allaah the Majestic to cleanse the corruption of our hearts. O Changer of Hearts, establish our hearts upon Your Deen! O Controller of Hearts, turn our hearts towards Your obedience!

Summary

Hadeeth 7: The Religion is Naseehah (Sincere Advice)

On the authority of Abu Ruqayya Tameem ibn Aus ad-Daaree (radi Allaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 7

And the meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "The Deen is Naseehah" is that the main pillar of the Religion and its Straightness lies in this concept of Naseehah. And this is similar to the Prophet's sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "The Hajj is 'Arafah", meaning the main pillar of the Hajj is the standing in the Plain of 'Arafah.

As for the detailed explanation of Naseehah then al-Khattaabee (rahimhu Allaah) and others from amongst the 'ulemaa have said:

al-Khattaabee also said:

And as for the Naseehah to His Book, then this is by believing it to be the Speech of Allaah ta'aala, and what He has sent down as Revelation, and that there is no similarity between the Speech of Allaah and the speech of mankind. And that no one from amongst the creation is able to produce anything like it. And further, glorification of His Book and reciting it as it should be recited and fulfilling its Rights, beautifying the recitation and having khushoo' (humility, submissiveness) while doing so, and establishing the correct pronunciation of its letters. And also, defending the Qur'aan from the false interpretations of the innovators, and having faith in all that is in it, and understanding its sciences and examples, and accepting its mutashaabih (hidden, unclear), and making du'aa by it.

And as for the Naseehah to His Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) then this involves believing in his Messengership, and having faith in all that he came with, and obeying him in all that he ordered or forbade, and helping him both in his life and after his death, and having enmity with all those who have enmity with him, and having allegiance to all those who have allegiance with him, and fulfilling his Rights, and honouring him, and reviving his manner and Sunnah, and responding to his da'wah, and spreading his Sunnah, and understanding its meanings and sciences, and calling towards it, and being eager in studying it, and showing respect when it is mentioned, and refraining from speaking about it without knowledge, and mixing amongst the people of the Sunnah, and behaving with the character taught by the Sunnah, and showing love towards the members of the Prophet's sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam Household, and his Companions, and keeping away from those who innovate in his Sunnah or those who reject/oppose any one of his Companions, or anything like that.

And as for the Naseehah to the leaders of the Muslims, then this involves helping them in the Truth, and obeying them, and ordering them with the Truth, and reminding them of it with kindness and gentle words, and notifying/advising them of that which they have neglected, and informing them of the Rights of the Muslims, and not rebelling against them with the sword, and gathering the hearts of the people upon obeying them, and praying behind them, and fighting in Jihaad along with them, and making supplication for their correction.

And as for the Naseehah to the common folk of the Muslims, and they are those who are other than the rulers, then it involves guiding them towards that which will correct their affairs of both this life and the next, and helping them in that. And it involves protecting them from harm, and helping them in times of need, and acquiring what is beneficial for them, and ordering them with al-Ma'roof (good) and forbidding them from al-Munkar (evil) with kindness and sincerity, and showing mercy towards them. And it involves honouring and respecting their elders, and showing kindness to their youngsters, and supporting them with good advice. And leaving cheating them or having jealousy of them, and that one loves for them what one loves for oneself of goodness, and that one hates for them what one hates for oneself of evil, and protecting their wealth and honour, and other than that from speech and action. And it also involves encouraging them upon all that we have mentioned above of the various types of Naseehah, and Allaah knows best.

And giving Naseehah (advice) is a Fardh Kifaayah, such that if a sufficient number of people perform it then the obligation is lifted from the community as a whole, and it is obligatory according to the ability of the individual.

And in the arabic language 'naseehah' means 'purification/clarification', as it is said: "I purified (nasahtu) the honey", and it is said that it means other than that. And Allaah knows best.

Summary

Hadeeth 8: Sanctity of a Muslim

On the authority of the son of 'Umar (radi Allaahu 'anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 8

And it has come in Saheeh Muslim from the narration of Abu Hurayrah (radiAllaahu 'anhu):

and this has the same meaning as what Ibn 'Umar narrated.

As for the meaning of this hadeeth, then the scholars of seerah have said:

And 'Umar radiAllaahu 'anhu followed him in doing this.

Regarding the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam "I have been ordered to fight the people until they say 'laa ilaahaa illaa Allaah' ..." al-Khattaabee rahimahu Allaah and others said:

And Shaykh Muyee ad-Deen an-Nawawee said:

And the meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "and their Reckoning will be with Allaah" refers to those matters which they hide from the people, i.e. those things other than that which is outwardly apparent from the compulsory actions. Al-Khattaabee mentions this and then says:

And in his (sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam) statement: "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none is worthy of worship except Allaah, and believe in me and in all that I come with" is a clear proof for the position of the People of Truth and the vast majority of the Salaf and the Khalaf, that it is enough for a person to believe in the Religion of Islaam with a firm, unwavering belief, without it being necessary for him to understand the proofs of the Mutakallimoon (people of Theological Rhetoric) regarding the 'recognition' of Allaah through the intellect. And this opposite to the statement of those people that it is an obligatory condition for the correctness of ones eemaan. And this is clear from the fact the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned only at-Tasdeeq (belief, affirmation) and did not lay any condition for it through intellectual recognition. And this hadeeth appears a number of times in the Saheeh, and together they reach the rank of mutawaatir, without doubt yielding definite knowledge, and Allaah knows best.

Summary

Hadeeth 9: Obligations are according to Ability

On the authority of Abu Hurairah 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam) say:

Explanation of Hadeeth 9

And the Scholars of Usool (i.e. in Fiqh) have differed over the issue of the Command to perform an action - does it imply repetition? That is, if we are ordered to do something then does that automatically imply that we must do it repeatedly? Or does it mean that doing it once is sufficient unless otherwise specified? For example, we are commanded with Hajj but that is just once in a lifetime, but we are also commanded with Salaah and that is every day. So most of the Fuqahaa (jurists) have decided that a command does not automatically imply repetition. Others have said that we do not rule that it implies repetition nor do we rule that it does not imply repetition, except with a further evidence that indicates one or the other. And this hadeeth is a proof for those who have the latter opinion. For if there were an automatically implied ruling of either repetition or no repetition then the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam would not have replied "If I had said yes then it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to do that." Rather, if there had been an automatic implication of repetition or otherwise, then the man would not have asked the question in the first place.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified]" then this apparently indicates that a command does not imply repetition, and also that the origin of all affairs is that they are not waajib, until the Sharee'ah specifies them as being waajib. And this is the correct position according to the majority of the Scholars of Usool.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "If I had said yes it would have become obligaotory upon you" is an evidence that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) would make ijtihaad in rulings, and that it was not binding upon him that all rulings be made by Revelation.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can" is an important Principle of Islaam, and is from his Concise speech. And based upon this principle are countless other rulings - such as the Prayer of one who is unable to complete some of its pillars or conditions, then he performs what he is able to from that which remains. And the one who cannot wash all the necessary limbs of wudoo', washes that which he is able to. And in the case of removing evil, then if one is not able to remove it entirely then one removes what one is able to. And many other affairs like these, as are well known from the Books of Fiqh. And this hadeeth is similar to the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa:

And as for His statement

then it has been said that this is abrogated by the aayah "And have taqwaa of Allaah, as much as you are able". However, what is correct is that it is not abrogated, but rather the first aayah is an explanation of this aayah, and makes clear what is intended by it. And it has been said that "fearing Allaah as He should be feared" means obeying Him all in that He has commanded, and staying away from all that He has forbidden, and Allaah subhaanahu does not order us except with that which we are able to do, as verily Allaah has said:

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "and what I have forbidden you from then avoid it" then this is to be taken to apply generally in all situations, except if one has a necessity, such as eating meat from an animal which has not been correctly slaughtered if one's life is in danger or what is similar to that, then that is not considered to be forbidden. However, in all conditions other than that of ncessity the individual is not considered to have fulfilled this forbiddance of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam until he leaves all those things which the Sharee'ah forbids. So he does not fulfill the forbiddance if he continues to practise even one of the forbidden things. This is in opposition to what has been commanded to do, for in terms of the commands we must do whatever we are able.

And in his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "verily the nations before you were destroyed due to their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their Prophets", then this was mentioned after his saying "Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified]". And this implies that we should not be excessive in questioning, as then we would be similar to the Banoo Israa'eel when it was said to them: "Sacrifice a cow". So if they had taken these words upon their apparent meaning and sacrificed any cow they would have fulfilled the command. But because they insisted on asking many questions regarding its colour, its appearance, its work etc, the matter became difficult for them, until they were able to find a suitable cow only after a great search and paying a large sum of money. So they were blameworthy for this, and our Prophet Muhammad sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam feared the same for his Ummah.

Summary

Hadeeth 10: Restricting oneself to the Pleasant Halaal

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 10

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Then he mentioned [the case] of a man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty ..." then its meaning is best known by Allaah. But we know from other ahaadeeth that the supplication of the traveller is more readily acceptable to Allaah, and a 'long journey' could be from amongst the actions of worship, such as the Hajj or Jihaad or other than that from the pious actions. And even in this case his supplication is still not accepted because his food, drink and clothing are Haraam. So how about the case of the one who is travelling for some purpose of the dunyaa, or for oppressing the people, or those who are ignorant of the various types of worship and goodness.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "who spreads out his hands to the sky" means that he raises his hands in supplication to Allaah 'azza wa jall, while at the same time he is opposing His commands and is sinning. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "so how can [his supplication] be answered ?!" and in another narration "so how can he be answered because of that ?!", means that there cannot be an answer for the one who possesses such characteristics. Such a person cannot be amongst those whose supplication will be answered, unless Allaah the Almighty does so out of His infinite Grace and Kindness and Generosity, and Allaah knows best.

Summary

Hadeeth 11: Being Cautious of the Doubtful

On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib (radiAllaahu 'anhumaa), the grandson of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), and the one much loved by him, who said: I memorised from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam):

Explanation of Hadeeth 11

And this would be a higher station than that indicated by the first hadeeth.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary

Hadeeth 12: Leaving that which does not concern a Muslim

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

A Hasan (Good) Hadeeth which was related by at-Tirmidhee and others in this fashion.

Explanation of Hadeeth 12

And Imaam Maalik mentioned that it reached him that it was said to Luqmaan: "What has enabled you to attain what we see in you of Grace and Blessing ?" to which he replied:

And it has been narrated from Hasan [al-Basree] that he said:

And Abu Daawood as-Sijistaanee said:

and he mentioned among them this hadeeth.

Summary

Hadeeth 13 : Loves for his Brother that which he Loves for Himself

On the authority of Abu Hamzah Anas bin Maalik (radiAllaahu anhu) - the servant of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) - that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 13

The 'ulamaa have said that the meaning of the hadeeth is that the one who does not have this characteristic has not believed with the complete and perfect eemaan, while he has already achieved the basic level of eemaan.

And the intented meaning of "loves for his brother" is those things which are from obedience to Allaah, and the permissible matters, as opposed to the evil or Haraam matters, and this is proved from the narration collected by an-Nasaa'ee which mentions : "until he loves for his brother from the good that which he loves for himself".

