Ḥadīth No. 26
On the authority of Abū Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah () said:
"Upon the people's every joint a charity is due each day the sun rises. Your
being just between two persons is a charity; your helping a man with his mount,
lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it for him is a charity; and a
good word is a charity. And with each step you take walking to the
[congregational] prayer is a charity; and your removing something harmful from
the road is a charity."
(Narrated by al-Bukhāri and Muslim)
The word "sulāmā" was used originally in reference to the smallest bones in a
camel's skeleton or to the bones and joints of the human hand and foot. The term later
became generalized to include all bones of the body. The precise assembly of bones
and joints into a mobile structure supporting the whole body is one of the greatest
blessings from Allah for which the servant should be constantly grateful.138 It is obvious
that any dysfunction or damage to a small bone in the body would cause great pain and
disability, yet how often does a healthy person remember this favor?
Hence, the Prophet () has reminded Muslims to be grateful daily for the health
and mobility given them by Allah (subḥānahu wa taʽālā) and that upon the body is a
form of zakāh, just as there is upon wealth – the zakāh of the body being the
performance of righteous deeds. This has been confirmed in several similar narratives
as well. A few scholars have stated that the ṣadaqah (charity) of this type is a voluntary
one but that gratitude is due to Allah from every servant, if only in the heart, while
deeds are evidence of recognition and gratitude. Others have pointed out that the
minimum due to Allah is performance of obligatory duties and refraining from
disobedience, and these are among the "charities" named by the Prophet () in various
ḥadīths.
In this ḥadīth, again, by giving a few examples, Allah's Messenger () emphasizes
that all kinds of good deeds are charities acceptable to Allah. The deeds listed here
differ from those in the previous ḥadīth, and indeed, each narration is a variation,
illustrating diversity in the possibilities for ṣadaqah according to one's ability and
circumstance. In addition to his duty to Allah, they include obligations to fellow men,
good conduct, all kinds of assistance, a pleasant manner, and even, as narrated by
al-Bukhāri and Muslim, refraining from evil and sparing the people from that.
The Prophet () has also been reported to have said, "And what serves in place of all
that [i.e., good works when unable to perform them] is two rak`ahs of the dhuḥā
138 The skeletal framework also serves to protect such organs as the heart, lungs and brain. It has the
property of repairing itself when broken or fractured.
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prayer."
139 Scholars have speculated that this may be because prayer involves the entire
body, including its every bone and joint, but Allah knows best.
Ḥadīth No. 27
On the authority of an-Nawwās bin Samʽān that the Prophet () said:
"Righteousness is good morals, and wrongdoing is that which wavers within
yourself and you would dislike people to discover."
(Narrated by Muslim)
On the authority of Wābiṣah bin Maʽbad, who said:
I came to the Messenger of Allah (), and he said, "You have come to ask
about righteousness?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Consult your heart.
Righteousness is that with which the self is assured and the heart is assured, and
wrongdoing is that which wavers within the self and falters in the breast, even if
the people have given you a ruling and gave you a ruling [again]."
(Narrated in the Musnads of the two Imāms, Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal and ad-Dārimi - ḥasan)
Here, al-Imām an-Nawawi has chosen two ḥadīths which are similar in wording and
in meaning. The subject of doubt was also dealt with in Ḥadīth No. 6 and No. 11, but
this time an additional point has been made, which is that the heart of the righteous
believer who fears Allah and is illuminated by His light is able to discern truth from
falsehood and right from wrong. When measured against the standard given by the
Prophet () in these two ḥadīths, the believer will be able to make his own decisions
about many matters without relying on a fatwa (legal ruling), especially at times when a
scholar of comprehensive knowledge and true sincerity cannot be easily found.
Righteousness (al-birr) has been defined by Allah (subḥānahu wa taʽālā) in the
Qur’ān140 as correct belief, assistance to others with one's excess wealth, regular
performance of prayer, giving due zakāh, fulfilling one's promises, and patience in the
face of difficulties. All of this is included in the Prophet's definition, "Righteousness is
good morals," which means obedience to Allah and every kind of correct behavior based
139 Narrated by Aḥmad, Muslim and Abū Dāwūd.
140 See Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:177.
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on the teachings of the Qur’ān and sunnah, such as fairness in dealings, gentleness in
persuasion, and efforts toward iḥsān. The descriptions of true believers throughout the
Qur’ān show the qualities approved by Allah and considered to be those of
righteousness. Anyone who wonders about his own condition may compare himself
with those descriptions and then work to attain what is lacking in him.
In contrast, wrongdoing or sin is that which is distasteful to a believer and which he
would strive to avoid. But how does he perceive whether or not a specific act is sinful?
