As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu 

The collection of Forty Hadith (actually there are 42) complied by Al-Imam Yahya Bin Sharaf an-Nawawi is being widely studied primarily due to:

1)      The soundness of the collection as a whole- most of the Hadith quoted are from Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

2)      The concise and comprehensive meanings contained therein.

3)      From them are derived many of the basic principles of Aqeedah and Shariah.

I am starting a new thread to keep these Ahadith together instead of posting them in the Daily Hadith thread.

Insha Allah we will study together these Ahadith. I am copying and pasting from http://www.islaam.net/ - www.islaam.net

http://www.islaam.net/40hadeeth/frames.html - http://www.islaam.net/40hadeeth/frames.html

Introduction to the Collection of Forty Hadeeth

by Imam al-Nawawi

(d. 676 AH / 1299 CE)

All Praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, the [One Who] Sustains the Heavens and Earths, Director of all that is created, who sent the Messengers (may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon all of them) to rational beings, to guide them and explain the religious laws to them with clear proofs and undeniable arguments. I praise Him for all of His bounties. I ask Him to increase His grace and generosity. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah alone, who has no partner, the One, Who Subdues, the Generous, the Forgiving. I bear witness that our leader Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His beloved and dear one, the best of all creation. He was honoured with the Glorious Qur'aan that has been an enduring miracle throughout the years. He was also sent with his guiding Sunnah that shows the way for those who seek guidance. Our leader Muhammad has been particularized with the characteristic of eloquent and pithy speech, and simplicity and ease in the religion. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, the other Prophets and Messengers, all of their families and the rest of the righteous.

To proceed :

We have narrated, through many chains (isnaad, pl. asaaneed) and various narrations, from Ali ibn Abee Taalib, Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, Abu ad-Dardaa, [Abdullaah] ibn 'Umar, [Abdullaah] ibn 'Abbaas, Anas ibn Maalik, Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree - May Allaah be pleased with all of them - that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

"Whoever preserves for my Ummah forty hadeeth related to the religion, Allaah will then resurrect him in the company of the pious and the scholars."

Another narration states :

"Allaah will raise him as an erudite and learned scholar".

In the narration from Abu ad-Dardaa, it is stated :

"On the Day of Resurrection, I will be an intercessor and witness for him".

In the narration from Ibn Mas'ood it is stated that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

 "It will be said to him 'Enter Paradise through any door you wish'".

In the narration from ibn 'Umar, one finds the words :

"He will be recorded among the company of the scholars and will be resurrected in the company of the martyrs".

[However] The scholars of hadeeth agree that, although this hadeeth has numerous chains, it is weak [ie. da'eef, and hence cannot be used as a sharee'ah proof].

The scholars (may Allaah be pleased with them) have compiled innumerable works of this nature [ie. collections of forty hadeeth]. The first one that I know of who compiled such a work was Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak [a taabi'ee, rahimahu Allaah]. After him came ibn Aslam at-Toosee, a pious scholar. Then came al-Hasan ibn Sufyaan an-Nasaa'ee, Abu Bakr al-Aajurree, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Asfahaanee, ad-Daaraqutnee, al-Haakim, Abu Nu'aim, Abu Abd-ir-Rahmaan as-Sulamee, Abu Sa'eed al-Maleenee, Abu 'Uthmaan as-Saaboonee, Abdullaah ibn Muhammad al-Ansaaree, Abu Bakr al-Baihaqee and countless others both from the earlier and later times.

I have turned to Allaah for guidance and prayed to Him while compiling these forty hadeeth, following the example of those Imaams and guardians of Islaam. The scholars have agreed that it is permissible to act in accordance with weak hadeeth that deal with the virtues of good deeds [ie not weak hadeeth that deal with rulings - ahkaam - or acts of worship]. Nonetheless, given that fact, I have not simply relied upon that [weak] hadeeth [mentioned above], in compiling this work. Instead, I am following the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) found in an authentic hadeeth :

"Let him who was present among you inform those who are absent".

The Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) also said :

"May Allaah make radiant the man who has heard what I said, preserved it in his memory and conveyed it in the way that he heard it".

[Note : What an-Nawawi is saying here is that many of the scholars before him have made collections of forty hadeeth, and hence he is following their good example and not simply following the weak hadeeth quoted above, thus showing that he considers it improper to base ones actions upon weak hadeeth alone.]

Scholars have compiled forty hadeeth on faith and belief (usool), on practical matters (furoo'), on jihaad, on austerity (zuhd), on etiquette (adaab), and even on sermons (khutbahs). All of these [collections] were concerning righteous aims. May Allaah be pleased with those who sought them. However I have found it best to collect together forty hadeeth which are more important than all of those. These forty hadeeth incorporate all of those separate topics. In fact, each hadeeth is by itself a great general precept from the foundations of the Religion. Some scholars state that all of Islaam revolves around these hadeeth. Some have said, about a particular hadeeth, that they are one-half of Islaam, one-third of Islaam and so forth.

I have committed myself to including only authentic hadeeth (saheeh or hasan) in these forty hadeeth. The majority of them are from Saheeh al-Bukhaaree or Saheeh Muslim. I have mentioned them without their chain of narrators in order for it to be easier to memorize them and thus more [people] will be able to benefit from them, Allaah willing. After the hadeeth, I included a section on the meanings of the obscure expressions found in the hadeeth.

Everyone who desires and looks forward to the Hereafter must be familiar with these hadeeth because they cover the most important aspects of the religion and offer direction to all forms of obedience of Allaah. This is clear to anyone who ponders these hadeeth.

I rely only upon Allaah and I entrust my affair only to Him. To Him is all Praise and Grace, from Him is Guidance and protection from error.

May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala bless us with useful knowledge and protect us from the evils within ourselves and the evils around us. Ameen!

Wa Alaikum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 1- Actions are but by Intentions

On the authority of Ameer ul-Mu'mineen (the Commander of the Faithful), Aboo Hafs `Umar ibn al-Khattaab radiAllaahu anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam say:

It is related by the two Imaams of the scholars of Hadeeth, Aboo `Abdillaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa`eel ibn Ibraheem ibn al-Mugheera ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhaaree and Aboo-l-Husain Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj ibn Muslim al-Qushairee an-Naisaabooree, in their two Saheehs, which are the soundest of compiled books [i.e. the most truthful books after the Book of Allaah, since the Qur'aan is not 'compiled'].

Explanation of Hadeeth 1

This is a saheeh hadeeth that has been agreed upon by the scholars, and is collected in both the collections of al-Bukhaaree (Hadeeth No. 1) and Muslim (Hadeeth No. 1907). This hadeeth is great in its benefit and importance, and it has been said that the religion of al-Islaam revolves around it. Some of the scholars have said that it is 1/3rd of Knowledge, because the actions of man involve his heart, his tongue and his limbs, and hence the intention in the heart is 1/3rd of that. Other scholars have said that the whole religion is encompassed in three hadeeth - this one, the hadeeth "The Halaal is clear, the Haraam is clear and between them are doubtful matters...", and the hadeeth "Whoever innovates in this religion that which is not from it will have his actions rejected [by Allaah]". [Note: These other hadeeth will be covered later in shaa' Allaah]

Some of the scholars have said that this hadeeth should be mentioned at the beginning of every book, in order to establish that the seeking of knowledge is for the sake of Allaah alone, and not for anyone else.

In the hadeeth, when the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) says "actions are but by intention" then the 'by' here means that the acceptance and correctness of any action depends upon the intention behind it. An action which is apparently good, such as giving money in charity, will be rejected if the intention behind it is wrong, for example: to show off. Indeed, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has narrated from Allaah that if a person performs an act for Allaah's sake and also for the sake of someone else, then Allaah will reject the deed entirely and leave the whole of it for the partner that the person made. This shows us how grave the sin of shirk is - it is the only sin that Allaah will never forgive.

In the hadeeth, the words "shall have" means that the person will be rewarded for only that which he intended. So, as mentioned in the hadeeth, if a person performed the Hijrah, but did it with the wrong intention then he would not be rewarded for that action of Hijrah.

The word "actions" refers to those actions which are part of the Sharee'ah of Islaam. Thus, any action of the Sharee'ah - such as making wudoo', or ghusl, or making tayammum, or the prayer, or zakaat, or fasting, or the Hajj, or i'tikaaf in the masjid, or any other act of worship - will not be accepted and rewarded unless it is performed with the correct intention.

Summary

Everything we do has to be intended to be for Allaah, i.e., for anything we do we want to make sure that it will be acceptable to Him and will not in any way interfere with the upholding of His Deen. A good action with the wrong intention will not get us any reward in the Hereafter.

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 2: An Explanation of Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan

Also on the authority of `Umar (radi Allaahu 'anhu), who said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 2

This is no doubt a great hadeeth, in that it includes within it all the outwardly apparent and inwardly actions, and all the Sciences of the Sharee'ah return back towards it due to its encompassing all the Knowledge of the Sunnah. Hence some of the scholars have termed this hadeeth the Mother/Core of the Sunnah (Umm as-Sunnah), just as soorah al-Faatihah has been termed the Mother/Core of the Qur'aan (Umm al-Qur'aan), due to its succintly containing all of the Message of the Qur'aan.

And in this hadeeth (from the mention of the white dress and black hair) is evidence for the beautification of ones appearance when entering upon the scholars, the pious and the kings, as Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) came to teach the people by his appearance, his statements and his actions.

The fact that the 'man' had no sign of travel upon him, and yet no one had ever seen him before surprised the Sahaabah, as if he did not live amongst them then how did he just appear from 'nowhere'. In this way, Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) was able to attract their attention to what he was to say next. His statement 'O Muhammad' rather than the respectful 'O Messenger of Allaah' that was obligatory upon the Sahaabah, also helped to attain the full attention of the Sahaabah.

His questions regarding Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan show us that these are three distinct levels, with the level of Ihsaan being the highest. It is important to note here that these terms when used together indicate specific meanings, whereas when used on their own they may encompass the meanings of the other terms. What this means will be explained in more detail below in shaa' Allaah.

The term 'Islaam' in its specific meaning refers to the outwardly apparent actions - such as the Shahaadah, the Prayer, paying the Zakaat etc. If a person has the basic amount of eemaan required of him and then performs these major outward actions then he is at the level of 'Islaam'.

The term 'Eemaan' in its specific meaning refers to the inward beliefs of the heart, and for a person to enter the fold of Islaam he must adhere to the basic beliefs mentioned in this hadeeth. However, in a more general sense the word Eemaan denotes the beliefs and actions in the heart (eg aqeedah and fear of Allaah), the statements of the tongue (e.g. dhikr of Allaah) and actions of the limbs (e.g. fighting jihaad in Allaah's cause). If a person achieves the basic outward actions of Islaam, and then increases upon that in terms of his belief and his other actions, then he rises to the level of Eemaan.

Having eemaan in Allaah means the attestation that Allaah - Glory be to Him - exists, and is described with the Lofty and Perfect Attributes, and is free from all deficient characteristics. And it includes the belief that He is One, The Truth, The Independent, and He is the Only Creator of all that exists, and He changes the creation as He wishes and He acts within His Kingdom whatever He wishes.

And eemaan in the Angels means attesting that they are His honoured slaves, and that they do not act except according to Allaah's command.

And eemaan in the Messengers involves attesting that they are Truthful in all that they have conveyed about Allaah, and that they were aided by Allaah in the miracles that they performed to prove their truthfulness, and that they conveyed and explained the Message of what Allaah has ordered us with. Also, we must respect and honour them all, and we must not differentiate between them.

And eemaan in the Last Day involves the attestation that we shall be brought back to life again after our death, and shall be collected together on the Day of Judgement, and on that Day will be the Accounting of our deeds, and the weighing in the Meezaan (Scales), and the crossing of the Siraat (Bridge), and finally the entry to either Paradise or Hellfire. And the belief that Paradise is the place for rewarding the doers of good, while Hellfire is the place for retribution for the doers of evil.

And eemaan in Qadr (Divine Preordainment) includes the belief that Allaah knows all that has happened and all that will happen, and that He has written this down in the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfooz) which is with Him, and that nothing can happen except by Allaah's Will and Permission.

And the way of the Salaf and the Imaams of the later times has been that whomsoever attests to and believes in these matters with a firm conviction having no doubt in them, then he will be counted amongst true Believers, whether he arrived at these beliefs through detailed study of the intellectual proofs or not.

The term 'Ihsaan' refers to the third and highest level, and is attained as mentioned in the hadeeth when the person worships Allaah as though he sees Him, and if he does not see Allaah, then he worships Him knowing that Allaah sees him. The scholars have mentioned that the higher level of worshipping Allaah as though one sees him is the level of mushaahadah. This implies that the person worships Allaah seeing the effect of Allaah's Names and Attributes in all the things around him. For example, when he sees mercy shown by an animal to its young he sees this as the effect of the Mercy of Allaah upon His Creation, and so on and so forth. Thus whatever the slave sees around him he is reminded of the Perfect Attributes of Allaah 'azza wa jall. It does not mean that the slave sees Allaah with his eyes, as this ru'yaa (Seeing) is only for the Believers on the Day of Resurrection. The second and lower level of Ihsaan is where the slave is constantly aware of Allaah watching him at all times.

The statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that "the one questioned knows no better than the questioner" shows that even the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam had no knowledge of when the Last Hour shall be. This knowledge is with Allaah, and Allaah alone. Regarding the Signs of the Day of Judgement, then two are mentioned in this hadeeth.

The first states that a slave-girl shall give birth to her master. Some of the scholars have suggested that this could mean that the people will degenerate to the extent that they will sell their women slaves, from whom they have already had children. These children may then unwittingly buy their mothers as slaves, and thus become their masters. Others have suggested that it means that children will become so bad mannered and insolent towards their parents that they treat their parents as though they were their slaves - and this is what we see in todays society.

The second sign is that the poor, destitute shepherds will compete with one another in building tall buildings. We only have to look to the Arabian Peninsula to see how people who were desert bedouins only a few decades ago are now literally competing with one another in constructing lofty sky scrapers. And there are some ahaadeeth from the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam indicating that constructing tall buildings is hated, if there is no genuine need for doing so.

So this hadeeth contains an explanation of Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan. It has been narrated from the scholars of the past, such as Imaam Aboo al-Husain ibn Bataal al-Maalikee that Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa'ah are united upon understanding Eemaan to consist of Beliefs, Speech and Action, and that Eemaan increases with the obedience of Allaah and decreases with His disobedience. This is contrary to the statement of some of the deviant sects that Eemaan is fixed or constant, and a person either has it or does not. So different people have different levels of Eemaan, and we are not all equal in this respect. Rather, we know from the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam that the Eemaan of Abu Bakr radiAllaahu anhu was greater than the eemaan of the rest of the people combined (excluding Allaah's Messenger, of course).

And we also learn from this hadeeth that the person who attests to the shahaadataan and displays the major outward aspects of Islaam is considered a Muslim, while the one who goes further than that and increases in actions and beliefs is called a Mu'min. Thus the Mu'min is at a higher station than the Muslim. And the one who achieves the level of Ihsaan is the best of the three and is called a Muhsin - may Allaah 'azza wa jall make us of them.

