Words of the Prophet Muhammad

WORDS

OF THE

PROPHET
MUHAMMAD

SELECTIONS FROM
THE HADIDTH

 

COMPILED BY

MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN

Foreword

The present volume is an anthology compiled from the Hadith literature, an Islamic source second only to the Qur’an in religious importance. Although brief, it covers, directly or indirectly, the more important aspects of the Hadith’s teachings. The sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, have been handed down to posterity through both oral and written traditions, the foundations of which were laid by the Prophet’s Companions, some of whom were also his scribes.

     The following are some of the principles by which he sought to guide his followers. Eternal in essence, they are of value not only to Muslims, but to humanity at large.

1

Islam has been built on five pillars:

testifying that there is no god but God

and Muhammad is His Messenger;

performance of prayers;

alms-giving (zakat);

pilgrimage to the Ka’bah;

fasting during Ramadan.

HADItH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 2

Anyone who befriends another

or makes an enemy,

gives or withholds,

has perfected his faith,

if what he does is done for the sake of

the Almighty.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU UMAMAH.

 3

When the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was

asked by ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah what

was meant by faith, he replied,

‘Self-restraint and gentleness.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 4

One who is willing to accept

God as his Lord,

Islam as his religion

and Muhammad as God’s Messenger

has savoured the taste of faith.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM ON THE
AUTHORITY OF AL-’ABBAS IBN ‘ABD AL-MUTTALIB.

 5

Simplicity, too, is a part of faith.

HADITH OF ABU DAWOD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU UMAMAH.

 6

A man without trust

is a man without faith.

And a man who does not fulfill his

promises is a man without faith.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 7

Greed and faith can never co-exist

in the human heart.

HADITH OF AN-NASA’I
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABO HURAYRAH.

 8

God loves those believers who labour to

earn a living through lawful means.

HADITH OF AT-TABARANI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 9

Actions are judged by their intention

and every man shall be judged

accordingly.

Thus he whose migration was for God

and His Messenger; his migration was

for God and His Messenger;

and he whose migration was to achieve

some worldly benefit or to take some

women in marriage, his migration was

for that for which he migrated.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB.

 10

When you see sycophants, throw dust in

their faces.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF MIQDAD IBN ASWAD.

 11

Asked what reward there would be for a

man who desired fame and

compensation for having performed

jihad, the Prophet said,

‘there is no reward for him.’

When asked the same question three

times over, the Prophet gave the same

reply each time. Then he said,

‘God accepts those deeds which were

performed purely for His sake and which

were meant to seek His pleasure.’

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD AND
AN-NASA’I ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU UMAMAH.

 12

Keep your faith pure.

Even the smallest good deed will suffice.

ACCORDING TO AL-MUNDHIRI WHEN
MU’ADH IBN JABAL WAS APPOINTED RULER OF YEMEN,
HE ASKED THE PROPHET FOR ADVICE AND WAS GIVEN
THE ABOVE REPLY.

 13

One who says his prayers (Salat) with

great propriety when he is in the

presence of others,

but does so without proper reverence

when he is alone,

is committing an act of contempt

for his Lord.

HADITH OF AL-MUNDHIRI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN MAS’UD.

 14

When a person repents,

God’s pleasure at this is even greater

than that of one who dismounts from

his camel, loses it in the desert and then

finds it again all of a sudden.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 15

According to ‘Amr ibn al-’As, the

Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, sent word to him to come clad in armour and bearing arms.
‘When I came into his presence, he was performing his ablutions.’
The Prophet said to me,

‘O ‘Amr, I am sending you on a

mission. God will bring you back safe

and will reward you with spoils.’

I said, ‘O Prophet, I did not migrate for

the spoils. It was for the sake of God

and His Messenger.’ The Prophet

replied, ‘The best wealth for a good man

to possess is that which has been

lawfully acquired.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 16

None of you truly believes until your

own inclinations are in accordance with

the message I have brought.

HADITH QUOTED BY
AN-NAWAWI FROM KITAB AL-HUJJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR IBN AL-’AS

 17

God has imposed certain moral obligations,

 do not abrogate them;

He has forbidden certain things,

do not indulge in them;

He has laid down certain limits,

do not transgress them;

He is silent on certain matters,

do not knowingly argue over them.

HADITH OF AD-DARQUTNI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU THA’LABAH.

 18

There is a covenant of salat (prayers)

between me and the people.

Therefore, if a man gives up salat,

he is guilty of kufr (infidelity).

HADITH OF AHMAD, AT-TIRMIDHI, AN-NASA’I
AND IBN MAJAH ON THE AUTHORITY OF BURAYDAH.

 19

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to his

governors that the most important thing

of all to him was prayer (salat).

A man who prayed regularly

safeguarded his faith.

And a man who was found wanting in

his prayers would be found wanting

even more in other matters.

MISHKAT AL-MASABIH

 20

A salat offered in congregation

is 27 times more worthy of reward than

the salat offered

alone.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 21

Anywhere that three Muslims reside,

the prayer must be offered in

congregation, otherwise Satan will

overpower them.

Adhere, therefore, to congregational

prayer, lest the wolf eat up the goat

which strays away from the herd.

HADITH BY ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU’ DARDA.

 22

When you lead the prayer,

you should make it short

because, among those offering salat there

may be some who are

infirm, sick and old.

But when you offer individual prayers,

you may lengthen them as much

as you wish.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 23

When I stand for salat,

I want to offer a long prayer,

but I shorten it when I hear a child’s

cry, because I do not want to cause

anxiety to the mother.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU QATADAH.

 24

Jabir ibn Samurah related how he used

to offer Friday prayers with the Prophet.

He said that the latter’s prayer,

as well as his sermon were

moderate in length.

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 25

Everything has a cleansing agent.

And fasting is the cleansing agent for

the body.