The Prophet's answer was that when carefully considered, a wrong or sinful option will
put the believer into a state of discomfort and uneasiness, for he knows that Allah is
fully aware of his intentions and motives. Another way to evaluate an intent is to
imagine the probable reaction of one's associates141 if they should know about it. That
is because humans are prone to criticize each other, while the self, aided by Shayṭān,
usually attempts to justify its own inclinations. So if one feels he would be censured by
people for whatever he is contemplating and would not wish them to be aware of it, he
will conclude that it must be blameworthy.
Similarly, the heart of a true believer will not accept every fatwā without reservation,
and especially opinions not supported by evidence from the Qur’ān or sunnah. He will
be wary of allowances made for the sake of preference alone. He will not be moved by
the large numbers of ignorant or less than pious people who are quick to offer a fatwa
on every occasion. These are most unlike the true scholar,142 who is often reluctant to
do so out of fear of Allah. The recurrence and repetition of such rulings will not sway
the believer who walks in the light of Allah, and he will never feel confident or reassured
by them. For in the end, it is he who will have to stand with his decision before Allah on
the Day when the truth of every matter is exposed.
141 i.e., believers like himself. Scholars have pointed out that "people" in this ḥadīth does not refer to the
base and ignoble among them but rather to those whose standard for conduct is the Islamic Shari`ah.
142 A qualified mufti (one who issues legal rulings) will not only have a vast knowledge and adequate
understanding of the Shari`ah but also of the circumstances in which people are living in order to
assess their needs when reviewing feasible options within the law. He will be aware of the possible
consequences, both positive and negative, of his ruling, while always fearing Allah's judgement of
himself. Once satisfied regarding the comprehensiveness of a particular mufti's knowledge and his
trustworthiness, the believer's heart would normally be receptive to his fatwā.
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Ḥadīth No. 28
On the authority of Abū Najeeḥ al-‘Irbādh bin Sāriyah, who said:
The Messenger of Allah () admonished us with a warning from which [our]
hearts became fearful and [our] eyes shed tears. So we said, "O Messenger of
Allah (), it is as if it was a final warning, so instruct us." He said, "I direct you to
fear Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and to hear and obey, even if a slave is
made a leader over you. For indeed, he who lives long among you will see
much controversy. So you must adhere to my sunnah and the sunnah of the
rightly guided caliphs; clench it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly
devised matters, for every newly devised thing is an innovation, and every
innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire."
(Narrated by Abū Dāwūd and at-Tirmidhi who graded it ḥasan-ṣaḥeeḥ)
In another narration by Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd and at-Tirmidhi, it is reported that the
Prophet's speech on this occasion was given following the fajr (dawn) prayer. He ()
often used to counsel his companions at times other than the Friday khuṭbah; yet not so
often as to tire or bore them. His words were eloquent, short and to the point. Even
during the Jumu`ah sermon, he preferred to keep the khuṭbah short and lengthen the
prayer. The period for the khuṭbah was subsequently increased due to the fact that
many people no longer hear such reminders and warnings except when they attend the
Friday prayer.
On this particular day they had been shaken by the warnings. The fear and
apprehension they felt was that of true believers as described by Allah in the Qur’ān.143
The forcefulness of the admonition suggested to the listeners that possibly there would
be no more, so they requested advice or instruction upon which they could rely
thereafter. The Prophet () replied, "I direct you to fear Allah," for taqwā144 is
the key to happiness in the Hereafter. Therefore, Allah (subḥānahu wa taʽālā) has
enjoined it upon His servants in every age and said:
"And We have instructed those who were given the Scripture before
you and yourselves to fear Allah."145
Then the Messenger of Allah () continued, "and to hear and obey," meaning
obedience to the Muslim ruler, whose duty it is to amend and regulate the life of the
143 See verses 8:2, 22:34-35, 39:23 and 57:16.
144 An explanation of taqwā is found in Ḥadīth No. 18.
145 Sūrah an-Nisaa', 4:131.
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community, serve public interest, and facilitate the worship of Allah. Obedience is due
even to a corrupt ruler as long as his order involves no disobedience to Allah or His
Messenger, and patience is urged in the face of what is distasteful.146 The words "even
if a slave is made a leader over you" have been interpreted by some as an allusion to a
most unlikely situation, since a slave cannot hold such a position, he himself being
owned by another person. Others have speculated that this may refer to a corrupt
period in which people are ruled by those without proper qualification. When that
happens, the Muslims are advised to obey them and show forbearance in order to avoid
the greater calamity of dissension and civil strife among themselves. A further inference
is that the Muslim ruler should be obeyed without any reservation concerning his origin,
for it is possible that an Imām from Quraysh147 could appoint a slave as a regional
governor who would be answerable to him.
