Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 16
Observing the Sunnah and the manners of its obedience
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)”. (59:7)
“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only a Revelation that is revealed.” (53:3,4)
“Say (O Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to mankind): `If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e., accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins”. (3:31)
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day…” (33:21)
“But no, by your Rubb, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission”. (4:65)
“(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)”. (4:59)
“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)), has indeed obeyed Allah.” (4:80)
“And verily, you (O Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e., Allah’s Deen of Islamic Monotheism):. (42:52)
“And let those who oppose the Messenger’s (Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)) commandment (i.e., his Sunnah — legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements) (among the sects), beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant) should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them.” (24:63)
“And remember (O you the members of the Prophet’s family, the Graces of your Rubb), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of Allah and Al-Hikmah (i.e., Prophet’s Sunnah — legal ways, so give your thanks to Allah and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the Sunnah).” (33:34)
156. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not ask me unnecessarily about the details of the things which I do not mention to you. Verily, the people before you were doomed because they were used to putting many questions to their Prophets and had differences about their Prophets. Refrain from what I forbid you and do what I command you to the best of your ability and capacity”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
157. `Irbad bin Sariyah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) delivered us a very eloquent Khutbah on account of which eyes shed tears and hearts were full of tears. A man said: “O Prophet of Allah, this is as if it were a parting advice. So advise us”. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “I admonish you to fear Allah, to listen and obey even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed as your leader. Because whosoever among you shall live after me, will see much discord. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the examples of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who will come after me. Adhere to them and hold to it fast. Beware of new things (in Deen) because every Bid`ah is a misguidance”.
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
158. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Everyone of my Ummah will enter Jannah except those who refuse”. He was asked: “Who will refuse?” He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever obeys me, shall enter Jannah, and whosoever disobeys me, refuses to (enter Jannah)”.
[Al-Bukhari].
159. Salamah bin Al-Akwa` (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: My father said that a person ate in the presence of Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) with his left hand. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Eat with your right hand”. He said, “I cannot do that.” Thereupon he (the Prophet) said, “May you never do that.” It was pride that prevented him from doing it. And he could not raise it (the right hand) up to his mouth afterwards.
[Muslim].
160. Nu`man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Straighten your rows (during Salat) or Allah would create dissension amongst you”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another narration reported by Muslim, Nu`man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to straighten our rows (in Salat), as if he was straightening an arrow with their help until he saw that we had learnt it from him. One day he came out, stood up (for Salat) and was about to say: Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), (marking the beginning of the prayer) when he saw a man, whose chest was bulging out from the row. He said, “Slaves of Allah, you must straighten your rows or Allah would create dissension amongst you.”
161. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A house in Al-Madinah caught fire at night and the roof and walls fell down upon the occupants. When this was reported to Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) he said, “Fire is your enemy; so put it out before you go to bed”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
162. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The similitude of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like a rain which has fallen on some ground. A fertile part of earth has absorbed water and brought forth much grass and herbs. Another part, which is solid, held the water and Allah benefits men thereby, who drank and gave others to drink, and used it for irrigation. But some of it has fallen on a portion of sandy land which neither retains the water nor produces herbage. Such is the likeness of the man who understands the religion of Allah and who gets benefit of what Allah has sent me with; he learns and teaches others. It is also the likeness of the man who neither raises his head on that account (meaning he does not benefit from what the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) was sent with) nor accepts Allah’s Guidance with which I am sent”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
163. Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “My parable and that of yours is like a man who kindled a fire. When it has illuminated all around him, the moths and grasshoppers began to fall therein. He tried to push them away, but they overcame him and jumped into it. I am catching hold of your waists ties (to save you) from fire, but you slip away from my hands”.
[Muslim].
164. Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded the licking of fingers (after eating) and the cleaning of the dish, saying: “You do not know in what portion the Blessing (of Allah) lies”.
[Muslim].
In another narration, Jabir said: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When a morsel of any of you falls down, you should pick it up and remove any dirt or dust on it and then eat it; and don’t leave it for Satan; and do not wipe your hand with the towel until you have licked your fingers, for you do not know in what portion of the food the Barakah* (of Allah) lies”.
* Barakah is the abundance of goodness and its continuity.
165. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “On the Day of Resurrection you will be assembled barefooted, naked and uncircumcised”. He then recited: “As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it,” and continued: “The first to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be (Prophet) Ibrahim. Then some of my Companions will be taken to the left, (i.e., towards Hell-fire) and when I will say, ‘They belong to my Ummah, O my Rubb!’ It would be said: ‘You do not know what they invented after you had left them.’ I shall then say as the righteous slave [i.e., `Isa (Jesus (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)] said: ‘And I was a witness over them while I was amongst them, when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to all things. If you punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.’ I shall be told: ‘They continued to turn on their heels since you parted from them”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
166. `Abdullah bin Mughaffal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibited flicking pebbles by the index finger and the thumb; and he said, “It does not kill a game animal nor does it inflict wound on the enemy, but breaks the tooth and gorges the eye”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another narration it is said: A close relative of `Abdullah bin Mughaffal (May Allah be pleased with him) was hitting with pebbles using the index finger and the thumb; he said: “Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) has forbidden it saying that it does not kill the game”. He repeated the act and Ibn Mughaffal said to him: “I told you that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) had prohibited it but you repeated it. I shall never talk to you.”
167. `Abis bin Rabi`ah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I saw `Umar bin Al-Khattab(May Allah be pleased with him) kissing the Black Stone (Al-Hajar Al-Aswad) and saying: “I know that you are just a stone and that you can neither do any harm nor give benefit. Had I not seen Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) kissing you, I would not have kissed you”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
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