Indexed OCR Text

5
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah , the Lord of the worlds.
And peace, blessings and salutations be upon His
Messenger, Muhammad
.

رَاضُ الْصَالحِينْ
مِن كَلَا مِسَيِّدِالمَرْسَلِين
by Imam Nawawī
A Translation and Commentary
of
RIYAD
AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Volume 1
Hadith 1 to 601
General Editor
Moulana Afzal Ismail
MUSLIMS AT WORK
Publications

First Edition Sha'ban 1435 / May 2014
Second Edition Rabī ul-ākhir 1437 / February 2016
Third Edition Rabī ul-ākhir 1439 / January 2018
Fourth Edition Jumādal ūlā 1441 / January 2020
Reprint Sha'baan 1442 / March 2021
Published by:
Muslims at Work Publications
P.O. Box 606, Heidelberg, 1438
South Africa
ISBN 978-0-620-60249-5
Distributed by:
Muslims at Work Publications
Website : www.matwork.co.za
Email : info@matwork.co.za
Tel : +27 73 183 0721 / +27 65 942 5923
South Africa
Distributed in the UK by Azhar Academy Ltd. London
sales@azharacademy.com
54-68 Little Ilford Lane
Manor Park - London E12 5QA
Tel. +44 (0) 20 8911 9797

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوْى
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّ وَحْيٌ يُؤْحُى
He (Muhammad
does not speak out of (his own) desire.
It is but revelation revealed (to him).
(Sūrah Najm, 3-4)

Transliteration Key
أ إ
,
d ض
1-
£
ā
b !
七·
ب
b
7 ظ
ت
t
¿ ','a, 'i, 'u
th ث
gh غ
ج
j
f ف
خ
kh
ك
k
د
d
ل
1
ذ
dh
م
m
1
r
ن
n
ز
Z
9
ū
س
S
h
O
ش
sh
y, i ي
ص
S
Used after the name of Allah, translated as, "Blessed and exalted is He."
Used after the name of Nabī Muhammad, translated as, "May Allah's peace and
blessing be upon him."
Stk Used after the name of a Messenger of Allah, translated as, "May Allah's peace
be upon him."
Used after the name of a male Sahabī (companion) of Nabī Muhammad
translated as, "May Allah be pleased with him."
Used after the name of a female Sahabiya (companion) of Nabī Muhammad
translated as, "May Allah be pleased with her."
Used after the names of more than one Sahabī (companion) of Nabī Muhammad
translated as, "May Allah be pleased with them."
Used after the name of a pious person, translated as, "May Allah's mercy be
upon him."
ق
q

Contents
Introduction
11
Foreword by Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara () Wir
13
Foreword by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (disz
15
Author's Preface
.......
17
......
Chapter on sincerity and the presence of intention in all deeds, words and conditions, both external
and internal
....
19
Chapter on repentance.
........
41
Chapter on patience
68
Chapter on truthfulness
.....
106
Chapter on Allah-consciousness
112
Chapter on fearing Allah &
128
Chapter on conviction and reliance on Allah
133
Chapter on steadfastness
146
Chapter on reflecting over the great creations of Allah , the fleeting nature of the world, the terrors
of the Hereafter, other matters of this world and the Hereafter, the curtailment and culturing of the
soul, and keeping it steadfast.
.149
Chapter on hastening towards good deeds and encouraging a person who intends doing good by
motivating him to remain firm and focussed.
151
Chapter on striving.
...........
159
Chapter on the encouragement to increase in good deeds in one's latter life
179
Chapter on exposition of the numerous avenues of doing good
186
Chapter on moderation in worship
.....
208
Chapter on upholding good deeds
.......
224
Chapter on upholding the sunnah and its etiquettes
.227
Chapter on the obligation of submitting to the order of Allah Ks and what is to be said by one who
is invited to that, commanded to good and forbidden from evil
240
Chapter on the prohibition of innovations and introducing new matters in religion.
.....
........
243
Chapter on a person who initiates a good or evil way ..
.....
246
Chapter on directing towards good, and inviting towards guidance or misguidance
.......
.....
.249