Shaykh Abu 'Amr ibn as-Salaah said : And this appears to be something which is difficult/unobtainable, but this is not the case, beacuse its meaning is that the eemaan of one of you is not completed/perfected until he loves for his brother in Islaam that which he loves for himself [and not that he has no eemaan at all until he does so]. And establishing this is obtained through loving that he obtains something good without vying/competing with him in obtaining that thing, meaning that he does not desire any decrease in him of blessing. [This is the opposite of hasad or jealousy, where one wishes that his brother is deprived of a blessing, and that you posses it instead]. And this is easy and attainable for the Pure and Upright heart, but is difficult for the corrupt heart - may Allaah ta'aalaa forgive us and all of our brothers.

And Abu az-Zinaad said : What is apparent from this hadeeth is that one desires for ones brother the same as that which one wishes for oneself, but the real meaning is that one desires for him better than what one wishes for oneself. This is because man always wishes that he is the best of the people [in all things]; so if he loves for his brother what he loves for himself [to be the best], then he has placed his brother amongst the generality of those who are the best. [Also,] do you not see that man desires to receive justice for his rights and injustices done against him ? So if he has completed/perfected his eemaan, and then he sees that he has wronged his brother or his brother has a right upon him, then he makes haste to establish justice in that affair, even if this may cause himself difficulty.

And it is narrated that al-Fudail bin 'Iyaad said to Sufyaan bin 'Uyaynah "If you wish that the people are similar to you then you have not offered to Allaah, the Most Generous, the True Naseehah [sincerity - see Hadeeth 7], so how will it be if you love that they are less than you ?"

And some of the 'Ulamaa have said based upon this Hadeeth that the believer with another believer is like a single soul, and so it is desired that he loves for him that which he loves for himself, since they are as though a single soul. And similar to this has come in another hadeeth : "The Believers are like a single body; if a single limb feels pain, then the whole body along with it suffers with fever and sleeplessness."

Summary :

Hadeeth 14 : The Prohibition of the Blood of a Muslim and the Reasons for Shedding it

On the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 14

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the one who forsakes his religion and separates from the community" is general and refers to all those who apostate from Islaam, by whichever method this may occur, and it then becomes obligatory on the Muslims to kill him unless he returns to Islaam.

And the scholars have mentioned that this also includes all those who leave [being of] the community of Muslims through an innovation or transgression or other than that, and Allaah knows best. [Note: It would appear that this innovation or transgression must be of a very serious nature, such that the perpetrator would effectively leave the fold of Islaam]

And what is apparent is that this is a general rule [ie. killing a Muslim is only allowed in these three instances], but it also includes certain specific situations such as an attacker or similar to that. In such cases, then it is permissible to kill a Muslim out of defence from harm from him - indeed it may be that this becomes obligatory, as such an attacker comes under those who have separated from the community. And also, the meaning here is that killing a Muslim intentionally is not permitted except in these three instances, and Allaah knows best.

And some of the 'ulamaa have used this hadeeth to show that the one who abandons the Prayer (salaah) is killed, because the one who abandons the Prayer is included amongst these three. And the scholars have differed over this issue, so from them are those who say that the one who abandons the Prayer becomes a disbeliever (kaafir) while others say that he does not. And some of those who rule that he becomes a kaafir use as a proof another hadeeth in the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none is worthy of worship except Allaah, and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, and they establish the Prayer (salaah) and pay the poor due (zakaah)". So it is said: "the angle of derivation of proof is that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam made protection based upon fulfilling all of these conditions - the two shahaadahs, establishing the salaah and paying the zakaah. And the consequence of these things (protection) is not attained except by fulfilling all of them, and is negated by the absence of any one of them." And this is what is obtained if we consider only the apparent speech of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam where he said "I have been ordered to fight the people ...", as this seems to indicate an order to fight until the goal is obtained. However, [in taking such an understanding] it is forgotton and overlooked that there is a difference between muqaatalah (fighting) over something, and qatl (killing) over it. For in fighting over something the purpose is to obtain what is desired [that they return to the Prayer] in any way that may occur, and it does imply the necessity of killing the one who leaves the Prayer, as long as they do not fight us, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the married person who commits adultery" then this includes both males and females, and it is a proof for that which is agreed upon by the Muslims that the ruling for the adulterer is stoning to death, with its conditions, as are mentioned in the books of Fiqh.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "a life for a life" is in agreement with the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa "And we have prescribed for them in it (the Tawraat) : a life for a life" [al-Maa'idah, 45]. And its meaning is those who are equivalent in Islaam and Freedom, due to the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "A Muslim is not killed [in requittal] for a kaafir". And also, Freedom is a condition for equality according to Imaams Maalik, ash-Shaafi'ee and Ahmad. [ie. A free man cannot be killed for a slave] However, the scholars of Ahl-ur-Rayy [The People of Opinion - a reference to the scholars of the Hanafee madhhab] have taken the position that a Muslim is killed for a dhimmee [a non-Muslim who pays the jizyaa, and lives under the protection of a Muslim state] and that a free man is killed for a slave, and they use this hadeeth as a proof. But the jamhoor (majority of the scholars) have ruled opposite to this.

Summary :

Hadeeth 15 : Islaamic Manners

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 15

And the sins of the tongue are numerous, and because of this the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said : "And what is it that throws the people into the Hellfire upon their noses, except what their tongues have harvested" and he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has said : "Everything that the son of Aadam speaks will be a proof against him, except the dhikr of Allaah and his ordering the good and forbidding the evil". So whosoever understands this, and protects the rights of his Eemaan, then he will fear Allaah and have taqwaa of Him with regards to his tongue, and he will not speak except with good, or will remain silent.

Some of the 'ulamaa have mentioned that all of the Good Manners can be derived from four hadeeth, and they mentioned amongst them this hadeeth. And some them have said regarding the meaning of this hadeeth that if a person wishes to say something, then if that speech is good, and will surely be rewarded for, then let him say it. And if not, then let him keep silent - whether it is apparent that the speech is Haraam (forbidden) or Makrooh (disliked) or even Mubaah (permissible). So from this it is said that the permissible speech is to be left and avoided, and rather it is preferred to keep silent in such situations, out of fear that it may turn into something which is Haraam or Makrooh; and it is seen that this happens a great deal, and thus Allaah has said : "Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)" [Qaaf, 18].

However, the 'ulamaa have differed over whether everything that a person says is written down by the Recording Angels, including that which is considered Mubaah (permissible), or if it is only those things for which he may be rewarded or punished. And Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhu) and others have adopted this second opinion, and so in this case the aayah mentioned above would have its meaning restricted to those words or statements for which there is some kind of recompense - good or bad.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "let him be generous to his neighbour" and "let him be generous to his guest" contains instruction on the rights of the neighbours and guests, and on doing good to them and encouragement upon protecting the limbs from doing harm to them, and also Allaah ta'aalaa has advised us in His Noble Book with Ihsaan (good behaviour, kindness, good treatment) towards the neighbours. And the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has said : "Jibreel - alayhi as-salaam - did not cease to advise me regarding the rights of the neighbour, until I began to think that they would also receive a part of the inheritance".

And hospitality is from Islaam, and from the character of the Prophets and the Pious. And some of the scholars have made it obligatory, though the majority consider it to be from the noble, recommended traits of character. And the author of "al-Ifsaah" has said regarding this hadeeth :
"It should be believed that hospitality to the guest is a means of attaining nearness to Allaah, and that it is a form of worship of the Lord, and that this worship is not decreased if the guest is a wealthy person (rather than a poor man), nor is it affected if one presents for ones guest simple things from what one posseses. Rather, the correct hospitality is achieved by keeping a smiling countenace for ones guest, and beautifying ones conversation with him, and the Pillar of Hospitality is preparing a meal for the guest; and so one should be eager to prepare for him from what Allaah has provided and made easy, without causing oneself undue difficulty."

He then mentioned some other points on hospitality, before saying :
"And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement 'let him speak good or keep silent', then this indicates that the Good Speech is better than keeping silent, and that silence is better than Evil Speech, and this is because the form of the Prophet's (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement contains a command. And from the Good Speech is conveying knowledge from Allaah 'azza wa jall and his Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, and teaching the Muslims, and commanding the good, and forbidding the evil, and reconciling the differences between people, and speaking well to the people, and from amongst the best of speech is the Statement of Truth, for the one who truly Fears and Hopes for the Recompense."

Summary :

Hadeeth 16 : The Forbiddance of Anger

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu),

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 16

And it has also been narrated in another hadeeth : "Verily anger is from Shaytaan", and it is because of this that the angry person is no longer able to deal justly, and he speaks falsehood, and he takes on many blameworthy characteristics, and he takes into his heart feelings of hatred and malice and other than that of the despicable, forbiddden characteristics - and all of this is from anger, may Allaah protect us from it. And it has been narrated in the hadeeth of Sulaymaan bin Sarud : "Verily seeking refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast, causes the anger to recede." And this is because Shaytaan is the one who beautifies anger and all other such blameworthy affairs, for Shaytaan always tries to mislead man and keep him away from the Pleasure of Allaah 'azza wa jall, and so seeking refuge with Allaah from him is one of the strongest weapons available to repel his evil designs.

Summary :

Hadeeth 17 : The Command to Slaughter and Kill in the Best Manner

On the authority of Abu Ya'laa Shaddaad bin Aws (radiAllaahu anhu), that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said :

It was related by Muslim

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 17

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "then kill well" is general to all situations, whether it be slaughtering animals, or killing a human in Qisaas (equal retaliation) or killing as a Shari'ah Punishment, or other than that.

This hadeeth is from the Comprehensive Statements of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, and contains many Principles. And the meaning of "killing well" is that one exerts himself the utmost in performing it well, and does not intend to cause unnecessary pain or torment through it. And "slaughtering well" in respect to livestock implies that one shows kindness to the animal to be slaughtered, and that one does not fell it to the ground cruelly or harshly, nor drag it from one place to another. It also includes facing it towards the Qiblah and taking the name of Allaah upon it, and cleanly and quickly cutting the throat and the two jugular veins, and then leaving it until it has turned cold. And it also includes recognising and acknowledging Allaah's favours upon us, and thanking Him and being grateful to Him for them, for verily He - subhaanahu - has subdued for us from amongst His creation whatever pleases Him, and has made Permissible for us what He could have made Forbidden, if He had so wished.

Summary :

Hadeeth 18 : Good Character

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah, and Abu 'Abd-ir-Rahmaan Mu'aadh bin Jabal (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a Hasan (Good) Hadeeth, and in some copies it is stated to be a Hasan Saheeh Hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 18

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and behave well towards the people" means that one should treat the people the way one would like them to treat oneself. And know that "Verily the heaviest thing to be placed in the Scales [on the Day of Accounting] will be the Good Character/Behaviour". And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said "Verily the most loved of you by me and the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in Character" [related by at-Tabaraanee, but judged weak by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb]. And good character is from the characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers and the chosen ones from amongst the Believers - those who do not retaliate with evil, but rather forgive and pardon and behave well despite being treated badly.

Summary :

Hadeeth 19 : Be Mindful of Allaah and Allaah will Protect You

On the authority of Abu 'Abbaas 'Abdillaah bin 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) who said : One day I was behind the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) [riding on the same mount] and he said :

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a Good and Sound Hadeeth.

Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhee, reads :

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 19

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Be Mindful of Allaah and you will find Him in front of you" means "Perform your actions for His sake out of His obedience, and let yourself not be seen to oppose or disobey Him, then you will find Allaah with you in times of difficulty", as happened to the three men who fled to a cave to seek shelter from torrential rain, whereupon a huge rock descended upon the entrance to the cave and sealed it. So they said to one another : "Look to the pious actions that you have performed [in the past] and ask Allaah ta'aalaa by them, for verily He is the only One who can save us from this." So each one of them mentioned a good action that they had performed previously, purely for the sake of their Lord, so Allaah removed the rock that was blocking the entrance to the cave, and they were free from their imprisonment, and their story is well known from the Saheeh [of Muslim]. [Note: This story shows that one of the permissible, and indeed recommended, forms of Tawassul, or seeking Waseelah to Allaah, is through the good actions that one has performed.]

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "If you ask, then ask Allaah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allaah [alone]" guides us to having Trust and Reliance upon our Protector, and that we should not take any Ilaah (object of Worship) except Him, and that we should not depend upon or be attached to anyone other than Him in all our affairs, no matter how small they may be. And Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him" [at-Talaaq, 3].

So according to the degree by which a person relies upon other than Allaah ta'aalaa in his desires and by his heart, or in his hopes, then proportionately he has turned away from his Lord to those who cannot hurt him nor benefit him. And similarly in the case of Fear of other than Allaah, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) emphasised this when he said : "And know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allaah had already prescribed for you", and similarly in the case of harm. And this is the essence of Eemaan in Qadr, and having eemaan in it is obligatory, the good of it and the evil of it. And once a Believer has conviction (yaqeen) in this then he sees no benefit in asking from other than Allaah or seeking help from them. And similar to this is the answer of al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem] alayhi as-salaam, to the question of Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) when he was in the air having been thrown towards the Great Fire : "Do you have any need ?" to which he replied : "As for from you, then no. As for from Allaah, then definitely."

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "The Pens have been lifted and the Pages have dried" further emphasises what has preceeded, and there is no contradiction with that by way of abrogation or change.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "And know that Victory comes with Patience, Relief with Affliction, and Hardship with Ease" informs him [Ibn 'Abbaas] to take note that Man in this World will be presented with trials and misfortunes, especially the Pious, due to the statement of Allaah 'azza wa jall :

and Allaah ta'aalaa has also said :

Summary :

Hadeeth 20 : Modesty is from Eemaan

On the authority of Abu Mas'ood 'Uqbah bin 'Amr al-Ansaaree al-Badree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 20

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "then do as you wish" has two angles to it :

The first of them is that it is not an order to do as we please, but rather it is a warning or threat that if we do so then we shall have to face the consequences. And this is similar to the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa with reference to the Disbelievers : "Do what you will" [Fussilat, 40]. And this is a threat to them as it has been made clear to them what will come about as a result of their disbelief. And this is also similar to the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Whoever sells alcohol then let him also make permissible the eating of swine" - and, clearly, there is not in this permission to eat the flesh of pigs !

The second is that if a person does not have any modesty or shame, then let him come forward and openly perform every single shameful act without any reservation. And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Modesty is from Eemaan (faith)". Its meaning is that modesty prevents a person from committing shameful and evil deeds, but rather encourages him towards piety and good actions; just as a person's Eemaan (faith) prevents him from committing such acts, and instead encourages him upon obedience [of the Lord]. Thus, modesty attains the station and position of Eemaan, through its being equivalent to Eemaan in this.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 21 : Say 'I believe in Allaah' and then be Steadfast

On the authority of Aboo 'Amr - and he is also called Aboo 'Amrah - Sufyaan bin Abdillaah ath-Thaqafee (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 21

This is from the Complete and Comprehensive Speech that has been given to our Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), for verily he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has combined, for the questioner, in these two phrases the complete meanings of al-Islaam and al-Eemaan. For verily these words instruct one to renew one's Eemaan through the tongue and the remembrance of the heart, and they instruct one to remain steadfast (have Istiqaamah) upon performing the actions of Obedience and to refrain completely from all the actions of Disobedience, since it is not possible to establish al-Istiqaamah while at the same time having some element of crookedness and disobedience, as this is its opposite. And this is similar to His statement : "Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is Allaah', and then they remain steadfast upon that" [Fussilat, 30], ie they believe in Allaah alone, and then they remain steadfast upon that, and upon His obedience, until Allaah takes their souls and they are still upon that. 'Umar bin al-Khattaab (radiAllaahu anhu) said : "They are steadfast upon the obedience of Allaah, and they do not swerve away from that with the evasions of the fox". And its meaning is that they are firm upon most of what Allaah has ordered, from the matters of Belief, Speech and Action. And they persist upon that, and this is the meaning of the explanation given by most of the scholars of Tafseer, and it is the meaning of the hadeeth, in shaa' Allaah ta'aalaa.

And similarly the statement of Allaah subhaanahu : "So stand (O Muhammad SAW) firm and straight (on the religion of Islaam) as you are commanded" [Hood, 112]. Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhu) said that no other verse from the entire Qur'aan was revealed upon the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that was harder upon him than this verse. And due to this he sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said : "(The Soorah) Hood and its companions have made my hair white". And Aboo Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu) has narrated that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "My hair has been made white by (Soorahs) Hood, and al-Waaqi'ah, and al-Mursalaat, and 'Amma yatasaa'aloon, and Idha ash-Shamsu Kuwwirat".

al-Ustaadh Aboo al-Qaasim al-Qushairee (rahimahu Allaahu ta'aalaa) said : al-Istiqaamah is a station by which is achieved the perfection of the affairs, and their completion, and with its presence one attains all that is good and in order. And he who does not attain Istiqaamah in his endeavour then he has lost that endeavour and all good fortune.

And it is said : al-Istiqaamah is not sustained except by the elders and seniors [in the Deen], because it involves keeping away from the common [incorrect] practises of the [ignorant] people. And it involves difference and separation from the [incorrect] customs and traditions of the people, and instead standing firm between the Hands of Allaah ta'aalaa upon the Reality of Truth, and due to this the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Be steadfast [in your actions] and do not count/enumerate [your good actions, which may cause you to limit them]. And know that the best of your actions is the Prayer, and none except the [true] Believer takes care to maintain his wudoo'". And al-Waasitee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "al-Istiqaamah is a trait such that with it all the good qualities are perfected, and without it they are all disfigured."

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 22 : Confinement to the Obligatory Deeds is Sufficient to be Entered into Paradise

On the authority of Abu 'Abdillaah Jaabir bin 'Abdillaah al-Ansaaree (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that :

It was related by Muslim.

And the meaning of 'treat as forbidden the Haraam' is to stay away from it, and the meaning of 'treat as lawful the Halaal' is to perform it believing it to be permissible.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 22

The author of al-Mufham said that in this hadeeth the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mention to the questioner any of the voluntary actions, and this is a proof indicating the permissibility of leaving all of the voluntary actions. But the one who does so, and does not perform anything from the voluntary deeds, has deprived his soul of a tremendous profit and an immense reward. And the one who persists upon leaving something from the Sunnah is considered to have a deficiency in his Religion, and an impairment to his decency and justice. And if his leaving it is due to disdain or indifference to it, or due to his detesting it, then this is considered to be fisq (sinfulness) that is deserving of punishment.

And our scholars have said : If the people of a land come to an agreement upon the leaving of a Sunnah, then they must be fought against until they return back to it. And the leaders from amongst the Sahaabah (radiAllaahu anhum) and those who followed them would persevere upon performing the voluntary deeds, and these would make easy persistence upon the obligatory deeds, and they would not distinguish between the voluntary and the obligatory in trying to attain reward.

And here the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) left out the Sunan and other voluntary acts in his advice to the man to make the Religion easy for him, due to his having recently accepted Islaam, as excessive obligations may have alienated him from the Religion. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) knew that if the man established himself upon Islaam and if Allaah opened his heart to the Deen, then he would, of his own accord, seek those voluntary actions which the other Muslims sought. Also, it is possible that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mention the voluntary deeds in his advice so that the man would not wrongly assume that such actions are also obligatory.

And similarly in another hadeeth :
A man asked the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) about the Salaah (Prayer), so he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) told him that they are five. So the man said : "Am I required to perform any more [other than these five] ?" to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied "No, except that which you perform voluntarily". Then the man asked about the Fasting, and the Hajj and other prescribed matters, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) answered him [in a similar manner]. Then at the end of this the man said : "By Allaah, I will not increase upon this, nor will I perform less than it", to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "He will be Successful if he is truthful", and in another narration "If he holds onto that which he has been commanded with then he will enter Paradise".

And the Sunan and voluntary deeds have been prescribed to complete and beautify the Obligatory deeds. So in the case of this questioner, and the one mentioned before him, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not include in his advice the voluntary deeds in order to make the Religion easy for them, until their own understanding of the Deen increased, which would then lead to a desire to attain the reward of the voluntary deeds.

So he who preserves the deeds obligatory upon him, and performs them in their time, without leaving anything from them or violating any of their requisites, then he will attain a tremendous and immense Success - may Allaah grant us that. And similarly, he who comes with the obligatory deeds and then follows that up with additional voluntary deeds will achieve a Success even greater than the first.

Summary :

Hadeeth 23 : Hastening to do Good

On the authority of Abu Maalik al-Haarith bin al-Haarith al-Ash'aree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 23

As for 'Purity' then what is intended here is the action. The 'ulemaa have differed over the meaning of the phrase 'Purity is half of Eemaan', so some have said that it means that the reward of purifying oneself is such that it reaches half the reward of Eemaan, and some have said that the meaning of Eemaan here is the Salaah (Prayer). As Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And Allaah would never let your eemaan (prayers offered towards Jerusalem, before Makkah was made the Qiblah) to be lost" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 143]. And purity is a condition for the correctness of the Prayer, so it becomes like a part of it, and it is not necessary that a part of something is really half of it. And others have said other than this.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "'al-Hamdu lillaah' [Praise be to Allaah] fills the scales" then its meaning is that due to the great reward for reciting the Praise of Allaah, the scale of good deeds of the worshipper is filled. And it is apparent from the texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah that the deeds of the slave will be weighed on the Day of Judgement, and will either be heavy or light.

And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and 'subhaanAllaah' [How far is Allaah from every imperfection] and 'al-Hamdu lillaah' fill that which is between heaven and earth" and the reason for its great virtue is that it combines within it the denial for Allaah of all forms of deficiency and imperfection, and establishes our complete dependence upon Him and need of Him.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the Salaah (Prayer) is a Light" means that it prevents a person from sin, forbids him from fahshaa' (lusts) and guides him towards that which is Right, just as one uses a light to illuminate ones way. And it has also been said that it means that its reward will be a light for the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, or that it will be a clear and apparent light on the face of the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, and also in this life in the form of beauty and radiance in his face. And this is the opposite of those who do not Pray, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "charity is a Proof" then the author of at-Tajreed said : Its meaning is that safety and refuge is sought through it, just as safety and refuge is sought through proofs [of the truth]. And when the slave will be asked on the Day of Resurrection about how he spent his wealth, then his spending in charity will be a proof for him in answering that question, so he will say "I spent it in charity".
And others have said that its meaning is that charity is a proof showing the eemaan of the giver, since the hypocrite does not give charity as he does not believe in its prescription or benefit. So whoever spends in charity, then this is an indication of the strength of his eemaan, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Patience is Illumination" then it refers to that Patience which is loved and recommended by the Sharee'ah, and that is Patience upon obedience of Allaah ta'aalaa, and Patience upon avoiding His disobedience. And it also includes Patience with the different difficulties that one must face in the world. And the implication of all this is that Patience is praiseworthy, and always shows the correct path, and always guides to that which is right.