Fasting is more a matter of patience

than of anything else.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 

 

 26

If the observer of a fast does not give up

false utterances and their pursuit,

then God does not require him to give

up his food and water.

HADlTH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 27

Fasting is like a shield.

When one of you is observing a fast,

neither should you indulge in indecent

talk nor should you create an uproar.

And if someone talks ill of you,

or fights with you,

you should just say,

‘I am observing my fast.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 28

The man who keeps a fast in full faith,

and for reward in the world hereafter,

will be forgiven his past sins.

And the man who prays in the night

during Ramadan with faith and for

reward in the world hereafter,

will be forgiven all his past sins.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 29

When Ramadan comes,

the doors of Heaven are opened,

the doors of Hell are closed,

the devils are put in chains,

and the doors of mercy are opened.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

30

Anas ibn Malik said that they used to

travel with the Prophet.

Those who observed a fast

never found fault with those who

did not keep the fast.

Similarly, those not observing the fast

never said anything amiss

to those who kept their fast.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI.

 

 

31

Any man who misses a fast without a

reason, such as illness,

can never atone for it,

even if he fasts for the rest of his life.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI AND
ABU DAWUD ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 32

Partake of sahur (food, taken a little

before dawn during Ramadan),

for there is a blessing in it.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 33

‘Abdullah ibn al-’Abbas reported that the

Prophet made alms-giving on

‘ld-ul-Fitr an obligatory act. As well as

providing food for the poor, it was

meant to atone for any absurdity or

immodesty that may have been

committed during fasting

in the month of Ramadan.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 

34

When you pay zakat (alms),

you have done your duty, as is

obligatory.

But a person who amasses unlawful

wealth and then makes gifts to the poor

from it will have no spiritual reward for

so doing.

On the contrary,

he will carry the burden of it with him

into the next world.

HADlTH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 35

God has made the Muslims

duty-bound to pay Zakat (alms).

It will be realised from the wealthy to

be distributed among the needy.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN AL-’ABBAS.

 36

The owner of any land which is irrigated

by rain water or a stream, or which is

situated close to a river, is obliged to

give one tenth of its produce to the

needy.

The owner of such land as is irrigated

by other methods will pay half this

amount.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN AL-’ABBAS.

 37

If a person to whom God has given

wealth does not give zakat (alms),

he will find that,

on the Day of Judgement,

his wealth turns into a poisonous snake

with two black spots on its head.

It will be like a yoke around his neck.

Then it will seize him by the jaws and

declare,

I am your wealth.

I am your treasure.’

HADITH OF- AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 

 

38

A believer, who feeds another of the

faithful who is hungry, will be fed on

the fruits of Paradise by God

on the Day of Judgement.

And a believer, who serves water

to another who is thirsty, will have

his thirst slaked from the sealed drinks

by God on the Day of Judgement.

And if a believer

clothes another of the faithful

who is in dire need of clothing,

he too will be rewarded with apparel

from Paradise by God on the

Day of Judgement.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU SA ‘ID AL-KHUDRI.

 39

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari relates that

he came to the Prophet, who was sitting

in the shade of the Ka’bah. When he

saw me he said,

‘They stand to lose.’

I said, ‘May my parents ransom you. To

whom do you refer?’

‘To those with an excess of riches,’

he replied, ‘who just squander their

wealth, heedless of the fact that they can

be saved only if they spend generously

for a good cause. And there are very few

wealthy men of that ilk.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 40

Giving alms to the poor

is a single good deed,

but giving alms to a poor relative has

the double virtue of giving alms and,

at the same time,

treating one’s own relative well.

HADITH OF AN-NASA’I AND AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF SALMAN IBN ‘AMIR.

 41

If a man who sets out with the

intention of performing Hajj,

‘umrah or jihad meets with his death on

the way, he will be granted the rewards

of jihad, Hajj or ‘umrah

by his Maker.

HADITH OF AL-BAYHAQI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 42

Asked which deed inspired the greatest

respect, the Prophet replied,

‘To believe in God and

His Messenger.’

When asked what ranked next in order

of merit, he said,

‘To perform jihad for the sake

of God.’

Asked what came after that,

he replied hajj mabrur, that is,

performing pilgrimage while remaining

free from sin.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 43

A man who decides to perform Hajj

should act with promptness,

for he may fall sick,

or his mount may get lost, or a need

may arise that becomes an obstacle.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN AL-’ABBAS.

 44

God’s blessings are for everyone,

but a strong believer is better than a

weak one. Wish for things which are

beneficial to you, and in this,

seek God’s help. Do not lose heart.

If you are visited by misfortune, do not

say, ‘If I had done this or that, it could

have been averted.’ Because ‘if opens

the door to Satan.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 45

Young man,

(the Prophet said to ‘Abdullah ibn

al-’Abbas) hear some words of advice:

Be mindful of God and God will protect you.

Be mindful of God and you will find
Him before you.

If you ask, ask of God;

if you seek help, seek help of God.

Know that if all the people were to

gather together to give you the benefit of

anything, it would be

something that God had already

prescribed for you, and that if they

gathered together to harm you with

anything, this would only be as God

had already ordained.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI.

 46

Umm Salamah (the Prophet’s wife)

recounts an incident which took place

when the Prophet was at home

with her. He called out

to the maid servant, and

when she failed to appear,

he showed signs of displeasure.

Then Umm Salamah peeped out

through the curtain and saw the maid

playing.

The Prophet, who was holding a miswak

 (a twig for cleaning the teeth) in his

hand, said to the maidservant,

‘If I had had no fear

of retribution

on Judgement Day,

I would have hit you with this twig.’

AL-ADAB AL-MUFRAD BY IMAM AL-BUKHARI

 47

On the Day of Judgement, from

amongst all those destined for Hell,

a particular man,

the richest man in the world,

will be brought forth and cast into Hell

for a moment.

Then he will be taken out

and will be asked, ‘O son of Adam,

have you ever known the good things of life?

Have you ever seen comfortable days?’

And he will reply,

‘By God, O Lord, never.’

Then from amongst all those

destined for Paradise,

one who has suffered the most in

the world

will be brought forth

and will be allowed to enter Paradise

for a moment.

Then he will be taken out and asked,

‘O son of Adam,

have you ever seen suffering?

Have you ever experienced hardship

in your life?’

He will reply, ‘By God, no.

I have never suffered.

I have never undergone hardship.’ *

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

* THAT IS, JUST ONE MOMENT IN HELL
WOULD SUFFICE TO MAKE AN EVIL PERSON FORGET
ALL THE ENJOYMENT HE MAY HAVE HAD IN LIFE,
WHILE THE MERE SIGHT OF PARADISE
WOULD BE ENOUGH TO MAKE A RIGHTEOUS MAN
FORGET ALL THE SUFFERING
HE MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE LIFE
OF THIS WORLD.

 48

According to Mu’adh ibn Jabal, when

the Prophet appointed him governor of

Yemen, he said, ‘Abstain from luxuries,

for those who live luxurious lives are no

servants of God.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 49

A man who acquires a stretch of land

by tyranny

will be made to wear a yoke

made of seven earths around his neck

on the Day of Judgement.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF SA’ID IBN ZAYD.

 50

A man may speak of God’s pleasure

without giving it much importance

and yet be raised in status

by his Creator.

A man may say something which is

abhorrent to God,

without attaching any importance to it,

and it may sweep him

straight into Hell.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 51

‘A man who has as much as an iota of

arrogance in his heart will not enter

Paradise.’ Hearing these words of the

Prophet, a man asked,

‘What if a man likes to dress in good

clothes and wear good shoes?’

The Prophet said, ‘God himself possesses

elegance. And He likes elegance. This

has nothing to do with arrogance. A

man is arrogant when he refuses to

accept the truth and considers others to

be inferior.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN MAS’UD.

 52

God accepts the repentance of a man

right to his last gasp, before he dies.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 53

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who went to

the Prophet for advice, was given

this counsel:

‘Fear God, for He is the one Who sets

right all that concerns you. Read the

Qur’an and keep remembering God. For

then you will be remembered in the

heavens. And that will be a light for you

on the earth.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 54

‘The heart becomes rusted

like iron in water.’

When asked how to banish this

corrosion, the Prophet replied,

‘Remember death frequently and

recite the Qur’an.’

HADlTH OF AN-NASA’l
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 55

According to Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet

recited a verse from the Qur’an about

the Day the earth would give its account.

Then he asked,

‘Do you know

what this account will be?’

His listeners replied,

‘God and His Messenger know better.’

‘The account

the earth will give,’ said the Prophet,

‘is the witness it will bear

to the deeds and misdeeds

all men and women have committed

throughout its length and breadth,

and to the exact moments of

their commission. That is what

the earth’s account will be.’

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI.

 56

Following the rule of abstinence from

worldly things does not mean that what

is normally permitted becomes prohibited

or that wealth should be allowed to go

to waste. On the contrary, such

abstinence means that you should place

greater reliance on what God intends for

you than on what you have in hand

yourself. And when misfortune strikes,

you should relish its continuance for the

reward this will bring.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU DHARR AL-GHIFARI.

 57

Anyone who unjustly flogs his servant will

be punished on the Day of Judgement.

HADITH OF AT-TABARANI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 

 58

Love for the life of this world is

damaging to the life of the Hereafter.

Anyone who values the life of the

Hereafter will be indifferent to the life of

this world. Therefore, prefer that which

is eternal to that which is ephemeral.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU MUSA AL-ASH’ARI.

 59

Wise is he who controls his desires and

prepares for the life which starts after

death. And cast down is he who lives

for the love of this world and has false

expectations from God.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF SHADDAD IBN AUS.

 60

On the Day of Judgement the rightful

will be given their due. So much so that

a goat with horns will be avenged for

the goat without horns. *

HADITH OF MUSLIM AND AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

* THAT IS, A PERSON WHO IS AS
INSIGNIFICANT AS A GOAT WITHOUT HORNS WILL
ALSO RECEIVE HIS DUE ON THAT DAY.

 61

The lightest punishment for those in

Hell will be two sparks under both feet.

So searing will be their effect that the

brain will begin to boil like a vessel on

the fireplace.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF NU’MAN IBN BASHIR.

 62

On the Day of Judgement,

no step shall a man stir until he has

answered questions on five aspects of his

wordly existence:

his life and how he spent it;

his knowledge and what use he has made of it; his wealth, how he acquired it and

how he has spent it;

and his body and how he has utilized it.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 63

The cautious man travels early in the

morning. And the early morning

traveller reaches his destination.

Pay heed. God’s reward is peerless.

Pay heed. God’s reward is Paradise.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 64

The man who enters Paradise will live

in eternal blessedness. He will never be

needy. Neither will his clothes wear out,

nor will he lose his youth. Paradise has

everything – things which have never been

seen or heard of, and which are quite

beyond human imagination.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 65

According to Asma’ bint Abu Bakr, the

Prophet once stood up and delivered a

sermon in which he spoke of the trials

that a man would be subjected to

beyond the grave. When he delivered

this discourse, the believers wept bitterly.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI.

 66

When those destined for Paradise

enter it,

to each a herald will cry:

‘Now you will enjoy good health

forever. You will never fall ill.

You will retain your youth forever.

You will never grow old.

You will be prosperous forever.

You will never be needy.

This is the essence of God’s promise

to you.’

Then a cry will go up: ‘This is

the Paradise you were promised.

You have been made its inheritor

in return for your

good deeds’ (7:43).

HADITH OF MUSLIM AND AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 67

A man thus addressed the Prophet:

‘O Messenger of God, who rightfully

deserves the best treatment from me?’

‘Your mother,’

the Prophet said.

‘Then who?’

the man asked again.

‘Your mother,’

replied the Prophet.

‘Then who?’

asked the man once again.

‘Your mother,’

said the Prophet.

The man asked once more,

‘Then who?’

‘Your father,’

said the noble Prophet.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 68

The Prophet once exclaimed,

‘Shame on him!

Shame on him!

Shame on him!’

When asked who the man in question

was, the Prophet replied,

‘He is one who had both or one

of his parents with him in their old age,

yet he failed

to enter

Paradise.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 69

Abu Usayd as-Sa’idi tells of how they

were once with the Prophet

when a man from the Banu Salmah

arrived in their midst.

Addressing the Prophet,

he asked, ‘O Messenger of God,

Are there any outstanding debts

which I have to repay

after my parents’ deaths?’

The Prophet, replied,

‘Yes, pray for them

and seek forgiveness for them.

And fulfill their obligations now that

they are gone.

And treat their relations with kindness.

And respect

their friends.’

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 70

A man who treats his relatives well

in order to return their good treatment

of him shows no real love

for them.

The man who really shows love

for his relatives is one who

treats them well

despite their being unkind

to him.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 71

He who satiates himself,

while his immediate neighbours

go hungry,

is not a true believer.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘ABBAS.

 72

Asma’ bint Abu Bakr related how her

foster mother, a believer in polytheism

(shirk), had come to her during the

period of the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah.

Concerned that her foster mother was a

polytheist, she addressed the Prophet, ‘O

Messenger of God, my idolatrous

(mushrik) mother has come to me and

she wants something from me. Should I

give it to her?’ ‘Yes. Treat her well,’

replied the Prophet.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 73

A man who has two wives, but does not

give them equal treatment, will find half

his body lost on the Day of Judgement.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 74

When a man dies, nothing lives on after

him, except for three things: sadaqah

jariyah (continuing charity), *

knowledge which can benefit others,

or virtuous offspring who will pray for him.

HADITH OF MUSLIM ON
THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

* THAT IS, HIS CHARITY, THE BENEFIT OF
WHICH CONTINUES EVEN AFTER THE DONOR HAS
PASSED AWAY, SUCH AS THE BUILDING OF
A BRIDGE OR A HOSPITAL, OR
THE DIGGING OF A WELL.

 75

A believer should never loathe a

believing wife. If one quality in her does

not find favour with her husband,

some other quality will be to his liking.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 76

A man once went to the Prophet with a

grievance against his relatives.

‘O Messenger of God,’ he said, ‘I have

some relatives whom I treat with

kindness. Yet they show me no

kindness. I treat them well and they

treat me badly. I show them forbearance

and they treat me with brutality.’

The Prophet replied, ‘If you are as you

say you are, then it is as if you have

smeared their faces with dust. And you

will always have God’s help against them

so long as you continue to be well-

behaved towards them.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 77

When the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was asked who was
the best of all women,

he replied, ‘The woman whose husband

feels pleased to see her, who obeys when

her husband commands, and who does

not take a stand

about her or her wealth

which is displeasing

to her husband.’

HADITH OF AN-NASA’I
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 78

When a man spends on his family

members with the intention of seeking

God’s pleasure, then his spending

becomes an act of charity.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU MAS’UD.

 79

A person once said to the Prophet,

‘O Messenger of God, a certain woman

is said to offer salat (prayers), observe

fasts and give alms generously,

but she hurts her neighbours

by the way she speaks.’

The Prophet replied,

‘She will go to Hell’

Then the man said,

‘O Messenger of God, a certain other

woman says fewer prayers, keeps fewer

fasts voluntarily and offers little in the

way of alms. She only gives a few pieces

of cheese.

But she never hurts her neighbours

with her tongue.’

The Prophet replied,

‘She will enter Paradise.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 80

When the Prophet was asked by

‘A’ishah to which of two neighbours she

should send a gift, he replied,

‘To the one whose door is closer to your

own.’

HADlTH OF AL-BUKHARI.

 81

The Prophet once exclaimed,

‘By God, he is not a believer!

By God, he is not a believer!

By God, he is not a believer!’

The people asked,

‘O Messenger of God, who?’

‘The man whose excesses prevent his

neighbour from living in peace,’

replied the noble Prophet.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 82

A believer is a mirror to another believer.

A believer is a brother to another believer.

He saves him from losses.

He safeguards his interests in his

absence.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 83

According to Anas ibn Malik, the

Prophet said to him, ‘O my son, if you

can act in such a way that you spend

your mornings and your evenings

without wishing anyone ill, then that is

how you should always act.’ Then he

added, ‘O my son, this is my way. And

anyone who loves my ways, loves me.

And anyone who loves me will live with

me in Paradise.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 84

Each one of you is a shepherd.

And each one of you will be asked

about your flock.

A ruler also is a shepherd and he will

be asked about his flock.

And every man is a shepherd to his family.

And a woman is the custodian of her

husband’s house and his children.

Thus each one of you is a shepherd,

and each one will be asked about his

flock.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 85

You should visit the sick, feed the

hungry and set prisoners free.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU MUSA AL-ASH’ARI’.

 86

Whenever God makes a man responsible

for other people, whether in greater or

lesser numbers, he will be questioned as

to whether he ruled his charges in

accordance with God’s decrees or not.

And that will not be all. God will

question him even about his family

members.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 87

If you show kindness to your servant

while employing him in some task, this

will weigh heavily in your favour on the

Day of Judgement. That will be your

reward.

HADITH OF ‘AMR IBN HURAYTH.

 88

The best person among you is the one

who treats his family members well And

I am the best person

for my family.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN AL-’ABBAS.

 

 

89

When the Prophet was asked which

form of Islam was better, he replied, ‘To feed the people and extend greetings

of peace to them –

be they of your acquaintance

or not.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR IBN AL-’AS.

 90

On the Day of Judgement, God will say,

‘O son of Adam, I was sick, but you

did not visit Me.’

The man will reply,

‘O my Lord, how could I visit You – the

Lord of the whole universe?’

God will say, ‘Did you not know that

such and such a man had fallen ill?

Yet you did not visit him.

Did you not know that had you gone

there to visit him, you would have found

Me there with him?’

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 91

O Muslim women, do not belittle the

gift of any woman in your

neighbourhood, even if it happens to be

a goat’s hoof.

HADlTH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 92

According to Anas ibn Malik, when

God’s Messenger said, ‘Help your

brother, irrespective of whether he is the

oppressor or the oppressed,’ a man said,

‘O Messenger of God, I can help the

oppressed, but how can I help the

oppressor?’ The Prophet replied,

‘Stop him from committing an act of

oppression. That in itself is

a form of help.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 93

According to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, the

Prophet, addressing the people on the

occasion of the farewell pilgrimage,

exhorted them to listen carefully to what

he had to say:

‘All Muslims are brothers.

They constitute one brotherhood.

Nothing belonging to one Muslim

can become legitimate property

of another, unless it has been freely and

willingly given. Do not, therefore, do

injustice to your own selves. O God,

have I conveyed your message?

Woe betide you. When I am gone,

do not become infidels

and start killing each other.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI.

 94

Do not marry women for their beauty. It

is possible that their beauty may destroy

them. Do not marry them for their

wealth. It is possible that their wealth

may make them rebellious. Instead,

marry them on the basis of their faith.

And a black maid who is a believer is

much better for you.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR IBN AL-’AS.

 95

The worst feast is the marriage feast to

which the rich are invited and the poor

are not. And anyone who does not

accept an invitation commits an act of

disobedience against God and His

Messenger.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI’ AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 96

According to Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah, when

he asked the Prophet about a man’s gaze

falling inadvertently on a strange woman,

the Prophet replied,

‘Turn your eyes away.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 97

O young people, those among you who

are able

must enter into marriage. For

it helps to divert your attention from

women. And

it is a safeguard

against lust.

And those who cannot marry should

observe fasts, for fasting too

is a safeguard.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN MAS’UD.

 98

There are four reasons for a man to

marry a woman:

her wealth;

her lineage;

her beauty;

her faith.

Woe betide you!

Only enter into marriage with one who

has faith.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 99

The best gift from a father to his child

is education and upbringing.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF SA’ID IBN AL-’AS.

 100

The best dower is the easy one.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF UQBAH IBN ‘AMIR.

 101

Should I not tell you what is the best

charity? To spend on the daughter who

has been returned to you (a divorced or

widowed daughter) when there is no

one else to earn for her.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF SURAQA IBN MALIK.

 102

According to ‘A’ishah, once when a

child was brought to the Prophet, he

fondled him and said, ‘These children

make cowards and misers of the parents.

And they are the flowers of the

Almighty.’

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH.

 103

According to ‘Abdullah ibn al-’Abbas,

the Prophet cursed those men who try to

resemble women

and women who try

to resemble men.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI ABU DAWUD AND AN-NASA’I.

 104

On the Day of Judgement, what will

weigh most heavily in favour of the

believer will be his good morals.

God abhors those who indulge in

shameless talk and use indecent language.

HADITH OF AT-TlRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU’D DARDA.

 105

Save yourselves from envy.

For envy eats up virtue

as fire eats up wood.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 106

It is not proper

for a man to keep away

from his brother for more than

three days, and then when they meet to

turn their faces away from

each other.

The better of the two is the one who

greets the other first.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARl AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU AYYUB AL-ANSARI.

 107

An honest and trustworthy merchant (in

the world hereafter) will be with the

Prophets, the truthful and the martyrs.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU SA’ID AL-KHUDRI.

 108

According to Abu Musa al-Ash’ari,

the Prophet said,

‘Believers are like the

different parts of a building, each one

supporting the other.’

Then he demonstrated what he meant

by interlocking his fingers.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSUM.

 

 109

How evil is the man who hoards

essential supplies! If God wills it that the

prices of merchandise fall, that makes him unhappy.

But if the prices rise, that makes him

happy.

HADITH OF AL-BAYHAQI ON THE AUTHORITY OF MU’ADH.

 110

You will observe that the believers are

like the parts of the body in relation to

each other in matters of kindness, love

and affection. When one part of the

body is afflicted, the entire body feels it;

there is loss of sleep and a fever

develops.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF NU’MAN IBN BASHIR.

 111

To earn through labour is the best way

to earn, provided the work

is done

with sincerity.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 112

It is obligatory for a Muslim to pay heed

to his ruler and obey him, whether he

likes him or not, as long as the ruler

does not order him to commit a sin.

If he orders him to sin, then he is not

to pay heed to him or obey him.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 113

Muslims are brothers. When one

Muslim sells something to another, it is

his duty to inform the other of any

defect in the merchandise.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘UQBAH IBN ‘AMIR.

 114

Avoid falling under suspicion.

For suspicion does the worst damage.

Do not inquire into the lives of others.

Do not pry.

Do not exaggerate what others say.

Bear each other no malice, and

do not hurt each others’ interests.

And, by being brothers to each other

become the servants of God.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 115

The best sustenance is that which you

earn by your own industry.

The Prophet Dawud (David) used to

earn his sustenance with his own hands.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF MIQDAM IBN MA’DIKARIB.

 116

According to Suhayl when God’s

Messenger passed by a camel and

noticed that it had become so thin that

its back and its stomach seemed to be

touching, he said, ‘Fear God when

dealing with these beasts. Mount them

when they are in good condition,

and leave them in that

same state.’

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 117

A merchant who hoards goods in order

to raise their price is a sinner.

HADITH Of MUSLIM ON THE AUTHORITY Of MA’MAR.

 118

According to Rafi’ ibn Khadij, when the

Prophet was asked which was the best

kind of earning, he replied, ‘That for

which a man works with his hands.

And honest trading.’

HADITH Of AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 119

A time will come when people will no

longer care about whether their wealth

has been lawfully or unlawfully acquired.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 120

It is not just

for a man to sell his merchandise

without disclosing its defects.

It is proper for the vendor to

tell the buyer of any defects

of which he is aware.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF WATHILAH.

 121

The trader who does not hoard essential

supplies receives

His sustenance,

while the hoarder of essential supplies

is cursed.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH AND AD-DARIMI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB.

 122

God will show compassion to those

who show kindness while buying and

selling, and recovering debts.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI ON THE AUTHORITY OF JABIR.

 123

One who denies an heir his legacy will

be denied the legacy of Paradise by the

Almighty.

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 124

One who makes sacrifices for the sake of

God will have all his sins pardoned,

except for his debts.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 125

Pay the labourer his wages even before

his sweat dries up.

HADlTH OF IBN MAJAH
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 126

There was a man who used to give

loans to poor people. When his assistant

had to go to them to recover the loans,

he would urge him to be forgiving to

those who were not able to pay back his

loans with ease, believing that, in that way,

perhaps God would show him forgiveness.

When that man came face to face with

the Almighty, He forgave him.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 127

If a man commits something to your

care, be sure to return it to him.

Never betray anyone’s trust, not even if

the person concerned has failed to stand

by his commitments

to you.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 128

Save yourself from the curse of an

oppressed person, who seeks his rights

from God, for God

never denies the righteous

their rights.

HADITH OF AL-BAYHAQI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ALI IBN ABI TALIB.

 129

If a Muslim farms the land or plants a

tree, and then a bird, a beast or a man

eats something from it, he receives in

return the reward of a charity.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 130

What is lawful and what is forbidden

are both quite clear. But between them

are matters which are not clear. A man

who avoids the unclear will be even

more careful to avoid an open sin.

But it is feared that a man who does

not baulk at unclear sins will indulge

even in open sin. And sin is like a

grazing ground forbidden by God. A

beast that passes by it risks the chance

of straying into it.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF NU’MAN IBN BASHIR.

 131

On the Day of Judgement, God will not

even look at a man who, in a show of

arrogance, lets his clothes sweep the

ground. Abu Bakr said, ‘The cloth

which I have worn around my waist

trails no matter what I do. ‘ To this the

Prophet said, ‘You are not one of those

who do it out of

arrogance.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 132

One who walks with a tyrant,

in the full knowledge that he is a tyrant,

in order to strengthen him,

is such as has already left the fold

of Islam.

HADITH OF AL-BAYHAQI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF AUS IBN SHURAHABIL.

 133

A man who borrows things, with the

intention of returning them, has them

returned on his behalf

by the Almighty.

A man who borrows things, with no

intention of returning them, has such

possessions destroyed by the Almighty.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 

 

134

Anger is the devil,

and the devil has been created from fire.

And fire is extinguished by water,

therefore, when any of you feel angry,

you should perform your ablutions.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ATIYAH SA’DI.

 135

When any of you feel angry, you should

sit down if you are standing. And if

your anger passes off with this, well and

good. If not, you should

lie down.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU DHARR AL-GHIFARl.

 136

When a man tells you something in

confidence, you must not betray his trust.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF JABIR IBN ‘ABDULLAH.

 137

On the Day of Judgement, the tyrant’s

own tyranny will descend upon him in

the form of darkness.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 138

When there are three of you, one

should not be left out while the other

two share a secret, for this will

cause him grief.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 139

Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let

him change it with his hand;

and if he is not able to do so,

then with his tongue;

and if he is not able to do so,

then with his heart, for that is the

minimum that is desirable from a

believer.

HADITH OF AN-NASA’I
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU SA’ID AL-KHUDRI.

 140

No one should have to ask another to

vacate his seat for him. Room should be

made for him without his asking.

HADITH OF AHMAD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘UMAR.

 141

It is not proper for a man to sit

between two men and thus separate

them, without seeking their permission.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD AND
AT-TIRMIDHI ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘AMR IBN SHU’AYB.

 142

Those who take bribes and those who

give bribes are cursed by God.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR IBN AL-’AS.

 143

By his own account, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah

met the Prophet in Mecca in the early

days of his prophethood, and asked him,

‘What are you?’

He replied, ‘I am a Prophet.’

‘Amr then asked,

‘What is a Prophet?’

He replied, ‘I have been sent by God.’

‘What has God sent you with?’

‘Amr asked.

‘With the commandment to destroy idols

and to treat one’s relatives with

kindness;

to believe in one God and not to treat

anyone as His partner,’ replied the

Prophet.

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 144

Three things are part of the good morals

of a believer.

When he is overcome by anger,

his anger should not drive him to

falsehood.

When he is happy,

his happiness should not take him

beyond the bounds of what is right.

When he has power,

he should not stake a claim to

something which is not his.

HADITH OF AT-TABARANI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 145

The way to atone for slander is to pray

for the forgiveness of the person whom

you have slandered. Say, ‘O God, forgive

me as well as him.’

HADITH OF AL-JAMI’ AS-SAGHIR
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 146

Explaining verse 41:34 of the Qur’an,

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said that those

who exercised self-restraint when angry,

or when confronted by mischief,

would be protected

by God.

He would force their enemies

to bow down before them as if

they were His dear friends.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI.

 147

Whenever a believer is stricken with

any hardship, or pain, or anxiety, or

sorrow, or harm, or distress—even if it

be a thorn that has hurt him— God

redeems thereby some of his failings.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 148

Anas ibn Malik relates that as he was

walking with the Prophet, who happened

to have a thick-bordered Najrani burd

(sheet) around his shoulders, a Bedouin

came up to him and tugged at it.

‘I saw that it had left a mark on his

neck. Then the Bedouin said,

“O Muhammad, order some of the

wealth of God which you have in your

possession to be given to me.”

The Prophet looked at him and smiled,

then he gave orders for something to be

given to him.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 149

A bedouin once urinated in the

Prophet’s Mosque, and people got up to

punish him. The Prophet said, ‘Leave

him alone, and throw a bucket of water

over his urine.

You are here to make things easy,

not to make things difficult.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 150

According to ‘A’ishah, the Prophet used

to cobble his shoes, stitch his clothes

and do the kind of housework that is

done in all homes. He was a human

being just like anybody else. He used to

milk his goat and do sundry other

chores himself.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI.

 151

According to ‘A’ishah, the Prophet never

gave others tasks which were beyond

their capabilities.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI.

 152 

According to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn aI-’As,

the Prophet was never seen to eat

while reclining on a pillow. And no one

had seen even two men walking behind

him at any time.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 153

 ‘A’ishah said that she had never seen

the Prophet show off his palate.

He used just to smile.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 154 

Sa’ib has thus recorded his

commendation of the Prophet; ‘In the

period of Ignorance (i.e. before Islam)

when you were my partner in business,

you were the finest of all partners. You

never deceived me. Neither did you

quarrel with me.’

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 155

According to Ya’ala when he asked

Umm Salamah how the Prophet recited

the Qur’an, she replied, ‘The Prophet

used to recite the Qur’an with great

clarity. Each word could be heard

distinctly.’

HADITH OF AT-TlRMIDHI.

 156

According to Jabir, the Prophet never

said ‘no’ to any request.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 157

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud told how during

the battle of Badr, one camel was shared

by three men, namely Abu Lubabah,

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the Prophet.

When it was the Prophet’s turn to walk,

the other two would say to him, ‘Mount

the camel. We will walk in your place.’

The Prophet would reply, ‘Neither of

you is stronger than I am, nor am I less

eager for rewards than you.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 158

Abu Hurayrah relates how the Prophet

never criticised food.

‘If he liked it, he ate it. If he did not,

he just left it.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

 159

According to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the

Prophet said that none of his

Companions should complain to him of

another. ‘I would like to come to you

with a clear heart.’

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 160

According to ‘A’ishah, the Prophet held

that cleaning the teeth helped in

maintaining oral hygiene. ‘And,’ said

the Prophet, ‘it gives pleasure to the Lord.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL AND AN-NASA’I.

 161

Verily, God Almighty, and His angels,

and those who inhabit the heavens,

even the ants in their holes and

the fishes in their waters,

bless the good teachers of mankind.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU UMAMAH.

 162

You will not enter Paradise

unless you have faith,

and you cannot be one of the faithful

unless you love each other.

Should I not tell you things which,

if followed,

will create love among you?

One is to observe the practice of greeting

each other.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 163

According to ‘Abdullah ibn al-’Abbas,

the Prophet forbade the staging of fights

between animals.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI.

 164

According to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, the

Prophet forbade not only indulgence in

slander and backbiting, but even

listening to such talk.

MISHKAT AL-MASABIH.

 165

When a man makes a promise with the

intention of fulfilling it, but for some

valid reason is unable to do so,

he does not thereby commit a sin.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ZAYD IBN ARQAM.

 166

According to Khuraym ibn Fatik, the

Prophet rose after the completion of his

morning prayer and said, ‘The giving of

false evidence is like committing idolatry.’

He repeated this three times. Then he

recited this passage of the Qur’an: ‘Shun

the loathsome evil of idolatrous beliefs

and practices; and shun every word that

is untrue. Dedicate yourselves to God

and serve none

besides Him’ (22:30-31).

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD.

 167

‘The man who indulges in backbiting

will not enter Paradise!’

HADlTH OF BUKHARl
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 168

A man once asked the Prophet if bigotry

was to love one’s tribe.

‘No,’ replied the Prophet.

‘Bigotry is to help your tribe to tyrannise

others.’

HADITH OF IBN MAJAH ON THE
AUTHORITY OF ‘UBADAH IBN KATHIR ASH-SHAMI.

 169

He who preaches bigotry

is not one of us.

And not being one of us,

he may go ahead

and fight in the cause of bigotry.

He who dies for such a cause

is not one of us either.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF JUBAYR IBN MUT’IM.

 170

According to Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet

once asked his listners if they knew what

slander was, to which they replied that

God and His Messenger knew better.

The Prophet then explained

that slander meant speaking

of one’s brother in a manner that was

hurtful to him.

He was then asked, what if one’s

brother was actually at fault. The Prophet

replied that, if he was at fault, then what

was said against him was just backbiting

and, if he was not,

it was calumny.

HADITH Of MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 171

‘On the Day of Judgement, you will

discover the worst man to be the one

who had two faces.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 172 

‘Abdullah said that it was not proper

to tell lies

either in serious or in light vein.

Neither was it proper to make

promises to one’s children and then

not fulfill them.

AL-ADAB AL-MUFRAD BY IMAM AL-BUKHARI

 173

There are four characteristics which

together make a person a complete

hypocrite.

The taint of hypocrisy will attach

to the trustee who breaks his trust,

to the speaker who tells untruths,

to the maker of promises who fails to

keep them and

to the man who uses foul language

when in disagreement with others.

This taint will remain unless the

wrongdoer mends his ways.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR IBN AL-’AS.

 174

When three men travel together, they

should make one of them their leader.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU SA’ID AL-KHUDRI.

 175

Do not quarrel with your brother.

Do not ridicule him.

You should refrain from making

a promise

and then going back on it.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABDULLAH IBN AL-’ABBAS.

 176

A man who helps his people

for an unjust cause

can be compared with a man,

who catches hold of the tail of a camel

which is falling into a well

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN MAS’UD.

 177

It is ruinous for a man to tell lies so

that others may laugh.

It is ruinous for him.

It is ruinous for him.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF BAHZ IBN HAKIM.

 178

Do not rejoice in the misfortunes of

your brother.

For God may show him compassion,

but create difficulties for you.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF WATHILAH.

 179

The most perfect of believers, in point

of faith, is he who is the best in manners.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 180

Even if a group of people in a jungle

number only three, it is still incumbent

upon them to choose a leader.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR.

 181

None of you (truly) believes, until he

wishes for his brother what he wishes

for himself.

HADlTH OF BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 182

Calling God in personal prayer is

worship.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD AND AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF NU’MAN IBN BASHIR.

 183

O God,

only You can change our hearts.

We beseech You to do so,

so that we may submit to You.

HADITH OF MUSLIM ON THE
AUTHORITY OF ‘ABDULLAH IBN ‘AMR IBN AL-’AS.

 184

According to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, when

he asked the Prophet to tell him of

some invocations which he could recite

in his prayers, the Prophet said, ‘Say,

God, I have been an oppressor to

myself. And there is no one but You

who can forgive my sins.

Therefore forgive me in Your generosity.

And show me compassion. Verily, You

are Forgiving and Compassionate.’

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI AND MUSLIM.

 185

According to Mu’adh, the Prophet took

his hand in his own and said,

‘O Mu’adh, by God, I love You.’ Then

he said, ‘I give you this counsel: after

each prayer,

you must not omit to say,

“O God, help me to remember You,

and thank You, and worship You with

devotion.”

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD AND AN-NASA’I

 186

Tariq ibn Ahyam relates that when

anyone entered the fold of Islam, the

Prophet would teach him to pray. Then

he would instruct him how to invoke

his Maker in these words:

‘O God, forgive me and have mercy

on me. Give me prosperity and sustenance.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 187

God has given utterance to these words:

‘We are with Our servant whenever he

remembers Us; when his lips are busy

for Us.’

HADITH OF BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 188

 O God, I have obtained one promise

from You. And on no account will You

go against it. After all, I am a human

being. (If ever) I have harmed a Muslim,

or have spoken ill of him,

or cursed him, or flogged him, then in

compensation for all this, give him Your

blessings, Your purity and Your

nearness.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH.

 

 189

 O God, I seek Your protection from

misery and grief,

from weakness and laziness,

and from the burden of loans

and from things that will make others

overcome me.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANAS IBN MALIK.

 190

 ‘A’ishah related how she heard the

Prophet praying thus: ‘O God, be

lenient with me while judging me.’

When she asked him what leniency of

judgement meant, he said, ‘God’s

forgiveness after He has seen a man’s

record. O ‘A’ishah, anyone who is

judged strictly will be ruined.’

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 191

According to Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, the

Prophet said, ‘Whenever one of the

faithful invokes blessings which involve

no sin or the breaking up of a

relationship, God is certain to grant

one of three things.

Either He gives the supplicant His

Blessings in this world,

or He keeps them for him in the world

hereafter, or

He saves him from some misfortune.’

His listener then said,

‘Now we shall invoke God’s blessings

even more.

‘God’s blessings are boundless,’

replied the Prophet.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL.

 192

This is the invocation of

a troubled man:

‘O God I am a petitioner for Divine

Mercy. Do not abandon me even for a

moment to any desires. And keep all my

affairs in order. There is no God but

You.’

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU BAKR.

 193

God is nearest to His servant in the last

phase of the night.

If possible,

be one of those

who remember God during this period.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ‘AMR IBN ‘ABASAH.

 194

God extends His hand at night so that

He may accept the repentance of those

who indulge in wickedness

during the day.

God extends His hand during the day

so that He may accept the repentance of

those who indulge in wickedness

at night.

This will continue till the sun rises

in the west.

HADITH OF MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU MUSA AL-ASH’ARI.

 195

Those who remember God and those

who do not are as different from each

other as the living and the dead.

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU MUSA AL-ASH’ARI.

 196

According to Tamim ad-Dari,

the Prophet said,

‘Well-wishing is faith.

Well-wishing is faith.

Well-wishing is faith.’

When asked towards whom, he replied,

‘Towards God, His Messenger,

His Book,

the Muslim rulers and the

common people.’

HADITH OF MUSLIM.

 197

Whenever the meal was concluded the

Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, would say,

‘Praise be to God, in plenty,

in the best form and in abundance.

The praise, which we ourselves offer and

the praise which does not desert us, and

whose desire never leaves us and we do

not become indifferent to praise (of

God), O Our Lord.’

HADITH OF AL-BUKHARI
ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU UMAMAH.

 198

God is bountiful and feels unhappy if

He has to refuse to grant a wish.

He feels embarrassed when a man holds

out both his hands before Him, and He

has to disappoint him by turning him

away empty-handed.

HADITH OF ABU DAWUD AND
AT-TIRMIDHI ON THE AUTHORITY OF SALMAN AL-FARSI.

 199

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said, ‘It is as if I

see the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, describing

the life of one of the prophets,1 who is

assaulted by his people until the blood runs. He wipes the blood from his face

and says, “O God, forgive my people for

they know not what they do.’”

HADITH OF BUKHARI AND MUSLIM.

1. THE ALLUSION IS PROBABLY MADE TO THE PROPHET NUH (NOAH)

 200

O God, I seek divine guidance

so that I may remain steadfast

in what is just.

I seek divine guidance in order to be

firm in righteousness.

I seek divine guidance in the manner

that I express my gratitude

for Your favours

and worship with devotion.

I seek from You a tongue that speaks

the truth

and a heart which is pure

and clean.

HADITH OF AT-TIRMIDHI.