50 Ahaadeeth About the Basics of Islaam and the Foundations of its Directives:
42 from al-Imaam Aboo Zakariyyaa Yahyaa ibn Sharaf an-Nawawee, may Allaah have mercy upon him (d. 676h), along with 8 additions from al-Imaam ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee, may Allaah have mercy upon him (d.795h)
Note: the Arabic text used for this translation was the critical edition prepared by ash-Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-Qaasim, pp. 75-140 of Level 1 in the Mutoon Taalib al-'Ilm collection.
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[1] It was narrated from the leader of the people of Eemaan (i.e. those who accept the truth from Allaah and comply with it) – Aboo Hafs ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) – that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “Indeed, all actions are given consideration only according to the intentions behind them; and indeed, each person will be recompensed only according to what he intended. Therefore, if a person’s intention is migrating to Allaah and His Messenger, that person would be recompensed for migrating to Allaah and His Messenger; and if a person’s intention is migrating to worldly gains he anticipates, or to a woman for marriage, he will be recompensed for whatever he migrated to.”
This was collected by the two prominent leaders among the scholars of hadeeth – Aboo ‘Abdillaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa‘eel ibn Ibraaheem ibn al-Mugheerah ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhaaree, and Abul-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj ibn Muslim al-Qushayree an-Naysaabooree (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) – in their Two Saheeh Works, which are the most authentic books compiled.
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[2] It was also narrated from ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: While we were with Allaah’s Messenger one day (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), there suddenly came to us a man having very white clothing and very black hair. Neither could any trace of travel be seen upon him, nor did anyone among us know him.
He continued approaching until he sat right in front of the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection); such that the man put his own two knees against the Prophet’s two knees, placed his own two palms upon the Prophet’s two thighs (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), and said, “Muhammad, tell me what Islaam is.” Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) replied, “Islaam is for you to testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; for you to establish obligatory prayer; for you to give obligatory charity; for you to fast Ramadaan; and for you to perform Hajj (the Greater Pilgrimage) at the Ka‘bah if you are able to do so.” The man stated, “What you said is correct.” [‘Umar commented:] What the man did was quite remarkable to us: he asked him a question and then told him that his response was correct.
The man further said, “Next, tell me what Eemaan is.” Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) replied, “It is for you to have sound beliefs about Allaah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day; and for you to have sound beliefs about Allaah’s preordainment, whether the results of that preordainment are perceived to be good or bad.” The man stated, “What you said is correct.”
The man further said, “Next, tell me what Ihsaan is.” Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) replied, “It is for you to worship Allaah as though you are seeing Him; and even though you do not see Him in this world, He certainly sees you.”
The man further said, “Next, tell me about when the Hour of Resurrection will take place.” Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) replied, “The one being asked has no more knowledge about that than the one asking.”
The man further said, “Then tell me about its signs.” Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection replied, “That the female slave will give birth to a female child who would be her master; and that you will see the barefooted, unclothed, destitute sheep herders vying to outdo each other in constructing tall buildings.”
‘Umar continued: The man then departed, and I remained for a while afterwards. Later on, Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said to me, “‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” I replied, “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “It was certainly the angel Jibreel. He came to you – the people – to teach you the religion prescribed for you.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[3] It was narrated from Aboo ‘Abdir-Rahmaan ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “Islaam has been built upon five: testifying that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger, establishing obligatory prayer, giving obligatory charity, performing Hajj (the Greater Pilgrimage) at the Ka‘bah, and fasting Ramadaan.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[4] It was narrated from Aboo ‘Abdir-Rahmaan ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) narrated the following to us, and he is someone who speaks the truth and who receives revelation that is the truth. He said, “Indeed, what each one of you is created from is gathered in his mother’s midsection for forty days, then he is a clot of blood for a duration similar to that, then he is a morsel of flesh for a duration similar to that. A particular angel is then sent to him who blows the soul into him and is instructed to record four statements: the angel is instructed to write the person’s provision, lifespan, deeds, and whether he will end up in happiness or misery. I swear by the One besides whom none deserves to be worshipped that one of you may most certainly perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until there remains nothing between him and it except a single forearm span, but then what was written overtakes him so he performs the deeds of the people of the Fire and, thus, enters it. And one of you may most certainly perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until there remains nothing between him and it except a single forearm span, but then what was written overtakes him so he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and, thus, enters it.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[5] It was narrated from a mother of the people of Eemaan (i.e. those who accept the truth from Allaah and comply with it) – Umm ‘Abdillaah ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) – that she stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “If anyone introduces anything into these directives of ours that is not part of them, that will be rejected.” This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
Another narration collected by Muslim contains the wording, “If anyone performs any deed that is not in conformity with our directives, that will be rejected.”
