Indexed OCR Text

461
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
فِي ذِمَّةِ اللـه ، فَلاَ يَطْلُنَّكُمُ اللهِ مِنْ ذِمَّتِهِ بِشَيْءٍ ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَطْلُبُهُ مِنْ ذِمَّتِهِ بِشَيْءٍ يُدْرِكُهُ ، ثُمَّ
يَكُبُهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ )) رواه مسلم .
Jundub ibn 'Abdillāh &
g narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"One who offers the dawn salah (i.e. the Fajr salah), then he is under the
protection of Allah &S. So let it not be that Allah des questions you with
regard to anything under His protection, for if He were to do so, He will
apprehend you and then cast you face-down into the fire of Hell." (Muslim)
Commentary
The hadith means that one who performs Fajr Salah is under the protection of Allah &s and
others should not harm him because they will be taken to task for attempting to destroy
this divine protection. Another meaning of the hadith is that the person who performs the
Fajr Salah has started on a good note and is under the protection of Allah des; he should not
undo this good deed by committing acts of disobedience against Allah KS. The hadith may
also mean that one should not omit the Fajr Salah and thereby break one's pledge with Allah,
lest Allah & questions him for his omission.
It is important to note that, according to another narration of Muslim, the virtue mentioned
in this hadith is restricted to one who performs Fajr salah in congregation.
CHAPTER 49
باب إجراء أحكام الناس عَلَى الظاهر وسرائرهم إِلَى الله تَعَالَى
Chapter on passing judgement on the outward actions of people while
leaving their hidden actions to Allah &
قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿فَإِنْ تَابُوْا وَآَقَامُوا الصَّلُوَةَ وَأَتَوُا الزَّكُوَةَ فَخَلُّوْا سَبَيْلَهُمْ﴾ ( التوبة: ٥).
Allāh &s says: "But if they repent, establish salah and give zakāh, then let
them go their way." (Sūrah al-Taubah, 5)
Hadith 390
، قَالَ : (( أُمِرْتُ أنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ
وعن ابن عمر رَاللّه: أن رَسُول الله
لاَ إِلهَ إِلَّ الله، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُول الله، وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ، وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ، فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ
عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءُهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّ بِحَقِّ الإسْلاَمِ ، وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى الله تَعَالَى)) مُنَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ .

462
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Ibn ‘Umar
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "I have been
commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, they
establish salah and pay zakāh. When they do that, they will have protected
their lives and wealth from me except if justified by a right of Islam. And
their accountability is left to Allāh &S." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
"Except if justified by a right of Islam," refers to the fact that Islam authorizes the taking
of a person's life or wealth under certain circumstances. For example, taking the life of an
adulterer or a murderer and taking the life and wealth of an apostate.
"And their accountability is left to Allah &," means that only Allah Je knows whether a
person's heart contains faith or it contains unbelief and hypocrisy, hence Allah & will be
the ultimate judge.
Commentary
According to the scholars, "fighting the people" refers to idolaters and not the People of the
Book (the Jews and Christians), because the latter have the option of paying the jizyah (a tax
which non-Muslims must pay to the Islamic government in exchange for their protection).
Here the Messenger of Allah
as well as the rest of the Ummah have been commanded to
judge people according to their apparent actions and words. Hence, when a person testifies
to the kalimah of Islam and acknowledges its fundamentals, he is to be accepted as a Muslim
and treated as one.
Among the fundamentals of Islam, only salah and zakah are mentioned in this hadith. It is a
general rule that ahadith explaining the fundamentals narrate all the five pillars of Islam,
while those ahadith that relate to inviting people to Islam mention only three: shahadah (the
testimony of faith), salah and zakah. The reason for this is that the five pillars can broadly
be classified into three categories, namely beliefs, bodily worship and monetary worship.
Hence, shahādah is included in beliefs, șalāh and sawm are included in bodily worship and
zakāh is included in monetary worship. Haj is both a bodily and monetary form of worship.
In addition, șalāh is a difficult injunction for new Muslims due to its frequency, and zakāh is
difficult due to man's love for wealth. Hence, these two have been sufficed upon because one
who accepts them will probably find it easier to practise on the remaining three as well. It is
also possible that saum and haj were not yet obligatory at the time of this hadith, or because
a person who fails to carry out these two injunctions should not be engaged in battle.

463
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Hadīth 391
، يقول : ((مَنْ قال
وعن أَبي عبدِ الله طارِق بن أَشَيْم ﴿لَهُ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُول الله
لاَ إِلَهَ إلَّ الله ، وَكَفَرَ بما يُعْبَدُ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ ، حَرُمَ مَالُهُ وَدَمُهُ، وَحِسَابُهُ عَلَى الله تَعَالَى ))
رواه مسلم .
Abū 'Abdillah Tariq ibn Ashyam110
narrates: I heard the Messenger of
Allāh
saying: "One who testifies that there is none worthy of worship
besides Allah and rejects all that is worshiped except Allah, his property
and blood become inviolable. And his accountability is left to Allah &s."
(Muslim)
Commentary
The hadith reiterates that any non-Muslim who pronounces the kalimah would be regarded as
a Muslim and would enjoy all the benefits of a Muslim. His sincerity will not be scrutinised,
but left to Allah des to judge.
Despite the fact that only the first part of the kalimah is mentioned in this hadith, it refers to
the full kalimah. That is, it is necessary to accept the Oneness of Allah and that Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allah des.
Hadīth 392
: أَرَأيْتَ إِنْ لَقِيتُ رَجُلاً
وعن أَبي معبد المقداد بن الأسود ﴿هَ، قَالَ : قُلْتُ لرسول الله
مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ ، فَاقْتَلْنَا، فَضَرَبَ إِحْدَى يَدََّّ بِالسَّيْفِ، فَقَطَعَها، ثُمَّ لاَذَ مِنِّي بِشَجَرَةٍ ، فَقَالَ :
أَسْلَمْتُ لِلِهِ ، أَقْتُلُهُ يَا رَسُول اللـه بَعْدَ أَنْ قَالَهَا؟ فَقَالَ : (( لا تَقْتُلُهُ )) فَقُلْتُ : يَا رَسُول الله
، قَطَعَ إِحْدَى يَدَيَّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ذلِكَ بَعْدَ مَا قَطَعَهَا؟! فَقَالَ : (( لا تَقْتُلُهُ، فإنْ قَلْتَهُ فَإنَّهُ بِمَنْزِلَتِكَ
قَبْلَ أنْ تَقْتُلَهُ ، وَإِنَّكَ بِمَنْزِلَتِهِ قَبْلَ أنْ يَقُولَ كَلِمَتَهُ التِي قَالَ )) مُتَّفَقِّ عَلَيْهِ .
ومعنى (( أنه بمنزلتك)) أي : معصوم الدم محكوم بإسلامه . ومعنى (( أنك بمنزلته ))
أي : مباح الدم بالقصاص لورثتهِ لا أنه بمنزلته في الكفر ، والله أعلم .
110 Abū 'Abdillāh Tariq ibn Ashyam 4% was from the Ashja' tribe and lived in Kūfah in 'Iraq. Al-Barqī
said that he narrated four ahadith from the Messenger of Allah
Two of his ahadith are narrated
in Muslim. He prayed behind the Messenger of Allah
and all of the four Khulafa' , and outlived
them all.