Ibraaheem al-Khawaas (rahimahu Allaah) said : Patience is having steadfastness upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. And it is said that patience is restraining oneself in times of difficulty with the best manner and character. And Abu 'Alee ad-Diqaaq (rahimahu Allaah) said that patience is not remonstrating against that which Allaah decrees for us. However, making apparent ones difficulty through complaining [to Allaah] about it does not negate ones patience. For Allaah ta'aalaa said about Ayyoob (alayhi as-salaam) "Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)!" [Soorah Saad, 44], while also saying "And (remember) Ayoob, when he cried to his Lord: Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." [Soorah al-Anbiyaa', 83], and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and the Qur'aan is a Proof either for you or against you" then its meaning is clear that if one recites it and acts upon it, then one will attain great benefit from it, and if not then it will be a proof against us.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin" means that every person strives for his soul, so amongst mankind are those who sell themselves for Allaah through their obeying Him, and thus free their souls from the Punishment, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, Allaah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be Paradise" [Soorah at-Tawbah, 111]. And whoever sells his soul for Shaytaan and his desires through his following them, then he has destroyed his soul.

O Allaah ! Grant us that we act in Your Obedience, and save us from destroying ourselves through opposing You.

Summary :

Hadeeth 24 : The Forbiddence of Oppression

On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree (radiAllaahu anhu) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) from his Lord ('azza wa jall) that He said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 24

Regarding His 'azza wa jall statement "I have forbidden dhulm (oppression) for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you", some of the 'ulamaa have said thats its meaning is : "it does not befit My Majesty and hence is not possible for Me", as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "But it is not befitting of (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent (Allaah) that He should beget a son". So dhulm is inconceivable in respect of Allaah ta'aalaa. And some of the 'ulamaa have said regarding this hadeeth : "It is not permitted for anyone to ask Allaah to Judge against his adversary except with the Truth, from His - suhaanahu - saying : "I have forbidden dhulm for Myself", so He - subhaanahu - does not oppress His slaves of His own accord, so how can anyone conceive that He would oppress one of His slaves for the sake of another one of His slaves ?"

And similarly He said : "so do not oppress one another" and this implies that the oppressed will he avenged for the oppression committed against him.

And His statement "all of you are astray except those whom I have guided ... all of of you are hungry except those whom I have fed ... all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed" is a reminder of our poverty before Allaah, and our inability to bring about good for ourselves and to fend off harm from ourselves, except by the Help of Allaah subhaanahu in that, and this returns to the meaning of the statement : 'laa howla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah', ie 'there is no movement or power except by the Will of Allaah'. So let the slave know that when he sees the traces of these blessings upon himself then this is from the blessing of Allaah, and so it is necessary for him to thank Allaah ta'aalaa for that. And for every thing that he receives in excess of these blessings he should increase in Praise and Thankfulness of Allaah ta'aalaa.

And His statement : "so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you", then this generally informs the slave that when he sought guidance from his Master, then He guided him. And even if he received guidance before he asked for it from his Lord, then he still cannot say that he attained guidance by knowledge that he possessed. And similarly the meaning of "all of of you are hungry ..." till the end, is that Allaah has created all of creation in a state of poverty and need of food. So every one who eats was in a state of hunger until Allaah fed him, by sending his rizq (sustenace) to him and perfecting the favours that had been shaped for him. So let not the possessor of wealth think that the sustenace which he holds in his hand and which he has raised to his mouth has been provided to him by anyone other than Allaah ta'aalaa. And in this statement also is an indication of the required manners of the needy - as though He said : "Do not seek sustenance from anyone other than Me, for verily all those others from whom you might seek sustenance have themselves been provided for by Myself. So seek sustenance from me and I will provide for you", and similarly for that which follows this.

And His statement "you commit sins by day and by night" contains a censure against that [sins] which every believer feels ashamed of. For Allaah has created the night to be obeyed in, and to be worshipped sincerely in, as the deeds performed in the night are generally safe from riyaa' (ostentation) and hypocrisy. So does not the Believer feel ashamed that he does not spend his nights and days in the obedience of Allaah ? And also, Allaah has created witnesses from amongst mankind too, so what is expected of every intelligent and astute person is that he will obey Allaah, and will not openly display disobedience in front of the people. And how can it be that a Believer would sin whether openly or secretly, for verily Allaah subhaanaha wa ta'aalaa has said after that : "and I forgive all sins". And in the arabic of this statement are two forms of emphasis which indicate that Allaah will forgive all forms of sin. And He said this before His order to seek forgiveness from Him, so that no one who has committed a sin may despair of the Mercy of Allaah, no matter how great that sin may be.

And in His statement "if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you" until the end, is an indication that the taqwaa (piety) of the pious is a Mercy granted to them, and that it does not affect or increase the Kingdom of Allaah in the least.

And as for His statement "... were all to stand together in one place" then in it is an exhortation to the creation to lay importance upon asking Allaah and to seek from Him in all affairs, and not to feel shy or decrease in asking Him, for verily that which is with Allaah does not decrease and His treasures are inexhaustible, so let not anyone think that what is with Allaah will diminish by His giving, as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has explained in another hadeeth : "Allaah's Hand is Full; it is not diminished by His giving all of the day and the night. Have you not seen that your Lord has been giving ever since He created the Heavens and the Earth, and all that has not diminished what is in His Right Hand by the least". And what is hidden in this is that His Qudrah (Power, Ability) is always ready for bestowing favours upon His creation, and it is not possible that He lose the ability to do so, or that He decrease in doing so, or that what He is able to do becomes restricted.

And His statement "except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it" is a metaphor, whose purpose is to make understood what we testify for Allaah. And its meaning is that what is with Allaah does not decrease at all.

And His statement "it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allaah" means that the slave should not consider his actions of obedience and worship of Allaah as being the sole result or his own nafs (soul), but rather he should consider them to be the result of the tawfeeq (guidance, good fortune) from Allaah, and hence he should Praise Him for that.

And He said "and he who finds other than that" and He did not say "and he who finds evil"; and the meaning of this is therefore "and he who finds anything other than that which is best". Then, such a person should not blame anyone except himself. And Allaah emphasises this through a nuance in the Arabic language, so that no person may think that there can be anyone else who partly or wholly bears resposibility for his actions.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 25 : The Affluent have made off with the Rewards

Also on the authority of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) that some people from amongst the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said to the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 25

And in this hadeeth is proof that it is permissible to ask a scholar about the evidence for some of the things in the scholar's fatwaa (legal verdict) that are not apparent to the questioner, as long as it is clear that the scholar does not dislike this and the questioning is done in a respectful fashion.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "And commanding the good is a charity, and forbidding an evil is a charity" is an indication that every single type of ordering the good or forbidding the evil carries the ruling of being a charity. Indeed, it is greater than the tasbeeh and the other forms of dhikr mentioned after it, because ordering the good and forbidding the evil is a Fard Kifaayah (Collective Obligation), and at times it may become obligatory upon every individual, and this is opposite to the case of the adhkaar (plural of dhikr) mentioned previously, which are only nawaafil (voluntary deeds). And the reward of performing the Obligatory deeds is much greater than that of the Voluntary deeds, as the statement of Allaah 'azza wa jall in a hadeeth Qudsee indicates : "And My slave does not come closer to Me by anything more beloved to Me than the deeds that I have Obligated upon him" [narrated by al-Bukhaaree]. Some of the 'ulamaa have said that the reward for the obligatory deeds is greater than that for the voluntary deeds by seventy levels, as is indicated by some ahaadeeth.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "and in the bud'i (sexual act) of each one of you there is a charity" then the word "bud'i" is a general term that encompasses the meaning of intercourse and also the private parts themselves, and both of them correctly convey the intended meaning here. And it has already been mentioned that the Mubaah (Permissible) actions - ie not Obligatory nor Recommended - become like acts of Obediance, which are rewarded for, through the presence of the correct intention. So the act of intercourse also becomes an act of worship, if by it a person intends to fulfill the rights of his wife, and to live with her in a good way, or to seek a pious child, or as a protection for himself or his wife from illegal desires, or other than these from the praisewrothy purposes.

And their statement (radiAllaahu 'anhum) : "O Messenger of Allaah, when one of us fulfils his carnal desire will he have some reward for that ?" and his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) reply : "Do you not see that if he were to act upon it [his desire] in an unlawful manner then he would be deserving of punishment ?" until the end of the hadeeth, then this indicates the permissibilty of Qiyaas (using analogy to derive rulings), and this is the madhhab of the 'ulamaa, and none are opposed to this except the Dhaahiriyyah (Literalists - referring to the school of Daawood adh-Dhaahiree). And as for what has been narrated from some of the Taabi'een (the generation after the Sahaabah) and from other scholars to the effect that Qiyaas is rejected and blameworthy, then what they intended was not the Qiyaas that is known by the Mujtahid Fuqahaa (the Jurists who make ijtihaad in deriving rulings), and this is what is known as Qiyaas al-'Aks (literally, 'analogy of the opposite'), and the scholars of Usool have differed over acting upon it, but this hadeeth is a proof for those who do act upon it.

Summary :

Hadeeth 26 : The Virtue of Reconciling between People, and Judging Justly between them, and Helping them

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu), who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 26

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "to judge justly between two people is a charity" implies that one attains reconciliation between two people in a just manner.

And in another hadeeth narrated by Muslim : "Each morning, upon every joint of a person's body is due a charity; so every tasbeehah [subhaan Allaah] is a charity, and every tahmeedah [alhamdu lillaah] is a charity, and every tahleelah [laa ilaaha illaa Allaah] is a charity, and every takbeerah [Allaahu akbar] is a charity, and ordering the good is a charity, and forbidding the evil is a charity. These dues are fulfilled by praying two rakaa's of prayer at the time of duhaa [late morning]". So this hadeeth shows that the charity which is due on all the joints each day is accounted for by two raka'as of prayer, for verily the Prayer is an action that involves all of the limbs and joints of the body, so when a person prays every bone performs its part of the whole action, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 27 : Righteousness is in Good Character

On the authority of an-Nawwaas bin Sam'aan (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim.

And on the authority of Waabisah bin Ma'bad (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 27

And what is meant by 'good character' is justice in ones dealings, and kindness and consideration in ones endeavours, and justice in ones orders, and being generous in offering help and other than these from the characteristics of the believers, those whom Allaah ta'aalaa has described by saying :

And Allaah has said :

And He has said :

And He said :

until the end of the Soorah.

So whoever is unsure of his condition should compare himself to these aayaat, and if he finds in himself all of these good qualities then this is a sign of possessing good character, and if he finds that he does not possess any of them then this is a sign of bad character. And if he finds only some of them, then he should strive to retain that which he posseses and to obtain that which he does not.

And let not one think that 'good character' is interpreted as being only gentleness, and leaving fawaahish (lusts), and sins, and that whoever does only that has purified his character. Rather, good character includes all that along with all the other characteristics of the Believers that we have mentioned above.

