Indexed OCR Text

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"Go and give the glad tidings of Paradise ... " as in previous ahadith, means that a person who
testifies to both components of the kalimah (testimony of faith) will enter Paradise at some
point in time. If he passed away without having any sins in his account, or he had only
minor sins that did not surpass his good deeds, then he will go to Paradise from the very
beginning. If his minor sins surpassed his good deeds, or he had major sins in his account,
from which he did not repent, then he will be punished in the Hell-fire for some time before
being admitted into Paradise. Of course, if Allah & wishes, He may forgive these sins as well
and enter him directly into Paradise.
Additional Points
v In the science of hadith, it is permissible to quote only a portion of a hadith when the
portion that is left out is not directly related to the part that is mentioned and there is
no fear of misunderstanding the hadith.
Hadith 425
: أَنَّ النَّبِيّ ﴿ تَلاَ قَولَ الله عز وجل في إبراهيم
وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص
ـَّ: ﴿ رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ اَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنْ تَبِعَنِىْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّى﴾ ( إبراهيم: ٣٦) الآية ،
وَقَولَ عِيسَى الثها: ﴿إِنْ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيْمُ﴾ (
المائدة: ١١٨) فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَقَالَ: (( اللَّهُمَّ أُمَتِي أُمَّتِي)) وبَكَى، فَقَالَ الله عز وجل: (( يَا
جِبْرِيلُ، اذْهَبْ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ - وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ - فَسَلْهُ مَا يُبْكِهِ؟ )) فَأَتَاهُ جبريلُ ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ رسولُ
، بِمَا قَالَ - وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ - فَقَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: (( يَا جِبريلُ ، اذْهَبْ إِلَى مُحَمّدٍ ، فَقُلْ
الله
: إِنَّا سَنُرْضِيكَ فِي أُمّتِكَ وَلاَ نَسُوءِكَ )) رواه مسلم .
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Ās dog narrates that the Messenger of Allah
recited the words of Allah & regarding Ibrahim , "O my Sustainer!
They have misguided many people. So whoever followed me, he is of
me; and whoever disobeyed me, You are Most forgiving, Most merciful."
(Sūrah Ibrahim, 36) and the words of Isa .: "If You punish them, they
are Your servants. And if You forgive them, You alone are powerful, wise."
(Sūrah al-Mā'ida, h118) The Messenger of Allah
then raised his hands
(in supplication) and said: "O Allah! My followers, my followers," and he
cried. Allah & said: "O Jibra'il! Go to Muhammad and, despite your Lord
knowing best, ask him why he is crying." Jibra'il
came to him and the
Messenger of Allah §
informed him of his supplication, despite Allah des
knowing best. Allah & then said: "O Jibra'il! Go to Muhammad and say:
'We will please you with regard to your followers and we will not displease

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you." (Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith illustrates the extreme compassion of the Messenger of Allah
for his Ummah
and his concern for their well-being. When he recited the verses of the Qur'an in which the
Messengers Ibrahim and Tsa )
supplicated to Allah & for their respective followers, the
Messenger of Allah
thought of his own followers and shed tears while supplicating for
them. Allah & sent Jibra'il & to enquire about his supplication, despite knowing it full
well, in order to reveal the high status that the Messenger of Allah
enjoyed in the sight
of his Master. Allah & further consoled him and granted him what he desired with the
assurance that He would please him with regard to his Ummah. A similar consolation was
given in the Qur'an, in the verse:
﴿وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيْكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضُى﴾
Verily, your Lord will soon give you and you will be pleased. (Sūrah al-Duņā, 5)
The Ummah of the Messenger of Allah
has been given great honour and privilege in this
hadith, by the statement of Allah , "We will please you with regard to your followers."
Imam Nawawī « said: "This hadith is one of the most comforting of ahadith for this Ummah."
Hadith 426
وعن معاذ بن جبل عليه، قَالَ : كُنْتُ رِدْفَ النَّبِّي ﴿ عَلَى حِمَارٍ ، فَقَالَ : (( يَا مُعَاذُ ، هَلْ
تَدْرِي مَا حَقُّ الله عَلَى عِبَادِهِ ؟ وَمَا حَقُّ العِبَادِ عَلَى الله؟ )) قُلْتُ: اللـهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ .
قَالَ : (( فإنَّ حَقَّ اللهِ عَلَى العِبَادِ أنْ يَعْبُدُوهُ ، وَلاَ يُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيئاً، وَحَقَّ العِبَادِ عَلَى اللهِ
أنْ لاَ يُعَذِّبَ مَنْ لا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيئاً)) فقلتُ: يَا رَسُول الله، أَفَلا أَبَشِّرُ النَّاسَ؟ قَالَ: (( لاَ
تُبَشِّرْهُمْ فَيَنْكِلُوا )) مُنَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
Mu'adh ibn Jabal 4% narrates: "I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah
on a donkey when he said to him: "O Mu'adh! Do you know what
Allah's &s right is on His servants and the servants' right is on Allah &s?"
I replied: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "Allah's &'s right
on His servants is that they should worship Him and not ascribe partners
with Him. And the servants' right on Allah & is that He does not punish
anyone who does not ascribe partners with Him." I said: "O Messenger of
Allah! Should I not grant people the glad tidings of this?" He replied: "No, if
you do so, they will rely on it (and abandon good deeds)." (Bukhārī, Muslim)

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Commentary
This hadith expresses the magnanimous mercy and forgiveness of Allah &s.
In other narrations of this hadith, Mu'adh &
said that the name of the donkey was 'Ufayr
and that nothing separated him from the Messenger of Allah
except the back of the
saddle. He mentioned these details in order to emphasise that he was close to the Messenger
of Allāh
and heard his speech with full attention.
What does "the servants's right on Allah &" mean when we know that nobody in reality has
any right over Allah &s, because Allah & is not obliged to any of His creation? Imam Qurtubi
answered this by stating that it refers to the reward that Allah &s has promised, out of
His kindness. Since Allah & does not go against His promise, His servants can definitely
expect to receive a reward and this has been referred to as a 'right'.
We know from other ahadith that Allah &s may punish believers who committed sins, even
though they did not ascribe partners to Allah &s. This seems to contradict this hadith, which
states that He does not punish anyone who does not ascribe partners with Him. Scholars
have explained these narrations in various ways. One is that the entrance of some of the
sinful believers in the Fire is not termed as 'adhab (punishment), because 'adhab means to
inflict pain along with humiliation, whereas a believer will only enter the Fire to become
purified and eligible for Paradise. Another explanation is that such people will not suffer
eternal punishment. A third explanation is that "not ascribing partners with Allah" has to
be necessarily coupled with all its many conditions and prerequisites, such as abstention
from sin, hence only those who have been forgiven of sin or are sinless will enter Paradise
without punishment.
Hadīth 427
، قَالَ : ((المُسْلِمُ إِذَا سُئِلَ فِي القَبْرِ يَشْهَدُ أنْ لاَ
بن عازب له، عن النَّبِيّ
إِلَهَ إِلَّ الله ، وَأنّ مُحَمّداً رَسُول الله ، فذلك قوله تَعَالَى: ﴿ يُثَبِّتُ اللهُ الَّذِيْنَ أُمَنُوْا بِالْقَوْلِ
الثَّابِتِ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِى الْآخِرَةِ﴾ (إبراهيم: ٢٧))) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "When
a Muslim is questioned in the grave, he testifies that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
This is the meaning of the verse: 'Allah strengthens the believers with the
firm word in the life of this world and in the Hereafter." (Sūrah Ibrahim,
27) (Bukhārī, Muslim)