464
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Abū Ma'bad al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad111
narrates: I asked the Messenger
of Allāh
"Tell me, if I meet an unbeliever and we engage in battle and
he then strikes one of my hands with a sword, severing it from my body.
He then seeks refuge behind a tree in order to save himself from me and
says: 'I have submitted myself to Allah.' O Messenger of Allah! Should I
kill him after he has said this?' He replied: 'Do not kill him.' I said: 'O
Messenger of Allah! He severed my hand and only said that after severing
it (from my body)!' He said: 'Do not kill him. If you kill him, he will be in
your position before you killed him and you will be in his position before
he said those words."" (Bukhārī, Muslim)
The words "he will be in your position" mean that his life is inviolable
because of his embracing Islam. The words "you will be in his position"
mean that your blood (life) will be lawful to his heirs based on the law
of retribution (qisās). It does not mean that you will be in his position of
unbelief. Allah &s knows best.
Commentary
For a person to be regarded as a Muslim, it is not necessary for him to say the kalimah. If he
says or does anything that shows that he is a Muslim, then he will be accepted as such. The
secrets of his heart will be left for Allah &s to judge.
The explanation of "he will be in your position before you killed him," provided by the
author Imam Nawawi & is the most preferred by the scholars. It means that the person
who uttered the words of faith will be a Muslim whose blood is inviolable, just as you, al-
Miqdad ibn al-Aswad de, were before you killed him. Another explanation is that he will be
deemed a Muslim who was concealing his īman due to being among non-Muslims, just as you
used to conceal your īman in the early days of Islam when you lived among the polytheists
in Makkah Mukarramah.
Similarly, the explanation of "you will be in his position before he said those words", provided
111 Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad , was one of the four Sahabah about whom Allah the informed the
Messenger of Allah
of His love for them and commanded the Messenger of Allah
to love them
as well. His father's name was 'Amr, but he was adopted by a man named Al-Aswad and so his lineage
was attributed to the latter. He was among the first seven Sahabah to announce their faith while
in Makkah Mukarramah. He migrated to Abyssinia then to Madinah Munawwarah and participated in
all of the battles of the Messenger of Allah
. He passed away in 43 Hijrī, and 42 ahādīth are narrated
from him.

465
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
by the author is the most accepted. In other words, your blood will be lawful for his heirs in
retribution, just as his blood had been lawful due to disbelief before he declared Islam. The
only reason why you will not be killed in retribution is because you killed him mistakenly, by
assuming that he was an unbeliever. Another explanation is that you will have perpetrated
a sin, by unjustly killing him, just as he had been perpetrating a sin, by living in disbelief,
before he declared Islam.
Hadīth 393
وعن أُسَامة بن زيدٍ ﴿هُ، قَالَ: بعثنا رَسُول اللـه ◌ُ﴾﴿ إِلَى الْحُرَقَةِ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ فَصَبَّحْنَا القَوْمَ عَلَى
مِيَاهِهِمْ، وَلَحَقْتُ أَنَا وَرَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا غَشَيْنَاهُ ، قَالَ : لاَ إلهَ إلَّ الله ،
فَكَفَّ عَنْهُ الأَنْصَارِي ، وطَعَنْتُهُ بُرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَلْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا المَدِينَةَ ، بَلَغَ ذلِكَ النَّبِيَّ
فَقَالَ لِي : (( يَا أُسَامَةِ ، أَقَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لا إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ؟! )) قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُول الله ، إِنَّمَا كَانَ
متعوِّذَاً، فَقَالَ : (( أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لا إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ؟! )) فما زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا عَلَيَّ حَتَّى تَمِنَّتُ
أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذلِكَ اليَوْمِ . مُتَفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
وفي رواية : فَقَالَ رَسُول الله ﴿: ((أقالَ: لا إلهَ إلَّ اللـهُ وقَتَلْتَهُ؟! )) قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُول
الله، إِنَّمَا قَالَهَا خَوْفاً مِن السِّلاحِ ، قَالَ : (( أَفَلاَ شَقَقْتَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ حَتَّى تَعْلَمَ أَقَالَهَا أَمْ لا ؟!
)) فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا حَتَّى تَمَنَّْتُ أَنِّي أَسْلَمْتُ يَوْمَئِذٍ .
(( الحُرَقَةُ )) بضم الحاءِ المهملة وفتح الراءِ: بَطْنٌ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ : القَبِيلةِ المَعْرُوفَة . وقوله :
(( مُتَعَوِّذَاً )): أيْ مُعْتَصِماً بِهَا مِنَ القَتْلِ لاَ مِعْتَقِداً لَهَا .
Usamah ibn Zayd
narrates: "The Messenger of Allah
sent us to
the Al-Huraqah, a branch of the Juhaynah tribe. We attacked them in the
morning at their watering hole. A person from the Ansar and I approached
a person from these people, but when we overpowered him, he said: 'There
is none worthy of worship except Allah.' The Ansarī then held back, but I
stabbed him with my spear until I killed him. When we returned to Madinah,
this information reached the Messenger of Allah
and he asked me: 'O
Usamah! Did you kill him after he testified that there is none worthy of
worship except Allah?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! He merely said it to
save himself.' He asked: 'Did you kill him after he testified that there is
none worthy of worship except Allah?' He
continued repeating this
question until I wished that I had not embraced Islam before that day."
(Bukhārī, Muslim)

