| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

1352

Narrated Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him): “A man was buried along with my father in the same grave. However, I did not feel content till I took him (i.e., my father) out and buried him in a separate grave.”.

Commentary : The martyrs who die for the sake of Allah [in the battlefield] are highly honoured in the sight of Allah, the Almighty. The Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims viewed the martyrs of the battle of Uhud, in particular, with special reverence. Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam, the father of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah(may Allah be pleased be with them) was one of those killed in the Battle of Uhud.
In this hadeeth, Jaabiribn Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that his father was buried in the same grave as another man. It has been said that this man was ‘Amr ibn al-Jamooh ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). However, Jaabir felt uneasy about his father sharing a grave, and so, he removed his father’s body from that grave and buried him in a separate one. All of this occurredwith the knowledge and permission of the Prophetﷺ.
It is reported inSaheehal-Bukhaaree that Jaabirremoved his father from the shared gravesix months after his burial, and he found his body in the same condition as on the day of his burial, except a slight change near his ear.This shows the merit and virtue of the father of Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with them).
From this hadeeth, we can conclude thatthat it is permissible to bury two men in the same grave, and also that it is allowed to remove the deceased from his grave after his burial, if there was a valid reason to do so..

1356

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:A young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophet ﷺ fell ill. The Prophet ﷺ went to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to him, "Embrace Islam." The little boy looked at his father who was sitting beside him. He said: "Obey Aboo al-Qaasim (i.e., the Messenger of Allah ﷺ)." Upon which, the boy embraced Islam. The Prophet ﷺ stepped out, saying, "Praise be to Allah, Who has saved him from Hellfire.".

Commentary : The kind treatment and mercy that the Prophet ﷺ showed to his servants, even those who were from the People of the Book, was exemplary. He ﷺ was always keen to guide them to Islam.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that there was a Jewish boy (Ghulaam) who was in the service of the Prophet ﷺ. [The Arabic word Ghulaam is used in reference to boys whose agesrange from birth to prepubescent.]
One day, this young boy became sick, and the news reached the Prophet ﷺ,so he visited him to check on his health. He ﷺ sat next to his head and asked him to embrace Islam. The boy looked at his father [for approval], and it is thought this was either due to reluctancetoaccept Islam or purely out of fear of his father. However, his father responded by telling the boy obey Aboo al-Qaasim- This was the Kunya (a teknonym in Arabic names, which is the name of an adult derived from their eldest child) of the Prophet ﷺ. Thus, the boy accepted the invitation of the Prophet ﷺ to Islam.
Accepting Islam requires the utterance of the two Testimonies of Faith, which are“I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah”, and “that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, as reported in the hadeeth found in Sunan al-Nisaa’iee al-Kubra.
After this, the Prophet ﷺ left the house while praising Allah for saving this boy from the Hellfire.

From this hadeeth, we can perceive that it is permissible for Muslims to hire disbelievers to workfor them, so long as they are certain they will not be subjects to their plots and deceit.

This hadeeth also teaches us that we should be kind to others, regardless of religion, and propose Islam to young boys too.
.

1357

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them): My mother and I were among the helpless and the oppressed. I from among the children, and my mother from among the women..

Commentary : The Muslims, during the early days of Islam, were helpless and oppressedin Makkah, and many of them were tortured at the hands of the disbelievers. For that reason, the Prophet ﷺ first ordered them to immigrate to Abyssinia, and later, he ﷺ ordered them to immigrate to al-Madinah to spread the truth and the message of Islam. However, many of them were unable to leave Makkah, either due to lack of finances or poor health.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he and his mother, Lubaabah bint al-Harith, alias Umm al-Fadl(may Allah be pleased with her) were among the helpless and weak Muslims who could not immigrate from Makkah to al-Madinah; he was a young boy, and his mother was among the women. They were among those who Allah, the Exalted, referred to in His Statement: {Except helpless men, women, and children who cannot afford a way out— it is right to hope that Allah will pardon them. For Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.} [Quran 4:98-99]

There were those who accepted Islam in Makkah, and the disbelievers prevented them from immigrating; thus, they remained in Makkah, helpless and weak, suffering severe harm and torture. Those helpless and weak Muslims were excused for their inability to comply with the order to immigrate from Makkah to al-Madinah.

This report indicates that Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) was not of the faith of his father, then a non-Muslim, at that time. Rather, he chose to become a Muslim with his mother. This is all based on the assumption that al-‘Abbaas embraced Islam after the battle of Badr; otherwise, the famous view is that He embraced Islam before the conquest of Khaybar.

This hadeeth shows that a young boy can embrace Islam once he has the ability to discern [right from wrong].
.

1358

Narrated Ibn Shihaab: The funeral prayer should be offered for every child that dies, even if he were the son of a prostitute, as he was born upon the true faith of Islam (i.e., to worship none but Allah alone); If his parents are Muslims, particularly the father, even if his mother were a non-Muslim; If he, after the delivery, cries (even once) before his death (i.e., born alive), then the funeral prayer must be offered. And if the child does not cry after his delivery (i.e., born dead), then his funeral prayer should not be offered, and he will be considered as a miscarriage.
And AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Every child is born with a true faith (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism or to Christianity or to Zoroastrianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal; do you find it mutilated?" Then AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him recited: {The true innate nature with which Allah has created human beings.} (Quran 30.30).”
.

Commentary : Allah, the Exalted, created man in perfect form, upon a pure innate nature that is free from the filth of polytheism, sins, and dispraised customs and traditions.

In this hadeeth, the Tabi’ee, Muhammad ibn Shihaab al-Zuhree, reports that the funeral prayer should be offered for each child that dies after his birth, even if the child is born out of wedlock or to a mother who is a disbelieving woman. Neither should prevent the funeral prayer be offered over the deceased child, because he is deemed Muslim at birth.If the mother or father of the child is Muslim, then the child is deemed Muslim on the grounds of the relevant parent’s religion, and the child is born upon the true faith of Islam.
This ruling is only applicable to children who are born alive, meaning after birth, they cried,which is a sign that the child was born alive. This means that if the child is stillborn, then no funeral prayer should be offered on him because he is considered a miscarriage.

Later, al-Zuhree quoted the narration of AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) wherein the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that each child is born with the Islamic innate nature within them. It has been said that the innate nature mentioned in this hadeeth means pure nature and readiness to accept the good and the bad; therefore, if a child is left to embrace his innate nature with which he was born, he would remain pure, and instinctively choose Islam as his religion. Every child is born prepared to accept Islam, but subsequent influence from their parents and environment will influence their nature and decision thereafter. If parents were Jews, they would make him a Jew, and if parents were Christians, they would make him a Christina, and if parents were Zoroastrians, they would make him a Zoroastrian who worships fire. Or, he follows the religion of his parents accordingly, and thus, takes the same ruling as that of his parents in this life. However, if he later embraces Islam, then he will attain success, otherwise, he will die as a disbeliever.

Then, the Prophet ﷺ explained the significance through a parable- he ﷺ gave the example of a healthy animal with no defects or faults, which then experiences the removalof some of its body partsat the hands of man. Likewise, humans, too, are born healthy and intact with the true innate nature, but may then change to follow Judaism, or Christianity, or any other faith, due to the influence of his parents and surrounding environment. Thereafter, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) -the narrator of this hadeeth – ended by reciting the ayah: {The true innate nature with which Allah has created human beings}, which is the nature that makes them accept the truth and enables them to realise it. The innate nature here can also refer to Islam, because if children were left without being subjected to any external factors, they would have intuitively chosen Islam, because the innate nature of people will always recognise the beauty of this religion. However, people deviate from it because of a condemned reason such as dispraised blind following.

.

1365

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said “He who strangles himself will do so in hell, and he who thrusts a spear into himself will do so in hell.”.

Commentary : Islam endeavours to protect the life of humanity and therefore, has criminalised the killing of a person without a legitimate right, and has considered it a forbidden act. Thus, whoever commits suicide or kills another person [without legitimate right] is promised a severe punishment.

In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet ﷺ warned that he who strangles himself will enter Hell, and there, he will strangle himself, and he who stabs himself will enter Hellfire, and stab himself there too. Hence, the punishment will be in kind with the deed,and whoever kills himself is leading himself to Hellfire where he will be punished for this [major] sin. The statement of the Prophet ﷺ is intended as a form of extreme warning and admonishment,however, the belief of [all righteous] predecessors is that polytheists will never enter Paradise, and monotheists will never stay in Hellfire forever. The people of Sunnah believe that committing suicide is a [major] sin, but it does not take the person outside the fold of Islam, therefore, the funeral prayer can be offered over him, and he should still be buried in the graveyards of Muslims.

Conversely, in one version of this hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, it reads: “He will be in Hellfire permanently.” However, this is understood to refer to he who commits it, considering it lawful despite his knowledge of its prohibition. Another possible interpretation is that it means his stay in Hellfire will be perceived as so long as he is being punished for it, butnot that he will actually reside in Hellfire eternally.

The other benefit of this hadeeth is learning that we are warned against harming ourselves. .

1367

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: There passed a bier (being carried by people), and it was lauded in good terms. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. And there passed a bier, and it was condemned in bad words. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him) said: what is that has become certain? Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He whom you praised in good terms, Paradise has become certain for him, and he whom you condemned in bad words, Hell has become certain for him. You are Allah's witnesses in the earth.”.

1368

Aboo al-Aswad reported: I came to al- Madinah at a time when the disease was widespread in the Madinah, and while I was sitting beside 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him), a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: "He will certainly enter it." Then another funeral procession passed by, and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He will certainly enter it." A third funeral procession passed by, and the people spoke ill of the deceased. He said: "He will certainly enter it." I (Abool-Aswad) asked: "O Chief of the Believers! What do you mean by “He will certainly enter it'?" He replied: "I said the same as was said by the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ said, “If four persons testify the righteousness of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise.” We asked: “If three persons testify his righteousness?” He ﷺ replied, “Even three”. Then we asked: “If two?” He ﷺ replied, “Even two.” We did not ask him (regarding the testimony) of one."
.

Commentary : Allah has favoured this nation by sending the seal of all Prophets and Messengers, the Master of all Prophets, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and made his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with him), His witnesses on this earth just as He made them on the Day of Judgment witnesses on people; thus, they will testify for the Prophets when their nations claim that they did not convey the message of their Lord to them.

In this hadeeth, the Tab’iee, Aboo al-Aswad al-Doo’alee, reports that he visited al-Madinahat a time whendisease was widespread throughout the Madinah – that is to say, the death toll was large, as will be explained in another hadeeth. While he was sitting with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him), the funeral of a person that was heading to the graveyard passed by them - Arabs use the term funeral or bier to refer to the deceased in his coffin – thus, the people praised the good character of the deceased, as they knew him. Upon hearing this, ‘Umar(may Allah be pleased with him) stated “it has become certain”. Another funeral passed by them, and the people praised the character of the deceased, and he responded similarly. Thereafter, a third funeral passed, but the people dispraised the deceased and mentioned his evil, and the bad character that he was known for during his life. Upon hearing this, ‘Umar(may Allah be pleased with him) said: “it has become certain”. This made Aboo al-Aswad inquire about the meaning of his statement, as his response was the same to all of them, although one of them was dispraised. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had asked the Prophet ﷺ the same question, and hisﷺ answer was that if four persons testify to the righteousness of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise. Thus, if a person dies upon Islam and then four Muslims from the people of virtue and piety testified to his righteousness, based on the good deeds and character they have witnessed from him, then it is hoped that he will be from the people of Paradise. After hearing this, ‘Umar and the other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) inquired whether the same is applicable if their number was three, which the Prophet ﷺ affirmed. They then inquiredabout if they were two in number, and he ﷺonce again confirmed it. They did not ask about the case where only one person testifies to the righteousness of the deceased, because the issue is of great importance, and requires at least the minimum number of witnesses to render the witness accepted and valid – that is two witnesses.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ made the testimony of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them),of whether the deceased is from the people of Paradise or the dwellers of Hellfire, evidence that confirms the reward or punishment awaiting the deceased. The meaning of “it has become certain” is that the reward or punishment is confirmed, and not that it is obligation upon Allah, the Exalted, because there is nothing that is obligatory upon Allah; His reward manifests in His favours upon us, and His punishment manifests in His justice; and He cannot be questioned about what He does.

The outcome of praise and condemnation, as mentioned in this hadeeth, is only when it reflects the reality of the deceased and his deeds during his life; otherwise, it is inapplicable. It has been said that the testimony of people that is mentioned in the hadeeth is limited to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their ilk, who are pious and credible, because this kind of people only utter wisdom.

We learn from this hadeeth that when true Muslims vouch for a deceased person that he was good, then they have testified that he is from the people of Paradise.

It also highlights the importance of being kind to people and treating others in a good manner, and to never manifest evil and bad deeds.
.

1373

Narrated ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr:
I heard Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) say: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ arose to deliver a sermon in which he mentioned the trial a man will endure in the grave. On his mentioning that, the Muslims gave a shout of dismay." Ghundar added: “The punishment of grave is true.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺhad [many] miracles that testify to the truthfulness of his message and his prophethood, one of which is his description of some of the events of the unseen, which Allah revealed to him. The unseen could be about matters pertaining to Allah’s reward or punishment; and he ﷺ mentions these to warn his nation, and to encourage them perform more good deeds and refrain from evil and bad deeds.

In this hadeeth, Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr(may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet ﷺ delivered a sermon one day, in which he preached to them and reminded them of the Hereafter. He ﷺ then spoke of the grave and its related events, including the trial of the grave.
The trial of the grave is a test where the two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, ask the deceased about his lord, prophet, and religion. In Arabic, it is known as the fitnah of grave, this Arabic word was assigned to it because it is a great trial that tests the person’s faith and certainty. Whomever Allah gives support to, to pass this test is a winner, and whoever fails is ruined, and at a great loss.

Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that after hearing about the trial of the grave, the companions shouted out loud, out of fear of what they had heard. In another version of the narration, it has the addition: “the punishment of the grave is true”, meaning that it is without a doubt confirmed that it must be believed in.

.

1375

Narrated AbooAyyoob(may Allah be pleased with him): Once, the Prophet ﷺ went out after sunset and heard a dreadful sound. So, he ﷺ said, "The Jews are being punished in their graves.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ had [many] miracles that testify to the truthfulness of his message and his prophethood, one of which is his description of some of the events of the unseen, which Allah revealed to him.

In this hadeeth, AbooAyyoob al-Ansaari(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ went outside the Madinah after sunset and heard a sound. This could have been the voices of the Angels of Punishment, or the sound of the punishment, or the voices of those who were being punished. He ﷺ explained that the Jews were being punished in their graves. If it is established that the Jews are punished in their graves, then naturally, it proves that all disbelievers and polytheists must be punished in their graves too, because their disbelief and polytheism are worse than the disbelief of the Jews. Allah does not reveal such an unseen event to anyone except Prophets and Messengers of His choice. Allah, Most High, said: {˹He is the˺ Knower of the unseen, disclosing none of it to anyone, except messengers of His choice. Then He appoints angel-guards before and behind them} [Quran 72:26-27] .

1377

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him: Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to invoke (Allah): "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave, and from the punishment in the Hell fire, and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal."
.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was keen to teach his Companions and nation what to invoke from Allah, and to take refuge in Him from certain evils that may inflict the Muslims, to be protected from them.

In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ used to invoke Allah in the prayer, after the last tashahhud and before the tasleem, as mentioned in a narration in Saheeh Muslim. He used to say, “O Allah! I seek refuge with you” i.e., I turn to You, holdfast to You, and take refuge in you, to protect me from the punishment and tribulations of the grave. This is because this is the first stage of the Hereafter, and for those who are saved from the tribulations and punishment in the grave, all following events will be easier, as the punishment of the grave purifies the Muslim from his sins.
The punishment in Hellfire is the second thing from which the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge in Allah. Hellfire is the punishment that Allah hasreserved in the Hereafter for those who disobeyed His orders and commands – we ask His refuge from it out of His Mercy and Favour.
It is one of the characteristics of believers, who enjoy sound intellect and intact hearts, to always seek refuge in Allah from Hellfire, because whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will indeed triumph.
He ﷺthen sought refuge in Allah from the afflictions of life and death, which refer to the tests and trials that people are subject to in this life and the Hereafter. The trials of life include all the temptations and tests that people experience in life such as disbelief, innovations, desires, and vice,while the trials of death include a bad end and the trials of the grave, such as the questioning of the two angels, etc.

His statement: “from the afflictions of the Maseeh al-Dajjaal” means to take refuge in Allah from believing his lies or falling for his traps and temptations. All of Allah’s Prophets warned against the evil and temptations of the false Messiah because he is indeed the greatest and most serious of all trials in this life. The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge with Allah from his fitnah in every prayer and explained that his fitnah is the greatest of all trials, tests, and tribulations that existed and will existed on earth, from the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) until the Last Hour. He was named al-Maseeh, which is an Arabic word derived from the root word that means omitted, because he is one-eyed; and al-Dajjaal, which means false, to distinguish him from Jesus, the son of Mary (peace be upon them), the true Messiah. The word Dajjaalsignifies falsifying the truth, and deception, to indicate that he is a liar, who will conceal the truth with his lies and introduce that which is false. He is from the children of Adam, and his appearance is one of the major signs of the approach of the Day of Judgment. Allah sends him as a trial to test His servants, and He, Exalted be He, enables him to do miraculous actions that are from the actions of Allah, such as killing people and then bringing them back to life, controlling and bringing out the treasures of earth, ordering the sky to rain and it accedes, ordering the land to produce and it grows, creating a Fire and Paradise, and two rivers, etc. All these powers are granted to him to test the creation, and all these events take place by the Will and Permission of Allah.

This hadeeth is confirming the punishment in the grave, and serves as evidence to refute those who deny it.
.

1379

‘Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying: “When any one of you dies, he is shown his seat (in the Hereafter),morning and evening; if he is amongst the dwellers of Paradise (he is shown the seat) from amongst the dwellers of Paradise, and if he is one from amongst the denizens of Hell (he is shown the seat) from amongst the denizens of Hell. It would be said to him: That is your seat until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Judgment.”.

Commentary : The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. If the servant was pious and obedient to Allah during his lifetime, then his grave will be his first step towards his final abode in Paradise, and if he was otherwise, then it will be his first step towards his final abode in Hellfire. The grave will be either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a hole from the holes of Hellfire. We ask Allah to protect us from the latter.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informs us that when a person dies, his seat in the Hereafter will be shown to him, every morning and every evening. If he is one of the dwellers of Paradise, he will see his place there, and if he is one of the dwellers of Hellfire, then he will see his place that awaits him there. The angels will confirm all this to him, andwill explain to him that this will be his place until Allah resurrects him, to hold him accountable for his deeds, on the Judgment Day. Knowing this will be a glad tiding for the believer, as well as the bounties and blessings that he will enjoy in his grave;And what a worrisome burden and sorrow the disbeliever and sinner will experience, as well as part of their punishment. This hadeeth proves that there is grace and punishment in the grave.

It has been said that the purposeof this is to show the deceased the punishment or reward that awaits them in the Hereafter; and that the mention of morning and evening is to remind them of this. It has been said that it is possible that all this will be shown to the soul only, but it is also possible that it will be shown to the body and soul together.
.

1380

Narrated AbooSa'eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the funeral is placed (on the bier) and the men lift it onto their shoulders, if it was a righteous person it would say: Take me (to my grave) quickly, take me quickly. However, if it was not a righteous person it would say: Woe to it! Where are you taking it! Everything hears it except humans, and if man heard it, he would die."
.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ would often mention death, andemphasise its torments, naming it the destroyer of pleasures. This was to highlight the enormity of this moment,and to prepare the believers for death.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains that when the deceased is placed into his coffin and lifted on the shoulders of men [to progress to the grave], the funeral speaks- if the deceased was a righteous person, it would say ”Take me quickly, take me quickly,” due to its joy of the glad tidings that it witnessed. However, if the deceased was not a righteous person, it would express its sorrow by saying, “woe to me, where are you taking me!”which was a plea to leave it and to not bury it.Itsays thisbecause itsaw the torment and punishments that awaited the deceased in his grave, due to his bad deeds during his lifetime. The reason it uses the third person pronoun (i.e., it) although it means “woe to me!”is because the deceased disliked attributing woefulness to himself, or because he wants to disassociate himself from his self after realising its status.

Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ mentions that all the creation can hear it except humans, and that they would die if they heard it. This refers to the dismaying sound of crying and screaming that comes from the deceased, when perceiving his punishment. The Prophet ﷺelucidatedthat no person can hear this appalling sound, due to Allah’s Mercy, andbecause He wants to keep them alive in this worldly life, where they experience tests and trials. It has been said that the dismaying sound only comes from the deceased who are not righteous. As for those who were righteous, their speech will be gentle, kind, and moderate, and thus, it would not occur that his voice would shock anyone who hears it.
It has been said that this speech occurs after the soul departs the body, and that Allah then enables the body to speak. However, the correct view is that [this happens] while the body and the soul are together.

We understand, from this hadeeth, that the righteous deceased sees glad tidings before he is buried, and vice versa, and this hadeeth serves as a sign of the truthfulness of the prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ..

1381

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Any Muslim whose three children died before reaching puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah out of His Mercy to them.".

Commentary : Losing relatives and loved ones to death are among the most drastic trials and tests in life; and losing one’s own children to death is perhaps the most drastic of all. For this reason, Allah, Exalted be He, amplified the reward of those who lose three children to death, as mentioned in this hadeeth.

The Prophet ﷺ explains thatAllah will grant Paradise to any Muslim whose three children die before reaching puberty – that is the age upon which people are held accountable for their deeds - out of His Mercy to them, as they died free of sins, and are therefore more deserving of Allah’s Mercy. In a narration recorded in Sunan al-Nisaai’ee, it has the addition: “It will be said to them: Enter Paradise. However, they refuse to enter without their parents. Upon which, it will be said: Enter paradise along with your parents.” Their refusal to enter Paradise without their parents, and their insistence that their request be fulfilled, is the reason that Allah bestows His mercy upon their parents.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, it is reported on the authority of AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “No Muslim will suffer the death of three sons and go to hell, except to expiate the oath.” According to this report, this is applicable to both fathers and mothers, and infers that they will just pass over Hell so quickly to fulfill Allah’s oath mentioned in the ayah: {And there is none of you who except he will pass over it.} [Quran 19:71], meaning that every person will pass over Hellfire when they walk on the bridge placed above it.

It is established that reward requires a sound intention, as known in Islamic law. Therefore, attaining this promised great reward requires the grieving parents to be patient,while hoping forreward from Allah. This was explicitly mentioned in the authentic hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, when the Prophet ﷺ said to some women, “In case anyone amongst you sees the sad demise of three children of hers and she resigns herself to the will of Allah, hoping to get His reward, she would be admitted to Paradise.” The meaning of the part “resigns herself to the will of Allah, hoping to get His reward,” is being patient and content with Allah’s decree, particularly upon initial awareness of the calamity. This is based on the narration that Anas ibn Maalik reported wherein the Prophet ﷺ said: “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”

This hadeeth shows the great reward that will be granted to who suffered the demise of their children, and that Muslim children who die before reaching puberty will be in Paradise. .

1382

Narrated al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him): When Ibraheem (the son of the Prophet ﷺ) passed away, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "There is a wet-nurse for him in Paradise.".

Commentary : Ibraheem is the son of the Prophet ﷺ from his wife, Maaryyah the Coptic (may Allah be pleased with her). He was born in DhulHijjah of the 8th year after Hijrah and died during his infancy at the age of 18 months – that is, in the 10th year of Hijrah. When he died, the Prophet ﷺ grieved over him and cried, and he ﷺstated that he will have a wet-nurse in Paradise i.e., Allah will provide him with one who will complete his period of nursing in Paradise, since he died before completing his nursing.

It is due to Allah’s mercy and favours upon Ibraheem, the son of the Prophet ﷺ,that he lives in Paradise the life of al-barzakh just like the Prophets, truthful, martyrs and righteous people. He receives his provision just like them, and his provision in that life is the milk that one who nurses him in Paradise will give to him.

This narration indicates that the children of Muslims who die [before reaching puberty] are from the people of Paradise. In a narration recorded in SaheehMuslim, ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, when a little boy died,“glad tiding for him! He is a bird amongst the birds of Paradise.” However, the Prophet ﷺ said to her: “Don't you know that Allah created Paradise and He created Hellfire, and He created the dwellers for this (Paradise) and the denizens for this (Hell)?” There is no contradiction between both narrations because it is possible that the Prophet ﷺ intended with his statement to discourage ‘Aishah from hastening to assert that a person is from the people of Paradise or the people of Hell, without having definite evidence. This is because her statement entails that she knows the unseen and affirms the faith of the father of this child, since her statement was concerning a specific person. To say that a specific person is from the people of Paradise is not permissible without having textual evidence, since it is part of the knowledge of the unseen.
.

1383

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the children of the polytheists. He ﷺ answered: “It is Allah alone Who knows what they would have done.”.

Commentary : Allah, Exalted be He, created everything, set a due measure for everything, and wrote everything in His preserved Tablet. He, Exalted be He, created Hellfire and Paradise, and predestined the people of each. Whenever the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would not know the ruling of a matter, they would consult the Prophet ﷺregarding it.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was asked whether the children of polytheists who died before reaching puberty and becoming accountable would enter Paradise, or not. He ﷺ replied that Allah knows [from before they are created] what they would have done, and whether they would have become Muslims or adopted the faith of their parents, if they were to live. Thus, they will be judged accordingly. It has been said that this means they are left to Allah’s knowledge,Who will judge each one according to what they would have done, if they lived.

The part stating “Allah knows what they would have done” does not conflict with the view that the children of polytheists will be tested on the Day of Judgment. In fact, it can be used as evidence on their test, because Allah knows what they would have done. Hence, if they pass the test on the Judgment Day and believe, Allah will admit them into Paradise. Otherwise, He will admit them into Hellfire. However, some scholars hold the view that all children who die before reaching puberty, including the children of polytheists, will be in Paradise, based on the undisputed hadeeth: “Each child is born with a sound innate nature”. All the while, other scholars hold the view that it should not be discussed [due to lack of explicit evidence]. The dispute of scholars over this issue is well known, and only Allah knows the truth.
.

Tareq ibn Shehab narrated, “Marwan was the first one to deliver a sermon before the Eid prayer. A man stood up and said, ‘Prayer should precede sermon.’ He (Marwan) said, ‘It has been done away with.’ Abu Saeed remarked, ‘This man has performed what he should do. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, ‘Whoever among you sees something abominable should modify it with his hand, if he is not able to do it, then (he should modify it) with his tongue, and if he is not able to do it, then (he should modify it) with his heart, which is the least level of faith.’”.

Commentary : Allah honors and prefers the Muslim nation to other nations, for it enjoins goodness, forbids evil, and gently advises people, the qualities that transform any society into a virtuous one. This hadith related that the first person who delivered the Eid speech before performing the prayer was Marwan ibn Al-Hakam, the governor of Medina assigned by Caliph Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufian. He became the caliph in the year of 64 after Prophetic immigration. It was mistakenly narrated that the first person did that was Omar, Othman, Muawiyah, or Abdullah ibn Az-Zubeir. On the contrary, it was proven that the Prophet ﷺ and his four Caliphs used to pray before delivering the Eid speech as Ibn Abbas narrated in the two Sahihs, “I witnessed the Eid with the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, Omar, and Othman. They all prayed before the speech." In the narration of Bukhari, Marwan mentioned why he did that. He said, "People do not sit to listen to our speech after the prayer, so I delivered it before the prayer." Most of the people used to leave after the prayer and only some listened to Marwan's speech. He may have done that thinking that it was something in which he could follow his own opinion. Once he changed the Prophet's tradition, one of the attendees came and denounced his behavior. That person may have been Abu Masoud as in Imam Abderazzaq's narration but it was narrated in Sahih Bukhari that he was Abu Saeed himself, this hadith's narrator. Perhaps, this situation happened more than once and that every time Marwan was contradicted by someone. On the other hand, if it happened once, it would be possible that Abu Saeed first denounced Marwan's behavior, as in Bukhari's narration, then Abu Masoud. Marwan's response, "It has been done away with" may mean that: (1) People used to leave, for they were in a hurry, or (2) He left the proven tradition of praying before delivering the speech on purpose. Abu Saeed approved the man’s denouncing Marwan and said, "This man has performed what he should do." He denounced the evil with his tongue, for he could not change the ruler's behavior by his hands. Then Abu Saeed narrated the Prophet's hadith. The hadith states that if a person sees something evil and corrupting, he has to change it with his hand provided that his knowledge and ability. If he cannot change it with his hands, he has to wisely and kindly remind people about its prohibition. Changing the reality may be achieved by gentleness and wisdom away from swords. If he is unable to change it by word or tongue, he has to denounce it with his heart and resolve that if he were able to remove it, he would do it. Denouncing evil with one's heart is the lowest reaction that a believer has to bring, so the Prophet ﷺ said as in Ibn Masoud's narration in Sahih Muslim, "Beyond that, there is no faith even as the extent of a mustard seed." This hadith shows that there are two conditions of the obligation of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil: (1) Knowledge of whether that action is good or evil, for the ignorant person cannot determine that, and (2) The ability to do so, for it is enough for the unable person to hate the evil with his heart. Abu Saeed's comment confirmed that Marwarn was the first one to display that behavior, for if the Prophet ﷺ or his companions showed that behavior, Abu Saeed would not call it evil as in his comment. Moreover, Abu Saeed held Marwan to prevent him from delivering the speech but the latter insisted on doing so. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It urges us to gradually enjoin the goodness and forbid the evil, each based on his ability, (2) It confirms the legitimacy of opposing rulers' behavior if they accept advice in public and this does not lead to another evil, (3) It clarifies that denouncing evil is a part of faith, (4) It shows that one's faith is subject to increase and decrease, (5) It stresses that Islam's rites cannot be changed or reordered. Once rulers try to do so, they have to be opposed as long as a person is able to do so and his denouncing will not lead to a greater evil..

Abdullah ibn Masoud narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah has not sent a prophet to a nation before me but he (a prophet) had disciples and companions following his way and obeying his command. Afterward, there came successors who said what they did not practice and practiced what they were not commanded to do. Whoever strove against them with his hand was a believer, whoever strove against them with his tongue was a believer, and whoever strove against them with his heart was a believer. There is no faith beyond that even to the extent of a mustard seed.” Abu Rafi' said, “I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Umar but he disapproved of the narration. When Ibn Masoud came and stayed at Qanat, Abdullah ibn Umar asked me to accompany him to visit him (Ibn Masoud) during his illness. I went with him and asked Ibn Masoud about the Hadith when we sat (before him). He narrated it in the same as I narrated it to Ibn Umar.”.

Commentary : The Prophets' calls are of common features. All were resisted by some or lots of their people. All were followed by some of their people who afterward conveyed their calls. Over decades and centuries, people began to gradually move away from the truth. The one adhering to this truth had to resist them as much as he could. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that all Prophets that Allah had sent had disciples and companions following their ways and obeying their commands. Afterward, there came successors and hypocrites who said what they did not practice and practiced what they were not commanded to do while claiming and complimenting themselves on following their prophet's guidance. On the contrary, they were committing and spreading corruption. Every believer has to strive against those people based on his ability. Whoever strives against and tries to remove their evil with his hand or tongue is a believer. Moreover, whoever hates their evil with his heart is a believer, for he wishes he had been able to remove these evils with his hand or tongue but he was unable to do so. There is no faith beyond that even to the extent of a mustard seed, for if one does not hate the evil even if with his heart but pleases it, it is an approval of disbelief. This hadith shows that there are two conditions of the obligation of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil with hands or tongue: (1) Knowledge of whether that action is good or evil, for the ignorant person cannot determine that, and (2) The ability to do so, for it is enough for the unable person to hate the evil with his heart. Striving against evils by one's hands is only for those being able to change them without a conflict such as those in charge and rulers. Striving against evils by one’s tongue is by showing and calling for the truth. Striving against evils by one's heart is by rejecting, hating, and displeasing them. Abu Rafi' said, “I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Omar but he disapproved of the narration.” Ibn Omar’s disapproval may be interpreted that he wanted to check the authenticity of the hadith, for one may unwillingly increase, decrease, or even distort his own narrations. He did not mean to accuse Abu Rafi’, for all people were vulnerable to forget. Ibn Omar knew that Abu Rafi’ was a great companion with a high level of justice and honesty. When Ibn Masoud came to Medina, Ibn Omar commanded Abu Rafi’ to go with him to visit Ibn Masoud. When they sat with him, Abu Rafi’ asked Ibn Masoud about this hadith, so Ibn Masoud narrated it to him just as Abu Rafi’ had narrated it to Ibn Omar. Abu Rafi’ did that to make sure of the hadith context and defend his narration. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It includes one of the signs of the Prophet’s prophethood, (2) It stresses the necessity of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, according to people’s conditions, (3) It clarifies the virtue of the Prophet’s companions, for they presented his properties and selves for the sake of this religion, (4) It shows that changing the evil is part of the Islamic faith, and (5) It refers that one’s faith increases and decreases..

Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Hearts’ callousness and sternness is in the East while faith is among the people of the Hijaz.’”.

Commentary : People vary in faith, piety, behavior, and even the degrees of their evil acts. The Prophet used to teach us people's various attributes so that we can deal with them in the proper way they deserve. In this hadith, he informed us that we find people of hard hearts, lack of understanding, and refusing the truth due to disbelief in the East. A narration in the two Sahihs reported by Abu Masoud Uqbah ibn Amr clarified that they are the people of Rabi’a and Mudar. This was during the era of the Prophet ﷺ. They were hard people due to the harsh conditions they were living in. It was said that he may have meant all areas of the East: Middle, Near, and Far. After the Prophet's death, these two tribes had many trials such as: (1) Many people disbelieved once again, and (2) Some claimed prophethood as Museilemah, the Liar. The Prophet meant that they were subject to obey the devil and disbelieve the Islamic message. On the other hand, he informed us that we find deep faith, tranquillity, and comfort in the people of Hijaz, i.e. Mecca, Medina, and their environs. It is called "hijaz," for some potential reasons: (1) It separates Najd from Sara, (2) It separates Ghaur from Levant, or (3) It is surrounded by mountains. Finally, this hadith confirms the virtue of the people of Hijaz over other people..

Abu Hurairah narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. May I tell you something you can do to make you love one another? Spread the greetings of salam (peace) among you.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to teach his companions and nation the virtues of righteous deeds that display a feeling of affection among them and raise their ranks in the Hereafter. He also warned us against reasons for hatred and disharmony. Spreading the greetings of peace is one of the causes of love and harmony among Muslims. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ clarified that only believers will enter Paradise and added that love among believers is part of the perfect faith. He said, "You will not enter Paradise until you believe." He means that our faith is neither complete nor benefits us until we love one another. Then he guides us to the best attributes for getting that kind of love in Muslim society which is to declare, act upon, and spread peace among Muslims. Peace is the greeting that Allah, the Almighty, has prescribed for His servants. Once a Muslim passes by another Muslim, relative or stranger, he greets him with peace. Allah made spreading peace a reason for love and affection among Muslims, which is a reason for getting a perfect faith and prevailing the word of Islam. On the other hand, hatred and conflict are reasons for spreading division among Muslims. The form of that greeting as in the narration of Abu Daoud and others is to say, “Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.” Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits such as: (1) The command to spread the greeting of peace among Muslims, for it spreads love and safety among them and (2) It is proof that love is a reason for the perfect faith..

Tamim Ad-Dary narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Religion is sincerity." They said, "To whom?" He said, "To Allah, to his Book, to his Messenger, to the leaders of Muslims and their common folk.".

Commentary : Sincere advice is one of the features of our true religion. Muslims should advise each other in a good manner, and without making a greater evil than the benefit they want to achieve. This should be with loving and knowing the rights of the one who is advised in the society for his being a Muslim. This hadith clarifies the methods of this supreme behavior. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that sincere advice is Islam's essence and a means for its spreading. It is to say or do something that contains goodness for a person(s) sincerely. It is to seek goodness for the one who is advised. Moreover, it is a comprehensive term with various meanings. The Prophet's companions asked him to whom they offer it, so he answered, "To Allah, to his Book, to his Messenger, to the leaders of Muslims and their common folk." As for one's dealing with Allah, it means glorifying His command, showing mercy on His creation, calling people to believe in Him, and avoiding any acts of polytheism while worshiping him only. As for one's dealing with the Quran, it means to believe that it is Allah's word, deeply love and glorify it, recite it as it should be recited, face those distorting its authentic interpretations, ratify its stories, ponder over its lessons and miracles, act upon its rules, spread its knowledge, and call people to believe in it. As for one's dealing with the Messenger, it means to believe, follow, obey his commands, and avoid what he forbade. Moreover, it means to be loyal to those who are loyal to him and hate those who hate him. In addition, it means glorifying him, spreading his teachings, and facing people's accusations against him. As for one's dealing with leaders of Muslims, it means helping them in what is right, obeying them in goodness, gently reminding them if they neglect something, and avoiding disobeying them unless we see them doing an act of clear disbelief that Allah obviously showed in his religion, which is conditional on ability and avoiding having greater harms. The Muslim's leaders may include the scholars as well. As for one's dealing with Muslim scholars, it means accepting what they narrated and thinking well of them. As for one's dealing with common Muslim folk, it means gently teaching them Islam's laws, providing them with what is beneficial, having mercy on them, respecting them, avoiding cheating or envying them, loving for them what one loves for himself, hating for them what one hates for himself, and defending their properties and honor. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) It confirms that advising people is the essence of Islam, and (2) It urges people to advise all people types, from the ruler to lay people..

Abu Hurairah narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'There are three signs of a hypocrite ... even if he fasted, prayed, and claimed he is a Muslim.'".

Commentary : Hypocrisy has two types: (1) Doctrinal: It expels the person from Islam, for he shows Islam and conceals disbelief and (2) Practical: It does not expel the person from Islam, for he just imitates the hypocrites in their morals, which is a major sin. This hadith identifies some attributes of hypocrites by clarifying the second type of hypocrisy. This hadith is part of another hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ informed that a hypocrite has three signs: (1) He used to tell lies and fabricate unrealistic stories. Lying is to say something contrary to reality. Its greatest form is to lie to Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger ﷺ. It also includes lying in one's acts, so the hypocrite is a liar, for he shows faith but conceals disbelief inwardly. The Prophet ﷺ indicated that lying sometimes is permissible for some overriding interests. Bukhari and Muslim narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “He is not a liar who reconciles between people, so he conveys or says goodness.” Islam urges us to reconcile between people even if it is achieved by lying to settle quarrels and avoid feelings of hatred and enmity, (2) He used to break his promises willingly, and (3) He used to betray people's trust. He loses, betrays, and uses their trust. The Prophet ﷺ informed that whoever used to act upon these three attributes is a hypocrite even if he performs the practical acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, etc. This hadith clarifies that these qualities belong to hypocrites so whoever behaves like that resembles hypocrites. It does not mean he is a hypocrite who shows Islam and conceals disbelief, for the Prophet ﷺ did not mean that he is a hypocrite who will be eternally in the lowest degree of Hell..

Jarir narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If any slave escapes from his masters, he becomes an infidel till he returns to them.”.

Commentary : Islam regulated the relations between masters and slaves. It called for kindly treating slaves and urged masters to emancipate them. It also encouraged slaves to care for Allah's and their masters' rights, for their masters bought them so it does not make sense that their properties may be wasted. Islam makes obeying masters, for the sake of Allah, is one of the greatest acts of worship. In this hadith, Jarir ibn Abdullah narrated that if any slave flees from his masters, he is a disbeliever. It may mean that he denies his master's rights or behaves like disbelievers do. It may also mean that his behavior leads to disbelief. It does not mean the literal meaning of disbelief. It means that he disbelieves Allah's graces by fleeing from his master until he returns to him willingly or unwillingly. Allah neither pleases him nor accepts his righteous deeds until his return, repentance, and righteousness. The complete narration of this hadith is that Mansour ibn Abdurrahman (the hadith narrator on the authority of Amer Ash-Sha’by) said after his narration, "By Allah, it is a Prophetic hadith, but I hate that it may be narrated on my authority here in Basra.” This means that Mansour traced back this hadith to the companion but he then swore that it was the Prophet's hadith to let his knowledgeable companions know about that. He feared that his transmitted narration to the Prophet may have spread in Basra which was full of Kharijites and Mutazilites who believed that one would eternally remain in Hell due to his sins. The former added that he is a disbeliever, depending on the apparent meaning of this hadith. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The slave’s fleeing from his masters is a major sin that contradicts the faith's requirements of obeying them and (2) Muslim predecessors cautioned against the wrong concepts that people of heresies may deduce from the Islamic texts that may apparently support their heresies..

Jarir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If a slave escapes (from his master), not a single prayer will be accepted from him.”.

Commentary : The slave’s obedience to his master according to the obedience of Allah, the Almighty, is one of the greatest acts of worship. Allah organized the relations between masters and slaves. He urged masters to gently deal with them and recommended them to set them free. On the other hand, he encouraged slaves to preserve Allah's and their masters' rights. A master buys his slave with his money, so he has the right not to waste his money. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that if a slave escapes from his master, "not a single prayer will be accepted from him.” This is because the slave is completely owned by his master so if he escapes, his master misses some benefits. It was said that the hadeeth refers to a slave who considers escaping lawful so he becomes a disbeliever and neither his prayer nor any other acts of worship are accepted from him. The Prophet ﷺ exclusively mentioned prayer for its greatness and virtue. It was said that the hadeeth is general and that rejecting his worship does not necessitate its invalidity. The escaped slave's prayer (who does not think that escaping is lawful) is correct, for he fulfils its pillars, but it is still unaccepted because it is associated with disobeying his master. There is no contradiction in that, for rejecting his worship means losing the reward but its validity means he is neither required to re-perform it nor he may be punished as the one used to abandon the prayer. Finally, this hadith confirms that a slave's escaping from his master is a great sin which contradicts faith's requirements commanding him to obey his master..

Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A person who believes in Allah and the Last Day never bears a grudge against the Ansar.".

Commentary : The Ansar, the people of Medina from the Prophet's companions before his immigration, reached a high rank in Islam for their great effort in supporting Islam, sheltering the Messenger and his immigrant companions, loving him, and his love for them. They used to present all that they had for him to the extent that lots of people became their enemies due to Islam. As a result, the Prophet ﷺ urged all Muslims to love them. Moreover, he made loving them a sign of one's truthful and perfect faith and hating them is a sign of one's hypocrisy and lack of faith. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed that a person who believes in Allah and the Last Day never bears a grudge against the Ansar, for whoever knows their right, initiative to support and spread Islam, and fighting against all people in defending the prophet will definitely love them out of necessity, which is a sign of his sincere faith. On the other hand, if one hates them, it is a sign of hypocrisy and corrupted intention. Because these great people with those supreme attributes are loved by only believers and hated by only hypocrites. Whoever loves them is loved by Allah and whoever hates them is hated by Allah as in the hadith narrated in the two Sahihs. Finally, this hadith contains some lessons: (1) It shows the Ansar’s virtues, (2) It confirms that loving them is a sign of one's sincere faith while hating them is a sign of corruption or lack of faith, and (3) It calls every Muslim to give Medina's people their rights..

Ali said, "By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, it is the illiterate Prophet's promise ﷺ that he gave me that none but a believer would love me and none but a hypocrite would bear grudge against me.".

Commentary : Ali ibn Abi Taleb had great status with the Prophet ﷺ for the following reasons: (1) His father, Abu Taleb, used to support and defend the Prophet against Qureish disbelievers, (2) He is the husband of Fatema, the Prophet's daughter, his most beloved daughters, and (3) The father of Prophet's grandsons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husein. In this hadith, Ali swore in Allah Who split up the seed, placed it in the soil, and created the plant by His power. He swore in Allah Who created the men and souls. His saying, "It is the Prophet's promise ..." means a covenant. His saying, "illiterate ..." is the attribute with which the Prophet was described in the previous books and in two places in the Quran: (1) "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel." {Al-A'raaf: 157) and (2) "So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words." {Al-A'raaf: 158) It was the Prophet's promise to Ali that he had a virtue that all believers would love him, but hypocrites would hate him. It means that if one loves and knows Ali's prestige, his closeness to the Prophet, the Prophet's love for him, and his support of Islam, it is proof of his authentic faith and truthfulness as he is doing what Allah and his Prophet please. On the contrary, if one hates him, it is proof of his hypocrisy and evil intention. It is an additional recommendation for Ali, for the Prophet ﷺ recommended us to care about his companions and follow their methods. Also, he guided us to give a high prestige to his rightly guided caliphs, including Ali. It is neither proof of Ali's specific guardianship, nor his caliphate after the Prophet's death. It may have been the Prophet's appreciation for Alai and call for Muslims to give him his considerable prestige and avoid belittling him after the Prophet's death. On the other hand, it was a sign of prophethood, for the Prophet knew that some people would go to extremes when dealing with Ali after the Prophet's death whether they would love him exaggeratedly or belittle him. As a result, he confirmed the believers' hearts would love Ali and the hypocrites' hearts would hate him..

Abdullah ibn Omar narrated, “The Messenger of Allah said, “O Women, give charity and frequently ask Allah for forgiveness, for I saw you form the majority of Hell.” A wise woman from them asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why will we form the majority of Hell?” He answered, “You frequently curse and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen someone lacking in discernment and religion more overwhelming a wise man than you.” She asked, “What is the lack of discernment and religion?” He answered, “As for the lack of discernment, the testimony of two women is equal to a man’s one. She does not pray for some days and breaks fast in the month of Ramadan. This is the lack of religion.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to preach to women just as he did to men, ask them to protect themselves against evilness, and frequently remind them of rectify their faults. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that after the Prophet ﷺ delivered his speech on the day of eid, he preached to women only, as in the narration in the Two Sahihs that Abu Saeed Al-Khudry reported that the Prophet ﷺ commanded them to give charity and ask Allah for forgiveness. He justified this matter by the fact that he knew that most of the people of Hell were women. Giving charity is a means to increase good deeds and avoid Allah's anger and punishment. When hearing so, a wise woman asked about the reason. He showed two reasons: (1) They used to frequently curse those who did not deserve it. Cursing is to supplicate Allah to expel someone from his mercy, which was a habit of women before Islam and (2) They used to be ungrateful to their husbands. He explained it in another narration in the Two Sahihs when he addressed men, "If you treated one of them kindly forever, but she later saw something (disliked) from you, she would say, 'I never saw any good from you.'" She may be ungrateful to her husband while he treats her kindly. This continuous deliberate behavior enlarges this sin to be a major one. His help, protection, sacrifice, and care should be met with her gratitude and appreciation. Allah commands us to thank whoever gives us a favor. How is it the case with a woman's husband who gives her all that he owns throughout his entire life?! Then, he ﷺ described them with three attributes: (1) A woman has the ability to affect her wise husband's decision whether it is right or wrong. What about the unwise husband? (2) A lack of discernment: This is because a man's testimony is equivalent to two women's testimony. Allah said, "... so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her." (Al-Baqarah: 282), (3) A lack of religion: This is because she does not pray for some days and breaks fast in the month of Ramadan due to her menstruation. The Prophet ﷺ did not mean to blame them for these attributes with which Allah created them but wanted to warn men against the tricks that women sometimes use. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) A person has the right to discuss the scholar and others if he does not understand his words, (2) Encouragement of charity acts, frequent seeking of Allah’s forgiveness, and all other acts of obedience, (3) One's righteous deeds eliminate his evil deeds, (4) Some Islamic texts may call something disbelief but do not mean the disbelief in Allah such as disbelief in marital life, benevolence, grace, and truth..

Abu Hurairah narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When a son of Adam recites a verse mentioning prostration then he prostrates, the devil withdraws weeping and saying, ‘Woe to him! - in another narration, ‘Woe to me!’ - The son of Adam has been commanded to prostrate, has done so, and will be rewarded with Paradise but I have been commanded to prostrate, have refused, and will be punished with Hell.’ In another narration, ‘ … have disobeyed, and will be punished with Hell.’”.

Commentary : There are Quranic verses that one is prescribed to prostrate after reciting them, which the Prophet's noble tradition specified. It is an act of worship and a reward for those who prostrate. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed that when a Muslim prostrates after reciting this type of verse, the devil withdraws weeping due to the reward that a Muslim gets for his obedience and prostration. He is crying and saying, "Woe to him!" In another narration, "Woe to me!" It means, "Oh, my sorrow, oh my doom." He regrets his previous disobedience to Allah. The son of Adam has been commanded to prostrate, has done so, and will be rewarded with Paradise due to his obedience. On the other hand, Satan has been commanded to prostrate but has refused. In another narration, "I have disobeyed, and will be punished with Hell." He deserved to enter Hell for disobeying Allah's command. Allah says, "And [mention] when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate before Adam;' so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant ..." (Al-Baqarah: 34) He is deeply sad for some reasons: (1) His failure in luring the son of Adam to commit sins, (2) His committing a fatal sin of being arrogant to Allah's command, and (3) Muslim's being deserved to enter Paradise for his obedience, while Satan is condemned to be expelled from Allah’s mercy. Blessed are those believers whose hearts become fearful when Allah is mentioned, their faith increases when Allah's verses are recited to them, and those who trust in their God. As for what a Muslim can say during this prostration, he can say the same supplications he says during the prostration of prayer, such as glorification. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) The virtue of prostration which is a reason for entering Paradise and (2) A Quran reciter is permissible to prostrate after reciting a verse of prostration..

Gaber said, "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, 'Verily, between a man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of prayer.'".

Commentary : Prayer is an obligatory act for every assigned Muslim. It is the second pillar of Islam and the greatest practical pillar after monotheism testimony. In this hadith, the Messenger ﷺ strongly warned against abandoning it and confirmed that between a man and polytheism is to abandon prayer. If he abandons it out of denial of its obligation, he is unanimously a disbeliever but if he abandons it out of negligence or laziness, he is a disbeliever according to the opinion of many scholars and the consensus of the Prophet's companions. If he sometimes performs and neglects it, he is also included in the description mentioned in the hadith, which is consistent with Allah's sayings, "But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil. Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all." (Maryam: 59, 60) In this verse, Allah condemned those neglecting prayer either abandoning it completely, abandoning some of its pillars and conditions, neglecting its duties, or performing it after its appointed times, etc. He condemned those being busy with their own whims and desires and preferring them to Allah's obedience and Paradise. Thus, he deserves to be punished except those who rectify their mistakes, struggle in the path of truth, regularly perform prayer, refrain from following their whims. They will enter Paradise and be saved from Hell. One has to caution against abandoning or neglecting this great worship. On the other hand, polytheism and disbelief may be used in the same sense, which is disbelief in Allah, the Almighty. There may be a distinction between them, so polytheism is specific to worshipping idols while acknowledging Allah, the Creator, like the infidels of Qureish. In this meaning, disbelief is more general than polytheism. Finally, this hadith deeply warns against abandoning or neglecting prayer..

Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "None will enter Hell as long as he has the weight of a mustard seed of faith in his heart and none will enter Paradise as long as he has the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance in his heart.”.

Commentary : Faith is a reason for salvation from Hell and winning Paradise while arrogance is an attribute that refers to corrupted hearts and a reason for entering Hell. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed that a Muslim will neither enter Hell nor even remain there forever if his heart has the weight of a mustard seed of faith. Mustard is a plant with very small black fruits. It is a linguistic usage referring to smallness. It is Allah's great blessing that he will save the believers for their faith, even if He holds them accountable for their deeds first and admits them to Paradise by His grace and mercy. Afterward, the Prophet informed that a Muslim will not enter Paradise if his heart has the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance. Arrogance is to give oneself a high prestige that it does not deserve and belittle people. Allah is the only one that deserves this attribute. Mentioning the infinitesimal mustard seed indicates that even the slightest amount of arrogance in a Muslim's heart is a reason for not initially entering Paradise until he is held accountable for this arrogance which may necessitate punishment. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is proof that faith increases and decreases in hearts and (2) It forbids arrogance..

Abdullah narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance will not enter Paradise.' A man said, 'Verily, a person loves that his dress should be fine and his shoes should be fine.' The Prophet said, 'Verily, Allah is beautiful and likes beauty. Arrogance is to reject the truth and despise people.'".

Commentary : Arrogance is an attribute that indicates the corruption of hearts, which Islam forbade because it means self-aggrandizement while despising others. It is only Allah who deserves to be proud, for everyone else is His servant. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ explained the severe consequences of arrogance and dispelled some people’s misconceptions related to good appearance. He told us that Allah would not admit anyone to Paradise if his heart had the weight of an atom (or dust particle) of arrogance. This indicates that even the slightest bit of arrogance in one's heart is a reason for not initially entering Paradise. He should be reckoned first then will be punished or forgiven. One of the Prophet's companions thought that arrogance includes beautifying one’s clothing and appearance. So, he asked the Prophet ﷺ if a person loves that his clothes should be fine, is this considered arrogance? The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Verily, Allah is beautiful and likes beauty." He confirmed that Allah loved this manner as long as it did not lead to despising people. One's caring for his appearance is an indication of Allah's blessings upon him. Then the Prophet ﷺ clarified that the intended meaning of arrogance is to reject the truth and look down on people. So, this bad manner leads to oppress and disdain people. As a result, he will not initially enter Paradise but be punished for this great sin. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is forbidden to be arrogant and reject the truth, (2) Islam allows beautifying oneself by wearing beautiful clothes and shoes, (3) It proves that the name “the Beautiful” is one of Allah's names..

Book of Hadith