And from good character also is patiently bearing bad treatment, as has been narrated in the two Saheehs [of Bukhaaree and Muslim] that a bedouin pulled at the cloak of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) until its hem left a mark upon the shoulder of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), and he [the bedouin] said : "O Muhammad! Grant for me from the Wealth of Allaah that is with you", so the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam) turned to him and laughed, and then ordered that he be given something.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about" means that wrongdoing is that thing which results in aversion/dislike in the heart, and this is a principle that is depended upon in distinguishing sin/wrongdoing from righteousness: that sin is that thing which wavers in the breast and the individual hates that the people should come to know of it. And what is intended here by 'the people' is those who are equals in status and respectability, or the best of society, and not the common riff raff. So this is what is sin/wrongdoing, so it is to be left, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 28 : The Obligation of Binding Oneself to the Sunnah

On the authority of Abu Najeeh al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

It was related by Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhee, who said that it was a good and sound Hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 28

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "I counsel you to have taqwaa (fear) of Allaah, and to listen and obey [your leader]" means the ruler, even if he may be a slave. And in some of the narrations it mentions "an Ethiopian slave". Some of the 'ulamaa have said that a slave cannot be the ruler, and that this has been mentioned by way of an example or supposition. And this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Whosoever builds for Allaah a masjid like a bird's nest, Allaah builds for him a house in Paradise". And a bird's nest cannot be a masjid, but this is given simply by way of an example. Other 'ulamaa say that in this statement the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is informing us that the Rulership will become corrupt, and will be given to other than its rightful owners, until it is even given to the slaves. So if this were to occur then still listen and obey, in order to secure the lesser of two evils, which are putting up with a Ruler who rules without right, or bringing about chaos and a great fitnah through revolt.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy" is from amongst his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) miracles, as he informed his Companions of that which was to occur after him of differences and the spreading of evil. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was aware of this in complete detail, but he did not reveal all these details to every individual. Rather he used to warn about it in a general fashion, but also explained it in detail to some individuals such as Hudhayfah and Abu Hurayrah (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and this is evidence to show their great position and status.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "so you must keep to my Sunnah" then the word 'sunnah' means the straight, correct and sound way which proceeds upon his normal/customary way, and that is the Clear Path. And "the Sunnah of the Khulafaa' ar-Raashideen (the Rightly Guided Caliphs), those who guide to the right way" are those in whom the Guidance was contained, and they are the Four by consensus of the Muslims - Abu Bakr, and 'Umar, and 'Uthmaan and 'Alee, may Allaah be pleased with them all.

And the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) ordered us with clinging to the Sunnah of the Khulafaa' ar-Raashideen for two reasons :
The First is in the form of taqleed (following without evidence) for the one who is incapable of making his own discernment/judgement.
The Second is in the form of deciding that which is more correct when faced with a difference of opinion amongst the Sahaabah themselves.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion]" then know that such newly invented matters are of two types :
1) That matter which has no basis in the Sharee'ah, and this is baatil [rejected] and blameworthy
2) That matter which has a parallel or similarity in the Sharee'ah, then this is not blameworthy.
This is because the words 'newly invented matter' and 'bid'ah' are not deemed blameworthy purely on the basis of the words themselves, but due to their indicating opposition to the Sunnah and calling towards misguidance, and so they are not considered to be unrestrictedly wrong. For example, 'Umar (radiAllaah anhu) reinstated the Taraaweeh Prayer and said "What an excellent bid'ah is this." It is to be noted here that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) had led the Taraaweeh Prayer in congregation for a few days, but then discontinued it due to his fear that the people would think it obligatory. This condition remained throughout the Khilaafah of Abu Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu), until 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhu) restarted what the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) had already laid a precedent for. Thus, he used the word bid'ah in a purely linguistic sense, and not in the Shar'ee sense that is used for blameworthy things.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 29 : That which Enters One into Paradise

On the authority of Mu'aadh bin Jabal (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 29

"Establish the Prayer" means performing it by completing all its requisites in the most perfect manner. Then after this, he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned the other Pillars of Islaam, namely the Zakaah, Fasting and Hajj, and then he asked "Shall I not guide you towards the Means of Goodness ?"

"Fasting is a shield" - here 'fasting' is referring to the Fasting other than that of Ramadaan, as that has already been mentioned. What is implied here is observing many voluntary fasts. And the protection of fasting is like a shield and covering from the Fire.

"Charity wipes away sin" - what is meant by 'charity' here is that which is beyond the obligatory zakaat.

Then he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "and the Praying of a man in the depths of the Night" and he recited the verses from Soorah as-Sajdah. All this means that the one who stands in the middle of the night, abandoning the pleasure of his sleep, prefering instead that which he hopes from his Lord, then his reward shall be as mentioned in the verse : "No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do". And it has been transmitted in some narrations that "Allaah ta'aalaa boasts about the one who stands in worship in the darkness of the night, by saying : "Look at My Slaves who stand in the darkness of the night, when none except I see them; bear witness that I have granted for them the abode of My Favour and Generosity""

And then he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter ? ...". So he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) likened 'the matter' to a male camel and made Islaam its head, as any animal cannot live without a head. Then he said "its pillar is the Prayer" : the pillar of something is that thing by which it stands, and remains unstable without it.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and the peak of its hump is jihaad" : the peak of anything is its uppermost part, and the peak of the hump of a camel is its uppermost tip. And jihaad is an action which is not matched or equalled by any other, as has been narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu 'anhu) that a man came to the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said : "Guide me to an action equal to jihaad", to which the Messenger replied : "I do not find one". Then he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Are you able, when the Mujaahid leaves his house, to enter the Masjid and Pray continuously without breaking, and fast continuously without eating [until the Mujaahid returns] ?", to which the man replied "And who is able to do so ?"

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that ? ..." is encouragement first upon jihaad against kufr, and then the greater jihaad, which is the jihaad against the nafs (soul), and restraining it from speech which will harm it and bring about its downfall. For he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) indicated that most of the people will enter the Fire because of their tongues, whence he said : "May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu'aadh ! Is there anything that throws people into the Hell Fire upon their faces - or : on their noses - except the harvests of their tongues ?" And it has already been mentioned in the authentic hadeeth that "whosoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or keep silent", and in another hadeeth "Whosoever guarantees for me (ie safeguards) that which is between his jaws (ie his tongue) and that which is between his legs (ie his private parts), then I shall guarantee for him Paradise".

Summary :

Hadeeth 30 : The Rights of Allaah ta'aalaa

On the authority of Abu Tha'labah al-Kushanee - Jurthoom bin Naashir (radiAllaahu anhu) - that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

A Hasan hadeeth narrated by ad-Daaraqutnee and others.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 30

And the Sahaabah (radiAllaahu 'anhum) understood this, and restrained from asking except in those matters which were essential. [Due to this] they would be delighted when a desert bedouin [who would not be so restrained] would come to ask the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) questions, so they would listen attentively.

And some people became extreme in this until they said : "It is not permssible to ask the scholars about new events/situations until they actually occur." And the Salaf [ie the Early Scholars] used to say similar to this, that is to leave such matters until they actually occurred. [This continued] until they began to fear that Knowledge would be lost [through the death of the 'ulamaa], and so they began to lay down Principles, and discuss finer issues, and to arrange and write down the different branches of Knowledge and their rulings.

And the 'ulamaa have differed regarding the ruling on matters before the Sharee'ah was revealed about them [ie during the life of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam] - were they all forbidden or permissible or was there no ruling about them at all ? So the 'ulamaa have split into three madhhabs on this issue, and all this is mentioned in detail in the books of Usool ul-Fiqh.

Summary :

Hadeeth 31 : The Reality of Asceticism

On the authority of Abu al-'Abbaas Sahl bin Sa'ad as-Saa'idee (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah and others with good chains of authorities.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 31

And know that whosoever lives in the world lives like a guest, and whatever he holds in his hand is but a loan; the guest will ultimately depart, and the loan will ultimately be returned. And 'Alee (radiAllaahu anhu) said : "The Dunyaa is the land that you see before you - from it eat the pious and the evil ones", and it is hated by the Awliyaa (Friends) of Allaah and loved by the People of the Dunyaa. So whosoever joins them in their love of it (the Dunyaa) then they too are hated.

And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has guided the questioner in this hadeeth to leave the Dunyaa by being abstemious of it, and as a consequence of that has promised for him the Love of Allaah, the Most High - and that is His being Pleased with him, for verily the Love of Allaah for His slaves is His being Pleased with them. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) also guided him towards being abstemious of that which the people possess, if he wishes to obtain the love of the people. And wealth is from love of the Dunyaa, and verily there is nothing that the people possess and they hate one another because of it or compete with one another for it, except the wealth of the Dunyaa.

And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Whoever makes the Hereafter his pre-occupation, then Allaah gathers together his affairs, and places freedom from want in his heart, and the Dunyaa comes to him despite being reluctant to do so. And whoever makes the Dunyaa his pre-occupation, then Allaah breaks up his affairs, and places his poverty before his eyes, and nothing of the Dunyaa comes to him except that which has been decreed for him. And the happy one is he who chooses that whose blessings will remain forever over the trial whose punishments shall never cease".

Summary :

Hadeeth 32 : No Harming nor Reciprocating Harm

On the authority of Abu Sa'eed Sa'ad bin Sinaan al-Khudree (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah, ad-Daaraqutnee and others as a musnad hadeeth. It was also related by Maalik in al-Muwatta in mursal form from 'Amr bin Yahyaa, from his father from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), but leaving Abu Sa'eed from the chain. And it has other chains of narrations that strengthen one another.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 32

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "There should be neither 'darar' nor 'diraar'" then some of the 'ulamaa have said that these are two words which have the same meaning, and they have been used together as a form of emphasis.

And Ibn Habeeb (rahimahu Allaah) said : "According to the scholars of the Arabic language, ad-darar refers to the noun and ad-diraar refers to the action/verb, and so the meaning of 'no darar' is that none of you should harm any other with something that they have not harmed you with first. And the meaning of 'no diraar' is that none of you should harm any other at all."

And al-Muhsinee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "ad-darar is that by which you attain benefit, but in it is harm for your neighbour", and this is a good understanding of a nuance of the meaning. And other scholars have said : "ad-darar and ad-diraar are similar to al-qatal [murder] and al-qitaal [fighting one another], so ad-darar is that you harm one who has not harmed you, while ad-diraar is that you harm one who also harms you in a way that is not responding equally or taking revenge rightfully", and this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Return the Trusts given to you, to those who entrusted them to you, and do not betray the one who betrays you" [Hasan Ghareeb, narrated by at-Tirmidhee]. And the meaning of this according to some of the 'ulamaa is that one must not betray the one who betrays, after one has already taken revenge or sought justice for his betrayal. And so it is as though the forbiddance here is upon initiating an injustice or harm, while the one who seeks revenge with the equal of what he has been harmed with, and who takes his Right, then he is not considered to be a betrayer. Rather, the betrayer is he who takes that which does not belong to him or more than that which is rightfully his.

