Visiting the Pious Persons, loving them and adoption of their company | Riyad-us-Saliheen

360 Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) reported: After the death of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) said to `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) : “Let us visit Umm Aiman (radiyallahu anha) as Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to visit her”. As we came to her, she wept. They (Abu Bakr and `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said to her, “What makes you weep? Do you not know that what Allah has in store for His Messenger ﷺ is better than (this worldly life)?” She said, “I weep not because I am ignorant of the fact that what is in store for Messenger of Allah ﷺ (in the Hereafter) is better than this world, but I weep because the Revelation has ceased to come”. This moved both of them to tears and they began to weep along with her.[Muslim].

361 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “A man set out to visit a brother (in Faith) in another town and Allah sent an angel on his way. When the man met the angel, the latter asked him, “Where do you intend to go?” He said, “I intend to visit my brother in this town.” The angel said, “Have you done any favour to him?” He said, “No, I have no desire except to visit him because I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious.” Thereupon the angel said, “I am a messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake)”[Muslim].

362 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, “Whosoever visits an ailing person or a brother of his to seek the Pleasure of Allah, an announcer (angel) calls out: `May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you be awarded a dignified position in Jannah”.[At-Tirmidhi].

363 Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, “The similitude of good company and that of bad company is that of the owner of musk and of the one blowing the bellows. The owner of musk would either offer you some free of charge, or you would buy it from him, or you smell its pleasant fragrance; and as for the one who blows the bellows (i.e., the blacksmith), he either burns your clothes or you smell a repugnant smell”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

364 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, for her lineage, for her beauty or for her piety. Select the pious, may you be blessed!”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

365 Ibn `Abbas (radiyallahu anhuma) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said to Jibril (Gabriel), “What prevents you from visiting us more frequently?” Thereupon was revealed the Ayah: “(The angels say:) `And we (angels) descend not except by the Command of your Rubb. To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two”. (19:64)[Al-Bukhari].

366 Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Keep only a believer for a companion and let only a pious eat your food”.[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].

367 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, “Man follows his friend’s religion, you should be careful who you take for friends”.[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].

368 Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “A person will be summoned with the one whom he loves”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: The Prophet ﷺ was asked; “What about a person who loves a people but cannot be with them?” (i.e., either he cannot attain their lofty position of righteousness or that he has not met with them in this life). He ﷺ replied, “A person will be in the company of those whom he loves”.

369 Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) reported: A bedouin came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said to him, “When will be the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)?” He (the Prophet ﷺ) said, “What preparation have you made for it?” He said, “Only the love of Allah and His Messenger.” Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “You will be with those whom you love.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The narration in Muslim is: The man replied: “I have made no significant preparation with regard to Salat (prayer), Saum (fasting) and Sadaqah (charity) but I love Allah and His Messenger”.

370 Ibn Mas`ud (radiyallahu anhu) reported: A man came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah! What do you think of a man who loves some people but does not go any nearer to their position?” He ﷺ replied, “A man will be with those whom he loves”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

371 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, “People are like gold and silver; those who were best in Jahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance) are best in Islam, if they have religious understanding; and the souls are like recruited soldiers, they get mixed up with those similar with them in qualities and oppose and drift away from those who do not share their qualities”.[Muslim].

372 Usair bin `Amr (Ibn Jabir) reported: When delegations from Yemen came to the help of (the Muslim army at the time of Jihad) `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) would ask them, “Is there Owais bin `Amir amongst you?” (He continued searching him) until he met Owais (radiyallahu anhu). He said, “Are you Owais bin `Amir?” He said, “Yes”. `Umar asked, “Are you from the Qaran branch of the tribe of Murad?” He said, “Yes”. He `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) again said, “Did you suffer from leucoderma and then you were cured from it but for the space of a dirham?” He said, “Yes”. He `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said, “Is your mother still alive?” He said, “Yes”. He `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said, “I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, `There would come to you Owais bin `Amir with the reinforcement from the people of Yemen. He would be from Qaran (the branch) of Murad. He had been suffering from leucoderma from which he was cured but for a spot of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is very dutiful. If he were to take an oath in the Name of Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath. And if it is possible for you, ask him to ask forgiveness for you.’ So, ask forgiveness for me”. He Owais (radiyallahu anhu) did so. `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) then said, “Where do you intend to go?” He said, “To Kufah.” He `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said, “Let me write a letter for you to its governor,” whereupon he Owais (radiyallahu anhu) said, “I love to live amongst the poor people”. The following year, a person from among the elite (of Kufah) performed Hajj and he met `Umar (radiyallahu anhu). `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) asked him about Owais (radiyallahu anhu). He said, “I left him in a state with meagre means of sustenance in a decayed house.” (Thereupon) `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said, “I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, `There would come to you Owais bin `Amir of Qaran, a branch (of the tribe) of Murad, along with the reinforcement of the people of Yemen. He had been suffering from leucoderma which would have been cured but for the space of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is very dutiful. Were he to swear, trusting Allah, for something, Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can ask him to pray for forgiveness for you, do so”. This man went to Owais (radiyallahu anhu) and asked him to pray for forgiveness for him. Owais (radiyallahu anhu) said to him, “You have just returned from a blessed journey, it is you who should pray for forgiveness for me; and did you meet `Umar?” The man said, “Yes”. `Owais (radiyallahu anhu) then prayed for forgiveness for him. People became aware of the high status of Owais (radiyallahu anhu) and he set out following his course.[Muslim].

Another narration is: A delegation from Kufah came to `Umar (radiyallahu anhu). Among them was one who used to make fun of Owais (radiyallahu anhu). `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) enquired, “Is there anyone among you who is from Qaran?” So this man stepped forward. Then `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said, “I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, `A man will come to you from Yemen named Owais. He will have left in the Yemen only his mother. He was suffering from leucoderma and prayed to Allah to be cured of it. So he was cured except for a space of the size of a dinar or a dirham. Whoever of you should meet him should ask him to pray for forgiveness for him.”’

Another narration is: `Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said: “I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, `The best one of the next generation (At-Tabi`un) is a man called Owais, he will have a mother and he will be suffering from leucoderma. Go to him and ask him to pray for forgiveness for you”. [Muslim].

373 `Umar bin Al-Khattab (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I sought permission of the Prophet ﷺ to perform `Umrah. He granted me leave and said, “Dear brother! Do not forget us in your supplications”. (`Umar added): This is something I would not exchange for the whole world.

Another narration is: He ﷺ said, “Include us, my dear brother, in your supplications.” [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who categorized the Hadith as Hasan Sahih. Sheikh Salim Al-Hilali in his book “Bahjatun-Nazireen, Sharh Riyad-us-Saliheen” classifies it as “Da`if”, the reason being that `Asim bin `Abdullah is “weak” in narration].

374 Ibn `Umar (radiyallahu anhuma) reported: The Prophet ﷺ used to visit Quba’, either mounted or on foot and would offer two Rak`ah prayer in the mosque there.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: The Prophet ﷺ used to visit the mosque at Quba’ every Saturday (i.e., every week) either mounted or on foot, and Ibn `Umar (radiyallahu anhum) used to do the same thing.