Indexed OCR Text

481
RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
The first question is about one's life and whether it was spent obeying or disobeying Allah
&s. Each moment of life is precious and should be utilised towards Allah's & pleasure and
Paradise. The second question is about a person's knowledge and whether he practised what
he had learnt. While knowledge is a means of elevating a person's status, it can be a proof
against him if it is not practised. The third question is about his wealth, whether he acquired
it from lawful or unlawful sources and whether he spent it in good or evil causes. Wealth is
a trust from Allah &s and must therefore be used in avenues approved by Him. The fourth
question is about how he expended the energy of his body. Other narrations mention youth
instead of the body, because youth is that time of life in which one's physical energy is at
its peak.
In essence, our life is an examination, the results of which will become apparent to us in
the Hereafter.
Hadīth 408
وعن أبي هريرة ﴿لَهُ، قَالَ: قرأ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﴾: ﴿يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ اَخْبَارَهَا﴾ (الزلزلة: ٤
) ثُمَّ قَالَ: (( أَتَدْرونَ مَا أَخْبَارِهَا))؟ قالوا: الله وَرَسُولُهُ أعْلَمُ. قَالَ: ((فإِنَّ أَخْبَارَهَا أنْ
تَشْهَدَ عَلَى كُلّ عَبْدٍ أَوْ أَمَةٍ بما عَمِلَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا تَقُولُ: عَمِلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا فِي يَومٍ كَذَا وكَذَا
فَهذِهِ أَخْبَارُهَا )) رواه الترمذي ، وَقالَ : (( حديث حسن صحيح )) .
Abū Hurayrah 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
recited this
verse: "On that day, the earth will narrate its news," and he then asked:
"Do you know what its news is?" The Sahabah replied: "Allah and His
Messenger know best." He said: "Its news is that it will give testimony
against every man and woman regarding what he or she did on its back.
It will say: 'You committed such and such action on such and such day.'
That is its news." (Tirmidhī)
Commentary
We may commit sins thinking that we are alone, but Allah &s is Ever Watching and aware
of all that we do. In all probability, those evil deeds from which a person repented will not
be reported or brought to light. However, it is also possible that these will be reported and
then overlooked by Allah Ks, in order to illustrate His grace and mercy.
Even though Allah &s has the knowledge of everything that happens in the universe, He
will make objects such as the earth provide evidence for or against a person who committed
good or bad deeds.

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
Allāh &s has the ability to give the power of speech to non-living things. The Qur'an mentions
that on the day of Qiyamah Allah &s will cause the tongues, hands and feet to testify regarding
the actions of man.
Scholars state if a person has committed a sin in a particular place, he should also do some
good action there, so that the land may testify in his favour.
Hadīth 409
: (( كَيْفَ أَنْعَمُ ! وَصَاحِبُ القَرْنِ
وعن أبي سعيد الخدري ◌ّهِ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
قَدِ النَّقَمَ القَرْنَ ، وَاسْتَمَعَ الإذْنَ مَتَّى يُؤْمَرُ بِالنَّفْخِ فَيَنْفُخُ )) فَكَأنَّ ذلِكَ تَقُلَ عَلَى أَصْحَابٍ
رسولِ الله ◌ُ﴾ه فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: ((قُولُوا: حَسْبُنَا الله وَنِعْمَ الوَكِيلُ)) رواه الترمذي، وَقالَ:
(( حديث حسن )) .
((القَرْنُ)): هُوَ الصُّورُ الَّذِي قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: {وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ } كذا فسَّرِه رَسُول الله
Abū Sa'īd al-Khudrī & narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "How
can I enjoy life when the angel who has been deputed to blow the trumpet
has already placed it in his mouth, with his ear turned in order to listen
to the order to blow it so that he may blow it?" This statement weighed
heavily on the Sahabah of the Messenger of Allah
, so he said to them:
"Say: 'Allah is sufficient for us and an excellent guardian is He." (Tirmidhī)
Commentary
Israfil & is the angel appointed to blow the trumpet at the end of the world, when every
soul will die and Qiyamah will take place. He is already poised with the trumpet in his mouth,
awaiting the command from Allah &S. In those last moments of the world, the only people
living will be the worst of creation.
The Messenger of Allah
expressed his concern for the Ummah that the Hour of Qiyamah
was near causing the Sahabah to become worried and fearful. The Messenger of Allah
instructed them
Allah is sufficient for us and an excellent) حَسْبُنَا الله وَنِعْمَ الوَكِيلُ" to say بط
guardian is He)". This was the supplication of Ibrahim & when the tyrant king threw him
into the fire and this was what the Sahabah A
e supplicated when people tried to frighten
them about an army of disbelievers.
Hadith 410
: (( مَنْ خَافَ أَدْلَجَ ، وَمَنْ أَدْلَجَ بَلَغَ المَنْزِلَ .
وعن أبي هريرة ﴿هُ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
أَلا إِنَّ سِلْعَةَ اللهِ غَالِيَةٌ، ألاَ إِنَّ سِلْعَةَ الله الجَنَّةُ)) رواه الترمذي ، وَقالَ : (( حديث حسن)).
وَ((أدْلَجَ )) : بإسكان الدال ومعناه سار من أول الليلِ . والمراد التشمير في الطاعة ،
والله أعلم .
Abū Hurayrah &
% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "One
who fears departs in the first portion of the night and one who departs
in the first portion of the night reaches his destination. Know that the
commodity of Allah is expensive. Know that the commodity of Allah is
Paradise." (Tirmidhī)
Departing in the first portion of the night refers to hastening towards
doing good deeds. And Allah &s knows best.
Commentary
In this hadith, a real life situation has been used to explain the importance of hastening
towards good deeds. The Messenger of Allah
explained that it is dangerous to travel
in the darkest hours of the night due to the possibility that a traveller may be attacked by
an enemy. One who fears such an attack will begin travelling early in the night, so that he
can safely reach his destination. Similarly, our destination is the Hereafter, where we hope
to live blissfully in Paradise. Shaitan, with the help of our base desires, lies in our path and
waits to ambush us with temptations of evil. In order to evade Shaitan and reach Paradise
unscathed, we must be courageous and hasten to perform good actions.
Paradise is a commodity that Allah & offers to us, but it is costly. If we desire Paradise, our
lives and property must be used in the right way and with sincerity of intention. The Qur'an
alludes to the same idea,
﴿إِنَّ اللهَ اشْتَرَى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اَنْفُسَهُمْ وَاَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ ﴾
Indeed Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and wealth so that
they may have Paradise. (Sūrah al-Taubah, 111)
Hadith 411
، يقول : (( يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ حُفَاةً
وعن عائشة ﴿هَا، قَالَتْ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُول الله
عُرَاةً غُزْلاً )) قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُول الله، الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّساءُ جَمِيعاً يَنْظُرُ بَعضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْض؟! قَالَ
: (( يَا عَائِشَةُ ، الأمرُ أَشَدُّ مِنْ أنْ يُهِمَّهُمْ ذلِكَ )) .