Summary

• That the Angel Jibreel himself came to teach the fundamentals of the Faith to the Companions by asking questions to the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam).
• That one can teach others by asking about that which he already knows.
• That if someone wants to know about Islaam generally, then he should be made aware of the pillars which constitute it.
• That Islaam is built on the five pillars which have to be acted upon with eemaan and ihsaan. Denying any one of these pillars and not wishing to fulfill any one of them makes one a non-Muslim.
• That belief in what Allaah has destined for us, whether it is perceived to be good, or bad, is part of eemaan, and without believing in it, our eemaan is incomplete and defective.
• That one must accept the Messengers sent by Allaah.
• That one must develop ihsaan in all that he does so that he is as much aware as he can be that Allaah is indeed watching every move that he makes.
• That as part of the Islaamic manner the teacher should be ready to accept and say that he does not know the answer or that he does not know it better than the enquirer.
• That the signs of the Last Hour are real and cocern how we live and behave.
• That although the Companions were the best of the people and were the most knowledgeable, they did not interrupt with their own answers, nor did they show impatience at the questioner. Therefore as part of the Islaamic manners, if someone asks a question to the teacher in a group, then the others in the group should keep quiet until one of them is asked for help.
• It is not permissible to say that there is a certain length of time left before the end of the world, for none knows but Allaah, not even the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam).

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 3: The Pillars of Islaam

On the authority of Aboo `Abd ir-Rahmaan `Abdullaah, the son of `Umar ibn al-Khattab radiAllaahu 'anhumaa, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say:

Explanation of Hadeeth 3

Aboo al-'Abbaas al-Qurtubee (rahimahu Allaahu) has said that this hadeeth means that these five matters are the foundation and basic principles upon which the religion of al-Islaam is built. With these five matters does Islaam make itself apparent. And the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam particularised these five matters and did not mention Jihaad along with them (even though it is through Jihaad that Islaam is made uppermost and the resistance of the Disbelievers is belittled) because these five matters are obligatory at all times upon all Muslims, whereas Jihaad is a Fard Kifaayah which may not be required during certain times. [Note: a Fard Kifaayah is an obligation that is required of the Muslims such that if a group of them fulfill it then the obligation is lifted from the community as a whole].

And in some of the narrations of this hadeeth (such as the one quoted above), mention of the Hajj is made before mention of the Fasting in Ramadaan. However, and Allaah knows best, the correct form is the placing of the Fasting before the Hajj, as is narrated from Ibn 'Umar that he corrected a narrator who changed the order and said "This is how I have heard it from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam)". This incident shows us the precision of the Sahaabah and the scholars of Hadeeth after them in preserving the words of the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, and how can this not be when Allaah 'azza wa jall has said:

and the Dhikr or Wahee sent down to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam includes both the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, as Allaah has said:

And it is also narrated from Ibn 'Umar radiAllaahu 'anhu that the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

And in the hadeeth occurs the phrase 'establishment' of the prayer (iqaam as-salaah), as opposed to 'performance' of the prayer. The scholars have mentioned how this indicates that the Prayer must be performed in the most perfect manner, after having completed the wudoo' in the most perfect manner, and in the Masjid with the jamaa'ah for the men, and so on and so forth. That is, simply performing the motions of the Prayer in the most minimal fashion is not what is desired from us - but rather we should exert ourselves in this affair, bearing in mind that the Prayer is the first matter that will be judged on the Day of Resurrection - if it is accepted then the rest of our actions will be accepted, and if it is rejected then the rest of our actions will also be rejected.

Summary

That Islaam is indeed built on the five principles of:
1) Witnessing that Allaah is our only deity and Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is His Messenger to show us how to fulfill our existence on this earth as Muslims,
2) Prayer,
3) Zakaah,
4) Fasting and
5) Hajj
So one must strive to fulfill these pillars with the utmost care, concern and priority, and one must do so normally before one gets involved with other aspects of the Deen.

As Salamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 4: Deeds are by their Final Actions

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 5: Rejection of Evil Deeds and Innovations

On the authority of the Mother of the Faithful, Umm `Abdillaah `Aaishah (radi Allaahu 'anhaa) , who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaau alayhi wa sallam) said:

In one version by Muslim it reads: He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected [by Allaah].

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 5

This hadeeth is a Great Principle from amongst the Principles of the Religion, and it is an example of the Perfect and Concise Speech of the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam, as in it is found a clear rejection of every innovation (bid'ah) and every innovator. And this hadeeth is also used as a proof of the invalidity of every contract prohibited by the Sharee'ah, and also by some of the scholars of Usool ul-Fiqh when they say that a prohibition implies the invalidity of that action.

And in the second narration which states that "He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected" there is a clear and unequivocal command to leave all things which are newly introduced into the religion, whether the person invents that action himself or whether he follows someone else who has preceeded him. For verily some of the obstinate innovators give as a proof for their innovation the fact that they themselves have not introduced the innovation, but rather they are following the action of someone else - and they use the first hadeeth above to show that they are then not blameworthy.

And this hadeeth should be acted upon meticulously in all our affairs, and it should be preserved and spread amongst the people and used as an evidence to show the invalidity of all innovations and evil actions, for verily it includes in its meaning all of that.

However, as for the Furoo' (branches) of knowledge which are established from the Usool (basic principles) and which do not depart from the Sunnah, then these are not referred to by this hadeeth. For example, the writing down of the Qur'aan as a Mus-haf by 'Uthmaan (radiAllaauh 'anhu), or the establishment of the various madhhabs in Fiqh (Schools of Jurisprudence), which are from the understanding of the Mujtahid scholars of Fiqh, those who built the matters of Furoo' upon the Usool (which are the statements of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). And also, from amongst the matters not included in this hadeeth is the writing of books on subjects such as Grammar, or Arithmetic, or the Laws of Inheritance, and other than that from the sciences that are built upon the statements and commands of the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Summary

• That anything new introduced in the matter of worship, which has not already been given sanction from the Qur'aan and the Sunnah will not be accepted by Allaah.
• That anything new incorporated into the Deen must be thrown away and rejected by the Muslims.

As'Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

Masha-Allah, sister - very good thread. That too with its explanation. May Allah swt, reward you and help us to learn from these hadiths.

seekshidayath wrote: As'Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu, Masha-Allah, sister - very good thread. That too with its explanation. May Allah swt, reward you and help us to learn from these hadiths.

As Salamu Alaikum

Ameen to your duas.

Salams

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 6: The Halaal is Clear and the Haraam is Clear

On the authority of Aboo `Abdillaah an-Nu`maan the son of Basheer (radiAllaahu 'anhumaa), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say:

Explanation of Hadeeth 6

This hadeeth is a great Principle from the Principles of the Sharee'ah, such that the well known Muhaddith Aboo Dawood as-Sijistaanee said, "al-Islaam revolves around four ahaadeeth" , and he then mentioned this hadeeth amongst them. And there is consensus amongst the People of Knowledge upon the great status of this hadeeth and its immense benefits.

The statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters" implies that matters are of three types.

Whatever Allaah has established to be permissible in a text, then it is the 'clear' Halaal, such as the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa:

And whatever Allaah has established to be forbidden in a text, then that is the 'clear' Haraam, such as the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa:

And also such as the forbiddance of fawaahish (evil lusts and desires), that which is apparent of it and also that which is hidden of it. And every matter concerning which Allaah has established upon it a limit or associated with it a punishment or a threat, then that matter is also included amongst the 'clear' haraam.

As for the the 'doubtful matters' then they are those issues in which there appears (to the layman) to be opposing evidences from the Book and the Sunnah, and so in this case restraint from them is from piety.

And the scholars have differed regarding the ruling upon the doubtful matters mentioned by the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam in this hadeeth.

So one opinion is that they are all Haraam, due the saying of the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam "[he] clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour", as whoever does safeguard his religion and his honour has definitely fallen into the Haraam.

Another opinion is that they are Halaal, due the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary", so this indicates that these actions are permissible, but leaving them is from piety.

And a third opinion is that we make no ruling regarding the doubtful matters, and do not say that they are Halaal nor that they are Haraam, as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayi wa salaam placed them between the clear Halaal and the clear Haraam. Hence it is required that we refrain from passing judgement and this too is from piety.

And in the hadeeth from 'Adiyy ibn Haatim that he said to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam:

So the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam gave a verdict based upon a doubt, fearing that the dog which killed the game was the other dog upon which the name of Allaah had not been pronounced, hence making the kill slaughtered for other than Allaah. And Allaah has said about this:

So this verdict contains evidence for taking care regarding those actions or events that involve some judgement regarding what is Halaal or Haraam, due to the similarity between the different situations. And this is encompassed in the meaning of the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam: "Leave that which causes you doubt, for that which does not cause you doubt." [narrated by an-Nasaa'ee]

And some of the scholars have said the doubtful matters can be divided into three types:

1) That affair which a person knows to be Haraam, but which he then doubts as to whether its forbiddance still continues or not. For example, a person cannot eat from an animal until he is sure that is has been slaughtered Islaamically, and so if he has doubts about this then the forbiddance to eat continues until certainty of the correct slaughtering is achieved. And the origin of this is in the hadeeth of 'Adiyy mentioned above. [Note: this is referring to a situation similar to when 'Adiyy came upon the dogs next to the kill - and not when your butcher says the meat is Halaal and you doubt it!]

2) The opposite of this, where the affair is originally Halaal, and the person has doubts regarding whether it has become Haraam. And whatever is of this type then it is considered permissible until its forbiddance is clearly established. And the origin of this is the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Zayd, regarding the doubt in ones wudoo' if one is sure that previously he had made wudoo'. [i.e. one continues upon the assumption of being with wudoo' until it becomes clear that the wudoo' has broken]

3) The third type is where one has doubts about a matter and one does not know whether it is Halaal or Haraam, and the matter could be of either of the two, and there is no clear evidence to establish either ruling. Then in this situation the best course of action is restraint. For example, once the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam found a date in his house, but did not eat it for he feared that it may have been from that given as sadaqah (as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam was forbidden from taking of sadaqah).

However, if a person chooses the opposite of what is clearly apparent due to an imaginary doubt which has no evidence, then restraint in such a situation is foolishness, and is from the whisperings of shaytaan. For example, a person may restrain from praying in a place which has no visible traces of filth, simply out of a fear that maybe some urine had fallen there and since dried. Or a person may wash a dress simply out of a fear that some filth (najaasah) came upon it but which he did not actually see upon it. So in all such situations where there is no 'real' doubt then it is required that one does not leave the action.

And the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "about which many people do not know" means that many people do not know the shar'ee ruling upon these matters. However, the People of Knowledge may be able to associate such matters with other principles that they must follow, and thus achieve a ruling upon them as to whether they are Halaal or Haraam, and thus they cease to be doubtful matters.

As for the statement "but he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful" then this is from two angles:

1) The one who does not fear Allaah and indulges in doubtful matters, eventually begins to practise the Forbidden actions too, and becomes lenient in these affairs. And this is as some of the 'ulemaa have said that minor sins lead to major sins and major sins lead to kufr.

2) The one who often indulges in doubtful matters oppresses himself as his heart is deprived of the Light of Knowledge and the Light of Piety, so he ends up falling into the Haraam and does not realise it.

And just as a King has a sanctuary, which the shepherds must keep their sheep away from, so too has Allaah specified certain things as Forbidden for his slaves, which they must refrain from - such as murder, interest (ribaa), theft, drinking alcohol, backbiting and tale-carrying, and other such things, all of which we should keep well away from for fear of falling into them.

As for the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole ... ":

Allaah ta'aalaa has blessed only man and the animals with this special organ - the heart - and through it we find that even the animals recognize that which benefits them and that which harms them. Then, Allaah has singled out al-Insaan from amongst all the animals with the faculty of the intellect, and additional faculties within the heart. Allah says:

And the various limbs of the body are subservient to the heart, so whatever the heart decides upon, that action appears upon the limbs. So if the heart is good then the actions of the limbs are good, and if the heart is corrupt then the actions of the limbs are also corrupt. And if this fact is understood then the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam "if it be whole, all the body is whole, and if it is diseased, all of [the body] is diseased" becomes clear.

We ask Allaah the Majestic to cleanse the corruption of our hearts. O Changer of Hearts, establish our hearts upon Your Deen! O Controller of Hearts, turn our hearts towards Your obedience!

Summary

• That those things which are Haraam are clear and need clear evidence.
• That one who does doubtful things may well be doing what is Haraam.
• That it is difficult to live honorably when doing the doubtful.
• That Allaah is the King; The King of kings.
• That it is understandable that Allaah should have things prohibited for us.
• That the sanctuary of Allaah which we must not enter is all those things which He has made Haraam for us. Thus we must know what is Haraam and definitely avoid them.
• That doing the doubtful or what is forbidden adversely affects the heart.
• That it is important to make and keep the heart pure, since it affects the rest of us. Thus we should look for ways to purify and preserve our hearts from being stained.

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 7: The Religion is Naseehah (Sincere Advice)

On the authority of Abu Ruqayya Tameem ibn Aus ad-Daaree (radi Allaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 7

This is the only hadeeth narrated by Tameem ad-Daaree (radi Allaahu 'anhu). And 'Naseehah' is a comprehensive word, whose meaning implies the desire for all possible good for the one being advised. And this word 'an-naseehah' is most concise in speech, and there is no other single word in the Arabic language that completetly and precisely explains its meaning, just as it is said that regarding the word 'al-Falaah' (the success) that there is no other word in the Arabic language that more precisely and succinctly describes the good of both this world and the next.

And the meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "The Deen is Naseehah" is that the main pillar of the Religion and its Straightness lies in this concept of Naseehah. And this is similar to the Prophet's sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "The Hajj is 'Arafah", meaning the main pillar of the Hajj is the standing in the Plain of 'Arafah.

As for the detailed explanation of Naseehah then al-Khattaabee (rahimhu Allaah) and others from amongst the 'ulemaa have said:

al-Khattaabee also said:

And as for the Naseehah to His Book, then this is by believing it to be the Speech of Allaah ta'aala, and what He has sent down as Revelation, and that there is no similarity between the Speech of Allaah and the speech of mankind. And that no one from amongst the creation is able to produce anything like it. And further, glorification of His Book and reciting it as it should be recited and fulfilling its Rights, beautifying the recitation and having khushoo' (humility, submissiveness) while doing so, and establishing the correct pronunciation of its letters. And also, defending the Qur'aan from the false interpretations of the innovators, and having faith in all that is in it, and understanding its sciences and examples, and accepting its mutashaabih (hidden, unclear), and making du'aa by it.

And as for the Naseehah to His Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) then this involves believing in his Messengership, and having faith in all that he came with, and obeying him in all that he ordered or forbade, and helping him both in his life and after his death, and having enmity with all those who have enmity with him, and having allegiance to all those who have allegiance with him, and fulfilling his Rights, and honouring him, and reviving his manner and Sunnah, and responding to his da'wah, and spreading his Sunnah, and understanding its meanings and sciences, and calling towards it, and being eager in studying it, and showing respect when it is mentioned, and refraining from speaking about it without knowledge, and mixing amongst the people of the Sunnah, and behaving with the character taught by the Sunnah, and showing love towards the members of the Prophet's sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam Household, and his Companions, and keeping away from those who innovate in his Sunnah or those who reject/oppose any one of his Companions, or anything like that.