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Commentary
After a person dies, the two angels Munkar and Nakir will come to his grave and question
him about his Lord, his religion and the Messenger that was sent to him. If he is a true
Muslim, Allah && will enable him to give the correct replies, while a disbeliever will not be
able to do so.
Hadith 428
، قَالَ : (( إنّ الكَافِرَ إِذَا عَمِلَ حَسَنَةً ، أُطِعِمَ بِهَا ◌ُعْمَةً
وعن أنس رطلّه، عن رَسُول الله ◌ُ﴾
مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ، وَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِنُ فَإِنَّ الله تَعَالَى يَدَّخِرُ لَهُ حَسَنَاتِهِ فِي الآخِرَةِ ، وَيُعْقِبُّهُ رِزْقاً في الدُّنْيًا
عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ )) .
وفي رواية : (( إنَّ الله لاَ يَظْلِمُ مُؤْمِناً حَسَنَّةً يُعْطَى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا ، وَيُجْزَى بِهَا فِي الآخِرَةِ .
وَأَمَّا الكَافِرُ فَيُطْعَمُ بِحَسَنَاتِ مَا عَمِلَ للهِ تَعَالَى فِي الدُّنْيَا، حَتَّى إِذَا أَفْضَى إِلَى الآخرَةِ ، لَمْ
يَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ يُجْزَى بِهَا )) رواه مسلم .
Anas ag
" narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "When a disbeliever
does a good deed, he receives sustenance in return for it in this world. As
for a believer, Allah & stores his good deeds for him in the Hereafter and
also rewards him with sustenance in this world because of his obedience."
Another narration has: "Allah & does not wrong a believer for doing a good
deed; he is given something for it in this world and rewarded for it in the
Hereafter. As for a disbeliever, he receives sustenance in this world for the
good deeds which he did for Allah so that when he reaches the Hereafter,
he will have no good deeds for which he is to be rewarded." (Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
'Allāmah Țībī (> stated that the use of the word "give" with regard to this world and "reward"
with regard to the Hereafter, indicates that the actual reward is in the Hereafter and that
the recompense in this world is an extra favour from Allah &s.
Commentary
Many disbelievers in this world perform actions of goodness such as giving charity, joining
family ties and helping people, however, these do not take them closer to Allah &s because
they lack the prerequisite of īman (faith). Allah & gives them a reward for these actions in
this world by granting them more wealth or protecting them from harm, but they will not

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receive any reward in the Hereafter. A believer, on the other hand, is rewarded for his good
deeds in both the worlds.
The second narration states, "Allah & does not wrong a believer for doing a good deed."
Allāh &s obviously does not wrong anyone, for He is al-'Adl - the Just. The meaning of the
hadith is that Allah &s does not decrease the reward of a believer in the least; rather, Allah
cks out of His kindness multiplies the rewards of actions ten times over - at the very least
- and rewards His servant even in this world.
Hadith 429
: (( مَثَلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الخَمْسِ كَمَثَلِ نَهْرِ جَارٍ غَمْرٍ
وعن جابر ◌ّهُ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
عَلَى بَابٍ أحَدِكُمْ يَغْتَسِلُ مِنْهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّات )) رواه مسلم .
(( الغَمْرُ )) : الكَثِيرُ .
Jābir 4% narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "The similitude
of the five daily Salahs is like that of an abundantly flowing river at your
door in which you bath five times a day." (Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith emphasises the importance of discharging the duty of salah and presents glad
tidings to those who do so. Salah performed five times a day has been compared to bathing
in a river and thereby cleansing oneself of dirt because, just as repeated bathing removes
all physical dirt from the body, regular and correct performance of salah cleanses a person
from sins.
According to the general view, however, this refers to minor sins, as taubah (repentance) is
required for the forgiveness of major sins. In reality, a true believer should not have any
major sins in his account. If he happens to commit a major sin, he should immediately turn
to Allah &s and repent. Then, whatever minor sins he commits, are washed away by the
performance of șalāh.
The same meaning is contained in the following verse of the Qur'an,
﴿وَأَقِمِ الصَّلُوَةَ طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ الَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنْتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيَّتِ ذُلِكَ ذِكْرُى
لِلِذُكِرِيْنَ﴾
Establish Salah at the two ends of the day and in the early hours of the night.
Surely, good deeds erase bad deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful. (Sūrah

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Hūd, 114)
Hadith 430
}، يقول : (( مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ ،
وعن ابن عباس ◌َهَا، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُول الله
فَيَقُومُ عَلَى جَنَازَتِهِ أَرْبَعونَ رَجُلاً لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ بِاللهِ شَيئاً ، إلاَّ شَفَعَهُمُ اللهُ فِيهِ )) رواه مسلم .
Ibn 'Abbas s narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "When
a Muslim man passes away and forty people who do not ascribe partners
with Allah &s attend his funeral prayer, Allah & accepts their intercession
in his favour." (Muslim)
Commentary
The Janāzah Salah (funeral prayer) is a prayer in which forgiveness is sought on behalf of the
deceased Muslim. If the number of those who perform the funeral prayer reaches forty, it is
hoped that Allah &'s will accept their supplication and forgive the deceased.
In another hadith, one hundred is mentioned, while a third hadith mentions three rows of
people. In response to this apparent contradiction, Qādī 'Iyad " said that these ahadith
were replies to questions posed by people. Somebody asked about the virtue regarding forty
people, another asked regarding a hundred people and yet another asked regarding three
rows. The Messenger of Allah
gave the glad tidings of forgiveness in each case. In contrast,
Imam Nawawī & explained that it is possible that Allah &s initially informed the Messenger
of Allah
of the virtue in the case of a hundred people and gradually the amount was
lessened. Another possible explanation is that the various versions are not restricted to a
single number, but refer to a large number of people.
According to some scholars, there is greater hope that Allah &s will accept intercession on
behalf of the deceased, if more righteous people attend his funeral prayer.
Additional Points
Allāh & accepts a believer's intercession in favour of his Muslim brother.
Attending the funeral prayer of a Muslim and taking part in the burial are among the
rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim.
Y A funeral should be publicised so that the maximum number of people can attend.
Hadith 431
وعن ابن مسعود ربّه، قَالَ: كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُول الله :﴿ه فِي قُبَّهُ نَحْوَاً مِنْ أربَعِينَ، فَقَالَ: ((
أَتَرْضَونَ أنْ تَكُونُوا رُبُعَ أهْلِ الجَنَّةِ ؟ )) قُلْنَا: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: (( أَتَرْضَوْنَ أنْ تَكُونُوا ثُلُثَ أهلِ

