The Struggle (in the Cause of Allah) | Riyad-us-Saliheen

95 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah the Exalted has said: ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him”.[Al-Bukhari].

96 Anas (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah says: ‘ When a slave of Mine draws near to Me a span, I draw near to him a cubit; and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.”’.[Al-Bukhari].

97 Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There are two blessings in which many people incur loss. (They are) health and free time (for doing good)”.[Al-Bukhari]

98 `Aishah (radiyallahu anha) said: The Prophet ﷺ would stand (in prayer) so long that the skin of his feet would crack. I asked him, “Why do you do this while your past and future sins have been forgiven?” He said, “Should I not be a grateful slave of Allah?”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

99 `Aishah (radiyallahu anha) said: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray all the night, and would keep his family awake for the prayers. He tied his lower garment (i.e., avoided sleeping with his wives) and devoted himself entirely to prayer and supplication.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

100 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak one, and both are good. Adhere to that which is beneficial for you. Keep asking Allah for help and do not refrain from it. If you are afflicted in any way, do not say: `If I had taken this or that step, it would have resulted into such and such,’ but say only: `Allah so determined and did as He willed.’ The word `if’ opens the gates of satanic thoughts”.[Muslim].

101 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said. “The (Hell) Fire is surrounded with all kinds of desires and passions, while Jannah is surrounded with adversities.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

102 Hudhaifah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I offered Salat (Tahajjud – optional night prayer) with the Prophet ﷺ one night, and he started reciting (Surat) Al-Baqarah. I thought that he would bow at the end of one hundred Verses, but he continued reciting; I, then, thought that he would perhaps recite the whole (Surah) in a Rak`ah, but he proceeded on, and I thought he would perhaps bow on completing (this Surah); he then started (reciting Surat) An-Nisa’; he then started (Surat) Al-`Imran and his recitation was unhurried. And when he recited the Verses which referred to the Glory of Allah, he glorified Him (by saying Subhan Allah – My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection), the Great, and when he recited the Verses that mention supplication, he supplicated, and when he recited the Verses that mention seeking Refuge of the Rubb, he sought (His) Refuge. Then he bowed and said: “My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection (Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim);” his bowing lasted about the same length of time as his standing (and then on returning to the standing posture after Ruku`) he said: “Allah listened to him who praised Him (Sami` Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal hamd).” Then he stood about the same length of time as he had spent in bowing. He then prostrated himself and said: “My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection (Subhana Rabbiyal-A`la),” and his prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing.[Muslim].

103 Ibn Mas`ud (radiyallahu anhu) said: One night I joined the Prophet ﷺ in his (optional) Salat. He prolonged the standing so much that I thought of doing something evil. He was asked: “What did you intend to do?” He replied: “To sit down and leave him”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

104 Anas (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Three follow a dead body: members of his family, his possessions and his deeds. Two of them return and one remains with him. His family and his possessions return; his deeds remain with him”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

105 Ibn Mas`ud (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Jannah is nearer to anyone of you than your shoe-lace, and so is the (Hell) Fire”.[Al-Bukhari].

106 Rabi`ah bin Ka`b Al-Aslami (radiyallahu anhu) (a servant of the Messenger of Allah and also one of the people of As-Suffah) said: I used to spend my night in the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and used to put up water for his ablutions. One day he said to me, “Ask something of me.” I said: “I request for your companionship in Jannah”. He inquired, “Is there anything else?” I said, “That is all.” He said, “Then help me in your request by multiplying your prostrations”.[Muslim].

107 Thauban (radiyallahu anhu) said: I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, “Perform Salah more often. For every prostration that you perform before Allah will raise your position one degree and will remit one of your sins”.[Muslim].

108 `Abdullah bin Busr Al-Aslami (radiyallahu anhu) said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The best of people is one whose life is long and his conduct is good”.[At-Tirmidhi].

109 Anas (radiyallahu anhu) said: My uncle Anas bin An-Nadr (radiyallahu anhu) was absent from the battle of Badr and he said: “O Messenger of Allah! I was absent from the first battle you fought against the pagans, and if Allah let me participate in a battle against the pagans, Allah will see what I do.” So he encountered the day of Uhud Battle. The Muslims left the positions (the Prophet ﷺ told them to keep) and were defeated, he said: “O Allah! excuse these people (i.e., the Muslims) for what they have done, and I am clear from what the pagans have done“. Then he went forward with his sword and met Sa`d bin Mu`adh (fleeing) and said to him: “By the Rubb of the Ka`bah! I can smell the fragrance of Jannah from a place closer than Uhud Mount“. Sa`d said: “O Messenger of Allah, what he did was beyond my power”. Anas said: “We saw over eighty wounds on his body caused by stabbing, striking and shooting of arrows and spears. We found that he was killed, and mutilated by the polytheists. Nobody was able to recognize him except his sister who recognized him by the tips of his fingers.” Anas (radiyallahu anhu) said: “We believe that the Ayah `Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah [i.e., they have gone out for Jihad (holy fighting), and showed not their backs to the disbelievers]…’ (33:23), refers to him and his like”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

110 Abu Mas`ud `Uqbah bin `Amr Al-Ansari (radiyallahu anhu) said: When the Ayah enjoining Sadaqah (charity) was revealed,* we used to carry loads on our backs to earn something that we could give away in charity. One person presented a considerable amount for charity and the hypocrites said: “He has done it to show off.” Another one gave away a few Sa` of dates and they said: “Allah does not stand in need of this person’s dates”. Thereupon, it was revealed:

“Those who defame such of the believers who give charity (in Allah’s Cause) voluntarily, and such who could not find to give charity (in Allah’s Cause) except what is available to them…” (9:79)[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

* This is the A’yah in which Allah says! “Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and suppliate Allah for them...” (9:103)

111 Abu Dharr (radiyallahu anhu) said: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious, said; ‘O My slaves, I have prohibited Myself injustice; and have made oppression unlawful for you, so do not oppress one another. O My slaves, all of you are liable to err except the one whom I guide on the Right Path, so seek guidance from Me so that I will guide you to the Right Path. O My slaves, all of you are hungry except the one whom I feed, so ask food from Me, I will feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked except those whom I clothe, so ask clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My slaves, you commit sins night and day and I forgive all sins, so seek My forgiveness and I shall forgive you. O My slaves, you can neither do Me any harm nor can you do Me any good. O My slaves, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any man of you, that would not increase My domain a thing. O My slaves, were the first of you, and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any man of you, that would not decrease My domain in a thing. O My slaves, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to stand in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decrease the sea if put into it. O My slaves, it is but your deeds that I reckon for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good (i.e., in the Hereafter) praise Allah and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.”’.[Muslim].