And as for the Naseehah to the leaders of the Muslims, then this involves helping them in the Truth, and obeying them, and ordering them with the Truth, and reminding them of it with kindness and gentle words, and notifying/advising them of that which they have neglected, and informing them of the Rights of the Muslims, and not rebelling against them with the sword, and gathering the hearts of the people upon obeying them, and praying behind them, and fighting in Jihaad along with them, and making supplication for their correction.

And as for the Naseehah to the common folk of the Muslims, and they are those who are other than the rulers, then it involves guiding them towards that which will correct their affairs of both this life and the next, and helping them in that. And it involves protecting them from harm, and helping them in times of need, and acquiring what is beneficial for them, and ordering them with al-Ma'roof (good) and forbidding them from al-Munkar (evil) with kindness and sincerity, and showing mercy towards them. And it involves honouring and respecting their elders, and showing kindness to their youngsters, and supporting them with good advice. And leaving cheating them or having jealousy of them, and that one loves for them what one loves for oneself of goodness, and that one hates for them what one hates for oneself of evil, and protecting their wealth and honour, and other than that from speech and action. And it also involves encouraging them upon all that we have mentioned above of the various types of Naseehah, and Allaah knows best.

And giving Naseehah (advice) is a Fardh Kifaayah, such that if a sufficient number of people perform it then the obligation is lifted from the community as a whole, and it is obligatory according to the ability of the individual.

And in the arabic language 'naseehah' means 'purification/clarification', as it is said: "I purified (nasahtu) the honey", and it is said that it means other than that. And Allaah knows best.

Summary

That one cannot worship Allah sincerely without being sincere to what He has revealed, and to the people according to their station in life. Also one has to respect and honour His Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), which is to respect and honour what he said, did, approved of or recommended, and to love him for who he was and what he was.

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 8: Sanctity of a Muslim

On the authority of the son of 'Umar (radi Allaahu 'anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 8

This is a Great Hadeeth and a Principle from amongst the Principles of the Religion. It has also been narrated by Anas (radi Allaahu 'anhu) whose version mentions:

And it has come in Saheeh Muslim from the narration of Abu Hurayrah (radiAllaahu 'anhu):

and this has the same meaning as what Ibn 'Umar narrated.

As for the meaning of this hadeeth, then the scholars of seerah have said:

And 'Umar radiAllaahu 'anhu followed him in doing this.

Regarding the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam "I have been ordered to fight the people until they say 'laa ilaahaa illaa Allaah' ..." al-Khattaabee rahimahu Allaah and others said:

And Shaykh Muyee ad-Deen an-Nawawee said:

And the meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "and their Reckoning will be with Allaah" refers to those matters which they hide from the people, i.e. those things other than that which is outwardly apparent from the compulsory actions. Al-Khattaabee mentions this and then says:

And in his (sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam) statement: "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none is worthy of worship except Allaah, and believe in me and in all that I come with" is a clear proof for the position of the People of Truth and the vast majority of the Salaf and the Khalaf, that it is enough for a person to believe in the Religion of Islaam with a firm, unwavering belief, without it being necessary for him to understand the proofs of the Mutakallimoon (people of Theological Rhetoric) regarding the 'recognition' of Allaah through the intellect. And this opposite to the statement of those people that it is an obligatory condition for the correctness of ones eemaan. And this is clear from the fact the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned only at-Tasdeeq (belief, affirmation) and did not lay any condition for it through intellectual recognition. And this hadeeth appears a number of times in the Saheeh, and together they reach the rank of mutawaatir, without doubt yielding definite knowledge, and Allaah knows best.

Summary

• That the disbelieving people are fought until Islaam triumphs.
• That it is an order from Allaah and thus waajib.
• That the Ameer of the Muslims enforces protection of the lives and the properties of the Muslims.
• That if a Muslim does something which deserves a punishment according to the Rulings of Islaam, then the Ameer of the Muslims must enforce that too.
• That the punishments must be given, regardless of what Allaah will Judge for them (i.e. Allaah may punish them or forgive them).

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 9: Obligations are according to Ability

On the authority of Abu Hurairah 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam) say:

Explanation of Hadeeth 9

The wording of this hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, from Abu Hurairah radiAllaah 'anhu, states: The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam addressed us and said:

And the Scholars of Usool (i.e. in Fiqh) have differed over the issue of the Command to perform an action - does it imply repetition? That is, if we are ordered to do something then does that automatically imply that we must do it repeatedly? Or does it mean that doing it once is sufficient unless otherwise specified? For example, we are commanded with Hajj but that is just once in a lifetime, but we are also commanded with Salaah and that is every day. So most of the Fuqahaa (jurists) have decided that a command does not automatically imply repetition. Others have said that we do not rule that it implies repetition nor do we rule that it does not imply repetition, except with a further evidence that indicates one or the other. And this hadeeth is a proof for those who have the latter opinion. For if there were an automatically implied ruling of either repetition or no repetition then the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam would not have replied "If I had said yes then it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to do that." Rather, if there had been an automatic implication of repetition or otherwise, then the man would not have asked the question in the first place.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified]" then this apparently indicates that a command does not imply repetition, and also that the origin of all affairs is that they are not waajib, until the Sharee'ah specifies them as being waajib. And this is the correct position according to the majority of the Scholars of Usool.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "If I had said yes it would have become obligaotory upon you" is an evidence that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) would make ijtihaad in rulings, and that it was not binding upon him that all rulings be made by Revelation.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can" is an important Principle of Islaam, and is from his Concise speech. And based upon this principle are countless other rulings - such as the Prayer of one who is unable to complete some of its pillars or conditions, then he performs what he is able to from that which remains. And the one who cannot wash all the necessary limbs of wudoo', washes that which he is able to. And in the case of removing evil, then if one is not able to remove it entirely then one removes what one is able to. And many other affairs like these, as are well known from the Books of Fiqh. And this hadeeth is similar to the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa:

And as for His statement

then it has been said that this is abrogated by the aayah "And have taqwaa of Allaah, as much as you are able". However, what is correct is that it is not abrogated, but rather the first aayah is an explanation of this aayah, and makes clear what is intended by it. And it has been said that "fearing Allaah as He should be feared" means obeying Him all in that He has commanded, and staying away from all that He has forbidden, and Allaah subhaanahu does not order us except with that which we are able to do, as verily Allaah has said:

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "and what I have forbidden you from then avoid it" then this is to be taken to apply generally in all situations, except if one has a necessity, such as eating meat from an animal which has not been correctly slaughtered if one's life is in danger or what is similar to that, then that is not considered to be forbidden. However, in all conditions other than that of ncessity the individual is not considered to have fulfilled this forbiddance of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam until he leaves all those things which the Sharee'ah forbids. So he does not fulfill the forbiddance if he continues to practise even one of the forbidden things. This is in opposition to what has been commanded to do, for in terms of the commands we must do whatever we are able.

And in his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "verily the nations before you were destroyed due to their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their Prophets", then this was mentioned after his saying "Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified]". And this implies that we should not be excessive in questioning, as then we would be similar to the Banoo Israa'eel when it was said to them: "Sacrifice a cow". So if they had taken these words upon their apparent meaning and sacrificed any cow they would have fulfilled the command. But because they insisted on asking many questions regarding its colour, its appearance, its work etc, the matter became difficult for them, until they were able to find a suitable cow only after a great search and paying a large sum of money. So they were blameworthy for this, and our Prophet Muhammad sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam feared the same for his Ummah.

Summary

• That what is Haraam must be avoided
• That one must make sure that one has a satisfactory plea to present to Allaah for not doing what the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has ordered
• That one must not ask too many questions. Ideally, one only wants to know what Islaam says [about a thing] and do that
• That asking too many questions and disagreeing with the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam can cause our destruction. If it happened to the people before us it can happen to us too

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 10: Restricting oneself to the Pleasant Halaal

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Explanation of Hadeeth 10

And this is one of those ahaadeeth upon which the Principles and Rulings of Islaam are built. And in it is encouragement towards spending upon that which is Halaal, and forbiddance from spending upon that which is other than that. And that what is eaten, and what is drunk and what is worn, and all such similar things should be purely Halaal, without any doubt in them. And that whosoever wishes to supplicate to Allaah should humble and submit himself before his Lord with that which is Halaal. And from the hadeeth we also understand that when the slave spends upon the good, Halaal things then these things purify him and bring him prosperity. And that delicious and tasty food which is not permissible to eat will instead be a source of evil and punishment, and the actions of the slave will then not be acceptable by Allaah.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Then he mentioned [the case] of a man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty ..." then its meaning is best known by Allaah. But we know from other ahaadeeth that the supplication of the traveller is more readily acceptable to Allaah, and a 'long journey' could be from amongst the actions of worship, such as the Hajj or Jihaad or other than that from the pious actions. And even in this case his supplication is still not accepted because his food, drink and clothing are Haraam. So how about the case of the one who is travelling for some purpose of the dunyaa, or for oppressing the people, or those who are ignorant of the various types of worship and goodness.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "who spreads out his hands to the sky" means that he raises his hands in supplication to Allaah 'azza wa jall, while at the same time he is opposing His commands and is sinning. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "so how can [his supplication] be answered ?!" and in another narration "so how can he be answered because of that ?!", means that there cannot be an answer for the one who possesses such characteristics. Such a person cannot be amongst those whose supplication will be answered, unless Allaah the Almighty does so out of His infinite Grace and Kindness and Generosity, and Allaah knows best.

Summary

• That Allaah accepts only that which is good
• That every believer is obliged to do that which the Messengers were obliged to do (except what is specifically exempted)
• That every Muslim must eat only Halaal and must take great care that he has avoided eating whatever he knew to be Haraam or suspicious
• That performing righteous deeds is waajib for every one of us
• That frequently we turn to Allaah for help while we do not try to eat, drink, maintain ourselves and earn in a pure way
• That if we do not take care of the above then our prayers will not be effective
• That it is correct to raise ones hands while asking Allaah for something

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As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 11: Being Cautious of the Doubtful

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 12: Leaving that which does not concern a Muslims

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

A Hasan (Good) Hadeeth which was related by at-Tirmidhee and others in this fashion.

Explanation of Hadeeth 12

And this hadeeth has also been narrated by Qurrah bin 'Abd-ir-Rahmaan from [the great Muhaddith] az-Zuhree, from Abee Salamah from Abee Hurairah, and he considered its chains of narration Saheeh (Authentic), and then he said regarding the hadeeth that it is from the Comprehensive speech that contains many significant meanings, and all this in very few words. And similar to this [hadeeth] is the statement of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) in some of his narrations from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said:

And Imaam Maalik mentioned that it reached him that it was said to Luqmaan: "What has enabled you to attain what we see in you of Grace and Blessing ?" to which he replied:

And it has been narrated from Hasan [al-Basree] that he said:

And Abu Daawood as-Sijistaanee said:

and he mentioned among them this hadeeth.

Summary

That prying and interfering in others affairs is a sign of not being a good Muslim

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 13 : Loves for his Brother that which he Loves for Himself

On the authority of Abu Hamzah Anas bin Maalik (radiAllaahu anhu) - the servant of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) - that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 13

This hadeeth has been narrated thus in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree as "for his brother" without any doubt on the part of the narrator, while in Saheeh Muslim the narrator mentions that the wording may have been "for his brother" or "for his neighbour".

The 'ulamaa have said that the meaning of the hadeeth is that the one who does not have this characteristic has not believed with the complete and perfect eemaan, while he has already achieved the basic level of eemaan.

And the intented meaning of "loves for his brother" is those things which are from obedience to Allaah, and the permissible matters, as opposed to the evil or Haraam matters, and this is proved from the narration collected by an-Nasaa'ee which mentions : "until he loves for his brother from the good that which he loves for himself".

Shaykh Abu 'Amr ibn as-Salaah said : And this appears to be something which is difficult/unobtainable, but this is not the case, beacuse its meaning is that the eemaan of one of you is not completed/perfected until he loves for his brother in Islaam that which he loves for himself [and not that he has no eemaan at all until he does so]. And establishing this is obtained through loving that he obtains something good without vying/competing with him in obtaining that thing, meaning that he does not desire any decrease in him of blessing. [This is the opposite of hasad or jealousy, where one wishes that his brother is deprived of a blessing, and that you posses it instead]. And this is easy and attainable for the Pure and Upright heart, but is difficult for the corrupt heart - may Allaah ta'aalaa forgive us and all of our brothers.

And Abu az-Zinaad said : What is apparent from this hadeeth is that one desires for ones brother the same as that which one wishes for oneself, but the real meaning is that one desires for him better than what one wishes for oneself. This is because man always wishes that he is the best of the people [in all things]; so if he loves for his brother what he loves for himself [to be the best], then he has placed his brother amongst the generality of those who are the best. [Also,] do you not see that man desires to receive justice for his rights and injustices done against him ? So if he has completed/perfected his eemaan, and then he sees that he has wronged his brother or his brother has a right upon him, then he makes haste to establish justice in that affair, even if this may cause himself difficulty.

And it is narrated that al-Fudail bin 'Iyaad said to Sufyaan bin 'Uyaynah "If you wish that the people are similar to you then you have not offered to Allaah, the Most Generous, the True Naseehah [sincerity - see Hadeeth 7], so how will it be if you love that they are less than you ?"

And some of the 'Ulamaa have said based upon this Hadeeth that the believer with another believer is like a single soul, and so it is desired that he loves for him that which he loves for himself, since they are as though a single soul. And similar to this has come in another hadeeth : "The Believers are like a single body; if a single limb feels pain, then the whole body along with it suffers with fever and sleeplessness."

Summary :

• The hadeeth negates the perfection/completeness of Faith (eemaan) for someone who does not wish for his Muslim brother that which he likes for himself
• That a believer will not want something to happen to another Muslim which he would not like for himself

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 14 : The Prohibition of the Blood of a Muslim and the Reasons for Shedding it

On the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 14

And in some of the narrations of this hadeeth, that are also agreed upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, it mentions : "It is not permissible to spill the blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, except in three [instances] ...". So his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "testifies that none is worthy of worship except Allaah and I am the Messenger of Allaah" is as though a tafseer (explanation) of his statement "a Muslim". Similarly, his statement "[who] separates from the community" is like a tafseer of his statement "who forsakes his religion". So in these three instances the blood of a Muslim can be spilt, from a textual evidence. And the meaning of the 'community' (al-jamaa'ah) is the community of Muslims. So separating from the Muslims by apostacy from the Religion of Islaam is a reason for the permissibilty of shedding his blood.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the one who forsakes his religion and separates from the community" is general and refers to all those who apostate from Islaam, by whichever method this may occur, and it then becomes obligatory on the Muslims to kill him unless he returns to Islaam.