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الجَنَّةِ ؟ )) قُلْنَا: نَعَمْ ، قَالَ : (( وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمّدٍ بَيَدِهِ، إِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا نِصْفَ أهْلِ
الجَنَّةِ وذلك أنَّ الجنَّةَ لاَ يَدْخُلُهَا إلَّ نَفْسٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ، ومَا أنْتُم في أهْلِ الشِّركِ إلَّ كَالشَّعْرَةِ
البَيْضَاءِ في جلدِ الثَّورِ الأَسْوَدِ ، أَوْ كَالشَّعْرَةِ السَّودَاءِ في جلدِ الثَّورِ الأحْمَر )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
Ibn Mas'ūd 4% narrates: "We were about forty people with the Messenger
of Allāh
in a tent and he asked: 'Would you like to be a quarter of the
inhabitants of Paradise?' We replied: 'Yes.' He asked: 'Would you like to be
a third of the inhabitants of Paradise?' We replied: 'Yes.' He said: 'By that
Being in whose control is the life of Muhammad, I hope that you will be
half the inhabitants of Paradise. This is because only a Muslim soul shall
enter Paradise. In comparison to the polytheists, you are like a strand of
white hair on the skin of a black ox, or like a strand of black hair on the
skin of a red ox." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
The statement of the Messenger of Allah
"I hope that you will be half the inhabitants of
Paradise," seems to imply that it was only a desire or aspiration on his part; however, scholars
state that every such desire stated by Allah &s or by His Messenger
indicates certainty.
In other words, it will definitely happen. It is stated as a desire just as kings express a desire
when they are intent on doing something.
Commentary
Another hadith states that the inhabitants of Paradise will consist of 120 rows of people and
80 of these will be Muslims. This means that the Muslims will be two thirds of the inhabitants
of Paradise. This variation in numbers between narrations is not a contradiction, but served
as a glad tiding to please the Messenger of Allah
and his Ummah regarding Allah's des
tremendous mercy upon them. It is similar to the case where the reward for congregational
șalāh was initially specified as 25 times greater than performing it individually, but it was
later increased to 27 times.
The Messenger of Allah
first mentioned a quarter, then a third and finally a half in
order to remind the Sahabah A
of Allah's & kindness upon them and so that they would
increase in their gratitude to Him. It was also possible that his initial pronouncement had
been abrogated by an increase from Allah &S. Such a method has a greater impact upon the
minds of the audience and grants them a greater sense of importance.
The hadith categorically states the fundamental Islamic belief that those who die on kufr
(disbelief) will never enter Paradise. The Qur'an similarly states,

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﴿إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوُهُ النَّارُ﴾
Allāh has definitely forbidden Paradise for the one who attributes a partner
to Allah and his abode shall be the Fire. (Sūrah al-Ma'idah, 72)
Hadith 432
وعن أبي موسى الأشعري ◌ّهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُول الله :﴿ه: ((إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ القِيَامَةِ دَفَعَ اللهُ
إِلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ يَهُودياً أَوْ نَصْرانِباً، فَيَقُولُ: هَذَا فِكَاكُكَ مِنَ النَّارِ )) . وفي رواية عَنْهُ ، عن
النَّبِّ ﴿، قَالَ : (( يَجِيءُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ نَاسٌ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ بِذُنُوبٍ أَمْثَال الجِبَالِ يَغْفِرُهَا الله
لَهُمْ )) رواه مسلم .
قوله : ((دَفَعَ إِلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ يَهُودِيَا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيّاً ، فَيَقُولُ: هَذَا فِكَاكُكَ مِن النَّارِ )) مَعَنَاهُ مَا
جَاءَ في حديث أبي هريرة ﴿هُ: (( لِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ مَنْزِلٌ فِي الجَنَّةِ ، وَمَنْزِلٌ فِي النَّارِ ، فَالمُؤْمِنُ
إِذَا دَخَلَ الجَنَّةَ خَلَفَهُ الْكَافِرُ فِي النَّارِ؛ لأَنَّهُ مُسْتَحِقٌّ لِذَلِكَ بِكَفْرِهِ )) ومعنى (( فِكَاكُكَ ))
: أَنَّكَ كُنْتَ معرَّضًاً لِدُخُولِ النَّارِ ، وَهَذَا فِكَاكُكَ؛ لأنَّ الله تَعَالَى، قَدَّرَ لِلنَّارِ عَدَداً يَمْلَؤُهَا
، فَإِذَا دَخَلَهَا الْكُفَّارُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَكُفْرِهِمْ ، صَارُوا فِي مَعَنَى الفِكَاك للمُسْلِمِينَ ، والله أعلم .
Abū Mūsā al-Ash'arī
s narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: “On
the day of Qiyamah, Allah &'s will hand over a Jew or Christian to every
Muslim and say: 'This is your redemption from the Hell-fire."
According to another narration, the Messenger of Allah
said: "A group
of Muslims will be brought on the day of Qiyamah with sins the size of
mountains and Allah &'s will forgive them all." (Muslim)
The meaning of the hadith, "Allah & will hand over a Jew or Christian
to every Muslim and say: 'This is your redemption from the Hell-fire",
is explained by another hadith of Abū Hurayrah 44%: "Every person has a
place reserved for him in Paradise and in the Hell-fire. When a believer
enters Paradise, a disbeliever takes his place in the Hell-fire because he is
eligible for that on account of his unbelief."
The word "redemption" in this context means that you were to be presented
for entry into the Hell-fire and this person is your redemption from it. This
is because Allah & destined that a certain number will fill the Hell-fire,

