There is an amazing story that Ibn Kathir mentions in the beginning of the Tafsir of Surah al-Ghafir. Perhaps you can refer back to it in his Tafsir. It is an amazing story in relation to the Leader of the Believers, Umar ibn al-Khattab. Ibn Kathir said: Ibn Abi Hatim narrates from Yazid al-Asam. There was a man from the people al-Sham who was strong, and he would visit Umar from time to time during his caliphate. After not seeing him for a long time, Umar inquired about him: “What happened to so-and-so? He hasn’t visited us in a long time.” They said: “O Leader of the Believers, he started drinking intoxicants and has become preoccupied with these type of affairs…”
Necessity of approaching Allah with Tawbah and supplication in adversity
From ‘Abdul‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baz to every Muslim who reads this:
May Allah help us remember Him and take warnings and lessons from the destinies unfolding before our eyes and lead us to sincere Tawbah (repentance to Allah) from all sins and misdeeds. Amen.
Assalamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)
Indeed, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) wills with His Deep Wisdom, absolute Proof, and all Encompassing Knowledge to test His Servants with prosperity and adversity, poverty and affluence, blessings and calamities, to try their patience and thankfulness.
Anyone who is patient at the time of adversity, thankful at the time of prosperity, humbles themselves and supplicates to Allah upon facing hardships, acknowledges their sins and shortcomings, and asks Allah for His Mercy and Forgiveness, has succeeded and will be granted the blessed end.
[Text from Imam Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab’s “Four Rules Regarding Shirk”]
From the Introduction of Author Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhaab (rahimahullah) :
“I ask Allaah, the Most Generous, Lord of the Great Throne to befriend you in this world and the Hereafter, and to make you blessed wherever you may be.
And (I ask) that He make you from those who when they are given, are thankful; when they are tested, are patient; and when they sin, seek forgiveness (from Allaah). For indeed these three characteristics are the true signs of happiness.“
Listen to the Explanation of Dr. Saleh As-Saleh (rahimahullaah)
Al-Inaabah (Turning Repentantly and Obediently) and its Proof
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
And the proof for al-Inaabah (turning repentantly and obediently) is His saying, He the Most High:
وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ
So turn in repentance and obedience to your Lord and submit to Him [39:54]20
[20]: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:
Al-Inaabah: it means returning and it has the meaning of at-Tawbah (repenting), and repenting and al-Inaabah have one and the same meaning. However some of the scholars have said al-Inaabah is more specific than at-Tawbah (repenting), meaning it is more emphasized because it, Inaabah is Tawbah (repenting) but along with turning to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, meaning it is a specific repentance, and a person may repent and leave the sin and not return to it, and he may regret it, however his turning to Allaah may be a weak turning. Whereas al-Inaabah then indeed it means turning towards to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. And therefore He said:
.. وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ
So turn in repentance and obedience to your Lord and submit to Him …
Meaning turn back to Him and turn fully to Him, He the Perfect and Most High.
What should a servant do when he is tried with a sin and he repents from it with a repentence where these three affairs (conditions) are fulfilled. But (then) he struggles with his heart regarding that sin, only to find that he fell into it (again).
Shaykh ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Abdirraheem al-Bukhaaree:
May Allaah bless you. I say: a sincere tawbah (repentance) requires an effort. Now, there is no command or prohibition – as Imaam ibn al-Qayyim said – except that Shaytaan (the devil) has two incitements regarding it: either to extremism or to negligence. He (i.e. Shaytaan) doesn’t care by which of these two he becomes victorious [over the servant]! The important thing (to him) is that you leave the Straight Path. Also, from his ways is that he doesn’t want you to be steadfast upon tawbah. He doesn’t want this! Because if you – the one he (Shaytaan) led astray and made fall into sin – are steadfast upon sincere tawbah and you adhere to obedience, he (Shaytaan) loses! Right? And this makes him feel very outraged, because he swore by Allaah:
(Iblees (Shaytaan)) said: “By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all, except Your sincere slaves amongst them (faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic Monotheism).”
AUTHOR: Abu ‘Abdillaah Ahmad bin Muhammad ash-Shihhee
SOURCE: His book “Al-Wasaayah as-Saniyyah Lit-Taa’ibeena ilaas-Salafiyyah” (pg. 34-39)
PRODUCED BY: Al-Ibaanah.com
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The Second Advice: Seeking Knowledge is the Foundation for the Correctness of your Repentance
So knowledge is the foundation for the correctness of your repentance. This is due to two reasons:
First: For the most part, the misconceptions (you had prior to your repentance) will remain attached to your heart and your mind. So if you do not correct it with beneficial knowledge, you will find yourself accompanied by these misconceptions in your statements, actions and circumstances. Rather, you will find them mixed into your Da’wah (calling to the Way of Allaah), as is the condition of many of those who have leaped from (just) making their repentance to (being active in) the field of Da’wah. So they have begun calling to the Salafee Da’wah, however this call is mixed with the Ikhwaanee misconceptions of gathering people together (regardless of Creed) or the Qutubee misconceptions of making takfeer (declaring Muslims disbelievers) or the Surooree misconceptions of partisanship (hizbiyyah)! So the image displayed is Salafiyyah, but the taste and the smell derived from it is something else!
Therefore, their call turns into a Salafiyyah, which consists of particular standards that can have their roots traced back to the misconceptions they had propr to their repentance, which still accompany them and which they have not yet corrected. So you find this person calling to leadership in Da’wah (i.e. that there should be one leader for organizing all the Da’wah in a land).
Know that it is required upon everyone that commits a sin to rush towards repenting from it.
Repentance with regard to the rights of Allaah must meet three conditions:
1. One must stop committing that sin immediately, 2. He must feel remorse and sorrow for having done it, and 3. He must resolve to not return to committing that sin again.
Repentance with regard to the rights of humans must meet these same three conditions (listed above), as well as a fourth one, which is:
4. Taking back any oppression that was inflicted on someone or asking for his forgiveness or absolvment from that.
So it is obligatory on a person who has committed backbiting to seek repentance according to these four conditions, because backbiting involves the rights of people, so he must seek the forgiveness of the person he has backbitten.
Is it sufficient for one to just say: “I have backbit you, so please absolve me from (this) sin” or must he inform him also of what he said about him?
There are two views on this according to the Shaafi’ee scholars:
The First: His clarifying what he said (when backbiting) is a condition. So if he is absolved without informing him of what he said, the pardon is not valid, just as if he were to absolve him from (stealing) unidentifiable money.
The Second: His informing him (of what he said) is not a condition, because this is something that one will not be able to tolerate and thus forgive. So his knowing (exactly what was said) is not a condition, contrary to the example of the (stolen) money.
The first opinion is the strongest, since people have the ability to grant forgiveness for certain types of backbiting but not other types.
And if the one who has been backbitten is either dead or absent, then one is excused from seeking to be absolved from it. However, the scholars say: He should supplicate much for that person and ask forgiveness for him, as well as do many good deeds.
Know that it is preferable for the one who has been backbitten to absolve the backbiter from his sin, but it is not an obligation on him to do so. This is because it is giving away and forfeiting one’s right, so the choice is his. However, it is strongly recommended (muta’akkidah) for him to absolve him so that his Muslim brother can be free from the harm of this sin and so that he can be successful in receiving Allaah’s great reward of Forgiveness and Love. Allaah, the Most High, says:
“Those who repress their anger and pardon people. Verily, Allaah loves the good doers.” [Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 134]
The proper way he should take in making himself allow the pardoning is by reminding himself that: “This matter has already happened and there is no way to remove it now. So it is not right for me to make him miss his chance of getting reward and absolving my Muslim brother.”
Allaah says:
“And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives (others), that is truly from the things recommended by Allaah.” [Surah Ash-Shooraa: 43]
And He says:
“Show forgiveness!” [Surah Al-A’raaf: 199]
The ayaat similar to what we mentioned above are many. And in the authentic hadeeth, the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم said:
“And Allaah remains in the assistance of (His) servant so long as the servant remains in the assistance of his (fellow) brother.” [Saheeh – Reported by Muslim (2699)]
Ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullaah) said: “Whosoever is sought to be pleased, yet is not pleased is a devil.”
The people of the past would recite:
“It was said to me: Such and such person has spoken badly of you And when a youth sets out to humiliate, it is a shame So I said: He has come to us and issued an excuse The blood-money (i.e. recompense) for a sin – to us – is the apology.”
So what we have mentioned here concerning the encouragement for one to absolve and forgive a person from backbiting is what is correct. As for what has been reported on Sa’eed bin Al-Musayyib that he said: “I will not forgive the one who has oppressed me” and on Ibn Sireen that he said: “I will not forbid it on him and then make it allowable for him, because Allaah has made backbiting forbidden on him and I will never make permissible what Allaah has made forbidden” then it is either unauthentic or erroneous.
This is since a person that pardons someone is not making something forbidden permissible. Rather, he is only forfeiting a right that is established for him. The texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah indicate clearly that it is recommended to forgive and forfeit one’s rights, which are specific to this case. Or perhaps Ibn Sireen’s words can be taken to mean: “I will never permit myself to be backbitten.” This would be correct, for indeed if a person says: “I seek my honor back from the one who backbitten me”, he is not allowing for it to be done. Rather, he is forbidding everyone from backbiting him, just as he forbids others from being backbitten.
As for the hadeeth: “Are you not able to be like Abu Damdam – when he would go out from his home, he would say: ‘I am giving my honor away in charity for the people.’” Meaning: I will not seek justice from those who oppress me whether in this world or the Hereafter. This is useful in removing a transgression that existed before the absolvement, but as for what occurs after it, there must be a new absolvement made after that. And with Allaah lies the success.
Repentance: Its Meaning and Conditions – Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan حفظه الله
Translated by: Aboo ‘Abdil-Fattaah Salaah bin Bernard Brooks
al-Masjid al-Awwal Pittsburgh, PA
http://firstmuslimmosque.com/2014/03/…
Video Courtesy : Bilaal Naheem @ Manhaj ul-Haqq
By Shaykh ul –Islaam Ibn Qayyim aj-Jawzeeyah as-Salafi -Rahimullaah-
Translated by Umm Yahya
Shamsuddeen Muhammad bin Abee Bakr Ibn Qayyim aj-Jawzeeyah (d.751 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- said:
‘Indeed a slave commits a sin and enters Paradise through committing it and he performs a good deed and enters the Hellfire through performing it.’
It was asked ‘How is this (possible)?’
Ibn Qayyim -Rahimullaah- answered:
‘A sin is committed and thus does not cease to be before his eyes (causing him to be) fearful of it, concerned about it frightened and weeping due to his regret of doing it. Feeling ashamed due to this action before his Lord The Most High, with his head lowered between his hands, and his heart broken and despondent due to it.
Therefore that sin will be more beneficial to him than numerous acts of obedience could be. As a consequence these previously mentioned matters are the cause for this slave of Allaah’s happiness and success until that sin will be a reason for him to enter Paradise.
A slave of Allaah performs a good deed and he continues to view it as if he has performed a favour for his Lord and is egotistic due to that good deed, and he is conceited, vain and arrogant due to the sin. So he says I did such and such action (boasting) causing to him to inherit the characteristic of pride, haughtiness and adopting an overbearing attitude.
This becomes the reason for his destruction.
Thus if Allaah Ta’ala intends good for the needy slave He trials him with something in order to bring him down and to lower his neck in humiliation and to decrease his importance to himself. However if Allaah intended for him (the slave) anything other than good He (Allaah) would have left him alone and his vanity and pride and this is the deception which necessitates his destruction.’
[Taken from: ‘al-Waabil as-Sayyib min Kalim at-Tayyib’ By Ibn al-Qayyim page 15]
Tip: press ▶ next to any hadith number below to listen to that hadith alone.
Scholars said: It is necessary to repent from every sin. If the offense involves the Right of Allah, not a human, then there are three condition to be met in order that repentance be accepted by Allah:
1- To desist from committing it.
2- To feel sorry for committing it.
3- To decide not to recommit it.
Any repentance failing to meet any of these three conditions, would not be sound.
But if the sin involves a human’s right, it requires a fourth condition, i.e., to absolve onself from such right. If it is a property, he should return it to its rightful owner. If it is slandering or backbiting, one should ask the pardon of the offended.
باب فِي الْحَضِّ عَلَى التَّوْبَةِ وَالْفَرَحِ بِهَا
2675h. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased wth the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly.
2675i. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you would be on finding the lost camel.
2744a. Harith b. Suwaid said: I went to see ‘Abdullah to inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. He heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his riding beast carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst. then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions (of food and drink).
2744c. ‘Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing man. The rest of the hadith is the same.
2745. Nu’man b. Bashir reported: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing servant than of a person who set out on a journey with a provision of food and drink on the back of his camel. He went on until he came to a waterless desert and he felt like sleeping. So he got down under the shade of a tree and was overcome by sleep and his camel ran away. As he got up he tried to see (the camel) standing upon a mound. but did not find it. He then got upon the other mound, but could not see anything. He then climbed upon the third mound but did not see anything until he came back to the place where he had been previously. And as he was sitting (in utter disappointment) there came to him the camel, till that (camel) placed its nosestring in his hand. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the person who found (his lost camel) in this very state. Simak reported that Sha’bi was of the opinion that Nu’min traced it to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ. Simak, however, did not hear that himself.