466
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
According to another narration, the Messenger of Allah
said: "Did he
testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and yet you
killed him ?! " I said: "O Messenger of Allah! He merely said it out of fear
of my weapon." He asked: "Why did you not cut open his heart to check
whether he really meant what he said or not?" He
continued repeating
this question until I wished that I had only embraced Islam on that day."
Commentary
The battle against the people of Al-Huraqah took place in the year 8 Hijrī. The commander
of the unit was either 'Abdullah ibn Ghalib al-Laythi
sor Usamah ibn Zayd 4g
s. The name
of the person killed by Usamah de was Nuhayl ibn Mirdas.
Usamah
assumed that the man was a disbeliever and that his declaration of the kalimah
was worthless. He thought that it was uttered without sincere belief and only to avoid being
killed. He was under the impression that a person's blood becomes sacred only when he
accepts Islam by heart, not by outward expression. Due to his mistake in judgement, Usamah
was not sinful for killing him and there was no retribution. However, the Messenger of
Allāh
emphasised the correct ruling for the Ummah to follow, which is to judge people
according to their apparent words and deeds. We have no access to their hearts; hence, it is
not permissible for us to act according to our assumptions or suspicions.
His statement, "I wished that I had not embraced Islam before that day" shows how seriously
he regarded the action he had done. After seeing the reaction of the Messenger of Allah
he felt that his previous good deeds were overshadowed by this single mistake. He wished
that he had only become Muslim on that day, so that his Islam would wipe away this sin and
he would not be tainted with such a crime.
Additional Points
v The Șahabah
were extremely sensitive about their deeds and because they loved the
Messenger of Allah
so dearly, any sentiments expressed by him affected them greatly.
Hadīth 394
بَعَثَ بَعْثاً مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ إِلَى قَومٍ مِنَ المُشْرِكِينَ
وعن جندب بن عبد الله له: أنَّ رَسُول الله ﴿
، وَأَنَّهُمْ التَّقَوْا، فَكَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِذَا شَاءَ أنْ يَقْصِدَ إِلَى رَجُل مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ قَصَدَ
لَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ، وَأَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ قَصَدَ غَفْلَتَهُ. وَكُنَّا نتَحَدَّثُ أَنَّهُ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ، فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ
عَلَيْهِ السَّيفَ ، قَالَ: لا إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ، فَقَتَلُهُ، فَجَاءَ الْبَشِيرُ إِلَى رَسُول الله :﴿ فَسَأَلَهُ وَأخبَرَهُ ،
حَتَّى أَخْبَرَهُ خَبَرَ الرَّجُلِ كَيْفَ صَنَعَ ، فَدَعَاهُ فَسَأَلَهُ ، فَقَالَ : (( لِمَ قَتَلْتَهُ؟ )) فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُول

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĦĪN
اللهِ ، أَوْجَعَ في المُسلِمِينَ ، وَقَتَلَ فُلاناً وفلاناً، وسمى لَهُ نَفْراً ، وَإِنِّي حَمَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ ، فَلَمَّا
رَأَى السَّيْفَ، قَالَ: لا إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ. قَالَ رَسُول الله ﴿ه: ((أقَتَلْتَهُ؟ )) قَالَ: نَعَمْ . قَالَ
: (( فَكَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ بِلاَ إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ ، إِذَا جَاءَتْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ ؟ )) قَالَ: يَا رَسُول الله ، اسْتَغْفِرْ
لِي. قَالَ: ((وكَيفَ تَصْنَعُ بِلا إلهَ إلَّ الله إِذَا جَاءَتْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ؟ )) فَجَعَلَ لاَ يَزِيدُ عَلَى أنْ
يَقُولَ : ((كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ بِلا إلهَ إلَّ الله إِذَا جَاءَتْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ )) رواه مسلم .
Jundub ibn 'Abdullah å
narrates: "The Messenger of Allah
sent a
military detachment towards a group of polytheists and a battle ensued.
A man from among the polytheists who, when he intended killing any
Muslim, would pursue him and kill him. A man from the Muslims watched
him closely waiting to catch him unawares. We thought that it was Usamah
ibn Zayd . When he raised his sword, the man said: 'There is none
worthy of worship except Allah.' However, he still killed him. When a
Muslim brought the good news of victory to the Messenger of Allah
he asked him about all that transpired and was told. He also informed the
Messenger of Allah
about the Muslim soldier's action. The Messenger
of Allah
summoned him and asked: 'Why did you kill him?' He replied:
'O Messenger of Allah! He caused a great deal of harm to the Muslims. He
killed so-and-so people,' and he enumerated some of the names of those
the polytheist had killed. 'I therefore attacked him. When he saw my sword,
he said: 'There is none worthy of worship except Allah.' The Messenger of
Allāh
asked: 'Did you kill him?' He replied: 'Yes.' He asked: 'What will
you do when the declaration that there is none worthy of worship except
Allah appears on the day of Qiyamah?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Seek
forgiveness (from Allāh &s) for me.' He asked: 'What will you do when the
declaration that there is none worthy of worship except Allah appears on
the day of Qiyamah?' He continued asking this question: 'What will you do
when the declaration that there is none worthy of worship except Allah
appears on the day of Qiyamah?"" (Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith in all probability refers to the same incident mentioned in the previous hadith.
When Usamah de asked the Messenger of Allah
to seek forgiveness for him, the Messenger
of Allāh
continued repeating, "What will you do when the kalimah appears on the day of
Qiyamah?" This was to emphasise the severity of his action. In other words, it was as if the
Messenger of Allah
said to him: 'Who can really intercede for you? How will you protect