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so when the disbelievers enter it because of their sins and disbelief, it is
as though they are a redemption for the Muslims. Allah &s knows best.
Commentary
This hadith teaches us that Allah &s will forgive the sins of the Muslims due to His mercy
for them and He will punish the disbelievers in the same proportion because of their sin and
disbelief. It serves as a compelling reminder of the value of īman and the tragedy of dying
in the state of disbelief.
According to 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azīz da
as well as Imam Shafi'i , this hadith is the most
encouraging of ahadith for a Muslim considering its allusion that every Muslim will gain
salvation from Hell.
Despite the fact that all disbelievers will enter Hell, Jews and Christians have been specifically
mentioned to counter their claim that they will enter Paradise.
Hadith 433
وعن ابن عمر ◌َلَّهَا، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رسولَ اللهِ ﴿ه، يقول: ((يُدْنَى المُؤْمِنُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَة
مِنْ رَبِّهِ حَتَّى يَضَعَ كَنَفَهُ عَلَيهِ ، فَيُقَرِّرُهُ بِذُنُوبِهِ ، فيقولُ : أتعرِفُ ذَنْبَ كَذَا ؟ أَتَعرِفُ ذَنْبَ كَذَا
؟ فيقول: رَبِّ أَعْرِفُ ، قَالَ: فَإِنِّي قَدْ سَتَرْتُهَا عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا ، وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ اليَومَ ،
فَيُعْطَى صَحِيفَةَ حَسَنَاتِهِ )) مُتَفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
(( كَنَفَهُ )): سَتْرُهُ وَرَحْمَتُهُ .
Ibn 'Umar
narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "On the
day of Qiyamah, a believer will be brought close to his Sustainer so that
He may place him under His mercy and protection. He will then make him
confess to his sins by asking him: 'Do you confess to such-and-such a sin?
Do you confess to such-and-such a sin?' He will reply: 'O my Sustainer! I
confess.' Allah & will say: 'I concealed them for you in the world and I
forgive you for them today,' and he will then be given his book of good
deeds." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith informs us of the tremendous mercy of Allah & upon the believers on the day
of Qiyamah when Allah &s will obliterate their sins and forgive them. Allah's des asking them
to confess to their sins and then forgiving them is an allusion to the verse of the Qur'an,

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﴿فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَّسِيْرًا﴾
An easy reckoning will be taken from him. (Sūrah, al-Inshiqaq, 8)
Hadīth 434
وعن ابن مسعود له: أنَّ رَجُلاً أصَابَ مِن امْرَأَةٌ قُبْلَةً، فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ :﴿ فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَأَنْزَلَ الله
تَعَالَى: ﴿وَاقِمِ الصَّلْوَةَ طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفَا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنْتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيَّاتِ﴾ (هود
: ١١٤) فَقَالَ الرجل: أَلَيَ هَذَا يَا رَسُول الله؟ قَالَ: (( لجميعِ أُمَّتِي كُلِّهِمْ )) مُتَّفَقٌّ عَلَيهِ .
Ibn Mas'ūd dog narrates: "A man kissed a woman and came to the Messenger
of Allah
and told him. Allah &'s then revealed the verse: 'Establish salah
at the two ends of the day and during portions of the night. Verily good
deeds wipe out evil deeds.' (Sūrah Hud, 114) The man asked: 'Is this for
me only, O Messenger of Allah?' He replied: 'It is for my entire Ummah."
(Bukhārī, Muslim)
Commentary
The narration of Tirmidhi expounds upon this hadith. It states that a woman whose husband
had been sent on an expedition by the Messenger of Allah
approached a Sahābī
š to
purchase some dates. He was taken aback by her beauty and asked her to enter his room
saying that he had better quality dates there. When she followed him in, he kissed her. She
turned away warning him to fear Allah &S. Her reprimand made him realise his mistake
and he then approached the Messenger of Allah
so that the latter would execute the
necessary punishment upon him that would cleanse him of the sin. However, the Qur'anic
verse was then revealed stating that salah obliterates minor sins and that there was no need
to execute any punishment or penalty.
Additional Points
v Qur'anic rulings apply on a general basis and are not confined to individual causes.
Hadith 435
، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُول الله، أَصَبْتُ حَدّاً ، فَأَقِمْهُ
وعن أنس ﴿هُ، قَالَ: جاء رجل إِلَى النَّبِيّ
عَلَيَّ، وَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلاةُ ، فَصَلَّى مَعَ رَسُول اللـهِ ﴿، فَلَمَّا قَضَى الصَّلاةَ، قَالَ: يَا رَسُول
الله، إنِّي أَصَبْتُ حَدّاً فَأَقِمْ فِيَّ كِتَابَ الله. قَالَ: (( هَلْ حَضَرْتَ مَعَنَا الصَّلاةَ )) ؟ قَالَ :
نَعَمْ . قَالَ : (( قَدْ غُفِرَ لَكَ )) مُتَفَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ .
وقوله : ((أَصَبْتُ حَدّاً )) مَعنَاهُ : مَعْصِيَةً تُوجِبُ التَّعْزِيرَ، وَلَيْسَ المُرَادُ الحدّ الشَّرعيَّ الحَقِيقيَّ

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كَحَدِّ الزِّنَا وَالخمر وَغَيرِهِمَا ، فإنَّ هذِهِ الحُدودَ لا تَسْقُطُ بِالصَّلاةِ ، وَلاَ يَجُوزُ للإمَامِ تَرْكُهَا .
Anas a narrates: "A man came to the Messenger of Allah
and said: 'O
Messenger of Allah! I committed a sin which necessitates punishment, so
mete it out to me.' It was the time of salah, so he joined the Messenger of
Allāh
in șalāh. When he had completed the salah, he said: 'O Messenger
of Allah! I committed a sin which necessitates punishment, so mete out to
me the judgment of the Book of Allah.' He
asked: 'Were you present with
us in the șalāh?' He replied: 'Yes.' He
said: 'You have been forgiven."
(Bukhārī, Muslim)
The words "I committed a sin which necessitates punishment," refer to an
ordinary sin that is punishable and does not refer to penal punishments of
the Shariah such as the punishment for committing adultery or consuming
alcohol. These latter punishments do not fall off by offering salah nor is it
permissible for the leader to ignore them.
Commentary
In this hadith, mention is made of a Sahabi de who committed a minor sin and then requested
the Messenger of Allah
to cleanse him of it by means of a punishment. It was not a major
sin that required penal punishment, however the Șahabah A
were such that they regarded
even their minor sins as major sins and they were not content until they had been forgiven
or purified of them.
According to some scholars, in order to conceal the sin from others the Messenger of Allah
did not delve into and probe his declaration. The hadith also teaches us that it is advisable
for a person not to expose his own sins, just as Allah & has not exposed them to others.
Hadith 436
: (( إِنَّ اللـه لَيَرْضَى عَنِ العَبْدِ أنْ يَأْكُلَ الأَكْلَةَ، فَيَحْمَدُهُ
وعنه ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُول الله
عَلَيْهَا ، أَوْ يَشْرَبَ الشَّرْبَةَ ، فَيَحْمَدُهُ عَلَيْهَا )) رواه مسلم .
(( الأَكْلَةِ )) : بفتح الهمزة وهي المرةُ الواحدةُ مِنَ الأكلِ كَالغَدوَةِ وَالعَشْوَةِ ، والله أعلم.
Anas de
, narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Allah &s is pleased
with a servant who eats a morsel of food and them praises Him for it, or
drinks a drink of water and then praises Him for it." (Muslim)