And the scholars have mentioned that this also includes all those who leave [being of] the community of Muslims through an innovation or transgression or other than that, and Allaah knows best. [Note: It would appear that this innovation or transgression must be of a very serious nature, such that the perpetrator would effectively leave the fold of Islaam]

And what is apparent is that this is a general rule [ie. killing a Muslim is only allowed in these three instances], but it also includes certain specific situations such as an attacker or similar to that. In such cases, then it is permissible to kill a Muslim out of defence from harm from him - indeed it may be that this becomes obligatory, as such an attacker comes under those who have separated from the community. And also, the meaning here is that killing a Muslim intentionally is not permitted except in these three instances, and Allaah knows best.

And some of the 'ulamaa have used this hadeeth to show that the one who abandons the Prayer (salaah) is killed, because the one who abandons the Prayer is included amongst these three. And the scholars have differed over this issue, so from them are those who say that the one who abandons the Prayer becomes a disbeliever (kaafir) while others say that he does not. And some of those who rule that he becomes a kaafir use as a proof another hadeeth in the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none is worthy of worship except Allaah, and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, and they establish the Prayer (salaah) and pay the poor due (zakaah)". So it is said: "the angle of derivation of proof is that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam made protection based upon fulfilling all of these conditions - the two shahaadahs, establishing the salaah and paying the zakaah. And the consequence of these things (protection) is not attained except by fulfilling all of them, and is negated by the absence of any one of them." And this is what is obtained if we consider only the apparent speech of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam where he said "I have been ordered to fight the people ...", as this seems to indicate an order to fight until the goal is obtained. However, [in taking such an understanding] it is forgotton and overlooked that there is a difference between muqaatalah (fighting) over something, and qatl (killing) over it. For in fighting over something the purpose is to obtain what is desired [that they return to the Prayer] in any way that may occur, and it does imply the necessity of killing the one who leaves the Prayer, as long as they do not fight us, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the married person who commits adultery" then this includes both males and females, and it is a proof for that which is agreed upon by the Muslims that the ruling for the adulterer is stoning to death, with its conditions, as are mentioned in the books of Fiqh.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "a life for a life" is in agreement with the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa "And we have prescribed for them in it (the Tawraat) : a life for a life" [al-Maa'idah, 45]. And its meaning is those who are equivalent in Islaam and Freedom, due to the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "A Muslim is not killed [in requittal] for a kaafir". And also, Freedom is a condition for equality according to Imaams Maalik, ash-Shaafi'ee and Ahmad. [ie. A free man cannot be killed for a slave] However, the scholars of Ahl-ur-Rayy [The People of Opinion - a reference to the scholars of the Hanafee madhhab] have taken the position that a Muslim is killed for a dhimmee [a non-Muslim who pays the jizyaa, and lives under the protection of a Muslim state] and that a free man is killed for a slave, and they use this hadeeth as a proof. But the jamhoor (majority of the scholars) have ruled opposite to this.

Summary :

• That a Muslim can be killed legally only for three crimes : a) adultery b) murder and c) apostacy

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 15 : Islaamic Manners

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 15

His (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Let him who believes in Allaah and the Last Day" means the one who believes with the complete Eemaan that will save him from the Punishment of Allaah, and will attain for him the Pleasure of Allaah; then for such a person, "let him speak good, or keep silent", because the one who believes in Allaah and does not fulfill everything that his Eemaan entails [ie. he falls into sin] then he fears His Threat [of Punishment] and he hopes in His reward, and he strives in performing what he has been commanded with, and in leaving that which he has been forbidden from. And the most important of what is upon him from this is being careful about his tongue and limbs, which are under his control, and which he will be asked about on the Day of Standing, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allaah)" [al-Israa', 36]. And Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)" [Qaaf, 18].

And the sins of the tongue are numerous, and because of this the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said : "And what is it that throws the people into the Hellfire upon their noses, except what their tongues have harvested" and he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has said : "Everything that the son of Aadam speaks will be a proof against him, except the dhikr of Allaah and his ordering the good and forbidding the evil". So whosoever understands this, and protects the rights of his Eemaan, then he will fear Allaah and have taqwaa of Him with regards to his tongue, and he will not speak except with good, or will remain silent.

Some of the 'ulamaa have mentioned that all of the Good Manners can be derived from four hadeeth, and they mentioned amongst them this hadeeth. And some them have said regarding the meaning of this hadeeth that if a person wishes to say something, then if that speech is good, and will surely be rewarded for, then let him say it. And if not, then let him keep silent - whether it is apparent that the speech is Haraam (forbidden) or Makrooh (disliked) or even Mubaah (permissible). So from this it is said that the permissible speech is to be left and avoided, and rather it is preferred to keep silent in such situations, out of fear that it may turn into something which is Haraam or Makrooh; and it is seen that this happens a great deal, and thus Allaah has said : "Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)" [Qaaf, 18].

However, the 'ulamaa have differed over whether everything that a person says is written down by the Recording Angels, including that which is considered Mubaah (permissible), or if it is only those things for which he may be rewarded or punished. And Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhu) and others have adopted this second opinion, and so in this case the aayah mentioned above would have its meaning restricted to those words or statements for which there is some kind of recompense - good or bad.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "let him be generous to his neighbour" and "let him be generous to his guest" contains instruction on the rights of the neighbours and guests, and on doing good to them and encouragement upon protecting the limbs from doing harm to them, and also Allaah ta'aalaa has advised us in His Noble Book with Ihsaan (good behaviour, kindness, good treatment) towards the neighbours. And the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has said : "Jibreel - alayhi as-salaam - did not cease to advise me regarding the rights of the neighbour, until I began to think that they would also receive a part of the inheritance".

And hospitality is from Islaam, and from the character of the Prophets and the Pious. And some of the scholars have made it obligatory, though the majority consider it to be from the noble, recommended traits of character. And the author of "al-Ifsaah" has said regarding this hadeeth :
"It should be believed that hospitality to the guest is a means of attaining nearness to Allaah, and that it is a form of worship of the Lord, and that this worship is not decreased if the guest is a wealthy person (rather than a poor man), nor is it affected if one presents for ones guest simple things from what one posseses. Rather, the correct hospitality is achieved by keeping a smiling countenace for ones guest, and beautifying ones conversation with him, and the Pillar of Hospitality is preparing a meal for the guest; and so one should be eager to prepare for him from what Allaah has provided and made easy, without causing oneself undue difficulty."

He then mentioned some other points on hospitality, before saying :
"And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement 'let him speak good or keep silent', then this indicates that the Good Speech is better than keeping silent, and that silence is better than Evil Speech, and this is because the form of the Prophet's (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement contains a command. And from the Good Speech is conveying knowledge from Allaah 'azza wa jall and his Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, and teaching the Muslims, and commanding the good, and forbidding the evil, and reconciling the differences between people, and speaking well to the people, and from amongst the best of speech is the Statement of Truth, for the one who truly Fears and Hopes for the Recompense."

Summary :

• That one should only speak what is good and true
• That one must not under any circumstances speak evil or use filthy language
• That one should be kind and generous to ones neighbour
• That one should treat ones guest well
• That if one is a true Muslim then one would do the above, else ones [true] belief in Allaah and the Last Day is in question

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 16 : The Forbiddance of Anger

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu),

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 16

The author of "al-Ifsaah min al-Jaa'iz" said that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam recognised in this man considerable anger, so he singled out for him this particular advice. And the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has praised the one who is able to control himself at the time of anger, and has said "The powerful man is not the one who is able to wrestle, but the powerful man is the one who is able to control himself at the time of anger". And Allaah ta'aalaa has also praised such a person where He says : "those who repress their anger, and who pardon others" [aal-'Imraan, 134]. And it is narrated from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said : "Whoever represses his anger while he is able to express it and is not in the wrong, then Allaah 'azza wa jall will call him amongst the best of Creation on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be allowed to choose whoever he wishes from amongst the Hoor."

And it has also been narrated in another hadeeth : "Verily anger is from Shaytaan", and it is because of this that the angry person is no longer able to deal justly, and he speaks falsehood, and he takes on many blameworthy characteristics, and he takes into his heart feelings of hatred and malice and other than that of the despicable, forbiddden characteristics - and all of this is from anger, may Allaah protect us from it. And it has been narrated in the hadeeth of Sulaymaan bin Sarud : "Verily seeking refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast, causes the anger to recede." And this is because Shaytaan is the one who beautifies anger and all other such blameworthy affairs, for Shaytaan always tries to mislead man and keep him away from the Pleasure of Allaah 'azza wa jall, and so seeking refuge with Allaah from him is one of the strongest weapons available to repel his evil designs.

Summary :

• That one can simply ask for advice or counsel from a teacher
• That one must not become angry because of impatience
• That the teacher may delay in responding to the question
• That the teacher can be asked the same question serveral times
• That the teacher can respond with the same answer each time

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 17 : The Command to Slaughter and Kill in the Best Manner

On the authority of Abu Ya'laa Shaddaad bin Aws (radiAllaahu anhu), that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said :

It was related by Muslim

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 17

The Arabic terms "al-qitlah" and "adh-dhibhah", used for killing and slaughtering respectively, refer to the manner and situation of the performance of these acts.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "then kill well" is general to all situations, whether it be slaughtering animals, or killing a human in Qisaas (equal retaliation) or killing as a Shari'ah Punishment, or other than that.

This hadeeth is from the Comprehensive Statements of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, and contains many Principles. And the meaning of "killing well" is that one exerts himself the utmost in performing it well, and does not intend to cause unnecessary pain or torment through it. And "slaughtering well" in respect to livestock implies that one shows kindness to the animal to be slaughtered, and that one does not fell it to the ground cruelly or harshly, nor drag it from one place to another. It also includes facing it towards the Qiblah and taking the name of Allaah upon it, and cleanly and quickly cutting the throat and the two jugular veins, and then leaving it until it has turned cold. And it also includes recognising and acknowledging Allaah's favours upon us, and thanking Him and being grateful to Him for them, for verily He - subhaanahu - has subdued for us from amongst His creation whatever pleases Him, and has made Permissible for us what He could have made Forbidden, if He had so wished.

Summary :

• That it is obligatory on one doing something to do it in the best possible way
• That even killing must be done efficiently and well
• That the knife must be sharpened before using it for slaughtering an animal
• That sparing unnecessary suffering to the animal to be slaughtered is part of fulfilling the Deen
• That one must try to do everything in life in the best and most efficient manner possible

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 18 : Good Character

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah, and Abu 'Abd-ir-Rahmaan Mu'aadh bin Jabal (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a Hasan (Good) Hadeeth, and in some copies it is stated to be a Hasan Saheeh Hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 18

The virtues and outstanding traits of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) are many. He accepted Islaam while the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was still in Makkah, and was instructed by him to return to and keep close to his tribe [in order to call them to Islaam]. However, when the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) saw in him a great eagerness to remain with him in Makkah, and knowing that he would not be able to do so [due to the torment of the Quraysh], he said to Abu Dharr : "Have Taqwaa (Fear) of Allaah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out", and this is in accordance with the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds" [Hood, 114].

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and behave well towards the people" means that one should treat the people the way one would like them to treat oneself. And know that "Verily the heaviest thing to be placed in the Scales [on the Day of Accounting] will be the Good Character/Behaviour". And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said "Verily the most loved of you by me and the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in Character" [related by at-Tabaraanee, but judged weak by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb]. And good character is from the characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers and the chosen ones from amongst the Believers - those who do not retaliate with evil, but rather forgive and pardon and behave well despite being treated badly.

Summary :

• That one must remember Allaah with Fear no matter where he may be
• That one must do a good act to cover up each bad act that he commits
• That a Muslim must behave well towards others

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 19 : Be Mindful of Allaah and Allaah will Protect You

On the authority of Abu 'Abbaas 'Abdillaah bin 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) who said : One day I was behind the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) [riding on the same mount] and he said :

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a Good and Sound Hadeeth.

Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhee, reads :

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 19

The virtues and outstanding traits of 'Abdullaah bin 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) are more than can be enumerated, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) supplicated for him and said : "Oh Allaah! Grant him understanding (fiqh) of the Religion and teach him the Interpretation", and he also supplicated for him that he be given Wisdom twice over. And it has been narrated that he [ibn 'Abbaas] said that he "saw Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) twice", though this narration is mursal and is not established. And Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhu) is the Ocean of Knowledge of this Ummah, and its Learned Scholar. And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) considered him to be worthy of carrying a Legacy/Advice from him despite his small age, and so he said to him : "Be Mindful of Allaah and Allaah will protect you", and its meaning is "Be obedient to your Lord, ordering whatever He has ordered and forbidding whatever He has forbidden".

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Be Mindful of Allaah and you will find Him in front of you" means "Perform your actions for His sake out of His obedience, and let yourself not be seen to oppose or disobey Him, then you will find Allaah with you in times of difficulty", as happened to the three men who fled to a cave to seek shelter from torrential rain, whereupon a huge rock descended upon the entrance to the cave and sealed it. So they said to one another : "Look to the pious actions that you have performed [in the past] and ask Allaah ta'aalaa by them, for verily He is the only One who can save us from this." So each one of them mentioned a good action that they had performed previously, purely for the sake of their Lord, so Allaah removed the rock that was blocking the entrance to the cave, and they were free from their imprisonment, and their story is well known from the Saheeh [of Muslim]. [Note: This story shows that one of the permissible, and indeed recommended, forms of Tawassul, or seeking Waseelah to Allaah, is through the good actions that one has performed.]

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "If you ask, then ask Allaah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allaah [alone]" guides us to having Trust and Reliance upon our Protector, and that we should not take any Ilaah (object of Worship) except Him, and that we should not depend upon or be attached to anyone other than Him in all our affairs, no matter how small they may be. And Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him" [at-Talaaq, 3].

So according to the degree by which a person relies upon other than Allaah ta'aalaa in his desires and by his heart, or in his hopes, then proportionately he has turned away from his Lord to those who cannot hurt him nor benefit him. And similarly in the case of Fear of other than Allaah, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) emphasised this when he said : "And know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allaah had already prescribed for you", and similarly in the case of harm. And this is the essence of Eemaan in Qadr, and having eemaan in it is obligatory, the good of it and the evil of it. And once a Believer has conviction (yaqeen) in this then he sees no benefit in asking from other than Allaah or seeking help from them. And similar to this is the answer of al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem] alayhi as-salaam, to the question of Jibreel (alayhi as-salaam) when he was in the air having been thrown towards the Great Fire : "Do you have any need ?" to which he replied : "As for from you, then no. As for from Allaah, then definitely."