2746. Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: What is your opinion about the delight of a person whose camel loaded with the provisions of food and drink is lost and that moves about with its nosestring trailing upon the waterless desert in which there is neither food nor drink, and lie wanders about in search of that until he is completely exhausted and then accidentally it happens to pass by the trunk of a tree and its nosestring gets entangled in that and he finds it entangled therein? He (in response to the question of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah’s Messenger, he would feel highly delighted. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his lost) camel.
2747a. Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says: O Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.
2747b. Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than if one of you gets up and he finds his camel missing in a waterless desert (and then he accidentally finds it). This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters.
Sins Are Erased By Praying For Forgiveness And Repenting
باب سُقُوطِ الذُّنُوبِ بِالاِسْتِغْفَارِ تَوْبَةً
2748a. Abu Sirma reported that when the time of the death of Abu Ayyub Ansari drew near, he said: I used to conceal from you a thing which I heard from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as sayirig: Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven them.
2748b. Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: If you were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon.
2749. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ having said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.
The Virtue Of Constant Dhikr, Thinking Of The Hereafter, And Remembering That Allah Is Always Watching; Permissibility Of Stopping That Sometimes, And Attending To Worldly Matters
2750a. Hanzala Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. reported: I met Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said to him: Allah’s Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: What has happened to you? I said: Allah’s Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.
2750b. Hanzala reported: We were in the company of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and he delivered to us a sermon and made a mention of Hell-Fire. Then I came to my house and began to laugh with my children and sport with my wife. (Hanzala) further reported: I went out and met Abu Bakr and made a mention of that to him. Thereupon he said: I have done the same as you have mentioned. So we went to see Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said to him: Allah’s Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a hypocrite. And he (the Holy Prophet) said Show respite. And then I narrated to him the story, and Abu Bakr said: I have done the same as he has done. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is a time for worldly affairs and a time for (worship and devotion), and if your state of mind is always the same as it is at the time of remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake hands with you and would greet you on the path by saying: As-Salamu-Alaikum.
2750c. Hanzala Taimi Ufayyidi, the scribe of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, reported: We were in the presence of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and he brought to our minds the problems pertaining to Paradise and Hell-Fire. The rest of the hadith is the same.
The Vastaess Of Allah’s Mercy, Which Prevails Over His Wrath
باب فِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَنَّهَا سَبَقَتْ غَضَبَهُ
2751a. Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath.
2751c. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: When Allah created the creation, He ordained for Himself and this document is with Him: Verily, My mercy predominates Mv wrath.
2752a. Abu Huraira reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah created mercy in one hundred parts and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and He has sent down upon the earth one part, and it is because of this one part that there is mutual love among the creation so much so that the animal lifts up its hoof from its younc, one, fearing that it might harm it.
2752b. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah created one hundred (parts of mercy) and He distributed one amongst His creation and kept this one hundred excepting one with Himself (for the Day of Resurrection).
2752c. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: There are one hundred (parts of) mercy for Allah and He has sent down out of these one part of mercy upon the jinn and human beings and the insects and it is because of this (one part) that they love one another, show kindness to one another and even the beast treats its young one with affection, and Allah has reserved ninetynine parts of mercy with which He would treat His servants on the Day of Resurrection.
2753a. Salman Farisi reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Verily, there are one hundred (parts of) mercy for Allah, and it is one part of this mercy by virtue of which there is mutual love between the people and ninety-nine reserved for the Day of Resurrection.
2753c. Salman reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Verily, Allah created, on the same very day when He created the heavens and the earth, one hundred parts of mercy. Every part of mercy is coextensive with the space between the heavens. and the earth and He out of this mercy endowed one part to the earth and it is because of this that the mother shows affection to her child and even the beasts and birds show kindness to one another and when there would be the Day of Resurrection, Allah would make full (use of Mercy).
2754. ‘Umar b. Khattab reported that there were brought some prisoners to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ amongst whom there was also a woman, who was searching (for someone) and when she found a child amongst the prisoners, she took hold of it, pressed it against her chest and provided it suck. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Do you think this woman would ever afford to throw her child in the Fire? We said: By Allah, so far as it lies in her power, she would never throw the child in Fire. ‘ Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Allah is more kind to His servants than this woman is to her child.
2755. ‘Ala’ reported on the authority of his father who reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: If a believer were to know the punishment (in Hell) none would have the audacity to aspire for Paradise (but he would earnestly desire to be rescued from Hell), and if a non-believer were to know what is there with Allah as a mercy. none would have been disappointed in regard to Paradise.
2756a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that a person who had never done any good deed asked the members of his family to burn his dead body when he would die and to scatter half of its ashes over the land and half in the ocean. By Allah, if Allah finds him in His grip, He would torment him with a torment with which He did not afflict anyone amongst the people of the world; and when the person died, it was done to him as he had commanded (his family) to do. Allah commanded the land to collect (the ashes scattered on it) and He commanded the ocean and that collected (ashes) contained in it. Allah questioned him why he had done. that He said: My Lord, it is out of Thine fear that I have done it and Thou art well aware of it, and Allah granted him pardon:.
2756b. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that a person committed sin beyond measure and when he was going to die, he left this will: (When I die), bum my dead body and then cast them (the ashes) to the wind and in the ocean. By Allah, if my Lord takes hold of me, He would torment me as He has not tormented anyone else. They did as he had asked them to do. He (the Lord) said to the earth: Return what you have taken. And he was thus restored to his (original form). He (Allah) said to him: What prompted you to do this? He said: My Lord, it was Thine fear or Thine awe, and Allah pardoned him because of this. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that a woman was thrown into Hell-Fire because of a cat whom she had tied and did not provide it with food. nor did she set it free to cat insects of the euth until it died inch by inch. Zuhri said: (These two ahidith) show that a person rhould neither feel confident (of getting into Paradise) because of his deeds, nor should he lose (all hopes) of getting into Paradise.
2756c. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that a servant transgressed the litnit in committing sins. The rest of the hadith is the same but there is no mention of the story of the cat in it and in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ziibaidl (the words are):” Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said to everything which had taken a part of lies ashes to return what it had taken.”
2757a. Abu Sa’id Khudri reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said that a person amongst the earlier nations before you was conferred property and children by Allah, He said to his children: ‘You must do as I command you to do, otherwise I will make others besides you as my inheritors. As I die, burn my body and blow my ashes in the wind as I do not find any merit of mine which would please Allah, and if Allah were to take hold of me, He would punish me. He took a pledge from them and they did as he commanded thein to do. Allah said: What prompted you to do this? He said: My Lord. Thine fear, and Allah did not punish him at all.
2757b. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu’ba with the chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording and Qatada explained the word” lam yasiru” as:” I find no good in store for rxie in the eye of Allah.”
Acceptance Of Repentance From Sin, Even If The Sin And Repentance Happen Repeatedly
باب قَبُولِ التَّوْبَةِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَإِنْ تَكَرَّرَتِ الذُّنُوبُ وَالتَّوْبَةُ
2758a. Abu Huraira reported from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ that his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, thus said. A servant committed a sin and he said: O Allah, forgive me my sins, and Allah (the Exalted and Glorious) said: My servant commited a sin and then he came to realise that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins and takes to account (the sinner) for the sin. He then again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me my sin, and Allah, the Exalted and High, said: My servant committed a sin and then came to realise that he has a Lord Who would forgive his sin or would take (him) to account for the sin. He again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me for my sin, and Allah (the Exalted and High) said: My servant sas committed a sin and then came to realise that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins or takes (him) to account for sin. 0 servant, do what you like. I have granted you forgiveness.
‘Abd al-A’la said: I do not know whether he said thrice or four times to do” what you desire”. The hadlth has been narrated on the authority of ‘Abd al-A’la b. Hammad with the same chain of transmitters.
2758c. Abu Huraira reported lie heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that a servant committed a sin. The rest of the hadith is the same, but there is a slight variation of wording.
2759a. Abu Mu’sa reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, Stretches out His Hand during the night so that the people repent for the fault committed from dawn till dusk and He stretches out His Hand daring the day so that the people may reprint for the fault committed from dusk to dawn. (He would accept repentance) before the sun rises in the west (before the Day of Resurrection). A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Shu’ba with the same chain of transmitters.
The Protective Jealousy (Ghirah) Of Allah The Most High, And The Prohibition Of Immoral Behavior
باب غَيْرَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَتَحْرِيمِ الْفَوَاحِشِ
2760a. ‘Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Nothing is more loveable to Allah than His praise as He has praised Himself and no one is more self-respecting than Allah Himself and it As because of this that He has prohibited abominable acts.
2760b. ‘Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: None is more self-respectidg than Allah and it is because of this that He has prohibited abominable acts-both visible and invisible-and none loves His praise more than Allah Himself.
2760c. ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud reported it directly from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ that he said: None is more self-respecting than Allah and it is because of this that He has prohibited abominable acts-both visible and invisible and nothing is loved by Allah more than the praise of His Ownself and it is because of this that He has praised Himself.
2760d. Abdullah b. Mas’ud reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: None loves one’s own praise more than Allah, the Exalted and Glurious, does. It is because of this that He has praised Himself, and none is more self-respecting than Allah and it is because of this that He has prohibited abominable acts and there is none who is more anxious to accept the apologies of the people than Allah Himself and it is because of this that He has revealed the Book and sent the Messengers.
2761a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah is self-respecting and a believer is also self-respecting and the respect of Allah is injured if a believer does what He has forbidden him to do.
2761b. Abu Salama reported from Abu Huraira that he narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: There is none more self-respecting than Allah, the Exalted and Glorious There is no mention of the narration of Asma’.
The Words Of Allah The Most High: "Verily, The Good Deeds Remove The Evil Deeds"
باب قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ}
2763a. ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud reported that a person kissed a woman and he came to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and made a mention of that to him. It was (on this occasion) that this verse was revealed:” And observe prayer at the (two) ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful” (xi. 115). That person said: Allah’s Messenger, does it concern me only? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It concerns every one of my Unimah, who acts according to it.
2763b. Ibn Mas’ud reported that a person came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and told him that he had kissed a woman or touched her with his hand or did something like this. He inquired of him about its expiation. It was (on this occasion) that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse (as mentioned above).
2763c. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sulaiman Taimi with the same chain of transmitters that a person had taken liberty with a woman less than fomication. He came to ‘Umar b. Khattab and he took it to be a serious offence. Then he came to Abu Bakr and he also took it to be a serious offence. Then he came the Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and he made a mention of this to him. The rest of the hadith is the same.
2763d. ‘Abdullah reported that a person came to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and said: Allah’s Messenger, I sported with a woman in the outskirts of Medina, and I have committed an offence short of fornication. Here I am (before you), kindly deliver verdict about me which you deem fit. Unar said: Allah concealed your fault. You had better conceal it yourself also. Allah’s Apostle ﷺ, however, gave no reply to him. The man stood up and went away and Allah’s Apostle ﷺ sent a person after him to call him and be recited this verse:” And observe prayer at the ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful” (xi. 115). A person amongst the people said: Allah’s Apostle, does it concern this marn only? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: No, but the people at large.
2763e. This hadith has been transmitted by Abu al-Ahwas and in this (these words are) also found: Mu’adh said: Allah’s Messenger, does it concern this particular case or to all of us? And he (the Holy Prophet) said: Of course, to all of you.
2764. Anas reported that a person came to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: Allah’s Messenger, I have committed an offence which deserves imposition of haad, so impose it upon me according to the Book of Allah. Thereupon he said: Were you not present with us at the time of prayer? He said: Yes. Thereupon he said: You have been granted pardon.
2765. Abu Umama reported: We were sitting in the mosque in the company of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. A person came there and said: Allah’s Messenger, I have committed an offence which deserves the imposition of hadd upon me, so impose it upon me. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ kept silent. He repeated it and said: Allah’s Messenger, I have committed an offence which deserves the imposition of hadd upon me, so impose it upon me. He (the Holy Prophet) kept silent, and it was at this time that Iqama was pronounced for prayer (and the prayer was observed). And when Allah’s Apostle ﷺ had concluded the payer that person followed Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. Abu Umama said: I too followed Allah’s Messenger ﷺ after he had concluded the prayer, so that I should know what answer he would give to that person. That person remained attached to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said: Allah’s Messenger, I have committed an offence which deserves imposition of hadd upon me, so impose it upon me. Abu Umama reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to him: Didn’t you see that as you got out of the house, you performed ablution perfectly well. He said: Allah’s Messenger, of course. I did it. He again said to him: Then you observed prayer along with us. He said: Allah’s Messenger, yes, it is so. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to him: Verily, Allah has exempted you from the imposition of hadd, or he said. From your sin.
The Acceptance Of The Repentance Of The One Who Kills, Even If He Has Killed A Great Deal
باب قَبُولِ تَوْبَةِ الْقَاتِلِ وَإِنْ كَثُرَ قَتْلُهُ
2766a. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and the repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you also worship along with them and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitant and remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy.