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Commentary
This hadith teaches us that it is meritorious for a person to praise Allah &s by saying
Alhamdulillah, with every morsel and drink because by doing so he recalls Allah's &s kind
bounties upon him. It is also a reminder not to commit sin and thereby displease the Being
who provides sustenance.
Hadith 437
، قَالَ: ((إِنَّ الله تَعَالَى يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِاللَّيلِ لَيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ
وعن أَبي موسى ﴿ّه، عن النَّبِيّ
النَّهَارِ ، وَيَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِالنَّهَارِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ اللَّيْلِ ، حَتَّى تَطلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Mūsa dog narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Allah &'s extends
His hand at night so that the sinner of the day may turn in repentance and
He extends His hand during the day so that the sinner of the night may
turn in repentance, until the sun rises from the west." (Muslim)
Vocabulary and Definitions
The "hand of Allah" is one of those attributes of Allah &s, which we believe in without
questioning. Some scholars interpret it figuratively by saying that it refers to the acceptance
of repentance.
Commentary
This hadith was discussed in a previous chapter. See hadith 16. It states that Allah & readily
accepts the repentance of those who turn to Him. It reflects Allah's &s incredible mercy
upon the believers and encourages them to seek forgiveness.
Hadith 438
وعن أَبي نجيح عمرو بن عَبَسَة - بفتح العين والباءِ - السُّلَمِيِّ بَ﴿هُ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ وأَنَا فِي
الجاهِلِيَّةِ أَظُنُّ أنَّ النَّاسَ عَلَى ضَلَاَلَةٍ ، وَأَنَّهُمْ لَيْسُوا عَلَى شَيْءٍ ، وَهُمْ يَعْبُدُونَ الأَوْثَانَ ،
فَسَمِعْتُ بِرَجُلٍ بِمَكََّ يُخْبِرُ أَخْبَاراً ، فَقَعَدْتُ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِي ، فَقَدِمْتُ عَلَيهِ ، فِإِذَا رسولُ الله
مُسْتَخْفِياً، جَرَاءُ عَلَيْهِ قَومُهُ ، فَتَلَطَّفَتُ حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ بِمَكَّةَ ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ : مَا أَنْتَ ؟
قَالَ : (( أنا نَبِّ )) قُلْتُ: وما نِبِيٍّ ؟ قَالَ : (( أرْسَلَنِي الله )) قُلْتُ: وبأيِّ شَيْء أرْسَلَكَ ؟
قَالَ : (( أَرْسَنِي بِصِلَةِ الأرْحَامِ ، وَكَسْرِ الأَوْثَانِ ، وَأنْ يُوَجَّدَ اللهُ لاَ يُشْرَكُ بِهِ شَيْءٍ )) قُلْتُ
: فَمَنْ مَعَكَ عَلَى هَذَا؟ قَالَ: ((حُرِّ وَعَبْدٌ)) ومعه يَوْمَئِذٍ أَبُو بكرٍ وبلالٌ عَلَهَا، قُلْتُ : إنّي
مُتَبِعُكَ ، قَالَ : (( إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ ذلِكَ يَومَكَ هَذَا، ألا تَرَى حَالي وحالَ النَّاسِ ؟ وَلَكِنِ