468
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
yourself from the punishment of killing a person who recited the kalimah?'
Hadith 395
وعن عبد الله بن عتبة بن مسعود ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عمر بن الخطاب ﴿ه، يقولُ: إِنَّ نَاساً
كَانُوا يُؤْخَذُونَ بِالوَحْرٍ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُول الله ﴿، وَإِنَّ الوَحْيَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ ، وإِنَّمَا نَأْخُذُكُمُ الآن
بِمَا ظَهَرَ لَنَا مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ ، فَمَنْ أَظْهَرَ لَنَا خَيْراً أَمِنَّاهُ وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ ، وَلَيْسَ لَنَا مِنْ سَرِيرَتِهِ شَيْءٍ
، اللهُ يُحَاسِبُهُ فِي سَرِيرَتِهِ ، وَمَنْ أَظْهَرَ لَنَا سُوءاً لَمْ نَامَنْهُ وَلَمْ نُصَدِّقْهُ وَإِنْ قَالَ : إِنَّ سَرِيرَتَهُ
حَسَنَّةٌ . رواه البخاري .
'Abdullah ibn 'Utbah ibn Mas'ud 4% narrates: I heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab
saying: "Some people used to be taken to task through divine revelation
in the era of the Messenger of Allah
but divine revelation has now come
to an end. We will now deal with you in accordance with your external
actions. One who displays good actions before us, we will trust him and we
will draw him close to us. We have nothing to do with his internal condition.
Allāh &s will hold him accountable for his internal condition. A person
who displays evil actions before us, we will not trust him and we will not
believe him, even if he claims that his internal condition is good." (Bukhārī)
Commentary
While the Messenger of Allah
was living, Allāh & would reveal information to him
about matters of the unseen. Allah & would testify to the good qualities in the hearts of
sincere people and the hypocrisy in the hearts of the hypocrites. The Messenger of Allah
would then act according to the information he received by revelation. With the demise
of the Messenger of Allah
, revelation ended forever and there was no way of knowing
the secrets that were concealed in the hearts of people. The only way that remained was to
judge people according to their external actions.
CHAPTER 50
باب الخوف
Chapter on fear
قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِيَّاكَ فَارْهَبُوْنِ﴾ ( البقرة: ٤٠)،

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Allāh &s says: "And fear only Me." (Sūrah al-Baqarah, 40)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيَّدٌ﴾ (البروج: ١٢)،
Allāh & says: "Surely the grasp of your Sustainer is severe." (Sūrah al-
Burūj, 12)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَكَذْلِكَ اَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا آَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَةَ الِيْمٌ شَدِيْدٌ إِنَّ
فِيْ ذُلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّمَنْ خَافَ عَذَابَ الْآخِرَةِ ذلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّجْمُوْعٌ لَّهُ النَّاسُ وَذُلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّشْهُوْدٌ
وَمَا نُؤَخِّرُةٍ إِلاَّ لِاَجَلِ مَّعْدُوْدٍ يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّ بِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِىٌّ وَّسَعِيْدٌ فَمَّا
الَّذِيْنَ شَقُوْا فَفِى النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيْهَا زَفِيْرٌ وَّشَهِيْقٌ﴾﴾ ( هود: ١٠٢- ١٠٦)،
Allāh &s says: "Such is the grasp of your Sustainer when He seized the
towns that were oppressive. Surely, His grasp is painful and severe. In them
are signs for one who fears the punishment of the Hereafter. That shall be
a day when people will be gathered and a day when all will be present. We
have delayed it for an appointed time. When that day comes, no soul will
be able to speak without His permission. Some of them are wretched and
others are fortunate. As for those who are wretched, they will be in the
fire, where they will shout and scream." (Sūrah Hud, 102-106)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللهُ نَفْسَهُ﴾ ( آل عمران: ٢٨)،
Allāh &s says: "Allah warns you of Himself." (Sūrah Āl 'Imran, 28)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى : ﴿يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ آَخِيْهِ وَأُمِّ وَاَبِيْهِ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيْهِ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ
شَأْنٌ يُّغْنِيْهِ﴾ (عبس : ٣٤-٣٧)،
Allāh &s says: "On that day man will flee from his brother, his mother, his
father, his wife and his children. On that day every one of them will be
preoccupied with a predicament that will make him oblivious of others."
(Sūrah 'Abasa, 34-37)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَىْءٌ عَظِيْمٌ يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ
كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّ اَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكْرَى وَمَا هُمْ
بِسُكُرَى وَلْكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللهِ شَدِيْدٌ﴾ (الحج: ١ -٢)،