2766b. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that a man killed ninety-nine persons and then he began to make an inquiry whether there was any way left for him for repentance. He came to a monk and asked him about that, and he said: There is no chance for repentance for you. He killed the monk also and then began to make an inquiry and moved from one village to another village where there lived pious persons, and as he had covered some distance, he was overtaken by death, but he managed to crawl upon his chest (to the side nearer to the place where the pious men lived). He died and then there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment and (when it was measured) he was found to be nearer to the village where pious persons were living equal to the Space of a span and he was thus included among them.
2766c. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Qatida with the same chain of transmitters but (with this variation of wording):” Allah commanded the earth (from where) he wanted to come out to move itself away and to the other earth (where he wanted to go) to draw nearer.”
2767a. Abu Musa’ reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.
2767b. Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: No Muslim would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. ‘Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ.
2767d. Abu Burda reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah’s Apostle ﷺ? I said: Yes.
2768. Safwan b. Muhriz reported that a person said to Ibn ‘Umar: How did you hear Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying something about intimate conversation? He said: I heard him say: A believer will be brought to his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, on the Day of Resurrection and He would place upon him His veil (of Light) and make him confess his faults and say: Do you recognise (your faults)? He would say: My Lord, I do recognise (them). He (the Lord) would say: I concealed them for you in the world. And today I forgive them. And he would then be given the Book containing (the account of his) good deeds. And so far as the non-believers and hypocrites are concerned, there would be general announcement about them before all creation telling them that these (people, i. e. non-believers and hypocrites) told a lie about Allah.
The Repentance Of Ka’b Ibn Malik And His Two Companions
باب حَدِيثِ تَوْبَةِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَصَاحِبَيْهِ
2769a. Ibn Shihab reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ made an expedition to Tabuk and he (the Holy Prophet) had in his mind (the idea of threatening the) Christians of Arabia in Syria and those of Rome. Ibn Shihab (further) reported that ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Abdullah b. Ka’b informed him that Abdullah b. Ka’b who served as the guide of Ka’b b. ‘Malik as he became blind that he heard Ka’b b. Malik narrate the story of his remaining behind Allah’s Messenger ﷺ from the Battle of Tabuk. Ka’b b. Malik said: I never remained behind Allah’s Messenger ﷺ from any expedition which he undertook except the Battle of Tabuk and that of the Battle of Badr. So far as the Battle of Badr is concerned, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and the Muslims (did not set out for attack but for waylaying) the caravan of the Quraish, but it was Allah Who made them confront their enemies without their intention (to do so). I had the honour to be with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ on the night of ‘Aqaba when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was more dear to me than my participation in the Battle of Badr, although Badr was more popular amongst people as compared with that (Tabuk). And this is my story of remaining back from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ on the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk. Never did I possess means enough and (my circumstances) more favourable than at the occasion of this expedition. And, by Allah, I had never before this expedition simultaneously in my possession two rides. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ set out for this expedition in extremely hot season; the journey was long and the land (which he and his army had to cover) was waterless and he had to confront a large army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual situation (they had to face), so that they should adequately equip themselves for this expedition, and he also told them the destination where he intended to go. And the Muslims who accompanied Allah’s Messenger ﷺ at that time were large in numbers but there was no proper record of them. Ka’b (further) said: Few were the persons who wanted to absent themselves, and were under the impression that they could easily conceal themselves (and thus remain undetected) until revelations from Allah, the Exalted and Glorious (descended in connection with them).
And Allah’s Messenger ﷺ set out on an expedition when the fruits were ripe and their shadows had been lengthened. I had weakness for them and it was during this season that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ made preparations and the Muslims too along with them. I also set out in the morning so that I should make preparations along with them but I came back and did nothing and said to myself: I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like. And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) until people were about to depart and it was in the morning that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ set out and the Muslims too along with him, but I made no preparations. I went early in the morning and came back, but I made no decision. I continued to do so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. I also made up my mind to march on and to meet them. Would that I had done that but perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as I went out amongst people, I was shocked to find that I did not find anyone like me but people who were labelled as hypocrites or the people whom Allah granted exemption because of their incapacity and Allah’s Messenger ﷺ took no notice of me until he had reached Tabuk. (One day as he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk) he said: What has happened to Ka’b b. Malik? A person from Banu’ Salama said: Allah’s Messenger, the (beauty) of his cloak and his appreciation of his sides have allured him and he was thus detained. Mua’dh b. Jabal said: Woe be upon that what you contend. Allah’s Messenger, by Allah, we know nothing about him but good. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, however, kept quiet. It was during that time that he (the Holy Prophet) saw a person (dressed in all white (garment) shattering the illusion of eye (mirage).
Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: May he be Abu Khaithama and, lo, it was Abu Khaithama al-Ansari and he was that person who contributed a sa’ of dates and was scoffed at by the hypocrites. Ka’b b. Malik farther said: When this news reached me that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was on his way back from Tabuk I was greatly perturbed. I thought of fabricating false stories and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger on the following day. In this connection, I sought the help of every prudent man from amongst the members of my family and when it was said to me that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was about to arrive, all the false ideas banished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing could save me but the telling of truth, so I decided to speak the truth and it was in the morning that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ arrived (in Medina). And it was his habit that as he came back from a journey he first went to the mosque and observed two Rak’ahs of nafl prayer (as a mark of gratitude) and then sat amongst people. And as he did that, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him and they were more than eighty persons. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ accepted their excuses on the very face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their secret (intentions) to Allah, until I presented myself to him. I greeted him and he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He (the Holy Prophet) then said to me: Come forward. I went forward until I sat in front of him. He said to me: What kept you back? Could you not afford to go in for a ride? I said: Allah’s Messenger, by Allah, if I were to sit in the presence of anybody else from amongst the worldly people I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext (or the other) and I have also the knack to fall into argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware of the fact that if I were to put forward before you a false excuse to please you Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me, and if I speak the truth you may be annoyed with me, but I hope that Allah would make its end well and, by Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I never possessed so good means, and I never had such favourable conditions for me as I had when I stayed behind you (failed to join the expedition).
Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: This man told the truth, so get up until Allah gives a decision in your case. I stood up and some people of Banu’ Salama followed me in hot haste, and they said to me: By Allah, we do not know about you that you committed a sin prior to this. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as those who stayed behind him have put forward excuses. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ would have sought forgiveness for you. By Allah, they continued to incite me until I thought of going back to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and contradict myself. Then I said to them: Has anyone else also met the same fate? They said: Yes, two persons have met the same fate as has fallen to you and they have made the sane statement as you have made, and the same verdict has been delivered in their case as it has been delivered in your case. I said: Who are they? They said: Murara b. ar-Rabi’a ‘Amiri and Hilal b. Umayya al-Waqafi. They made a mention of these two pious persons to me who had participated in the Battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. I went away when they named these two persons. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ forbade the Nluslims to talk with three of us from amongst those (persons) who had stayed behind him. The people began to avoid us and their attitude towards us underwent a change and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned (hostile) against us and it was in fact the same atmosphere ot which I was fully aware and in which I had lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty nights in this very state and my two friends confined themselves withen their houses and spent (most of the) time in weeping, but as I was young and strong amongst them I got (out of my house), participated in congregational prayers, moved about in the bazar; but none spoke to me. I came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as he sat amongst (people) after the prayer, greeted him and asked myself whether his lips stirred in response to my greetings (or not).
Then I observed prayer beside him and looked at him with stealing glances and when I attended to my prayer, he looked at me and when I cast a glance at him he turned away his eyes from me. And when the harsh treatment of the Muslims towards me extended to a (considerable) length of time, I walked until I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada, and he was my cousin, and I had the greatest love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not respond to my greetings. I said to him: Abu Qatada, I adjure you by Allah, arn’t you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ the most. He kept quiet. I again repeated saying: I adjure you by Allah. arn’t you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ the most. He kept quiet. I again adjured him, whereupon he said: Allah and the Messenger ﷺ are best aware of it. My eyes began to shed tears and I came back climbing down from the wall and as I was walking in the bazar of Medina a Nabatean from amongst the Nabateans of Syria, who had come to sell foodgrains in Medina, asked people to direct him to Ka’b b. Malik. People gave him the indication by pointing towards me. He came to me and delivered to me a letter of the King of Ghassan and as I was a scribe I read that letter and it was written like this:” Coming to my point, it has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Holy Prophet) is subjecting you to cruelty and Allah has not created you for a place where you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place, so you come to us that we should accord you honour. As I read that letter I said: This is also a calamity, so I burnt it in the oven. When out of the fifty days, forty days had passed and Allah’s Messenger ﷺ received no revelation, there came the messenger of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ to me and said: Verily, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ has commanded you to remain separate from your wife. I said: Should I divorce her or what (else) should I do? He said: No, but only remain separate from her and don’t have sexual contact with her.
The same message was sent to my companions. So I said to my wife: You better go to your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case. The wife of Hilal b. Umayya came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said: Allah’s Messenger, Hilal b. Umayya is a senile person, he has no servant. Do you disapprove of my serving him? He said: No, but don’t go near him. She said: By Allah, he has no such instinct in him. By Allah, he spends his time in weeping from that day to this day. Some of the members of my family said to me: Were you to seek permission from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ in regard to your wife as he has granted permission to the wife of Hilal b. Umayya to serve him. I said: I would not seek permission from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, for I cannot say what Allah’s Apostle may say in response to seeking my permission. Moreover, I am a young man. It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty nights had passed that (people) had observed boycott with us. It was on the morning of the fiftieth night that I observed my dawn prayer and was sitting on one of the roofs of our houses. And I was in fact sitting in that very state which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has described about us in these words:” Life had become hard for myself and the earth had compressed despite its vastness,” that I heard the noise of an announcer from the peak of the hill of Sal’ saying at the top of his voice: Ka’b b. Malik, there is glad tidings for you. I fell down in prostration and came to realise that there was (a message of) relief for me. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ had informed the people of the acceptance of our repentance by Allah as he offered the dawn prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my friends in order to give them the glad tidings and a person galloped his horse and came from the tribe of Aslam and his horse reached me more quickly than his voice. And when he came to me whose sound I heard, he gave me the glad tidings. I took off my clothes and clothed him with them because of his bringing good news to me and, by Allah, I possessed nothing else (in the form of clothes) than these two on that occasion, and I asked one to lend me two clothes and dressed myself in them.
I came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and on my way I met groups of people who greeted me because of (the acceptance of) repentance and they said: Here is a greeting for you for your repentance being accepted by Allah. (I moved on) until I came to the mosque and Allah’s Messenger ﷺ had been sitting there amongst persons. So Talha b. ‘Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me and he shook hands with me and greeted me and, by Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the emigrants except he. Ka’b said that he never forgot (this good gesture of) Talha. Ka’b further said: I greeted Allah’s Messenger ﷺ with Assalam-o-‘Alaikam and his face was glistening because of delight, and he said: Let there be glad tidings and blessings for you, the like of which (you have neither found nor you will find, as you find today) since your mother gave your birth. I said: Allah’s Messenger. is this acceptance of repentance from you or from Allah? He said: No, (it is not from ma), it is from Allah, and it was common with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ that as he was happy his face brightened up and it looked like a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognised it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said: Allah’s Messenger, am I allowed to give in charity my wealth for Allah’s sake and for the sake of His Messenger ﷺ? Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Keep some property with you as it is better for you. I said: I shall keep with me that part (of my property) which fell to my lot (on the occasion of the expedition of) Khaibar. I said: Allah’s Messenger, verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of truth and, therefore, (I think) that repentance implies that I should not speak anything but truth as long as I live. He said: By Allah, I do not know whether anyone amongst the Muslims was put to more severe trial than I by Allah because of telling the truth. And since I made a mention of this to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ up to this day I have not told any lie and, by Allah, I have decided not to tell a lie and I hope that Allah would save me (from trials) for the rest of my life and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed these verses:”
Certainly, Allah has turned in Mercy to the Prophet and the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship after the hearts of a part of them were about to deviate; then He turned to them in mercy. Surely, to them He is Compassionate, Merciful and (He turned in Mercy) to the three who were left behind until the earth despite its vastness became strait for them and their souls were also straitened to them.” And this revelation reached up to the (words):” O you who believe, develop God consciousness, and be with the truthful” (ix. 117-118). Ka’b said: By Allah, since Allah directed me to Islam there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who told lies, for in regard to those who told lies Allah used harshest words used for anyone as He descended revelation (and the words of Allah are):” They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. Surely, they are unclean and their resort is Hell, recompense for what they earned. They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them but if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people” (ix. 95-96). K’ab said that the matter of us three persons was deferred as compared with those who took an oath in the presence of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and he accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and Allah did not give any decision in regard to us. It was Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, Who gave decisions in our case, three who remained behind. (The words of the Qur’an)” the three who were left behind” do not mean that we remained back from Jihad but these imply that He kept our matter behind them who took oath and presented excuse before Him. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.
