The Happiness of Servants is in the Guidance of the Best of Servants

  Thanks to Al-lah for sending his messenger with guidance and the religion of the truth, that he may make it topmost above all religion, despite the hatred of associators (those who associate others with Al-lah). Peace and blessings be upon the one who was sent down as a mercy for mankind, our prophet Muhammad, his household and companions.

No happiness for mankind and no salvation for them except through following the messenger as Al-lah states (what can be translated as):

 “And whoever obeys Al-lah and his messenger, he will cause him to enter gardens from beneath which rivers run, eternally (abiding) therein; and that is the magnificent triumph. And whoever disobeys Al-lah and his messenger and transgresses his bounds, he will cause him to enter a fire, eternally (abiding) therein, and for him is a degrading torment.” (An-Nisa: 13-14) the obedience of Al-lah and his messenger (peace be upon him) is the pole of happiness that we revolve around and the abode of salvation that we seek.

Almighty Al-lah creates his creations to worship him as he says in the qur’an (what can be translated as): “and in no way did I create the jinn and humankind except to worship me.” (Ath-Thariyat [the winnowers]: 56)

Al-lah (swt) orders them to obey him and his messenger. There is no worship and obedience except for the duties and commandments of Al-lah, following anything else is a delusion. This is why the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “whoever does an act which is not in agreement with our matter (Islam), will have it rejected.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

The Prophet (pbuh) also said: “whoever lives after me will see many differences, so you must keep to my sunnah and of the sunnah of the rightly-guided caliphs, cling to it firmly. Beware of newly invented matters, for every new matter is an innovation and every innovation is misleading.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

In the authenticated hadith narrated by Muslim and others the prophet (pbuh) said in each sermon: “the best discourse is the book of Al-lah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, the messenger of Al-lah, and the worst matter is that of innovation and every innovation is misleading.”

Almighty Al-lah mentions the obedience to the prophet (pbuh) and mentioning him in forty places in the Qur’an: “and in no way have we sent any messenger except that he should be obeyed, by the permission of Al-lah.”1 (An-Nisa: 64)

The demise of practicing sunnah and the ignorance of people about it are signs of the spread of innovation in religion. Ibn abbas (ra) said: “each year the people make up an innovation and abandon a sunnah till innovations live and Sunnan (plural of sunnah) die.”

In this small book, yet of a great value, I have collected with other kind brothers some of the Sunnan of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that we think are unknown, abandoned or diminished. We did this wishing to spread the sunnah of the prophet (pbuh) among Muslims and to explain these Sunnan to follow the order of the prophet (phuh) when he said:

“Whoever does a good sunnah in islam (brings something new and good) he has the reward of that sunnah and a portion of those who work on that sunnah, without any reduction from their rewards. And whoever does a bad sunnah in islam (brings something new and bad), he has the wrath of that sunnah and a portion of those working that sunnah, without any reduction on its wrath.” (Sahih Muslim)

All the goodness lies in following the guidance of the Prophet (pbuh) and pursuing his footsteps. May Al-lah make us of the followers of his sunnah and may Al-lah forgive us and our parents!

Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, his household and his companions.

Sunan al-Fitrah (Characteristics of Natural State)

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings be upon Him) said, "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitrah (natural disposition): circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the moustaches short." «([1])

'Aisha (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon Him) said: Ten are the acts according to Fitrah: clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the siwak (tooth-stick), snuffing water in the nose (and then expelling it), cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes and cleaning one's private parts with water.

The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth." Qutaiba added: Waki' said: Cleaning one's private parts with water is istinja. «([2])

Writing a Will before Death

Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon Him) as saying:

" It is the duty of a Muslim who has something which is to be given as a bequest not to have it for two nights without having his will written down regarding it.

Standing upon Seeing a Funeral Procession

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah: A funeral procession passed in front of us and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon Him) stood up and we too stood up.

We said, 'O Allah's Apostle! This is the funeral procession of a Jew." He said, "Whenever you see a funeral procession, you should stand up.

Circumcision

Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), that: Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings be upon Him) said:

"Five practices are characteristics of the Fitrah (natural disposition): Circumcision, Shaving the pubic region, Clipping the nails and Cutting the moustaches short.

Walking Fast

Said al-Jariri quoted Abu al-Tufail as saying:

'I saw the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon Him). I asked: How did you see him? He said: He was white, good-looking, and when he walked, it looked as if he was descending to a low ground.

Speed up the Burial

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon Him) saying:

"Hurry up with the dead body (for its burial), for if it is pious, you are speeding it to goodness and if it is otherwise, you are laying an evil off your necks.

Snuffing Water in the Nose and Rinsing the Mouth

Aisha [ra] reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon Him) said:

"Ten are the acts according to Fitrah (natural disposition): clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the siwak (tooth-stick), snuffing water in the nose (and then expelling it), cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes and cleaning one's private parts with water. The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth." Qutaiba added: Waki' said: Cleaning one's private parts with water is istinja. 

Naming the Newborn on the Seventh Day of Birth if He was not Named on the First Day

Narrated Abu Musa: "A son was born to me and I took him to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon Him) who named him Ibrahim, did Tahnik for him with a date, invoked Allah to bless him and then returned him to me." (The narrator added: That was Abu Musa's eldest son.« ([1])

»It was narrated from Qatadah, from Al-Hasan, from Samurh ibn Jundab that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Every boy is in pledge for his Aqeeqah, so slaughter (the animal) for him on the seventh day, shave his head, and name him.

Shaving the Hair of the Baby on the Seventh Day of Birth and Giving the Weight of his Hair in Silver to the Needy

It was narrated from Qatadah, from al-Hasan, from Samurh ibn Jundab that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every boy is in pledge for his Aqeeqah, so slaughter (the animal) for him on the seventh day, shave his head, and name him."« ([1])

When Fatima gave birth to al-Hasan, she asked (the Prophet –pbuh-): "Should I sacrifice blood (an animal) for my son?" He (Peace and blessings be upon Him) said: "No! Rather shave his hair and give the weight of his hair in silver to the needy and awfadh." Awfadh were some of the poor Companions of the Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon Him).

They were staying in the masjid or in as-Sufa (the place allotted to them, hence they were called Ahl as-Sufa). Abu al-Nadhr said: "Silver dirhams for the Awfadh, He (PBUH) meant the people of as-Sufah or the needy. She did so and when she gave birth to al-Hssein, she did the same.