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "The Pens have been lifted and the Pages have dried" further emphasises what has preceeded, and there is no contradiction with that by way of abrogation or change.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "And know that Victory comes with Patience, Relief with Affliction, and Hardship with Ease" informs him [Ibn 'Abbaas] to take note that Man in this World will be presented with trials and misfortunes, especially the Pious, due to the statement of Allaah 'azza wa jall :

and Allaah ta'aalaa has also said :

Summary :

• That it is allowed for two people to be seated on a mount if it does not over-burden the animal
• That if one takes care about Allaah's Rights, then He takes care of him
• That if one takes care of Allaah's Rights, then He helps him
• That one must ask of Allaah only, and seek His help only
• That we cannot be harmed or benefitted by anything or anyone, no matter how large they are in number or strong they appear, except by that which Allaah allows
• That what Allaah has allowed in our destiny will definitely occur
• That one should remember and take care of Allaah's Rights in times of ease, and Allaah will take care of him in times of difficulty
• That Victory comes with Patience
• That relief comes after suffering
• That ease comes after hardship

As Salamu alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 20 : Modesty is from Eemaan

On the authority of Abu Mas'ood 'Uqbah bin 'Amr al-Ansaaree al-Badree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 20

The meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "From the speech of the Earliest Prophecy" is that modesty has always been considered praiseworthy, commendable and ordered with, and has never been abrogated in the teachings and Laws of the earlier Prophets.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "then do as you wish" has two angles to it :

The first of them is that it is not an order to do as we please, but rather it is a warning or threat that if we do so then we shall have to face the consequences. And this is similar to the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa with reference to the Disbelievers : "Do what you will" [Fussilat, 40]. And this is a threat to them as it has been made clear to them what will come about as a result of their disbelief. And this is also similar to the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Whoever sells alcohol then let him also make permissible the eating of swine" - and, clearly, there is not in this permission to eat the flesh of pigs !

The second is that if a person does not have any modesty or shame, then let him come forward and openly perform every single shameful act without any reservation. And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Modesty is from Eemaan (faith)". Its meaning is that modesty prevents a person from committing shameful and evil deeds, but rather encourages him towards piety and good actions; just as a person's Eemaan (faith) prevents him from committing such acts, and instead encourages him upon obedience [of the Lord]. Thus, modesty attains the station and position of Eemaan, through its being equivalent to Eemaan in this.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That people are generally alright until they corrupt themselves
• That when one has remained pure one can trust one's conscience

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Haadìth 21 : Say 'I believe in Allaah' and then be Steadfast

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 22 : Confinement to the Obligatory Deeds is Sufficient to be Entered into Paradise

As Salamu Alaikum

Hadith 23 : Hastening to do Good

On the authority of Abu Maalik al-Haarith bin al-Haarith al-Ash'aree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 23

This hadeeth is a Principle from amongst the Principles of Islaam, and it encompasses within it many important matters and fundamental principles of the Deen.

As for 'Purity' then what is intended here is the action. The 'ulemaa have differed over the meaning of the phrase 'Purity is half of Eemaan', so some have said that it means that the reward of purifying oneself is such that it reaches half the reward of Eemaan, and some have said that the meaning of Eemaan here is the Salaah (Prayer). As Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And Allaah would never let your eemaan (prayers offered towards Jerusalem, before Makkah was made the Qiblah) to be lost" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 143]. And purity is a condition for the correctness of the Prayer, so it becomes like a part of it, and it is not necessary that a part of something is really half of it. And others have said other than this.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "'al-Hamdu lillaah' [Praise be to Allaah] fills the scales" then its meaning is that due to the great reward for reciting the Praise of Allaah, the scale of good deeds of the worshipper is filled. And it is apparent from the texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah that the deeds of the slave will be weighed on the Day of Judgement, and will either be heavy or light.

And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and 'subhaanAllaah' [How far is Allaah from every imperfection] and 'al-Hamdu lillaah' fill that which is between heaven and earth" and the reason for its great virtue is that it combines within it the denial for Allaah of all forms of deficiency and imperfection, and establishes our complete dependence upon Him and need of Him.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the Salaah (Prayer) is a Light" means that it prevents a person from sin, forbids him from fahshaa' (lusts) and guides him towards that which is Right, just as one uses a light to illuminate ones way. And it has also been said that it means that its reward will be a light for the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, or that it will be a clear and apparent light on the face of the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, and also in this life in the form of beauty and radiance in his face. And this is the opposite of those who do not Pray, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "charity is a Proof" then the author of at-Tajreed said : Its meaning is that safety and refuge is sought through it, just as safety and refuge is sought through proofs [of the truth]. And when the slave will be asked on the Day of Resurrection about how he spent his wealth, then his spending in charity will be a proof for him in answering that question, so he will say "I spent it in charity".
And others have said that its meaning is that charity is a proof showing the eemaan of the giver, since the hypocrite does not give charity as he does not believe in its prescription or benefit. So whoever spends in charity, then this is an indication of the strength of his eemaan, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Patience is Illumination" then it refers to that Patience which is loved and recommended by the Sharee'ah, and that is Patience upon obedience of Allaah ta'aalaa, and Patience upon avoiding His disobedience. And it also includes Patience with the different difficulties that one must face in the world. And the implication of all this is that Patience is praiseworthy, and always shows the correct path, and always guides to that which is right.

Ibraaheem al-Khawaas (rahimahu Allaah) said : Patience is having steadfastness upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. And it is said that patience is restraining oneself in times of difficulty with the best manner and character. And Abu 'Alee ad-Diqaaq (rahimahu Allaah) said that patience is not remonstrating against that which Allaah decrees for us. However, making apparent ones difficulty through complaining [to Allaah] about it does not negate ones patience. For Allaah ta'aalaa said about Ayyoob (alayhi as-salaam) "Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)!" [Soorah Saad, 44], while also saying "And (remember) Ayoob, when he cried to his Lord: Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." [Soorah al-Anbiyaa', 83], and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and the Qur'aan is a Proof either for you or against you" then its meaning is clear that if one recites it and acts upon it, then one will attain great benefit from it, and if not then it will be a proof against us.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin" means that every person strives for his soul, so amongst mankind are those who sell themselves for Allaah through their obeying Him, and thus free their souls from the Punishment, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, Allaah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be Paradise" [Soorah at-Tawbah, 111]. And whoever sells his soul for Shaytaan and his desires through his following them, then he has destroyed his soul.

O Allaah ! Grant us that we act in Your Obedience, and save us from destroying ourselves through opposing You.

Summary :

• That cleanliness according to the requirements of Islaam is half of Faith
• That realisation and acknowledgement of Allaah as the One deserving all Praise adds weight in our favour to the Scale of Judgment [al-Meezaan]
• That the above coupled with the realisation and acknowledgement of Allaah as the Most Perfect is of great value and ensures justice to the creation from the worshipper
• That Prayer builds Faith and shows the Way
• That charity is a proof of our faith which will be given credit on the Last Day
• That patience in our affairs beautifies them and is a sign of wisdom
• That everything is to be judged by the Qur'aan
• That taking the Qur'aan as a judgement of authority either proves our case or convicts us
• That we are ourselves responsible for our actions and Paradise or Hell very much depends on what we have done, how we have done it and with what sort of faith

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 24 : The Forbiddence of Oppression

On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree (radiAllaahu anhu) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) from his Lord ('azza wa jall) that He said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 24

This hadeeth is a hadeeth where the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam narrates something from Allaah ta'aalaa, and is referred to as a 'Hadeeth Qudsee'.

Regarding His 'azza wa jall statement "I have forbidden dhulm (oppression) for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you", some of the 'ulamaa have said thats its meaning is : "it does not befit My Majesty and hence is not possible for Me", as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "But it is not befitting of (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent (Allaah) that He should beget a son". So dhulm is inconceivable in respect of Allaah ta'aalaa. And some of the 'ulamaa have said regarding this hadeeth : "It is not permitted for anyone to ask Allaah to Judge against his adversary except with the Truth, from His - suhaanahu - saying : "I have forbidden dhulm for Myself", so He - subhaanahu - does not oppress His slaves of His own accord, so how can anyone conceive that He would oppress one of His slaves for the sake of another one of His slaves ?"

And similarly He said : "so do not oppress one another" and this implies that the oppressed will he avenged for the oppression committed against him.

And His statement "all of you are astray except those whom I have guided ... all of of you are hungry except those whom I have fed ... all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed" is a reminder of our poverty before Allaah, and our inability to bring about good for ourselves and to fend off harm from ourselves, except by the Help of Allaah subhaanahu in that, and this returns to the meaning of the statement : 'laa howla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah', ie 'there is no movement or power except by the Will of Allaah'. So let the slave know that when he sees the traces of these blessings upon himself then this is from the blessing of Allaah, and so it is necessary for him to thank Allaah ta'aalaa for that. And for every thing that he receives in excess of these blessings he should increase in Praise and Thankfulness of Allaah ta'aalaa.

And His statement : "so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you", then this generally informs the slave that when he sought guidance from his Master, then He guided him. And even if he received guidance before he asked for it from his Lord, then he still cannot say that he attained guidance by knowledge that he possessed. And similarly the meaning of "all of of you are hungry ..." till the end, is that Allaah has created all of creation in a state of poverty and need of food. So every one who eats was in a state of hunger until Allaah fed him, by sending his rizq (sustenace) to him and perfecting the favours that had been shaped for him. So let not the possessor of wealth think that the sustenace which he holds in his hand and which he has raised to his mouth has been provided to him by anyone other than Allaah ta'aalaa. And in this statement also is an indication of the required manners of the needy - as though He said : "Do not seek sustenance from anyone other than Me, for verily all those others from whom you might seek sustenance have themselves been provided for by Myself. So seek sustenance from me and I will provide for you", and similarly for that which follows this.

And His statement "you commit sins by day and by night" contains a censure against that [sins] which every believer feels ashamed of. For Allaah has created the night to be obeyed in, and to be worshipped sincerely in, as the deeds performed in the night are generally safe from riyaa' (ostentation) and hypocrisy. So does not the Believer feel ashamed that he does not spend his nights and days in the obedience of Allaah ? And also, Allaah has created witnesses from amongst mankind too, so what is expected of every intelligent and astute person is that he will obey Allaah, and will not openly display disobedience in front of the people. And how can it be that a Believer would sin whether openly or secretly, for verily Allaah subhaanaha wa ta'aalaa has said after that : "and I forgive all sins". And in the arabic of this statement are two forms of emphasis which indicate that Allaah will forgive all forms of sin. And He said this before His order to seek forgiveness from Him, so that no one who has committed a sin may despair of the Mercy of Allaah, no matter how great that sin may be.

And in His statement "if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you" until the end, is an indication that the taqwaa (piety) of the pious is a Mercy granted to them, and that it does not affect or increase the Kingdom of Allaah in the least.

And as for His statement "... were all to stand together in one place" then in it is an exhortation to the creation to lay importance upon asking Allaah and to seek from Him in all affairs, and not to feel shy or decrease in asking Him, for verily that which is with Allaah does not decrease and His treasures are inexhaustible, so let not anyone think that what is with Allaah will diminish by His giving, as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has explained in another hadeeth : "Allaah's Hand is Full; it is not diminished by His giving all of the day and the night. Have you not seen that your Lord has been giving ever since He created the Heavens and the Earth, and all that has not diminished what is in His Right Hand by the least". And what is hidden in this is that His Qudrah (Power, Ability) is always ready for bestowing favours upon His creation, and it is not possible that He lose the ability to do so, or that He decrease in doing so, or that what He is able to do becomes restricted.

And His statement "except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it" is a metaphor, whose purpose is to make understood what we testify for Allaah. And its meaning is that what is with Allaah does not decrease at all.

And His statement "it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allaah" means that the slave should not consider his actions of obedience and worship of Allaah as being the sole result or his own nafs (soul), but rather he should consider them to be the result of the tawfeeq (guidance, good fortune) from Allaah, and hence he should Praise Him for that.

And He said "and he who finds other than that" and He did not say "and he who finds evil"; and the meaning of this is therefore "and he who finds anything other than that which is best". Then, such a person should not blame anyone except himself. And Allaah emphasises this through a nuance in the Arabic language, so that no person may think that there can be anyone else who partly or wholly bears resposibility for his actions.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That Allaah never oppresses
• That Allaah cannot oppress
• That it is Haraam for us to oppress one another
• That nobody is guided unless he is guided by Allaah
• That although the Guidance is to be found in the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, yet one cannot be guided by them unless Allaah turns our hearts to His worship
• That it is incumbent upon us to seek His guidance
• That if we sincerely seek His guidance then He will indeed guide us
• That sustenace and provision is from Allaah alone
• That we must seek sustenance and provision from Him Only
• That He will give us sustenance and provision if we ask it of Him
• That all of us are sinful to a greater or lesser extent, ie nobody is sinless
• That Allaah forgives all sins except that which He says He does not forgive, and which He has mentioned
• That none can forgive sins but He
• That it is obligatory to seek His forgiveness for our sins
• That nobody can either harm or benefit Allaah in the least
• That His Kingdom is not affected at all by all of mankind and jinn either becoming like the best among them or the worst among them
• If He were to give everyone what they requested from Him, then it would not decrease what He possesses of treasures and bouties
• That one will be judged on what he has done, so we must make sure our actions are always acceptable to Allaah
• That action is part of Eemaan
• That we cannot be successful without His Guidance, Help, Protection and Mercy, so we should always praise Him for the good that we receive
• That we have no one to blame but ourselves if we end up in misery due to our bad deeds

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 25 : The Affluent have made off with the Rewards

Also on the authority of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) that some people from amongst the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said to the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 25

In the arabic the word used for affluent is 'duthoor' which implies a large amount of wealth. And in this hadeeth is an explanation of the Virtue of reciting tasbeeh and all of the other forms of dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah, and of ordering the good and forbidding the evil, and of ensuring that one has the intention of Pleasing Allaah even in the Mubaah (Permissible) actions, for by having such pure intentions they turn into actions of Obediance, deserving of reward.

And in this hadeeth is proof that it is permissible to ask a scholar about the evidence for some of the things in the scholar's fatwaa (legal verdict) that are not apparent to the questioner, as long as it is clear that the scholar does not dislike this and the questioning is done in a respectful fashion.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "And commanding the good is a charity, and forbidding an evil is a charity" is an indication that every single type of ordering the good or forbidding the evil carries the ruling of being a charity. Indeed, it is greater than the tasbeeh and the other forms of dhikr mentioned after it, because ordering the good and forbidding the evil is a Fard Kifaayah (Collective Obligation), and at times it may become obligatory upon every individual, and this is opposite to the case of the adhkaar (plural of dhikr) mentioned previously, which are only nawaafil (voluntary deeds). And the reward of performing the Obligatory deeds is much greater than that of the Voluntary deeds, as the statement of Allaah 'azza wa jall in a hadeeth Qudsee indicates : "And My slave does not come closer to Me by anything more beloved to Me than the deeds that I have Obligated upon him" [narrated by al-Bukhaaree]. Some of the 'ulamaa have said that the reward for the obligatory deeds is greater than that for the voluntary deeds by seventy levels, as is indicated by some ahaadeeth.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "and in the bud'i (sexual act) of each one of you there is a charity" then the word "bud'i" is a general term that encompasses the meaning of intercourse and also the private parts themselves, and both of them correctly convey the intended meaning here. And it has already been mentioned that the Mubaah (Permissible) actions - ie not Obligatory nor Recommended - become like acts of Obediance, which are rewarded for, through the presence of the correct intention. So the act of intercourse also becomes an act of worship, if by it a person intends to fulfill the rights of his wife, and to live with her in a good way, or to seek a pious child, or as a protection for himself or his wife from illegal desires, or other than these from the praisewrothy purposes.