2769c. ‘Abdullah b. K’ab, who was his (Ka’b’s) guide as he became blind, reported that he heard from Ka’b b. Malik the story of his staying behind Allah’s Messenger ﷺ from the expedition of Tabuk. The rest of the hadith is the same (but with this variation) that in the narration transmitted on the authority of Yunus (the words are): When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ intended to set on an expedition he kept It as a secret, but. be did not do so in thic. expedition. And in the narration transmitted on the authority of Muhammad b. Abdullah b. Muslim, there is no mention of Abu Khaithana (Allah be pleased with him) and no mention of his meeting with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ.
2769d. It is reported on the authority of Abdullah b. K’ab and he was the guide of Ka’b as he lost his eyesight and he was the greatest scholar amongst his people and he retained in his mind many ahadith of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. He said: I heard my father Ka’b b. Malik, and he fas one of those three whose repentance was accepted (by Allah). He transmitted that He never lagged behind Allah’s Messenger ﷺ from any expedition that he undertook except two expeditions; the rest of the hadith is the same, and in the tradition narrated through another chain of transmitters the words are:” That Allah’s Messenger ﷺ set out on an expedition with a large number of persons more than ten thousand and this could not be recorded in the census register.”
Al-Ifk (The Slander) And The Acceptance Of The Slanderer’s Repentance
باب فِي حَدِيثِ الإِفْكِ وَقَبُولِ تَوْبَةِ الْقَاذِفِ
2770a. Sa’id b. Musayyib, ‘Urwa b. Zubair, ‘Alqama b. Waqqas and ‘Ubaidullah b. Abdullah b. ‘Utba b. Mas’ud–all of them reported the story of the false allegation against ‘A’isha, the wife of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ. And they (the slanderers) said what they had to say, but Allah exonerated her of this charge and all of them reported a part of the hadith and some of them who had better memories reported more and with better retention, and I tried to retain this hadith (listening) from every one of them that they reported to me and some of them attested the other. (The sumaried substance of the false allegation is this): ‘A’isha said: Whenever Allah’s Messenger ﷺ intended to set out on a journey he cast lots amongst his wives and he took one with him in whose favour the lot was cast. It so happened that he cast lots amongst us while setting out on a battle and it was cast in my favour, so I set out along with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. This relates to the period when the revelation concerning the commands of veil had been made. I was carried in a haudaj and I was brought down where we had to stay. In short, when we set out for return journey from the expedition and our caravan was near Medina, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ commanded one night to march forward. I also got up when the command for the march was given and moved on until I went out of the encampments of the army and after relieving myself I came to my place. I touched my chest and found that my necklace which had been made of the stones of zafar had been broken. I retraced my steps and tried to search my necklace and this detained me there. The group of people who saddled my ride and placed my haudaj carrying me upon the camels marched on. They were under the impression that I was in it. The women in those days were light of weight and they did not wear much flesh, as they ate less food; so they did not perceive the weight of my haudaj as they placed it upon the camel as I was a young girl at that time. So they drove the camel and Eet out and I found my necklace after the army had marched. I came to my place and there was none to call and none to respond (the call).
I waited at my place under the impression that when the people would riot find me they would come back. So I kept sitting at my place. I was overpowered by sleep and slept. Safwan b. Mu’attal Sulami Dhakwini, who had lagged behind the army because of taking rest came to my place walking in the latter part of the night and he saw the body of a person who was asleep. He came to me and recognised me as he had seen rue before it was enjoined to observe purda. I got ap by his voice as he recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un [we are for Allah and to Him we have to return. ] and I covered my head with my headdress. By Allah, he did not speak to me a word and I did not hear a word from him except Inna lillahi. He made his camel kneel down and I amounted the camel as he pressed tLe camel’s foreleg and he moved on leaning the camel by the nose string on which I was riding until we came to the army where it had encamped for rest because of extreme heat. Woe be upon those who harboured doubts about me and the most notorious among them was ‘Abdullah b. Ubayy, the great hypocrite. We came to Medina and I fell sick for a month. The people had been deliberating over the statements of those who had brought these calumnies against me. I was absolutely unaware of anything concerning that. This, however, caused doubt in my mind that I did not see Allah’s Messenger ﷺ treating me with such kindness with which he treated me as I fell ill before this. The Holy Prophet ﷺ would coome and greet me with Assalam-o-‘Alaikum and only ask me how I was. This caused doubt in my mind, but I was unaware of the evil. I wept outside despite my failing health and there went along with me Umm Mistah and she said the daughter of Abu Rhm b. Muttalib b. ‘Abd Manaf and his mother was the daughter of Sakhr b. ‘Amir, the sister of the mother of Abu Bakr Sidiq and his son was Mistah b. Uthatha b. ‘Abbad b. Muttalib. I and the daughter of Abu Rahm set towards the direction of my house. Something got into the head dress of Umm Mistah and she said: Woe be upon Mistah. And I said. Woe be upon what you say. Do you curse people who had participated in Badr? She said: Innocent woman, have you not heard what he said? I said: What did he say? She conveyed to me the statement of those who had brought false allegations against me. So my illness was aggravated.
I went to my house and Allah’s Messenger ﷺ came to me and he greeted me and then said: How is that woman? I said: Do you permit me to go to the (house) of my parents? She (further) said: I had at that time made up my mind to confirm this news from them. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ permitted me. So I came to (the house of) my parents and said to my mother: Mother, do you know what the people are talking about? She said: My daughter, you should not worry. By Allah, if there is a handsome woman who is loved by her husband and he has co-wives also they talk many a thing about her. I said: Hallowed be Allah, what are the people talking about? I wept during the whole night until it was morning and I did not have a wink of sleep and I wept even in the morning. As the revelation was delayed (in regard to this matter), so Allah’s Messenger ﷺ called ‘Ali ibn Abi ‘Talib and Usama b. Zaid in order to seek their advice in regard to the separation of his wife. Usama b. Zaid told Allah’s Messenger ﷺ about the innocence of his wives and what he knew about his love for them. He said: Allah’s Messenger, they are your wives and we know nothing else about thembut goodness. And as for ‘Ali b. Abu Talib, he said: Allah has not put any unnecessary burden upon you (in regard to your wives). There are a number of women besides her and if you ask that maidservant (Barira) she will tell you the truth. So, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ called Bailra and said: Barira, did you see anything in ‘A’isha which can cause doubt about her? Barira said: By Him Who sent thee with the truth, I have seen nothing objectionable in her but only this much that she is a young girl and she goes to sleep while kneading the flour and the lamb eats that. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ mounted the pulpit and sought vindication against ‘Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul, and he further said: Who would exonerate me from imputations of that person who has troubled (me) in regard to my family? By Allah, I find nothing in my wife but goodness and the person whom the people have mentioned in this connection is, according to my knowledge, a thoroughly pious person, and he did never get into my house but along with me. Sa’d b. Mu’adh stood up and said: Allah’s Messenger, I defend your honour against him. If he belong to the tribe of Aus we would strike his neck and if he belongs to the tribe of our brother Khazraj and you order us we would comply with your order.
Then Sa’d b. ‘Ubada stood up. He was chief of the Khazraj tribe. He was otherwise a pioas man but he had some what tribal partisanship in him and he said to Sa’d b. Mu’adh: By the everlasting existence of Allah. you are not stating the fact, you will not be able to kill him and you will not have the power to do so. Thereupon, Usaid b. Hudair stood up, and he was the first cousin of Sa’d b. Mu’adh and said to Sa’d b. ‘Ubada: By the everlasting existence of Allah, you are not stating the fact. We would kill him. You are a hypocrite and so you argue in defence of the hypocrites, and thus both the tribes Aus and Khazraj were flared up, until they were about to fall upon one another and Allah’s Messenger ﷺ kept standing upon the pulpit and Allah’s Messenger ﷺ tried to subside their anger until they became silent and thus there was silence. ‘A’isha further reported: I spent the whole day in weeping and even the night and could not have a wink of sleep even next night. My parents thought that this constant weeping of mine would break my heart. I wept and they sat beside me. In the meanwhile a woman of the Ansar came to see me. I permitted her to see me and she also began to weep. And we were in this very state that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ came and he greeted me and then sat down. He had never sat with me since a month when this rumour was afloat, and there was no revelation (to clarity) my case. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ recited Tashahhud (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle) and then said: Coming to the point, ‘A’isha, this is what has reached me about you and if you are innocent, Allah would Himself vindicate your honour, and if accidentally there has been a lapse on your part sock forgiveness of Allah; He will pardon thee for when a servant makes a confession of his fault and turns (to Him) penitently, Allah also turns to him (mercifully) accepting his repentance.
When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ talked, my tears dried up and not even a single drop of tear was perceived by me (rolling out of my eyes). I said to my father: You give a reply to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ on my behalf. He said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. I then said to my mother: Give a reply to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ on my behalf, but she said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. I was a small girl at that time and I had not read much of the Qur’an (but I said): By Allah, I perceive that you have heard about this and it has settled down in your mind and you have taken it to be true, so if I say to you that I am quite innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would never believe me to be true, and if I confess to (the alleged) lapse before you, whereas Allah knows that I am completely innocent (and I have not committed this sin at all), in that case You will take me to be true and, by Allah, I, therefore, find no other alternative for me and for you except that what the father of Yousuf said:, (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought for in that (predicament) which ye describe” (xii 18). After this I turned my face to the other side and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I was fully aware of this fact that I was innocent but I did not expect that Allah would descend Wahy Matlu (Qur’anic Wahy) in my case as I did not think myself so much important that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would speak in this matter in words to be recited. I only hoped that Allah would in vision give an indication of my innocence to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ during his sleep. And, by Allah, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ had not moved an inch from where he had been sitting and none from the members of my family had gone that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, descended revelation upon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ there and then and he felt the burden which he used to feel at the time of receiving revelation. He began to perspire because of the burden of words of Allah as they descended upon him even during the winter season and there fell the drops of his sweat like silvery beads. When this state of receiving revelation was over, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled and the first words which he spoke to me were that he said: ‘A’isha, there is glad tidings for you. Verily, Allah has vindicated your honour, and my mother who had been standing by me said: Get up (and thank him, i. e. the Holy Prophet). I said: By Allah, I shall not thank him and laud him but Allah Who has descended revelation vindicating my honour. She (‘A’isha) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed:” ‘Verily, those who spread the slander are a gang among you” (and) ten (subsequent) verses in regard to my innocence. She further said: Abu Bakr used to give to Mistah (some stipend) as a token of kinship with him and for his poverty and he (Abu Bakr) said: By Allah, now I would not spend anything for him. ‘A’isha said: It was upon this that Allah the Exalted and Glorious revealed this verse:” And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear to give to the near of the kin” up to” Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you?” Hibban b. Musa’ said that ‘Abdullah b. Mubarak used to say: It is a verse contained in the Book which most (eminently) brightens the hope.
Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I wish that Allah should pardon me. I shall never stop this stipend. So he continued to give him the stipend which he had withdrawn. ‘A’isha said that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ asked Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, the wife of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ, about me what she knew or what she had seen in me, and she said: Allah’s Messenger, I shall not say anything without hearing (with my ears) and seeing with my eyes. By Allah, I find nothing in her but goodness. (And she stated this in spite of the fact) that she was the only lady who amongst the wives of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ used to vie with me but Allah saved her in bringing false allegation against me because of her God-consciousness. Her sister Hamna bint Jahsh, however, opposed her and she was undone along with others.
2770b. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri through other chains of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. In the hadith transmitters on the authority of ‘Urwa, there is an addition of these words:” ‘A’isha did not like that Hassan should be rebuked in her presence and she used to say: It was he who wrote this verse also:” ‘Verily, my father and my mother and my honour, those are all meant for defending the honour of Muhammad against you.” And ‘Urwa further reported that ‘A’isha said: By Allah, the person, about whom the allegation was trade used to say: Hallowed be Allah, by One, in Whose hand is my life, I have never unveiled any woman, and then he die, & as a martyr in the cause of Allah, and in the narration transmitted on the authority of Ya’qub b. Ibrahim., the word is Mu’irin and in the narration transmitted on the’authority of ‘Abd al-Razzaq it is Mughirin. ‘Abd b. Humaid said: I said to ‘Abd al-Razzaq: What does this word Mughirin mean? And he said: Al- waghra means intense heat.
2770c. ‘A’Isha reported: When I came under discussion what the people had to say about me, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ stood up for delivering an address and he recited tashahhud (I bear witness to the fact that iheie is no god but Allah) and praised Allah, lauded Him what He rightly deserves and then said: Coming to the point. Give me an advice about them who have brought false charge about my family. By Allah, I know no evil in the members of my family and the person in connection with whom the false charge is being levelled, I know no evil in him too. And he never entered my house but in my presence and when I was away on a journey, he remained with me even in that. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this change that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ came to my house and asked my maidservant and she said: By Allah, I know no fault in her but this that she sleeps, and goat comes and eats the kneaded flour. Some of the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) scolded her and said: State the fact before Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and they even made a pointed reference (to this incident). She said: gallowed be Allah. By Allah, I know about her as does the jeweller know about the pure piece of gold. And when this news reached the person in connection with whom the allegation was made he said: Hallowed be Allah. By Allah, I have never unveiled any woman. ‘A’isha said: He fell as a martyr in the cause of Allah, and there is this addition in this hadith that the people who had brought false allegation amongst them were Mistah and Hamna and Hassan. And so far as the hypocrite ‘Abdullah b. Ubayy is concerned, he was one who tried his best to gather the false news and then gave them the wind. And he was in fact a fabricator and there was Hamna, daughter of Jahsh with him.