CONTENTS
Chapter on helping each other in goodness and the fear of Allah des
253
Chapter on good counsel .
256
Chapter on commanding good and forbidding evil ..
259
Chapter on the severe punishment for the person who commands good and forbids evil but his actions
contradict his utterances
273
Chapter on the command of fulfilling trusts
275
Chapter on the prohibition of oppression and the command to recompense where oppression was
perpetrated.
284
Chapter on honouring the sanctity of Muslims; an exposition of their rights, and having compassion
and mercy for them
.301
Chapter on concealing the faults of Muslims and the prohibition of publicising their faults unnecessarily
315
Chapter on fulfilling the needs of Muslims
....
318
Chapter on intercession.
320
Chapter on restoring harmony between people.
322
Chapter on the virtues of the weak, poor and undistinguished Muslims
.....
327
Chapter on treating women well ..
.....
........
348
Chapter on the rights of a husband over his wife.
........
356
Chapter on spending on one's wife and children
362
........
Chapter on spending from that which one loves and that which is superior in quality.
..................... 367
Chapter on the obligation to command one's family, children and those in one's care to obey Allah
Les and prohibit them from disobeying Him; and training them and forbidding them from indulging
in the prohibited
.369
Chapter on the rights of the neighbour and being good to him.
.........
374
Chapter on kindness to parents and maintaining ties of kinship.
380
Chapter on the prohibition of disobeying parents and severing ties of kinship
...........
402
Chapter on honouring the family of the Messenger of Allah
and an exposition of their virtues
414
Chapter on honouring the scholars, elders, and people of goodness; giving preference to them over
others, elevating their seating places and acknowledging their status.
418
Chapter on the virtue of loving someone for the sake of Allah Ces and encouraging it; and informing
the one who a person loves and what to say to him when informing him ..
.444

CONTENTS
Chapter on the signs of Allah's love for a person and encouragement that these be adopted and that
one should strive to acquire them
455
Chapter on warning against harming the righteous, the weak and the poor
460
Chapter on passing judgement on the outward actions of people while leaving their hidden actions to
Allah
461
Chapter on fear
468
Chapter on hope
484
Chapter on the virtue of hope
517
Chapter on combining fear and hope
............
520
.....
Chapter on the virtue of weeping due to the fear of Allah &s and longing for Him
.......
523
Chapter on the virtue of living a life of abstinence and encouragement to suffice on little in this world
and the virtue of poverty
530
Chapter on the virtue of hunger, living a simple life, sufficing with little in food and drink, and clothing
557
Chapter on contentment, chastity and restraint, moderation in lifestyle and expenses, and disapproval
of begging unnecessarily
589
Chapter on the permissibility of taking that which comes without asking for it and expecting it .. 602
Chapter on encouraging to earn one's own livelihood, to abstain from begging, and to be charitable
603
Chapter on generosity and magnanimity, and spending in good causes with reliance on Allah 5.605
Chapter on the prohibition of miserliness and greed ....
619
Chapter on giving preference to and comforting others
620
Chapter on competing in matters of the Hereafter and to desire much of that which is blessed ..... 624
Chapter on the virtue of a grateful wealthy person - one who earns in the correct manner and spends
in avenues that have been commanded
626
Chapter on remembering death and curtailing aspirations.
....
.
629
Chapter on the advisability of men visiting graves and what a visitor should recite
........
.......
636
Chapter on piety and abstaining from the doubtful
...........
641
Chapter on the desirability of seclusion at times of corruption, when one fears tribulations in religion
or falling into the unlawful or doubtful.
648
Glossary
.........
652
Bibliography
....
655

Preface to the 4th Edition
All praise belongs to Allāh &s, the Master of the universe. Peace, blessings and salutations
be upon our beloved leader, Nabī
.
It is purely the grace and mercy of Allah des that this translation and commentary of Riyad
al-Șāliķīn has been well received by 'Ulama, teachers, students and general readers.
In this edition, the Arabic text has been checked with other printed editions and changes
have been made where it was deemed necessary. The number of ahadith narrated by each
Șaņābī has been checked and mistakes have been corrected. Changes to the translation and
commentary have also been made based on the suggestions of 'Ulama. Changes have also
been made to the typesetting, and typographical errors have been corrected.
We make du'a' that Allah &s accepts this effort and grants the reward of it to all those who
have been part of the project.
Afzal Ismail
24 Rabī ul-Ākhir 1441 / 21 December 2019

