Narrated Ma’n ibn Yazeed (may Allah be pleased with him): My grandfather, my father and I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Messenger ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ got me engaged and then got me married. One day I went to the Prophet ﷺ with a complaint.My father set aside some dinars for charity and gave them to a man in the mosque. I went to that man and took back those dinars. He said: "I had not intended you to be given." So, we went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and put forth the matter before him. Heﷺ said to my father, "Yazeed, you have been rewarded for what you intended." And heﷺ said to me, "Ma'n, you are entitled to what you have taken.".

Commentary : Pledging allegiance entails the conclusion of a contract and the making of a covenant, and it is called in Arabic al-Mubaaya’ah (i.e., a word that means sales) as an analogy for making a transaction, as if everyone sold what they owned. On the part of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; a promise of reward, and on their part of the pledgers: a commitment to obedience.
In this hadeeth, Maʿn ibn Yazeed al-Sulamee (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reports that he, his father, and grandfather al-Akhnas ibn Habeeb (may Allah be pleased with him) pledged their allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.Later on, the Prophet ﷺ proposed on behalf of Maʿn ibn Yazeed to a woman and asked the woman’s guardian for their approval for her to marry him, who in turn gave her to him (Ibn Yazeed) in marriage.
The narrator related that his father had offered the alms and placed it in the care of a man in the mosque so that he could distribute it to someone deserving of the charity. But then Maʿn went and took it and told his father about it. Afterwards, his father informed him that he had intended this alms money to go to him (Ma’n). It was said: what is meant by the alms here is: that it was a voluntary charity, and not the prescribed alms tax (zakat). The two of them quarrelled and took up the matter to the Prophet ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ruled between them [stating] that: Yazeed will be rewarded for what he had intended to give in charity, and that Maʿn owned what he took because he was poor and belonged to the general group of the needy who were allowed to receive the alms from the deputy who is authorised to distribute it.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the one who offers alms [and charity] will be rewarded for what he intended, whether it finds the one who is deserving of it or not.
It shows that the son has the right to argue with his father, and it would not be out of disobedience if it was done so appropriately [i.e., with tact].
And lastly, it shows the permissibility of appointing a representative to distribute the alms and charity..

1423

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Seven people Allah will place them under His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but the Shade of His Throne (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection): And they are: a just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer and) says: 'I fear Allah'; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes become tearful"..

Commentary : The Day of Resurrection is a crucial day with many terrors. It is the Day on which the sun draws near the heads of the people and its heat intensifies over them. The Messenger of Allahﷺhas given good tidings to us that Allah will place some of His servants under His shade on that day in which no other shade except for His, Exalted Be He.
In this significant hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺmentions seven kinds [of people] in his nation who will enjoy Allah’s Shade on that day in which no one else will be shaded except for those whom Allah will cover in His shade. What is meant by shade here is: the shadow of the Throne, as it is was explained in other hadeeths; one of which is related in Musnad Ahmad and Sunan al-Tirmidhee; it is reported on the authority of AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:: “Whoever relieves [someone] from his debtor or erases their debt for him, will be under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Resurrection.” If what is meant [by this] is the shade of the Throne; then it follows that they are under the protection and honour of Allah, The Almighty.
The first of these seven [types] of people is: the just ruler. He is a just ruler over his subjects who preserves their rights, considers their interests, and rules over them with the Sacred Law of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, and upholds the good in both religious and worldly affairs.
The second is the young man who grows up diligently worshipping his Lord and is committed to obeying His Commands and Prohibitions. The young man is specifically mentioned [here] because worship in youth is harder, more tiresome, and more difficult at this age; due to the many reasons for sin and disobedience, and the prevalence of desires; so, if he clings to worship during those time[s], it indicates the strength of his piety and the greatness of his fear in Allah.
The third is the man whose heart clings to the mosques. He is very fond of and is attached to the mosques. He visits them frequently and spends large amounts of time in them - remaining for the congregational and obligatory prayers and waits for prayer after prayer [to begin], as if his heart was a lantern of the masjid.
The fourth is: two people who love one another for the sake of Allah, and for His Pleasure and obedience, and not for a worldly purpose. They meet for His sake, and maintain this love for Allah, Glory be to Him. The narrator’s statement: “They meet and part ways for His cause” is clear: that their love for Allah is sincere at the times of their meeting and departure.
The fifth: is a man who was asked to engage in illegitimate sexual relations by a beautiful woman of noble descent, lineage, rank, and prestige, and refuses so by saying: ‘I fear Allah.’ It is possible that he only says that verbally; reprimanding her for attempting to commit adultery. Or, he says that in his heart, and his actions confirm that the fear of Allah prevents him from committing what angers Him. The reason women with status and beauty are particularly mentioned is due to the great desires in it. With this act, despite these many temptations, he has achievedthe perfect ranks of obedience and fear of Allah, The Almighty, and these are the characteristics of the righteous.
The sixth is a man who offers voluntary alms and goes to great lengths in concealing it. He covers them from everything, even from himself; so that his left hand does not know what his right one spends. Only, he ﷺ mentioned the right and left to exaggerate the concealment and secrecy in giving charity. He offered them both as examples because the right hand is close to the left, and [both] accompany one another. The meaning of the example given is: If his left hand was an alert man, he would not have known about it [the right hand and its spending]; due to the emphasis in concealing it. And this is the best [form] of charity, and the furthest from hypocrisy. Although it is prescribed to speak publicly about charity and zakat if it is free from showing off, it is intended to urge others to spend, emulate others, and make the rites of Islam known.
And the seventh is the man who remembers Allah with his tongue in seclusion or remembers with his heart: the greatness of Allah The Almighty, his eventual encounter with Him, that he is always standing in His presence, and that he is held accountable for his deeds all while he is alone, and secluded from people; because at that time, he is further away from hypocrisy. It was said: that his heart is free from paying attention to anything other than Allah, so that even if he is among people, his tears will flow out of fear in Allah, The Almighty.
These seven will only attain this grace by sincere devotion to Allah, The Almighty and fighting their desires; for the capable leader who is in power is not able to be just, except by opposing his whims. The young man who prefers to worship Allah over the calls of his youth would not be able to do so, had he not fought his desires. The man whose heart clings to the masjid encourages him to struggle against the inclinations that call him to places of pleasure. The one who secretly offers alms and charity to those on his left side would not have been able to do so had he not overcome his desires. And for those who: are called by a beautiful, noble woman and fear Allah, The Mighty and Majestic and opposed his cravings; and those who remember Allah, The Mighty and Majestic in private, with their eyes overflowing [with tears] out of fear of Him - it was only by opposing their longings that led them to that. Thus, Allah saved them from the swelter, sweat, and hardship of the situation which will manifest on the Day of Resurrection.
Seven types of people have been mentioned in this hadeeth. There are other narrations that relate and add more categories other than those mentioned here; among them is what Imam Muslim narrates from the hadeeth of Aboo al-Yasar, Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever grants a reprieve to the one in dire straits or remits his debt for him, Allah will place him under His protection.” Also: the warrior [who fights for Allah’s sake] and those who aid them, the honest merchant, and whoever assists the slave [in attaining their freedom] as it is mentioned in other narrations and hadeeths; so, this indicates that the number of those mentioned in this hadeeth doesn’t provide a limit [for the number of categories]. Likewise, the mentioning of men in this hadeeth departs from what corresponds to the preponderant position [on the issue]; [as] there is no significance to it; for women are similar to men in what is possible regarding that [i.e., being able to implement characteristics described in this narration], and the provisions of the Sacred Law are general [in applicability] for all those who are legally responsible, both male and female.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights the merits of the seven mentioned categories, and the virtue of the one who remains free from sin and devotes themself in obeying their Lord throughout his life.
It urges us to partake in righteous deeds; because they are the reasons in which the contentment of Allah, May He be Exalted, will be attained in the Hereafter.
And lastly, it highlights that one of the blessings of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic on the Day of Resurrection is being granted refuge under His protection..

1425

Narrated ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said "When a woman feeds (the poor) from her husband's house, without spending too much, she will have her reward, and her husband will be rewarded likewise because he earned it, and she will be rewarded for what she spent. The same applies to the storekeeper, without anything being detracted from their rewards.”.

Commentary : In this hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ highlights the great status of charity and encourages people to practise it. He ﷺ clarifies the reward that a woman will receive when she gives in charity from the property of her husband, with his permission, whether his permission was explicit or implicit, if she knew that he would not mind her giving charity from his wealth. He ﷺ particularly mentions that when a woman gives in charity from thefood she keeps in house to those who are poor and needy, with the intention of charity and without that causing any harm to her household or intending to waste her husband’s wealth or causing harm to him, she will be rewarded for this spending. Likewise, her husband and the storekeeper will be rewarded since the former was the one who worked to earn it, and the latter is the one responsible for keeping the food of his master. That is to say, the husband and wife will be rewarded, and the master and his owned storekeeper will be rewarded when the wife or storekeeper does that. It is either each one of them will receive his reward in full and equallyor that each one of them will receive his own reward. The acceptable amount that can be spent in this case is that which the husband or the master usually approves and allows to be given away in charity. His approval can be at the time this happens or when he comes to know about it..

1426

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best charity is that which is given out of surplus; and begin (charity) with those who are under your care.”.

Commentary : The legal system in Islam has come as a middle point between excess and neglect. One of the areas it covers is almsgiving. It dictates that the best charity - as the Prophet ﷺ reports in this hadeeth - is what a person takes out from his wealth after fulfilling the rights of himself and dependents so that the one giving alms does not become a person in need after offering his charity to someone; for this is the charity which is given out of surplus.
Then he ﷺ instructs us to begin with those who we provide for under our care. This is an indication that the spending on one’s family is better than giving charity to others because charitable almsgiving is voluntary, and adequate support (nafaqah) and maintenance for the family is obligatory. This is from the Prophetic pedagogy, and the order of prioritiesin nafaqahthat we should observe so that a person can meet the requirements necessary for his family and whoever else he is obliged to take care of. Then, he can offer alms and charity in the manner a rich person does.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is it shows that we should give precedence with spending on ourselves and our dependents because caring for them is confined to him alone, unlike the others.
It highlights that a person should not give all of what he owns in charity, and that we should begin with the most important concerns in the matters of religion.
And lastly, it shows thatspendingon one’s family and the person who provides for them is regarded as a charity if the person intended it as such..