باب بَرَاءَةِ حَرَمِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الرِّيبَةِ
2771. Anas reported that a person was charged with fornication with the slavegirl of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to ‘Ali: Go and strike his neck. ‘Ali came to him and he found him in a well making his body cool. ‘Ali said to him: Come out, and as he took hold of his hand and brought him out, he found that his sexual organ had been cut. Hadrat ‘Ali refrained from striking his neck. He came to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and said: Allah’s Messenger, he has not even the sexual organ with him.
The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness
كتاب الذكر والدعاء والتوبة والاستغفار
Hadith 2675 – 2735125 Ahadith
Introduction
Supplication is in fact not only the spontaneous outpourings of man’s heart before his Lord, but it is an expression of his sense of nearness to Him, of His Might and Power, of his confidence in His mercy, grace and blessings. If one were to know how much a man supplicates, and what he supplicates about, and how he supplicates, one would be able to see how much spirituality is there in his soul. When a man without any witness speaks with Allah, the soul stands unveiled before its Creator. The higher the note he strikes in his outpouring, the higher is the quality of the faith that is imprinted upon his soul, and serves as a background to all his thought and activity. Thus to understand the spirit of any religion and appraise its value to life and society, supplications serve as the key. The Prophet ﷺ was a great believer in supplication and prayer. He made supplications to his Lord with zeal and fervour, rarely to be found in the religious literature of the world. One who cares to read them cannot but be overwhelmed with the depth of feelings with which the Holy Prophet ﷺ approaches his Lord, his intense love for the Great Master, his deep faith in His unbounded Favours, his unshakeable confidence in His Divine Mercy and unflinching faith in His Might and Power, and his sense of deep humility before Him. These are in fact the multi-coloured threads with which is woven the delicate pattern of the Prophet’s ﷺ supplications. In Islam the supplication which a Muslim has been instructed to make whether singly or in congregation, whether at the appointed hour of ritual prayer or at any sudden call or urge to His Lord, reflects the one single attitude of submission, humility and closeness to God. Whatever is the state of spiritual elevation of the supplication he is made to keep this fact constantly in his mind that he is a humble servant of the Lord. That is the reason why most of the supplications in Islam open with an invocation of the Divine Being; either the personal name of God, i. e. Allah, is used or the descriptive title of His Attributes are called out in order to make the worshipper conscious of his own weak and dependent self before his Master. In Islam man seeks to move God to help and grant him what he desires, and at the same time he seeks unconsciously to work upon himself through the realisation of what God means to him, to strengthen, to renew and to refresh his own inner life.
While the expression of dependence and trust is in reality a prerequisite of supplication in Islam, it covers the whole range of human life with all its needs, longings and problems. Supplication finds expression in a deep and urgent longing for self preservation and deliverance from the oppressive situation, forgiveness of sins, elevation of the soul, goodness of the worldly life and that of the Hereafter. This consciousness of one’s absolute dependence upon Him, which pervades the entire stock of the Prophet’s ﷺ supplications, shows man’s attitude of perfect resignation before the Mighty Will of the Master, but this resignation has nothing of the spirit of despondence and despair in it; it rather illuminates hope out of conviction that the Being Who is the Lord of man’s fate can also help him and save him even in the most trying circumstances.
The supplications of Muhammad ﷺ eminently combine in themselves the mystical and the religious traits. While the Muslim supplicates, he, like a mystic, beholds undisturbed with concentrated gaze one Supreme Spiritual Reality Who is the Embodiment and Repository of all values. But, unlike mystics, he, in the hour of contemplation in supplication, does not lose himself but realises himself to be a humble servant of God and therein lies his spiritual strength and unwavering confidence in God.
The one more distinguishing feature of the supplications taught by Muhammad ﷺ is that these are all permeated with the spirit of social fellowship. They do not urge man to stand face to face with God in absolute loneliness, isolated from all other human beings. Herein the suppliant begs his Lord with the full consciousness of human brotherhood and with a feeling that the distress which vexes him is not his only, it is that of his brethren. The graces of God and the salvation for which he longs are also the longings of all believers, nay, of the entire humanity. There is no doubt a deep touch of intimate personal and individual contact with God in these supplications, but this contact is not of the nature of a non-Muslim mystic in which the soul is supposed to be unified with God losing all its individual identity. Here the soul has a communion with Allah with full consciousness of man’s own self, his social surroundings and responsibilities. That is why most of the supplications have been expressed in the form” We” and Us”.
2675a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, thus stated: I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.
2675b. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A’mash with the same chain of transmitters, but there is no mention of these words:” He draws near Me by the space of a hand, I draw near him by the space (covered) by two hands.”
2675c. Hammam b. Munabbih reported so many ahadith from Abu Huraira and one out of them is this that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said that Allah thus stated: When My servant draws close to me by the span of a palm, I draw close to him by the space of a cubit, and when he draws close to Me by the space of a cubit, I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and when he draws close to Me by the space (covered by) two hands, I go in hurry towards him.
2676. Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was travelling along the path leading to Mecca that he happened to pass by a mountain called Jumdan. He said: Proceed on, it is Jumdan, Mufarradun have gone ahead. They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah’s Messenger, who are Mufarradun? He said: They are those males and females who remember Allah much.
The Names Of Allah, Exalted is He, And The Virtue Of The One Who Learns Them By Heart
باب فِي أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَفَضْلِ مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا
2677a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: There are ninety-nine names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allah is Odd (He is one, and it is an odd number) and He loves odd number. And in the narration of Ibn ‘Umar (the words are):” He who enumerated them.”
2677b. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying: Verily, there are ninety-nine names for Allah, i. e. hundred excepting one. He who enumerates them would get into Paradise. And Hammam has made this addition on the authority of Abu Huraira who reported it from Allah’s Apostle ﷺ that he said:” He is Odd (one) and loves odd number.”
Being Firm In Supplication And Not Saying: "If You Will"
باب الْعَزْمِ بِالدُّعَاءِ وَلاَ يَقُلْ إِنْ شِئْتَ
2678. Anas reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: When one of you makes supplication, he should supplicate with a will and should not say: O Allah, confer upon me if Thou likest, for there is none to coerce Allah.
2679a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: When one of you makes a supplication (to his Lord) one should not say: O Allah, grant me pardon, if Thou so likest, but one should beg one’s (Lord) with a will and full devotion, for there is nothing so great in the eye of Allah which He cannot grant.
2679b. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: None of you should say to Allah (like this): O Allah, grant me mercy, if thou so likest. The supplication (of his) should (be permeated with) conviction (that it would be accepted by the Lord), for Allah is the Doer of (everything) He likes to do, and there is none to force Him (to do or not to do this or that).
It Is Disliked To Wish For Death Because Of Some Harm That Has Befallen One
باب كَرَاهَةِ تَمَنِّي الْمَوْتِ لِضُرٍّ نَزَلَ بِهِ
2680a. Anas (b. Malik) reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying. None of you should make a request for death because of the trouble in which he is involved, but if there is no other help to it, then say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as there is goodness in life for me and bring death to me when there is goodness in death for me.
2680c. Nadr b. Anas reported, as when Anas was alive, that he said: Had Allah’s Messenger ﷺ not stated this..” None should make a request for death,” I would have definitely done that.
2681a. Abu Hazim reported: I visited Khabbab who bad seven cauteries on his stomach and he s aid: Had Allah’s Messenger ﷺ not forbidden us to call for death, I would have done so.
2682. Hammam b. Munabbih said: Abu Huraira narrated to us ahadith from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and out of these one is that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: None amongst you should make a request for death, and do not call for it before it comes, for when any one of you dies, he ceases (to do good) deeds and the life of a believer is not prolonged but for goodness.
2683a. Ubida b. Samit reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah also loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah also abhors to meet him.
2684a. A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. I (‘A’isha) said: Allah’s Apostle, so far as the feeling of aversion against death is concerned, we all have this feeling. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: It is not that (which you construe), but (this) that when a believer (at the time of death) is given the glad tidings of the mercy of Allah, His Pleasure, and of Paradise, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah also loves to meet him, and when an unbeliever is given the news of the torment at the Hand of Allah, and Hardship to be imposed by Him, he dislikes to meet Allah and Allah also abhors to meet him.
2684c. ‘A’isha reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah also loves to meet him, and who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. There is death before (one is able to) meet Allah.
2685a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: He who loves meeting Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. I (Shuraih b. Hani, one of the narrators) came to A’isha and said to her: Mother of the faithful, I heard Abu Huraira narrate from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ which, if it is actually so, is a destruction to us. Thereupon she said: Those are in fact ruined who are ruined at the words of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. What are (the words which in your opinion would cause your destruction)? He said that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ had stated: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah too loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah too abhors to meet him, and there is none amongst us who dons not hate death. Thereupon she said: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ has in fact stated this, but it does not mean what you construe, but it implies (the time) when one loses the lustre of the eye, and there is rattling in the throat, shudder in the body and convulsion in fingers (at the time of death). (It is about this time) that it has been said: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah would love to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah would abhor to meet him
2686. Abu Musa reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah too loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him.
The Virtue Of Remembrance, Supplication, Drawing Close To Allah And Thinking Positively Of Him
باب فَضْلِ الذِّكْرِ وَالدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّقَرُّبِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
2675d. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him as saying that Allah thus stated: I live in the thought of My servant as he thinks of Me and with him as he calls Me.
2675e. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: When My servant draws close to Me by the span of a palm, I draw close to him by the cubit and when he draws close to Me by the cubit, I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and when he draws close to Me by the space (covered) by two hands, I go in hurry towards him.
2675f. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Mu’tamar from his father with the same chain of transmitters, with a slight variation of wording.
2675g. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, thus stated: I live in the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him, as he remembers Me And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in the assembly, better than he (does that), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And it he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.
2687a. Abu Dharr reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated:” He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those: ‘And he who comes with vice, ‘ it is only for that that he is called to account. I even forgive him (as I like) and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by the cubit, and he who draws close to Me by the cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him, and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf).” This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Waki’.
2687b. A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of A’mash with the same chain of transmitters and he (further) said: There is for him ten like that (the good he performed) or more than that.
It Is Disliked To Pray For Punishment To Be Brought Forward In This World
باب كَرَاهَةِ الدُّعَاءِ بِتَعْجِيلِ الْعُقُوبَةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا
2688a. Anas reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ visited a person from amongst the Muslims in order to inquire (about his health) who had grown feeble like the chicken. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Did you supplicate for anything or beg of Him about that? He said: Yes. I used to utter (these words): Impose punishment upon me earlier in this world, what Thou art going to impose upon me in the Hereafter. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Hallowed be Allah, you have neither the power nor forbearance to take upon yourself (the burden of His Punishment). Why did you not say this: O Allah, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of Fire. He (the Holy Prophet) made this supplication (for him) and he was all right.
2688c. Anas reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ visited a person from amongst his Companions who had grown as feeble as the chicken. The rest of the hadith is the same, but with this variation that he (the Holy Prophet) said: You have not power enough to undergo the torment imposed by Allah. And there is no mention of: He supplicated Allah for him and He cured him.
The Virtues Of Gathering To Remember Allah (Adh-Dhikr)
باب فَضْلِ مَجَالِسِ الذِّكْرِ
2689. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying Allah has mobile (squads) of angels, who have no other work (to attend to but) to follow the assemblies of Dhikr and when they find such assemblies in which there is Dhikr (of Allah) they sit in them and some of them surround the others with their wings till the space between them and the sky of the world is fully covered, and when they disperse (after the assembly of Dhikr is adjourned) they go upward to the heaven and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, asks them although He is best informed about them: Where have you come from? They say: We come from Thine servants upon the earth who had been glorifying Thee (reciting Subhan Allah), uttering Thine Greatness (saying Allah o-Akbar) and uttering Thine Oneness (La ilaha ill Allah) and praising Thee (uttering al-Hamdu Lillah) and begging of Thee. Be would say: What do they beg of Me? They would say: They beg of Thee the Paradise of Thine. He (God) would say: Have they seen My Paradise? They said: No, our Lord. He would say: (What it would be then) if they were to see Mine Paradise? They (the angels) said: They seek Thine protection. He (the Lord) would say: Against what do they seek protection of Mine? They (the angels) would say: Our Lord, from the Hell-Fire. He (the Lord) would say: Have they seen My Fire? They would say: No. He (the Lord) would say: What it would be if they were to see My Fire? They would say: They beg of Thee forgiveness. He would say: I grant pardon to them, and confer upon them what they ask for and grant them protection against which they seek protection. They (the angels) would again say: Our Lord, there is one amongst them such and such simple servant who happened to pass by (that assembly) and sat there along with them (who had been participating in that assembly). He (the Lord) would say: I also grant him pardon, for they are a people the seat-fellows of whom are in no way unfortunate.