The Prophet () then warned of future dissensions, giving an instruction which
would prevent the Muslim from losing himself in the chaos of the many opinions and
assertions concerning the religion prevalent at that time: "You must adhere to my
sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs; clench it with your molar teeth."148
"Sunnah" is defined linguistically as "a way or course followed repeatedly or habitually,"
and in Islamic terminology as "that way practiced or advocated by the Prophet () and
his four successors, Abū Bakr, ʽUmar, ʽUthmān and ʽAli." This was understood by the
salaf (earliest Islamic scholars) to be the complete sunnah, and it includes beliefs,
sayings and deeds. The Prophet's emphasis on adherence to the sunnah following his
order to obey Muslim rulers serves to limit the concept of obedience and define what is
obligatory in that regard.
"Beware of newly devised matters" refers to those pertaining to the religion of Islam
and does not include everyday worldly affairs. New inventions and discoveries by man
which serve his interests outside the realm of religion are permissible as long as they are
not specifically prohibited in the Qur’ān or sunnah or are known to be harmful.
The word "bid`ah" is defined linguistically as "origination," or the bringing into
existence of something new without a previous pattern or model. Hence, it means an
innovation, invention or novelty. Islamically, it is that which has no basis in the sharīʽah,
the antithesis of sunnah. The statement "every bid`ah [innovation] is misguidance" shows
that it is unacceptable and outside the ordained religion of Allah. Again, this does not
mean public interest rulings within the framework of Sharī`ah, which were sometimes
called "bid`ah" in the linguistic sense only. But it certainly includes the deviations of
those sects which broke away from Ahl as-Sunnah – their false doctrines and assertions
concerning faith, deeds and their outcome, and worse, concerning the attributes of
Allah. And it includes any act of worship claimed to be a means of approaching Allah or
obtaining His reward that was not taught by His Messenger (), who warned clearly
against misguidance and its evil result.
146 Several authentic ḥadīths emphasize that obedience is limited to what is lawful and reasonable, such
as this one narrated by al-Bukhāri and Muslim: "There is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to
Allah. Obedience is only in what is right."
147Several ḥadīths state that leadership of the ummah will remain with the Quraysh.
148i.e., hold on to it firmly.
58
Ḥadīth No. 29
On the authority of Mu‘ādh bin Jabal, who said:
I said, "O Messenger of Allah (), inform me of a deed which will take me into
Paradise and keep me away from the Fire." He said, "You have asked me about
a tremendous matter, but indeed, it is easy for one for whom Allah, the Exalted,
makes it easy. You should worship Allah, associating nothing with Him,
establish prayer, fast [the month of] Ramadhān, and make the pilgrimage to the
House."149 Then he said, "Shall I not point out to you the gates of goodness?
Fasting is a shield. Charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire and [so
does] the prayer of a man in the middle of the night." Then he recited: "They
forsake their beds, invoking their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of that We
have provided them. And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of
satisfaction as reward for what they used to do."
150 Then he said, "Shall I not
inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and the peak of its elevation?" I
said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "The head of the matter is islām [i.e.,
submission], its pillar is prayer, and the peak of its elevation is jihād." Then he
said, "Shall I not inform you of the foundation of all that?" I said, "Yes, O
Messenger of Allah." So he took hold of his tongue and said, "Restrain this." I
said, "O Prophet of Allah, will we be blamed for what we talk about?" He said,
"May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu‘ādh! Does anything topple people
into the Fire on their faces" or he said, "on their noses except the harvests of
their tongues?"
(Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was ḥasan-ṣaḥeeḥ)
In answer to the request of Mu‘ādh, Allah's Messenger () outlined the important
deeds which, when done conscientiously, are a means to attain Paradise through the
mercy of Allah and His permission.151 Preceding his counsel, he conceded that Mu‘ādh
149 The Kaʽbah in Makkah.
150 Sūrah as-Sajdah, 32:16-17.
151 The Prophet's statement, "None of you will enter Paradise by his deeds" is understood to mean – and
Allah knows best – that human deeds in themselves are inadequate to make one worthy of Paradise,
but Allah (subḥānahu wa taʽālā) in His mercy and generosity has made the performance of good
59
had asked about a crucial and difficult matter but that with Allah's help it becomes easy.
Thus, one should ask His assistance in all he undertakes and seek His acceptance of
every good deed.
