Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 42
Excellence in doing Good to the Friends of Parents and other Relatives
341. `Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The finest act of goodness is that a person should treat kindly the loved ones of his father”.
[Muslim].
342. `Abdullah bin Dinar reported: `Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) met a bedouin on his way to Makkah, he greeted him, offered him to mount the donkey he was riding and gave him the turban he was wearing on his head. Ibn Dinar said to him: “May Allah make you pious! Bedouins can be satisfied with anything you give them (i.e., what you have given the bedouin is too much). Upon this, `Abdullah bin `Umar said, the father of this man was one of `Umar’s friends whom he loved best, and I heard Messenger of Allah saying, “The finest act of goodness is the good treatment of someone whom one’s father loves”.
Another narration goes: When `Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) set out to Makkah, he kept a donkey with him to ride when he would get tired from the riding of the camel, and had a turban which he tied round his head. One day, as he was riding the donkey, a bedouin happened to pass by him. He (`Abdullah bin `Umar) said, “Aren’t you so-and-so?” The bedouin said, “Yes”. He (`Abdullah bin `Umar) gave him his donkey and his turban and said, “Ride this donkey, and tie this turban round your head”. Some of his companions said, “May Allah forgive you, you gave to this bedouin the donkey which you enjoyed to ride for change, and the turban which you tied round your head”.`Abdullah bin `Umar said,”I heard Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, `The finest act of goodness is the kind treatment of a person to the loved ones of his father after his death,‘ and the father of this person was a friend of `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him).
[Muslim].
343. Abu Usaid Malik bin Rabi`ah As-Sa`idi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were sitting with Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) when a man of Banu Salamah came to him and asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Is there any obedience to parents left that I can show to them after their death?” He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, “Yes, to pray for them, to supplicate for their forgiveness, to fulfill their promises after their death, to maintain the ties of kinship which cannot be maintained except through them, and honour their friends.”
[Abu Dawud].
344. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I never felt jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) as much as I did of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her), although I have never seen her, but the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to mention her very often. Whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut it into pieces and send them to the women friends of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her). When I sometimes said to him: “You treat Khadijah in such a way as if there is no woman on earth except her”. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) would say, “Khadijah was such and such (commending her and speaking well of her), and I had children from her”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Another narration is: And if he (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) slaughtered a sheep, he would send meat to the friends of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) as a present as much as would suffice them.
Another narration is: When a sheep was slaughtered, he (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) would say, “Send this meat to Khadijah’s friends.” Once, Halah bint Khuwailid (May Allah be pleased with her), sister of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her), sought permission of Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to enter. He recognized and recalled to his mind the manner of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) and was deeply moved. He said, “O Allah, she must be Halah bint Khuwailid”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
345. Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I set out along with Jarir bin `Abdullah Al-Bajali (May Allah be pleased with him) on a journey and he served me. I said to him: “Don’t do that.” Thereupon, he said, “I have seen the Ansar doing this with Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), and I swore by Allah, whenever I accompany anyone of the Ansar, I would serve him”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
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