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ارْجِعْ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ فَإِذَا سَمِعْتَ بِي قَدْ ظَهَرْتُ فَأْتِي)) قَالَ: فَذَهَبْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِي وَقَدِمَ رَسُول
المَدِينَةَ وكنت في أهلي، فجعلت أتخبر الأخبار، وأسأل الناس حين قدم المدينة،
الله في
حَتَّى قَدِمَ نَفَرِّ مِنْ أَهْلِي المَدِينَةَ ، فقلتُ: مَا فَعَلَ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي قَدِمَ المَدِينَةَ ؟ فقالوا :
النَّاسِ إِلَيْهِ سِرَاعٌ ، وَقَدْ أرادَ قَومُّهُ قَتْلَهُ ، فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا ذلِكَ ، فَقَدِمْتُ المدينَةَ ، فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ
، فقلتُ: يَا رَسُول الله أَتَعْرِفُنِي؟ قَالَ : (( نَعَمْ ، أَنْتَ الَّذِي لَغَيْتِي بمكّةَ )) قَالَ : فقلتُ :
يَا رَسُول الله، أخْبِرِي عَمَّا عَلَّمَكَ اللهِ وَأَجْهَلُهُ، أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ؟ قَالَ : (( صَلِّ صَلاَةَ
الصُّبْحِ ، ثُمَّ اقْصُرْ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ الشَّمْسُ قِيَدَ رُمْحٍ ، فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ حِينَ تَطَلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيْ
شَيْطَان، وَحِينَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ ، ثُمَّ صَلِّ فَإِنَّ الصَلاَةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَحْضُورةٌ حَتَّى يَسْتَقِلَّ الظُّلُّ
بالرُّمْحِ، ثُمَّ اقْصُرْ عَنِ الصَّلاةِ ، فَإِنَّهُ حينئذ تُسْجَرُ جَهَّمُ ، فإذَا أَقْبَلَ الفَيْءُ فَصَلِّ ، فَإِنَّ الصَّلاةَ
مَشْهُودَةٌ مَحضُورَةٌ حَتَّى تُصَلِّي العصرَ ، ثُمَّ اقْصرْ عَنِ الصَّلاةِ حَتَّى تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ ، فإنَّهَا
تَغْرُبُ بِينَ قَرْنَيْ شَيطانٍ ، وَحِيَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ )) قَالَ : فقلتُ : يَا نَبيَّ الله ، فالوضوءُ
حدثني عَنْهُ؟ فَقَالَ : (( مَا مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ يُقَرِّبُ وَضُوءَهُ ، فَيَتَمَضْمَضُ وَيَسْتَنْشِقُ فَيَسْتَنْثِرُ، إلاَّ
خَرَّتْ خَطَايَا وَجْهِهِ وفيه وخياشيمه، ثم إذا غسل وجهه كما أمره الله إلا خرت خطايا وجهه
مِنْ أَطْرَافِ لِحْيَتِهِ مَعَ المَاءِ ، ثُمَّ يَغْسِلُ يديهِ إِلَى المِرفَقَيْن، إلَّ خَرَّتْ خَطَايَا يَدَيْهِ مِنْ أَنَامِلِهِ
مَعَ الماءِ ، ثُمَّ يَمْسَحُ رَأسَهُ ، إلَّ خرّتْ خطايا رأسِهِ من أطْرَافِ شَعْرِهِ مَعَ الماءِ ، ثُمَّ يغسل
قدميه إِلَى الكعْبَيْنِ ، إلَّ خَرَّتْ خَطَايَا رِجَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنَامِلِهِ مَعَ الماءِ ، فَإِنْ هُوَ قَامَ فَصَلَّى ، فَحَمِدَ
الله تَعَالَى ، وأثنى عَلَيْهِ ومَجَّدَهُ بالَّذِي هُوَ لَهُ أهْلٌ ، وَفَرَّغَ قلبه للهِ تَعَالَى، إلَّ انْصَرِفَ مِنْ
خَطِيَتِهِ كهيئته يَومَ وَلَدَتَهُ أُمُّهُ )) .
فحدث عَمُرُو بن عَبَسَة بهذا الحديث أَبَا أُمَامَة صاحِب رَسُول اللـهِ ﴿ه، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو أُمَامَة
: يَا عَمْرُو بِنُ عَبَسَة ، انْظُر مَا تقولُ ! في مقامٍ واحدٍ يُعْطَى هَذَا الرَّجُلُ؟ فَقَالَ عَمْرٌو: يَا أَبَا
أُمَامَةٍ ، لقد كَبَرَتْ سِنّي ، وَرَقَّ عَظِمِي ، وَاقْتَرَبَ أَجَلِي ، وَمَا بِي حَاجَةٌ أنْ أَكْذِبَ عَلَى اللهِ
تَعَالَى، وَلا عَلَى رَسُول الله :﴿ه، لَوْ لَمْ أسمعه مِنْ رَسُول اللـهِ ﴾، إلَّ مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ
ثلاثاً - حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعَ مَرَّات - مَا حَدَّثْتُ أبداً بِهِ ، وَلكِنِّي سمعتُهُ أكثَر من ذلِكَ . رواه مسلم .
قوله : (( جُرَءَاءُ عَلَيْهِ قَومُه )) هُوَ بجيم مضمومة وبالمد عَلَى وزنٍ عُلماءَ ، أَيْ : جَاسِرونَ
مُسْتَطِيلُونَ غيرُ هائِبِينَ ، هذِهِ الرواية المشهورةُ ، ورواه الحُمَيْدِيُّ وغيرُهُ (( حِرَاءٌ)) بكسر
الحاء المهملة، وَقالَ: معناه غِضَابٌ ذَوُو غَمّ وهَمّ ، قَدْ عِيلَ صَبُهُمْ بِهِ ، حَتَّى أَثَّرَ في
أجسامهم ، من قولِهِم : حَرَى جسمهُ يَحْرَى ، إِذَا نَقَصَ مِنْ ألمٍ أَوْ غَمِّ ونحوهِ ، والصَّحیحُ

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: (( بَيْنَ قَرنَيْ شيطان )) أيْ ناحيتي رأسِهِ والمرادُ التَّمْثيلُ ، وَمعْنَاهُ :
أنَّهُ بالجيمِ . قوله
أنه حينئذٍ يَتَحَرَّكُ الشَّيْطَانُ وَشِيعَتُهُ ، وَيَتَسَلَّطُونَ . وقوله: (( يُقَرِّبُ وَضوءهُ )) معناه يُحضِرُ
الماءَ الَّذِي يَتَوضّأَ بِهِ ، وقوله: ((إلَّ خَرَّت خطايا)) هُوَ بالخاءِ المعجمة : أيْ سقطت ،
ورواه بعضُهم (( جَرَت )) بالجيم ، والصحيح بالخاءِ وَهُوَ رواية الجمهور . وقوله : ((
فيَْثُرُ)) أيْ يَستخرجُ مَا في أنفهِ مِنْ أذىَ والنَّثْرَةُ: طَرَفُ الأَنْفِ .
Abū Najīņ 'Amr ibn 'Abasah al-Sulamī114
>narrates: "During the days of
ignorance, I believed that people were astray and they were not on the
truth because they worshipped idols. Then I heard of a man in Makkah
who was speaking of certain things. So I mounted my conveyance and went
to him. It was the Messenger of Allah
who was secretly conveying his
message while his people openly opposed him. So I planned to meet him
secretly and succeeded in meeting him in Makkah. I asked him: 'What
are you?' He replied: 'I am a Messenger.' I asked: 'What is a Messenger?'
He replied: 'Allah & has sent me.' I asked: 'What did He send you with?'
He replied: 'He has sent me with the task of maintaining ties of kinship,
destroying idols and that Allah &s be accepted as One, without ascribing
any partner to Him.' I asked: 'Who is with you in this?' He replied: 'A free
man and a slave.' At that time, Abu Bakr dog and Bilal dos were with him.
I said: 'I would like to follow you.' He said: 'You will not be able to do so
at present. Do you not see my position and the position of my people?
Rather return to your people and when you hear that I have prevailed,
then come to me.' So I returned to my people and the Messenger of Allah
went to Madinah while I remained with them. I continued seeking news
and enquiring from people when he reached Madinah. Eventually some
people from the inhabitants of Madinah came and I asked them: 'What has
happened to this man who came to Madinah?' They replied: 'People are
hastening to him. His people want to kill him but they are unable to do so.'
So I went to Madinah and met him. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Do you
recognize me?' He replied: 'Yes. You are the one who met me in Makkah.'
I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Inform me of what Allah & has taught you
and about which I am ignorant. Inform me about salāh."
114 'Amr ibn 'Abasah al-Sulamī aos accepted Islam early as stated in this hadith and participated in the
conquest of Makkah Mukarramah and other battles. 38 ahadith are narrated from him and he passed
away towards the end of the Khilafah of 'Uthman