The Prophet () began his list of virtuous deeds with tawḥeed (the worship of Allah
alone), then recalled the obligatory duties of Islam152 which lead to Paradise. He
followed these with the supplementary acts which draw a person closer to Allah after
the fulfillment of his obligations:
"Fasting is a shield." – This refers to voluntary fasting, as that of Ramadhān has
already been mentioned. Other authentic ḥadīths confirm that fasting is a shield
from the Fire, i.e., from disobedient acts which lead one to the Fire. This is
perceived when one considers that the Messenger of Allah () warned against
sins that can prevent the acceptance of a fast, such as lying, backbiting and evil
speech in general. These, as several of the companions noted, perforate the
shield, lessening its protection.
"Charity extinguishes sin," or, as in another narration, "extinguishes the anger of
the Lord" – Allah has confirmed in the Qur’ān:
good deeds do away with misdeeds."153
"The prayer of a man in the middle of the night" – One who foregoes sleep in
order to pray and supplicate will not be refused. According to another ḥadīth:
"Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the
night remains and says, 'Who will supplicate to Me so I will respond to him?
Who will ask Me so I will give him? Who will seek My forgiveness so I will forgive
him?'"154 The Prophet's recitation of the verses from Sūrah as-Sajdah reminds
that there is great reward in this practice as well. He himself is known to have
performed prayers during various periods of the night: the early part, the middle
part and the later part before dawn. And he () said, "The most preferred prayer
after the obligatory one is qiyām al-layl [voluntary prayer during the night]."155
Not content to stop here, the Prophet () continued, "Shall I not inform you of the
head of the matter,156 its pillar and the peak of its elevation?" Then he explained each of
these:
"The head of the matter is Islam." – In a similar ḥadīth narrated by Aḥmad he was
more specific, saying that it is to acknowledge that there is no deity except Allah
alone, having no partner, and that Muḥammad () is His servant and messenger.
In short, it means acceptance of and concurrence with the final divine message,
which entails obedience to Allah's legislation.
"Its pillar [or backbone] is prayer." – Prayer has always been an essential part of
________________________________________
deeds by His righteous servants a cause for their entrance when He accepts and approves of them.
Thus, the servant succeeds by Allah's mercy to him and not his deeds alone.
152 As mentioned in Ḥadīths No. 2, No. 3 and No. 22.
153 Sūrah Hūd, 11:114.
154 Narrated by al-Bukhāri, Muslim and others.
155 Narrated by Muslim.
156 The matter, here being the religion. More literally, it has been described metaphorically by the
Prophet () as a camel, having a head, a spinal column and a hump.
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Allah's religion, practiced by all the prophets and their followers. It has been
ordered continuously throughout the Qur’ān and emphasized by the Prophet ()
as a requisite to faith: "Between a man and disbelief is [only] the abandonment
of prayer."157
"The peak of its elevation [or hump] is jihād." – From this, al-Imām Aḥmad and
other scholars have inferred that jihād is the best of deeds after the farā’idh
(obligatory duties). Ḥadīths related by al-Bukhāri and Muslim state that the best
deed after belief in Allah (requiring obedience to His ordinances) is jihād (i.e.,
fighting or striving) in His cause. The merits of jihād are recounted in numerous
narrations and are well known.
Finally, Allah's Messenger () went on to mention jihād an-nafs, or striving against the
whims and inclinations of one's self,158 which are utilized by Shayṭān to harm people in
their religion and often in their worldly affairs as well. Thus, the Prophet () returned
from the summit to the foundation and substance of all goodness: self-control, and in
particular, control of the tongue.159 Restraining the tongue from ill speech is therefore a
prerequisite to entering Paradise – something upon which it depends, for the harvest of
the tongue is that which it has earned of good or evil, and it will be reaped on the Day
of Judgement.
It is to be concluded from this ḥadīth as well that the greatest cause for people
entering Hellfire is what they utter with their tongues. For the sin of speech includes
shirk,160 which is the worst of sins, and includes other major sins such as false testimony,
lying, slander, backbiting, fortunetelling, cursing, insulting and various other
transgressions of the tongue, great and small. In addition, most sins committed by the
body are accompanied by speech and often preceded by conspiracy. All this was
confirmed in concise words by Allah's Messenger () to Mu‘ādh, may Allah be pleased
with him.
157 Narrated by Aḥmad, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasā’i – ṣaḥeeḥ.
158 The frequently quoted saying, "We have returned from the lesser jihād [against disbelief] to the
greater jihād [against the self]" is graded as dha`eef (weak) and thus unattributable to the Prophet ().
Ibn Ḥajar traced it to one of the tābiʽeen, Ibrāheem bin ʽAblah.
159 The subject has also been discussed under Ḥadīths No. 12 and No. 15 of this collection.
160 The association of another with Allah in attributes or worship.
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Ḥadīth No. 30
On the authority of Abū Thaʽlabah al-Khushani, Jurthūm bin Nāshir, that the
Messenger of Allah () said:
"Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, has imposed [religious] obligations, so do not
neglect them. And He has set limits, so do not overstep them. And He has
prohibited things, so do not violate them. And He has kept silent about
[certain] things out of mercy to you, not forgetfulness, so do not search them
out."
(Ḥadīth ḥasan narrated by ad-Daraqutni and others)
This ḥadīth has been described as a great source of the fundamentals of the
religion. Several scholars have asserted that among all the ḥadīths of the Messenger of
Allah (), there is no one ḥadīth more inclusive of the fundamental principles and
branches of knowledge than that of Abū Thaʽlabah. It has divided Allah's rulings into
four categories: obligations, prohibitions, limits of permissibility, and what is not
mentioned, and these constitute the entire religion. Hence, whoever acts according to
this ḥadīth will have obtained reward and escaped penalty.
The obligations (farā’idh) are those stipulated by Allah (subḥānahu wa taʽālā) in the
Qur’ān or through His Prophet (), the denial of which removes one from the fold of
Islam. Among them are fardh `ayn, or what is obligatory upon every Muslim and cannot
be fulfilled by another, and fardh kifāyah, or what is obligatory upon specific groups or
individuals at specific times; when a sufficient number of qualified people fulfill the
obligation, the rest are excused.
The prohibitions (muḥarramāt) are also specified in the Qur’ān and sunnah, such as
those pertaining to food, marriage, finances, etc. However, there are those things
forbidden by the Prophet () which are ḥarām by law, and others merely disliked or
discouraged by him (makrūh), these often pertaining to manners and behavior. There
have been differences among scholars over which was intended in certain cases,
although the practice of the more piously cautious ones, such as al-Imām Aḥmad, was
to avoid a ruling that something was ḥarām wherever the slightest doubt existed. They
would say, "I disapprove of such an act," but when pressed to declare it ḥarām, would
adamantly refuse in the absence of a clear proof.
The limits (ḥudūd) are the boundaries containing all that is permissible, as Allah and
His Messenger () warned against overstepping them into what is unlawful.
Additionally, the word "ḥudūd" may refer to the prohibited things themselves, as well as
to the physical punishments stipulated in the Qur’ān for major crimes. Thus, the phrase
in this ḥadīth can also mean: "Do not overstep the bounds in inflicting these
punishments," but Allah knows best.
As for things not mentioned, they are those neither stated to be ḥalāl nor ḥarām,
neither encouraged nor discouraged, and these have been overlooked by Allah out of
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His mercy. Therefore, there can be no penalty or blame on one who does them and no
penalty or blame on one who does not do them. The prohibition against searching
them out is said to be of two kinds:
1) A temporary prohibition during the lifetime of the Prophet (), out of fear that Allah
(subḥānahu wa taʽālā) would rule that a matter in question was unlawful, as He did
when the Jews became obstinate in demanding answers of their prophet. Another
ḥadīth explains: "Leave me alone as long as I have left you alone, for those before
you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and disagreement with their
prophets."
161 This is also compatible with Allah's statement in the Qur’ān:
"O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are
shown to you, will distress you; but if you ask about them while the
Qur’ān is being revealed, they will be shown to you."162
2) A general prohibition applicable to all times, such as the Prophet's saying: "Destroyed
are the excessive in speech."163 These are persons who persistently continue in futile
discussions, delving into irrelevancies and what should not concern them, seeking
rulings on matters which Allah has left unmentioned.
The ṣaḥābah understood this prohibition well and avoided all unnecessary
questioning. Many early scholars thus ruled against asking about anything that had not
yet occurred – except that when they feared the loss of knowledge, they began to admit
some theoretical situations into their fiqh discussions.
The general prohibition includes speculation about those aspects of the unseen
which are a required part of a Muslim's faith. One should not try to imagine, much less
discuss or research into, how these realities actually exist or what they are like, for this
will only lead him to error and eventually disbelief, as illustrated in several ḥadīths of
similar wordings: "People will continue to question until it is said, 'Allah has created
creation, so who created Allah?'"
164 Believers are warned to fear Allah in relation to such
issues and limit themselves to the information which Allah (subḥānahu wa taʽālā) has
revealed.
161 Narrated by Aḥmad and Muslim.
162 Sūrah al-Mā’idah, 5:101.
163 Narrated by Muslim.
164 Narrated by al-Bukhāri and Muslim.
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