1427

Narrated Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet ﷺ said, "The upper hand is better than the lower one (i.e., the spending hand is better than the receiving hand); and begin (charity) with those who are under your care; and the best charity is that which given out of surplus; and he who abstains from asking others [for his needs] and he who abstains from asking others for money will be made self-sufficient by Allah"..

Commentary : Islam urges almsgiving and spending [on others] for the sake of Allah and clarifies that what Allah has [or them] is more permanent than what a person puts away for himself.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains that the upper hand - which is the hand that spends and provides - is better and more beloved to Allah, The Mighty and Majestic than the lower hand - which is the one that requests and takes charity. Then he ﷺ instructs us to begin with ourselves and whatever family and children that we support. So, the best charity is what a person takes out from his wealth after fulfilling the rights of himself and dependents so that the one giving alms does not become a person in need after offering his charity to someone. And where he ﷺsays: This is an indication that the spending on one’s family] is better than charity because charitable almsgiving is voluntary, and adequate support (nafaqah) and maintenance for the family is obligatory. This is from the Prophetic pedagogy, and the order of prioritiesin spending that we should observe so that a person can meet the requirements necessary for his family and whoever else he is obliged to take care of. Then, he can offer alms and charity from the surplus that he still has.
Then,the Messenger of Allahﷺurges for content and self-restraint. Heﷺrelates that whoever forces himself to abstain from begging for anything or asks Allah to keep him in no need of others, Allah then will grant it to him, in that He will make him content, satisfied, and pleased with whatever He has given him.
And “and he who abstains from asking others for money”, that is to say: ‘whoever asks for wealth from Allah, Exalted be He, or he shows that he is not in need of the wealth of people and avoids begging until a person who does not know the realty of his condition considers him to be rich and self-sufficient. Then, “Allah will grant it”, in that He will fill his heart with riches so that he comes rich in his heart because affluence, in reality, is the richness of the soul.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that we should give precedence with spending on ourselves and our dependents because caring for them is confined to him alone, unlike the others.

It highlights that a person should not give all of what he owns in charity and urges us towards lofty matters, and to abandon the ignoble.
It shows us that we should begin with the most important concerns in legal matters.
And lastly, that spending on one’s family and the person who provides for them is regarded as a charity if the person considered it as such..

1430

Narrated ‘Uqbah ibn al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him): Once the Prophet ﷺ offered the `Asr prayer and then hurriedly went to his house and returned immediately. I (or somebody else) asked him (as to what was the matter) and heﷺ said, "I left at home a piece of gold which was from the charity and I disliked letting it remain a night in my house, so I got it distributed.".

Commentary : It is necessary for the believing person to hasten and engage in good deeds because pitfalls may happen and thus hinder him from performing good deeds, and death can strike at any moment, and procrastination is not condemned and not praiseworthy.
In this hadeeth, ʿUqbah ibn al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ was with them for the late afternoon prayer (ʿAsr), and right after he ﷺ concluded his prayer, he ﷺ rushed to get up from his place and went to his home. “It did not take him long...”, is an allusion for hurriedly departing from his house. Then, his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked him about what prompted this haste; to which the Prophet ﷺ explained to them that he ﷺ had left a tibr - which is a portion of gold before it is wrought - at his house, and this tibr was for charity. Then he ﷺ related that he disliked letting it remain at his house at night; and for that reason, he ﷺ hurried to divide it up for those who were in need.
It was said: the reason he ﷺhurried to distribute the almsis that he feared that whoever had a right to that piece of tibr would be in need of it, and [by delaying it] his right would have been held back from him that night. The Prophetﷺwas benevolent and merciful to the believers; so, heﷺ clarified the matter to his nation,in order that they follow his example and imitate him ﷺ.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the ruler and the scholar ought to hasten to meet the needs of the peopleand responded to them.
And lastly, it shows the permissibility for the imamto leave immediately after the prayer without sitting down [after the prayer]..

1432

Narrated Aboo Moosa al-‘Ash’aree (may Allah be pleased with him): Whenever a needy person would come to the Prophet ﷺ or he ﷺ was asked for help, he ﷺ would turn to those who were present and say, "Make intercession for him, and you will be rewarded; and Allah will carry out whatsoever He wills through His Prophet’s mouth.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺwas benevolent and merciful to the people and would hasten in upholding their needs and advocating for the people with truth and justice; to teach his cooperative ummah piety and cognizance of Allah.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Moosa al-Ashʿaree (May Allah be pleased with him) relates that whenever a beggar in need came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺto ask for alms; or, a person with a need came to him and asked of him to fulfil it – he ﷺ would help them with it and say, “Intercede for them, and you will be rewarded,“ that is to say: ‘You will be rewarded by Allah, The Mighty and Majestic for that.’ What is meant by intercession here is: aiding someone else in the matters of this worldly life, and in helping people in whatever is good for them in their worldly affairs. The Muslim should strive to help his fellow brother in his needs and what he asks of him, and intermediate to fulfil it so long as it is good and supports him in his religion and life, and that the need is not a sin or neglects a divine proscription [put forth by] Allah, The Almighty. As for other needs - such as granting relief for the impoverished, helping those who are in debt, and conciliating between two people who are quarrelling - so people should hasten to strive with me in addressing these issues.
Then, he ﷺ said: “and Allah will carry out whatsoever He wills through His Prophet’s mouth,” which means that whatever Allah decreed and foreordained will come to pass; so, if He decrees for a wish to come true, then it will come to pass. And if He decrees for it not to happen; then it will not manifest. Everything is by Allah’s Divine Decree and Foreordainment, and the reward for the mediator does not depend on his fulfilment of the need of the person, for he is rewarded for the mere pursuit of it all.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it encourages mediating and interceding on behalf of people and striving to meet their needs.
And lastly, it confirms Allah’s Divine Decree and Foreordainment..

1433

Narrated Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her): The Prophet ﷺ said to me: Do not withhold it or it will be withheld from you.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to guide his nation to lofty words and deeds and would preach to the people depending on their needs.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ says to Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (May Allah be pleased with her and her father): ‘Do not withhold [your money]’- where we can see that the verbal noun, al-’Īkaa’ for this verb in Arabic means to tie the head of a container with a wikaa’, which is a rope or string that ties it [i.e., a waterskin or bag]. So, the meaning of this statement is: ‘Don’t hoard away and withhold your money from almsgiving out of fear of it dwindling, otherwise the substance of your sustenance will be cut off from you.’
The reason for this is what is mentioned in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, where Asmaa’ (May Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet ﷺ a question about almsgiving and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I own nothing except that which al-Zubayr has left for me. May I offer the alms?” To which, he ﷺ said: “Offer it, and do not withhold it or it will be withheld from you.” In another agreed upon narration, it is reported that he ﷺ said to her: “Don’t count [it]” - where the Arabic verbal noun, al-Iḥṣaa’, for the verb used here means to have knowledge of the amount of something, whether by weight or quantity. So, the meaning of this statement is: ‘Don’t count what you are giving so that you may be increased by it and let that be a reason for it to be cut off.’ This indicates that almsgiving increases one’s wealth and can be a reason for blessing and increase. Whoever is miserly and does not give alms, Allah will withhold his sustenance from him, and prevent the blessing in his wealth and its growth.
One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it shows that being miser greed with charity and alms - especially with what is obligatory to give (zakat) - leads to destruction of wealth; so, it’s as if generosity opens the doors of sustenance, [blessing, and growth]..

1434

Narrated Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her): The Prophet ﷺ said to me: Do not withhold it or it will be withheld from you, and give what little you can.”.

Commentary : The Prophetﷺ used to guide his nation to lofty words and deedsand would admonish the people depending on their needs.
In this hadeeth, Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her and her father) came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about giving alms. The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “Do not withhold it”, meaning: “Do not store away your wealth or refrain from spending it for the sake of Allah and offering alms with it because that would be a reason for Allah to take away its blessing, increase, and growth from reaching you.
And he ﷺ said: “Give what little you can,” meaning: ‘Spend without rendering yourself poor as long as you are able to, even if it is just a little, and do not hoard and abstain from giving alms out of fear that [your wealth] will dwindle, otherwise the substance of your sustenance will be cut off from you.’
In Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, it is related that Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet ﷺ a question about almsgiving and said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I own nothing except that which al-Zubayr has left for me. May I offer the alms?” To which, he ﷺ said: “Offer it, and do not withhold it [or it will be withheld] from you.” And in another agreed upon narration, it is reported that he ﷺ said to her: “Do not count [it]” - where the Arabic verbal noun, al-Ihsaa’, for the verb used here means to have knowledge of the amount of something, whether by weight or quantity. So, the meaning of this statement is: ‘Do not count what you are giving so that you may be increased by it and let that be a reason for it [i.e., the blessings] to be cut off.’
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it shows that charity and almsgiving increase wealth, and that generosity opens the doors of sustenance, blessing, and growth.
And that refraining from offering charity and alms - especially with what is obligatory to give (zakat) - leads to destruction of wealth..