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"He said: 'Perform the morning [Fajr] Salah and then abstain from salah until
the sun has risen to the height of the length of a spear. This is because
when the sun rises, it rises between the two horns of Shaitan and it is at
this time that the unbelievers prostrate before it. Then you may perform
șalāh because that salah is witnessed and attended [by angels], until the
shadow is equal to the spear. Then abstain from salah because at that time
Hell is ignited. When the shadow begins increasing, you may perform salah
because that salah is witnessed and attended [by angels], until you perform
the 'Așr Salah. Then abstain from salah until the sun sets, because it sets
between the two horns of Shaitan and it is at this time that the unbelievers
prostrate before it."
"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Tell me about ablution (wudū').' He said:
'There is no person among you who brings his ablution water, gargles his
mouth, places water in his nose and blows it out without the sins of his
face, mouth and nose falling away. Then when he washes his face as Allah
dis ordered him, the sins of his face fall away with the water from the
sides of his beard. Then when he washes his hands until his elbows, the
sins of his hands fall off with the water from the tips of his fingers. Then
when he passes his wet hands over his head, the sins of his head fall off
with the water from the ends of his hair. Then when he washes his feet
until his ankles, the sins of his feet fall off with the water from the tips
of his toes. When he then stands up and performs salah, praises Allah des,
glorifies Him, expresses His majesty in accordance with His status and
devotes his heart to Allah &S, then he relieves himself of his sins like the
day his mother gave birth to him."
'Amr ibn 'Abasah
narrated this hadith to Abu Umamah dades, a Sahabi of
the Messenger of Allah &
and Abū Umamah 4% said to him: "O 'Amr ibn
'Abasah! Be careful of what you are saying! A person receives all of this in
one place!" 'Amr
said: "O Abū Umāmah! I have grown old, my bones
are weak and my end is near. I have no need whatsoever to fabricate a
lie against Allāh &s or the Messenger of Allah
.
If I had heard it from
the Messenger of Allah
only once, twice, or thrice - he counted up to
seven times - I would never have related it. But, I heard it from him more
times than that." (Muslim)

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
The words "between the two horns of Shaitan" refer to the two ends of his
head. This is an idiomatic expression to mean that that is the time when
Shaitan and his band of followers begin moving about and influencing people.
Commentary
This hadith teaches us the great virtues of wudu' and salah when performed correctly.
Additional Points
The mention of ties of kinship in the same breath with the Oneness of Allah & illustrates
its pivotal role in Islam.
When the physical strength of the believers is weaker than that of the disbelievers, they
should conceal their faith in order to avoid unnecessary losses.
V The Messenger of Allah
correctly predicted the success of his mission.
v Salah should be performed with concentration and devotion.
A believer should be positive in his thinking. He should focus upon Allah's Les mercy
and ability to assist him. His faith and conviction should keep him focused upon that
which Allah &s requires of him.
Hadīth 439
٤، قَالَ : (( إِذَا أرادَ الله تَعَالَى رَحمةَ أُمَّةٍ ،
وعن أَبي موسى الأشعري ﴿له، عن النَّبِّ
قَبَضَ نَبَّهَا قَبْلَهَا ، فَجِعلُهُ لَهَا فَرِطاً وسلَفاً بَيْنَ يَدِيْهَا، وإِذَا أرادَ هَلَكَةَ أُمَّةٍ ، عَذَّبَهَا وَنَبِّهَا
حَيٍّ ، فَأهلكَها وَهُوَ حِيٍّ يَنظُرُ ، فَأفرّ عَيْنَهُ بهلاِها حِينَ كَذَّبُوهُ وَعَصَوا أمْرَهُ )) رواه مسلم .
Abū Mūsā al-Ash'arī
s narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"When Allah & intends to show mercy upon a nation, He takes away their
Messenger before them and He makes him a forerunner and a predecessor
before them; and when He intends to destroy a nation, He punishes them
while their Messenger is still alive. He destroys them while he is alive and
watching and he is pleased by their destruction because they rejected him
and disobeyed his command." (Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith served as solace and consolation for the Messenger of Allah
because his
people opposed and disobeyed him when he invited them to the truth of Islam. It was also an
encouragement for the Muslims to continue following his message and teachings so that they
could be united with him in the Hereafter. Equally, it served as a warning to the disbelievers
to reform their ways for fear that Allah & may punish them in this world as He did to the

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nations of Lūț, Șāliņ and Nūḥ
CHAPTER 52
باب فضل الرجاء
Chapter on the virtue of hope
قَالَ الله تَعَالَى إخباراً عن العبدِ الصالحِ: ﴿وَأُفَوِّضُ امْرِىّ إِلَى اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ بَصِيْرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
فَوَقُهُ اللهُ سَيَّاتِ مَا مَكَرُوْا﴾ (غافر: ٤٤-٤٥).
Allāh &s quotes the words of His righteous servant: "I surrender my affairs
to Allāh. Allāh is definitely watchful over His servants. So Allah saved him
from the evil of the plots they made." (Sūrah Ghafir, 44-45)
Hadith 440
، أَنَّهُ قَالَ : ((قَالَ اللهِ رَ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنٌّ عَبْدِي
وعن أبي هريرة ﴿ه ، عن
بِي ، وَأَنا معه حَيْثُ يَذْكُرْنِي ، وَاللهِ ، اللهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوَبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ يَجِدُ ضَالَتَهُ بِالفَلاَةِ،
وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ شِبْراً ، تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعاً، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَّ ذِرَاعاً، تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعاً ، وَإِذَا
أقْبَلَ إِلَيَّ يَمْشِي أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَهَرْوِلُ )) متفقٌ عليه ، وهذا لفظ إحدى روايات مسلم . وتقدم
شرحه في الباب قبله .
ورُوِيَ في الصحيحين : (( وأنا معه حين يذكرني )) بالنون ، وفي هذه الرواية (( حيث ))
بالثاء وكلاهما صحيح .
Abū Hurayrah
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Allah &s
said: 'I treat My servant according to his expectations of Me. I am with him
wherever he remembers Me.' By Allah, Allah & is more pleased with the
repentance of His servant then one of you who finds his lost conveyance
and possessions in a barren land.' 'Whoever comes close to Me by one span,
I go closer to him by one hand span. One who approaches Me by a hand
span, I approach him by an arm-span. If he comes to Me walking, I go to
him running." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
This is the wording of one of the narrations of Muslim. A commentary of

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RIYĀD AL-ȘĀLIĶĪN
it passed in the previous chapter. Another narration in Bukhari and Muslim
has: "I am with him when he remembers Me," while the above narration
states "wherever he remembers Me."
Commentary
This hadith encourages us to have hope in the mercy of Allah &s and to hasten towards
repentance.
According to Imam Qurtubi (, "I treat My servant according to his expectations of Me"
applies to du'a', taubah and istighfar. In other words, Allah &s will accept du'a' and repentance
if a person has the faith that Allah &s has accepted it. On the other hand, a person who has
misgivings of their acceptance displays signs of despair and his du'a' and repentance may
be rejected.
According to some scholars, the hadith teaches us that one's hope in the mercy of Allah de
should overpower one's fear of His punishment. A hadith states that on the day of Qiyamah,
Allāh & will command a person to Hell, but he will say that he had good expectations of
Allah &s. Allah &es will then command that he be brought back and dealt with as he had
expected. (Baihaqī)
The hadith also tells of Allah's &s great pleasure at his servant's turning to Him in repentance.
Allāh &s gives us an idea of His pleasure by comparing it with the joy of a person who
retrieves his lost possessions in a barren land.
Hadith 441
قبلَ مَوْتِهِ بِثَلاثَةِ أيّام ، يقولُ : (( لاَ
بعًا : أنه سمع رسول الله
وعن جابر بن عبد الله
يَمُوتَنّ أحَدُكُمْ إِلَّ وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ الظَّنَّ بالله وََّ)) رواه مسلم.
Jābir ibn 'Abdillāh
š narrates that three days before his demise, he heard
the Messenger of Allah
saying: "None of you should die without having
good thoughts about Allah &s." (Muslim)
Commentary
This hadith encourages us to have hope of Allah's &s mercy and not to despair, especially
at the time of death. Scholars mention that the quality of fear should be dominant in a
believer when he is young and healthy, while hope should be dominant when he is old and
nearing his death.

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Hadith 442
وعن أنس طّه، قَالَ: سمعت رسول الله ﴿ه، يقول: ((قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، إِنَّكَ
ما دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي. يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ ، لَوْ بَلَغْتَ ذُنُوبُك
عَنَانَ السماءِ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَلاَ أَبَالِي. يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ ، إِنَّكَ لَوْ أَيْنِي بِقُرَابِ الأَرْضِ
خَطَايَا، ثُمَّ لَقَيْتَنِي لاَ تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئاً، لأَيْتُكَ بِقُرَابِها مَغْفِرَةً)) رواه الترمذي ، وقال : ((
حديث حسن )) .
((عَنَانُ السَّماءِ)) بفتح العين ، قيل: هو مَا عَنَّ لَكَ مِنْهَا، أَيْ: ظَهَرَ إِذَا رَفَعْتَ رَأْسَكَ ،
وقيل : هو السَّحَابُ . وَ((قُرابُ الأَرض )) بضم القاف ، وقيل : بكسرها ، والضم أصح
وأشهر ، وَهُوَ : مَا يقارب مِلأَهَا ، والله أعلم .
Anas 4% narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying: "Allah JE
says: 'O son of Adam! I will forgive you as long as you continue supplicating
to Me and having hope in Me and I will not mind. O son of Adam! I will
forgive you even if your sins reach the height of the skies and you then
seek forgiveness from Me and I will not mind. O son of Adam! If you come
to Me with sins equivalent to the size of the earth and then you meet Me
without having ascribed any partners with Me, I will come to you with the
equivalent amount of forgiveness." (Tirmidhī)
Vocabulary and Definitions
"I will not mind," means that Allah &s will not disregard repentance even if sins are many.
According to other scholars, it means that Allah &s will not question a person regarding
his sins.
Commentary
This hadith reminds us of the overwhelming mercy of Allah &S. He forgives all sins except
shirk (ascribing partners to Allah &s). Even if one has committed many sins, one should
not feel despondent. One should turn to Allah & in sincere repentance and Allah &s will
forgive him.
Once Sufyan al-Thawrī > was ill and Hammad ibn Salamah & visited him. Sufyan al-Thawrī
asked him, "Do you think that Allah will forgive a person like myself?" Hammad de
replied, "If I had the choice of going to my father for accountability or to Allah, I would
choose Allah because He is more merciful than a father."

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CHAPTER 53
باب الجمع بين الخوف والرجاء
Chapter on combining fear and hope
اعْلَمْ أَنَّ المُخْتَارَ لِلْعَبْدِ فِي حَالٍ صِحَتِهِ أنْ يَكُونَ خَائفاً رَاجِياً ، وَيَكُونَ خَوْفُهُ وَرَجَاؤُهُ سَواءً
، وفي حَالِ المَرَضِ يُمَّضُ الرَّجَاءُ ، وقواعِدُ الشَّرْعِ مِنْ نصُوصِ الكِتَابِ والسُّنَةِ وغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ
مُتْظاهِرَةٌ عَلَى ذلك .
It is best for a person in a state of good health to be both fearful [of the
wrath of Allah &] and hopeful [of the mercy of Allah &] and that his
fear and hope be equal. In a state of illness, he should be only hopeful.
The principles of the Shari'ah as laid down in the Qur'an and Sunnah are
clear in this regard.
قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلاَ يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخُسرُوْنَ﴾ (الأعراف: ٩٩)،
Allāh &s says: "Only those at a loss feel secure from Allah's plan." (Sūrah
al-A'rāf, 99)
وقال تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّهُ لاَ يَايْتَسُ مِنْ رَّوْحِ اللهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الكَفِرُوْنَ﴾ ( يوسف : ٨٧)،
Allāh &s says: "Indeed only the nation that commits kufr grows despondent
of Allāh's mercy." (Sūrah Yusuf, 87)
وقال تَعَالَى: ﴿يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوْهٌ وَّتَسْوَدُ وُجُوْهٌ﴾ ( آل عمران: ١٠٦)،
Allāh &s says: "On the day when some faces will be illuminated while
others will be gloomy." (Sūrah Āl-'Imran, 106)
وقال تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيْعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيْمٌ﴾ (الأعراف: ١٦٧)،
Allāh &s says: "Certainly your Lord Sustainer is swift in punishing. He is
undoubtedly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful." (Sūrah al-A'raf, 167)
وقال تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِىْ نَعِيْم وَّإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِىْ جَحِيْم﴾ (الانفطار: ١٣-١٤)