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Allāh &s says: "O people! Fear your Sustainer, for surely the earthquake
of the Final Hour is a tremendous thing. When you will witness the day,
every nursing mother will forget her suckling infant and every pregnant
woman will abort. You will see people in a drunken stupor, yet they will
not be drunk, but the punishment of Allah is severe." (Sūrah al-Haj, 1-2)
وَقالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّ جَنَّتْنِ﴾ (الرحمن: ٤٦)،
Allāh &s says: "The one who feared standing before his Sustainer shall
have two gardens." (Sūrah al-Rahman, 46)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضِ يَّتَسَآءَلُوْنَ قَالُوْآَ إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِىَّ أَهْلِنَا مُشْفِقِيْنَ
، فَمَنَّ اللهُ عَلَيْنَا وَوَقْنَا عَذَابَ السَّمُوْمِ إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلُ نَدْعُوْهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيْمُ﴾
( الطور: ٢٥- ٢٨) وَالآيات في الباب كثيرة جداً معلومات والغرض الإشارة إِلَى بعضها
وقد حصل . وأما الأحاديث فكثيرة جداً فنذكر مِنْهَا طرفاً وبالله التوفيق :
Allāh & says: "They will face each other asking questions. They will say:
'Before this we were fearful among our families.' However, Allah was gracious
to us and saved us from the punishment of the scorching wind. Before this,
we used to call out to Him. He is certainly Kind, Most Merciful." (Sūrah
al-Țūr, 25-28)
There are numerous other verses in this regard. We have referred to some
of them.
Hadith 396
عن ابن مسعود رجله، قَالَ: حدثنا رَسُول الله :﴿ وَهُوَ الصادق المصدوق: ((إنَّ أحَدَكُمْ
يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أربَعِينَ يَوماً نُطْفَةً ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذلِكَ ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ
ذلِكَ، ثُمَّ يُرْسَلُ المَلَكُ ، فَنْفُخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ ، وَيُؤْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ : بِكَتْبِ رِزْقِهِ وَأَجَلِهِ وَعَمَلِهِ
وَشَقِيٍّ أَوْ سَعِيدٌ . فَوَالَّذِي لا إلهَ غَيْرُهُ إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أهْلِ الجَنَّةِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ
وبيْنَهَا إلَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا، وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ
بِعَمَلِ أهْلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إلَّ ذراعٌ، فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ
الجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
Ibn Mas'ūd dog narrates: The Messenger of Allah
who spoke the truth

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
and who was told the truth, related to us: "The creation of each one of you
remains in the womb of his mother for forty days in the form of semen. It
then becomes a clot of blood for an equal number of days. It then becomes
a piece of flesh for an equal number of days. An angel is then sent to him,
who blows the soul into him. The angel is then commanded to record four
things: his sustenance, his duration of life, his deeds and whether he will
be wretched or fortunate. I take an oath in the name of that Being besides
whom there is none worthy of worship, that one of you may perform deeds
of the people of Paradise, until Paradise is just an arm's-length from you,
but his destiny prevails over him and he commits a deed of the people of
the Hell-fire. Consequently, he enters the Hell-fire. And one of you performs
deeds of the people of the Hell-fire, until Hell-fire is just an arm's-length
from him, but his destiny prevails over him and he commits a deed of the
people of Paradise. Consequently, he enters Paradise." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
"Who spoke the truth and who was told the truth," means that the Messenger of Allah
always told the truth, before and after receiving prophethood; and only the truth was
revealed to him by Allah des through revelation.
Commentary
The development during pregnancy progresses such that, at the end of four months, a foetus
is given a human form and develops limbs and senses. An angel is then sent to blow the soul
into its body. The angel also writes down the details of four matters pertaining to its destiny.
The first is his sustenance, food as well as anything else that the person will utilise in life,
whether it is halal or haram. The second is the time of his death. The third is the actions he
will do, whether good or evil. The fourth is whether he will be wretched and worthy of the
Hell-fire, or fortunate and worthy of Paradise. All of this information is in the knowledge of
Allah &s from eternity and it is already written in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet
on which all destiny is written). It is written for the second time when the foetus is in the
mother's womb and then again every year on Laylat al-Qadr.
The gradual development of the embryo, as opposed to the instant creation of the baby
in the mother's womb, has several benefits. One is that of easiness for the mother. As the
months pass, the mother becomes accustomed to the baby growing within her body. A second
benefit is to manifest the power of Allah &S, who transforms a lowly thing into the best of
creation, endowed with the best of forms and crowned with intelligence. This realisation
should drive us to thank Allah &s and worship Him. A third benefit is that it also shows

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that if Allah de
is able to change a drop of fluid into a clinging clot of blood, then into a
piece of flesh and eventually into a perfect living human being, then He is definitely able to
resurrect us after we die.
A person's status of being fortunate or wretched only shows itself at the time of his death.
Therefore, a person's good deeds should never grant him a false sense of assurance of
Paradise, nor should his evil deeds make him despondent; rather, one should always plead
to Allah && for a good ending and seek His protection from an evil ending.
How is it that a person will enter Hell despite having done good deeds throughout his life?
Is Allāh &s not just in His judgment? Firstly, this does not refer to a righteous believer. It
refers to a hypocrite who deceives people by showing off himself as a righteous person,
but inwardly conceals disbelief. Secondly, this has to do with taqdir (predestination, i.e. all
good and evil is in the control of Allah ). Thirdly, Qadi 'Iyad > stated that only a small
amount of people would have such an end, while many would enter Paradise despite having
lived a life of sin.
The hadith should not be incorrectly interpreted to mean that a person should abandon the
adoption of means such as engaging in good deeds, earning a living or engaging in jihad. It
is compulsory to utilise means and do all that is within one's ability; beyond this, one should
accept that Allah & knows the unseen and He has the ultimate control over everything.
According to Ibn Hajar , this hadith proves the importance of regularly making du'a' for
consistency in faith and for death on īman. It also draws our attention to constantly engage
in good deeds and fear the punishment of Allah &s.
Hadīth 397
وعنه ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول اللـهِ ﴿ه: (( يُؤْتَى بِجَهَنَّمَ يَومَئذٍ لَهَا سَبْعُونَ ألفَ زِمَامٍ ، مَعَ كُلِّ زِمَامٍ
سَبْعُونَ ألْفَ مَلَكِ يَجُرُّونَهَا )) رواه مسلم .
Ibn Mas'ud 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "On the day
of Qiyamah, Hell will be brought with 70,000 reins. Each rein will be held
by 70,000 angels who will be dragging it." (Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith may be taken in its literal sense, which is that Hell will be brought forward with
70,000 reins pulled by angels; or it may be taken in a figurative sense, to indicate the huge
size of Hell, as it needs to be dragged with so many reins. In any case, the object is to warn
us of the frightening scene of the Hell-fire, so that we do our best to avoid being among its

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
inmates. The Messenger of Allah
gave us graphic descriptions of Hell, so that we seek
Allah's & protection from it and avoid His disobedience.
Ahādīth of this nature relate to the unseen. We fully accept and believe them, even if they
do not conform to our understanding or intelligence.
Hadith 398
وعن النعمان بن بشير طه، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُول اللـه ◌ُ﴾، يقول: ((إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أهْلِ النَّارِ
عَذَاباً يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ لَرَجُلٌ يوضعُ في أخْمَصٍ قَدَمَيْهِ جَمْرَتَانِ يَغْلِي مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ . مَا يَرَى أَنَّ
أَحَداً أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ عَذَاباً ، وَأَنَّهُ لَأَهْوَنُهُمْ عَذَاباً )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
Al-Nu'man ibn Bashir wes narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "The person who will be meted out the lightest punishment amongst
the people of the Hell-fire will be one who will have two embers placed
in the hollows of his feet which will cause his brains to boil. He will not
consider anyone to be suffering more than him, yet he will be meted out
the lightest punishment of all." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
According to the narration of Muslim, the person who will be given this lightest punishment
of all the disbelievers will be Abu Talib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah
He gave
the Messenger of Allah
extensive support in his mission, but he left the world without
possessing īman, the factor that decides whether a person will forever remain in Paradise
or Hell.
"The people of the Hell-fire" refer to the disbelievers because they will permanently dwell
therein. Sinful Muslims will only enter the Hell-fire for a limited period in order to be purified
of their sins.
The hadith teaches us that even the lightest punishment in Hell will be intolerable. For this
reason, we should be cautious of committing any action that may lead us to Hell, however
insignificant it may be.
Hadith 399
وعن سمرة بن جندب له: أنَّ نبيَّ الله ﴿ه، قَالَ: ((مِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ النَّارُ إِلَى كَعْبَهِ ،
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ إِلَى رُكْبَهِ ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ إِلَى حُجَزَتِهِ ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ إِلَى تَرْقُوَتِهِ
)) رواه مسلم .

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((الحُجْزَةُ )): مَعْقِدُ الإزار تَحْتَ السُّرَّةِ، وَ((التَّرْقُوَةُ )) بفتح التاءِ وضم القاف : هي العَظُمُ
الَّذِي عِنْدَ ثَغْرَةِ النَّحْرِ ، وَللإِنْسَانِ تَرْقُوتَانِ فِي جَانِبَي النَّحْرِ .
Samurah ibn Jundub
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"The Hell-fire will cover some people up to their ankles, others up to their
knees, others up to their hips and others up to their collar-bones." (Muslim)
Commentary
The Fire will envelope the bodies of people in varying degrees according to the severity of
their sins. However, the part of the body not covered in fire will also boil due to the intensity
of the fire afflicting the remaining portions of the body.
Hadith 400
وعن ابن عمر طه: أنَّ رَسُول الله :﴿ه، قَالَ: ((يَقُومُ النَّاس لِرَبِّ العَالَمِينَ حَتَّى يَغِيبَ
أَحَدُهُمْ فِي رَشْحِهِ إِلَى أَنْصَافِ أُذُنَيْهِ )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
وَ((الرَّشْحُ )) : العَرَقُ .
Ibn ‘Umar
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "The people
will assemble before the Sustainer of the worlds and some of them will
be submerged in their perspiration up to half their ears." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith describes another of the terrifying scenes of the day of Qiyamah that will be
unlike anything in this world. Everybody will rise from their graves and stand before Allah
Eks to receive their reward or punishment. Ka'b 4.
stated: "They will stand for a period of
300 years."
How will the people be in different levels of perspiration, when everybody will be standing
together? The scholars have provided various answers to this question. Allah & may create
such a situation by causing the ground to rise under the feet of some people, forming a
mound that will keep them higher than others. It is also possible that Allah & will cause
each person's sweat to be confined around him - defying the laws of physics - just as He held
back the water of the Red Sea for Musa &de and his companions.
"Perspiration" on the day of Qiyamah will be due to the intense heat of the sun. It may also
be due to fear and anxiety, or the vast crowds of people.

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Hadith 401
﴿ خطبة مَا سَمِعْتُ مِثلها قطّ ، فَقَالَ: ((لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ
وعن أنس ر﴿هُ ، قَالَ : خطبنا رَسُول الله
مَا أَعْلَمُ ، لَضْحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيراً)) فَغَطَّى أصْحَابُ رَسُول اللـهِ ﴿ وَجُوهَهُمْ، وَلَهُمْ
خَنِيْنٌ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ .
: عَنْ أَصْحَابِهِ شَيْءٌ فَخَطَبَ ، فَقَالَ : (( عُرِضَتْ عَلَيَّ الجَنَّةُ
وفي رواية : بَلَغَ رَسُول الله
وَالنَّارُ ، فَلَمْ أَرَ كَاليَومٍ في الخَيرِ وَالشَّرِّ ، وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعَلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيراً
﴿ يَوْمٌ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ ، غَطَّوْا رُؤُسَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ خَنِينٌ .
)) فَمَا أَتَى عَلَى أَصْحَابٍ رَسُول الله
Anas agg narrates: "The Messenger of Allah
addressed us in a sermon
the like of which I have never heard. He said: 'If you only knew what I
know, you would laugh little and cry much.' On hearing this, the Șahabah
covered their faces and began weeping." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Another narration has: "The Messenger of Allah
heard something about
his Sahābah . He therefore addressed them saying: 'Paradise and the
Hell-fire were presented before me and I have not seen a day like this day
in respect of good and evil. If you only knew what I know, you will laugh
little and cry much.' Never did the Șahabah experience a more severe day
than this. They covered their heads and began weeping."
Commentary
In this hadith, fear is emphasised over hope, exhorting us to cry excessively out of the fear
of Allāh &s and to avoid excessive laughter, which shows hard-heartedness and negligence
of the Hereafter.
The statement, "if you only knew what I know," refers to the difficulties associated with
death and the grave, the terrors of the Hereafter, the punishment for those who sin and the
torment of Hell.
The Messenger of Allah
was shown Paradise and Hell-fire. This could mean that these
two places were described to him in such detail that he could picture them. However, it is
more likely that they were shown to him physically, by removing the barriers between them
and himself. This is supported by another hadith, in which the Messenger of Allah
is
reported to have moved forward to take a bunch of grapes from Paradise, but stepped back
out of fear of the fire of Hell.