1435

Narrated Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him): "`Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, 'Who amongst you remembers the statement of Allah's Messenger ﷺ about afflictions'?' I said, 'I know it as the Prophetﷺ had said it.' `Umar said, 'No doubt, you are bold. How did he say it?' I said, 'A man's afflictions (wrong deeds) concerning his wife, children and neighbours are expiated by (his) prayers, charity, and enjoining good.' (The sub-narrator Sulaymaan added that he said, 'The prayer, charity, enjoining good and forbidding evil.') `Umar said, 'I did not mean that, but I ask about that affliction which will spread like the waves of the sea.' I said, 'O Chief of the Believers! You need not be afraid of it as there is a closed door between you and it.' He asked, 'Will the door be broken or opened?' I replied, 'No, it will be broken.' He said, 'If it is broken, it will never be closed again?' I replied, 'Yes.' " Then we were afraid to ask what that door was, so we asked Masrooq to inquire, and he asked Hudhayfah regarding it. Hudhayfah said, "The door was `Umar. "We further asked Hudhaifa whether `Umar knew what that door meant. Hudhayfah replied in the affirmative and added, "He knew it as one knows that there will be a night before the tomorrow morning, and that I reported to him a hadeeth with no errors.".

Commentary : Trials and afflictions are many; some of them are easy, and others are great. The Prophet ﷺ informed us about many of the trials which will take place to serve as a warning against them and urged us to hasten in grabbing onto the ropes of salvation.
In this hadeeth, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), during the era of his caliphate, asked the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that were at his gathering at that time: ‘Which of you remembers the statements of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the trial?’ Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) thought that ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asking about the particulartrial [some will face], so he replied to him by [stating] that he knew the Prophet’s ﷺ words about the trial literally and exactly as he ﷺ had said: which is: that the person will face trials with regards to their family, wealth, children, and neighbours. What is meant by it is: what evil, sorrow, and the like that befalls him in relation to them [i.e., the listed trials], his preoccupation with them while engaging in pious deeds; his negligence in upholding what is required concerning their rights, his shortcomings in matters of the religion, and what [often] tempts him from the [various] lesser misdeeds. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and enjoining the good and prohibiting evil expiate these misgivings. That is to say: that these specifictrials are those which afflict the Muslim because of his love for himself, his children, and his wealth, and they are expiated by righteous deeds and acts of worship. However, ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mean these particular trials, but rather the afflictions which swell and surge like the sea, i.e., by which people will be unsettled, and fight one another. It is the general strife that will afflict all the Muslims.
Then Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reassured him that if his question was about the general turmoil that will afflict all Muslims with horrors and calamities, and plunge them into wars and [conflicts of] bloodshed among them; then the Muslims today are safe from it, and that there is a strong, locked door between him and this turmoil [being spoken of]; but this door will be broken down, and violence, hardship, and bloodshed will follow. And here, ʿUmar, (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that if this door is broken, it will remain open for blood, and the wars between the Muslims would not end. The TaabiʿeeAbooWaa’il Shaqeeq ibn Salamah reported that they were afraid to ask Hudhayfah about who was the intended person being referred to as the door. So, they appointed Masrooq ibn al-Ajdaʿ to ask him about the matter. Only Masrooq dared to ask him because of his vast knowledge and high rank. Then Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that the door was ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him). The word door [used here] is a metaphor for him.
The taabiʿeenasked Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) about ʿUmar’s knowledge of who was intended by this door [referenced in the hadeeth], in which, if it was broken, would lead to affliction. Then, Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that ʿUmar knew that he was the door [being alluded to], “as [one would know] that there is a night before the [following] morning”, that is to say: that his knowledge of that was certain, necessary, evident - just as that there is no doubt that the day you are in precedes the morrow that comes after it. He knew that the barrier between Islam and the affliction was his presence (may Allah be pleased with him); “and that I reported to him a hadeeth with no errors.” So, what ʿUmar understood and knew was only due to what Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) related to him, which was a hadeeth narrated by the Prophet ﷺ, and that it was not based on his own interpretation or opinion. And this was when the stateduring his reign was strong, and the citizens feared and loved him at the same time, and the enemies feared his power and name. But after his rule, strife had appeared, and the forces were divided, as what occurred in the turmoil in which the Caliph, ʿUthmaan ibn ʿAffaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed. Then, what came after that [include, but is not limited to the following]: the emergence of the Khawaarij, the fighting between ʿAlee (may Allah be pleased with him) and those who opposed him, and the appearance of [many] deviant sects whose discord has not ceased fighting even till today.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights the merit and virtue of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) and shows that good deeds are an expiation for misdeeds [and sins].
And lastly, it indicates the proper etiquette the taabiʿeen had with those who are high in rank and virtue..

1436

Narrated Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him): “I said to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, "Before embracing Islam I used to do good deeds with the intention of drawing myself nearer to Allah like giving in charity, slave-manumitting, and the keeping of good relations with my kin. Shall I be rewarded for those deeds?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "You became Muslim with all those good deeds (without losing their reward).".

Commentary : Verily, Allah, Glory be to He, has bestowed His bounty and favours upon His servants with whatever rewards and recompense He wills,Indeed,Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty.
In this hadeeth, Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he asked the Prophet ﷺ about the ruling of things that he performed in the service of Allah in the period of ignorance before Islam; some of which include: almsgiving, manumitting slaves, and maintaining good relations with kin: Will he be rewarded for those deeds? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied to him: ‘You embraced Islam with the acceptance of your previous good deeds from the past.” So, the Prophet ﷺ clarified that if the disbeliever becomes Muslim and dies upon Islam and had performed some righteous and good deeds before reverting - such as giving alms, freeing slaves, and maintaining good relations with family and relatives - then he will be rewarded for the good he did while being a disbeliever, as it is proven that every sin will be erased off him. So, he will return like his mother had bore him, [wholesome and] free of sins and misdeeds.
This is the apparent meaning of his statement: “You embraced Islam with the acceptance of what preceded [you] in goodness”: [showing] that if the disbeliever embraces Islam and dies as a Muslim, then he will be rewarded for what good he did while he was in a state of disbelief. It was said: that its meaning may have several other meanings; one of which is: that you have acquired a beautiful temperament, and benefit from it in Islam, and that habit is a preparing and assisting you to do good and righteous deeds. Another interpretation is: that it is not unlikely that he will be increased by his good deeds which he performs in Islam [i.e., as a Muslim]. And his rewards multiplied for what beautiful deeds he had done previously; so, if the disbeliever used to do good deeds, then it will be easier for him [to partake in them again in the future]. So, it is not unlikely that the rewards will increase for this.
One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it indicates that the good deeds of a disbeliever - if he embraces and passes away with Islam - will be counted for him in the Hereafter. And if he dies in a [state] of disbelief, then [all of his good deeds] will be deemed in vain and wasted..

1438

Narrated AbooMoosa (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said, "A trustworthy Muslim treasurer who carries out the orders of his master and pays fully what he has been ordered to give with a good heart and pays to that person to whom he was ordered to pay, is regarded as one of the two charitable persons.".

Commentary : The one who guides to the good and partakes in it will attain a great reward and recompense as the one who [actually] does it. One of the best types of goodness and pious deeds is almsgiving, and for everyone who participates in taking out alms [and distributing it to others] will be rewarded as if they, themselves, have offered the alms if they fulfil the conditions that are complied with in that [matter], as what this hadeeth clarifies; where the Prophetﷺmentions that the Muslim treasurer who is responsible to his master for his vaults and entrusted to preserve and store food, wealth, and other things. If this treasurer, who honours his duty towards his master and whoever entrusts him to safeguard their money, was ordered to take out the alms and distribute it, then he would give out in full, with a good heart, to those deserving of it; he would have obtained a reward similar to the one who donated the alms [directly], as if he had offered it the alms himself, [instead of just distributing it].

He ﷺ stipulated that the reward is given to the treasurer if he gives the alms complete [and in full], and that he does this while being kind, and not be envious of the one who gave it to him [i.e., the donation to distribute]; lest he loses the intention and misses the reward, which are necessary, so he be eligible for the reward. This reward will not be offered to the treasurer who abuses the authority that was given to him and thus withhold the alms that the owner of wealth approved, according to his whims, or if he gives it to them with an unpleasant heart. Sometimes he gives them the alms with a kind of reproach and reprimand. This is something which should not be done because it does not correspond to the legitimate purpose of almsgiving and doing the good to which was entrusted to them. Not to mention the loss of their rewards and blessings with Allah, The Almighty.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it serves as an indication for the merits of trustworthiness and fulfilling what one had been entrusted with and not to be negligent in that.
And lastly, it highlights the evidence of cooperation in righteousness and piety is decreed for those who aid [and participate in the process]] is similar to what is decreed for the one who did [the act themselves], and this is the grace of Allah that He bestows upon whomever He wills..

1442

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said, "Every morning, two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends [in Your Cause],' and the other angel says, 'O Allah! Bring destruction to [the wealth of] every miser.' ".

Commentary : The treasures and bounties of Allah - May He be Glorified - never deplete. He has urged His servants to spend and offer goodness, and not to calculate or take into account the amount in what they spent [in charity], and has promised them with a recompense of blessing, and that they will be requited with a great reward for spending on His behalf.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ urged for offering alms and spending on charitable causes and clarified the beautiful reward for [doing] that. And he ﷺ warned of the miser and withholding [one’s wealth] and shows its bad outcome. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reports that every day when the servant awakes, until the Hour of the Resurrection; Allah sends down two venerable angels from the heavens. One of them supplicates for Allah to give back to the almsgiver who spends on charitable and righteous causes, in return for what he spent and gave. And the other angel will supplicate for Allah to give to the withholding miser the ruination of his wealth, or [to] destroy him and for his wealth to vanish. It is well-known that the supplications of the angels are answered; so, this is a promise of ease for the one who spends for charitable purposes, and a threat of difficulty for the miser who withholds and hoards his wealth.
It was said that: praiseworthy spending is what is put forward in acts of worship (zakat), and that which is spent on dependants, guests, and voluntary charity; and that it is done so out of kindness and comes from a wholesome and lawful earning. But the one who refrains from spending his wealth in that which is recommended in religion is not worthy of this supplication [i.e., the one offered by the first angel] since reprehensible greediness overcomes him, in such a matter that he will not be pleasant with taking out from his wealth the right [of others] which is incumbent upon him, even if he takes it out and offers it. Also, the supplication for the one who spends is general, in that Allah will compensate him for it in this world or in the Hereafter. As for the supplication which calls for ruin, it is possible that it means to destroys the source of the wealth, or the owner of the wealth himself. What is meant by it is that [his] righteous deeds will vanish due to being preoccupied with others [and his vain self-interests].
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it urges us to spend in what is mandatory, such as spending on one’s family, and maintaining good relations with kin and kith; and voluntary and obligatory contributions are included in this.
And lastly, it shows us that the miser who withholds [and hoards his money] deserves to have his wealth ruined..