And their statement (radiAllaahu 'anhum) : "O Messenger of Allaah, when one of us fulfils his carnal desire will he have some reward for that ?" and his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) reply : "Do you not see that if he were to act upon it [his desire] in an unlawful manner then he would be deserving of punishment ?" until the end of the hadeeth, then this indicates the permissibilty of Qiyaas (using analogy to derive rulings), and this is the madhhab of the 'ulamaa, and none are opposed to this except the Dhaahiriyyah (Literalists - referring to the school of Daawood adh-Dhaahiree). And as for what has been narrated from some of the Taabi'een (the generation after the Sahaabah) and from other scholars to the effect that Qiyaas is rejected and blameworthy, then what they intended was not the Qiyaas that is known by the Mujtahid Fuqahaa (the Jurists who make ijtihaad in deriving rulings), and this is what is known as Qiyaas al-'Aks (literally, 'analogy of the opposite'), and the scholars of Usool have differed over acting upon it, but this hadeeth is a proof for those who do act upon it.

Summary :

• That we should have concern for attaining the reward of Allaah
• That such concern is from the characteristics of the First Generation of Muslims - the Companions
• That comparing onself to another to see how many good deeds we are performing is permissible and recommended
• That looking towards one who is rich so that we may do good things like him is desirable
• That being rich is not a bad thing in and of itself
• That everyone can perform acts of charity no matter what his station in life
• That remembering Allaah with words is charity
• That conjugal relations with ones wife is a charity
• That one is rewarded for abstaining from the unlawful, and instead adopting a way which is lawful

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 26 : The Virtue of Reconciling between People, and Judging Justly between them, and Helping them

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu), who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 26

His (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "every joint" is in arabic represented by the word "sulaamaa", and this is explained as referring to the joints and limbs of the body. And it is established from another hadeeth, collected in Saheeh Muslim, that there are three hundred and sixty joints in the body. And Qaadee 'Iyaad has mentioned that the origin of the word "sulaamaa" referred to the bones of the palm, fingers and feet, but then it came to be used for all the bones of the body and its joints. And some of the 'ulamaa have explained that the intended meaning here of "charity" is that charity which is encouraged as a means of gaining additional reward, and is not an obligatory charity.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "to judge justly between two people is a charity" implies that one attains reconciliation between two people in a just manner.

And in another hadeeth narrated by Muslim : "Each morning, upon every joint of a person's body is due a charity; so every tasbeehah [subhaan Allaah] is a charity, and every tahmeedah [alhamdu lillaah] is a charity, and every tahleelah [laa ilaaha illaa Allaah] is a charity, and every takbeerah [Allaahu akbar] is a charity, and ordering the good is a charity, and forbidding the evil is a charity. These dues are fulfilled by praying two rakaa's of prayer at the time of duhaa [late morning]". So this hadeeth shows that the charity which is due on all the joints each day is accounted for by two raka'as of prayer, for verily the Prayer is an action that involves all of the limbs and joints of the body, so when a person prays every bone performs its part of the whole action, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That it is recommended that an act of charity be done each day for every joint in the body
• That one must do so every day that one lives
• That the hadeeth enumerates some deeds which can be considered as acts of charity
• That one can understand these to apply to acts which are done to mediate between people, helping someone on his travel, walking to the masjid, and making the roads safe for others in any way

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 27 : Righteousness is in Good Character

On the authority of an-Nawwaas bin Sam'aan (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim.

And on the authority of Waabisah bin Ma'bad (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 27

His (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Righteousness (al-Birr) is in good character/morality" means that good character is the greatest characteristic of Birr, [and not its only characteristic]. This is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "The Hajj is [standing in] Arafaat", ie. standing in the plain of Arafaat on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah is the greatest part of the Hajj, but is not all of the Hajj. As for Birr then it is that which encourages its doer to perform good righteous actions, and it is associated with the abraar [righteous, pious individuals], and they are the ones who are obedient to Allaah 'azza wa jall.

And what is meant by 'good character' is justice in ones dealings, and kindness and consideration in ones endeavours, and justice in ones orders, and being generous in offering help and other than these from the characteristics of the believers, those whom Allaah ta'aalaa has described by saying :

And Allaah has said :

And He has said :

And He said :

until the end of the Soorah.

So whoever is unsure of his condition should compare himself to these aayaat, and if he finds in himself all of these good qualities then this is a sign of possessing good character, and if he finds that he does not possess any of them then this is a sign of bad character. And if he finds only some of them, then he should strive to retain that which he posseses and to obtain that which he does not.

And let not one think that 'good character' is interpreted as being only gentleness, and leaving fawaahish (lusts), and sins, and that whoever does only that has purified his character. Rather, good character includes all that along with all the other characteristics of the Believers that we have mentioned above.

And from good character also is patiently bearing bad treatment, as has been narrated in the two Saheehs [of Bukhaaree and Muslim] that a bedouin pulled at the cloak of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) until its hem left a mark upon the shoulder of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), and he [the bedouin] said : "O Muhammad! Grant for me from the Wealth of Allaah that is with you", so the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam) turned to him and laughed, and then ordered that he be given something.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about" means that wrongdoing is that thing which results in aversion/dislike in the heart, and this is a principle that is depended upon in distinguishing sin/wrongdoing from righteousness: that sin is that thing which wavers in the breast and the individual hates that the people should come to know of it. And what is intended here by 'the people' is those who are equals in status and respectability, or the best of society, and not the common riff raff. So this is what is sin/wrongdoing, so it is to be left, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That righteousness is beautiful character
• That one should not do good acts begrudgingly and with bad manners
• That what is sinful perturbs the uncorrupted soul
• That secrecy about our acts, generally speaking, shows the sinfulness of those acts
• That the feelings of the heart should be considered when doing something
• That righteousness leaves the soul and heart at peace
• That wrongdoing causes an uncomfortable feeling which does not leave no matter how much you are advised in its favour
• That the legal verdicts and exhortations of people do not make a sin a right thing to do
• That a teacher can pre-empt a pupil's question in order to help the student understand his queries

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 28 : The Obligation of Binding Oneself to the Sunnah

On the authority of Abu Najeeh al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

It was related by Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhee, who said that it was a good and sound Hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 28

In some of the narrations of this hadeeth it occurs : "Verily this is a farewell sermon, so what do you charge/entrust us with ?" to which the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam replied : "Verily I have left you upon a White Plain [ie Clear Guidance], its Night is like its Day, and none deviates from it except that he is destroyed". And in another narration, his (radiAllaahu anhu) statement "a profound sermon" means that the sermon affected them and caused them to feel fear in their hearts, and brought tears to their eyes.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "I counsel you to have taqwaa (fear) of Allaah, and to listen and obey [your leader]" means the ruler, even if he may be a slave. And in some of the narrations it mentions "an Ethiopian slave". Some of the 'ulamaa have said that a slave cannot be the ruler, and that this has been mentioned by way of an example or supposition. And this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Whosoever builds for Allaah a masjid like a bird's nest, Allaah builds for him a house in Paradise". And a bird's nest cannot be a masjid, but this is given simply by way of an example. Other 'ulamaa say that in this statement the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is informing us that the Rulership will become corrupt, and will be given to other than its rightful owners, until it is even given to the slaves. So if this were to occur then still listen and obey, in order to secure the lesser of two evils, which are putting up with a Ruler who rules without right, or bringing about chaos and a great fitnah through revolt.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy" is from amongst his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) miracles, as he informed his Companions of that which was to occur after him of differences and the spreading of evil. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was aware of this in complete detail, but he did not reveal all these details to every individual. Rather he used to warn about it in a general fashion, but also explained it in detail to some individuals such as Hudhayfah and Abu Hurayrah (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and this is evidence to show their great position and status.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "so you must keep to my Sunnah" then the word 'sunnah' means the straight, correct and sound way which proceeds upon his normal/customary way, and that is the Clear Path. And "the Sunnah of the Khulafaa' ar-Raashideen (the Rightly Guided Caliphs), those who guide to the right way" are those in whom the Guidance was contained, and they are the Four by consensus of the Muslims - Abu Bakr, and 'Umar, and 'Uthmaan and 'Alee, may Allaah be pleased with them all.

And the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) ordered us with clinging to the Sunnah of the Khulafaa' ar-Raashideen for two reasons :
The First is in the form of taqleed (following without evidence) for the one who is incapable of making his own discernment/judgement.
The Second is in the form of deciding that which is more correct when faced with a difference of opinion amongst the Sahaabah themselves.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion]" then know that such newly invented matters are of two types :
1) That matter which has no basis in the Sharee'ah, and this is baatil [rejected] and blameworthy
2) That matter which has a parallel or similarity in the Sharee'ah, then this is not blameworthy.
This is because the words 'newly invented matter' and 'bid'ah' are not deemed blameworthy purely on the basis of the words themselves, but due to their indicating opposition to the Sunnah and calling towards misguidance, and so they are not considered to be unrestrictedly wrong. For example, 'Umar (radiAllaah anhu) reinstated the Taraaweeh Prayer and said "What an excellent bid'ah is this." It is to be noted here that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) had led the Taraaweeh Prayer in congregation for a few days, but then discontinued it due to his fear that the people would think it obligatory. This condition remained throughout the Khilaafah of Abu Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu), until 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhu) restarted what the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) had already laid a precedent for. Thus, he used the word bid'ah in a purely linguistic sense, and not in the Shar'ee sense that is used for blameworthy things.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That one should speak in a way, when it is needed, that reaches the very hearts of the people
• That the Sahaabah (radiAllaahu anhum) cried when listening to the sermon, and hence it is not wrong to cry during sermons
• That the advice given in this Hadeeth is parting advice from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam)
• That the first thing advised is to fear Allaah (ie to have taqwaa)
• That one should obey the Ameer ul-Mu'mineen completely
• That obedience is due to the Ameer ul-Mu'mineen, no matter who becomes so (as long he fulfills its conditions)
• That there will be controversy and difference of opinion after the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam
• That in all cases of difference it is obligatory to stick to the Sunnah, the way of the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and to the way of the First Four Rightly Guided Caliphs
• That the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has referred to his Sunnah and that of the Rightly Guided Caliphs as one thing, through his saying 'Cling to it'
• That one must be extremely careful about new things in the Deen
• That one must ensure that everything that one does as part of his religion indeed has proof for it in the Qur'aan and Sunnah
• That every invented matter in the Deen (which has no basis in the Sharee'ah) is a bid'ah, and bid'ah leads away from Paradise and towards the Hell Fire, and hence there cannot be a "good bid'ah"
• That innovations can be in belief and in actions, and are manifestations of controversy

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 29 : That which Enters One into Paradise

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 30 : The Rights of Allaah ta'aalaa

On the authority of Abu Tha'labah al-Kushanee - Jurthoom bin Naashir (radiAllaahu anhu) - that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

A Hasan hadeeth narrated by ad-Daaraqutnee and others.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 30

His (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "has laid down" means that Allaah 'azza wa jall has made these things obligatory. And his statement "so do not overstep them" means do not enter into them. And as for the forbiddance from delving into those matters which Allaah has remained silent about, then it is in accordance with his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified], for the earlier nations were destroyed because of their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets" [See Hadeeth Number 9]. Some of the 'ulamaa have said : "The Banoo Israa'eel used to ask [much] and they were answered and given what they asked for, until this became a fitnah (trial) for them, and this brought them towards their destruction."

And the Sahaabah (radiAllaahu 'anhum) understood this, and restrained from asking except in those matters which were essential. [Due to this] they would be delighted when a desert bedouin [who would not be so restrained] would come to ask the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) questions, so they would listen attentively.

And some people became extreme in this until they said : "It is not permssible to ask the scholars about new events/situations until they actually occur." And the Salaf [ie the Early Scholars] used to say similar to this, that is to leave such matters until they actually occurred. [This continued] until they began to fear that Knowledge would be lost [through the death of the 'ulamaa], and so they began to lay down Principles, and discuss finer issues, and to arrange and write down the different branches of Knowledge and their rulings.

And the 'ulamaa have differed regarding the ruling on matters before the Sharee'ah was revealed about them [ie during the life of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam] - were they all forbidden or permissible or was there no ruling about them at all ? So the 'ulamaa have split into three madhhabs on this issue, and all this is mentioned in detail in the books of Usool ul-Fiqh.

Summary :

• That a Muslim has specified enjoined duties to perform in his religion, which he cannot neglect
• That Allaah has shown us how and where not commit excesses
• That He has set limits and prohibitions, which also cannot be neglected
• That what is known clearly from the Book and the Sunnah is enough for our lives, and this is a Mercy from Allaah
• That we should not seek after what has not been mentioned
• That speculating, philosophising and hypothesising about Islaam is forbidden
• That Allaah never forgets

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 31 : The Reality of Asceticism

On the authority of Abu al-'Abbaas Sahl bin Sa'ad as-Saa'idee (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah and others with good chains of authorities.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 31

Know that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to encourage his Companions upon making do with little from worldly possessions and upon abstemiousness, and said : "Remain in the World as though you are a stranger, or a passing traveller." And it has been narrated that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Love of the Dunyaa (Worldly pleasures) is the head of all sins" [However, this narration is traceable back only to al-Hasan al-Basree, and not to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam]. And in another hadeeth : "Verily the ascetic in this life finds his heart contented in this world and in the Hereafter, while the seeker of the Dunyaa finds his heart weary in this world and in the Hereafter".

And know that whosoever lives in the world lives like a guest, and whatever he holds in his hand is but a loan; the guest will ultimately depart, and the loan will ultimately be returned. And 'Alee (radiAllaahu anhu) said : "The Dunyaa is the land that you see before you - from it eat the pious and the evil ones", and it is hated by the Awliyaa (Friends) of Allaah and loved by the People of the Dunyaa. So whosoever joins them in their love of it (the Dunyaa) then they too are hated.

And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has guided the questioner in this hadeeth to leave the Dunyaa by being abstemious of it, and as a consequence of that has promised for him the Love of Allaah, the Most High - and that is His being Pleased with him, for verily the Love of Allaah for His slaves is His being Pleased with them. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) also guided him towards being abstemious of that which the people possess, if he wishes to obtain the love of the people. And wealth is from love of the Dunyaa, and verily there is nothing that the people possess and they hate one another because of it or compete with one another for it, except the wealth of the Dunyaa.

And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Whoever makes the Hereafter his pre-occupation, then Allaah gathers together his affairs, and places freedom from want in his heart, and the Dunyaa comes to him despite being reluctant to do so. And whoever makes the Dunyaa his pre-occupation, then Allaah breaks up his affairs, and places his poverty before his eyes, and nothing of the Dunyaa comes to him except that which has been decreed for him. And the happy one is he who chooses that whose blessings will remain forever over the trial whose punishments shall never cease".

Summary :

• That renouncing the world secures the love of Allaah
• That renouncing the world means not to take it itself as a goal in life and not to be captivated and misled by it
• Renouncing the world means to leave those things which are non-essential even though they are permissible, and to keep to the necessities of life [Sharh an-Nawawi]
• That renouncing what people have will secure their love for you
• That renouncing what people have means not to compete in having what they own, thus saving one from mutual rivalry for gain at the cost of others and their jealousy

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 32 : No Harming nor Reciprocating Harm

On the authority of Abu Sa'eed Sa'ad bin Sinaan al-Khudree (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah, ad-Daaraqutnee and others as a musnad hadeeth. It was also related by Maalik in al-Muwatta in mursal form from 'Amr bin Yahyaa, from his father from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), but leaving Abu Sa'eed from the chain. And it has other chains of narrations that strengthen one another.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 32

Know that he who harms his brother has oppressed him, and oppression is Prohibited [Haraam], as has preceeded in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) : "O My servants ! I have forbidden dhulm (oppression) for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another", and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has said : "Verily your blood [ie lives] and your property and your honour are all Sacred/Prohibited". And he said this on many occasions, including the Sermon he gave at the Farewell Hajj.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "There should be neither 'darar' nor 'diraar'" then some of the 'ulamaa have said that these are two words which have the same meaning, and they have been used together as a form of emphasis.

And Ibn Habeeb (rahimahu Allaah) said : "According to the scholars of the Arabic language, ad-darar refers to the noun and ad-diraar refers to the action/verb, and so the meaning of 'no darar' is that none of you should harm any other with something that they have not harmed you with first. And the meaning of 'no diraar' is that none of you should harm any other at all."

And al-Muhsinee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "ad-darar is that by which you attain benefit, but in it is harm for your neighbour", and this is a good understanding of a nuance of the meaning. And other scholars have said : "ad-darar and ad-diraar are similar to al-qatal [murder] and al-qitaal [fighting one another], so ad-darar is that you harm one who has not harmed you, while ad-diraar is that you harm one who also harms you in a way that is not responding equally or taking revenge rightfully", and this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Return the Trusts given to you, to those who entrusted them to you, and do not betray the one who betrays you" [Hasan Ghareeb, narrated by at-Tirmidhee]. And the meaning of this according to some of the 'ulamaa is that one must not betray the one who betrays, after one has already taken revenge or sought justice for his betrayal. And so it is as though the forbiddance here is upon initiating an injustice or harm, while the one who seeks revenge with the equal of what he has been harmed with, and who takes his Right, then he is not considered to be a betrayer. Rather, the betrayer is he who takes that which does not belong to him or more than that which is rightfully his.

And the Jurists [fuqahaa'] have differed over the one who refuses to fulfill the rights/trusts that others have upon him, such that the entruster forcibly takes the wealth that he had entrusted to him. So some of the scholars have said : "It is not correct for him to [forcibly] take what is his right due to what is apparent from his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Return the Trusts, and do not betray the one who betrays you". On the other hand, other scholars have said : "It is permissible for him to take revenge from the one who has betrayed him, and to forcibly take what is due to him from the hand of his betrayer" and they use as proof the hadeeth narrated by 'Aaishah (radiAllaahu anhaa) regarding the incident involving Hind and her husband Abu Sufyaan, wherein Hind said to the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "O Messenger of Allaah ! Verily Abu Sufyaan is a stingy/tight-fisted man, and he does not give to me what is sufficient for myself and my child, unless I take it from him secretly." So the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied : "Take [from his wealth] what is sufficient for you and your child, but with justice" [narrated by Muslim]. And in this issue the fuqahaa' have mentioned many points and fine issues that cannot be mentioned here.

And what is correct from an examination of all the evidences is that it is not correct for someone to harm his brother, whether he has harmed him or not, except if he avenges himself to the extent that Justice allows him to [ie equally], and this is not considered to be oppression nor harm, as long at is in a fashion that the Sunnah makes permissible for him.

And the Shaykh Abu 'Amr bin as-Salaah (rahimahu Allaah) has said that [the famous hadeeth scholar] ad-Daaraqutnee has collected a number of chains of narration of this hadeeth which strengthen one another, and thus raise it to the level of being Hasan [Sound, acceptable], and it has been transmitted and used as proof by the vast majority of the 'ulamaa, and [the hadeeth scholar] Abu Daawood said : "The Knowledge of Fiqh revolves around five ahaadeeth", and he counted this hadeeth amongst them. So Shaykh Abu 'Amr said that the fact that Abu Daawood counted this hadeeth amongst the five, and his other statements about it, show that he did not consider it to be a Da'eef [Weak, unreliable] hadeeth, and he said about it that ad-diraar is similar to al-qitaal, and this is what is upon the Sunnah. And many of the scholars of Fiqh and Hadeeth have also narrated this hadeeth as "There should be neither darar nor idraar", but this wording has no basis.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That it is forbidden to harm others
• That it is forbidden to transgress against those who harm us

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 33 : The Onus of Proof is on the Claimant and The Taking of an Oath is on the Denier

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadeeth 34 : Forbidding the Evil is from Eemaan

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 35 : The Brotherhood of Islaam

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 35

Regarding his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Do not envy one another" : envy (al-Hasad) is the desire that a blessing is removed from someone else, and this is forbidden. And in another hadeeth "Do not have envy (Hasad), for verily envy eats away good deeds the way fire consumes firewood or grass". As for al-Ghibtah then it is the desire to obtain what another fortunate person possesses without wishing that he loses that blessing. And sometimes the word al-Hasad is used in the place of al-Ghibtah due to the proximity of meaning of the two, as in the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) : "There is to be no Hasad execpt in two cases ... ", meaning here "There is to be no Ghibtah except in two cases".

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "do not inflate prices for one another" then the word used here in Arabic is 'najasha', and the origin of this word carries the meaning of cheating, deception and swindling. And the Arabs sometimes call a hunter a 'naajish' because he deceives and outsmarts the animal he hunts. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "do not hate one another" means do not adopt the means that lead to hatred. This is because love and hate are matters of the heart, such that Mankind does not possess full ability to control them, nor are they able to bring about change in them. And this is as the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said [regarding the division of time he had made between his wives] : "Oh Allaah this division is what I have been able to do, so do not take me to account for that which you control, and over which I have no control", meaning by this his heart.

And "turning away" means enmity, and it has also been said that it means cutting off relations or boycotting. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and do not undercut one another in trade" is referring to the situation where a buyer has almost completed a contract with a seller, and during the final time of choice a second seller approaches him and says : "If you revoke this sale then I will sell to you the same thing or better than it for the same price". Or, if a buyer and seller have agreed upon a price and are pleased with it, and only the completion of the contract remains, and then a second seller offers to give more for the same price, or to give the same goods at a lower price, then this is forbidden as it occurs after agreement on the price has taken place and the buyer and seller have been pleased with it. However, if the second seller makes his offer before they are pleased with the price then this is not forbidden.

And the meaning of "but be you, O Servants of Allaah, Brothers" means deal with one another and live together amiably with brotherhood, and treat one another with love, kindness, compassion and courteousness, and help one another upon goodness, while always having a clear heart and offering sincere advice in all situations.

And regarding his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim : he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, nor does he lie to him nor does he hold him in contempt" : to fail someone means to leave helping or aiding him, so if a Muslim were to seek ones help in defending himself from an oppressor or similar to that, then it is necessary to help him if one is able to, and one has no Shar'ee excuse for not doing so.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "nor does he hold him in contempt" means that he does not behave haughtily towards another Muslim, so as to belittle him.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Taqwaa (Piety) is right here [and he pointed to his chest three times]" and in another narration "Verily Allaah does not look at your bodies nor at your appearances, but rather he looks at your hearts". This means that the apparent actions of the limbs do not, by themselves, attain for one Taqwaa. But rather Taqwaa is attained through what is in the heart of appreciating the Greatness of Allaah the Exalted, and having Fear of Him and having Recognition of Him, and knowing that the Sight of Allaah encompasses all things. And so the meaning of the hadeeth, and Allaah knows best, is the taking of the self to account, and the point of observation of all of this is by the heart.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "It is enough evil for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt" contains a severe warning from doing so, since Allaah ta'aalaa did not look upon him in contempt when He created him, and nourished him, and then perfected his outward appearance, and then subdued whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is in the Earth for his sake. And even though He did this for others along with him, no doubt he has a share in it. Then after that, Allaah - subhaanahu - named him a Muslim and a Believer and a Slave, and his Command extended to the extent that he made the Messenger that He sent to him Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). So whoever treats with contempt a Muslim from amongst the Muslims, then he has treated with contempt one whom Allaah 'azza wa jall has granted greatness and nobility, and no doubt that is sufficient for him. And so from treating a Muslim with contempt is not to send the greeting of salaam upon him if he passes by him, and not to reply to his greeting of salaam if he begins with it. And it also includes not thinking that Allaah will enter him into Paradise or keep him safe from the Hellfire.

And as for the case of the Intelligent one who is resentful of (or is hostile to) the Foolish Ignorant one, or the Just and Honest one who is resentful of the Sinner, then this is not considered to be contempt of a Muslim. Rather, this is resent for the ignorance that is present in the Ignorant one, and the sinfulness that is present in the Sinner. So when this ignorance or sinfulness leaves that person, he returns to treating him well and raises his status in his estimation.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That it is generally forbidden to be envious of one another, although other ahaadeeth specify that envy in certain [good] cases is allowed if we wish to be like them
• That it is forbidden to raise prices to harm others, such as through hoarding or through trying to make unjust profit
• That it is forbidden to turn away from being good to or helping one another
• That it is forbidden to undercut one another in trade
• That we must be brothers to one another, and true Brotherhood lies in being Allaah's Worshippers and Servants
• That it is forbidden to oppress one another, or fail one another on purpose, or lie to one another, or to hold each other in contempt
• That Taqwaa (Piety) is in the heart - see hadeeth number six - and hence the heart must be trained, purified and protected
• That it is forbidden to violate the rights of another Muslim : to shed his blood [unlawfully], or physically hurt him, or to deprive him of what belong to him, or to cheat him
• That it is forbidden to violate the honour of another Muslim

As Salamu Alaikum

Hadith 36 : The Virtue of Gathering for the Recitation of The Qur'aan, and for the Remembrance of Allaah

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by Muslim in these words.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 36

This is a great hadeeth that encompasses all the branches of Knowledge, and the Principles [of the Religion], and the Excellent Manners. In it is found the virtue of fulfilling the needs of the Muslims, and benefitting them, from what is possible for one, of Knowledge, or wealth, or aid, or guidance towards that which will correct their affairs, or advice. or other than that. And the meaning of "alleviates the need" is removing it.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Whoever shields [or hides the misdeeds of] a Muslim", then 'shielding' here means to hide his slips and lapses, and the intended meaning here is hiding the lapses of those who are of upright and pious character, and those like them who are not known to be evil-doers. And this is with regards to hiding the sins that they may have committed in the past, and which are over. On the other hand, if they are caught red-handed performing a sin then it is obligatory to admonish them and forbid them from it. And if they are unable to do so, then they must raise the matter to the Authorities, if they do not fear any evil repurcussions from this. Thus, in such cases the correct action is not to shield them, as this may tempt them to perpetrate more evil, to cause more harm, to enter into more Forbidden matters, or to encourage others upon what is similar to this. So it is desired that one raises the matter to the Leader, as long as he does not fear any further evil from doing so. And similar to all this is the disparagement and criticising of the Narrators of Hadeeth by the Hadeeth Scholars, and of the Witnesses [to contracts], and the Trustees of the wealth to be distributed in Charity and the Awqaaf, and those who look after the wealth of the Orphans, and what is similar to that. Then in all such cases it is obligatory to expose their evil actions if required, and it is not permissible to hide their sins if one sees from them that which is reproachable. And this is not considered to be from the Forbidden Backbiting, rather it is part of the Obligatory Naseehah [sincerity, advice].

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "And Allaah will aid His Slave so long as he aids his brother" then this is a generalisation whose detailed explanation must include the case where the Slave [of Allaah] resolves to help his brother Muslim [by admonishing him], whereupon it becomes required of him not to be cowardly of speaking the Truth to him, believing, all the while, that Allaah will help him and protect him from any evil repurcussions of doing so.

And in this hadeeth is mentioned the virtue of fulfilling the needs of a Muslim, and of striving in the Path of seeking Knowledge, and this includes the virtue of being pre-occupied with Knowledge. And what is intended by Knowledge here is the Knowledge of the Sharee'ah. And all this requires that one intends by it the Face of Allaah ta'aalaa, just as this is a condition in every act of worship.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allaah, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it among themselves" is a proof for the virtue of gathering in the masjid for the recitation of the Qur'aan. And regarding the word 'Sakeenah' mentioned here, then some people have said that it means 'Mercy', but this interpretation is weak due to the separate mention of Mercy in the next part of the hadeeth. And it has been said that it means Tranquility, Peacefulness and Dignity, and this is better.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "No people gather together" is in the indefinite, general form, as though he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) meant to say "Any people" who gather for this, then they will receive all of the Virtue what he has mentioned. And he (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) did not lay a condition here that the people must be scholars, or ascetics or possessors of High Stations. And the meaning of "and the angels surround them" is similar to that mentioned by Allaah ta'aalaa in His Noble Book : "And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allaah) from all round" [Soorah az-Zumar, 75], that is they will encircle and encompass them from every side. And so it will be as though the angels will be so close to them, so as to completely encircle them, and no gap will be left between them through which Shaytaan may enter.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Mercy envelops them" then the word 'envelop' is not used except when all the parts of the object are completely covered from all sides. And Shaykh Shihaab ad-Deen bin Farj said : "And the meaning of this, from what I see to be correct, is that the Envelopment of His Mercy is such that it encircles and embraces all previous sins, in shaa' Allaah ta'aalaa".

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Allaah mentions them amongst those who are with Him" implies that the mentioning of Allaah ta'aalaa is amongst the Prophets and the Most Honourable of the Angels, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That this hadeeth contains encouragement to help each other for our own benefit
• That any Muslim who makes a Muslim happy will receive the Mercy of Allaah on the Day of Resurrection, and He will remove one of his griefs that Day
• That any Muslim who sees to the need of another Muslim, will have his own needs seen to by Allaah
• That any Muslim who protects another Muslim will be protected by Allaah
• That Allaah will help us as long as we help each other
• That one who strives to gain Knowledge of the Deen will be helped by Allaah in acting upon it
• That the mosques should be used to gather in to study the Deen and to recite the Qur'aan collectively
• That such groups of people receive the Peace and Mercy of Allaah, and are surrounded by the Angels, and are mentioned by Allaah to those near Him
• That this is true for any group of Muslims, whether or not they are scholars or very pious individuals
• That when we remember Allaah, He remembers us and makes mention of us
• That if one becomes lax in his religious duties, his lineage or ancestry will not avail him anything before Allaah
• Seeking knowledge of the Deen entails acting upon it and propagating it

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 37 : The Grace of Allaah ta'aalaa and His Mercy

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas, radiAllaahu anhu, from the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, from what he has related from his Lord, tabaaraka wa ta'aalaa, that He said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in their two Saheehs in these words.

Imaam An-Nawawi then said :

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 37

The explainers of this hadeeth have said : This is a noble and great hadeeth in which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has explained the measure of the Grace of Allaah, 'azza wa jall, upon His creation, as He has made the intention to do a Good deed, without actually performing it, equal to the reward of a Good deed. And He has made the intention to do an evil deed, which one then does not perform, as equal to a complete Good deed [also], and if one were to act upon it then it is deemed as a single evil deed. And if one performs a Good deed then Allaah writes it down as ten, and this is an immense Grace, as He has multiplied for the slaves their Good deeds, but has not multiplied their evil deeds against them.

And He has made the intention to perform a Good deed like a [complete] Good deed because the intention to do good is an action of the heart, due to the resolve of the heart upon that. And if it is then said : "This statement then requires that the one who intends to perform an Evil deed, and does not do it, must also have an Evil deed written for him, as the [evil] intention is also an action from amongst the actions of the heart", then the answer to this would be that this is not the case, as the one who stops short from performing an evil, then he has nullified his resolve to do evil, and has changed it for another resolve to do good, and has thus disobeyed his evil desires, and so he is rewarded for this with the reward of a Good deed. And it has been related in another hadeeth that "Verily he has left it [the evil deed] because of Me", that is "for My sake", and this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Upon every Muslim is the giving of charity", so some people asked "What if they do not do so ?", so he replied "Then let them withold from evil, and that will be their charity". This was mentioned by al-Bukhaaree in his Book of Manners. However, if he leaves an evil deed unwillingly, or because he is unable to perform it, then a good deed is not written for him, and this does not enter into the meaning of this hadeeth.

Imaam at-Tabaree, the famous mufassir, said that in this hadeeth is evidence for the statement that the Two Recording Angels, [assigned to each person to write down the good and bad deeds of that person], write down not just the actions but also what the person intends to do of good or evil, and they know what he resolves to do in his heart. And thus, this hadeeth is a refutation of those who wrongly think that the Two Angels only write down that which is apparent from the outward actions of the person, or from what they hear him say. And so this all means that the Two Angels know all that which a person intends in his heart, and it is conceivable that Allaah ta'aalaa has granted for them a means to attain this knowledge [which is from the Knowledge of the Ghayb or Unseen], just as He has granted a means to many of the Prophets to attain knowledge of many things from the Unseen. And Allaah has said regarding 'Eesaa (alayhi as-salaam) that he said to the Banee Israa'eel "And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses" [Soorah Aal 'Imraan, 49]. And our Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was informed of many things from the Matters of the Unseen, and hence all this shows that it is possible that Allaah has granted to the Recording Angels a means to attain the knowledge of what is in the hearts of mankind, from good or evil, and so they write down whatever he resolves to do. And it has been said that this is through a smell or fragrance that they are able to detect emanating from the heart. And hence the Salaf [ie the Early Righteous Scholars] have differed over which form of Dhikr [Remembrance of Allaah] is better : the dhikr of the heart or the dhikr made out loud.

And all of this [that has been narrated from Imaam at-Tabaree] is the statement of Ibn Khalf, who is better known as Ibn Buttaal. And the author of al-Ifsaah, Yahyaa bin Muhammad al-Hanbalee [d. 560 H], said in some of his writings : When this Ummah had its life spans reduced [as compared to the people of the previous Nations who had much longer life spans], it was compensated for this reduction with a multiplication of the reward of its actions. [ie. Since the life span of our Ummah is shorter, we have less time to do good deeds; so Allaah multiplied the reward for our good deeds to compensate for this.] So whoever intends to peform a good action, it will be counted for him as a complete good deed. And Allaah has declared it as being a 'complete' deed so that none may think that since it is only an intention [and not a complete action] it is somehow deficient. And thus, Allaah has raised the intention to the level of being included amongst the complete actions. So He wrote down the intention as a complete good deed and then multiplied that according the degree of sincerity of the performer, and according to the appropriateness of the action to the time and place.

Then he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said after that "or many times over". This is mentioned, in the Arabic, in the indefinite form which is more comprehensive than the definite, and this implies that the multiplication may be counted upto the most that is possible. Then, it is possible that this generous promise includes that one says that when a man spends in charity a single grain of wheat, then it will be counted for him, from the Grace of Allaah ta'aalaa, as though he sowed that grain in the most pure and fertile land, and attended to it and protected it and watered it, according to its needs, until it ripened, so he harvested it; and then he threshed that harvest in that pure fertile land, so the grains were sown again in it, and were looked after in the same manner as has preceeded; and then the same as this in the second year, and then the third and fourth years, and the years that followed that; and this continues until the Day of Resurrection, and so that single grain of wheat or mustard or couscous will come that day like a mountain. And if the charity was a tiny action from amongst the actions of Eemaan [ie. a good deed] then one may compare it to the profit that may be attained through the purchase of a commodity during that time. And so it is possible that if he sold a commodity in the best market of the greatest nation, and that commodity were the most profitable for trade, then that profit were multiplied [through successive trades] until it returns to him on the Day of Resurrection such that its magnitude is like that of the entire world. And similarly all the actions of righteousness will be treated by Allaah 'azza wa jall in a similar manner, as long as they are performed with a pure and clean intention.

And from this also is that the Grace of Allaah multiplies with the transfer of charity from one person to another. So, for example, consider if a person gives a dirham in charity to a poor man, and then that poor man in turn passes the dirham on to another poor man who is in greater poverty than he, and then this third person passes it onto a fourth, and the fourth to a fifth, and this goes on to a great extent. Then, Allaah ta'aalaa will count for the first person, who originally gave the dirham, ten times the reward. But when this dirham is transferred by the second person to the third, then the second person gains ten and the first person's reward is multiplied to ten thousand. Then, when the third transfers it to the fourth, the second person gets one thousand, and the first gets a million. And so this continues until they attain rewards that may only be counted by Allaah ta'aalaa.

And from this also is that when Allaah - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - accounts His Muslim slave on the Day of Resurrection, and his good deeds are of varying and disparate levels, some of them of a high level and others not so, then He - subhaanahu - from His immense Generosity and Grace may count all of his good deeds by the measure of the best and highest amongst them; for verily His Generosity - jalla jalaalahu - is far greater than that He should dispute with his slave, who is pleased with Him, about the disparity in the measure of his good deeds. And no doubt Allaah jalla jalaalahu has said :

And similarly, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has informed us that if a Muslim declares aloud in a market from amongst the markets of the Muslims : "laa ilaaha illaa Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd, yuhyee wa yumeet, wa huwa 'alaa kulli shayin qadeer [There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allaah, Alone without any partner; for Him is the Dominion and for Him is all Praise; He gives life and He gives death; and He is All-Powerful over all things]" then Allaah will write for him due to that a million rewards, and will wipe away from him a million evil deeds, and will build for him a house in Paradise [narrated by at-Tirmidhee].

And all this that we have mentioned is according to only that which we have knowledge of, and not according to the true level of the Grace of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa. For verily He is far greater than what anyone may deny for Him, or what any of the creation may try to estimate of Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That whatever is classed as a Good deed, or an Evil deed, has already been written down as such by Allaah, ie. Good and Evil deeds are what He has specified them to be
• Therefore, what Allaah has given us in The Qur'aan and Sunnah is from His knowledge of what is Good and what is Evil, as defined and accepted by Him
• That whatever we are going to do is known by Him
• That if we intend to perform a Good deed [as defined by the Sunnah], but do not actually perform it, then we are still rewarded for one full Good deed
• That if we intend to perform a Good deed, and actually perform it, then Allaah will record it as though it were done ten to seven hundred times over, or more than that
• The actual merit of a Good deed is determined by Allaah according to our sincerity
• That not doing a bad deed which one intended to do, obtains for one a reward equal to a complete Good deed
• That if one actually performs a bad deed that one intended to do, then it is written down only as its worth, ie a single bad deed
• That if one ends up in the Fire then he only gets that which he deserves, as he was indeed a very bad person
• That good actions are not all of equal merit, nor are bad actions. Hence, it is not possible to calculate how much good or bad one has accumulated each day
• That one must not forget that it is still possible to destroy all the good deeds we have been doing

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 38 : The Worship of Allaah is the Means of Attaining Nearness to Him and His Love

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

It was related by al-Bukhaaree

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 38 :

The author of al-Ifsaah said about this hadeeth from its understanding : Verily Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa has put aside all excuses from the one who shows enmity to a walee of His, and has declared that He shall War against him with the same enmity. And the walee of Allaah ta'aalaa is the one who follows that which Allaah has legislated. So let mankind be warned against harming the hearts of the awliyaa of Allaah, 'azza wa jall.

And I consider the meaning [of this hadeeth] as referring to the one who shows enmity to a walee due to the Friendship and Allegiance (Wilaayah) shown to him by Allaah. On the other hand, if the matter is such that it involves a dispute between two walees of Allaah in the form of a legal dispute or a quarrel, which is due to one of them trying to attain a right of his that is hidden from the other, then this does not enter into this hadeeth. And such disputes have occurred between Abu Bakr and 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and between al-'Abbaas and 'Alee (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and similarly between many of the sahaabah, and all of them were awliyaa of Allaah.

And His - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - statement "And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him" contains a reference to the fact that we do not place the voluntary deeds (nawaafil) before the obligatory (faraa'id). And the 'nawaafil' are named as such because they are performed after the obligatory deeds have been completed; and if not then they are not given the name 'nawaafil'; and this is indicated by His statement "And My servant continues to draw near to me with nawaafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him", since attaining Nearness with the nawaafil occurs by what follows the completion of the faraa'id. So when the slave becomes persistent in seeking His Nearness through the nawaafil, then this causes Allaah 'azza wa jall to Love him.

Then He said "When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees" until the end of the hadeeth. Then this is a sign of the Wilaayah of Allaah, and its meaning is that he does not hear that which is not permitted for him to hear by the Sharee'ah, nor does he see that which is not permitted by the Sharee'ah, nor does he grasp with his hand that which is not permitted for him by the Sharee'ah, nor does he hasten with his legs towards anything except that which the Sharee'ah allows him to hasten towards. And all of this is the basis (asl) [of being Loved by Allaah]. But also, the Worshipper of Allaah may become so engrossed in the Dhikr of Allaah ta'aalaa that he becomes famous for that, and if another person, who is not from amongst those who Remember Allaah much, were to speak to him without mentioning the Dhikr of Allaah, then it would be as though he did not hear him; until the speaker approaches him with something from the Dhikr of Allaah. And similarly in the case of those things which are seen, and those things which are grasped, and those things towards which one walks. And this is a most noble characteristic, and we ask Allaah that He makes us from amongst its possessors.

And His statement "and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge" shows that even after the slave becomes from amongst the Beloved of Allaah, this does not prevent him from asking his Lord to satisfy his needs or seeking refuge in Him from those whom he fears. And Allaah ta'aalaa is able to give him what he desires before his asking Him for them, and to grant him refuge before he seeks it, but He subhaanahu becomes Near to His slaves through His giving those who ask Him, and His granting refuge to those who seek it from Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That there are Muslims who are the Awliyaa (Friends) of Allaah
• That one who is close to Allaah because of his piety and worship of Him, has Allaah as his Protector
• That whoever makes a walee an enemy, actually earns the enmity of Allaah for himself
• That one draws closer to Allaah by following the Sharee'ah, and by fulfilling the obligatory duties upon him
• That a Muslim continues to draw closer to Him by performing voluntary acts of worship (nawaafil)
• That ways and means not prescribed in the Sunnah will not help us in drawing closer to Allaah
• That when a servant draws closer to Him, then Allaah Loves him, and then guides him in each moment of his life
• an-Nawawi said that "I am his hearing ..." can mean "I safeguard his hearing from shaytaan"
• That when a servant is Loved by Allaah, He fulfills his du'aa, and protects him from evil when he asks Him to do so

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Hadith 39 : Leniency for the One who Errs, the One who Forgets, and the One who is Forced

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : ( إن الله تجاوز لي عن أمتي الخطأ والنسيان وما استكرهوا عليه ). حديث حسن ، رواه ابن ماجه [ رقم : 2045 ] والبيهقي [ ( السنن ) 7 / 356 ] وغيرهما

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Verily Allaah has pardoned [or been lenient with] for me my Ummah : their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they have been forced to do under duress.

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah, and al-Bayhaqee and others.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 39

And it has been related in the tafseer of the statement of Allaah, 'azza wa jall, "And whether you disclose what is in your ownselves or conceal it, Allaah will call you to account for it" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 284] that when this aayah was revealed it became a great burden upon the Sahaabah, radiAllaahu anhum. So Abu Bakr, 'Umar 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf and Mu'aadh bin Jabal, amongst a number of others, came to the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said "We have been burdened with actions which we find we are incapable of sustaining. Verily one of us may mention to himself [evil] things which he would not like to settle in his heart, even if he were to be offered the wealth of the dunyaa for doing so." So the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said "I fear that you are saying what the Banoo Israa'eel said : 'We hear and we disobey'. But, rather, you should say : 'We hear and we obey'". So this became very hard upon them, and they remained in this state for some time. Then Allaah ta'aalaa revealed upon them His mercy and that which gave them respite, with His statement :

"Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. 'Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error'" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 286].

So Allaah 'azza wa jall said, in a hadeeth Qudsee, "I have decreed so", and thus Allaah revealed to the Muslims that which lightened their burden, and which abrogated the aayah which came before it.

Al-Bayhaqee said that Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee, rahimahu Allaah, said :
Allaah subhaanahu said "Except him who is forced [to kufr] and whose heart is at rest with Faith" [Soorah an-Nahl, 106], and so there are Rulings regarding Kufr. And since Allaah has dropped the ruling of Kufr from the one who is forced to utter such words, then similarly must be the case of the one who is mistaken or the one who forgets, since when the greater of two issues is dropped, then that which is less than it is also dropped along with it. Further, it is related from Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Verily Allaah has pardoned for me my Ummah : their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they have been forced to do under duress", and it has been related from 'Ayeshah (radiAllaahu anhaa) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said : "There is no divorce nor freeing of a slave in a state of anger", and this is the madhhab of 'Umar and Abdullaah ibn 'Umar and 'Abdullaah ibn az-Zubair (radiAllaahu anhum). And Thaabit bin al-Ahnaf married the mother of a son of 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Zayd bin al-Khattaab, so 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan intimidated and threatened him with a whip, until he unwillingly divorced her, during the Khilaafah of 'Abdullaah bin az-Zubair. So Abdullaah ibn 'Umar said to him that the divorce was not valid, as it had been made under duress, and so he should return to her. At that time Abdullaah bin az-Zubair, the Khaleefah, was in Makkah so he [ibn az-Zubair] wrote to his governor in Madeenah to return Thaabit's wife to him, and to punish 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Zayd. So Safiyyah bint Abee 'Ubayd, the wife of 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, prepared her for her return, and 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar attended their Wedding Feast.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That Allaah has forgiven Muslims for the sins that they commit by mistake
• That Allaah has forgiven Muslims for what they do out of forgetfulness
• That Allaah has forgiven Muslims for what they are compelled to do against their wishes
• That we are to overlook and forgive each other for what we do by mistake, or out of forgetfulness or under duress, since Allaah Himself does so