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
وفي رواية : ((الأَمْرُ أَهُمُّ مِنْ أنْ يَنْظُرَ بَعضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعض )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
((غُرِلاً )) بِضَمِّ الغَيْنِ المعجمة ، أيْ : غَيْرَ مَخْتُونِينَ .
'A'ishah wes narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "On the day
of Qiyamah, people will be raised bare-footed, naked and uncircumcised." I
asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Will all the men and women not be looking
at each other?" He replied: "O 'A'ishah! The matter will be far too serious
for them to be concerned with that." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Another narration has: "The matter will be far too serious for them to
look at each other."
Commentary
The hadith indicates towards the severity and horror of the day of Qiyamah and thereby
encourages us to hasten towards repentance and good deeds.
Scholars have explained this hadith with a worldly example to which we can relate. A person
who is about to be hanged will not be affected by even the most beautiful woman who walks
by him because her beauty is trivial in comparison with his worries and anxiety. Similarly,
the horror of the day of Qiyamah will make all other matters seem trivial. On that day, people
will flee from their near and dear ones and each person will be worried about the accounting
of his own deeds.
On the day of Qiyamah, only certain elect people will have clothing. The Messenger of Allah
said: "The first to be clothed on the day of Qiyamah will be Ibrahim and then I will
be clothed." (Muslim) The rest of the people will be without clothing or shoes and will be
returned to the state in which they were created. In this world, we would feel ashamed to
appear undressed in public, but due to the anxiety of that day, nobody will be worried about
his body being exposed, nor will anybody think about looking at others.
CHAPTER 51
باب الرجاء
Chapter on hope
قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلْ يُعِبَادِىَ الَّذِيْنَ اَسْرَفُوْا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوْا مِنْ رَّحْمَةِ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ جَمِيْعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ﴾ (الزمر: ٥٣)،
Allāh &s says: "Say, 'O My servants who have wronged their souls! Do not
lose hope of Allah's mercy. Surely Allah forgives all sins. Surely, He is Most
forgiving, Most merciful." (Sūrah al-Zumar, 53)
وَقالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَهَلْ نُجْزِىّ إِلاَّ الْكَفُوْرَ﴾ (سبأ: ١٧ )،
Allāh &s says: "We punish only the extremely ungrateful ones." (Sūrah
Saba', 17)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّا قَدْ أُوحِىَ اِلَيْنَآَ أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ عَلَى مَنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى﴾ ( طه : ٤٨)،
Allāh & says: "It has been revealed to us that punishment shall be for
those who reject and turn away." (Sūrah Tā Ha, 48)
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَرَحْمَتِىْ وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ﴾ ( الأعراف: ١٥٦).
Allah & says: "My mercy encompasses everything." (Sūrah al-A'raf, 156)
Hadith 412
﴾: (( مَنْ شَهِدَ أنَّ لا إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ
، قَالَ : قَالْ رَسُول الله
وعن عبادة بن الصامت
لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمداً عَبْدُهُ ورَسُولُهُ ، وَأَنَّ عِيسى عَبْدُ اللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى
مَرْيَمَ ورُوحٌ مِنْهُ ، وَأَنَّ الجَنَّةَ حَقٍّ ، وَالنَّارَ حَقٍّ ، أَدْخَلَهُ اللهُ الجَنَّةَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنَ العَمَلِ
)) مُتَفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
وفي رواية لمسلم: ((مَنْ شَهِدَ أنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّ اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللهِ ، حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ النَّارَ )).
'Ubādah ibn al-Șāmit
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"One who testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and
that He is one and has no partner, that Muhammad is His servant and
Messenger, that 'Isa is the servant of Allah and His Messenger and His
word which He cast into Maryam and a spirit from Him and that Paradise
and the Hell-fire are true, then Allah &'s shall enter him into Paradise no
matter what his deeds may be." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Another narration of Muslim has: "Allah & makes the Hell-fire unlawful