1443

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Prophet ﷺ say, "The example of an almsgiver and a miser is like the example of two persons who have two iron cloaks on them from their breasts to their collar bones, and when the almsgiver wants to give in charity, the cloak becomes capacious till it covers his whole body to such an extent that it hides his fingertips and covers his footprints (obliterates his tracks). And when the miser wants to spend, it (the iron cloak) sticks and every ring gets stuck to its place and he tries to widen it, but it did not become wide.” The part of the two iron clocks is also narrated through al-Hasan ibn Muslim from Ta’woos. Handhalah related from Ta’woos that it is two gardens (instead of two cloaks). Al-Layth said: Ja’far narrated to me from Ibn Hirmiz that he heard AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned “two gardens.”.

Commentary : The charity and alms which a person takes from his wealth for righteous purposes after upholding the rights of himself and his dependents so that the one giving alms does not become a person in need after offering his charity to someone, is one of the best acts of obedience, and greatest pious deeds which is pleasing to Allah, The Almighty. It has laudable consequences in this world and in the Hereafter, whereas miserliness and greed are the opposite of the aforementioned; so, their consequences are disastrous in this world and the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, The Prophet ﷺ gave a parable regarding the miser and charitable almsgiver, where he ﷺ likens them to two men wearing jubbahs, woven of iron. The jubbah is similar to the cloak, which is worn over other clothes. This garment (as worn by the two men presented in the example of the Prophet ﷺ) went from their breast [down] to where are the two bones at the top of the chest that point towards the side[s] of the mouth, located between the gap of the upper chest and neck [i.e., collarbones]. This is a reference as to how small the jubbah was for [both] the charitable person and miser. So, the one who spends charitably is given a gift when the jubbah worn by him became long and abundant (due to his almsgiving); i.e., it increased in size and length upon him, or “became plentiful over his skin,” and immersed his body “to the point that it covers his fingertips,” meaning: that it became long and flowed over him until it covered his entire body.
“And eliminates his tracks”, i.e., it erases the steps that he takes [as he walks]. This is an explanation for the incredible length of the garment on its owner. As for the miser, every time he refrains from giving alms and stops spending, his jubbah will tighten on him until every ring clings to his skin. He will try to stretch it out with his hand while it is very tight, but it will not widen to release its grip.
What is intended by this parable that if the generous are devoted to almsgiving, his chest will be widened by it, and his soul will become pleasant; and will thus amplify in his spending [and giving charity]. And the miser, if he talks to himself about almsgiving, will become stingy. Then his chest will narrow, and his hands will be clenched. It was said: it means that if the one who spends does so charitably, the alms will expiate his sins and wipe them away, just as the jubbah when it enshrouded him abundantly, concealed him, and safeguarded him [from harm]. The miser does not even obey himself in offering charity, so his offenses will remain uncovered and exposed.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that every time the one who offers alms extends his hand with goodness, Allah extends His grace to him so that He will repay him multiple times over what he spent for His sake. And every time the miser clenches his hands, Allah constricts him, and fills his heart with the fear of becoming poor, and despair of recovering that which he spent..

1445

Narrated AbooMoosa (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said: Every Muslim has to give in charity." The people asked, "O Allah's Prophet! If someone has nothing to give, what will he do?" He said, "He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns)." The people further asked, "What should he do if he cannot find even that?" He replied, "He should help the needy who appeal for help." The people then asked, "What should he do if he cannot do that?" He replied, "Then he should perform good deeds and keep away from evil deeds and this will be regarded as charitable deeds.".

Commentary : The charity and alms which a person takes from his wealth for righteous purposes after upholding the rights of himself and his dependents is one of the best acts of obedience, and greatest pious deeds which is pleasing to Allah, The Almighty. Charity doesn’t only [come in the form] of money. Rather, it can [include] helping [others] to do good and preventing evil as well; as what is shown in this hadeeth, where the Prophet ﷺ clarifies that it is incumbent upon every Muslim to offer charity voluntarily because charity without the obligatory zakat is a mandatory duty of every Muslim to offer it as a recommended act [of worship], regardless of his circumstances and conditions. So, whoever is poor and does not own any money to give in charity, let him work with his own hands until he is able to acquire [enough] to benefit himself, by spending it on himself [for his needs], his family, and those who depend on him, and whatever is extra is offered in charity to others.
If he does not find any money to offer in charity, then he assists anyone who is troubled and in need - which is the one who is helpless or oppressed. Likewise, everyone who has experienced a calamity and seeks help for it.
“And if he does not find [them]”, that is to say: if he is not able to help anyone with their need[s], then let him perform righteous deeds, perform physical, supererogatory physical acts of worship, [such as]: prayer, fasting, reciting the Quran, and more. Let him [also] abstain from sin, and avoid that which is prohibited, [like]: backbiting, slander, lying, and spread ant evil or harm to the servants (Muslims); because doing the good and abstaining from evil has the reward of almsgiving.
From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that charity is required of every Muslim, whether they be rich or poor, each one according to their best of ability.
And that if good deeds are accompanied with a good intention, it can take the place of almsgiving with regards to the rewards, especially for those who are not able to offer alms.
It shows that charity that is given by those who are able to do so is better than all other deeds restricted to the person who is doing it.
It provides a proof for who stated that refraining from an action is considered a deed that people will be judged about it.
It shows the merits of earning a living because of what potentials it offers in helping and offering oneself to others [in service].
And lastly, it shows us that the doors that open to goodness are many, and the path to pleasing Allah is not absent..

Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba narrated, “There was no one authentically reported the news of Ali except the companions of Abdullah ibn Masoud.”.

Commentary : One has to verify the narrators and reports taced back to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions. We narrate the trustworthy and truthful narrators' reports, for some people and reports may not be accepted. We have to be careful, for some may have purposes drawing them to fabricate narrations. In this report, Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba confirmed that it was only the companions of Abdullah ibn Masoud who narrated the authentic reports about Ali. They were the only people reporting what was authentically narrated about him. After some events of trial like killing Uthman ibn Affan, Ali's fighting Khawarij and others, Muaweya’s rule after Al-Hasan’s abdication, lots of fabricated reports narrated about Ali by whether his supporters or opponents, unlike Abdullah ibn Masoud who just narrated and conveyed authentic reports to his own companions, including reports about Ali. Imam Muslim narrated that Abu Ishaq Amr ibn Abdullah As-Sabe'i narrated, “When they fabricated reports after Ali, one of Ali’s companions said, ‘May Allah kill them! They corrupted every type of knowledge!'" This refers to the reports that Rawafid and Shia fabricated and inserted to Ali’s knowledge and reports. This hadith contains the following lessons: (1) It illustrates the virtue of Abdullah ibn Masoud and his companions for their accurate conveying the truth and (2) It confirms the necessity of deeply examining the reports before accepting them..

Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ allowed us to eat the flesh of horses but forbade us from eating donkey flesh.".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) used to explain to people the lawful and unlawful foods and drinks which were not stipulated in the Quran. In this hadith, Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed consuming horse meat but prohibited consuming the meat of domesticated donkey which is used to serve people, especially farmers in villages. The Prophet (ﷺ) strictly prohibited it on Khaybar Day in the seventh year after Hijrah. This is due to some things such as: (1) It has benefits for people as in transporting and carrying unlike horses or (2) Its meat is bad. In the two Sahihs, Anas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Verily, Allah and his Messenger prohibited you from (eating of) the donkey flesh, for it is filthy.” This is unlike the zebra flesh which is permitted in other hadiths. In the two Sahihs, Abu Qatada narrated, “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I hunted a zebra and still have some of its flesh.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) told people to eat while they were in the state of ihram.” In Sunan Abu Daoud, the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade them to eat mule flesh. The hadith of Jaber contains the following lessons: (1) It shows the legitimacy of consuming horse flesh and (2) It clarifies the prohibition of consuming domestic donkey flesh..

Yahya ibn Ya’mur narrated, “The first man who spoke about qadar (divine decree) in Basra was Ma'bad Al-Juhany. Humaid ibn Abderrahman Al-Hemyary and I set out for pilgrimage - or umrah - and said, ‘If we can only meet someone of the Prophet’s companions ﷺ, we will ask him about what those people are saying about qadar. Accidentally, we saw Abdullah ibn Omar ibn Al-Khattab while he was entering the mosque. My companion and I surrounded him, one on his right and the other on his left. I expected that my companion would authorize me to speak so I said, ‘O Abu Abdurrahman! We have some people in our land who recite the Quran and seek knowledge [he added some of their affairs as they claim that there is no divine decree and events were not predestined].’ Abdullah ibn Omar said, ‘If you meet such people, tell them that I am neither from them nor they are from me. By whom Abdullah ibn Umar swears, if any one of them had given charity of gold equal to the mountain of Uhud, Allah would not have accepted it unless he had believed in the divine decree.’ He further said, ‘My father, Omar ibn al-Khattab, told me, ‘Once we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man with deep white clothes and deep black hair came. He neither had signs of travel on him nor any of us recognized him. He sat with the Prophet ﷺ, placed his knees next to the Prophet’s knees and his palms on the Prophet’s thighs, and said, ‘O Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage if you can bear it.’ He (the inquirer) said, ‘You have told the truth.’ He (Omar) said, ‘It amazed us that he asked then verified his truth.’ He (the inquirer) said, ‘Inform me about iman (faith).’ The Prophet said, ‘It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, good and evil.’ He (the inquirer) said, ‘You have told the truth.’ He (the inquirer) said, ‘Inform me about ihsan.’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you do not see Him, He sees you.’ He (the enquirer) said, ‘Inform me about the hour (the last day).’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘One who is asked about it does not know more about it than the one who is asking.’ He (the inquirer) said, ‘Inform me about its signs.’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will find barefooted, naked, destitute, goat-herds competing with each other in constructing buildings.’ He (Omar) said, ‘Then he (the inquirer) went on his way and I stayed for a long while then the Prophet said to me, ‘Omar, do you know who this inquirer was?’ I replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘He was Gabriel (the angel) who came to instruct you the matters of your religion.’”.