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Additional Points
V Paradise and Hell-fire are already in existence.
V The Sahabah
were deeply affected by the admonition given to them and wept out
of fear of Allah's &s punishment.
v It is commendable to cover the face when crying.
Hadīth 402
، يقول : (( تُدْنَى الشَّمْسُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ مِنَ
وعن المقداد عليه، قَالَ: سمِعْتُ رَسُول اللـه ◌ُ
الخَلْقِ حَتَّى تَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ كَمِقْدَارِ مِيلٍ )) قَالَ سُلَيْم بنُ عامِرِ الراوي عن المقداد : فَوَاللهِ مَا
أدْرِي مَا يعني بالمِيلِ ، أَمَسَافَةَ الأرضِ أَمِ المِيلَ الَّذِي تُكْتَحَلُ بِهِ العَيْنُ ؟ قَالَ : (( فَيَكُونُ
النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدْرِ أعْمَالِهِمْ فِي العَرَقِ ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ ، ومنهم من يكون إِلَى
ركبتيه، ومنهم مَنْ يَكُونُ إِلَى حِقْوَيْهِ ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُلْجِمُهُ العَرَقُ إِلْجَاماً)). قَالَ: وَأَشَارَ
رَسُول الله ◌ُ﴾ بيدهِ إِلَى فِهِ . رواه مسلم .
Al-Miqdad 4og narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "On the
day of Qiyamah, the sun will be brought close to the creation until it will be
one mile away from them." Sulaym ibn 'Amir 44
e, the narrator, narrates from
al-Miqdad de: "By Allah, I do not know what he meant by a mile (mil). Was
he referring to the distance on land, or was he referring to a poker-stick
dipped in antimony which is applied to the eye?" (The Messenger of Allah
continues): "The people will be submerged in perspiration according
to their deeds. Some will be submerged up to their ankles, others up to
their knees, others up to their hips and there will be those whose mouths
the perspiration will bridle." The Messenger of Allah
then pointed to
his mouth with his hand. (Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
According to the Arabs, a mile was the distance of land as far as the eye could see, or a
distance of 3000 or 4000 cubits, which is slightly longer than the English mile.
Commentary
The sun, according to astronomers, is approximately 93 million miles away from the earth.
The heat of the sun travels across this great distance and warms our planet, sometimes
causing extremely high temperatures that are unbearable to human beings. On the day of
Qiyamah, when everybody will be standing in wait for the accounting of deeds, the sun
will be brought one mile above our heads, or even closer. People will sink in their sweat in

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
proportion to their deeds. The only hope we have is to be included in the shade that will be
provided by Allah &s to His chosen servants.
Hadīth 403
وعن أبي هريرة ﴿ّه: أن رَسُول الله ﴿، قَالَ: ((يَعْرَقُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ
عَرَفُهُمْ في الأرضِ سَبْعِينَ ذِراعاً ، وَيُلْجِمُهُمْ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ آذَانَهُمْ )) مُتَفَقٌّ عَلَيهِ .
ومعنى (( يَذْهَبُ في الأرضِ )) : ينزل ويغوص .
Abū Hurayrah 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "On the day
of Qiyamah people will perspire to such an extent that their perspiration
will seep into the ground as deep as seventy cubits and it will bridle them
until it reaches their ears." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
As stated in previous ahadith, people will be immersed in different levels of perspiration.
The worst condition will be that of the disbelievers, then those who committed major sins
and so on. The Messengers ., the martyrs and the fortunate among the believing men and
women will be protected from this phenomenon altogether and will enjoy the privilege of
Allah &s's shade. May Allah & make us from among them.
According to this hadith, the perspiration of some people will seep into the ground seventy
cubits deep. It could also mean that their perspiration will flow seventy cubits in width
across the ground.
Hadīth 404
وعنه ، قَالَ: كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُول الله :﴿ إِذْ سمع وجبة، فَقَالَ: (( هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا؟ )) قُلْنَا:
الله وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ: ((هَذَا حَجَرٌّ رُمِيَ بِهِ في النَّارِ مُنْذُ سَبْعِينَ خَرِيفاً ، فَهُوَ يَهْوِي فِي
النَّارِ الآنَ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى قَعْرِها فَسَمِعْتُمْ وَجْبَتَهَا )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Hurayrah &
narrates: "We were with the Messenger of Allah S
when
he suddenly heard the sound of something falling. He asked us: 'Do you
know what that was?' We replied: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He
said: 'It was a rock which was thrown into the Hell-fire seventy years ago.
It continued falling into the Hell-fire and has now reached the bottom,
resulting in the sound you just heard." (Muslim)

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Commentary
The hadith highlights the enormous depth of Hell and this necessitates that its punishment
will be severe and excruciating. May Allah & save us!
According to this hadith, the Șahabah
, also heard the sound along with the Messenger
of Allah
. This would then be counted as a miracle of the Messenger of Allah
and the
Sahabah , similar to the incidents when the Sahabah
, heard the crying of a tree stump
and the tasbih of pebbles in the hand of the Messenger of Allah
. A miracle of a Messenger
is called a mu jizah and a miracle of a pious person is called a karāmah.
Whenever the Messenger of Allah
asked his Sahābah a question to which they did not
know the answer, they would reply with the words, "Allah and His Messenger know best."
This teaches us the correct etiquette of replying to such a question. We should leave the
answer to the knowledge of Allah & rather than being bold and making statements about
things that we do not know. Since the Messenger of Allah
has departed from this life
and the descent of revelation has ended, we should say "Allah knows best" instead of "Allah
and His Messenger know best."
Hadīth 405
: : (( مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إلاَّ سَيْكَلِّمُهُ رَبُّهُ
، قَالَ : قَالْ رَسُول الله
وعن عدي بن حاتم
لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَهُ تَرْجُمَانٌ، فَنْظُرُ أَيْمَنَ مِنْهُ فَلاَ يَرَى إِلَّ مَا قَدَّمَ ، وَيَنْظُرُ أَشْأَمَ مِنْهُ فَلاَ يَرَى إِلَّ مَا
قَدَّمَ ، وَيَنْظُرُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَلاَ يَرَى إِلَّ النَّارَ تِلْقَاءَ وَجْهِهِ ، فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقَّ تَمْرَةٍ)) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
'Adī ibn Hatim 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Allah &s
will speak with every single one of you without an interpreter between
you and Him. You will look to your right and will see nothing except the
deeds that you had sent forward. You will look to your left and will see
nothing except the deeds that you had sent forward. You will look in front
of you and will see nothing except the Hell-fire directly facing you. You
should therefore safeguard yourselves from the Hell-fire even if it is with
half a date." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith was discussed in a previous chapter. See hadith 139.
The person will look to his left and right in order to find a path of safety from the Fire just

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as a person in this world anxiously looks around him when he is in danger.
"You should therefore safeguard yourselves from the Hell-fire even if it is with half a date,"
means that one should seek salvation from Hell by giving even small amounts of charity.
It could also mean that one should seek salvation from Hell by avoiding indulging in even
small amounts of oppression and sin.
Hadith 406
: ((إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لا تَرَوْنَ ، واسمع ما لا تسمعون،
وعن أَبِ ذَر ◌ُّهُ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
أَّتِ السَّمَاءُ وَحُقَّ لَهَا أنْ تَتِطَّ ، مَا فِيهَا مَوضِعُ أرْبَع أصَابِعَ إلَّ وَمَلَكٌّ وَاضِعٌ جَبْهَتَهُ سَاحِداً
للهِ تَعَالَى. والله لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ، لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيراً، وَمَا تَذَّذْتُمْ بِالنِّساءِ
عَلَى الفُرُشِ ، وَلَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصُّعُدَاتِ تَجْأَرُونَ إِلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى )) رواه الترمذي ، وَقالَ :
(( حديث حسن )) .
وَ((أَّت )) بفتح الهمزة وتشديد الطاءِ و(( تئط )) بفتح التاءِ وبعدها همزة مكسورة ،
وَالأطيط : صوتُ الرَّحْلِ وَالقَتَبِ وَشِبْهِهِمَا، ومعناه: أنَّ كَثْرَةَ مَنْ فِي السَّماءِ مِنَ المَلائِكَةِ
العَابِدِينَ قَدْ أَتْقَلَتْهَا حَتَّى أَطّتْ. وَ(( الصُّعُدات )) بضم الصاد والعين : الطَّرُقات : ومعنى
: (( تَجَرُون )) : تَسْتَغِيئُونَ .
Abu Dharr &
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "I see that
which you do not see. The sky groans and it has every right to groan. There
is not an empty space of even four fingers without an angel placing his
forehead in prostration before Allah &S. By Allah, if you only knew what I
know, you would laugh little and cry much. You would not take any delight
from women in beds and you would go out into the paths, seeking the help
of Allah &s." (Tirmidhi)
Commentary
The sky does not literally groan in pain. Rather, this sound emphasises the abundance of
angels in prostration in awe of Allah &. It is similar to the example of a truck creaking due
to a heavy load.
The skies are filled with righteous actions and angels who perform righteous actions. Imam
Shafi'ī > deduces from this that the sky is superior to the earth and that places have different
virtues according to the actions that are committed within them. The hadith also points to
the great number of angels, who are always engaged in the worship of Allah &s.

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The angels are said to be in prostration in this hadith, but we know from other hadith that
some are also in the standing posture of salah and others in rukū'. This is perhaps because
this hadith may be describing the angels of only a single sky, or it may be an indication that
most of the angels are in prostration compared to the other postures.
The phrase "if you only knew what I know," means that if we knew of the immense majesty
of Allah &s and His severe punishment for those who disobey Him, we would laugh less and
cry more, out of fear. If we could visualise the magnitude of the horrors of the Hereafter,
the pleasures of the world would lose their enjoyment.
Scholars state that our hearts should contain a combination of both fear and hope. From
the words "laugh little" and "cry much," we are taught that a person should not be so
overwhelmed with fear that he becomes despondent; rather, he should have hope which will
encourage him to do good deeds and he should have sufficient fear that keeps him away from
committing evil. Thus, his expression and outward appearance will sometimes be a reflection
of his hope and sometimes it will be a reflection of his fear.
Hadīth 407
وعن أبي برزة - براء ثُمَّ زاي - نَضْلَة بن عبيد الأسلمي ﴿هُ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
:
(( لا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا عَبْدٍ يَومَ القِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ عُمُرِهِ فِيَمَ أَفْنَاهُ؟ وَعَنْ عِلمِهِ فِيمَ فَعَلَ فِيهِ
؟ وَعَنْ مَالِهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَهُ وَفِيمَ أَنْفَقَهُ؟ وَعَنْ جِسمِهِ فِيمَ أبلاهُ؟ )) رواه الترمذي ، وَقَالَ
: (( حديث حسن صحيح )) .
Abū Barzah Nadlah ibn 'Ubayd al-Aslamī112 a
s narrates that the Messenger
of Allāh
said: "The feet of a person will not move (on the day of Qiyamah)
until he is asked about his life and how he spent it, about his knowledge
and how he utilized it, about his wealth and from where he acquired it and
where he spent it and about his body and how he wore it out." (Tirmidhi)
Commentary
On the day of Qiyamah, every person will stand before Allah &s to be accountable for his
deeds. Nobody will take a step towards Paradise or Hell-fire until four questions are put
to him. The Messengers &
Re are of course exempted from this, as well as those fortunate
believers who will enter Paradise without any accountability.
112 Abu Barzah Nadlah ibn 'Ubayd al-Aslamī 44
accepted Islam early and was present at the Conquest
of Makkah Mukarramah. He settled in Başrah and later went for jihad to Khurasan. He passed away
around the year 60 or 64 Hijrī. 46 ahadith are narrated from him.