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
for one who testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allah
and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
Vocabulary and Definitions
Īsa Me is called the "word of Allah" either because he was born by the command of Allah des
and without the intervention of a father, or because he spoke in the cradle. He is also called
the "spirit of Allah" either because his soul was blown into him miraculously or because he
would give life to the physically and spiritually dead by the will of Allah &s.
Commentary
Ahadith such as this one serve to remind us that we should never lose hope in the endless
mercy of Allah &S. Once a person has accepted the fundamental beliefs of Islam, he should
regard himself to be very fortunate and in the mercy of Allah & because if he dies in this
condition, he will definitely enter Paradise. He may have to pass through the Hell-fire for the
cleansing of his sins if he did not repent from them before death, but eventually he will be
honoured with Paradise, where he will live happily for eternity. Thus, the statement, "Allah
des makes the Hell-fire unlawful for him," means that he will not be a permanent dweller of
the Hell-fire if he had left this world without taubah. However, Allah & can pardon even a
persistent sinner if He so chooses, for His mercy is vast.
A Muslim believes in all of the Messengers &
Ne, but Isa ke is given special mention in this
hadith because of the extreme beliefs held by the disbelievers about him. He was a servant
and Messenger of Allah & and not the son of Allah or Allah as the Christians claim, neither
was he born from an adulterous relationship as the Jews claim.
Hadith 413
: (( يقول الله رََّ: مَنْ جَاء بالحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا
وعن أَبِ ذَر ◌ِلَّهُ ، قَالَ : قَالَ النَّبِيّ
أَوْ أَزْيَد ، وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَجَزَاءُ سَيَِّةٍ سَيَّةٌ مِثْلُهَا أَوْ أَغْفِرُ . وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْراً تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ
ذِرَاعاً، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِّ ذِرَاعاً تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعاً ، وَمَنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ، وَمَنْ لَقِيني
بِقُرَابِ الأرْض خَطِيئَةً لا يُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئاً ، لَقِيتُهُ بِمِثْلِهَا مَغْفِرَةً )) رواه مسلم .
معنى الحديث : (( مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ )) إِلَيَّ بِطَاعَتِي ((تَقَرَّبْتُ)) إِلَيْهِ بِرَحْمَتِي وَإِنْ زَادَ زِدْتُ ((
فَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي)) وَأسرَعَ فِي طَاعَتِي (( أَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً )) أَبْ: صَبَيْتُ عَلَيْهِ الرَّحْمَةَ وَسَبَقْتُهُ
بِهَا وَلَمْ أحْوِجْهُ إِلَى المَشْيِ الكَثِيرِ في الوُصُولِ إِلَى المَفْصُودِ ((وَقُرَابُ الأَرضِ )) بضم
القافِ ، ويقال: بكسرها والضم أصح وأشهر ومعناه : مَا يُقَارِبُ مِلأَهَا ، والله أعلم .
Abu Dharr 4
" narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Allah dás

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
says: 'One who does a good deed shall receive a reward ten times the like
thereof, or I will give (him) more. One who commits an evil deed shall be
punished the like thereof, or I will forgive (him). One who comes to Me
by a hand-span, I go to him by a cubit. One who comes to Me by a cubit,
I go to him by an arm-span. One who comes to Me walking, I go to him
running. One who meets Me with sin equivalent to the size of the earth,
but associated no partner with Me, I will meet him with a similar amount
of forgiveness." (Muslim)
The hadith means that one who comes to Me by obeying Me, I am merciful
to him. If he increases, I do likewise. If he hastens in obedience to Me, I go
running to him by enveloping him in My mercy and I hasten towards him
so that he does not have to exert himself too much in reaching his goal.
Vocabulary and Definitions
A hand-span is the distance between the thumb and the little finger when the fingers are
spread out.
A cubit is the distance between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger, which equals
about two hand spans.
An arm-span refers to the distance between the two hands when the arms are outstretched,
which equals about four cubits.
The references to a hand-span, arm-span, running, etc. in relation to Allah &s are only by
way of example, as Allah &s is independent of space and time. He is beyond any type of
movement, shape or form that characterises His creation.
Commentary
In this Hadith al-Qudsī, Allah &s announces to His servants how He appreciates their eagerness
for good deeds. We also learn about the intense magnitude of His mercy. When a servant
performs a good deed, He multiplies the reward ten times or as much as He desires. But if
the servant commits an act of disobedience, the punishment is not multiplied at all; rather,
he will be punished in proportion to his misdeed, or Allah &s may even forgive him.
When a person draws near to Allah &s by striving to fulfil the rights of Allah &s, Allah des
appreciates his action by taking him even closer. The more the servant goes towards Allah
, the more Allah & is pleased with him. Allah & then grants him greater ability and
strength to continue in His worship.

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
The hadith explains that if the sins of a person were to fill the entire earth, Allah &s would still
be ready to exchange them for an earth full of forgiveness, provided he abstained from shirk
(ascribing partners to Allah ). This again indicates Allah's des tremendous compassion,
mercy and forgiveness.
The measurements mentioned in this hadith illustrate that Allah &s values every good action,
whether it is big or small. The servant is merely required to do what he can and Allah
will enable him to progress.
Hadith 414
وعن جابر بنطلّه، قَالَ: جاء أعرابي إِلَى النَّبِيّ ل﴿، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُول الله، مَا الموجِبَتَانِ؟
قَالَ : (( مَنْ مَاتَ لاَ يُشْرِكُ باللهِ شَيْئاً دَخَلَ الجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ مَاتَ يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئاً دَخَلَ النَّار))
رواه مسلم .
Jābir
's narrates that a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah
and
said: "O Messenger of Allah! Which two things are obligatory?" He replied:
"One who dies without ascribing partners to Allah & shall enter Paradise
and one who dies ascribing partners to Allah &'s shall enter the Hell-fire."
(Muslim)
Commentary
Paradise is guaranteed for a person who testifies to the tawhid (Oneness) of Allah &'s and the
prophethood of the Messenger of Allah
and then fulfils the demands of that testimony,
provided he dies in this state of īman. To fulfil the demands of tawhid means to abstain from
disobeying Allah &S. If one had disobeyed Allah &s, then he may first be punished in the
Hell-fire before being admitted into Paradise, where he will remain forever. On the other
hand, one who dies in a state of disbelief will be cast into the Hell-fire, to remain there forever.
Additional Points
The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama ah unanimously agree that disbelievers will forever remain in
the Hell-fire, whether they are idol-worshippers, atheists, Jews or Christians.
Hadith 415
ومعاذ رديفه عَلَى الرَّحْلِ، قَالَ: (( يَا مُعَاذُ
وعن أنس راللّهُ : أن النبيّ
)) قَالَ: لَيْكَ يَا رَسُول الله وَسَعْدَيْكَ، قَالَ: (( يَا مُعَاذُ)) قَالَ : لَبَّكَ
يَا رَسُول اللـه وَسَعْدَيْكَ، قَالَ: (( يَا مُعَاذُ )) قَالَ : لَبِّكَ يَا رَسُول اللـه وسَعْدَيْكَ ، ثَلاثاً،