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[6] It was narrated from Aboo ‘Abdillaah an-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “Unambiguously permissible things are clear, unambiguously prohibited things are also clear, and between those two are things whose rulings are somewhat ambiguous such that many people do not have knowledge about them. Therefore, when any person avoids those things that are ambiguous to him, he seeks to keep his religious practice and his integrity clear of any blame; and when any person falls into those things that are ambiguous to him, he will fall into the unambiguously prohibited. A similitude that applies is that of a shepherd who has his flock graze near the boundary around a portion of land that is exclusive to its owner, and others are prohibited from entering: the shepherd has his flock at the brink of grazing in that area to which entry is prohibited. Pay attention to this: indeed, every king has an area that is exclusively his. Pay attention to this: indeed, that area that is exclusive to Allaah is what He has prohibited His servants from. Pay attention to this: there is indeed a particular morsel of flesh in the body; if it stays in order, the entire body will stay in order; and if it becomes corrupted, the entire body will become corrupted. Pay attention to this: that morsel is the heart.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[7] It was narrated from Aboo Ruqayyah Tameem ibn Aws ad-Daaree (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “This religion in its entirety is sincere fulfillment of rights.” We – the Companions present – asked, “Whose rights?” The Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) replied, “Those of Allaah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the people of Islaam, and the general populace among the people of Islaam.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[8] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “I was instructed to fight against particular people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, they establish obligatory prayer, and they give obligatory charity. If they do those, they protect from me their lives and their properties, unless they commit any crime that has a prescribed penalty according to Islaam’s directives; and their final reckoning will be with Allaah, the Most Exalted.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[9] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr (may Allaah be pleased with him), that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “Whenever I prohibit you from anything, you are to avoid it; and whenever I instruct you to do anything, you are to do it to the utmost of your ability. And indeed, what ruined those who came prior to you was only their excessive questions about unnecessary things, and their opposition towards the Prophets who were sent to them.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[10] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Allaah Himself is certainly wholesome (i.e. in the sense that He is perfect in every way), and He does not accept anything besides what is wholesome (i.e. in the sense that it is to be done sincerely for Him, and obtained by means that He permitted). Additionally, Allaah – the Most Exalted – indeed gave the people of Eemaan (those who accept the truth from Allaah and comply with it) the same instruction that He gave His Messengers. Allaah – the Most Exalted – said, ((Messengers, you are to eat from the things that are wholesome, and perform deeds that are righteous)) [23:51], and Allaah – the Most Exalted – also said, ((People who have accepted and complied with the truth, you are to eat from the wholesome things out of what We have provided for you))” [2:172]. Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) then mentioned a man who undertakes a long journey, ends up dishevelled and dusty, extends his two hands up towards the sky, and invokes Allaah saying, “My Lord. My Lord.” However, the man’s food is from impermissible sources, his drink is from impermissible sources, his attire is from impermissible sources, and he is nourished with what is impermissible. Therefore, how would he be answered in such a state?
This was collected by Muslim.
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[11] It was narrated from Aboo Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) – a grandson of Allaah’s Messenger, and someone whom Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) described as being one of his fragrant blossoms in this world – that he stated: I memorized from Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), “Leave what you have doubt about and go, instead, to what you have no doubt about.”
This was collected by at-Tirmithee and an-Nasaa’ee, and at-Tirmithee graded it authentic at the level of hasanun saheeh.
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[12] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Part of the soundness of a person’s Islaam (submission to Allaah inwardly and outwardly) is for him to leave the things that he is not supposed to seek out or give attention to according to Islaam’s teachings.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It was collected by at-Tirmithee and others.
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[13] It was narrated from Aboo Hamzah Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) – an individual who had served Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) – that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “No individual among you has the complete Eemaan (acceptance of the truth from Allaah and compliance with it) that is obligatory for him to have until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[14] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn Mas‘ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “It does not become permissible to apply capital punishment to a Muslim (someone who has submitted to Allaah in Islaam) except in three cases: someone currently or previously married who commits adultery, someone who murders another person, or someone who rejects his Islaam and forsakes the collective of Muslims who adhere to what is correct.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[15] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Anyone who has sound beliefs about Allaah and the Last Day, and complies with what those beliefs entail, is to either say what is good or stay quiet; anyone who has sound beliefs about Allaah and the Last Day, and complies with what those beliefs entail, is to honour his neighbour; and anyone who has sound beliefs about Allaah and the Last Day, and complies with what those beliefs entail, is to honour his guest.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[16] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man said to the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), “I would like you to give me beneficial counsel.” He replied, “Avoid the causes and effects of your anger.” The man repeated his request several times, and the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) replied, “Avoid the causes and effects of your anger.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree.
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[17] It was narrated from Aboo Ya‘laa Shaddaad ibn Aws (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Indeed, Allaah obligated dealing with all in the best manner. Therefore, even when you have to take any person’s life for a permissible reason, you are to do so in the best manner. In addition, even when sacrificing an animal, you are to do so in the best manner; and any one of you who does that is to sharpen his blade, and he is to spare the animal being sacrificed from suffering.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[18] It was narrated from both Aboo Tharr Jundub ibn Junaadah and Aboo ‘Abdir-Rahmaan Mu‘aath ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Protect yourself from Allaah’s punishment by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, no matter where you might be; follow a misdeed with a righteous deed, since the latter will wipe out the former; and maintain sound conduct when interacting with people.”
This was collected by at-Tirmithee and he graded the hadeeth authentic at the level of hasan, though some manuscript copies of his book mention that he graded it authentic at the level of hasanun saheeh.'
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[19] It was narrated from Abul-‘Abbaas ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that he stated: I was behind the Prophet one day (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) as I was riding with him on the same animal, and he said to me, “Young one, I will impart some important words to you: Preserve the rights of Allaah that you must fulfil towards Him, and He will preserve you. Preserve the rights of Allaah that you must fulfil towards Him, and you will find Him in front of you. When you ask, ask of Allaah; and when you seek assistance, seek assistance from Allaah. In addition, you must realize that even if everyone combined all their efforts to benefit you in some way, they would not be able to benefit you in any way except according to what Allaah had written in your favour; and even if they combined all their efforts to harm you in some way, they would not be able to harm you in any way except according to what Allaah had written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” This was collected by at-Tirmithee and he graded the hadeeth authentic at the level of hasanun saheeh.
A narration collected by other than at-Tirmithee contains the wording, “Preserve the rights of Allaah that you must fulfil towards Him, and you will find Him in front of you. Make yourself known to Allaah during ease, and He will know you during difficulty. In addition, you must realize that what missed you would not have reached you, and what reached you would not have missed you. You must also realize that victory comes with perseverance, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease.”
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[20] It was narrated from Aboo Mas‘ood ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr al-Ansaaree al-Badree (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Indeed, part of what people still know from the words of the earlier Prophethood is: If you feel no shame about a particular thing, you do what you want regarding it’.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree.
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[21] It was narrated from Aboo ‘Amr – and some called him: Aboo ‘Amrah – Sufyaan ibn ‘Abdillaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: I had said, “Messenger of Allaah, I would like you to impart to me a comprehensive statement regarding Islaam such that I would not need to ask anyone about it besides you.” He replied, “You are to make the statement ‘I accept and comply with the truth from Allaah’ and then remain steadfast in doing that.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[22] It was narrated from Aboo ‘Abdillaah Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillaah al-Ansaaree (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that a man had posed a question to Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). He said, “I would like you to inform me about the following: If I pray the obligatory prayers, I fast Ramadaan, I treat the permissible as permissible, I treat the prohibited as prohibited, and I do nothing more than that, would I be admitted to Paradise?” He replied, “Yes.”
This was collected by Muslim. The meaning of “I treat the prohibited as prohibited” is: I avoid it. The meaning of “I treat the permissible as permissible” is: I do it holding the belief that it is permissible.
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[23] It was narrated from Aboo Maalik al-Haarith ibn ‘Aasim al-Ash‘aree (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Purification is half of Eemaan (which could be understood to mean prayer in this context); saying al-hamdu lillaahi (all praise belongs to Allaah) fills the scale of deeds; saying either subhaanallaahi (I declare Allaah’s perfection) or al-hamdu lillaahi (all praise belongs to Allaah)” – or he may have said, “saying both of them together” – “fills what is between the sky and the ground; prayer is light; charity is proof; perseverance is radiance; and the Qur’aan will be evidence either in your favour or against you. Each person sets out at the beginning of the day and then puts himself up for sale; thus, he either frees himself from ruin or brings ruin upon himself.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[24] It was narrated from Aboo Tharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) narrated that Allaah (the Almighty and Most Majestic) said, “My servants, I have indeed prohibited injustice for Myself and I have also made it prohibited among you; therefore, you must not be unjust to each other. My servants, all of you are astray except for those whom I have guided; therefore, you must seek guidance from Me, and when you do so, I will guide you. My servants, all of you are hungry except for those whom I have fed; therefore, you must seek food from Me, and when you do so, I will feed you. My servants, all of you are unclothed except for those whom I have clothed; therefore, you must seek clothing from Me, and when you do so, I will clothe you. My servants, you all surely commit errors by night and by day, and I am the One who forgives all sins; therefore, you must seek forgiveness from Me, and when you do so, I will forgive you. My servants, no matter how much harm you continue extending towards Me, it will not result in you harming Me in any way; and no matter how much benefit you continue extending towards Me, it will not result in you benefitting Me in any way. My servants, even if the first ones among you, the last ones among you, the humans among you, and the jinns among you all had the heart of the individual among you who is the absolutely most obedient to Me, that would not increase My dominion in any way at all. My servants, even if the first ones among you, the last ones among you, the humans among you, and the jinns among you all had the heart of the individual [among you] who is the absolutely most disobedient to Me, that would not decrease My dominion in any way at all. My servants, even if the first ones among you, the last ones among you, the humans among you, and the jinns among you all came forth together in one single location, then asked anything of Me, and I then gave every single person what he asked for, that would not decrease what I have with Me in any way besides what a needle would decrease from the ocean if dipped in and then pulled out. My servants, it is only your own deeds that I record for you precisely, and for which I will then recompense you in full. Therefore, if anyone finds good, he must praise Allaah; and if anyone finds anything besides that, he must certainly not blame anyone except himself.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[25] It was also narrated from Aboo Tharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that some among the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) had told the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), “Messenger of Allaah, the affluent have taken all the rewards: they pray just as we pray, and fast just as we fast, but they also give in charity from their surplus wealth.” He replied, “Is it not the case that Allaah has certainly made for you what you can give in charity? Indeed, each time you say subhaanallaahi (I declare Allaah’s perfection), there is charity; each time you say Allaahu Akbaru (Allaah is the Greatest), there is charity; each time you say al-hamdu lillaahi (all praise belongs to Allaah), there is charity; and each time you say laa ilaaha illallaahu (none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah), there is charity. In addition, each time you tell others to do right, there is charity; each time you tell others to avoid wrong, there is charity; and even in the intimate relations any one of you has with his spouse, there is charity.” The Companions present said, “Messenger of Allaah, when one of us fulfils his desire for intimacy, there is reward for him in doing that?” He replied, “Have you considered the following: if an individual fulfils that desire in any impermissible manner would he have incurred sin? Likewise, if he fulfills it in the permissible manner, there would be reward for him.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[26] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “For every joint that people have, there is charity to be given every day during which the sun rises: you settling matters justly between two people is charity; you helping a person regarding his mount such that you lift him onto it, or you hoist his belongings onto it, is charity; the wholesome word is charity; every step you take while walking to prayer is charity; and you removing harm from the pathway that people use is charity.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[27] It was narrated from an-Nawwaas ibn Sam‘aan (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Righteousness is sound conduct, while sinfulness is what causes disturbance within your soul and you would dislike for people of integrity to find out about.” This was collected by Muslim.
In addition, it was narrated from Waabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: I went to Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) and he said to me, “Did you come to ask about righteousness and sinfulness?” I replied, “Yes, I did.” He said, “Seek the edict given by your heart. Righteousness is what the wholesome soul and heart find tranquility with, while sinfulness is what causes disturbance within the soul and remains unsettled within the chest even if the people repeatedly give you their edicts about it being permissible.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It has been transmitted to us with a hasan chain of narration in the two Musnad works of the two leading scholars of Islaam: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and ad-Daarimee.
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[28] It was narrated from Aboo Najeeh al-‘Irbaad ibn Saariyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) addressed us with a deeply moving admonition that caused our hearts to feel fear and made our eyes flow with tears. As a result, we said, “Messenger of Allaah, it is as though this is the admonition being given by someone bidding farewell. Therefore, we would like you to impart to us counsel that would be comprehensive and sufficient.” He replied, “I counsel you to protect yourselves from Allaah’s punishment by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions; and to listen to, and obey, the leader in authority even if authority over you was seized by a slave. Indeed, whoever among you lives on after me will see much differing. Therefore, you must adhere to my path, as well as the path of the soundly guided individuals who succeed me in leading the Ummah. Bite onto that with your molar teeth; and beware of matters that are invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam, since every such invented matter is misguidance.”
This was collected by Aboo Daawood, as well as by at-Tirmithee who graded the hadeeth authentic at the level of hasanun saheeh. [Note: the phrase “authority over you was seized by a slave” can be found in as-Sunan al-Kubraa by al-Bayhaqee (20364, ed. at-Turkee). See also Mustadrak al-Haakim (329, ed. al-Waadi‘ee et al.)].
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[29] It was narrated from Mu‘aath ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: I had said, “Messenger of Allaah, I would like you to inform me about a deed that would be a cause for me to be admitted to Paradise, and would distance me from the hellfire.” He replied, “You have asked about a tremendous matter, and it is one that is most certainly easy for any person whom Allaah makes it easy for: You are to worship Allaah without ascribing anything at all to Him as a partner, establish obligatory prayer, give obligatory charity, fast Ramadaan, and perform Hajj (the Greater Pilgrimage) at the Ka‘bah.” He then said, “Shall I not direct you to the gates of goodness? Optional fasting is a shield, optional charity extinguishes misdeeds just as water extinguishes fire, and the optional prayer of a person in the depths of the night similarly extinguishes misdeeds.” He then read a passage of the Qur’aan that begins, ((Their sides part with their places of sleep)) until he reached [the passage’s conclusion where it says, ((the deeds that] they continued to perform)) [32:16-17]. He then said, “Shall I not inform you about the most important of all matters; as well as its pillar that holds it up, and its peak?” I replied, “Yes, Messenger of Allaah, please do.” He said, “The most important of all matters is submitting to Allaah in Islaam. Its pillar that holds it up is prayer, and its peak is struggling in Allaah’s path.” He then said, “Shall I not inform you about the foundation behind all those good things?” I replied, “Yes, Messenger of Allaah, please do.” He then took hold of his own tongue and said, “Make sure that you keep this thing restrained and under control.” I said, “Prophet of Allaah, will we really indeed be taken to account for everything that we say?” He replied, “May your mother end up losing you” [which is not understood in this context as a supplication against Mu‘aath; rather, it is a supplication for him to receive good from Allaah, and it could also be understood as being a phrase they had used – according to the custom at the time – as encouragement to carefully comprehend something being said. The Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) continued,] “Is there anything that will cast people into the hellfire upon their faces” – or he said, “upon their noses” – “besides the harvests of their tongues?”
This was collected by at-Tirmithee and he graded the hadeeth authentic at the level of hasanun saheeh.
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[30] It was narrated from Aboo Tha‘labah al-Khushanee Jurthoom ibn Naashir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Indeed, Allaah prescribed particular obligations, so do not neglect them; He set bounds regarding what He permitted, so do not overstep those bounds and go to what is not permitted; He prohibited particular things, so do not involve yourselves in them; and He was silent about the ruling regarding particular things – out of mercy towards you, not out of forgetfulness – so do not seek after those things.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It was collected by ad-Daaraqutnee and others.
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[31] It was narrated from Abul-‘Abbaas Sahl ibn Sa‘d as-Saa‘idee (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: A man came to the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) and said, “Messenger of Allaah, I would like you to direct me to a deed: if I perform it, Allaah would love me, and people would also love me.” He replied, “Shift your focus away from this world and towards the hereafter; when you do that, Allaah would love you. In addition, shift your focus away from the things of this world that people have; when you do that, the people would love you.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It was collected by ibn Maajah and others with hasan chains of narration.
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[32] It was narrated from Aboo Sa‘eed Sa‘d ibn Maalik ibn Sinaan al-Khudree (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “According to Islaam’s teachings, neither is harm caused, nor is retribution for harm suffered pursued without right.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It was collected by ibn Maajah, ad-Daaraqutnee, and others with a fully connected chain of narration. In addition, it was collected by Maalik in al-Muwatta’ from ‘Amr ibn Yahyaa, from his father, from the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection); and this chain has a type of break referred to as mursal, since Yahyaa omitted Aboo Sa‘eed. The hadeeth also has other routes of narration, and they can be used to strengthen each other.
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[33] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “If people were given things merely according to the claims they make regarding what they are entitled to, they would even claim for themselves the properties and lives of others. However, the responsibility of providing proof for the claim is upon the plaintiff who makes the claim, and the responsibility of swearing the oath is upon the defendant who denies the claim.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It was collected like this by al-Bayhaqee and others, and some of it is in the Two Saheeh Collections.
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[34] It was narrated from Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “If anyone among you sees something that is incorrect according to Islaam’s teachings, he is to change it to what is correct by way of his hand; if unable, then by way of his words; and if still unable, then by way of his heart, and that is the weakest among these components of Eemaan (accepting and complying with the truth from Allaah).”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[35] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “You must not harbour malice towards one another, you must not artificially inflate prices among one another, you must not hate one another, you must not turn your backs on one another, and you must not undercut one another in trade. Additionally, servants of Allaah, you must be brothers to one another. One person who submits to Allaah in Islaam is to be a brother to another person who submits to Allaah in Islaam. He is not to do him injustice, forsake him, or disdain him. The root of observing Taqwaa (fulfilling Allaah’s commands and avoiding His prohibitions) is here,” and he pointed to his chest thrice. He continued, “For a person to do something very reprehensible, it suffices for him to disdain his brother in Islaam. Everything about one person who submits to Allaah in Islaam is inviolable to another person who submits to Allaah in Islaam: his life, property, and dignity.”
This was collected by Muslim.
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[36] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “If any individual alleviates for a person of Eemaan (someone who accepts and complies with the truth from Allaah) any major difficulty among this world’s major difficulties, Allaah will alleviate for that individual a major difficulty among the Day of Resurrection’s major difficulties; if any individual facilitates matters for someone in financial difficulty, Allaah will facilitate matters for that individual in this world and the hereafter; if any individual covers a Muslim (someone who submits to Allaah inwardly and outwardly), Allaah will cover that individual in this world and the hereafter; and Allaah assists His servant as long as His servant assists his own brother. In addition, when any individual traverses a path by which he seeks knowledge, Allaah facilitates for that individual a path to Paradise as a result. And every group of people that comes together in any house among the houses of Allaah, reciting and following the Book of Allaah, and studying it among themselves, would inevitability have tranquility descend upon them, mercy cover them, angels surround them, and Allaah mention them among those who are with Him. Furthermore, when any individual is held back by his own deeds from attaining lofty ranks, he will not be advanced ahead by his lineage.”
This was collected by Muslim with the wording cited.
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[37] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said the following as part of what he narrated from his Lord, the One Most Exalted and whose magnificence and blessings are limitless. Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Indeed, Allaah wrote all the righteous deeds and misdeeds. He then clarified that as follows: Thus, if a person resolves to perform a righteous deed but ends up not performing it, Allaah has written that with Himself as one complete righteous deed; and if the person resolves to perform a righteous deed and then does actually perform it, Allaah has written that with Himself as multiplied ten to seven hundred times, up to many times more. In addition, if a person resolves to commit a misdeed but ends up not committing it, Allaah has written that as one complete righteous deed; and if the person resolves to commit a misdeed and then does actually commit it, Allaah has written that as one single misdeed.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in their Two Saheeh Works with the wording cited.
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[38] It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Allaah – the Most Exalted – certainly said, ‘If any individual extends hostility towards any obedient servant of Mine who accepts the truth from Me, fulfills My commands, and avoids My prohibitions, I announce to that hostile individual that I Myself am likewise at war with him. In addition, My worshipping servant does not draw nearer to Me by way of anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory for Him, and My worshipping servant continues drawing nearer to Me by way of the supererogatory until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks of Me, I would most certainly give to him; and if he seeks refuge with Me, I would most certainly grant him refuge’.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree. [Note: the remaining wording in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree that completes this hadeeth until its end says: “ ‘Furthermore, out of all the things that I will inevitably do, there is none among them that I waver about as I waver with respect to taking the soul of a person of eemaan (someone who accepts and complies with the truth from Me) when his time of death comes. He dislikes the agonies of death, and I dislike putting him through what he finds painful’.”]
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[39] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Allaah has indeed granted me that my followers would be pardoned for what is done mistakenly, out of forgetfulness, or under coercion.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of hasan. It was collected by ibn Maajah, al-Bayhaqee, and others.
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[40] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) took hold of my shoulder and then said, “Be in this world as if you are someone in a land other than your own, or someone continuously travelling along his path to reach his final destination.” Ibn ‘Umar himself would say: If you reach the evening, do not wait for the morning; and if you reach the morning, do not wait for the evening. In addition, take from your time of health in preparation for your time of illness, and from your life in preparation for your death.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree.
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[41] It was narrated from Aboo Muhammad ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “No individual among you has the complete Eemaan (acceptance of the truth from Allaah and compliance with it) that is obligatory for him to have until his inclinations follow all that I have been sent with.”
This hadeeth is authentic at the level of saheeh. It has been transmitted to us in the book al-Hujjah [‘alaa Taarik al-Mahajjah, by Nasr ibn Ibraaheem al-Maqdisee] with a saheeh chain of narration.
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[42] It was narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “Allaah – the Most Exalted – said, ‘Descendant of Aadam, indeed, as long as you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I will forgive you despite all that emanated from you, since I do all that I want and nothing is too much for Me. Descendant of Aadam, even if your sins reach all the way up to what you can see of the sky, but you then ask My forgiveness, I will forgive you. Descendant of Aadam, indeed, even if you come to Me with sins that fill almost the entire Earth, but you then meet Me without ascribing anything to Me as a partner, I will certainly come to you with forgiveness that similarly fills almost the entire Earth.”
This was collected by at-Tirmithee and he graded the hadeeth authentic at the level of hasan.
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[Note: The preceding ahaadeeth were an-Nawawee’s collection, and the ahaadeeth that follow are ibn Rajab’s additions. May Allaah have mercy upon both of them. Ibn Rajab said, “This is the last of the ahaadeeth that the Shaykh (i.e. an-Nawawee) mentioned in this book, may Allaah have mercy upon him; and by Allaah’s assistance and will, we shall proceed to mention some additions in order to complete a total of fifty comprehensive yet concise ahaadeeth encompassing various aspects of knowledge, wisdom, and morals.” See Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam (2/418, ed. al-Arnaa’oot, Baajis)].
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[43] It was narrated from [‘Abdullaah] ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that he stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Give the prescribed shares of inheritance to those who are entitled to them. Then, any of the deceased’s estate that remains after giving the prescribed shares is to be given to the man who is the nearest relative to the deceased, due to that relative being a male.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[44] It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Milk-kinship renders impermissible the same things that blood-kinship renders impermissible.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[45] It was narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say the following in the year of the Conquest while he was in Makkah: “Indeed, Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited the sale of intoxicants, animals that die without being sacrificed according to Islaam’s teachings, swine, and idols.” He was asked, “Messenger of Allaah, please inform us about the following: would the fat of animals that die without being sacrificed be permissible, since it is used for caulking ships, it is used for applying to animals’ hides that are tanned, and people use it in their lamps?” He replied, “No. It is impermissible.” At that point, Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “Allaah expelled the Jews from His mercy. Allaah indeed prohibited them from consuming particular fats; so they melted the fat, then sold it and consumed its price by doing that.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[46] It was narrated from Aboo Burdah from his father – Aboo Moosaa al-Ash‘aree (may Allaah be pleased with him) – that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) had sent him to Yemen, so he asked the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) about the ruling regarding particular drinks made there. The Prophet asked him, “Which ones are they?” Aboo Mossaa replied, “al-Bit‘ and al-Mizr.” Aboo Burdah (i.e. Aboo Moosaa’s son who narrated this hadeeth from him) was asked, “What is al-Bit‘?” He replied, “It is water into which honey is put and left for a time long enough such that it could become alcoholic; and al-Mizr is water into which barely is put and left for a time long enough such that it could become alcoholic.” [After that clarification, the hadeeth itself continued:] The Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said to Aboo Moosaa, “Every intoxicant is impermissible.” This was collected by al-Bukhaaree.
It was also collected by Muslim with the following wording from Aboo Moosaa. He stated: Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) sent myself and Mu‘aath to Yemen, so I said, “Messenger of Allaah, in our land (i.e. Yemen), there is a drink that is called al-Mizr and it is from barely, and there is a drink that is called al-Bit‘ and it is from honey.” He replied, “Every intoxicant is impermissible.”
Another narration collected by Muslim contains the wording, “Everything that intoxicates such that it is an obstruction to establishing prayer properly is impermissible.”
Another narration he collected contains the wording, “Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) was indeed granted speech that was encompassing yet concise, due to that speech bearing a seal of complete comprehensiveness. Thus, he said, ‘I prohibit any intoxicating substance whose intoxication is an obstruction to establishing prayer properly’.”
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[47] It was narrated from al-Miqdaam ibn Ma‘dee Karib (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) say, “No vessel that any human has completely filled is worse than his belly. A descendant of Aadam would be sufficed by just a mere few portions of food that enable his back to remain upright. However, if he really must consume more than that, he must let a third of his belly be for his food, a third for his drink, and a third for his breath.”
This was collected by al-Imaam Ahmad, at-Tirmithee, an-Nasaa’ee, and ibn Maajah; and at-Tirmithee graded it authentic at the level of hasan.
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[48] It was narrated from ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “An individual is a person of nifaaq” [– in this context, someone who outwardly displays good but inwardly conceals bad –] “if he has four traits; and if he has any one of them, he continues to have a trait of nifaaq until he forsakes it: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he intends to go back on his word; when he disputes, he is abusive or deceitful; and when he establishes a binding official agreement, he betrays.”
This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
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[49] It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said to the people, “If you continued to place complete reliance upon Allaah the way He rightfully deserves, He would surely provide for you just as He provides for the birds: they set out in the earlier part of the day with their bellies empty and they return in the latter part of the day with their bellies full.”
This was collected by al-Imaam Ahmad, at-Tirmithee, an-Nasaa’ee, ibn Maajah, ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh Work, and al-Haakim; and at-Tirmithee graded it authentic at the level of hasanun saheeh.
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[50] It was narrated from ‘Abdullaah ibn Busr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he stated: A man came to the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) then said, “Messenger of Allaah, the prescribed directives of Islaam have become many for us, so what is a comprehensive gate to goodness to which we can consistently adhere?” He replied, “Ensure that your tongue remains moist with mention of Allaah, the Almighty and Most Majestic.”
This was collected by al-Imaam Ahmad with the wording cited. The same meaning was also collected by at-Tirmithee, ibn Maajah, and ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh Work; and at-Tirmithee graded it authentic at the level of hasanun ghareeb. All of the preceding compilers collected it from the route of ‘Amr ibn Qays al-Kindee narrating from ‘Abdullaah ibn Busr (may Allaah be pleased with him).
It was also collected by ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh Work, as well as by other compilers in their works, as a hadeeth narrated from Mu‘aath ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) in which he stated: In the last exchange I had with Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), I asked him, “Out of all deeds, which is best, and nearest to Allaah?” He replied, “For you to pass away while your tongue is moist with mention of Allaah, the Almighty and Most Majestic.”
Completed with praise for Allaah.