Commentary : Belief in qadar (divine decree) is one of the fundamentals of the Islamic faith. The Prophet (ﷺ) explained that acting based on lawful means does not contradict it. On the other hand, he warned his nation against those denying divine decree or claiming that it contradicts Islamic faith. This supreme hadith taught us the Islamic religion by clarifying its pillars along with the signs of the Last Day. In this hadith, Yahya ibn Ya’mur reported that the first one who rejected the divine decree was Ma'bad Al-Juhany. He was one of the students of al-Hasan al-Basri. Once he spread his heresy of rejecting the divine decree, Al-Hajjaj imprisoned and killed him. This was in Basra, a city built by Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab in the south of Iraq in 17 AH. and inhabited by people in 18 AH. Denying the divine decree means that Allah just knows people's deeds after they occur. His saying, “... in Basra” implies that he was preceded by others who adopted this heresy outside Basra. It was said that this misleading heresy first arose in Mecca when the Kaaba burned and Ibn al-Zubair was trapped by Yazid. Some said it was burned by Allah's decree while others rejected this opinion. It was also said that the first one who rejected the divine decree in Levant was Amr Al-Maqsous. In this hadith, Yahya ibn Ya'mur reported that both he and Humaid ibn Abderrahman Al-Hemyary set out for pilgrimage - or umrah - to the Sacred House in Macca and hoped they met one of the Prophet's companions so they asked him about rejecting the divine decree that some adopted. Accidentally, they saw Abdullah ibn Omar ibn Al-Khattab entering the mosque. They surrounded him, one on his right and the other on his left. Yahya expected that his companion would authorize him to speak due to either his being older or more eloquent than him or that Humaid was too shy to ask. Yahya told Abdullah about what happened and addressed him with his nickname, Abu Abderrahman out of respect. He told him that there were some people in Basra taking much care of the Quran recitation, seeking Islamic knowledge, and spreading some misleading heresies. He mentioned and added some other points so that Abdullah may give them importance. It may mean that he mentioned their doctrine of heresies of denying the divine decree, believing that Allah just knows people's deeds after they occur, proving one's independent ability of Allah, the Almighty, and denying that all things happen based on Allah’s command. When Abdullah ibn Omar heard that, he asked him to inform those people of heresies that he was neither from them nor they were from him, which is a complete repudiation. Then he swore by Allah if any one of them had given charity of gold equal to the mountain of Uhud - a great mountain in Medina -, Allah would not have accepted it unless he had believed in Allah’s divine decree, for believing in the divine decree is one of the faith pillars. Then he told them about the proof of that. He said that his father, Omar ibn al-Khattab, told him that once they were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ), a man suddenly came to him. He wore deep white clothes and had deep black hair. He had no signs of travel like being exhausted or dusty. None knew about him either. He placed his knees next to the Prophet’s ones and his palms on the Prophet’s thighs or his own thighs. This refers that he deeply knew the Prophet's prestige. He addressed the Prophet ﷺ with his name, not his prophethood nickname. Then he asked the Prophet ﷺ about Islam and its reality. The Prophet ﷺ told him about the five pillars of Islam: (1) To approve by your heart and testify by your tongue that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is his Messenger. It is a correlated testimony. It means that a Muslim utters these two testimonies while acknowledging the oneness of Allah and His right to be worshiped alone without any partners. It means that a Muslim believes in Prophet Muhammad's message and acts upon it. This is the testimony that will benefit us in the Hereafter so we will win Paradise and be saved from Hell, (2) Establishing the prayer: It means to regularly perform the five daily obligatory prayers at their times while fulfilling their conditions and pillars. They are Fajr (Dawn), Dhuhr (Noon), Asr (Afternoon), Maghreb (Sunset), and Isha (Evening), (3) Paying the obligatory zakah: It is an obligatory financial act of worship concerning any property that reaches the limit determined by Islam over an entire lunar year. Generally, 2.5% of one’s savings must be given to the poor and the types determined by Islam. It includes all money sources like cattle, livestock, crops, fruits, merchandise, and buried treasure or metals extracted from the earth. Each source has its own percentage and time of paying to the poor, (4) Fasting Ramadan month: It is to refrain from eating, drinking, intercourse, etc. from dawn to sunset, out of worship, and (5) Pilgrimage to the Sacred House once in one's lifetime on the condition that one is financially and physically able to perform it. Once the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ explained the pillars of Islam, the man said to him, "You have told the truth." It means you answered truthfully and correctly, which amazed the attendees, for he asked as if he did not know but he later confirmed the Prophet's answer. Is he a teacher or a learner?! Then he asked the Prophet about the faith's reality. The Prophet ﷺ told him that it includes six pillars as follows: (1) Belief in Allah: It is to believe in His existence, his attributes of majesty and perfection, his oneness, and his being clear of the attributes of imperfection. It is also to believe that he is the Eternal Refuge, neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent. It is to believe that He is the Creator of all creatures and the only god deserving to be worshiped without any partners, who manages his kingdom however he wills, (2) Belief in angels: It is to believe in the forms in which Allah created them. They are a great creation made of light. They are servants without any divine attributes. They are honored servants forced to obey Allah, the Almighty. They do not disobey Allah but do what he commands them to do. Their real number is only known to Allah. In general, they are different types with various jobs. Some are specifically mentioned in the Quran and Prophet's tradition like Gabriel who is responsible for conveying the divine revelation to prophets, Israfil who is responsible for blowing the trumpet, Michael who is responsible for sending the rain, Angel of Death who is responsible for holding people's souls, etc. A Muslim must believe in them as a whole and their specific details if mentioned, (3) Belief in Allah's books: The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the seal of the Prophets and Messengers, the Torah revealed to Prophet Moses ﷺ, Injil revealed to Prophet Jesus ﷺ, the Psalms revealed to Prophet David ﷺ, and the scriptures of Abraham and Moses ﷺ. Belief in these books means to believe in their unfabricated original versions which were the word of Allah. A Muslim must believe that the Quran is a judge over these books so it may confirm, abrogate, or even correct their reports, (4) Belief in Allah's Messengers: It is to believe that Allah sent human messengers to people to call them to worship Him alone. A Muslim believes in all Prophets and messengers without any distinction. A Muslim believes in Prophet Muhammad, the seal of Prophets and messengers. He was sent to all people so it is obligatory for all people and Jinns to believe in him and follow his message once they hear of him. Whoever disbelieves in his message disbelieves in all prophets and messengers. A Muslim believes that they were guided ones who were sent to guide people, truthful in their messages from Allah, granted miracles that proved their truthfulness, and conveyed Allah's messages without insertion, deletion, or concealing. A Muslim has to love, dignify, support, and take Prophets as role models, (5) Belief in the Last Day: It means to believe in all events of that day like resurrection, gathering people for reckoning, the balance, the path, Paradise which is a reward for good doers, Hell which is a punishment for bad doers, along with other issues that were authentically proven, (6) Belief in the divine decree: It is to believe in Allah's timeless and eternal knowledge which deeply encompasses all issues' quantities and conditions. It is to fully believe that all things, good or evil, sweet or bitter, and beneficial or harmful are made by Allah’s decree, will, and command. It is to believe that Allah, the Almighty, gives people the ability for what they were created for. The man said, “You have told the truth.” This proves that belief in the divine decree is a pillar of faith and that Ma’bad al-Juhany’s denial is incorrect and contradictory to the Prophet’s statement and Gabriel’s testimony. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ explained the principle of faith which is the inner ratification and the principle of Islam which is the outward surrender and submission. This means that every believer is a Muslim not vice versa and that belief is the heart’s act while Islam is the limbs’ act. Then the man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about ihsan which is related to one’s relationship with Allah, not with people. The Prophet answers, “It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you do not see Him, He sees you.” The top level of ihsan is to worship Allah as if you are seeing him with your heart and insight. If he finds it hard, he moves to the other level which is to worship Allah while realizing He is seeing and knowing his secrets and outward issues, and nothing may hide from Him. Then the man asked him about the time of the hereafter. The Prophet (ﷺ) answered, “One who is asked about it does not know more about it than the one who is asking.” It means that all people are equally unaware of its time. This indicates that he is Allah alone who knows its time. In the Two Sahihs, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Five issues that Allah alone knows." He recited Allah's saying, “Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die.” (Luqman: 34) These are the keys to the unseen world that Allah only knows. The man said to the Prophet, "Then inform me about its signs." He meant the signs indicating its approach so people may take care, repent, and return to Allah. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned some of its signs such as: (1) "A slave girl will give birth to her mistress." In the Two Sahih, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, " ... her lord." It means her owner and guardian. It was said that it may refer to the abundant disobedience to one's parents in which he deals with his mother as her lord. It was also said that it may refer to Muslims' frequent conquests of unbelievers' countries in which a young slave girl is brought, set free in the Islamic country, embraces Islam, and buys her mother in ignorance of this case so she becomes her mistress, which has already existed. It was also said that a slave girl may give birth to a king so his mother will be among his slaves, (2) "That you will find barefooted, naked, destitute, goat-herds competing with each other in constructing buildings." It means they are competing for their height and abundance without thanking Allah who bestowed on them after poverty, which is proven by the Prophet's hadith in Ahmad and Termidhy when he says, "The Hour will not be established until the happiest people in the world is Luka' ibn Luka'." Afterward, the man went and Omar stayed for a long while then the Prophet asked him, "O Omar, do you know who this inquirer was?" Omar replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet answered him that it was Gabriel (the angel) who "came to instruct you the matters of your religion." Gabriel, the Angel, was the reason for the Prophet's answering and teaching his companions this abundant knowledge of Islam and the Hereafter. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) Clarifying Islam's five pillars and faith's six pillars, (2) Mentioning some etiquette of the seeker of Islamic knowledge as modesty, (3) Proving the blessing of seeking knowledge, (4) Knowledge benefits both questioners and answerers, (5) Referring to Prophet's companions' good manners with him, (6) Illustrating Gabriel's forms when meeting the Prophet, (7) Stating the predecessors' attitudes about denying heresies, (8) Mentioning some sects opposing Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah such as Al-Qadareyyah, (9) Desirability of elegant clothes and cleanliness when meeting scholars and kings, for Gabriel came and taught people with his words and appearance, and (11) Reprehending of unnecessary construction..

Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated, "An-Nou'man ibn Qauqal came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, 'Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, treat as lawful that which is lawful, and treat as forbidden that which is forbidden, will I enter Paradise?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes.' In another narration, An-Nou'man said, '... and do not increase upon that.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Almighty, imposed obligatory acts and promised those perform them to enter Paradise, out of his mercy and grace. In this hadith, Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated that An-Nou'man ibn Qauqal, who participated in the Battle of Badr and was martyred in the Battle of Uhud, came and asked the Prophet (ﷺ) if he prayed the obligatory prayers (Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghreb, and Isha), avoided everything forbidden by Islam, and fulfilled all obligations of Islam - and in another narration, he said, “And did not do more than that.” He means performing obligations, treating as forbidden that which is forbidden, and treating as lawful that which is lawful - would this make him directly enter Paradise without any torment? The Prophet (ﷺ) answered, “Yes,” This means if he fulfills that, he will enter Paradise. Finally, this hadith confirms that performing obligations, avoiding prohibitions, and knowing the permissible acts lead to Paradise. This is out of Allah’s grace upon Muslims..

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that people from Abdulqais tribe came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Prophet of Allah ﷺ, we are a tribe from Rabi'a tribes and Mudar unbelievers live between you and us so we can just come to you during the sacred months. Command us to do something that we can command our tribe to do so we will enter Paradise if we follow it.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I command you to do four and avoid four: I command you to worship Allah and associate none with Him, establish prayer, pay zakat, observe the fast in Ramadan, and pay the one-fifth out of the booty. I prohibit you from four: Ad-Dubbaa (dry receptacles of gourds), al-hantam (jars made of mud, hair, and blood), al-muzaffat (receptacles covered with tar), and an-naqir.” They asked, “O Prophet of Allah ﷺ, do you know what an-naqir is?” He replied, “Yes, it is a stump that you hollow and in which you throw small dates - Saeed (one of this hadith's narrator) said, “He (the Prophet) may have said “…dates.” - then you spill water over it to boil then you drink it after it subsides, to the extent that one of you - or one of them - may strike his cousin with the sword.” He (the narrator) said, “There was a man among people injured due to that (intoxication). I concealed it out of shame from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I asked, 'What type of vessels can we use for drinking?' He (the Prophet) replied, 'In those made of skin tied with a string around their mouths.'" They said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, our land abounds in rats so these vessels made of skin cannot remain preserved.” The Prophet ﷺ said thrice, “Even if they are eaten by rats.” The Prophet ﷺ said to Ashajj of Abdul-Qais, “Verily, you have two qualities that Allah loves: Patience and deliberation.” In another narration, he (the Prophet) said, “… then you mix small dates or dates and water into it…”.

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) used to gradually teach people Islam’s rules of worship and transactions, permissible and impermissible matters, and all that brought them out of darkness into the light. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudri narrated that some people from Abdulqais, a large tribe that inhabited Bahrain in the east of the Arabian Peninsula, came to the Prophet ﷺ in Media in the month of Rajab in the 8th year. They had converted to Islam before they came. They told him that they were a branch of Rabi’a tribes which represented half of the Arabs. The disbelieved tribes of Mudar lived on Rabi’a’s way to the Prophet (ﷺ). Mudar was the largest branch of the Arabs in comparison to Rabi’a tribes. Mudar used to attack and rob the caravans and killed all people therein, especially those heading to Medina to convert to Islam. There was open hostility between the two tribes. To travel to the Prophet (ﷺ), Rabi’a had to pass by Mudar but the safest time to travel to him was during the sacred months, Muharram, Rajab, Dul-Qa’da, and Dhul-Hijja, which all Arabs glorified and avoided fighting therein. As a result, Rabi’a traveled to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the month of Rajab. Abdulqais delegation asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to teach them the matters of Islam as they wanted to convey them to their people so they all would enter Paradise if they acted upon them. He commanded them to follow four matters and avoid four matters. He commanded them to: (1) Worship Allah and associate none with Him. Worship is to obey Allah by abiding by his commands that his prophets conveyed. Worship is a comprehensive name for all acts and deeds, apparent and hidden, that Allah loves and pleases. A person declares the oneness of Allah away from any type of polytheism, for whoever does not renounce polytheism does not necessitate that he worships Allah alone, (2) Regular performing the prescribed prayers, Fajr, Duhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha, (3) Paying the obligatory zakat. It is to pay a certain percentage of one's property if it reaches a specific limit and time. One's property includes livestock, harvest, goods, and buried treasures or mines, (4) Fasting during the month of Ramadan. It is a physical act of worship in which a person abstains from eating, drinking, intercourse, and other things from dawn to sunset, and (5) Paying one-fifth out of the booty forcibly obtained from polytheists during wars. Additionally, he forbade them from using four utensils: (1) Ad-Dubbaa: Dry receptacles of gourds, (2) Al-Hantam: Jars made of mud, hair, and blood, (3) Al-Muzaffat: Receptacles covered with tar, and (4) An-Naqir. They astonishingly wondered how the Prophet (ﷺ) knew an-naqir although it was not used by his people. Thus, he told them that he exactly knew it. He clarified that it was a tree’s trunk that people hollowed and threw small dates therein to be fermented. Then, they spilled water and left it to become wine. Upon drinking it, a person may have struck his cousin with the sword, due to his mind's absence. It was a great evil against which he warned above all other evils. One of the attendants was a man called Jahm ibn Qatham who concealed his injured leg out of shyness of the Prophet (ﷺ), for he was injured by a drunk man. He forbade them from using these utensils for they rapidly transformed juices into wine which was impure and could not be sold. He forbade them, for it was a waste of one’s properties, and one may have drunk it unknowingly. Later, this prohibition was abrogated by Bureida's narration in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ said, “I forbade you from preparing nabidh (juice of grapes and date) except in a water skin. Now, you can drink from all types of utensils but do not drink anything intoxicating.” In the first hadith, they asked him about vessels they could use for drinking. He guided them to use the water skins. They were light tanned skin taken from animals and their mouths were tied with strings. They did not help juices to be rapidly transformed into wines. They informed him that their land was full of rats overwhelmingly eating water skins. Nevertheless, the Prophet ﷺ said three times, “Even if they are eaten by rats,” for he believed that they could preserve their water skins away from rats. Later on, he told Al-Ashajj ibn Abdulqais that he had two attributes that Allah and his Prophet ﷺ loved which were forbearance and patience. These attributes may be innate or acquired by training and practice. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is better to delegate virtuous people to rulers, conveying significant inquiries, (2) The importance of explaining one’s excuse before requests, (3) It shows the important pillars of Islam, (4) The virtue of Al-Ashej due to his good morals, (5) The legitimacy to directly compliment a person if we make sure he will not be tempted, (6) It proves the attribute of love to Allah, in the manner befitting Him, and (7) It clarifies the danger of drinking alcohol and its impact on society..

Tareq ibn Ashyam Al-Ashja'i narrated, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'He who says, 'La ilaha illa Allah (there is no true god except Allah)' and disbelieves in what is worshipped besides Allah, his property and blood become inviolable, and his reckoning will be with Allah.” In another narration, he said, "He who worships Allah alone ..." Then he mentioned the rest of the hadith..

Commentary : Islam called people for the oneness and worship of Allah alone without any partner. It secures its followers and entrusts their hearts’ affairs to Allah, the All-Knowing. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirms that whoever bears witness and says that “there is no god but Allah,” i.e. there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and “disbelieves in what is worshiped besides Allah,” i.e. he renounces all religions except Islam “his property and blood are inviolable.” His property is neither taken nor his blood is shed. In the two Sahihs, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “…except for a right that is due,” This means that killing a Muslim is not allowable unless he commits a crime that necessitates killing him according to Islam’s rules in three cases: (1) The murderer is killed in retribution, (2) The apostate, and (3) The married adulterer is killed as a punishment. In the two Sahihs, Abdullah ibn Masoud said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that I am Allah’s Messenger may not be Islamically shed but for one of three reasons: A life for a life, a married one who commits adultery, and a one who abandons Islam and Muslims’ community.” The Prophet said in the first hadith, “… and his reckoning is with Allah,” This means that we reckon him for the outward obligatory acts but his heart’s affairs are entrusted to Allah Who is the only one who knows what his heart conceals of faith, disbelief, or hypocrisy. Muslims are not commanded to examine people’s hearts, consciences, and beliefs. If one unfaithfully pronounces the faith’s testimony, he will be dealt with according to his outward acts based on the Islamic rules in this world and his reckoning will be with Allah in the hereafter. He will reward him based on his knowledge of his heart. If he sincerely believes, it will benefit him in the hereafter – as in this worldly life - and save him from the torment. On the contrary, if he does not, it will not benefit him in the hereafter and he will be a hypocrite in Hell. In the two Sahihs, Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I have been commanded to fight people till they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, establish prayer, and pay Zakat. If they do so, their blood and property are safe from me, except for a right that is due, and reckoning them is with Allah.” Anas narrated as in Sahih Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ said, “If anyone observes our form of prayer, faces our prayer destination, and eats our sacrifice, he is the Muslim who has the covenant of Allah and His messenger so do not betray Allah’s covenant.” This clarifies that the testimony of monotheism necessitates fulfilling the remaining pillars of Islam, for whoever denies any of its pillars is an apostate. Finally, this hadith confirms that the testimony of monotheism protects one’s blood, property, and honor..