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
قَالَ : (( مَا مِنْ عَبْدِ يَشْهَدُ أن لا إلهَ إلَّ اللـه، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ صِدْقاً مِنْ قَلْبِهِ إِلاَّ
حَرَّمَهُ اللهِ عَلَى النَّارِ)) قَالَ: يَا رَسُول الله، أَفَلاَ أَخْبِرُ بِهَا النَّاس فَيَسْتَبْشِروا؟ قَالَ: (( إِذاً
يَنَّكِلُوا)) فأخبر بِهَا مُعاذٍ عِنْدَ موتِهِ تَأَثُّماً. مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
وقوله : (( تأثّماً )) أي خوفاً مِنْ الإثم في كَثْم هَذَا العلم .
Anas ibn Mālik
" narrates that one day the Messenger of Allah
was
riding and Mu'ādh
was sitting behind him. He said: "O Mu'adh!" He
replied: "O Messenger of Allah! I am here and what a pleasure it is to be
with you." He said: "O Mu'adh!" He replied: "O Messenger of Allah! I am
here and what a pleasure it is to be with you." He said: "O Mu'adh!" He
replied: "O Messenger of Allah! I am here and what a pleasure it is to be
with you." This happened three times and he then said: "One who testifies,
sincerely from his heart, that there is none worthy of worship except Allah
and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, then Allah & makes it
unlawful for him to enter the Hell-fire." He said: "O Messenger of Allah!
Should I not convey this to the people so that they may rejoice?" He replied:
"If you do so they will place their reliance on it." Anas de said: "Mu adh
s narrated this at the time of his death, fearing the sin of concealing
knowledge." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
"Allah 's makes it unlawful for him to enter the Hell-fire," means that Allah &s makes
permanent dwelling in the Hell-fire unlawful to a person who testifies to the kalimah
(testimony of faith).
Commentary
The Messenger of Allah
repeatedly called Mu adh
gs by name in order to get his full
attention and emphasise the importance of what he was about to tell him.
Mu'adh dos desired to inform people of this hadith, in order to give them joy and to encourage
them towards sincerity in faith, but the Messenger of Allah
wanted his Ummah to strive
for the higher stages of the Hereafter by engaging in more acts of righteousness and he
feared that if they learned of the hadith they may suffice on this virtue and abandon other
good deeds.
But, why did Mu'adh 4% finally pass on this hadith at the end of his life? Hafiz ibn Hajar
explains that the Messenger of Allah
did not strictly mean to prohibit Mu'adh 4% from
transmitting the hadith; it was only out of compassion for his Ummah that he did not want

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them to know of this virtue. It may also be said that Mu'adh 4
, did not narrate it to all, but
only narrated it to those who he thought would not abandon good deeds after hearing it.
Additional Points
v A scholar may sometimes hold back his knowledge if he fears that it will be used in a
wrong way, it will cause people to be deprived from something superior, or if people do
not have the capability of understanding it correctly.
v Mu'adh de
mentioned himself sitting behind the Messenger of Allah
and his
repetition of the words to indicate how well he remembered the incident and to draw
pleasure from his closeness to the Messenger of Allah
Hadith 416
وعن أَبي هريرة أَوْ أَبِي سعيد الخدري م ◌ُّ - شك الراوي - ولا يَضُرُّ الشَّكَّ فِي عَينِ الصَّحَابِيّ
؛ لأَنَّهُمْ كُلُّهُمْ عُدُولٌ - قَالَ: لَمَّا كَانَ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكَ ، أصَابَ النَّاسَ مَجَاعَةٌ ، فقالوا : يَا رَسُول
: (( افْعَلُوا ))
الله ، لَوْ أذِنْتَ لَنَا فَنَحِرْنَا نَواضِحَنَا) فَأَكَلْنَا وَادَّهَنَّا؟ فَقَالَ رَسُول الله
فَجَاء عُمَرُ بِّهَ ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُول الله ، إنْ فَعَلْتَ قَلَّ الظَّهْرُ ، وَلَكِن ادعُهُمْ بِفَضْلِ أَزْوَادِهِمْ
، ثُمَّ ادْعُ الله لَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا بِالبَرَكَةِ ، لَعَلَّ الله أنْ يَجْعَلَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْبَرَكَةَ . فَقَالَ رَسُول الله
: ((نَعَمْ )) فَدَعَا بِنَطْعِ فَبَسَطَهُ، ثُمَّ دَعَا بِفضلِ أزْوَادِهِمْ، فَجَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ يَجِيءُ بَكَفّ ذُرَة
وَيَجِيءُ الآخرُ بِكَفّ تمر وَيجيءُ الآخرُ بِكِسرَةٍ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ عَلَى النّطِعِ مِنْ ذلِكَ شَيءٍ يَسِيرٌ
بِالْبَرَكَةِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : ((خُذُوا فِي أوعِيَتِكُمْ)) فَأَخَذُوا فِي أَوْعِيَتَهم حَتَّى
، فَدَعَا رَسُول الله
مَا تَرَكُوا في العَسْكَرِ وِعَاء إِلَّ مَلأوهُ وَأَكُلُوا حَتَّى شَبْعُوا وَفَضَلَ فَضْلَةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُول الله
: (( أَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إلَّ اللهُ وَأَنّي رَسُولُ الله، لا يَلْقَى اللهِ بِهِمَا عَبْدٌ غَيْرِ شَاكٌّ فَيُحْجَبَ عَنِ
الجَنةِ )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Hurayrah 4,
or Abū Sa'īd al-Khudrī ao% (the narrator is unsure, but
such doubt with regard to a Sahābī is of no consequence because all the
Șahabah we were completely reliable) said: "During the expedition of Tabuk,
the people were suffering from hunger, so they said: 'O Messenger of Allah!
If you permit us, we will slaughter our camels, eat their meat and use the
fat.' The Messenger of Allah
said: 'Alright, you may do so.' But 'Umar
suggested: 'O Messenger of Allah! If you do so, our conveyances will
decrease. Rather ask them to bring their remaining provisions and supplicate
to Allah & so that He puts blessings in them. In this way Allah des may
place barakah (blessings) in their provisions.' The Messenger of Allah

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
said: 'Alright.' He then requested for a leather mat which he spread out
and asked the people to bring their remaining provisions. Some brought a
handful of grain, others a handful of dates and yet others a piece of bread,
until a few things were gathered on the mat. The Messenger of Allah
then supplicated for blessings and said to the people: 'Fill your utensils
with this.' They began filling their utensils until every single utensil in the
army was full. They ate until they were satiated and there was still some left
over. The Messenger of Allah
said: 'I testify that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. One, who
meets Allah & with these two testimonies, without doubting them, will
not be prevented from Paradise."" (Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
Barakah is defined as the abundance and continuity of goodness.
The phrase "without doubting them" was mentioned to exclude the hypocrites who verbally
declared their faith in Allah &s and His Messenger
, but inwardly harboured doubts.
Commentary
The battle of Tabuk was the last expedition (ghazwah) in which the Messenger of Allah
personally took part. It was a long journey in extreme heat and provisions were scarce. Hafiz
ibn Hajar & says in his commentary on Bukhari that approximately thirty to forty thousand
Sahābah e participated in this battle. When their rations began to run out, they sought
permission to slaughter their riding camels for food. 'Umar &
5, who was an advisor to the
Messenger of Allah
suggested that it would be better if he were to gather the little food
that they had and supplicate to Allah &s to grant barakah therein. The Messenger of Allah
accepted his suggestion and Allah & accepted his du'a' in their favour.
Additional Points
v Etiquette and courtesy demand that people consult their leader before making any
decisions.
v The miraculous acceptance of the du'a' of the Messenger of Allah
for barakah in food
happened several times in his life.
V It is vital for a leader to consult with his subjects.
Hadith 417
وعن عِتْبَانَ بن مالك ﴿هُ وَهُوَ مِمَّن شَهِدَ بَدراً، قَالَ: كنت أُصَلِّي لِقَوْمِي بَنِي سَالِم ، وَكَانَ

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
يَحُولُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ وَادٍ إِذَا جَاءتِ الأَمْطَارِ ، فَيَشُقُّ عَلَيَّ اجْتِيَازُهُ قِبَلَ مسْجِدِهم ، فَجِئْتُ رسولَ
فقلت لَهُ : إنّي أَنْكَرْتُ بَصَرِي وَإِنَّ الوَادِي الَّذِي بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ قَومِي يَسيلُ إِذَا جَاءتٍ
الأَمْطَارُ فَيَشُقُّ عَلَيَّ اجْتِيَازُهُ فَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّكَ تَأْتِي فَتُصَلِّي فِي بَيْتِي مَكَاناً أَتَّخِذُهُ مُصَلّى ، فَقَالَ
رَسُول الله :﴿: ((سَأَفْعَلُ)) فَغَدَا علي رسولُ الله ﴿ وَأَبُو بكر ◌ِلَهُ بَعْدَ مَا اشْتَدَّ النَّهَارُ،
فَأَذِنْتُ لَهُ ، فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى قَالَ : (( أَيْنَ تُحِبُّ أنْ أُصَلِّيَ مِنْ بَيْئِكَ
وَاسْتَأْذِنَ رَسُول الله
فكبَّرَ وَصَفَفْنَا
(؟ )) فَأَشَرْتُ لَهُ إِلَى المَكَانِ الَّذِي أُحبُّ أنْ يُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ، فَقَامَ رَسُول الله ◌ِ﴾
وَرَاءَهُ فَصَلَّى رَكَعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ وَسَلَّمْنَا حِينَ سَلَّمَ فَحَبَسْتُهُ عَلَى خَزِيرَةٍ تُصْنَعُ لَهُ ، فَسَمِعَ أهلُ
الدَّارِ أَنَّ رَسُول الله ﴿ه فِي بَيْتِي فَثَابَ رِجالٌ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى كَثُرَ الرِّجَالُ فِي البَيْتِ ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ
: مَا فَعَلَ مَالِكٌ لا أرَاهُ ! فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ : ذلِكَ مُنَافِقٌ لا يُحِبُّ الله ورسولَهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُول الله
: (( لا تَقُلْ ذلِكَ، أَلاَ تَرَاهُ قَالَ: لا إلهَ إلَّ اللـه يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجهَ الله تَعَالَى)) فَقَالَ: اللهُ
ورسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ أَمَّا نَحْنُ فَوَ اللهِ مَا نَرَى وُدَّهُ وَلاَ حَدِيثَهُ إِلَّ إِلَى المَنَافِقِينَ ! فَقَالَ رَسُول الله
: ((فإنَّ اللـه قَدْ حَرَّمَ عَلَى النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ: لا إلهَ إلَّ الله يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ الله)) مُتَّفَقِّ عَلَيْهِ .
وَ((عِتْبَان)) : بكسر العين المهملة وإسكان التاءِ المثناةِ فَوق وبعدها باءٌ موحدة . وَ((
الخَزِيرَةُ )) بالخاءِ المعجمةِ والزاي : هِيَ دَقيقٌ يُطْبَخُ بِشَحم . وقوله : (( ثَابَ رِجَالٌ))
بِالثاءِ المثلثةِ : أَيْ جَاؤُوا وَاجْتَمَعُوا .
'Itban ibn Malik113 dage, one of those who participated in the battle of Badr,
narrates: "I used to lead my people, the Banū Salim, in șalāh. When it
used to rain a river of water would form between me and them making
it difficult to reach their masjid. So I came to the Messenger of Allah
and said: 'My eyesight is weak and when it rains water flows in the valley
between me and my people, making it difficult to cross. I would like you
to come to my house and offer salah at a place which I will make into a
place of șalāh.' The Messenger of Allah
replied: 'I will come."
"The following day when the sun was quite hot, the Messenger of Allah
and Abū Bakr
s came and the Messenger of Allah
sought permission
to enter. I gave him permission, but he did not sit down and asked me:
113 'Itban ibn Malik &
was an Ansarī from the Banu Salim clan of Aws. He had the honour of
participating in the great battle of Badr. He lived near Quba'. He was a leader of his people and would
pay the blood money on their behalf, when needed. He passed away during the khilafah of Mu'awiyah
Only this one hadith is narrated from him by Bukhārī and Muslim.

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
'Where in your house would you like me to offer salah?' I indicated to the
place where I preferred him to offer salah. The Messenger of Allah
stood and said the takbir and we made a row and prayed behind him. He
offered two rak'ats of salah and ended it with salām. We did the same. I
then asked him to remain behind to eat khazīrah which had been prepared
for him. When my neighbours heard that the Messenger of Allah
was
in my house, they began entering until many people were gathered. One
of them asked: 'Where is Malik? I do not see him?' Another replied: 'That
man is a hypocrite. He does not love Allah and His Messenger.' On hearing
this, the Messenger of Allah
said: 'Do not say that. Do you not see that
he testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and says it
for the pleasure of Allah?' The man said: 'Allah and His Messenger know
best. As far as we know, his inclinations and conversations are only with
the hypocrites.' The Messenger of Allah
said: 'One who testifies that
there is none worthy of worship except Allah, desiring thereby the pleasure
of Allah, then Allah &s makes it unlawful for him to enter the Hell-fire."
(Bukhārī, Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
Khazīrah is a type of dish that is cooked with flour and pieces of fatty meat.
Commentary
Other narrations of this incident also mention that the Messenger of Allah
came along
with Abū Bakr
‘Umar
s and others. It was a great honour for 'Itband
'e that the
Messenger of Allah
entered his house and performed șalāh in it.
,
When people began to speak ill of a Sahabī named Malik ibn al-Dukhshum
s and accused
him of being a hypocrite, the Messenger of Allah
declared him to be a true believer, on
the basis that he had sincerely testified to the kalimah (testimony of faith) for the pleasure
of Allah &5. Malik
was in fact part of the elite group of Sahabah
that took part in
the decisive battle of Badr and there was no question of him being a hypocrite.
This hadith proves that bearing testimony of the Oneness of Allah &es and the prophethood
of Muhammad
will save a person from the Hell-fire, provided it is free from hypocrisy.
Additional Points
v A man may perform his salah at home if he has a valid excuse.
v It is impermissible to foster evil thoughts of believers merely based on doubts.

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v It is meritorious to request the pious for du'as in order to acquire their barakah.
v The integrity and honour of one who is falsely accused should be defended.
v It is meritorious to allocate a particular place for salah in one's home.
Hadīth 418
بِسَبِي فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبِيِ تَسْعَى ،
وعن عمر بن الخطاب رضيله، قَالَ: قِدِم رَسُول اللـه ◌ُ
إِذْ وَجَدَتْ صَبِياً فِي السَّبْيِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَالْزَقَتُهُ بِبَطْنِهَا فَرَضَعَتْهُ ، فَقَالَ رَسُول الله :﴿ه: ((أَتَرَوْنَ
هذِهِ المَرْأةَ طَارِحَةً وَلَدَها فِي النَّارِ ؟ )) قُلْنَا: لاَ وَاللهِ . فَقَالَ: (( للهُ أرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هذِهِ
بِوَلَدِهَا )) مُتَفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
‘Umar ibn al-Khațțāb
narrates: "Some prisoners were brought to the
Messenger of Allah
and a woman from among them was anxiously
searching for her child. As soon as she found an infant among the prisoners,
she took hold of it, clutched it to her belly and breast-fed it. The Messenger
of Allāh
addressed us saying: 'Do you think that this woman will ever
cast her child into a fire?' We replied: 'No, by Allah.' The Messenger of
Allāh
said: 'Indeed Allah && has far more mercy for His servants than
this woman has for her child." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
This incident took place after the conquest of Makkah Mukarramah, when the Muslims fought
the Hawazin tribe and took prisoners from amongst them. The woman had lost her child,
and was frantically going around searching for the child. According to another narration,
she eventually found her child.
The Messenger of Allah
took advantage of the situation to teach the Sahabah e a lesson.
He explained that the mercy of Allah des towards His servants is much more than the mercy
of a mother for her child.
The mercy of Allah & in this world embraces the believer and the disbeliever alike, but
in the Hereafter it will be for the believers only. Allah's & mercy for the believers in this
world is manifested by His opening of the doors of repentance and hope for them so that
they may save themselves from Hell-fire.
Additional Points
V When Allah &s is the Most Merciful of all beings, one should be wise enough to establish
a bond with Him and request for one's needs from Him.

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Hadith 419
: (( لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللهِ الخَلْقَ كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابٍ ،
وعن أبي هريرة ﴿هُ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
فَهُوَ عِنْدَهُ فَوقَ العَرْشِ: إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي تَغْلِبُ غَضَبِي )) .
وفي رواية : ((غَلَبَتْ غَضَبِي )) وفي رواية : (( سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِي)) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
Abū Hurayrah 4
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "When
Allāh & created the creation, He wrote in a book which is with Him above
the Throne: 'My mercy overpowers My anger." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Another narration has: "(My mercy) overpowered My anger," and another
narration has: "(My mercy) surpassed My anger."
Commentary
Allah's &s decision to reward and benefit an obedient servant is termed as His pleasure and
mercy, whereas the decision to punish and disgrace a disobedient servant is termed as His
anger. Among the manifestations of Allah's & mercy are that Allah des equally provides
sustenance for the obedient and the disobedient, He tolerates those who disbelieve in Him
and who disobey Him and He accepts the repentance of those who repent to Him.
The reference to "Allah writing in a book" could be to the al-Lawh al-Mahfuz (the Preserved
Tablet on which all destiny is written), or to those decisions of Allah des which are eternal
and in existence since before time.
Hadith 420
}، يقول : (( جَعَلَ الله الرَّحْمَةَ مِنَةَ جُزْءٍ، فَأَمْسَكَ عِنْدَهُ
وعنه ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُول الله
تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ، وَأَنْزَلَ فِي الأَرْضِ جُزْءاً وَاحِداً، فَمِنْ ذلِكَ الجُزءِ يَتَرَاحَمُ الخَلائِقُ، حَتَّى تَرْفَعَ
الدَّابَةُ حَافِرِهَا عَنْ وَلَدِهَا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُ )) .
وفي رواية : (( إنّ للهِ تَعَالَى منَةَ رَحمَةٍ ، أَنْزَلَ مِنْهَا رَحْمَةً وَاحِدَةً بَيْنَ الجِنِّ وَالإنس وَالبهائِمِ
وَالَهَوامٌ ، فبها يَتَعَاطَفُونَ ، وبِهَا يَتَرَاحَمُونَ ، وبِهَا تَعْطِفُ الوَحْشُ عَلَى وَلَدِهَا، وَأَخَّرَ اللهُ
تَعَالَى تِسْعاً وَتِسْعِينَ رَحْمَةً يَرْحَمُ بِهَا عِبَادَهُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
: (( إن للهِ
ورواه مسلم أيضاً مِنْ رواية سَلْمَانَ الفارِسيِّ اللّهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُول الله
تَعَالَى مِنَّةَ رَحْمَةٍ فَمِنْهَا رَحْمَةٌ يَتَرَاحُمُ بِهَا الَخَلْقُ بَيْنَهُمْ ، وَتِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ لِيَومِ القِيَامَةِ )) .

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وفي رواية : ((إنَّ الله تَعَالَى خَلَقَ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ مَنَّةَ رَحْمَةٍ كُلُّ رَحْمَةٍ طِبَاقُ
مَا بَيْنَ السَّماءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ ، فَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا في الأرضِ رَحْمَةً فَبِهَا تَعْطِفُ الوَالِدَةُ عَلَى وَلَدِهَا ،
وَالوَحْشُ وَالطَّيْرُ بَعْضُهَا عَلَى بَعْض، فَإِذا كَانَ يَوْمُ القِيَامَةِ أكملَهَا بِهِذِهِ الرَّحمَةِ )) .
Abū Hurayrah & narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "Allāh
Les divided mercy into one hundred parts. He withheld ninety-nine parts
for Himself and sent one part to the earth. It is through this one part that
the creation shows mercy to each other, so that an animal lifts its hoof in
fear of hurting its young one."
Another narration has: "Allah & has one hundred mercies. He sent down
one mercy that is shared between jinn, men, animals and insects and by
virtue of this they show affection and mercy to each other and a wild
animal shows affection to its young. Allah && withheld ninety-nine mercies
and by virtue of these He will show mercy to His servants on the day of
Qiyāmah." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Muslim also narrated from Salman al-Fārsī &
" that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Allah & has one hundred mercies. One of these is the mercy by
which the creation shows mercy to each other, while the other ninety-nine
are for the day of Qiyamah."
Another narration has: "On the day when Allah && created the heavens
and the earth, He created one hundred mercies. Each mercy is equal to
the distance between the heavens and the earth. From these, He placed
one mercy on the earth by which a mother shows affection to her child
and animals and birds show mercy to each other. On the day of Qiyamah,
He will complete the ninety-nine with this single mercy."
Commentary
After mentioning that all creatures - jinn, humans, animals and insects - show mercy to
one another, reference has been made to an animal with hooves such as a horse showing
mercy to its foal. The reason for this, according to Ibn Abī Jamrah , is that horses were
the most common domesticated animals for the Sahabah
and they noticed how these
animals behaved with their young. In addition, horses move with great speed, yet take care
to avoid harming their young.
These narrations are a source of great hope and joy for a believer. Allah &s has already given

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him enormous bounties in this world, which include Islam, the Qur'an, salah, etc. If all of this
is the result of just one mercy, then one can well imagine the blessing of the ninety-nine
mercies Allah &S will grant him in the Hereafter.
Ahadith of this nature should not cause a believer to become lax and negligent; rather, they
should serve as an incentive and inspiration for him to increase in repentance and good
actions, and to abstain from sin.
Hadith 421
} فيما يحكِي عن ربهِ تبارك وتعالى، قَالَ : (( أَذْنَبَ عَبْدٌ ذَنْباً ، فَقَالَ
وعنه ، عن النبيّ
: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِ ذَنْبِي ، فَقَالَ الله تَبَارِكَ وَتَعَالَى: أذَنَبَ عبدي ذَنباً، فَعَلِمَ أنَّ لَهُ رَبّاً يَغْفِرُ
الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بالذَّنْبِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ، فَقَالَ : أَيْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي ، فَقَالَ تَبَارِكَ وَتَعَالَى
: أَذَنَبَ عبدي ذنباً ، فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبّاً يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بالذَّنْبِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ ، فَقَالَ:
أَيْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي ، فَقَالَ تبارك وتعالى: أَذَنَبَ عبدِي ذَنباً ، فَعَلِمَ أنَّ لَهُ رَبّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ
وَيَأْخُذُ بالذَّنْبِ ، قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي فَليَفْعَلْ مَا شَاءَ )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
وقوله تَعَالَى: (( فَلْيَفْعَلْ مَا شَاءَ )) أيْ: مَا دَامَ يَفْعَلُ هكذا، يُذْنِبُ وَيَتُوبُ أَغْفِرُ لَهُ ، فَإِنَّ
التَّوْبَةَ تَهْدِمُ مَا قَبْلَهَا .
Abū Hurayrah &
narrates from the Messenger of Allah
in what he
narrates from Allāh && Who said: "A servant committed a sin and said: 'O
Allah! Forgive me my sin.' Allāh & said: 'My servant committed a sin, but
he knows that he has a Sustainer who forgives sins and also punishes sins.'
The servant again committed a sin and said: 'O my Sustainer! Forgive me
my sin.' Allah &s said: 'My servant committed a sin, but he knows that he
has a Sustainer who forgives sins and also punishes sins.' The person again
committed a sin and said: 'O my Sustainer! Forgive me my sin.' Allah &s
said: 'My servant committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Sustainer
who forgives sins and also punishes sins. I have forgiven My servant, so
he may now do as he likes." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
The words "He may now do as he likes," mean that as long as he repents
after sinning, Allah &s will forgive him because repentance wipes out
previous sins.

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Commentary
This Hadith al-Qudsī indicates the importance of promptly repenting after committing a sin.
Such repentance should be genuine and not merely be words. It needs to be coupled with
remorse over the sin, a firm commitment not to return to it and complete separation from it.
When a person repents in this manner and asks Allah des to forgive Him, Allah & responds
with His infinite quality of forgiveness. The Qur'an states,
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِئْ يَقْبَلُ الثَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُوْ عَنِ السَّاتِ﴾
It is He Who accepts repentance from His slaves and Who pardons sins. (Sūrah
Shūrā, 25)
If a person returns to the same sin after repentance, it does not nullify his previous repentance.
That repentance is still valid, but he should now repent again from the new sin that he has
committed. If he sincerely repents in this manner every time he commits sin, then he will
have no sins in his account at all. This is the meaning of "He may now do as he likes." It
illustrates Allah's tremendous quality of forbearance, mercy and forgiveness and encourages
the believer not to lose hope after committing sin.
The hadith does not mean that a person is allowed to commit as much evil as he likes. It
means that if he happens to commit evil but also sincerely repents thereafter, then Allah
Kes will forgive him and he will once again have a clean slate.
The servant's calling to Allah &s with the word "Rabb (Sustainer)" is significant, because
the Sustainer, Allah, is the one who nurtures something until it reaches perfection. It is as
if the servant is calling out to Allah &s saying, "You are the one who helps me to develop
and improve, so do so by purifying me of my sin."
The fact that Allah &s says, "My servant," indicates the honour and love that Allah
displays towards one who sincerely repents.
Hadīth 422
: (( وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ، لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا، لَذَهَبَ الله بِكُمْ،
وعنه ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ الله تَعَالَى ، فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Hurayrah 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "I take
an oath by that Being in whose control is my life that if you did not sin,
Allah &s would have removed you and brought another nation which would
commit sins and then seek Allah's forgiveness so that He could forgive

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them." (Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
The Messenger of Allah
took an oath in order to emphasise the statement he was about
to make and to draw the attention of his audience to its importance.
Commentary
This hadith teaches us that Allah &s loves to forgive sin - a fact that we gather from other
ahādīth as well. No matter how much evil a person has perpetrated, he should never lose
hope of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ky, for the door of taubah (repentance) is wide
open. He should hasten towards taubah, knowing that he will be welcomed by Allah &s.
It is incorrect to assume from this hadith that Islam encourages man to sin, because the
Qur'an repeatedly discourages sinning and the mission of the Messengers was to remove
men from a life of sin.
It should also be noted that if man did not sin and then repent, then Allah's & quality of
being al-Ghaffär (the Most Forgiving) would not have manifested itself.
Hadīth 423
وعن أبي أيوب خالد بن زيد له، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُول الله :﴿ه، يقول: ((لَوْلاَ أَنَّكُمْ
تُذْنِبُونَ ، لَخَلَقَ الله خَلْقاً يُذْنِبُونَ ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ، فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Ayyūb Khalid ibn Zayd 4
's narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "If you had not committed sins, Allah & would have created
other creatures which would commit sins and then seek forgiveness so
that He could forgive them." (Muslim)
Commentary
It is interesting to note that Abū Ayyub
only narrated this hadith when he was on the
verge of death. Many of the Sahabah e and pious predecessors also narrated such ahadith
of hope during their final moments of life.
Ibn Malik & said: "This hadith is not an encouragement to commit sins; rather, the Messenger
of Allāh
said this to console the Sahabah
and remove excessive fear from their
hearts. They had become so overwhelmed with fear that some of them had gone away to
mountaintops to seclude themselves in worship, some of them had forsaken women and some
had forsaken sleep. This hadith directed them to develop hope in Allah's & forgiveness."

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Hadith 424
، مَعَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمْرُ لِّها ، في
وعن أبي هريرة وط ◌َّهُ، قَالَ: كُنَّا قُعُوداً مَعَ رَسُول الله
نَفَرٍ فَقَامَ رَسُول الله ﴿ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَظْهُرِنَا، فَأَبْطَأَ عَلَيْنَا فَخَشِيَنَا أنْ يُقْتَطَعَ دُونَنَا، فَفَزِعْنَا فَقُمْنَا
﴿، حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ حَائِطاً للأنْصَارِ .. وَذَكَرَ
فَكُنْتُ أوَّلَ مَنْ فَزِعَ فَخَرَجْتُ أَبْتَغِي رسولَ الله
الحَدِيثَ بِطُولِهِ إِلَى قوله: فَقَالَ رَسُول الله :﴿: ((اذهَبْ فَمَن لَقِيتَ وَرَاءَ هَذَا الحَائِطِ
يَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إله إلاَّ الله، مُسْتَيَقِناً بِهَا قَلْبُهُ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِالجَنَّةِ )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Hurayrah
narrates: "We were sitting in a group with the Messenger
of Allāh
together with Abu Bakr 4% and 'Umar 40%. The Messenger
of Allāh
then stood up and left us. After quite some time had passed
and he still did not return, we began to fear that some harm had come to
him. We stood up in alarm. I was the first to be alarmed and I went out in
search of the Messenger of Allah
until I reached an orchard belonging
to the Ansar." He then related the hadith in full until he finally said: "The
Messenger of Allah
said: 'Go and give glad tidings of Paradise to whoever
you meet behind this orchard who testifies with full conviction of heart
that there is none worthy of worship except Allah &s." (Muslim)
Commentary
Imam Nawawī , chose not to narrate the hadith in full. From the narration quoted in Muslim,
we learn that the Sahabah went out in search of the Messenger of Allah
Abū Hurayrah
reached an orchard belonging to the Banū al-Najjar clan of the Ansar. He circled the orchard
looking for a way in, but could not find any entrance. Finally, he noticed a brook flowing
into the orchard through a gap beneath the walls. He squeezed through this opening and
found the Messenger of Allah
inside. The Messenger of Allah
gave him his sandals
as an assurance to his Șahabah
, that he was safe and sent him out with the glad tidings
of Paradise for whoever testifies that there is none worthy of worship but Allah &s and that
Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allah.
After Abū Hurayrah &os received this good news, he conveyed it to the first person he met,
which was 'Umar
'Umar
struck him on his chest and told him not to convey this to
the people. When the Messenger of Allah
heard of this, he asked 'Umar
why he had
prevented Abū Hurayrah
> from conveying the message. 'Umar aos explained that people
would rely on this good news and neglect the performance of good deeds, with the result
that they would be deprived of the higher stages of Paradise. The Messenger of Allah
agreed to 'Umar's des opinion.