Introduction
All praise belongs to Allāh &, the Master of the universe. Peace, blessings and salutations
be upon our beloved leader, the Messenger of Allah
.
Islam is a perfect faith. Its teachings are based on divine revelation which is the Qur'an, and
the Sunnah which is the words, actions and life of the Messenger of Allah
. Both of these
sources are not only divinely protected, but are interconnected - one can only be understood
with the help of the other.
For this reason, many Islamic scholars dedicated their lives to the study of the Sunnah and
hadith. The hadith master, 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak «, used to spend much of his time at
home. When he was asked whether he felt lonely, he replied, "How can I be lonely when I
am with the Messenger of Allah
and his Sahābah." (Tārīkh Dimishq) His short but thought-
provoking reply aptly explains the sweetness and pleasure derived by those who read and
study the blessed words and teachings of the Messenger of Allah
.
From the spectrum of hadith literature, we have Riyad al-Salihin, which is a collection of
ahadith by Imam Nawawi , the great scholar of hadith and fiqh of the seventh century Hijri.
It deals with every aspect of Islamic belief and conduct and covers a wide range of topics
such as etiquette, manners, morals, supplications, beliefs, worship, human interactions, etc.
It contains ahādīth from the six canonical compilations of hadith: Bukhārī, Muslim, Tirmidhī,
Abū Dawud, Nasai and Ibn Mājah. The fact that the learned Imam sufficed on authentic ahādīth,
not only testifies to his superior scholarship in the field, but allows the general reader to
benefit from his vast collection.
The compilation contains approximately 1800 ahadith and 372 chapters. Every chapter
commences with a title which provides the content and summary of the ahadith that appear
in that chapter. This is followed by relevant Qur'anic verses which provide a valuable
link between the words of Allah &s and the words of His Messenger
It also serves to
contextualise the ahadith in the framework of Qur'anic teachings. This systematic presentation
is unique to Riyad al-Șālihin and makes it an indispensable resource for students, scholars,
general readers and ordinary Muslims.
Its acceptance as an authentic and beneficial book of ahadith can be gauged from its numerous
commentaries that have been meticulously compiled by scholars through the centuries. Many
Imāms of masajid utilise it for daily recitation and it is a popular choice for students and
scholars. It is incorporated into the curriculum of numerous madāris and universities and is
widely accepted throughout the world by people of diverse social backgrounds.

The author's choice of ahadith perfectly fits the needs of those desiring moral refinement. It
forms an ideal basis for spiritual reformation and contains solid foundational principles in
the field of character development. Because it is a complete source of guidance and advice,
it allows its readers the unique opportunity of obtaining comprehensive knowledge of Islam
from a single book. It provides solutions and answers for the reformation of individuals and
communities.
The ahadith quoted in every chapter can safely be regarded as a comprehensive summary of
the content of the chapter. They are easy to study and transmit the sweet-smelling aroma
that emanates from prophetic traditions. The compilation gives an indication of what is
available in the blessed Sunnah in terms of advice for engaging in virtuous actions, adopting
noble values, and obeying laws.
One who studies this work diligently and sincerely will feel the abundant barakah, guidance
and spiritual radiance that the compilation has been blessed with. The fact that it so
passionately touches the heart and soul, points to the sincerity and selflessness of the author.
For this English commentary, translation of Qur'anic verses have generally been taken from
Qur'an Made Easy. Translations of ahadith have been compiled with the help of the translation
of Moulana Mohamedy, Gardens of the Righteous, as well as an online edition by Aisha Bewley.
Regarding the commentary of the ahadith, the following Arabic commentaries were consulted:
Dalīl al-Faliķīn, Nuzhat al-Muttaqīn, a commentary by Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas al-Bārabankawi
and a commentary by Sheikh Muhammad Ali Sābūni. An Urdu commentary, Rawdat al-Șāliķīn,
was also utilised. Full details of these are provided in the bibliography.
I would like to acknowledge all those who assisted in making this publication possible: Muftī
Abdullah Moolla and Moulānā Fathi Alam for their help in the commentary; Muftī Muhammed
Haffejee for painstakingly doing the edit of the fighi aspects of the compilation; Moulānā
Moosa Kajee for proofreading; and all those sincere individuals who assisted on condition
that their contributions remain anonymous. May Allah & reward them all abundantly in
this world and the Hereafter.
I would like to request those who find mistakes or weaknesses in the publication to kindly
bring these to the attention of the publisher so that the necessary changes may be effected
in future editions.
Finally, we make du'a' that Allah &s accepts this effort and crowns it with success. May He
make it a source of reward in the Hereafter for the author, publisher and all those who have
been associated with it. There is no power and might except in Allah &s.
Afzal Ismail

Foreword
by Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara (disz
Senior Ustadh of Hadith, Darul Uloom Azaadville
I have had the rare honour and privilege of browsing through the manuscript of the book
that you (dear reader) are holding in your hands.
The original book Riyad al-salihin (on which this work is based), is one of the most well
known and highly acclaimed books of hadith in both the Arab and non-Arab world. It has
been translated into several languages and is widely read in many circles and taught in many
Madāris throughout the Islamic world.
The author of Riyad al-Salihin, 'Allamah Nawawi & is an esteemed Shafi' Scholar, Muhaddith
and Faqth of great repute and has become a shining star in Islamic academic circles. He has
many academic works to his credit; amongst them an outstanding commentary on Sahih
Muslim. Apart from that, he has also authored other well known books such as "Al-Arba'în",
"Al-Adhkār", "Al-Majmū' Sharhul-Muhadh-dhab" and many other books, too numerous to
mention in this short foreword.
Riyad al-Șāliķīn is a collection of hadith focusing primarily on ethics, morals and conduct. In
this book, the author has brought together a compilation of ahadith that truly inspires the
reader to put the spiritual dimension of his life back on track, weed out evil and corrupt
tendencies from his day to day activities, bring him closer to the Sunnah of Rasūlullah
and grant him proximity to his Creator.
Riyad al-Șālihin has been previously translated into English and also been occasionally
published with brief footnotes. However, what was really lacking was an in-depth explanation
and elucidation of each hadith in the English language, so that an ordinary layman can also
understand the purport of each hadith and absorb its message thoroughly. This work that
you are holding in your hands dear reader, will Insha-Allah go a long way towards filling
that vacuum.
Rasūlullāh
has said in a hadith: "I have left amongst you two precious assets, which if
you hold fast onto (by way of practical implementation), you will never go astray - and those
valuable assets are - the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."
The book that you hold in your hands will Insha-Allah bring the celestial light of the Sunnah
into your household and illuminate the hearts of all those who read it with devotion and
sincerity.

May Allah reward Moulana Afzal Ismail Saheb ( b and his team who have truly
rendered a great service for the English-speaking world by preparing this valuable book. In
his endeavour to present before the English-speaking reader the captivating and mesmerising
beauty of Riyad al-Șālihin, he has pored through a number of Arabic and other commentaries
of this august book. He has burnt the proverbial midnight oil and left no stone unturned in
bringing to the reader the hidden gems of this profound and noble work of hadith.
May Allāh &s make this work a source of goodness in this world and the next for Moulana
Afzal Ismail Saheb (diz, his team and also for all those who contributed in any way to make
this work reach fruition. May He through His Infinite Mercy make it a means of salvation for
them and the entire Ummah at large. Āmīn.
Muhammed Saeed
Darul Uloom Azaadville.
17 Rajab 1435

Foreword
by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (disz
Shaykhul Hadith, Madrasah Ta'limuddeen, Isipingo Beach
All praise is due to Allah, the Master of the worlds. May Allah & shower peace and salutations
upon our Beloved Nabī
forever and ever. (Āmīn).
Allah des revealed the Qur'an as a guidance, as stated in the Qur'an: "These are the verses
of the Qur'an, the clear book. A (means of) guidance and (a bearer) of glad tidings for the
Believers." (S.27 : V.1-2)
Allah & further states in the Qur'an: "We have revealed the reminder (the Qur'an) to you
(O! Muhammad
) so that you may explain to the people what has been revealed to them,
so that they may reflect." (S.16 : V.44)
From the above verse it is clearly understood that the verses of the Qur'an were explained
by our Beloved Nabī
Without the explanations of Nabī
the Din of Islam would have
remained incomplete as is further understood from the following:
The Qur'an orders: "Establish Salah ... " However, none of the following, regarding Salah, is
found in the Qur'an:
a. The detailed times when Salah has to be offered;
b. How many Rakāhs in each of the Șalāhs;
c. What are the Fard acts of Salah;
d. Similarly, what are the Sunnah and Wajib acts of Șalāh;
e. What is Sajda Sahw and when and how it is to be offered, etc, etc, etc.
All of these details have been explained by Rasūlullah
who, Allah declares in the Qur'an,
was divinely inspired whenever he spoke: "He does not speak of his own desires. Whatever
he says is revelation (which Allāh has) revealed to him." (S.53 : V.3-4)
The scholars of hadith made tremendous effort in identifying falsehood from the reliable
ahādīth and thereafter classifying the reliable into various categories. Some are so authentic
and reliable that by means of them beliefs and Fara'id are established, while from others only
Sunnah acts are established. Some ahādīth may be used to establish virtues of certain good
actions, however they may not be used to establish Fard or Wajib actions.
It should also be borne in mind that the sources of Shariah (those by which the Laws of

Sharī ah are established) are not restricted only to the Qur'an and the ahadith but also include
Ijmā' and Qiyās. Ijma' can be simply translated as "the consensus of the 'Ulama", and Qiyās
as, "deduction by analogy". Both Ijma' and Qiyas have to be supported by the Qur'an and
the aļādīth.
May Allāh &s reward our pious predecessors who worked tirelessly and presented our most
beautiful Din in a most simple and beautiful manner for lay people such as us.
I humbly beg the readers to honour and revere the study of ahadith, and that they should
avoid its study without wudhū'.
Finally, I humbly advise all students to refrain from studying mere translations of ahadith
as one will not be able to obtain the exact intention of our beloved Nabī
by doing so.
The book in your hands is the English translation with explanatory notes of the world
famous book Riyad al-Salihin by the great and renowned 7th Hijrī scholar, Imam Nawawi
.
I have perused through sections of the book and cannot but commend Moulana Afzal Ismail
(Sallamahu) for an outstanding effort. May Allāh &s reward Moulana for his efforts and
may the Almighty accept this service of his. (Āmīn) It is my humble suggestion that students of
Dīn derive maximum benefit from this work. This book has been compiled in such a beautiful
manner that even non-scholars could study the same and increase their Islamic knowledge
since Moulana has provided explanatory notes from authentic and reliable sources together
with the translation, vocabulary and other beneficial deductions.
May Allāh & shower His bounties and mercies upon Moulana Afzal Ismail (Sallamahu) for
doing a great service to the English speaking world by rendering this work into English. May
Allāh &s continue to use Moulana for the service of his Dīn. Āmīn.
Moulana Haroon Abasoomar
Shaykhul Hadith, Madrasah Ta'limuddeen, Isipingo Beach
12 Jumaadal Ukhra 1435

Author's Preface
All praise belongs to Allah, the One, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Forgiving, the One
Who shrouds the day with the night as a reminder for the intelligent and observant, and as
an enlightenment for the knowledgeable and those who reflect. He awakened those whom
He chose from His creation and made them exercise restraint in this worldly abode; and He
engaged them in His contemplation and perpetual reflection, and in learning lessons and
pondering. He motivated them to persevere in His obedience and to prepare for the eternal
abode; to abstain from that which may anger Him and lead to the devastating abode; and to
safeguard all of this despite changing times and circumstances.
I praise Him with the most profound, pure, comprehensive and expansive of praises.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah, the Most Kind, the Most
Compassionate, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful; and I testify that Muhammad is
His servant and messenger, His beloved and His friend, the guide to the straight path and
the inviter to the upright religion. Peace and salutations of Allah be upon him and upon all
the prophets, their families and all the righteous.
To proceed: Allah said, "I have created man and Jinn only to worship me. I require neither
sustenance from them nor do I want them to feed me. (Sūrah al-Dhariyat, 56-57) This is a clear
pronouncement that they were created for worship, and it is therefore essential that they
give due importance to what they were created for, and by exercising restraint, turn away
from the wealth of the world. This is because it is a transitory abode not a perpetual one,
a transporting conveyance not a joyful destination, and a temporary path not a permanent
abode. For this reason, the attentive of its inhabitants are the worshippers, and the wisest
of its people are those who exercise restraint.
Allah said, "The example of this worldly life is like the water that We send down from the sky,
with which mingles the plants of the earth that man and animals eat. Until the earth reflects
its splendour, becomes beautified, and its inhabitants think that they have control over it.
Then Our command comes to it by night or by day, turning it into a pile of reaped harvest,
as if it had not even existed before. In this way We explain the signs for those who ponder."
(Sūrah Yunus, 24) Many verses portray the same meaning. A poet has appropriately said,
Allah has some intelligent servants; they divorced the world and feared temptations.
They analysed it and when they realised that it is not an abode for the living;
they considered it an ocean; and regarded good actions as ships therein.

18
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
When its condition is as I have described, and our condition and purpose of creation is as I
have outlined, it is binding upon those who are obligated to adopt the way of the righteous,
and tread the path of the intelligent and insightful, to prepare for what I have indicated
towards and give due importance to what I have cautioned about. The best path he can
follow in this regard and the most appropriate way he can utilise is to adopt the noble
character - as proven from authentic hadith - of our Messenger, the leader of the first and
last of generations, and the most respectable of the former and latter of people. Peace and
salutations of Allah be upon him and upon all the prophets.
Allah said, "Assist each other in good deeds and piety," (Sūrah al-Ma'idah, 2) and it is
authentically narrated from the Messenger that he said, "Allah continues helping a person
as long as a person continues helping his brother. (Muslim) He also said, "One who directs
towards any good shall receive a similar reward to that of the person who does it." (Muslim)
And he said, "One who invites towards guidance shall receive a similar reward to that of all
those who follow him, without any decrease in their rewards." (Muslim) And he said to 'Alī,
"By Allāh , if Allah guides a single person through you it will be better for you than red
camels." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
I, therefore, decided to compile a concise collection of authentic ahadith which would include
what is required for a traveller on the path of the hereafter, by which he could acquire
etiquettes of the internal and external self, combining ahadith of encouragement and fear, as
well as all such etiquettes required by those who walk upon the path. These include ahādīth
dealing with exercising restraint, religious devotions for the soul, refinement of morals,
cleansing and treatment of the heart, safeguarding of the limbs and protecting them from
divergence, and the various other aims of people who have knowledge of Allah.
I have been careful to quote only authentic and clear ahadith which are attributed to the
authentic and famous hadith compilations. I begin chapters with verses from the Noble
Qur'an, I explain diacritical pronunciations of words where necessary, and I carefully elucidate
complex meanings. When, at the end of a hadith, I mention dle ges it means that it is narrated
by both Bukhārī and Muslim.
I hope that if this book is completed it will lead one who studies it carefully towards good,
and be a barrier for him against evils and destruction. I request that a brother who benefits
from it in any way should supplicate for me, my parents, my teachers, all our close friends,
and all Muslims. Upon Allah, the Compassionate, do I place my trust, and on Him do I depend.
Allah is sufficient for me, and an excellent guardian is He. There is no power and no might
except in Allah, the Almighty, the Wise.

19
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
CHAPTER 1
باب الإخلاص وإحضار النية في جميع الأعمال والأقوال والأحوال البارزة والخفية
Chapter on sincerity and the presence of intention in all deeds, words and
conditions, both external and internal
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَّا أُمِرُؤًا إِلَّ لِيَعْبُدُوا اللهَ مُخْلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيْمُوا الصَّلُوَةَ وَيُؤْتُوا
الزَّكُوَةَ وَذُلِكَ دِيْنُ الْقَيِّمَةِ﴾
Allāh &s says, 'They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting
their religion exclusively to Him and turning away from other religions,
to establish salah and to pay zakāh. This is the way of the true religion.'
(Sūrah al-Bayyinah, 5)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿لَنْ يَّنَالَ اللهَ لُحُوْمُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلْكِنْ يََّلُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْ)
Allāh &s says, 'Their flesh and blood will never reach Allah, but it is your
piety that will reach Him.' (Sūrah al-Haj, 37)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلْ انْ تُخْفُّوْا مَا فِيْ صُدُوْرِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوْهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللهُ﴾
Allāh &s says, 'Say, 'Whether you hide or reveal what is in your hearts,
Allah knows it.' (Sūrah Āl 'Imran, 29)
Introduction
Ikhlās (sincerity) means to worship Allah & with the sole objective of attaining His closeness.
A person should not worship Allah & to boast, seek praise or solicit compliments from
people.
Ikhlās is a precondition for the acceptance of an action as Allah &s only accepts actions
done for His pleasure. Good actions done with ulterior motives are rejected by Allah &s.
One should, therefore, evaluate one's intention before commencing any action and correct
it if necessary.
Scholars advise that a person should make multiple intentions for any action. For example,
if one intends going to the masjid for salah, one should, together with the intention of
performing salah, make the following intentions: teaching others about Islam, meeting and
greeting people, removing dirt and impurities from the masjid, assisting the old and infirm,

20
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
and removing obstacles from the path.
Intentions are made from the heart and therefore the validity of an intention is not conditional
on uttering it verbally. This is supported by other ahadith which state that Allah &s considers
the actions and intentions of a person rather than his outward appearance and form.
The importance of intention can be gauged from the statements of the pious. Yahya ibn Abī
Kathīr "> said, "Consider your intention because it is more far-reaching than your action."
Sufyan al-Thawrī &
said, "I have not been concerned with anything more difficult than my
intention because it fluctuates." 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak > said, "Many small actions are
exalted by an intention and many great actions are diminished by an intention."
Hadīth 1
وعن أمير المؤمنين أبي حَفْصٍ عمرَ بنِ الخطابِ بنِ نُفَيْلِ بنِ عبدِ العُزّى بن رياحٍ بنِ عبدِ اللهِ
بن قُرْطِ بن رَزاحِ بنِ عِدِي بنِ كعب بنِ لُؤَيِّ بنِ غالبِ القُرْشِيِّ العَدويِّ ﴿هُ، قَالَ : سَمِعتُ
رَسُولَ اللهِ ﴿١، يَقُولُ: ((إنّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بالنَِّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِىٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ
هجرته إلى الله ورسوله ، فهجرته إلى الله ورسوله ، ومن كانت هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا، أَوْ
امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكَحُهَا ، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ )). مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَى صِحَتِهِ . رَوَاهُ إِمَامَا الْمُحَدّثِينَ،
أَبُو عَبْدِ الله مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْن إِبراهِيمَ بْنِ المُغيرَةِ بنِ بَرْدِزْبهُ الجُعْفِيُّ الْبُخَارِيُّ ، وَأَبُو
الحُسَيْنِ مُسْلمُ بْنُ الحَجَّاجِ بْنِ مُسْلِمِ الْقُشَيْرِيُّ الَّيْسَابُورِيُّ ع﴿هُ فِي صحيحيهما اللَّذَيْنِ هما
أَصَحُّ الكُتبِ المصنفةِ .
'Umar1 kg
narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "Actions are
gauged by intentions. Each person will receive (the reward for) what he
intended. One who emigrates to Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is
indeed to Allah and His Messenger. One who emigrates to acquire something
of the world or to marry a woman, his emigration is to that to which he
emigrated." (Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd)
1 'Umar ibn Khațțāb
was from the Quraish and served as their ambassador to the various tribes
during the era of ignorance. He accepted Islam in the 6th year of prophethood and this was a great
victory for the Muslims because it gave them courage and strength. He participated in all the expeditions
with the Messenger of Allah . The pledge of allegiance for khilafah was taken at his hands in 13
Hijrī. Great conquests took place during his rule as Amīr al-Mu'minīn. He was martyred in 23 Hijrī after
the fire worshipper Abu Lu'lu' stabbed him while he was performing the Fajr salah. May Allah des have
mercy upon him and may He be pleased with him.