2690a. Qatada asked Anas which Supplication Allah’s Apostle ﷺ frequently made. He said: The supplication that he (the Holy Prophet made very frequently is this:” O Allah, grant us the good in this world and the good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of Hell-Fire.” He (Qatada) said that whenever Anas had to supplicate he made this very supplication, and whenever he (intended) to make another supplication he (inserted) this very supplication in that.
2690b. Anas reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate (in these words):” Our Lord, grant us the good in this world and the good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of Hell Fire.”
The Virtue Of Tahlil (Saying La Ilaha Ill-Allah), Tasbih (Saying Subhan Allah) And (Du’a) Supplication
باب فَضْلِ التَّهْلِيلِ وَالتَّسْبِيحِ وَالدُّعَاءِ
2691. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: He who uttered these words:” There is no god but Allah, the One, having no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and all the praise is due to Him, and He is Potent over everything” one hundred times every day there is a reward of emancipating ten slaves for him, and there are recorded hundred virtues to his credit, and hundred vices are blotted out from his scroll, and that is a safeguard for him against the Satan on that day till evening and no one brings anything more excellent than this, except one who has done more than this (who utters these words more than one hundred times and does more good acts) and he who utters:” Hallowed be Allah, and all praise is due to Him,” one hundred times a day, his sins are obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean.
2692. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: He who recites in the morning and in the evening (these words):” Hallowed be Allah and all praise is due to Him” one hundred times, he would not bring on the Day of Resurrection anything excellent than this except one who utters these words or utters more than these words.
2693. ‘Amr b. Maimun reported: He who uttered:” There is no god but Allah, the One, having no partner with Him, His is the Sovereignty and all praise is due to Him and He is Potent over everything” ten times, he is like one who emancipated four slaves from the progeny of Isma’il. Rabi’ b. Khuthaim narrated a hadith like this. Sha’bi reported: I said to Rabi’: From whom did you hear it? He said: From ‘Amr b. Maimun. I came to ‘Amr b. Maimun and said to him: From whom did you hear this hadith? He said: from Ibn Abi Laila. I came to Ibn Abi Laila and said to him: From whom did you hear this hadith? He said: From Abu Ayyub Ansari, who narrated from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ.
2694. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Two are the expressions which are light on the tongue, but heavy in scale, dear to the Compassionate One:” Hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him” ;” Hallowed be Allah, the Great.”
2695. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The uttering of (these words):” Hallowed be Allah; all praise is due to Allah, there is no god but Allah and Allah is the Greatest,” is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.
2696. Mu’sab b. Sa’d reported on the authority of his father that a desert Arab came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said to him: Teach me the words which I should (often) utter. He said: Utter,” There is no god but Allah, the One, having no partner with Him. Allah is the Greatest of the great and all praise is due to Him. Hallowed be Allah, the Lord of the worlds, there is no Might and Power but that of Allah, the All-Powerful and the Wise.” He (that desert Arab) said: These all (glorify) my Lord. But what about me? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: You should say:” O Allah, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to righteousness and provide me sustenance.” Musa (one of the narrators) said: I think he also said:” Grant me safety.” But I cannot say for certain whether he said this or not. Ibn Abi Shaiba has not made a mention of the words of Musa in his narration.
2697a. Abu Malik Ashaja’i reported on the authority of his father that whenever a person embraced Islam, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ instructed him to recilte:” O Allah, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to the path of righteousness and provide me sustenance.”
2697b. Abu Malik reported on the authority of his father that when a person embraced Islam, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to teach him how to observe prayer and then commanded him to supplicate in these words:” O Allah, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to the path of righteousness, grant me protection and provide me sustenance.”
2697c. Abu Malik reported on the authority Of his father that he heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying to the person who bad come to him and asked him as to how he should beg his Lord, that he should utter these words:” O Allah, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, protect me, provide me sustenance,” and he collected his fingers together except his thumb and said: It is in these words (that there is supplication) which sums up for you (the good) of this world and that of the Hereafter.
2698. Mus’ab b. Sa’d reported that his father told him that he had been in the company of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ that he said: Is one amongst you powerless to get one thousand virtues every day. Amongst those who had been sitting there, one asked: How one amongst us can get one thousand virtues every day? He said: Recite:” Hallowed be Allah” one hundred times for (by reciting them) one thousand virtues are recorded (to your credit) and one tbousand vices are blotted out.
The Virtue Of Gathering To Read Quran And To Remember Allah
باب فَضْلِ الاِجْتِمَاعِ عَلَى تِلاَوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَعَلَى الذِّكْرِ
2699a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection, and he who finds relief for one who is hard pressed, Allah would make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother, and he who treads the path in search of know- ledge, Allah would make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him and those persons who assemble in the house among the houses of Allah (mosques) and recite the Book of Allah and they learn and teach the Qur’an (among themselves) there would descend upon them the tranquillity and mercy would cover them and the angels would surround them and Allah makes a mention of them in the presence of those near Him, and he who is slow-paced in doing good deeds, his (high) descent does not make him go ahead.
2700a. Agharr Abi Muslim reported: I bear witness to the fact that both Abu Huraira and Abu Sa’id Khudri were present when Allah’s Messenger may peace be upon him) said: The people do not sit but they are surrounded by angels and covered by Mercy, and there descends upon them tranquillity as they remember Allah, and Allah makes a mention of them to those who are near Him. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu’ba with the same chain of transmitters.
2701. Abu Sa’id Khudri reported that Mu’awiya went to a circle in the mosque and said: What makes you sit here? They said: We are sitting here in order to re- member Allah. He said: I adjure you by Allah (to tell me whether you are sitting here for this very purpose)? They said: By Allah, we are sitting here for this very purpose. Thereupon, he said: I have not demanded you to take an oath, because of any allegation against you and none of my rank in the eye of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ is the narrator of so few ahadith as I am. The fact is that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ went out to the circle of his Companions and said: What makes you sit? They said: We are sitting here in order to remember Allah and to praise Him for He guided us to the path of Islam and He conferred favours upgn us. Thereupon he adjured by Allah and asked if that only was the purpose of their sitting there. They said: By Allah, we are not sitting here but for this very purpose, whereupon he (the Messenger) said: I am not asking you to take an oath because of any allegation against you but for the fact that Gabriel came to me and he informed me that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, was talking to the angels about your magnificence.
It Is Recommend To Pray For Forgiveness A Great Deal
باب اسْتِحْبَابِ الاِسْتِغْفَارِ وَالاِسْتِكْثَارِ مِنْهُ
2702a. Al-Agharr al-Muzani, who was one amongst the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: There is (at times) some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day.
2702b. Al-Agharr al-Muzani who was from amongst the Companions of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ reported that Ibn ‘Umar stated to him that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day.
2703. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as say- ing: He who seeks repentance (from the Lord) before the rising of the sun from the west (before the Day of Resurrection), Allah turns to him with Mercy.
It Is Recommend To Lower One’s Voice When Saying Remembrance, Except In The Cases Where It Is Commanded To Raise The Voice Such As The Talbiyah Etc. It Is Recommend To Say A Great Deal, "There Is No Power And No Strength Except With Allah"
باب اسْتِحْبَابِ خَفْضِ الصَّوْتِ بِالذِّكْرِ
2704a. Abu Musa reported: We were along with Allah’s Apostle ﷺ on a journey when the people began to pronounce Allah-o-Akbar in a loud voice. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: O people, sh mercy to yourselves for you are not calling One Who is deaf or absent. Verily, you are calling One Who is All-Hearing (and) Near to you and is with you. Abu Musa told that he had been behind him (the Holy Prophet) and reciting:” There is neither might nor power but that of Allah.” He (the Holy Prophet), while addressing ‘Abdullah b. Qais, said: Should I not direct you to a treasure from amongst the treasurers of Para- dise? I (‘Abdullah b. Qais) said: Allah’s Messenger, do it, of course. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Then recite:” There is no might and no power but that of Allah.”
2704c. Abu Musa reported that he (and his other companions) were climbing upon the hillock along with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and when any person climbed up, he pronounced (loudly):” There is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest.” Thereupon Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: Verily, you are not supplicating One Who is deaf or absent. He said: Abu Musa or Abdullah b Qais, should I not direct you to the words (which form) the treasure of Paradise? I said: Allah’s Messenger, what are these? He said:” There is no might and no power but that of Allah.”
2704f. Abu Musa, reported. We were along with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ in an expedition. The rest of the hadith is the same (and there is an addi- tion of these words in that):” He (the Holy Prophet) said: He Whom you are sup- plicating is nearer to every one of you than the neck of his camel.” And there is no mention of these words:” There is no might and no power but that of Allah.”
2704g. Abu Musa Ash’ari reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to him: Should I not direct you to the words from the treasures of Paradise, or he said: Like a treasure from the treasures of Paradise? I said: Of course, do that. Thereupon he said:” There is no might and no power but that of Allah.”
2705a. Abu Bakr reported that he said to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ: Teach me a supplication which I should recite in my prayer. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Recite:” O Allah, I have done great wrong to myself.” According to Qutaiba (the words were: ) much (wrong) -there is none to forgive the sins but Thou only, say:” Grant me pardon from Thyself, have mercy upon me for Thou art much Forgiving and Compassionate.” This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of ‘Amr b. al-‘As that Abu Bakr Siddiq said to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ: Allah’s Messenger. teach me a supplication which I should make in my prayer and in my house. The rest of the hadith is the same except with this variation that he said: Much wrong (Zulman Kathira).
589b. ‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to make these supplications:” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of Hell-Fire; and from the torment of Hell-Fire; and from the trial of the grave and torment of the grave; and from the evil of the trial of the affluence and from the evil of the trial of poverty and I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of the turmoil of the Dajjal. O Allah, wash away my sins with snow and hail water, purify my heart from the sins as is purified the white garment from the dirt, and keep away at a distance the sins from me as yawns the distance between the East and the West; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from senility, from sin, and from debt.”
Seeking Refuge With Allah From Helplessness, Laziness Etc
باب التَّعَوُّذِ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَغَيْرِهِ
2706a. Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to say:” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity, from indolence, from cowardice, from senility, from miserliness, and I seek refuge in Thee from the torment of the grave and from trial of the life and death.”
2706b. Anas reported from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ (this suppli- cation) but with this variation that these words are not found in that supplication:” From the trial of life and death.”
2706c. Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ used to seek refuge in Allah from such things as mentioned in the above-mentioned hadith and from ‘miserliness” too.
2706d. Anas reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ wed to make this supplication:” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from miserliness, from sloth and from decrepitude.”
باب فِي التَّعَوُّذِ مِنْ سُوءِ الْقَضَاءِ وَدَرَكِ الشَّقَاءِ وَغَيْرِهِ
2707. Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ used to seek refuge (in Allah) from the evil of destiny and from falling into the hand of calamity and from the mockery of (triumphant) enemies and from the hardship of misery. Abu Sufyan reported: I am in doubt that I have made an addition of one word in this supplication.
2708a. Khaula bint Hakim Sulamiyya reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: When anyone lands at a place, and then says:” I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He has created,” nothing would harm him until he marches from that stopping place.
2708b. Khaula bint Hakim Sulamiyya reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: When any one of you stays at a place, he should say:” I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of that He created.” Nothing would then do him any harm until he moves from that place. Abu Huraira reported that a person came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said:” Allah’s Messenger, I was stung by a scorpion during the night. Thereupon he said: Had you recited these words in the evening:” I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He created,” it would not have done any harm to you.
باب مَا يَقُولُ عِنْدَ النَّوْمِ وَأَخْذِ الْمَضْجَعِ
2710a. Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported that Allah’s, Messenger (may peace be upon said: When you go to bed, perform ablution as is done for prayer; then lie down pn the right side and recite:” O Allah, I turn my face towards Thee and entrust my affair to Thee. I retreat unto Thee for protection with hope in Thee and fear of Thee. There is no resort and no deliverer (from hardship) but Thou only. I affirm my faith in Thine books which Thou revealed and in Thine Apostles whom Thou sent.” Make this as the last word of yours (when you go to sleep) and in case you die during that night, you would die upon Fitra (upon Islam). And as I repeated these words in order to commit them to memory, I said:” I affirm my faith in Thy Messenger (Rasul) whom Thou sent.” He said: Say:” I affirm my faith in the Apostle (Nabi) whom Thou sent.”
2710b. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib with a slight variation of wording and there is this addition in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Husain:” In case you get up in the morning, you will get up with bliss.”
2710c. Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ commanded a person (in these words): When you go to bed during night, you should say:” O Allah, I surrender myself to Thee and entrust my affair to Thee, with hope in Thee and fear of Thee. There is no resort and no deliverer (from hardship but Thou). I affirm my faith in the Book which Thou revealed and in the Messengers whom Thou sent.” If you die in this state you would die on Fitra, and Ibn Bashshdr did not make a mention of” night” in this hadith.