Abu Huraira narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his uncle, 'Say, 'La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god worthy of worship but Allah) so that I can bear testimony for you on the Day of Judgment.' He (Abu Taleb) said, 'Had it not been my fear of Quraysh's blaming and saying that I had done so out of fear, I would have delighted your eyes.' Then Allah revealed, 'Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills.'" (Al-Qasas: 56).

Commentary : Guiding hearts is in the hands of Allah alone. Abu Taleb, the Prophet’s uncle, used to strenuously defend and care about him. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that when Abu Taleb was dying, the Prophet ﷺ came hoping for his conversion to Islam. He said to him, “Say, ‘There is no god but Allah.’” He hoped his belief in Allah and saying this word that will save him from punishment in the hereafter. He added, “I will testify thereof for you on the Day of Resurrection.” He means if you say it, you will become a Muslim and I can intercede for you. The Prophet was keen to save and encourage him to be Muslim. On the contrary, Abu Taleb refused and said, “'Had it not been my fear of Quraysh's blaming …” He means they may insult and scold him. Quraysh was the tribe of both. Abu Taleb was afraid that they may say that his fear of death induced him to do so. “I would have certainly delighted your eyes.” He means he would have certainly made him happy and achieved his hopes. Although he believed in all the Prophet said, he neither embraced Islam nor uttered the two testimonies. He remained so until he died a little before the immigration. In another narration in the two Sahihs, Al-Musayyeb ibn Hazn narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “By Allah, I will keep asking for (Allah’s) forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so." So, Allah revealed, “Indeed [O Muhammad] you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills.” (Al-Qasas: 56) This means: O Noble Messenger, you do not guide whom you like to Islam such as Abu Taleb but Allah is the only one who guides to Islam whom he wills. He knows best who will be guided to the straight path, based on his knowledge. This hadith clarifies the following: (1) The Prophet’s care for calling people to Islam and saving them from Hell, (2) The Legitimacy of visiting an unbeliever during his illness to call him to Islam, and (3) Being interested and afraid of people’s reactions may sometimes lead to prevent goodness and one's faith..

Uthman narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Whoever dies knowing that there is no god but Allah will enter Paradise.".

Commentary : Worshipping Allah alone is the purpose of creating jinn and humankind and the way to save oneself from Hell and win Paradise. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ explains the virtue of monotheism for those who die while believing in it. He said that if one dies while believing in Allah's oneness, worshiping none but him, acting upon the Islamic knowledge, performing the Islamic pillars that the Prophet came with such as prayer, fasting, zakah, pilgrimage, and all acts of worship and goodness, and refraining from evil acts, he will enter Paradise in the hereafter with Allah’s mercy. On the other hand, if he committed sins, Allah would reckon him as He, the Almighty, wills then he would enter Paradise. This is the doctrine of Ahlussunnah. In addition, knowledge is the opposite of ignorance which made this nation neglect the meaning of monotheism testimony. If one ignores its meaning, he will definitely contradict it whether by sayings, deeds, or beliefs. The method to know this testimony is by the following points: (1) Pondering over Allah’s names, attributes, and deeds, (2) Knowing that Allah is the only one who creates and manages his universe so he is worthy of worship alone, and (3) Knowing that Allah is the only one who grants people the obvious and hidden blessings in this world or the hereafter, which makes our hearts love, worship, and cling to Allah, without any partner. The greatest way to achieve these points is to ponder over the Noble Quran, for it is the best method to learn about monotheism. By pondering this great Book, one gets lots of benefits that he cannot get from any other method. A Muslim has to deeply learn about monotheism, for it is the key to Paradise but each key has teeth. Knowledge is one of its teeth that is a prerequisite for making one’s faith useful and accepted..

Abu Hurairah narrated, “We were with the Prophet ﷺ on a march then people’s provisions were exhausted to the extent that they were about to slaughter some of their camels. Omar said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I propose that you collect people’s remaining provisions and invoke Allah upon them.’ He (the Prophet) did it accordingly. The one who had wheat came with it, the one who had dates came with them.” In another narration, “The one who had date-stones came with them.” Talha asked, “What did they do with date-stones?” Mujahed answered, “They were sucking them then drinking water afterward." Abu Hurairah resumed his first narration saying, "The Prophet invoked Allah until all people filled their stuff then said at that time, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I am His messenger. Any servant meets Allah while undoubtedly believing this testimony will enter Paradise.'".

Commentary : Allah's grace over his servants is great and his mercy encompasses everything to the extent that anyone who dies while believing in Allah's oneness will enter Paradise. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that they were with the Prophet ﷺ on a march. Imam Muslim mentioned that it was the Battle of Tabouk in the ninth year AH. "People’s provisions were exhausted." In Bukhari's narration, Salama ibn Al-Akwa' narrated, "People's food ran short and they were in great need," to the extent that they were about to slaughter some camels they were riding. Omar ibn Al-Khattab advised the Prophet ﷺ to collect people’s remaining provisions, invoke Allah to get His blessings, and keep camels for riding and carrying people. The Prophet ﷺ agreed and asked people to collect food. Each brought his remaining food. "The one who had wheat came with it and the one who had dates came with them.” Mujahed ibn Jabr (one of this hadith's narrators) narrated, "The one who had date-stones came with them.” Talha ibn Musarref asked him, “What were they doing with the date-stones?” He means it is something that cannot be usually eaten. Mujahed answered, “They were sucking them then drinking water afterward,” if they did not find dates. This referred to the hardship and poverty they were experiencing and confirmed that the Prophet's companions brought all the food they had and none kept anything for himself. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ invoked Allah who blessed the food to the extent that people filled their containers with that food. The Prophet ﷺ said, "I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that I am the messenger of Allah." He affirmed Allah's oneness and his prophethood and truthfulness in what he received from Allah. This blessing is proof of his prophethood, for it is paranormal. Then he showed that whoever affirms Allah's oneness and Muhammad's prophethood, acts upon these testimonies, and dies while certainly believing in them Allah will enter him Paradise. As a result, people of monotheism will enter Paradise although some of them may be punished in Hell for their sins, but they will not be eternally in it. Finally, this hadith includes the following benefits: (1) It states the Companions' trust and belief in the Messenger of Allah, (2) It mentions the Prophet's apparent miracle proves his prophethood, (3) It shows the Prophet's modesty, for he accepted Omar's opinion and proposal, (4) It shows the possibility of advising the leader if there is a benefit even he does not ask for that, and (5) Desirability of collecting food for people, especially in the time of poverty..

As-Sunabehy narrated, “I went to Ubadah ibn As-Samet when he was about to die and cried.” Ubadah said, “Wait, why are you crying? By Allah, if I am asked about you, I will witness for you, if I am given the right to intercede, I will intercede for you, and if I am able to benefit you, I will definitely do it. By Allah! There is no hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which is good for you but I narrated it to you except one hadith. I will narrate it to you now, for this is my last breath. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger Allah will forbid him to enter Hell.".

Commentary : Death is an inevitable destiny of all people. The wise is who performed righteous deeds ahead, regularly obeyed Allah, and followed the Messenger's method. In this hadith, Abderrahman ibn Usailah As-Sunabehy narrated that he visited the Prophetic companion Ubadah ibn As-Samet while he was dying of a severe illness. As-Sunabehy cried but Ubadah said to him, "Wait!" He advised him to slow down and be gentle with himself and asked him why he was crying. He swore by Allah saying: If I died before you, O Sunabehy and Allah asked my testimony on the day of Resurrection, I would testify for you with what I knew about you of good manners. If Allah allowed my intercession for anyone, I would intercede for you so He would save you. If I could benefit you, I would definitely do it. Then Ubadah swore that he narrated all goodness he heard from the Prophet ﷺ except a single hadith. He decided to narrate it once he made sure he was about to die. He narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ confirming that whoever affirms Allah's oneness and Muhammad's prophethood, acts upon these testimonies, and dies while certainly believing in them Allah will enter him Paradise and save him from Hell. It was said that the hadith means that the people of monotheism will enter Paradise although some of them may be punished in Hell for their sins, but they will not be eternally in it. Finally, the hadith contains the following lessons: (1) One should only speak about what is good for people and (2) Allah's blessings that he bestows upon His servants of monotheism..