And the Jurists [fuqahaa'] have differed over the one who refuses to fulfill the rights/trusts that others have upon him, such that the entruster forcibly takes the wealth that he had entrusted to him. So some of the scholars have said : "It is not correct for him to [forcibly] take what is his right due to what is apparent from his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Return the Trusts, and do not betray the one who betrays you". On the other hand, other scholars have said : "It is permissible for him to take revenge from the one who has betrayed him, and to forcibly take what is due to him from the hand of his betrayer" and they use as proof the hadeeth narrated by 'Aaishah (radiAllaahu anhaa) regarding the incident involving Hind and her husband Abu Sufyaan, wherein Hind said to the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "O Messenger of Allaah ! Verily Abu Sufyaan is a stingy/tight-fisted man, and he does not give to me what is sufficient for myself and my child, unless I take it from him secretly." So the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied : "Take [from his wealth] what is sufficient for you and your child, but with justice" [narrated by Muslim]. And in this issue the fuqahaa' have mentioned many points and fine issues that cannot be mentioned here.

And what is correct from an examination of all the evidences is that it is not correct for someone to harm his brother, whether he has harmed him or not, except if he avenges himself to the extent that Justice allows him to [ie equally], and this is not considered to be oppression nor harm, as long at is in a fashion that the Sunnah makes permissible for him.

And the Shaykh Abu 'Amr bin as-Salaah (rahimahu Allaah) has said that [the famous hadeeth scholar] ad-Daaraqutnee has collected a number of chains of narration of this hadeeth which strengthen one another, and thus raise it to the level of being Hasan [Sound, acceptable], and it has been transmitted and used as proof by the vast majority of the 'ulamaa, and [the hadeeth scholar] Abu Daawood said : "The Knowledge of Fiqh revolves around five ahaadeeth", and he counted this hadeeth amongst them. So Shaykh Abu 'Amr said that the fact that Abu Daawood counted this hadeeth amongst the five, and his other statements about it, show that he did not consider it to be a Da'eef [Weak, unreliable] hadeeth, and he said about it that ad-diraar is similar to al-qitaal, and this is what is upon the Sunnah. And many of the scholars of Fiqh and Hadeeth have also narrated this hadeeth as "There should be neither darar nor idraar", but this wording has no basis.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 33 : The Onus of Proof is on the Claimant and The Taking of an Oath is on the Denier

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas, radiAllaahu anhumaa, that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

A Hasan hadeeth narrated by al-Baihaqee and others in this form, and part of it is in the two Saheehs.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 33

The compiler of the Forty Hadeeth [ie Imaam an-Nawawee] said : "This hadeeth has been narrated by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in their two Saheehs in Marfoo' form [ie the chain of narrartion goes right up to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam] from the narration of Ibn 'Abbaas, and it has been similarly narrated by the compilers of the Collections of Sunan [such as Abu Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, etc] and other than them."

And al-Aseelee said "Its chain upto the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is not established - rather it is the statement of Ibn 'Abbaas", to which the collector [ie Imaam an-Nawawee] replied : "If it [the chain of narration] has been declared Marfoo' by the testimony of the Two Imaams [ie al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] then the statement of another who restricts it [to a Sahaabee] does not have any effect, and this is not considered to be a conflict nor disorder."

And this hadeeth is a principle from the Principles of the Sharee'ah, and a great authority to which one resorts in case of dispute or argument, and it implies that judgement is not simply passed by the claim of an individual.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "men would [unjustly] claim the wealth and lives of [other] people", then this has been used by some people to prove the invalidity of the statement of Imaam Maalik regarding the acceptance of the statement of the one who has been [almost] killed that "so and so killed me" or "my blood is on the hands of so and so", because if the statement of the sick man is not accepted that "so and so has my money" then how can this statement "my blood is on the hands of so and so" be accepted ? However, there is no proof in this for them against Imaam Maalik, as he did not link the Qisaas or Diyah [the laws relating to murder] to the statement of the claimant, but rather to the division of the inheritance upon the murder.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and the taking of an oath is upon him who denies", then the 'ulamaa have come to a consensus [ijmaa'] that the one against whom a claim is made can be forced to take an oath of denial in the case of disputed property/possessions, but the 'ulamaa have differed in cases other than that. So some have ruled that it is compulsory in every dispute such as in the case of divorce, or nikaah, or freeing a slave, and they have taken this from the apparent generality of the hadeeth. And if the claimed against refuses to take an oath, then the claimant may take an oath and his claim will be accepted.

And Abu Haneefah (rahimahu Allaah) said : "An oath is taken [from the claimed against] in the case of divorce and nikaah and freeing a slave, and if it is refused [by the claimed against] then the claimant may take an oath in all of these cases." And he also said : "And one does not force an oath in the case of the hudood".

Summary :

Hadeeth 34 : Forbidding the Evil is from Eemaan

On the authority of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 34

In this hadeeth is a proof that no one before Marwaan had changed the order of the 'Eed Prayer and Khutbah. And if it is asked why did Abu Sa'eed himself not attempt to change this evil, until the other man stood up against it, then this can be answered in a number of ways : It is possible that Abu Sa'eed was not present the first time Marwaan began to give the Khutbah before the Prayer, or that the man had begun to oppose Marwaan and then Abu Sa'eed arrived upon the scene and the two of them then opposed Marwaan together. Or it is possible that Abu Sa'eed was present but feared that if he opposed Marwaan then this would lead to a greater fitnah or he feared for his own life, and so he remained silent. Or it is possible that Abu Sa'eed was about to stand up against Marwaan, when the other man unexpectedly rose before him, and so Abu Sa'eed assisted him.

And it is narrated in another hadeeth that is agreed upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, and is mentioned by them in their Chapters on the 'Eeds, that it was Abu Sa'eed who pulled at Marwaan's hand when he was about to climb onto the Mimbar, and Abu Sa'eed and the other man were together so Marwaan replied to them both with what is mentioned here, and so the meaning of what Abu Sa'eed said is that both of them completed their duties.

And as for his (sallAllaah alayhi wa sallam) statement "let him change it" then it is an order indicating obligation by the consensus of the Imaams, and this is in conformity to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah regarding the obligation of commanding the good and forbidding the evil, and it is also part of giving Naseehah [sincere advice] which is the Deen [See hadeeth number Seven]. And as for His - ta'aalaa - statement : "O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves; no harm can come to you from those who are in error if you follow the right guidance" [Soorah al-Maa'idah, 105] then this is not in opposition to what we have mentioned. This is because the correct understanding of this Noble Aayah according to the 'Ulamaa of the Truth is that if one performs ones duty then one will not be harmed by the deficiencies of others. And this is similar to His statement : "and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" [Soorah al-An'aam, 164]. And if this is the case, then from what the Muslim has been charged with is commanding the good and forbidding the evil, and so if he does that and yet the one spoken to does not submit, then he carries no blame after that. This is because upon him is the commanding or the forbidding, but not the acceptance [of the correction], and Allaah knows best.

Then, commanding the good and forbidding the evil is a Fard Kifaayah [Collective Duty], so if a group of people establish it such that they suffice then the obligation falls from the rest of the people. But if all of the people leave it, then all of them, who are able to do it without difficulty, are sinful.

Further, sometimes it may be restricted to certain individuals, such as if it concerns an affair that none knows of other than he, or none other than he has the ability to stop that affair, such as the one who sees his wife or son or slave perform an evil.

The 'ulamaa have said that the obligation of commanding the good and forbidding the evil is not removed if a person merely suspects that his admonition will not be accepted - rather he is still obliged to perform it. Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, the reminding benefits the believers" [Soorah adh-Dhaariyaat, 55], and it has already preceeded that upon him is to admonish, and acceptance of the admonishment is not upon him. Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "The Messenger's duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way" [Soorah an-Noor, 54]. The 'ulamaa have said : "It is not a condition for the commander of good or the forbidder of evil to himself be perfect in his condition, and fully complying with that which he commands and fully leaving that which he forbids. Rather upon him is to command, even if he himself is not upon that completely. This is because he has two duties upon him : firstly, to order his own soul upon good and forbid it from evil, and secondly to command and forbid other people. So if he fulfils one of them then the other still remains obligatory upon him."

And they said that the actions of commanding the good and forbidding the evil are not meant only for the government officals, but rather they are required from every individual amongst the Muslims, and every one possessing knowledge of what be must commanded or forbidden must do so. So if the matter is one which is well known and apparent, such as the Prayer or the Fasting [of Ramadaan] or Zinaa or drinking of alcohol, or other matters similar to these, then all of the Muslims have knowledge of them and so must command or forbid. But if the matter is from the finer matters of action or speech or that which is associated with ijtihaad, and they are not matters that the general populace have Knowledge of, then it is not for them to forbid, rather this is for the 'ulamaa.

And the 'ulamaa admonish others regarding those issues upon which there is ijmaa' [consensus]. But as for the issues over which there is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars, then they do not admonish regarding them. This is because, according to the first of the two madhhabs in this issue, every mujtahid is correct in his own ruling, and this madhhab has been adopted by many of the verifying scholars. And according to the second madhhab only one opinion is correct, but which ones are in error is not identifiable by us, and hence there is no sin [upon the one who has erred]. So in such cases the scholars do not admonish, but rather advise, as a form of naseehah [sincere advice], in order to keep clear of the difference of opinion, and this is good and desirable, as long as it is done gently and with kindness.

The Shaykh Muhyee ad-Deen an-Nawawi, rahimahu Allaah, said : "And know that this affair of commanding the good and forbidding the evil has been largely abandoned since a great length of time, and in this age nothing is left of it except very few formalities, despite its being an extremely important affair, by which Authority is established in the land - rather it is its foundation and basis. And if wickedness and evil become widespread in the land then the Punishment [of Allaah] will encompass both the pious and the wicked people. So if they do not take hold of the oppressors then they will all be very near to facing the Punishment of Allaah, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware, lest some Fitnah (trials, afflictions, etc) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them" [Soorah an-Noor 63]. So it is required of the one who seeks the Hereafter, and who exerts himself in attaining the Pleasure of Allaah 'azza wa jall, that he concerns himself with this affair, for indeed its benefit is great. And this is so especially since most of the people have left it, and let not the one who admonishes fear any [evil] repurcussions, due to the raising of his rank [with Allaah]. For verily Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause)." [Soorah al-Hajj 40]. And know that the reward is proportionate to the exertion made and hardship faced. And one should also not leave it due to the wrong-doer being ones friend or ones loved-one, for verily the true friend of a person is the one who exerts himself in building his Hereafter, even if this may bring about some loss in his worldly affairs. And the true enemy of a person is the one who exerts himself in taking away his Hereafter, or reducing it, even if by doing so he brings about some benefit in his worldly affairs."

And it is required of the one who commands the good and forbids the evil that he does so with gentleness, in order to ensure the greatest chance of attaining that which is desired [ie the correction and rectification of the wrong-doing individual]. And Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee rahimahu Allaah said : "He who admonishes his brother in secret has sincerely advised him and has adorned him, while he who admonishes his brother openly [in front of everyone] has humiliated him and disfigured him."

And from what the people [nowadays] have become negligient of in this affair is that if they see a trader selling goods or merchandise or animals that are defective, and he does not show this defect to his customers, then nobody admonishes the trader for this, nor do they inform the buyer about the defect. And they will be questioned about this [on the Day of Judgement] for verily the Religion is Naseehah [sincerity or sincere advice], and he who does not give sincere advice has cheated.

And his sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart" means that he must hate it with his heart, and this does not stop the evil occurring nor change it to something good, but this is all that he is capable of doing.

And his sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "and that is the weakest of faith" means, and Allaah knows best, that this is the smallest possible fruit or result of his faith. And it is not upon the one who commands the good and forbids the evil to investigate and search and spy upon others, or to invade others privacy or to suspect others in order to find their wrongs. Rather, if he comes upon an evil then he changes it. And al-Maawardee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "It is not for him to invade the privacy of and spy upon others, except if he is informed by a trustworthy and reliable person that someone has secluded himself with another man in order to murder him, or with a woman in order to fornicate with her. Then in such cases it is permissible for him spy upon them and investigate, and to try to expose them in order to prevent the occurrence of that which cannot be rectified."

And as for his sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "and that is the weakest of faith" then it has already been mentioned that this means the smallest fruit of ones faith. And it has been related in a different narration of this hadeeth : "And after that there does not remain any Eemaan [Faith] even of the size of a mustard seed", ie. that after that there does not remain any level of Eemaan. And the word 'Eemaan' in this hadeeth carries the meaning of 'Islaam'.

In this hadeeth is a proof that the one who fears being killed or being beaten [for admonishing the wrong-doer] is no longer required to act to change the evil, and this is the madhhab of the Scholars of Truth from amongst the Early and Later scholars. However an extreme group has adopted the position that the responsibility to act remains even if he fears for his life or fears punishment.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 35 : The Brotherhood of Islaam

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 35

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "do not inflate prices for one another" then the word used here in Arabic is 'najasha', and the origin of this word carries the meaning of cheating, deception and swindling. And the Arabs sometimes call a hunter a 'naajish' because he deceives and outsmarts the animal he hunts. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "do not hate one another" means do not adopt the means that lead to hatred. This is because love and hate are matters of the heart, such that Mankind does not possess full ability to control them, nor are they able to bring about change in them. And this is as the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said [regarding the division of time he had made between his wives] : "Oh Allaah this division is what I have been able to do, so do not take me to account for that which you control, and over which I have no control", meaning by this his heart.

And "turning away" means enmity, and it has also been said that it means cutting off relations or boycotting. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and do not undercut one another in trade" is referring to the situation where a buyer has almost completed a contract with a seller, and during the final time of choice a second seller approaches him and says : "If you revoke this sale then I will sell to you the same thing or better than it for the same price". Or, if a buyer and seller have agreed upon a price and are pleased with it, and only the completion of the contract remains, and then a second seller offers to give more for the same price, or to give the same goods at a lower price, then this is forbidden as it occurs after agreement on the price has taken place and the buyer and seller have been pleased with it. However, if the second seller makes his offer before they are pleased with the price then this is not forbidden.

And the meaning of "but be you, O Servants of Allaah, Brothers" means deal with one another and live together amiably with brotherhood, and treat one another with love, kindness, compassion and courteousness, and help one another upon goodness, while always having a clear heart and offering sincere advice in all situations.

And regarding his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim : he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, nor does he lie to him nor does he hold him in contempt" : to fail someone means to leave helping or aiding him, so if a Muslim were to seek ones help in defending himself from an oppressor or similar to that, then it is necessary to help him if one is able to, and one has no Shar'ee excuse for not doing so.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "nor does he hold him in contempt" means that he does not behave haughtily towards another Muslim, so as to belittle him.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Taqwaa (Piety) is right here [and he pointed to his chest three times]" and in another narration "Verily Allaah does not look at your bodies nor at your appearances, but rather he looks at your hearts". This means that the apparent actions of the limbs do not, by themselves, attain for one Taqwaa. But rather Taqwaa is attained through what is in the heart of appreciating the Greatness of Allaah the Exalted, and having Fear of Him and having Recognition of Him, and knowing that the Sight of Allaah encompasses all things. And so the meaning of the hadeeth, and Allaah knows best, is the taking of the self to account, and the point of observation of all of this is by the heart.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "It is enough evil for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt" contains a severe warning from doing so, since Allaah ta'aalaa did not look upon him in contempt when He created him, and nourished him, and then perfected his outward appearance, and then subdued whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is in the Earth for his sake. And even though He did this for others along with him, no doubt he has a share in it. Then after that, Allaah - subhaanahu - named him a Muslim and a Believer and a Slave, and his Command extended to the extent that he made the Messenger that He sent to him Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). So whoever treats with contempt a Muslim from amongst the Muslims, then he has treated with contempt one whom Allaah 'azza wa jall has granted greatness and nobility, and no doubt that is sufficient for him. And so from treating a Muslim with contempt is not to send the greeting of salaam upon him if he passes by him, and not to reply to his greeting of salaam if he begins with it. And it also includes not thinking that Allaah will enter him into Paradise or keep him safe from the Hellfire.

And as for the case of the Intelligent one who is resentful of (or is hostile to) the Foolish Ignorant one, or the Just and Honest one who is resentful of the Sinner, then this is not considered to be contempt of a Muslim. Rather, this is resent for the ignorance that is present in the Ignorant one, and the sinfulness that is present in the Sinner. So when this ignorance or sinfulness leaves that person, he returns to treating him well and raises his status in his estimation.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 36 : The Virtue of Gathering for the Recitation of The Qur'aan, and for the Remembrance of Allaah

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim in these words.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 36

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Whoever shields [or hides the misdeeds of] a Muslim", then 'shielding' here means to hide his slips and lapses, and the intended meaning here is hiding the lapses of those who are of upright and pious character, and those like them who are not known to be evil-doers. And this is with regards to hiding the sins that they may have committed in the past, and which are over. On the other hand, if they are caught red-handed performing a sin then it is obligatory to admonish them and forbid them from it. And if they are unable to do so, then they must raise the matter to the Authorities, if they do not fear any evil repurcussions from this. Thus, in such cases the correct action is not to shield them, as this may tempt them to perpetrate more evil, to cause more harm, to enter into more Forbidden matters, or to encourage others upon what is similar to this. So it is desired that one raises the matter to the Leader, as long as he does not fear any further evil from doing so. And similar to all this is the disparagement and criticising of the Narrators of Hadeeth by the Hadeeth Scholars, and of the Witnesses [to contracts], and the Trustees of the wealth to be distributed in Charity and the Awqaaf, and those who look after the wealth of the Orphans, and what is similar to that. Then in all such cases it is obligatory to expose their evil actions if required, and it is not permissible to hide their sins if one sees from them that which is reproachable. And this is not considered to be from the Forbidden Backbiting, rather it is part of the Obligatory Naseehah [sincerity, advice].

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "And Allaah will aid His Slave so long as he aids his brother" then this is a generalisation whose detailed explanation must include the case where the Slave [of Allaah] resolves to help his brother Muslim [by admonishing him], whereupon it becomes required of him not to be cowardly of speaking the Truth to him, believing, all the while, that Allaah will help him and protect him from any evil repurcussions of doing so.

And in this hadeeth is mentioned the virtue of fulfilling the needs of a Muslim, and of striving in the Path of seeking Knowledge, and this includes the virtue of being pre-occupied with Knowledge. And what is intended by Knowledge here is the Knowledge of the Sharee'ah. And all this requires that one intends by it the Face of Allaah ta'aalaa, just as this is a condition in every act of worship.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allaah, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it among themselves" is a proof for the virtue of gathering in the masjid for the recitation of the Qur'aan. And regarding the word 'Sakeenah' mentioned here, then some people have said that it means 'Mercy', but this interpretation is weak due to the separate mention of Mercy in the next part of the hadeeth. And it has been said that it means Tranquility, Peacefulness and Dignity, and this is better.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "No people gather together" is in the indefinite, general form, as though he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) meant to say "Any people" who gather for this, then they will receive all of the Virtue what he has mentioned. And he (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) did not lay a condition here that the people must be scholars, or ascetics or possessors of High Stations. And the meaning of "and the angels surround them" is similar to that mentioned by Allaah ta'aalaa in His Noble Book : "And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allaah) from all round" [Soorah az-Zumar, 75], that is they will encircle and encompass them from every side. And so it will be as though the angels will be so close to them, so as to completely encircle them, and no gap will be left between them through which Shaytaan may enter.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Mercy envelops them" then the word 'envelop' is not used except when all the parts of the object are completely covered from all sides. And Shaykh Shihaab ad-Deen bin Farj said : "And the meaning of this, from what I see to be correct, is that the Envelopment of His Mercy is such that it encircles and embraces all previous sins, in shaa' Allaah ta'aalaa".

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Allaah mentions them amongst those who are with Him" implies that the mentioning of Allaah ta'aalaa is amongst the Prophets and the Most Honourable of the Angels, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 37 : The Grace of Allaah ta'aalaa and His Mercy

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas, radiAllaahu anhu, from the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, from what he has related from his Lord, tabaaraka wa ta'aalaa, that He said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in their two Saheehs in these words.

Imaam An-Nawawi then said :

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 37

And He has made the intention to perform a Good deed like a [complete] Good deed because the intention to do good is an action of the heart, due to the resolve of the heart upon that. And if it is then said : "This statement then requires that the one who intends to perform an Evil deed, and does not do it, must also have an Evil deed written for him, as the [evil] intention is also an action from amongst the actions of the heart", then the answer to this would be that this is not the case, as the one who stops short from performing an evil, then he has nullified his resolve to do evil, and has changed it for another resolve to do good, and has thus disobeyed his evil desires, and so he is rewarded for this with the reward of a Good deed. And it has been related in another hadeeth that "Verily he has left it [the evil deed] because of Me", that is "for My sake", and this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Upon every Muslim is the giving of charity", so some people asked "What if they do not do so ?", so he replied "Then let them withold from evil, and that will be their charity". This was mentioned by al-Bukhaaree in his Book of Manners. However, if he leaves an evil deed unwillingly, or because he is unable to perform it, then a good deed is not written for him, and this does not enter into the meaning of this hadeeth.

Imaam at-Tabaree, the famous mufassir, said that in this hadeeth is evidence for the statement that the Two Recording Angels, [assigned to each person to write down the good and bad deeds of that person], write down not just the actions but also what the person intends to do of good or evil, and they know what he resolves to do in his heart. And thus, this hadeeth is a refutation of those who wrongly think that the Two Angels only write down that which is apparent from the outward actions of the person, or from what they hear him say. And so this all means that the Two Angels know all that which a person intends in his heart, and it is conceivable that Allaah ta'aalaa has granted for them a means to attain this knowledge [which is from the Knowledge of the Ghayb or Unseen], just as He has granted a means to many of the Prophets to attain knowledge of many things from the Unseen. And Allaah has said regarding 'Eesaa (alayhi as-salaam) that he said to the Banee Israa'eel "And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses" [Soorah Aal 'Imraan, 49]. And our Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was informed of many things from the Matters of the Unseen, and hence all this shows that it is possible that Allaah has granted to the Recording Angels a means to attain the knowledge of what is in the hearts of mankind, from good or evil, and so they write down whatever he resolves to do. And it has been said that this is through a smell or fragrance that they are able to detect emanating from the heart. And hence the Salaf [ie the Early Righteous Scholars] have differed over which form of Dhikr [Remembrance of Allaah] is better : the dhikr of the heart or the dhikr made out loud.

And all of this [that has been narrated from Imaam at-Tabaree] is the statement of Ibn Khalf, who is better known as Ibn Buttaal. And the author of al-Ifsaah, Yahyaa bin Muhammad al-Hanbalee [d. 560 H], said in some of his writings : When this Ummah had its life spans reduced [as compared to the people of the previous Nations who had much longer life spans], it was compensated for this reduction with a multiplication of the reward of its actions. [ie. Since the life span of our Ummah is shorter, we have less time to do good deeds; so Allaah multiplied the reward for our good deeds to compensate for this.] So whoever intends to peform a good action, it will be counted for him as a complete good deed. And Allaah has declared it as being a 'complete' deed so that none may think that since it is only an intention [and not a complete action] it is somehow deficient. And thus, Allaah has raised the intention to the level of being included amongst the complete actions. So He wrote down the intention as a complete good deed and then multiplied that according the degree of sincerity of the performer, and according to the appropriateness of the action to the time and place.

Then he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said after that "or many times over". This is mentioned, in the Arabic, in the indefinite form which is more comprehensive than the definite, and this implies that the multiplication may be counted upto the most that is possible. Then, it is possible that this generous promise includes that one says that when a man spends in charity a single grain of wheat, then it will be counted for him, from the Grace of Allaah ta'aalaa, as though he sowed that grain in the most pure and fertile land, and attended to it and protected it and watered it, according to its needs, until it ripened, so he harvested it; and then he threshed that harvest in that pure fertile land, so the grains were sown again in it, and were looked after in the same manner as has preceeded; and then the same as this in the second year, and then the third and fourth years, and the years that followed that; and this continues until the Day of Resurrection, and so that single grain of wheat or mustard or couscous will come that day like a mountain. And if the charity was a tiny action from amongst the actions of Eemaan [ie. a good deed] then one may compare it to the profit that may be attained through the purchase of a commodity during that time. And so it is possible that if he sold a commodity in the best market of the greatest nation, and that commodity were the most profitable for trade, then that profit were multiplied [through successive trades] until it returns to him on the Day of Resurrection such that its magnitude is like that of the entire world. And similarly all the actions of righteousness will be treated by Allaah 'azza wa jall in a similar manner, as long as they are performed with a pure and clean intention.

And from this also is that the Grace of Allaah multiplies with the transfer of charity from one person to another. So, for example, consider if a person gives a dirham in charity to a poor man, and then that poor man in turn passes the dirham on to another poor man who is in greater poverty than he, and then this third person passes it onto a fourth, and the fourth to a fifth, and this goes on to a great extent. Then, Allaah ta'aalaa will count for the first person, who originally gave the dirham, ten times the reward. But when this dirham is transferred by the second person to the third, then the second person gains ten and the first person's reward is multiplied to ten thousand. Then, when the third transfers it to the fourth, the second person gets one thousand, and the first gets a million. And so this continues until they attain rewards that may only be counted by Allaah ta'aalaa.

And from this also is that when Allaah - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - accounts His Muslim slave on the Day of Resurrection, and his good deeds are of varying and disparate levels, some of them of a high level and others not so, then He - subhaanahu - from His immense Generosity and Grace may count all of his good deeds by the measure of the best and highest amongst them; for verily His Generosity - jalla jalaalahu - is far greater than that He should dispute with his slave, who is pleased with Him, about the disparity in the measure of his good deeds. And no doubt Allaah jalla jalaalahu has said :

And similarly, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has informed us that if a Muslim declares aloud in a market from amongst the markets of the Muslims : "laa ilaaha illaa Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd, yuhyee wa yumeet, wa huwa 'alaa kulli shayin qadeer [There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allaah, Alone without any partner; for Him is the Dominion and for Him is all Praise; He gives life and He gives death; and He is All-Powerful over all things]" then Allaah will write for him due to that a million rewards, and will wipe away from him a million evil deeds, and will build for him a house in Paradise [narrated by at-Tirmidhee].

And all this that we have mentioned is according to only that which we have knowledge of, and not according to the true level of the Grace of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa. For verily He is far greater than what anyone may deny for Him, or what any of the creation may try to estimate of Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 38 : The Worship of Allaah is the Means of Attaining Nearness to Him and His Love

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 38 :

And I consider the meaning [of this hadeeth] as referring to the one who shows enmity to a walee due to the Friendship and Allegiance (Wilaayah) shown to him by Allaah. On the other hand, if the matter is such that it involves a dispute between two walees of Allaah in the form of a legal dispute or a quarrel, which is due to one of them trying to attain a right of his that is hidden from the other, then this does not enter into this hadeeth. And such disputes have occurred between Abu Bakr and 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and between al-'Abbaas and 'Alee (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and similarly between many of the sahaabah, and all of them were awliyaa of Allaah.

And His - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - statement "And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him" contains a reference to the fact that we do not place the voluntary deeds (nawaafil) before the obligatory (faraa'id). And the 'nawaafil' are named as such because they are performed after the obligatory deeds have been completed; and if not then they are not given the name 'nawaafil'; and this is indicated by His statement "And My servant continues to draw near to me with nawaafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him", since attaining Nearness with the nawaafil occurs by what follows the completion of the faraa'id. So when the slave becomes persistent in seeking His Nearness through the nawaafil, then this causes Allaah 'azza wa jall to Love him.

Then He said "When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees" until the end of the hadeeth. Then this is a sign of the Wilaayah of Allaah, and its meaning is that he does not hear that which is not permitted for him to hear by the Sharee'ah, nor does he see that which is not permitted by the Sharee'ah, nor does he grasp with his hand that which is not permitted for him by the Sharee'ah, nor does he hasten with his legs towards anything except that which the Sharee'ah allows him to hasten towards. And all of this is the basis (asl) [of being Loved by Allaah]. But also, the Worshipper of Allaah may become so engrossed in the Dhikr of Allaah ta'aalaa that he becomes famous for that, and if another person, who is not from amongst those who Remember Allaah much, were to speak to him without mentioning the Dhikr of Allaah, then it would be as though he did not hear him; until the speaker approaches him with something from the Dhikr of Allaah. And similarly in the case of those things which are seen, and those things which are grasped, and those things towards which one walks. And this is a most noble characteristic, and we ask Allaah that He makes us from amongst its possessors.

And His statement "and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge" shows that even after the slave becomes from amongst the Beloved of Allaah, this does not prevent him from asking his Lord to satisfy his needs or seeking refuge in Him from those whom he fears. And Allaah ta'aalaa is able to give him what he desires before his asking Him for them, and to grant him refuge before he seeks it, but He subhaanahu becomes Near to His slaves through His giving those who ask Him, and His granting refuge to those who seek it from Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 39 : Leniency for the One who Errs, the One who Forgets, and the One who is Forced

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah, and al-Bayhaqee and others.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 39

So Allaah 'azza wa jall said, in a hadeeth Qudsee, "I have decreed so", and thus Allaah revealed to the Muslims that which lightened their burden, and which abrogated the aayah which came before it.

Al-Bayhaqee said that Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee, rahimahu Allaah, said :
Allaah subhaanahu said "Except him who is forced [to kufr] and whose heart is at rest with Faith" [Soorah an-Nahl, 106], and so there are Rulings regarding Kufr. And since Allaah has dropped the ruling of Kufr from the one who is forced to utter such words, then similarly must be the case of the one who is mistaken or the one who forgets, since when the greater of two issues is dropped, then that which is less than it is also dropped along with it. Further, it is related from Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Verily Allaah has pardoned for me my Ummah : their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they have been forced to do under duress", and it has been related from 'Ayeshah (radiAllaahu anhaa) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said : "There is no divorce nor freeing of a slave in a state of anger", and this is the madhhab of 'Umar and Abdullaah ibn 'Umar and 'Abdullaah ibn az-Zubair (radiAllaahu anhum). And Thaabit bin al-Ahnaf married the mother of a son of 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Zayd bin al-Khattaab, so 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan intimidated and threatened him with a whip, until he unwillingly divorced her, during the Khilaafah of 'Abdullaah bin az-Zubair. So Abdullaah ibn 'Umar said to him that the divorce was not valid, as it had been made under duress, and so he should return to her. At that time Abdullaah bin az-Zubair, the Khaleefah, was in Makkah so he [ibn az-Zubair] wrote to his governor in Madeenah to return Thaabit's wife to him, and to punish 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Zayd. So Safiyyah bint Abee 'Ubayd, the wife of 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, prepared her for her return, and 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar attended their Wedding Feast.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

Hadeeth 40 : The World is the Means and the Sowing-Field for Attaining the Hereafter

On the authority of 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar radiAllaahu anhu, who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) took me by the shoulder and said :

And Ibn 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhu) used to say :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 40

And al-'Izz 'Alaa-ud-Deen bin Yahyaa bin Hubairah (rahimahu Allaah) said : In this hadeeth is evidence that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam encouraged emulation of the strangers, since when a stranger enters a foreign land he does not compete with its people to attend their gatherings, nor does he worry about being seen in a state and condition opposite to that which is his normal habit in terms of his dress, nor does he try to behave contrary to the customs of the local people. And similarly is the condition of the traveller who does not take a permanent abode of residence, nor does he enter into arguments with the local people which might cause hatred between them, knowing that he will only be amongst them for a few days. So all the conditions of the stranger and the traveller are beloved for the Believer in this dunyaa, as the dunyaa is not his true abode of residence. Rather, the dunyaa is merely an obstruction that prevents him from reaching his true abode and dwelling place in the Hereafter.

And as for the statement of Ibn 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhu) : "In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening", then this is an encouragement from him for the Believers to always be prepared for the eventuality of death. And death is prepared for with Good Deeds. It is also an encouragement upon not having many hopes and desires, stretching far into the future. Hence, one should not postpone till the morning actions that can be performed at night, but rather, one should hasten towards the performance of good actions. And similarly, when one wakes in the morning he should not rely upon the evening and postpone his good actions till then.

And his, radiAllaahu anhu, statement "Take from your health before times of sickness" is an encouragement upon making use of ones health, and striving ones utmost during times of good health, fearing the onset of sickness which may prevent one from good actions. And similarly, his statement "From your life before your death" is an admonition to make use of the days of ones life, since the one who dies has his actions cut off and his hopes lost. And then his distress will increase no end due to his neglect and previous lack of remorse. So let us know that a time will come when we will spend a great length of time under the dirt, unable to perform any action and unable to remember Allaah 'azza wa jall. So upon us is to hasten to good actions while we are still capable of doing so. And thus, what is more comprehensive and honourable than this hadeeth in its meanings of good ?

And some of the 'ulamaa have said that Allaah ta'aalaa has condemned having high hopes, as He has said :

And 'Alee radiAllaahu anhu said :

And Anas radiAllaahu anhu said : "The Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam drew some lines [in the sand], and said 'This [line] is Man, and this is his hope, and [the third line, between them] is his appointed time for death. So while he is in this state the closer line takes him'", and that is his appointed hour of death, which contains and constrains his life. So this is a warning to him to lower his hopes, and to expect his appointed time to be near, and to always remain in fear that it may come while he is in a state of heedlessness and indulgence. So the Believer should accustom his soul to seeking those things which will remind him of his death, and he should strive against his desires and never-ending hopes, for verily Man is created with a disposition towards hope. 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhumaa) said : "The Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, saw me while I was strengthening with clay a shelter for my mother and myself, so he said 'What is this, O 'Abdullaah ?' So I replied : 'O Messenger of Allaah, it [the shelter] has become weak, and so we are repairing it'. So he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said 'I do not see The Affair [ie Death or the Resurrection] except that it is closer than that [ie the falling apart of the shelter]'."

We ask Allaah the Glorious to show kindness to us and to help us abstain from the dunyaa, and to make us desire that which is with Him and ease on the Day of Resurrection, for verily He is the Generous, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Summary :

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