2710d. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to a person: O, so and so, as you go to your bed; the rest of the hadith is the same but with this variation of wording that he said:” Thine Apostle whom Thou sent.” If you die that night you would die on Fitra and if you get up in the morning you would get up with a bliss.
2710e. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ commanded a person (in these words) and there is no mention of this:” if you get up in the morning you would get up with a bliss.”
2711. Al-Bara’ reported that whenever Allah’s Messenger ﷺ went to bed, he said:” O Allah, it is with Thine Name that I live and it is with Thine Name that I die.” And when he got up he used to say:” Praise is due to Allah, Who gave us life after our death (sleep) and unto Thee is resurrection.”
2712. Abdullah b. ‘Umar commanded a person that as he went to bed, he should say:” O Allah, Thou created my being and it is for Thee to take it to its ultimate goal. And its death and life is due to Thee, and if Thou givest it life, safeguard it; and if Thou bringst death, grant it pardon. O Allah, I beg of Thee safety.” A person said to him: Did you hear it from Umar? Thereupon he said: (I have heard from one) who is better than Umar, viz. from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. Ibn Nafi, reported this on the authority of Abdullah b. Harith but he did not make mention of this” that he heard it himself”.
2713a. Suhail reported that Abu Salih used to command us (in these words): When any one of you intends to go to sleep, he should lie on the bed on his right side and then say:” O Allah. the Lord of the Heavens and the Lord of the Earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, our Lord, and the Lord of evervthina, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the datestone (or fruit kernal), the Revealer of Torah and Injil (Bible) and Criterion (the Holy Qur’an), I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of every- thing Thou art to sieze by the forelock (Thou hast perfect control over it). O Allah, Thou art the First, there is naught before Thee, and Thou art the Last and there is naught after Thee, and Thou art Evident and there is nothing above Thee, and Thou art Innermost and there is nothing beyond Thee. Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us from want.” Abu Salih used to narrate it from Abu Huraira who narrated it from Allah’s Apostle ﷺ.
2713b. Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to command us that as we go to our bedo, we should utter the words (as mention- ed above) and he also said (these words):” From the evil of every animal, Thou hast hold upon its forelock (Thou bast full control over it).”
2713c. Abu Huraira reported that Fatima (the daughter of the Holy Prophet) came to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and asked for a servant. He said to her: Say:” O Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens” ; the rest of the hadith is the same.
2714a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as say- ing: When any one of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem of his lower garment and then should clean (his bed) with the help of that and then should recite the name of Allah for he himself does tiot know what he left behind him on his bed, and when he intends to lie on bed, he should lie on his right side and utter these words:” Hallowed be Allah, my Lord. It is with Thine (grace) that I place my side (upon the bed) and it is with Thee that I take it up (after sleep), and in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants.”
2714b. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ubaidullah b. Umar with the same chain of transmitters and he said: Then utter:” My Lord. with Thine name I place my side and if Thou keepest me alive have mercy upon myself”
2715. Anas reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: When you go to bed, say:” Praise is due to Allab Who fed us, provided us drink, sufficed us and provided us with shelter, for many a people there is none to suffice and none to provide shelter.”
2716a. Farwa’ b. Naufal Ashja’i reported: I asked: ‘A’isha, in what words did Allah’s Messenger ﷺ supplicate Allah? She said that he used to utter:” I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I did and from the evil of what I did not.”
2716b. Farwa’ b. Naufal reported: I asked ‘A’isha about the supplication that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ made. She said that he used to say:” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.”
2716d. Farwa’ b. Naufal reported on the authority of ‘A’isha that Allah’s Mes- senger ﷺ used to supplicate (in these words):” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I did and from the evil of what I did not.”
2717. Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to say:” O Allah, it is unto Thee that I surrender myself. I affirm my faith in Thee and repose my trust in Thee and turn to Thee in repentance and with Thy help fought my adversaries. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee with Thine Power; there is no god but Thou, lest Thou leadest me astray. Thou art ever-living that dieth not, while the Jinn and mankind die.”
2718. Abu Huraira reported that when Allah’s Messenger ﷺ set out on a journey in the morning, he used to say:” A listener listened to our praising Allah (for) His goodly trial of us. Our Lord! acompany us, guard us and bestow upon us Thy grace. I am seeker of refuge in Allah from the Fire.”
2719a. Abu Musa Ash’ari reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ used to supplicate in these words:” O Allah, forgive me my faults, my ignorance, my immoderation in my concerns. And Thou art better aware (of my affairs) than myself. O Allah, grant me forgiveness (of the faults which I committed) seriously or otherwise (and which I committed inadvertently and de- liberately. All these (failings) are in me. O Allah, grant me forgiveness from the fault which I did in haste or deferred, which I committed in privacy or in public and Thou art better aware of (them) than myself. Thou art the First and the Last and over all things Thou art Omnipotent.”
2720. Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate (in these words):” O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs. And set right for me the affairs of my world wherein is my living. And set right for me my Hereafter on which depends my after-life. And make the life for me (a source) of abundance for every good and make my death a source of comfort for me protecting me against every evil.”
2721a. Abdullah reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate (in these words):” O Allah. I beg of Thee the right guidance, safeguard against evils, chastity and freedom from want.”
2722. Zaid b. Alqam reported: I am not going to say anything but only that which Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to say. He used to supplicate:” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, decrepitude and from torment of the grave. O Allah, grant to my soul the sense of righteousness and purify it, for Thou art the Best Purifier thereof. Thou art the Protecting Friend thereof, and Guardian thereof. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the knowledge which does not benefit, from the heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allah), from the soul that does not feel contented and the supplication that is not responded.”
2723a. Abdullah b. Mas’ud reported that when it was evening Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate:” We entered upon evening and the whole Kingdom of Allah also entered upon evening and praise is due to Allah. There is no god but Allah, the One Who has no partner with Him.” Hasan said that Zubaid reported to him that he memorised it from Ibrahim in these very words.” His is the Sovereignty and Praise is due to Him, and He is Potent over everything. O Allah, I beg of Thee the good of this night and I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of this night and the evil which follows it. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from the evil of vanity. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from torment in the Hell-Fire and from torment in the grave.”
2723b. Abdullah reported that when it was evening Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate:” We have entered upon evening and so, too, the whole Kingdom of Allah has entered upon evening. Praise is due to Allah. There is no god but Allah, the One having no partner with Him.” He (the narrator) said: I think that he also uttered (in this supplication these words):” His is tne Sovercignty and to Him is praise due and He is Potent over everything. My Lord, I beg of Thee good that lies in this night and good that follows it and I seek refuge in Thee from the evil that lies in this night and from the evil of that which follows it. My Lord, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from the evil of vanity. My Lord, I seek refuge in Thee from torment of the Hell-Fire and from torment of the grave.” And when it was morning he said like this:” We entered upon morning and the whole Kingdom of Allah enter ed upon morning.”
2723c. Abdullah reported that when it was evening Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate:” We have entered upon evening and so has the Kingdom of Allah entere d upon evening; praise is due to Allah, there is no god but Allah the One, and there is no partner with Him. O Allah, I beg of Thee the blessing of this night and the blessing of that which lies in it. I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of it and what lies in it. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from decrepitude, from the evil of vanity, from trial of the world, and from torment of the grave.” Zubaid, through another chain of transmitters, has narrated on the authority of Abdullah directly this addition:” There is no god but Allah, the One, there is no partner with Him, His is the Sovereignty and to Him is praise due and He is Potent over everything.”
2724. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah’s Messenge; ﷺ used to supplicate thus:” There is no god but Allah, the One Who conferred upon His armies the honour of victory and helped His servant rout the clans; there is nothing after that.”
2725a. ‘Ali reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to him: Say,” O Allah, direct me to the right path and make me adhere to the straight path,” and when you make a mention of right guidance, keep in mind the right path and when you consider of the straight (path), keep in mind the straightness of the arrow.
2725b. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of ‘Asim b. Kulaib with the same chain of transmitters that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to me: Say:” O Allah, I beg of Thee righteousness and adhering to the straight path.”
The Tasbih At The Beginning Of The Day And When Going To Sleep
باب التَّسْبِيحِ أَوَّلَ النَّهَارِ وَعِنْدَ النَّوْمِ
2726a. Juwairiya reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ came out from (her apartment) in the morning as she was busy in observing her dawn prayer in her place of worship. He came back in the forenoon and she was still sitting there. He (the Holy Prophet) said to her: You have been in the same seat since I left you. She said: Yes. Thereupon Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: I recited four words three times after I left you and if these are to be weighed against what you have recited since morning these would outweigh them and (these words) are:” Hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him according to the number of His creation and according to the pleasure of His Self and according to the weight of His Throne and according to the ink (used in recording) words (for His Praise).”
2726b. Juwairiya reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ happened to pass by her as she was observing her dawn prayer; or after she had observed her dawn prayer. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this variation that he said:” Hallowed be Allah according to the number of His creation, hallowed be Allah according to the pleasure of His Self, hallowed be Allah according to the weight of His Throne, hallowed be Allah according to the ink used in recording His words.”
2727a. It is reported on the authority of Ali that Fatima had corns in her hand because of working at the hand-mill. There had fallen to the lot of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ some prisoners of war. She (Fatima) came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ but she did not find him (in the house). She met A’isha and informed her (about her hardship). When Allah’s Apostle ﷺ came, she ( A’isha) informed him about the visit of Fatima. ABah’s Messenger ﷺ came to them (Fitima and her family). They had gone to their beds. ‘Ali further (reported): We tried to stand up (as a mark of respect) but Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Keep to your beds, and he sat amongst us and I felt coldness of his feet upon my chest. He then said: May I not direct you to something better than what you have asked for? When you go to your bed, you should recite Takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) thirty-four times and Tasbih (Subhdn Allah) thirty-three times and Tahmid (al-Hamdu li-Allah) thirty-three times, and that is better than the servant for you.
2727c. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Abi Laili but with this addition:” Ali said: Ever since I heard this (supplication) from Allah’s Apostle ﷺ, I never abandoned it. It was said to him, Not even in the night of Siffin (battle of Siffin)? He sad: Yes, not even in the night of Siffin,”
2728a. Abu Huraira reported that Fatima came to Allah’s Apostle ﷺ and asked for a servant and told him of the hardship of household work. He said: You would not be able to get a servant from us. May I not direct you to what is better than the servant for you? Recite Subhaana Allah thirty-three times, al- Hamdu li-Allah thirty-three times and Allah-o-Akbar thirty-four times as you go to bed. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters.
It Is Recommend To Say Supplication When A Rooster Crows
باب اسْتِحْبَابِ الدُّعَاءِ عِنْدَ صِيَاحِ الدِّيكِ
2729. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as say- ing. When you listen to the crowing of the cock, ask Allah for His favour as it sees Angels and when you listen to the braying of the donkey, seek refuge in Allah from the Satan for it sees Satan.
2730a. Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ used to supplicate during the time of trouble (in these words):” There is no god but Allah, the Great, the Tolerant, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Heaven and the earth, the Lord of the Edifying Throne.”
2730c. Ibn Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to supplicate (with these words) and he (uttered these words) at the time of trouble; the rest of the hadith is the same except with this difference that insted of saying:” The Lord of heaven and the earth,” he said:” The Lord of the heaven and that of the earth.”
The Virtue Of (Saying): "Glory To Allah And With His Praise"
باب فَضْلِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
2731a. Abu Dharr reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was asked as to which words were the best. He said: Those for which Allah made a choice for His Angels and His servants (and the words are):” Hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him.”
2731b. Abu Dharr reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Should I not inform you about the words liked most by Allah? I said: Allah’s Mes- senger, do inform me about the words liked most by Allah. He said: Verily, the words liked most by Allah are:” hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him.”
The Virtue Of Praying For The Muslims In Their Absence
باب فَضْلِ الدُّعَاءِ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ بِظَهْرِ الْغَيْبِ
2732a. Abu Dharr reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence) that the Angels do not say: The same be for you too.
2732b. Umm Darda’ reported: My husband reported that he heard Allah’s Mes- senger ﷺ as saying: He who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence), the Angel commissioned (for carrying supplication to his Lord) says: Amen, and it is for you also.
2733. Safwan (and he was Ibn ‘Abdullah b. Safwan, and he had been married to Umm Darda’) reported: I visited Abu Darda’s house in Syria. I did not find him there but Umm Darda’ (was present at the house). She said: Do you intend to perform Hajj during this year? I said: Yes. She said: Do supplicate Allah for blessings upon us, for Allah’s Apostle ﷺ used to say: The supplication of a Muslim for his brother at his back (in his absence) is responded so long as he makes a supplica- tion for blessings for his brother and the commissioned Angel says: Amen, and says: May it be for you too I I went to the bazar and met Abfi Dardi’ and he narrated like this from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ.
It Is Recommend To Praise Allah After Eating And Drinking
باب اسْتِحْبَابِ حَمْدِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بَعْدَ الأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ
2734a. Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: Allah is pleased with His servant who says: Al-Hamdu lillah While taking a morsel of food tnd while drinking.
2735a. Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: The supplication of every one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and says: I supplicated but it was not granted.
2735b. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The supplication of one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and say- I supplicated my Lord but it was not granted.
2735c. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The supplication of the servant is granted in case he does not supplicate for sin or for severing the ties of blood, or he does not become impatient. It was said: Allah’s Messenger, what does:” If he does not grow impatient” imply? He said: That he should say like this: I supplicated and I supplicated but I did not find it being responded. and theu he becomes frustrated and abandons supplication.
The word Tawbah (Repentance) in Arabic literally means ‘to return’. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has prohibited and returning to what He has commanded.
The subject of repentance is one which concerns all people who believe in God, and is vital one for the Muslims to understand because our salvation in the hereafter is dependent on our repentance to Allaah, as is shown by Allaah’s order:
“AND TURN YOU ALL TOGETHER IN REPENTANCE TO ALLAAH O BELIEVERS, THAT YOU MAY BE SUCCESSFUL” [An-Noor (24):31]
In Soorah al-Baqarah, Allaah tells us:
“SURELY ALLAAH LOVES THOSE WHO TURN UNTO HIM IN REPENTANCE AND LOVES THOSE WHO PURIFY THEMSELVES.” [2:222]
This shows how pleasing our repenting is to Allaah. Also, the Prophet, Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam gave us an example of just how pleasing to Allaah our repenting is an authentic hadeeth in which he, (Sallalaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said:
“Allaah is more delighted with the repentance of His servant than one of you would be, who suddenly finds his camel laden with supplies after losing it in a barren land” (1)
Al-Istiqaamah Magazine, Issue No.6 – Dhul-Qa’dah 1417H / March 1997
[Q]: I am a young man, nineteen years of age, and have involved myself in a great deal of sin. Even to the extent that I do not pray most of my Prayers in the mosque, and I have never completely fasted the month of Ramadaan in my entire life. Besides these, I have committed other sins as well. I have vowed to repent many times before, however, after doing so I lapse back into these same sins. The youths of my area are just as bad, as are the friends that I associate with. And Allaah knows that I have transgressed against myself and that whenever I repent, I return back to the same sins. I hope that you may direct me to a path that will bring me closer to my Lord and distance me from these evil actions of mine.
The one who forgives the sins, alhamdulillaah! The one who accepts the repentance. I testify that Allaah alone deserves to be worshipped, subhanahu wa ta’ala. He is the most Generous and He is the one who bestows upon us at-Taubah, repentance. Repentance is the task of the entire life. It is the beginning and the end of slave worship. It is the first station of the station of slavery to Allaah. It is its middle and it is its end. Our need for it is very great because we sin a lot and we become negligent concerning the right of Allaah upon us. Day and night we go through heedlessness. So we need that which polishes the hearts & purifies it from the accumulation of sins and disobedience and their stains. Tauba is to abandon the sin knowing its ugliness. With regards to doing it we should be determined not to return to indulge in it out of love, sincerity and hope for reward from Allaah fearing the punishment and that to be before examining death and before the sun rises from the West. This is the Tauba. Allaah opens its doors and promises to accept it irrespective of how major or how many sins there may be. Allaah says: ‘Turn ye unto obedience and repentance with true faith to your Lord and submit to Him in Islaam before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped.’
Allaah says: ‘And it is He who accepts repentance from His slaves and forgives sins and He knows what you do.’
Allaah says : ‘And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allaah’s forgiveness, he will find Allaah Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful – subhanahu wa ta’ala.
And He said concerning the Christians in (Surah Maidah 5: 73–74) urging them to repent : Surely, disbelievers are those who said: “Allaâh is the third of the three (in a Trinity).” But there is no ilâh (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but one Ilâh (God -Allâah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them.’
Then he urged them to repent to Him and said: ‘Will they not repent to Allâh and ask His Forgiveness? For Allâh is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.’
How many of us use this verse when we give Dawah to the Christians in particular when they nullify what Allaah nullifies from trinity. How many of us think about verse 74? ‘Will they not repent to Allâaah and ask His Forgiveness? For Allâh is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.Giving them hope, giving them glad tidings that Allaah forgives this great error of theirs.
And Allaah spoke concerning the people of the Ditch Surah Burooj (85:10) – ‘Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and burning them), and then do not turn in repentance, (to Allâah), will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.’
Al Hasan al Basri (Rahimahullah) said : Look to this great generosity of Allaah. They killed His friends whilst He calls them to repent and ask His forgiveness.’
Allaah warns us none should despair of His Mercy in (Surah Zumar : 39-53) – Say: “O ‘Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâah, verily Allâah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Ibn Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him) commented saying : ‘anyone who despairs the slaves of Allaah after the revelation of the above verse, then he has denied the Book of Allaah.’
As to the merits of Tauba, its secrets & its blessings, then these are numerous and diverse.
Tauba calls to success. Tauba leads to happiness. Tauba expiates sins & if it is perfected it changes the sins into good deeds. And when a slave turns in repentance to Allaah it is one of the most beloved acts of worship to Allah and Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala is pleased with the tauba of those asking for it.
The Prophet (sal allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said in the hadith reported by Bukhari & Muslim : ‘A believer sees his sins as if he is sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may fall on him. Whereas an evil, wicked doer considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away.’
Ibn Masud added Allaah’s Messenger (sal allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said: Allaah is more pleased with the repentance of his slave than a man who encamps at a place where his life is jeopardized. But he has his riding animal carrying his food and water. He then rests his head and sleeps for a short while and wakes to find his riding animal gone. He starts looking for it and suffers from severe heat and thirst or what Allaah wished him to suffer from. He then says: ‘I will go back to my place.’ He returns and sleeps again. Then when he wakes up, he raises his head to find his riding animal standing beside him. So imagine his happiness. Allaah said in the beginning here that Allaah is more pleased with the repentance of his slave than the situation of pleasure that this person experiences after he was saved from death. Such pleasure was not mentioned concerning other worships, (meaning other than the tauba) and know that this pleasure has a profound influence on the status of the one who repents and on his heart.
From the merits of Tauba is that : through its great influence on the stations of uboodiyah, brings forth love, kindness, softness, mildness, gratitude to Allaah, praise of Him, being pleased with Him, enjoying his many blessings. And from its merits ‘humbleness.’ – humility of the heart, submissiveness to Allaah. And this is more beloved to Allaah than many of the apparent actions. Although the apparent actions may be more in quantity and quality than the slavery of repentance. Why? Because humility & humbleness is the spirit of worship and its essence. That’s why Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala is with the broken hearts, the humble ones to Him, & that’s why He subhanahu wa ta’ala is most near to His slave when he is in the position of humbleness & humility – and that is the prostration. Because this is the station of humility. And this may be the secret behind the response of Allaah to the invocation of the oppressed, the invocation of the traveler & to the invocation of the fasting person. Because of the humility in their hearts. The anguish of the oppressed causes the broken heart. Similarly the traveler finds broken heartedness (humility) when he travels to strange places. Similarly in a fasting person, it breaks the animalistic drive for lust & desires as Imaam Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) discussed. Despite the greatness of tauba and its great blessings there are however mistakes made by many people regarding tauba. And that is due to ignorance or negligence and his heedlessness.
From these mistakes:
1)Delaying repentance : In this case the person should repent for his sins & from his delay in repenting.
2)Paying no attention to Tauba: paying no attention to those sins the person may not know that he had committed. Because there are secret sins that are hidden & there are sins that the person is ignorant of. There is no salvation from this except through a general tauba : from that which he knows & from that which he doesn’t know. And that’s why the Prophet (salallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said that shirk in this ummah is more hidden & concealed than the creeping of ants.
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) asked Prophet (salallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) how we could we rid ourselves from this. He (salallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said: reciting
Supplication for fear of shirk : (Quoted by Bukhari)
‘O Allaah, I take refuge in You lest I should commit shirk with You knowingly and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.’
3)From the mistakes is to abandon tauba fearing that one may return to the sin again or fearing from criticism by others or fearing to go to a lower rank & losing prestige & fame. This is a mistake that should be avoided. Thus the person should be determined to repent. And if he returns to the same sin, let him renew the tauba one more time & so on if it recurs. And let him realize that if he repents Allaah will compensate him with good for that which he abandoned.
4)Widening the extent of the sin depending on the Mercy of Allaah and this is grave error. Why because, we know ‘Yes’ that Allaah is the Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful but we also know that He is severe in punishment. Allaah says: and never will his wrath be turned back from the people who are criminals, sinners etc. So the person has to remember this as well.
5)Repentance of the liars: those who abandon the sins temporarily due to sickness, accidents or other reasons, due to fear or hoping for some prestige. Whenever they get the opportunity, they return to the sins. This is the tauba of the kazzabeen – the repentance of the liars. It is not a true tauba. Not including of course in this the type of people who may think of committing a sin (his self invites/incites him to commit a sin) or that shaytaan deceived him & made him commit it. Then he regrets it and he repents. This is a true repentance. Also NOT included are thoughts — as long as they are thoughts and not materialized into action.
6)The delusion concerning the respite (an interval of rest or relief / a period of temporary delay) which Allaah gives to the wrongdoers. This turns people off from tauba. And that’s why the Prophet (salallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said: that if you see Allaah giving His slaves from the bounties in this life whilst he is sinning, He gives him what he likes – then this is a gradual attraction to punishment. Then the Prophet (salallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) recited the saying of Allaah from Surah al-An’am:44 ‘So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows. (This is reported by Imaam Ahmed & the men of narration are trustworthy.)
Anyone who does evil will be recompensed for. And maybe that the sinner thinks his body is safe & then thinks that there is no punishment while his heedlessness concerning the fact that he will be punished if he does not repent in itself is a punishment. Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullaah) said: What is incumbent upon the intellectual (a person who has sound intellect) is to be cautious concerning his sins because its fire is under the ashes, and may be that the punishment is delayed due to the clemency of Allaah & may be it comes speedily. A person of sound intellect, when he commits a sin will hasten to repent.
7)From the mistakes concerning repentance is the despair from the Mercy of Allaah & the despair from repentance. Some people when they indulge in excessive sins and they repent once or twice, then they return to the sin once more & thereafter they return to the sin over and over again, they despair from the Mercy of Allaah. And this is a grave error. Because none despairs from the mercy of Allaah except the disbelievers.
We ask Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala to assist us to be from those who repent sincerely to Him and may He, the Most High accept our repentance. Walhamdulillaahi rabbil Aalameen.
May Allaah reward the sister who Transcribed from the Audio
Q62: I would like to perform Tawbah (repentance to Allah) from envying others. I am trying to get rid of this quality as hard as I can, but Satan often tempts me to do this through jealousy. If I become jealous of my colleagues or other women, I begin to envy them. A friend told me, “Suppress your jealousy and envy inside your heart, and don’t talk about it, so Allah will not punish you for it.”
A62: Yes, it is true, if you feel something you should try to struggle against yourself and suppress your feelings, and do not do anything contrary to the Shari`ah.
– Do not try to harm the person that you envy, whether by actions or by words.
– Ask Allah to remove this from your heart so it will not harm you.
– If one person envies another, but they do not act upon it, it will not harm them if they do not harm the person they envy, take their blessing from them, or speak ill about them. If it is something that is in their mind and they suppress it, it will not cause them any harm. However, they should be careful to avoid saying or doing anything to harm the person they envy. It was narrated the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,Avoid envy, as envy devours good deeds just as a fire devours fuel.
– Envy is a malicious thing that harms the one who feels it before it harms others.
– Believers should beware of this and ask Allah for protection. They should supplicate to Allah to remove this from their hearts, until there is nothing left of it. And, whenever they feel anything like it, they should struggle against themselves to suppress it and keep it inside their hearts, without hurting the person they envy, whether by actions or by words. And may Allah help us all!
Repenting from all sins but keeping the ill-gotten money
Q 6: A person used to abandon Salah (prayer), drink alcohol and commit vile deeds. He has a lot of ill-gotten money. He then turned to Allah with sincere repentance with regard to all the sins mentioned above except the ill-gotten money. Should he get rid of such ill-gotten money? Or will he be treated like a new Muslim who is not asked about the source of his wealth?
A: on turning to Allah with sincere repentance with regards to the ill-gotten money, it is obligatory for one to get rid of such evil money. In case he is not able to define the ill-gotten money, he can give out what he thinks to clear himself from such guilt. This is to be followed if his sins have not caused him to leave Islam.
On committing sins that make a person leave Islam such as the abandonment of Salah, according to the most preponderant opinion of scholars, even if such a person does not deny its obligation, repentance can be realized by performing Salah and embracing Islam again. This is because Islam wipes out all that has gone before it. Also, one is not obliged to get rid of the money he got before adopting Islam. This is because Allay (Exalted be He) says about the disbelievers, Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. As mentioned in the Sahih (Authentic Book of Hadith), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Islam wipes out all that has gone before it (previous misdeeds). And penitence also wipes out all that has gone before it.
May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!
Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
Member Member Deputy Chairman Chairman
Bakr Abu Zayd Salih Al-Fawzan `Abdul-`Aziz Al Al-Shaykh `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz
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