Abu Hurairah narrated, “We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with Abu Bakr, Umar, and others. In the meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up and left us. He was late to the extent that we were worried that he might be attacked by some when we were not there. We were alarmed and got up. I was the first to be alarmed. I went out to look for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), came to a garden belonging to the Banu An-Najjar, a section of the Ansar, and went round it while saying, “Will I find its door?” but I did not. I saw a stream flowing up a well and going through a wall. I drew myself together and came where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was. He asked, ‘Is it you Abu Hurairah?’ I replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’ He said, ‘What is the matter with you?’ I replied, ‘You were among us, got up, and were late. We were afraid that you might be attacked by some when we were not there. We became alarmed and I was the first to be alarmed. So when I came to this garden, I drew myself together as a fox does while these people were following me.’ He gave me his sandals and said, ‘O Abu Huraira! Go with my sandals and give glad tidings of Paradise to whoever you meet outside this garden who testifies that there is no god but Allah while assuring of it in his heart.’ The first one I met was Umar who asked, ‘What are these sandals, O Abu Huraira?’ I replied, ‘They are the Prophet's ones. He gave them to me to give glad tidings of Paradise to whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah while assuring of it in his heart.’ Thereupon, Omar struck me on the breast so I fell on my back. He then said, ‘Go back, Abu Huraira.’ I returned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and started to weep. Omar followed me. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘What is the matter, Abu Huraira?’ I said, ‘I met Omar and told him about what you said to me. He struck me on my breast so I fell on my back and he said to me, ‘Go back.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘O Omar, what did you do that?’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), may my father and my mother be sacrificed to you, did you send Abu Huraira with your sandals to give glad tidings of Paradise to whoever he met who testifies that there is no god but Allah while assuring of it in his heart?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ Umar said, ‘Do not do it, for I am afraid that people will stick to it alone. Let them do (good) deeds.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘Well, let them.’”.

Commentary : The grace of Allah upon His servants is great and His mercy encompasses all things. His mercy necessitates that whoever dies believing in monotheism will enter Paradise, so a Muslim should know its meaning in a way that contradicts ignorance, for it is the key to Paradise. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Companions were sitting around the Prophet (ﷺ) with Abu Bakr, Umar, and others. The Prophet (ﷺ) got up and left them. He was late to the extent that they were worried that he might be attacked by some of his enemies while they were not with him. The companions were alarmed and started to look for him. Abu Hurairah was the first to be alarmed and look for him. He came to a garden owned by some tribes of Medina. When he did not find its door, he entered through a hollow in the wall, through which a stream of water was running. After he entered, the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him his shoes as a visible sign and asked him to give glad tidings of Paradise to whoever dying while certainly believing in Allah alone. A Muslim must firmly believe in this testimony without any type of doubt cast by devils or humans and act upon its required meaning. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the heart in this context to confirm the importance of sincerity in monotheism. Once came out, Abu Hurairah met Omar who asked him about the sandals so Abu Hurairah related to him the whole story. As a result, Omar hit Abu Hurairah’s chest so he fell on his back. Omar did not want to hurt Abu Hurairah but he wanted to prevent him from reporting this hadith to people. He was afraid that people may have stuck to this testimony alone and neglected the rest of the Islamic rites. Both returned to the Prophet (ﷺ) who asked Omar about what happened with Abu Hurairah. Omar told him the whole details and asked him about the authenticity of the report that Abu Hurairah told him. Omar justified his reaction that he was afraid that people may have stuck to this testimony alone and neglected the rest of the Islamic rites. He proposed that Abu Hurairah would not inform people about this hadith, which the Prophet (ﷺ) approved. As a matter of fact, the reward mentioned in that hadith would be applicable until the Day of Resurrection. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies the Companions’ keenness and love for the Prophet (ﷺ), (2) It shows how leaders have to care about their followers’ rights and benefits and prevent what may harm them, (3) It is better to associate the important news with proof confirming it, (4) It mentions a great tiding to the people of monotheism, (5) A leader has to listen to his followers’ arguments. If the follower has the right, the leader has to stick to his opinion. Otherwise, the leader has to clear up any misunderstanding that the follower may have, (6) It is evidence of Omar’s firmness, wisdom, and understanding, (7) It shows the virtue of Abu Hurairah..

Al-Abbas ibn Abdulmuttaleb narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever is pleased with Allah as a Lord, Islam as a religion, and Muhammad as a Prophet will taste the sweetness of faith.".

Commentary : Faith has wonderful secrets and sweetness tasted by hearts as we taste the sweetness of food and drink in our mouths. None will taste this sweetness except those whose hearts are full of it. When the heart is safe from deviating whims and misleading lusts, it feels the sweetness of faith. On the contrary, when it is sick with the previous diseases, it does not feel it and instead may taste the destructive whims and sins. In this hadith, the Prophet's saying, “He will taste the sweetness of faith,” means he will feel its sweetness which is what the believer finds in terms of comfort and intimacy with knowing and loving Allah and his Messenger ﷺ, knowing His blessing of choosing him a Muslim from the best Prophet's nation. His saying, "Whoever is pleased with Allah as a Creator ..." means he is convinced and satisfied with Allah as a Lord, Manager, Master, and God and pleased with his command while disbelieving in all what worshipped other than Him. His saying, "... Islam as a religion ..." means he is willingly satisfied with Islam as a method and doctrine while disbelieving in all other invalid religions. His saying, "... Muhammad as a messenger ..." means he is willingly satisfied with him as a leader and example in life and the revelation he received from Allah, obeys his commands, avoids his prohibitions, loves, and supports him. If a Muslim is pleased with these issues, all worldly issues become easier, for he deeply believes in Allah and truthfully surrenders to Allah and His legislation that the Prophet ﷺ received and conveyed to him. As a result, his heart feels tranquillity, comfort, and sweetness of faith. Finally, this hadith urges us to completely believe in Allah, his Prophet ﷺ, and His Book..

Abu Huraira narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Faith has seventy - or sixty - odd branches. The uppermost of which is the saying, ' La ilaha illah Allah' and the least is the removal of harmful objects from the road. Modesty is a branch of faith.'".

Commentary : Faith is branches and degrees divided into sayings, acts, and beliefs. All good attributes fall under it. Ahlusunnah wal Jamaah believes that a believer's faith increases by doing righteous deeds and avoiding sins. His faith decreases as much as he disobeys and commits sins. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that the complete faith consists of degrees that contain acts, and sayings of righteousness that reach seventy - or sixty - odd branches. Faith consists of (1) The heart's acts like believing in Allah's oneness, trust in Allah, fearing Allah, and hope of Allah's promise, (2) The tongue's acts like the two testimonies, remembering Allah, supplication, reciting the Quran, and others, and (3) The limbs' acts like prayer, fasting, relieving people, and supporting the oppressed. Whoever performs a righteous deed he completed a part of his faith. The Prophet confirmed that the faith's highest and best degrees, the foundation of faith, is the saying, “There is no god but Allah.” Believing in Allah's oneness, his control of the whole universe, his only being worthy of worship, and acting upon that are the foundations of faith. This great testimony is (1) The word of piety, (2) The most trustworthy handhold, (3) The difference between disbelief and belief, (4) The word that Prophet Ibrahim made remain among his descendants that they may return to, and (5) The word on which heavens and Earth are established and for which all beings created, (6) It is the reason for creation, command, reward, and punishment, and (7) It is Allah's right upon all of His servants. It is neither intended to verbally say it while ignoring its meaning nor behaving like hypocrites, but it is intended to verbally say, believe it with heart, love its people, and hate what contradicts it. Then the Prophet ﷺ explained that the least act of faith is to remove harmful things away from people's way like stones, thorns, etc. The Prophet also explained that modesty is one of faith's degrees. It is a moral that motivates one to leave evilness and prevents him from negligence. One's modesty with Allah means that He neither sees us where he prohibited nor loses us where He commanded us to be. In this sense, faith is the strongest motive for goodness and the greatest deterrent against evil. The Prophet mentioned modesty here, for it is a moral matter that our minds may forget that it is a faith's branch. This hadith refers that good morals are from faith. It collects all branches of faith which are beliefs, deeds, and morals, which all are complementary to faith. Moreover, this hadith generally mentioned all faith's branches, but they are detailed in the Prophet's Sunnah. Mentioning the number does not mean limiting it to sixty or seventy, but rather it indicates the abundance of faith's acts. Finally, the hadith clarifies the importance of modesty..

Sufian ibn Abdullah Ath-Thaqafy said, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will not ask anyone after you.'" In another narration, he said, "... anyone but you." The Messenger ﷺ said, "Say, ‘I believe in Allah’ then keep to the straight path.”.

Commentary : Having a deep belief in Allah and seeking Islam's straight path as much as one can are the ways to success in this world and hereafter. The Prophet's companions were the keenest people asking him about what benefits them in these two stages. In this hadith, the companion Sufian ibn Abdullah Ath-Thaqafy asked the Prophet ﷺ about an Islamic act that may save and suffice him away from other Islamic ones. He asked him about a comprehensive concept of all Islam's principles and objectives. This concept should guide and suffice him, complete his religion, and save him from Hell in the hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah’ then keep to the straight path.” It means to certainly say "I believe in Allah," and be upright while following the faith's guidance and requirements. Uprightness leads to all righteous deeds and prevents all evil acts. Thus, the hadith means being steadfast in faith with regularly performing righteous acts guiding us to the straight path. One of the uprightness' glad tidings is Allah's saying, "Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained on a right course - the angels will descend upon them, [saying], 'Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.'" (Fussilat: 30), and his saying, "Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then remained on a right course - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those are the companions of Paradise, abiding eternally therein as reward for what they used to do." (Al-Ahqaf: 13, 14).

Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "He whose neighbor is not secure from his wrongful conduct will not enter Paradise.".

Commentary : The Islamic teachings recommend all that is good for people to preserve harmony among them. It commands us to be kind to our neighbors whether they are relatives or strangers, Muslim or non-Muslim. This hadith is one of the most decisive hadiths in which the Prophet ﷺ mentioned the punishment for abusing our neighbors. His word, "...his wrongful conduct." means oppression and transgression. In a dire threat, he confirms that a Muslim does not harm or hurt his neighbor, which will prevent him from entering Paradise. In the two Sahihs, Aisha narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Gabriel was recommending me about kindly and politely treating the neighbors so much so that I thought he would order me to make them as my heirs." His saying, "He will not enter Paradise ..." means that if he hurts his neighbor and dies while being a Muslim, he will not enter Paradise with the first groups, but he will be reckoned then enter Paradise due to his belief, except Allah forgives and pardons him. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) It rebukes for harming neighbors, and (2) It confirms that misusing them is a way to be punished..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths