Prophet Mohammed,

Hadith 1: Intention (an-Niyyah)

Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:

إِنَّمَاالْأَعْمَالُبِالنِّيَّاتِوَإِنَّمَالِكُلِّامْرِئٍمَانَوَىفَمَنْكَانَتْهِجْرَتُهُإِلَىدُنْيَايُصِيبُهَاأَوْإِلَىامْرَأَةٍيَنْكِحُهَافَهِجْرَتُهُإِلَىمَاهَاجَرَإِلَيْهِ

Verily, deeds are only with intentions. Indeed, every person will get rewarded only for what they intended. Therefore, whoever emigrated for worldly reasons or for a woman, then his emigration is for what he has emigrated to.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 1, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 2: Foundation of the Sunnah

Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said, “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْإِسْلَامُأَنْتَشْهَدَأَنْلَاإِلَهَإِلَّااللَّهُوَأَنَّمُحَمَّدًارَسُولُاللَّهِصَلَّىاللَّهُعَلَيْهِوَسَلَّمَوَتُقِيمَالصَّلَاةَوَتُؤْتِيَالزَّكَاةَوَتَصُومَرَمَضَانَوَتَحُجَّالْبَيْتَإِنْاسْتَطَعْتَإِلَيْهِسَبِيلًا

“Islam is to witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to give the alms, the fast the month of Ramadan, and to perform pilgrimage to the House if he is capable of travel”.

The man said, “You have spoken rightly,” and we were amazed at him asking him and saying that he had spoken rightly. Then he said, “Tell me about faith.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَنْتُؤْمِنَبِاللَّهِوَمَلَائِكَتِهِوَكُتُبِهِوَرُسُلِهِوَالْيَوْمِالْآخِرِوَتُؤْمِنَبِالْقَدَرِخَيْرِهِوَشَرِّهِ

“Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in the providence (al-qadr) of both good and evil.”

The man said, “You have spoken rightly. Then tell me about excellence.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَنْتَعْبُدَاللَّهَكَأَنَّكَتَرَاهُفَإِنْلَمْتَكُنْتَرَاهُفَإِنَّهُيَرَاكَ

“Excellence (al-Ihsan) is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for verily, He sees you.”

The man said, “Then tell me about the Hour.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

مَاالْمَسْئُولُعَنْهَابِأَعْلَمَمِنْالسَّائِلِ

“The one who is asked does not know more than the one asking.”

The man said, “Then tell me about its signs.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَنْتَلِدَالْأَمَةُرَبَّتَهَاوَأَنْتَرَىالْحُفَاةَالْعُرَاةَالْعَالَةَرِعَاءَالشَّاءِيَتَطَاوَلُونَفِيالْبُنْيَانِ

“When the slave girl gives birth to her master, when the naked and barefooted will become chiefs of the people, and when the shepherds of black camels will exult themselves in constructing building.”

Then he left and I stayed for a time. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

يَاعُمَرُأَتَدْرِيمَنْالسَّائِلُ

“O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?”

I said, “Allah and His messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) know best.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

فَإِنَّهُجِبْرِيلُأَتَاكُمْيُعَلِّمُكُمْدِينَكُمْ

“He was Gabriel, who came to teach the people their religion.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 4, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 3: Pillars of Islam

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

بُنِيَالْإِسْلَامُعَلَىخَمْسٍعَلَىأَنْيُعْبَدَاللَّهُوَيُكْفَرَبِمَادُونَهُوَإِقَامِالصَّلَاةِوَإِيتَاءِالزَّكَاةِوَحَجِّالْبَيْتِوَصَوْمِرَمَضَانَ

“Islam is built upon five: worshiping Allah alone and disbelieving in what is worshiped besides him, establishing prayer, paying charity, performing the pilgrimage, and fasting the month of Ramadan.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 16, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 4: Divine Providence (al-Qadr)

Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he is the truthful, the trusted, said to us:

إِنَّأَحَدَكُمْيُجْمَعُخَلْقُهُفِيبَطْنِأُمِّهِأَرْبَعِينَيَوْمًاثُمَّيَكُونُفِيذَلِكَعَلَقَةًمِثْلَذَلِكَثُمَّيَكُونُفِيذَلِكَمُضْغَةًمِثْلَذَلِكَثُمَّيُرْسَلُالْمَلَكُفَيَنْفُخُفِيهِالرُّوحَوَيُؤْمَرُبِأَرْبَعِكَلِمَاتٍبِكَتْبِرِزْقِهِوَأَجَلِهِوَعَمَلِهِوَشَقِيٌّأَوْسَعِيدٌفَوَالَّذِيلَاإِلَهَغَيْرُهُإِنَّأَحَدَكُمْلَيَعْمَلُبِعَمَلِأَهْلِالْجَنَّةِحَتَّىمَايَكُونُبَيْنَهُوَبَيْنَهَاإِلَّاذِرَاعٌفَيَسْبِقُعَلَيْهِالْكِتَابُفَيَعْمَلُبِعَمَلِأَهْلِالنَّارِفَيَدْخُلُهَاوَإِنَّأَحَدَكُمْلَيَعْمَلُبِعَمَلِأَهْلِالنَّارِحَتَّىمَايَكُونُبَيْنَهُوَبَيْنَهَاإِلَّاذِرَاعٌفَيَسْبِقُعَلَيْهِالْكِتَابُفَيَعْمَلُبِعَمَلِأَهْلِالْجَنَّةِفَيَدْخُلُهَا

“Verily, the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of seed, then he is a clot of blood for another period, then a morsel of flesh for another period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him and who is commanded regarding four matters: to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions, and whether he is happy or unhappy. By Allah other than whom there is no god, verily, one of you behaves like the people of Paradise until he is but an arm’s length from it, but that which has been written overtakes him, so he behaves like the people of Hellfire and thus he enters it; and one of you behaves like the people of Hellfire until he is but an arm’s length from it, and that which has been written overtakes him, so he behaves like the people of Paradise and thus he enters it.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2643, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 5: Religious Innovation and Heresy (al-Bid’ah)

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

مَنْأَحْدَثَفِيأَمْرِنَاهَذَامَالَيْسَفِيهِفَهُوَرَدٌّ

“Whoever innovates something into this affair of ours which does not belong to it will have it rejected.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 2550, Grade: Sahih

In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

مَنْعَمِلَعَمَلًالَيْسَعَلَيْهِأَمْرُنَافَهُوَرَدٌّ

“Whoever performs a deed that is not in accordance with our matter will have it rejected.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1718, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 6: Lawful and Unlawful (Halal wal Haram)

Numan ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:

الْحَلَالُبَيِّنٌوَالْحَرَامُبَيِّنٌوَبَيْنَهُمَامُشَبَّهَاتٌلَايَعْلَمُهَاكَثِيرٌمِنْالنَّاسِفَمَنْاتَّقَىالْمُشَبَّهَاتِاسْتَبْرَأَلِدِينِهِوَعِرْضِهِوَمَنْوَقَعَفِيالشُّبُهَاتِكَرَاعٍيَرْعَىحَوْلَالْحِمَىيُوشِكُأَنْيُوَاقِعَهُأَلَاوَإِنَّلِكُلِّمَلِكٍحِمًىأَلَاإِنَّحِمَىاللَّهِفِيأَرْضِهِمَحَارِمُهُأَلَاوَإِنَّفِيالْجَسَدِمُضْغَةًإِذَاصَلَحَتْصَلَحَالْجَسَدُكُلُّهُوَإِذَافَسَدَتْفَسَدَالْجَسَدُكُلُّهُأَلَاوَهِيَالْقَلْبُ

“That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 52, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 7: Religion is Sincerity (an-Naseehah)

Tamim Al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), peace and blessings be upon him, said three times:

إِنَّالدِّينَالنَّصِيحَةُإِنَّالدِّينَالنَّصِيحَةُإِنَّالدِّينَالنَّصِيحَةُ

“Verily, the religion is sincerity.”

We said, “To whom?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

لِلَّهِوَكِتَابِهِوَرَسُولِهِوَأَئِمَّةِالْمُؤْمِنِينَوَعَامَّتِهِمْوَأَئِمَّةِالْمُسْلِمِينَوَعَامَّتِهِمْ

“To Allah and His Book, and His messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 55, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 8: Fighting in Defense of Islam (al-Jihad)

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أُمِرْتُأَنْأُقَاتِلَالنَّاسَحَتَّىيَقُولُوالَاإِلَهَإِلَّااللَّهُفَإِذَاقَالُوالَاإِلَهَإِلَّااللَّهُعَصَمُوامِنِّيدِمَاءَهُمْوَأَمْوَالَهُمْإِلَّابِحَقِّهَاوَحِسَابُهُمْعَلَىاللَّهِ

“I have been commanded to fight the people until they say there is no God but Allah, so when they say there is no God but Allah then their lives and wealth are protected from me – except by right of justice – and their reckoning is with Allah.”

Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the verse:

إِنَّمَاأَنْتَمُذَكِّرٌلَسْتَعَلَيْهِمْبِمُصَيْطِرٍ

“Verily, you are only a reminder; you are not over them as a dictator.” (88:22)

Source: Sahih Muslim 21, Grade: Sahih

Ibn Taymiyah comments on this tradition, saying:

مُرَادُهُقِتَالُالْمُحَارِبِينَالَّذِينَأَذِنَاللَّهُفِيقِتَالِهِمْلَمْيُرِدْقِتَالَالْمُعَاهَدِينَالَّذِينَأَمَرَاللَّهُبِوَفَاءِعَهْدِهِمْ

“The meaning of this tradition is to fight those who are waging war whom Allah has called us to fight, and it does not mean to fight those who have made peace with whom Allah has commanded us to fulfill their peace.”

Source: Majmu’ Al-Fatawa 19/20

Hadith 9: Avoid Excessive Questioning

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:

مَانَهَيْتُكُمْعَنْهُفَاجْتَنِبُوهُوَمَاأَمَرْتُكُمْبِهِفَافْعَلُوامِنْهُمَااسْتَطَعْتُمْفَإِنَّمَاأَهْلَكَالَّذِينَمِنْقَبْلِكُمْكَثْرَةُمَسَائِلِهِمْوَاخْتِلَافُهُمْعَلَىأَنْبِيَائِهِمْ

“Avoid what I have forbidden for you, and do what I have commanded you as much as you are able. Verily, the people before you were destroyed only because of their excessive questioning and contradicting their prophets (peace be upon them).”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1337, Grade: Sahih

In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

اتْرُكُونِيمَاتَرَكْتُكُمْفَإِذَاحَدَّثْتُكُمْفَخُذُواعَنِّيفَإِنَّمَاهَلَكَمَنْكَانَقَبْلَكُمْبِكَثْرَةِسُؤَالِهِمْوَاخْتِلَافِهِمْعَلَىأَنْبِيَائِهِمْ

“Leave me with what I have left you. When I narrate a saying to you, then take it from me. Indeed, the people before you were destroyed only because of their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their prophets (peace be upon them).”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2679, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 10: Allah is Pure and Accepts Only Pure

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَيُّهَاالنَّاسُإِنَّاللَّهَطَيِّبٌلَايَقْبَلُإِلَّاطَيِّبًاوَإِنَّاللَّهَأَمَرَالْمُؤْمِنِينَبِمَاأَمَرَبِهِالْمُرْسَلِينَفَقَالَيَاأَيُّهَاالرُّسُلُكُلُوامِنْالطَّيِّبَاتِوَاعْمَلُواصَالِحًاإِنِّيبِمَاتَعْمَلُونَعَلِيمٌوَقَالَيَاأَيُّهَاالَّذِينَآمَنُواكُلُوامِنْطَيِّبَاتِمَارَزَقْنَاكُمْ

“O people, ver ily, Allah is pure and He accepts only what is pure. Ver ily, Allah has commanded the believers with that which He commanded His Messengers. He said: O Messengers, eat from good things and work righteousness, for indeed I am knowing of what you do (23:51); and He said: O you who believe, eat from good things with which We have provided you.”(2:172)

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) added:

ثُمَّذَكَرَالرَّجُلَيُطِيلُالسَّفَرَأَشْعَثَأَغْبَرَيَمُدُّيَدَيْهِإِلَىالسَّمَاءِيَارَبِّيَارَبِّوَمَطْعَمُهُحَرَامٌوَمَشْرَبُهُحَرَامٌوَمَلْبَسُهُحَرَامٌوَغُذِيَبِالْحَرَامِفَأَنَّىيُسْتَجَابُلِذَلِكَ

“Then he mentioned the case of a man who, having traveled very far, becomes disheveled and dusty and he raises his hands to the sky, saying, “O Lord! O Lord!” while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished with the unlawful, so how can he be answered?”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1015, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 11: Leave Doubts

Al-Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

دَعْمَايَرِيبُكَإِلَىمَالَايَرِيبُكَفَإِنَّالصِّدْقَطُمَأْنِينَةٌوَإِنَّالْكَذِبَرِيبَةٌ

“Leave what makes you doubt to what does not make you doubt; verily, truth brings tranquility but falsehood brings doubts.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2518, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 12: Minding Our Own Business

Ali ibn Hussein (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّمِنْحُسْنِإِسْلَامِالْمَرْءِتَرْكَهُمَالَايَعْنِيهِ

“Verily, from the perfection of a person’s Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2318, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 13: Love Good For All Creation

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَايُؤْمِنُأَحَدُكُمْحَتَّىيُحِبَّلِأَخِيهِأَوْقَالَلِجَارِهِمَايُحِبُّلِنَفْسِهِ

“None of you believes until he loves for his brother or his neighbor what he loves for himself.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 13, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْأَحَبَّأَنْيُزَحْزَحَعَنْالنَّارِوَيَدْخُلَالْجَنَّةَفَلْتُدْرِكْهُمَنِيَّتُهُوَهُوَيُؤْمِنُبِاللَّهِوَالْيَوْمِالْآخِرِوَيَأْتِيإِلَىالنَّاسِمَايُحِبُّأَنْيُؤْتَىإِلَيْهِ

“Whoever would love to be delivered from the Hellfire and entered into Paradise, then let him die with faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat the people the way he would love to be treated.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1844, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 14: Legal Punishment

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَايَحِلُّدَمُامْرِئٍمُسْلِمٍيَشْهَدُأَنْلَاإِلَهَإِلَّااللَّهُوَأَنِّيرَسُولُاللَّهِإِلَّابِإِحْدَىثَلَاثٍالثَّيِّبُالزَّانِيوَالنَّفْسُبِالنَّفْسِوَالتَّارِكُلِدِينِهِالْمُفَارِقُلِلْجَمَاعَةِ

“It is unlawful to shed the blood of a Muslim person who testifies that there is no God but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah except in one of three cases: the married person who commits adultery, legal retaliation for murder, and a person who leaves their religion and rebels against the community.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1676, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 15: Good Manners with Neighbors and Guests

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْكَانَيُؤْمِنُبِاللَّهِوَالْيَوْمِالآخِرِفَلْيَقُلْخَيْرًاأَوْلِيَصْمُتْوَمَنْكَانَيُؤْمِنُبِاللَّهِوَالْيَوْمِالآخِرِفَلْيُكْرِمْجَارَهُوَمَنْكَانَيُؤْمِنُبِاللَّهِوَالْيَوْمِالآخِرِفَلْيُكْرِمْضَيْفَهُ

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak goodness or be silent; and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor; and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 47, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 16: Do Not Become Angry

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: A man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“Counsel me.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَاتَغْضَبْ

“Do not become angry.”

The man repeated his request several times, and he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)kept saying:

لَاتَغْضَبْ

“Do not become angry.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 5765, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 17: Excellence in All Things

Shaddad ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّاللَّهَكَتَبَالْإِحْسَانَعَلَىكُلِّشَيْءٍفَإِذَاقَتَلْتُمْفَأَحْسِنُواالْقِتْلَةَوَإِذَاذَبَحْتُمْفَأَحْسِنُواالذَّبْحَوَلْيُحِدَّأَحَدُكُمْشَفْرَتَهُفَلْيُرِحْذَبِيحَتَهُ

“Verily Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1955, Grade: Sahih

Hadit h 18: Fear Allah Wherever You Are

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اتَّقِاللَّهِحَيْثُمَاكُنْتَوَأَتْبِعْالسَّيِّئَةَالْحَسَنَةَتَمْحُهَاوَخَالِقِالنَّاسَبِخُلُقٍحَسَنٍ

“Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out, and behave with good character towards people.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1987, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 19: Be Mindful of Allah

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: One day I was behind the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said to me:

يَاغُلَامُإِنِّيأُعَلِّمُكَكَلِمَاتٍاحْفَظْاللَّهَيَحْفَظْكَاحْفَظْاللَّهَتَجِدْهُتُجَاهَكَإِذَاسَأَلْتَفَاسْأَلْاللَّهَوَإِذَااسْتَعَنْتَفَاسْتَعِنْبِاللَّهِوَاعْلَمْأَنَّالْأُمَّةَلَوْاجْتَمَعَتْعَلَىأَنْيَنْفَعُوكَبِشَيْءٍلَمْيَنْفَعُوكَإِلَّابِشَيْءٍقَدْكَتَبَهُاللَّهُلَكَوَلَوْاجْتَمَعُواعَلَىأَنْيَضُرُّوكَبِشَيْءٍلَمْيَضُرُّوكَإِلَّابِشَيْءٍقَدْكَتَبَهُاللَّهُعَلَيْكَرُفِعَتْالْأَقْلَامُوَجَفَّتْالصُّحُفُ

“O boy, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask from Allah; and when you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the entire creation were to gather together to benefit you, then would not benefit you except if Allah willed. And if the entire creation gathered together to harm you, they would not harm you except if Allah willed. The pens have been raised and the pages dried.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2516, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 20: Shame and Modesty

Abu Mas’ud Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّمِمَّاأَدْرَكَالنَّاسُمِنْكَلَامِالنُّبُوَّةِإِذَالَمْتَسْتَحْيِفَافْعَلْمَاشِئْتَ

“Verily, among the words people obtained from the first prophecy are: if you feel no shame, then do as you wish.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 3296, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 21: Uprightness

Sufyan ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to tell me something about Islam which I would not need to ask anybody afterwards. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)said:

قُلْآمَنْتُبِاللَّهِفَاسْتَقِمْ

“Say, “I believe in Allah,” and thereafter remain steadfast.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 38, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 22: Essentials of Salvation

Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: A man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramadan, treat as lawful that which is lawful and treat as forbidden that which is forbidden, and do nothing further, I shall enter Paradise?” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

نَعَمْ

“Yes.”

In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

مَنْسَرَّهُأَنْيَنْظُرَإِلَىرَجُلٍمِنْأَهْلِالْجَنَّةِفَلْيَنْظُرْإِلَىهَذَا

“He who is pleased to see a man from the people of Paradise should look to him.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 14, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 23: Purification is Half of Faith

Abu Malik Al-Ashari (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الطُّهُورُشَطْرُالْإِيمَانِوَالْحَمْدُلِلَّهِتَمْلَأُالْمِيزَانَوَسُبْحَانَاللَّهِوَالْحَمْدُلِلَّهِتَمْلَآَنِأَوْتَمْلَأُمَابَيْنَالسَّمَاوَاتِوَالْأَرْضِوَالصَّلَاةُنُورٌوَالصَّدَقَةُبُرْهَانٌوَالصَّبْرُضِيَاءٌوَالْقُرْآنُحُجَّةٌلَكَأَوْعَلَيْكَكُلُّالنَّاسِيَغْدُوفَبَايِعٌنَفْسَهُفَمُعْتِقُهَاأَوْمُوبِقُهَا

“Purity is half of faith and the praise of Allah fills the scale, glorification and praise fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of sincere faith), and patience is illumination, and the Quran is a proof for you or against you. All people go out early in the morning and sell themselves, either setting themselves free or destroying themselves.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 223, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 24: Allah Has Forbidden Oppression

Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: Among the sayings the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, relates from his Lord is that Allah Almighty said:

يَاعِبَادِيإِنِّيحَرَّمْتُالظُّلْمَعَلَىنَفْسِيوَجَعَلْتُهُبَيْنَكُمْمُحَرَّمًافَلَاتَظَالَمُوا

“O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another. “

يَاعِبَادِيكُلُّكُمْضَالٌّإِلَّامَنْهَدَيْتُهُفَاسْتَهْدُونِيأَهْدِكُمْ

“O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you.”

يَاعِبَادِيكُلُّكُمْجَائِعٌإِلَّامَنْأَطْعَمْتُهُفَاسْتَطْعِمُونِيأُطْعِمْكُمْ

“O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you.”

يَاعِبَادِيكُلُّكُمْعَارٍإِلَّامَنْكَسَوْتُهُفَاسْتَكْسُونِيأَكْسُكُمْ

“O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you.”

يَاعِبَادِيإِنَّكُمْتُخْطِئُونَبِاللَّيْلِوَالنَّهَارِوَأَنَاأَغْفِرُالذُّنُوبَجَمِيعًافَاسْتَغْفِرُونِيأَغْفِرْلَكُمْ

“O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you.”

يَاعِبَادِيإِنَّكُمْلَنْتَبْلُغُواضَرِّيفَتَضُرُّونِيوَلَنْتَبْلُغُوانَفْعِيفَتَنْفَعُونِي

“O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me.”

يَاعِبَادِيلَوْأَنَّأَوَّلَكُمْوَآخِرَكُمْوَإِنْسَكُمْوَجِنَّكُمْكَانُواعَلَىأَتْقَىقَلْبِرَجُلٍوَاحِدٍمِنْكُمْمَازَادَذَلِكَفِيمُلْكِيشَيْئًا

“O my servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to become as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.”

يَاعِبَادِيلَوْأَنَّأَوَّلَكُمْوَآخِرَكُمْوَإِنْسَكُمْوَجِنَّكُمْكَانُواعَلَىأَفْجَرِقَلْبِرَجُلٍوَاحِدٍمَانَقَصَذَلِكَمِنْمُلْكِيشَيْئًا

“O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything.”

يَاعِبَادِيلَوْأَنَّأَوَّلَكُمْوَآخِرَكُمْوَإِنْسَكُمْوَجِنَّكُمْقَامُوافِيصَعِيدٍوَاحِدٍفَسَأَلُونِيفَأَعْطَيْتُكُلَّإِنْسَانٍمَسْأَلَتَهُمَانَقَصَذَلِكَمِمَّاعِنْدِيإِلَّاكَمَايَنْقُصُالْمِخْيَطُإِذَاأُدْخِلَالْبَحْرَ

“O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it.”

يَاعِبَادِيإِنَّمَاهِيَأَعْمَالُكُمْأُحْصِيهَالَكُمْثُمَّأُوَفِّيكُمْإِيَّاهَافَمَنْوَجَدَخَيْرًافَلْيَحْمَدْاللَّهَوَمَنْوَجَدَغَيْرَذَلِكَفَلَايَلُومَنَّإِلَّانَفْسَهُ

“O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2577, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 25: Many Ways to Give Charity

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: Some people from the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the rich have taken the rewards. They perform prayer as we pray, they fast as we fast, and they give charity from their extra wealth.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَوَلَيْسَقَدْجَعَلَاللَّهُلَكُمْمَاتَصَّدَّقُونَإِنَّبِكُلِّتَسْبِيحَةٍصَدَقَةًوَكُلِّتَكْبِيرَةٍصَدَقَةًوَكُلِّتَحْمِيدَةٍصَدَقَةًوَكُلِّتَهْلِيلَةٍصَدَقَةًوَأَمْرٌبِالْمَعْرُوفِصَدَقَةٌوَنَهْيٌعَنْمُنْكَرٍصَدَقَةٌوَفِيبُضْعِأَحَدِكُمْصَدَقَةٌ

“Has not Allah made for you ways to give charity? In every glorification of Allah there is charity; and in every declaration of His greatness there is charity; and in praise of Him is charity; and in every declaration of His oneness there is charity; and enjoining good is charity and forbidding evil is charity; and in a man’s intimate relations with his wife is charity.”

They said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), is there a reward for one who satisfies his passions?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَرَأَيْتُمْلَوْوَضَعَهَافِيحَرَامٍأَكَانَعَلَيْهِفِيهَاوِزْرٌفَكَذَلِكَإِذَاوَضَعَهَافِيالْحَلَالِكَانَلَهُأَجْرًا

“You see if he were to devote himself to something forbidden it would be a sin; likewise, if he were to devote himself to something lawful, he will have a reward.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 1006, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 26: Charity Due Upon Every Joint

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

كُلُّسُلَامَىمِنْالنَّاسعَلَيْهِصَدَقَةٌكُلَّيَوْمٍتَطْلُعُفِيهِالشَّمْسُيَعْدِلُبَيْنَالنَّاسِصَدَقَةٌ

“There is charity due upon every joint of the human body; every day on which the sun rises there is a reward of charity for the one who establishes justice among people.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 2560, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 27: Righteousness is Good Character

Al-Nawwas ibn Samaan (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْبِرُّحُسْنُالْخُلُقِوَالإِثْمُمَاحَاكَفِيصَدْرِكَوَكَرِهْتَأَنْيَطَّلِعَعَلَيْهِالنَّاسُ

“Righteousness is to have good character and sin is what festers in your heart and you hate for people to know about it.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2553, Grade: Sahih

In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)said:

اسْتَفْتِنَفْسَكَاسْتَفْتِقَلْبَكَيَاوَابِصَةُثَلَاثًاالْبِرُّمَااطْمَأَنَّتْإِلَيْهِالنَّفْسُوَاطْمَأَنَّإِلَيْهِالْقَلْبُوَالْإِثْمُمَاحَاكَفِيالنَّفْسِوَتَرَدَّدَفِيالصَّدْرِوَإِنْأَفْتَاكَالنَّاسُوَأَفْتَوْكَ

“Consult your soul, consult your heart, O Wabisa. Righteousness is what is satisfying to your soul and your heart. Sin is what wavers in your soul and causes hesitancy in your chest, even if the people give you a judgment, and again give you a judgment.”

Source: Sunan Ad-Darimi 2533, Grade: Hasan

Hadith 28: Upholding the Sunnah

Al-‘Irbad ibn Sariyah(may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day after prayer the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, admonished us such that the eyes wept and hearts shuddered. A man said, “Indeed, this is a farewell speech, so what do you order us, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?”He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أُوصِيكُمْبِتَقْوَىاللَّهِوَالسَّمْعِوَالطَّاعَةِوَإِنْعَبْدٌحَبَشِيٌّفَإِنَّهُمَنْيَعِشْمِنْكُمْيَرَىاخْتِلَافًاكَثِيرًاوَإِيَّاكُمْوَمُحْدَثَاتِالْأُمُورِفَإِنَّهَاضَلَالَةٌفَمَنْأَدْرَكَذَلِكَمِنْكُمْفَعَلَيْهِبِسُنَّتِيوَسُنَّةِالْخُلَفَاءِالرَّاشِدِينَالْمَهْدِيِّينَعَضُّواعَلَيْهَابِالنَّوَاجِذِ

“I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey your leaders even if he is a slave from Ethiopia. Indeed, whoever lives among you will see many differences. Beware of newly invented matters, for indeed they are misguidance. So whoever sees that must uphold my precedent (sunnah) and the precedent of the upright successors who are guided; bite onto it with you molar teeth.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2676, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 29: Virtuous Deeds

Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: I was with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and we woke up one day and I said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), tell me about a deed that will enter me into Paradise and keep me away from the Fire.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

لَقَدْسَأَلْتَنِيعَنْعَظِيمٍوَإِنَّهُلَيَسِيرٌعَلَىمَنْيَسَّرَهُاللَّهُعَلَيْهِتَعْبُدُاللَّهَوَلَاتُشْرِكْبِهِشَيْئًاوَتُقِيمُالصَّلَاةَوَتُؤْتِيالزَّكَاةَوَتَصُومُرَمَضَانَوَتَحُجُّالْبَيْتَ

“You have asked about an enormous matter, yet it is easy for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him; establish the prayer; give the charity; fast the month of Ramadan; and perform pilgrimage to the House.”

Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَلَاأَدُلُّكَعَلَىأَبْوَابِالْخَيْرِالصَّوْمُجُنَّةٌوَالصَّدَقَةُتُطْفِئُالْخَطِيئَةَكَمَايُطْفِئُالْمَاءُالنَّارَوَصَلَاةُالرَّجُلِمِنْجَوْفِاللَّيْلِ

“Shall I not tell you about the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire; and the prayer of a man in the late night.”

Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited:

تَتَجَافَىجُنُوبُهُمْعَنْالْمَضَاجِعِحَتَّىبَلَغَيَعْمَلُونَ

“They arise from their beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend from what We have provided them, and no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.” [Surah As-Sajda 32:16-17]

Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَلَاأُخْبِرُكَبِرَأْسِالْأَمْرِكُلِّهِوَعَمُودِهِوَذِرْوَةِسَنَامِهِ

“Shall I not tell you about the head of the matter and its peak?”

I said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).”

He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

رَأْسُالْأَمْرِالْإِسْلَامُوَعَمُودُهُالصَّلَاةُوَذِرْوَةُسَنَامِهِالْجِهَادُ

“The head of the matter is Islam; its pillar is the prayer; and struggle (jihad) is its peak.”

Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَلَاأُخْبِرُكَبِمَلَاكِذَلِكَكُلِّهِ

“Shall I not tell you how to achieve all of this?”

I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),” and he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of his tongue and said:

كُفَّعَلَيْكَهَذَا

“Restrain this.”

I said, “O Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), will what we say be held against us?”

He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

ثَكِلَتْكَأُمُّكَيَامُعَاذُوَهَلْيَكُبُّالنَّاسَفِيالنَّارِعَلَىوُجُوهِهِمْأَوْعَلَىمَنَاخِرِهِمْإِلَّاحَصَائِدُأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ

“May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’adh! Is there anything that topples people onto their faces in the Hellfire except the harvest of their tongues?”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2616, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 30: Duties, Limits, and Allah’s Merciful Silence

Abu Tha’laba Al-Khushani (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّاللَّهَفَرَضَفَرَائِضَفَلَاتُضَيِّعُوهَاوَحَدَّحُدُودًافَلَاتَعْتَدُوهَاوَسَكَتَعَنْأَشْيَاءَرَحْمَةًلَكُمْغَيْرَنِسْيَانٍفَلَاتَبْحَثُواعَنْهَا

“Verily, Allah has made duties obligatory, so do not neglect them; and He has set limits, so do not transgress them; and He has remained silent concerning things as mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not search them out.”

Source: Sunan Al-Daraqutani 4316, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 31: Renounce the World and Allah Will Love You

Sahl ibn Sa’ad Al-Sa’di (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)and said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), tell me about a deed I can do which will make Allah and the people love me.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

ازْهَدْفِيالدُّنْيَايُحِبَّكَاللَّهُوَازْهَدْفِيمَافِيأَيْدِيالنَّاسِيُحِبُّوكَ

“Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what people possess and the people will love you.”

Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 4102, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 32: No Being Harmed or Harming Others

Sa’d bin Malik Al-Khudari (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, made a decree:

لاَضَرَرَوَلاَضِرَارَ

“Do not be harmed or harm others.”

Source: Sunan ibn Majah 2340, Grade: Hasan

Hadith 33: Burden of Proof is Upon the Claimant

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَوْيُعْطَىالنَّاسُبِدَعْوَاهُمْلَادَّعَىرِجَالٌأَمْوَالَقَوْمٍوَدِمَاءَهُمْوَلَكِنَّالْبَيِّنَةَعَلَىالْمُدَّعِيوَالْيَمِينَعَلَىمَنْأَنْكَرَ

“If people were given in accordance with their claims, then men would claim the wealth and lives of other people; rather, the burden of proof is on the claimant, and the taking of an oath is an obligation upon him who denies the claim.”

Source: Sunan Al-Kubra 20604 Grade: Hasan

Hadith 34: Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْرَأَىمِنْكُمْمُنْكَرًافَلْيُغَيِّرْهُبِيَدِهِفَإِنْلَمْيَسْتَطِعْفَبِلِسَانِهِفَإِنْلَمْيَسْتَطِعْفَبِقَلْبِهِوَذَلِكَأَضْعَفُالْإِيمَانِ

“Whoever among you sees something wrong should change it with his hands. If he is unable to do so, then with his tongue. If he is unable to do so, then at least hate it in his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 49, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 35: Manners of Brotherhood

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَاتَحَاسَدُواوَلَاتَنَاجَشُواوَلَاتَبَاغَضُواوَلَاتَدَابَرُواوَلَايَبِعْبَعْضُكُمْعَلَىبَيْعِبَعْضٍوَكُونُواعِبَادَاللَّهِإِخْوَانًاالْمُسْلِمُأَخُوالْمُسْلِمِلَايَظْلِمُهُوَلَايَخْذُلُهُوَلَايَحْقِرُهُالتَّقْوَىهَاهُنَاوَيُشِيرُإِلَىصَدْرِهِثَلَاثَمَرَّاتٍبِحَسْبِامْرِئٍمِنْالشَّرِّأَنْيَحْقِرَأَخَاهُالْمُسْلِمَكُلُّالْمُسْلِمِعَلَىالْمُسْلِمِحَرَامٌدَمُهُوَمَالُهُوَعِرْضُهُ

“Do not envy, and do not outbid each other, and do not hate, and do not turn away, and do not outsell each other, and be servants of Allah as brothers. The Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He does not wrong him or humiliate him or look down upon him. Righteousness is here, and he pointed to his chest three times. It is sufficient evil for a person to look down upon his brother Muslim. All of the Muslim is sacred to another Muslim: his life, his wealth, and his honor.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2564, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 36: Allah Helps Him Who Helps His Brother

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْنَفَّسَعَنْمُؤْمِنٍكُرْبَةًمِنْكُرَبِالدُّنْيَانَفَّسَاللَّهُعَنْهُكُرْبَةًمِنْكُرَبِيَوْمِالْقِيَامَةِوَمَنْيَسَّرَعَلَىمُعْسِرٍيَسَّرَاللَّهُعَلَيْهِفِيالدُّنْيَاوَالآخِرَةِوَمَنْسَتَرَمُسْلِمًاسَتَرَهُاللَّهُفِيالدُّنْيَاوَالآخِرَةِوَاللَّهُفِيعَوْنِالْعَبْدِمَاكَانَالْعَبْدُفِيعَوْنِأَخِيهِوَمَنْسَلَكَطَرِيقًايَلْتَمِسُفِيهِعِلْمًاسَهَّلَاللَّهُلَهُبِهِطَرِيقًاإِلَىالْجَنَّةِوَمَااجْتَمَعَقَوْمٌفِيبَيْتٍمِنْبُيُوتِاللَّهِيَتْلُونَكِتَابَاللَّهِوَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُبَيْنَهُمْإِلاَّنَزَلَتْعَلَيْهِمُالسَّكِينَةُوَغَشِيَتْهُمُالرَّحْمَةُوَحَفَّتْهُمُالْمَلاَئِكَةُوَذَكَرَهُمُاللَّهُفِيمَنْعِنْدَهُوَمَنْبَطَّأَبِهِعَمَلُهُلَمْيُسْرِعْبِهِنَسَبُهُ

“He who relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Judgment. He who makes easy what is difficult, Allah will make it easy for him in the world and the Hereafter. He who conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in the world and the Hereafter. Allah helps the servant so long as he helps his brother. He who travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy a path to Paradise. A people do not gather toget her in the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying together, except that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those with Him. And he who is slow to good deeds will not be hastened by his lineage”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2699, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 37: Recording of Good and Bad Deeds

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: Among the sayings of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he relates from his Lord is:

إِنَّاللَّهَكَتَبَالْحَسَنَاتِوَالسَّيِّئَاتِثُمَّبَيَّنَذَلِكَفَمَنْهَمَّبِحَسَنَةٍفَلَمْيَعْمَلْهَاكَتَبَهَااللَّهُعِنْدَهُحَسَنَةًكَامِلَةًوَإِنْهَمَّبِهَافَعَمِلَهَاكَتَبَهَااللَّهُعَزَّوَجَلَّعِنْدَهُعَشْرَحَسَنَاتٍإِلَىسَبْعِمِائَةِضِعْفٍإِلَىأَضْعَافٍكَثِيرَةٍوَإِنْهَمَّبِسَيِّئَةٍفَلَمْيَعْمَلْهَاكَتَبَهَااللَّهُعِنْدَهُحَسَنَةًكَامِلَةًوَإِنْهَمَّبِهَافَعَمِلَهَاكَتَبَهَااللَّهُسَيِّئَةًوَاحِدَةً

“Verily, Allah has recorded good and bad deeds and He made them clear. Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, then Allah will record it as a complete good deed, but if he intends to do it and does so, then Allah the Exalted will record it as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times as much or even more; if he intends to do a bad deed and does not do it, then Allah will record for him one complete good deed, but if he does it then Allah will record for him a single bad deed.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 131, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 38: Loyal Friends of Allah

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ

“Verily, Allah Almighty said: Whoever shows hostility to a friend of mine, then I have declared war upon him. My servant does not grow closer to me with anything more beloved to Me than the duties I have imposed upon him. My servant continues to draw near me with extra works until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask something from me, I would surely give it to him; and if he were to ask me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6137, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 39: Pardon For Honest Mistakes

Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّاللَّهَتَجَاوَزَعَنْأُمَّتِيالْخَطَأَوَالنِّسْيَانَوَمَااسْتُكْرِهُواعَلَيْهِ

“Verily, Allah has pardoned my nation for their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and what they are coerced into doing.”

Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 2043, Grade: Hasan

Hadith 40: Be in the World as a Stranger

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took hold of my shoulder and said:

كُنْفِيالدُّنْيَاكَأَنَّكَغَرِيبٌ،أَوْعَابِرُسَبِيلٍ

“Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6053, Grade: Sahih

Hadith 41: Desires and Islam

Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَنْيَسْتَكْمِلَمُؤْمِنٌإِيمَانَهُحَتَّىيَكُونَهَوَاهُتَبَعًالِمَاجِئْتُكُمْبِهِ

“A believer will never perfect his faith until his desires follow what I have brought to you.”

Source: Al-Madkhal As-Sunnah Al-Kubra 150, Grade: Hasan

Hadith 42: Door of Repentance is Always Open

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:

قَالَاللَّهُتَبَارَكَوَتَعَالَىيَاابْنَآدَمَإِنَّكَمَادَعَوْتَنِيوَرَجَوْتَنِيغَفَرْتُلَكَعَلَىمَاكَانَفِيكَوَلَاأُبَالِييَاابْنَآدَمَلَوْبَلَغَتْذُنُوبُكَعَنَانَالسَّمَاءِثُمَّاسْتَغْفَرْتَنِيغَفَرْتُلَكَوَلَاأُبَالِييَاابْنَآدَمَإِنَّكَلَوْأَتَيْتَنِيبِقُرَابِالْأَرْضِخَطَايَاثُمَّلَقِيتَنِيلَاتُشْرِكُبِيشَيْئًالَأَتَيْتُكَبِقُرَابِهَامَغْفِرَةً

“Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: O son of Adam, however much you call upon Me and place your hopes in Me, I will forgive you without any reservation. O son of Adam, if you have sins piling up to the clouds and then ask My forgiveness, I will forgive you without any reservation. O son of Adam, if you come to me with enough mistakes to fill the Earth, and meet Me without associating anything as a partner with Me, I will come to you with enough forgiveness to fill the earth.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3540, Grade: Sahih

As the result of man’s progress in science and industry, some scientific and technological wonders such as planes, electricity, motor vehicles, and means of radio and telecommunication have come into existence and taken the most prominent position in the material life of mankind. As it addresses the whole of mankind [at all times], the wise Quran certainly does not ignore these. Indeed, it has not ignored them and points to them in two ways:

• By way of the miracles of the Prophets.
• In connection with certain historical events.

For example:

Down with the makers of the trench of the fuel-fed fire! When they sat by it, and were them selves the witnesses of what they did to the believers. They ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in God, the Mighty, the All-Praised One. (85:4-8)

Likewise,

... in the loaded fleet. And We have created for them the like thereof whereon they ride. (36:41-2)

Verses like these point to trains, while the following verse, besides having many other meanings and connotations, alludes to electricity:

God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp, The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. Kindled from a blessed tree, an olive , neither of the East or of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of it self) though no fire touched it: Light upon light.1 God guides to His Light whom He wills. (24:35)

Since numerous people have occupied themselves with the second sort of verses, those which allude to modern technological wonders in connection with historical events, and since they require much care and detailed explanation, and are in great number, for the present I shall content myself with these verses that allude to trains and electricity.

He was deeply loved by his Companions, as evidenced by this historical episode: A group from the Adal and al-Qarah tribes, who were apparently from the same ancestral stock as the Quraysh and who live d near Makka, came to the Prophet during the third year of the Islamic era and said: "Some of us have chosen Islam, so send a group of Muslims to instruct us what Islam means, teach us the Qur'an, and inform us of Islam's principles and laws."

The Messenger selected six Companions to go with them. Upon reaching the Hudhayl tribe's land, the group halted and the Companions settled down to rest. Suddenly, a group of Hudhayli tribesmen fell upon them like a thunderbolt with their swords drawn. Clearly, the mission either had been a ruse from the beginning or its members had changed their minds en route. At any rate, they sided with the attackers and sought to seize the six Muslims. As soon as the Companions were aware of what was happening, they grabbed their arms and got ready to defend themselves. Three were martyred, and the rest were tied up and taken to Makka, where they were to be delivered to the Quraysh.

Near Makka, 'Abdullah ibn Tariq managed to free his hand and reach for his sword. However , his captors saw what he was doing and stoned him to death. Zayd and Hubayb were carried to Makka, where they were exchanged for two Hudhayli captives. Safwan Ibn Umayya al-Qurayshi bought Zayd from the person to whom he had been sold so that he could avenge the blood of his father, who had been killed during the Battle of Badr. He took him outside Makka to kill him, and the Quraysh assembled to see what would happen.

Zayd came forward with a courageous gait and did not even tremble. Abu Sufyan, a spectator who wanted to use this chance to extract a statement of contrition and remorse or an avowal of hatred of the Prophet, stepped forward and said: "I adjure you by God, Zayd, don't you wish that Muhammad was with us now in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?" "By God," said Zayd, "let alone wishing that, I do not wish that even a thorn should hurt his foot." Abu Sufyan, astonished, turned to those present and said: "By God, I swear I have never seen a man so loved by his followers as Muhammad."

After a while, Hubayb ibn Adiy was taken outside Makka for execution. Requesting the assembled people to let him perform two rak'a of prayer, to which they agreed, he did so in all humility, respect, and absorption. Then he spoke to them: "I swear by God that if I did not think that you might think that I was trying to delay my death out of fear, I would have prolonged my prayer."

After condemning Hubayb to crucifixion, his sweet voice was heard, with a perfect spirituality that held everyone in its spell, entreating God with these words: "O God! We have delivered the message of Your Messenger, so inform him of what has been done to us, and tell him my wish of peace and blessings upon him." Meanwhile, God's Messenger was returning his peace, saying: "Upon you be God's peace and blessings, O Hubayb!"

The concept of the Unseen pertains to what is supra-sensory and metaphysical or even meta-cosmic. In this sense, the past, as well as the future and everything beyond ordinary human senses are all included in the concept of the Unseen, provided that some concrete indications have not been manifest.

A miracle is an extraordinary accomplishment which God Almighty brings about at the hands of a Prophet in order to prove his Prophethood, strengthen the faith of believers, and to break the obstinacy of unbelievers.

The universe operates according to fixed laws that God has determined. But for these laws and the uniform character of natural events, everything would be happening in a continuously changing, unstable flux and we could therefore not have found out the Divine laws of nature or realized any scientific developments. Although recent discoveries in atomic physics have made it clear that whatever exists is a wave in continuous motion and therefore it is not possible to say that a second later its existence will be in the same state as it is in now, on the surface everything occurs according to the principles which the ‘classical’ or Newtonian physics established.

Normally, life has its own laws according to which we behave. We need certain amount of food and water to satisfy our hunger and thirst and go to a doctor when we are ill. We use animals to do certain kinds of labor for us but we cannot talk to them. Trees are fixed in their places and neither they nor stones and mountains give us greetings. We act in conformity with the laws of gravitation and repulsion and we do not attempt to rise upwards into the sky without first making calculations based upon those laws.

The One Who created the universe and made its operation dependent on certain laws that He established, is certainly able to change those laws for His special, beloved servant and envoy

Examples of the news the Quran gives concerning the future

The triumph of the Byzantines over the Persians

The Byzantine and Persian Empires were the super-powers of the time. It was during the years when the few believers were severely persecuted in Makka that the Persians utter ly defeated the Byzantines. They had sweeping victories, and conquered Aleppo, Antioch, and the chief Syrian provinces, including Damascus. Jerusalem fell to their arms in 614-615. The Christians were massacred and their churches burnt. The Persian flood of conquest went on to Egypt, and reached as far as Tripoli in North Africa. Another Persian army ravaged Asia Minor and reached right up to the gates of Constantinople. The Makkan pagans rejoiced greatly, and redoubled their taunts and persecution against the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, whose Message was a renewal of the Message of Jesus preached in Palestine. The following Quranic verses, which were revealed just at that time, gave certain tidings of a very near victory of the Romans over the Persians:

Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated in a land close by, but they, after their defeat, will be victorious, within nine years. God’s is the command in the former case and in the latter, and on that day believers will rejoice, with the help of God. He helps to victory whom He wills. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Compassionate. (30:1-5)

No one at that time could make such a prediction. But the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, conveyed these Divine Revelations to his followers. They confirmed him without hesitation and Abu Bakr bet the Makkan polytheists that the Romans would be victorious in nine years. Heraclius, the Roman Emperor attacked the Persians initially by sea in 622 (the year of the Hijra), and after decisive battles and three successive campaigns, put them to rout in a few years. His victories happened at the same time as the believers won the victory of Badr over the Makkan polytheists. Thus the verses above contained two predictions, both of which came true in nine years.

The Quran gave the news of the conquest of Makka two years before

It was only six years after the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, had emigrated to Madina that he left for Makka for a minor pilgrimage. However, the Makkans stopped him at Hudaybiya and a peaceful treaty was concluded after negotiations. Some articles of the Treaty were objected to by the believers but the Quranic verses which were revealed following the conclusion of the Treaty described it as a manifest victory and gave the believers the decisive glad tiding, which is as follows:

In truth, God fulfilled the vision of His Messenger: You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if God wills, in full security; you will have your heads shaved, your hair shortened, and you will have nothing to fear. He knew what you knew not, and He granted, besides this, a near victory. He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth , that He may cause it to prevail over all religion. God is enough for a witness. (al-Fath, 48.27-8)

One year later the Muslims performed the minor pilgrimage and the year after they conquered Makka. Also, Islam has been prevalent over all other religions for centuries and, if God wills, it will have a world-wide superiority in a near future.

The Quran gave the news that the dead body of Pharaoh would one day be discovered

In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh used to torture the Children of Israel. God sent Moses to him with the mission of inviting him to believe in One God and allow the Israelites to leave Egypt with Moses. Pharaoh refused and the struggle between them continued for a long time. However, one night Moses succeeded in marching towards the frontier with his people but Pharaoh, becoming aware of his attempt, set out to follow him. When Moses reached the Red Sea, he touched it with his staff, and a furrow opened across the sea. Pharaoh attempted to follow him, but was engulfed with his legions. While narrating this event, The Qur’an makes a very interesting prediction:

Today We shall preserve your body that you may be a sign to those after you: although most men give no heed to Our signs. (Yunus, 10.92)

The dead body of Pharaoh was later found floating on the Western shores of the Sinai peninsula. The native residents can still show you to this land, which is now known as Jabal Firawn (Hill of Pharaoh). A few miles from this hill is a hot spring called Hammam Firawn (the Bath of Pharaoh).

Tidings of the Last Day

A considerable part of the Quran is about the events of the Last Day. The Quran describes how the world will be destroyed and re-built again and how the dead will be raised, assembled in the Place of Mustering, and, after being judged, will go to either Paradise or Hell. The Quran also gives a vivid description of Paradise and Hell and the life in them.

Examples of the Prophet’s predictions which exist in books of Tradition

‘Umar reports in a narration recorded in Sahih al-Muslim:

‘Before the Battle of Badr started, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, walked around the battlefield and pointed to some locations, saying, Abu Jahl will be killed here, ‘Utba here, Shayba here, Walid here, and so on. By God, we found, after the battle, the dead bodies of all those men in the exact places that God’s Messenger had pointed out.’1

While in Makka under great tortures, the Prophet predicted the future victories of Islam.

Bukhari and Abu Dawud quote Habbab ibn Arat, who said:

Once, during the days of trouble and torture in Makka, I went to God’s Messenger, who was sitting in the shade of the Ka‘ba. I was still a slave in the hands of the Makkans then. They inflicted on me severe tortures. Unable to endure those tortures any more, I requested God’s Messenger to pray to God for help and salvation. But he turned towards me and said: “By God, previous communities had to endure more pitiless tortures. Some of them were made to lie in ditches and cut in two with saws but this did not make them forsake their faith. They were skinned alive but they never became weak against the enemy. Surely God will perfect this religion, but you display undue haste. A day will come when a woman will travel alone by herself from San’a to Hadramawt fearing nothing but wild beasts. However, you show impatience.”

Habbab concluded:

By God, what God’s Messenger predicted that day, have all come true. I have personally witnessed it all.²

The Messenger predicted ‘Ammar’s martyrdom in a civil war

Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad ibn Hanbal record:

During the construction of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, told ‘Ammar: “What a pity O ‘Ammar, a rebellious group will kill you. ³

Ammar was killed in the Battle of Siffin by the supporters of Mu‘awiya, who rebelled against Caliph ‘Ali.

The Prophet foretold that Fatima would join him first of all after his death

Before his death, the Messenger call ed his daughter Fatima to his bedside and informed her that she would be the first among his family to join him after his death. Fatima joined her father, the pride of mankind, six months later.⁴

The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, predicted the Mongol invasion, saying:

The Hour will not come before you fight against a people with red faces, small, slant eyes and flat noses. They wear hairy leather boots.⁵

The Messenger predicted the caliphate of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar

As related by Hakim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hanbal and Ibn Maja, by repeatedly declaring, You should, after my death, follow the way of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar,8 the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, meant that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar would succeed him as caliphs. He also predicted that Abu Bakr’s reign would be short, whereas ‘Umar would remain longer to be able to make many conquests.⁶

The Prophet predicted the conquest of many important cities.

According to authentic narrations, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, gave his community the glad tidings that they would conquer Damascus, Jerusalem, Iraq, Persia, Istanbul (Constantinople) and Cyprus, and that the religion of Islam would reach as far as the remotest corners of the world in the east and west.⁷

The Prophet predicted the forms of government after him

The Prophet declared:

This affair began with Prophethood and as a mercy; then it will be mercy and Caliphate; afterwards it will change into a cruel monarchy, and finally into an iniquity and tyranny. He also prophesied: Surely, the Caliphate after me will last thirty years; afterwards it will a cruel monarchy.⁸

Whatever the noble Prophet predicted came true.

The Prophet predicted the caliphate and martyrdom of ‘Uthman

According to an authentic narration, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, declared:

‘Uthman will be killed while reading the Quran. God will dress him in a shirt but they will desire to remove it from him.⁹

By this saying, he meant that ‘Uthman would become Caliph but his deposition would be sought, and finally he would be martyred while reading the Quran. This happened exactly as he predicted.

The Prophet foretold the future victories of Sa‘d

As narrated in a authentic Tradition, the noble Prophet of God, upon him be peace and blessings, said to Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas when the latter was gravely ill:

It is hoped that you will be spared so that some people may benefit through you and some others be harmed through you.10

By this, he suggested that Sa‘d would be a great commander and make many conquests, and while many peoples would benefit from him by converting to Islam, many others would be harmed through him as a result of the collapse of their states.

Sa‘d, just as predicted by the holy Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, took the command of the Muslim armies and destroyed the Persian Sassanid Empire, bringing many peoples within the guidance of Islam.

The Prophet predicted the conquest of Cyprus

Once, when the Prophet woke up in the house of Umm Haram, the aunt of Anas ibn Malik, who served the Messenger for ten years in Madina, he smilingly said:

“I dreamt that my community would be waging war in the sea sitting on thrones like kings.” Umm Haram asked: ‘Pray that I too may be with them’. He said firmly: “You shall be.”¹¹

All this came true forty years later when Umm Haram accompanied her husband ‘Ubada ibn Samit, on the conquest of Cyprus. She died there, and her tomb has since been a visited place.

The Prophet predicted the appearance of Mukhtar and Hajjaj

According to an authentic narration, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, declared:

From the tribe of Thaqif will appear a liar who claims Prophethood and a blood-thirsty tyrant.¹²

By this, he gave tidings of the notorious Mukhtar, who claimed Prophethood, and the criminal Hajjaj, who killed tens of thousands of people.

The Prophet predicted the conquest of Istanbul

Again, according to an authentic narration, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, declared:

Surely, Constantinople (Istanbul) will be conquered (by my community); how blessed the commander who will conquer it, and how blessed his army.¹³

He thus foretold the conquest of Istanbul by Muslims, and indicated the high spiritual rank of Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror, and the virtuousness of his army. What he foretold took place centuries later.

1. Bukhari, Tib, 1.

2. Abu Dawud, Tib, 10; Muslim, Salam, 69.

3. Tirmidhi, Tib, 2; Ibn Ma’ja, Tib, 1; I. Hanbal, 4.278.

4. Bukhari, Tib, 30; Muslim, Salam, 98.

5. Bukhari, Tib, 19; I. Hanbal, 2.443.

6. Muslim, Tahara, 91.

7. Abu Dawud, Adahi, 21; Ibn Ma’ja, Sayd, 2; I. Hanbal, 4.85.

8. Abu Dawud, At‘ıma, 11; Tirmidhi, At‘ıma, 39; I. Hanbal, 5.441.

9. Muslim, Tahara, 87; Abu Dawud, Tahara, 49; Tirmidhi, Tahara, 19.

10. Bukhari, Jumu‘a, 8; Muslim, Tahara, 42; Abu Dawud, Tahara, 25; Tirmidhi, Tahara, 18; Nasa’i, Tahara, 6; I. Ma’ja, Tahara, 7; I. Hanbal, 1.80.

11. Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 47; I. Hanbal, 4.132.

12. Kanz al-‘Ummal, 3.460.

13. Muslim, Fitan, 110; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 59; I. Hanbal, 4.182.

Some people joke too much and it becomes a habit for them. This is the opposite of the serious nature which is the characteristic of the believers. Joking is a break, a rest from ongoing seriousness and striving; it is a little relaxation for the soul. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allah have mercy on him) said:“Fear joking, for it is folly and generates grudges.”

Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:“The kind of joking which is forbidden is that which is excessive and persistent, for it leads to too much laughter and hardening of the heart, it distracts from remembrance of Allah, and it often leads to hurt feelings, generates hatred and causes people to lose respect and dignity. But whoever is safe from such dangers, then that which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do is permissible for him.”

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas said:“Set a limit to your jokes, for going to extremes makes you lose respect and incites the foolish against you.”

The amount of joking should be like the amount of salt in one’s food.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Do not laugh too much, for laughing too much deadens the heart.” (Saheeh al-Jami’, 7312)

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:“Whoever laughs too much or jokes too much loses respect, and whoever persists in doing something will be known for it.”

So beware of joking, for it“causes a person to lose face after he was thought of as respectable, and it brings him humiliation after esteem.”

A man said to Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah (may Allah be pleased with him),“Joking is not right, it is to be denounced.” He replied,“Rather it is Sunnah, but only for those who know how to do it and do it at the appropriate time.”

Nowadays, although the ummah needs to increase the love between its individual members and to relieve itself of boredom, it has gone too far with regard to relaxation, laughter and jokes. This has become a habit which fills their gatherings and wastes their time, so their lives are wasted and their newspapers are filled with jokes and trivia.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” In Fath al-Baari it says: “What is meant by knowledge here has to do with the might of Allah and His vengeance upon those who disobey Him, and the terrors that occur at death, in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection.”

Muslim men and women have to be inclined to choose righteous and serious friends in their lives, who will help them to make good use of their time and strive for the sake of Allah with seriousness and steadfastness, good and righteous people whose example they can follow. Bilaal ibn Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) said:“I saw them [the Sahaabah] jokingly pretending to fight over some goods, and laughing with one another, but when night came they were like monks.”

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked,“Did the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laugh?”He said,“Yes, and the faith in their hearts was like mountains.”

So you have to follow the example of such people, who were knights by day and monks (i.e., devoted worshippers) by night.

May Allah keep us, you and our parents safe on the Day of the Greatest Terror, those to whom the call will go out on that great Day:

“Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve”[al-A’raaf 7:49 – interpretation of the meaning]

Remembrance of Allah

Almost every person in the modern world is involved in some basic worldly activity like earning a living, going to school, eating, sleeping, and socializing. Naturally, we forget Allah and the obligations due to Him. When we forget Allah, this life and its worries become the central occupation of the human mind. Desires run wild. A person begins to ‘chase his shadow’, something he can never catch. For many, money becomes the sole goal of life. The more you make, the more you spend, the more you want.

Allah has set times to break regularly from the daily chores of life for a few minutes and worship Him. First thing in the morning before we begin our day, in the middle of the day, in the late afternoon, in the evening, and at night before we go to sleep. When done with concentration and properly, it awakens and stimulates the soul. A Muslim reminds himself that Allah is in charge of everything, he is Allah’s faithful servant, and Allah’s pleasure is His aim. For a few minutes, five times a day, a Muslim leaves this world and meets His Lord:

“And establish the prayers (salah) in order to remember Me.”(Quran 20:14)

God-consciousness (Taqwa in Arabic)

The prayers (salah) also makes a person God-conscious. When a person prays five times a day, he becomes accustomed to feeling the presence of God and develops the sense that Allah is watching Him at all times. He is never hidden from Allah, even when alone. A sense of God-consciousness keeps the heart suspended between fear and hope. Fear of Allah keeps a Muslim away from the prohibited and encourages him to do the obligatory; a mix of divine love and devout reverence that keeps him religiously observant. Regular performance of the prayers increases one’s awareness of Allah.

Seeking Forgiveness

To err is human, and even the most pious of Muslims sin and need to repent. We all need to constantly ask for Allah’s forgiveness and try our best not to repeat our mistakes. Without regular contact with Allah, a person is unlikely to feel guilty for his sins and repent. Sometimes if a person has not asked Allah to forgive him in a long time, he might become insensitive to sinning and may even forget that he fell into it, thus not even seeking forgiveness for it. Certain prayers in the formal prayers (salah) reminds the Muslim of his sins and makes him seek forgiveness for them This in turn causes Muslims to feel guilty for their sins and seek repentance as soon as they are committed. A Muslim learns to constantly seeks forgiveness for his sins and never feels too distant from his loving Lord. The prayer places man directly before Allah seeking pardon for his short-comings.

The prayer itself is a means of erasing sins, albeit the lesser ones[1].

Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked:

“What do you think if there was a river by the door of any one of you and he bathed in it five times a day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?”

They (his companions)(may Allah be pleased with them) said, “No trace of dirt would be left on him.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “This is like the five daily prayers, through which Allah erases sin.”(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Control and Discipline

The prayer has the capacity to catalyze change for the better in people’s life. The fact that we give up whatever we are doing and line up behind a prayer leader (called imam) five times a day in the mosque, or find room to pray in at work or school by ourselves, instills discipline in life. People join the army to learn discipline and everyone admires it. Similarly, the prayer trains us to go through specific motions and utter special words at specific times. All the body parts are under control, obeying and worshipping Allah, and if this discipline is broken, the prayer may have to be repeated.

Islam recognizes that we are all different, so it allows flexibility in many cases. The prayer leader (imam) should keep the prayer short. Women are not required to attend the prayers in the mosque. A sick person may pray sitting, and if unable, he may even pray laying down. The discipline learned in the prayer is to be acquired in other aspects of one’s religious and mundane life as well. Just as we should not look around when praying, we should control our eyes outside of the prayer not to fall on forbidden objects. Just like we use our tongue to praise Allah, outside of the formal prayers we should not let it backbite or lie. Just as our hands and feet perform controlled motions, outside of the prayers we should not use them to steal, buy or eat what is forbidden. We should not walk towards the forbidden, but away from it. This is the essence of which Allah tells us:

“…Surely, the prayer (salah) prevents evil speech and bad deeds...” (Quran 29:45)

Calmness and Serenity by Developing Focus in the Prayers

A very important ingredient of the prayer is the state of calmness and tranquility coupled with humility achieved by deep concentration. Allah says in the Quran:

“Successful indeed are the believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers.” (Quran 23:1-2)

The purpose of the prayer is not just to fulfill an empty ritual. For the prayer to be acceptable, it must be done with a passion. Learn the meaning of the Arabic words used in the prayer, focus on their meaning and whatever portions of Quran you will recite. Know that Allah responds to prayers and He is listening to you. Focus your eyes on the place of prostration, or shut them if something present causes you to be distracted and can not focus otherwise. By concentrating on the words of the prayer said in different postures, by raising one’s consciousness of being in front of Allah, by choosing a comfortable, clean place with no distractions, one can increase their presence of mind in the prayer. There will always be room to improve it. Remove the clutter in the mind and focus on Allah’s blessings in life, feel your insignificance in front of the Magnificent Creator, feel guilty for your sins. It will help you reduce stress, worries, and anxiety. There is only so much our mind and body can take. The prayer is relaxing and will help regain lost focus in life. The prayer is healing for the soul. But for your salah to reach this state of concentration it requires patience, practice, and asking Allah for help. The postures of the prayer are important. For example, in prostration the believer is closest he can be to Allah, and thus he should feel this closeness and supplicate even more.

To reach a high level of concentration and humility in prayer requires constant work, and struggle. There will be lows - but one should never give up the prayers (salah). Remember! It connects you to your Creator. You don’t just pray while you feel it is working for you and easy to do. Frequently, a new Muslim is over charged with zeal on accepting Islam, reading a lot, listening to tapes, surfing the web, talking to friends, but after some time they burn out. It is at that critical moment when the real test comes, one feels weak in faith and it is difficult to pray. Take some good advice for those times, and keep on praying.

source:NewMuslims.com

Whoever relies on Allah (has Tawakkul), He is sufficient for him. (At-Talaaq 65:3)

Tawakkul is another attribute that results from a true Iman in Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`ala. It is an attitude that emanates from the conviction that:

Allah has put me in this world temporarily for a test and all of my good and bad circumstances are part of the test.

The test is about my performance in given circumstances, not about how good or bad my circumstances are. Regardless of what circumstances I encounter, the test is about how well I exhaust all my efforts in achieving the objective of the Deen Allah has prescribed for me for His pleasure.

My success depends on the quality (in terms of relevance, wisdom, propriety, tactics, strategy and sincerity) and quantity I put in, not on the material results they appear to produce, regardless of what kind of good or bad circumstances I happen to encounter.

Whatever Allah has commanded us to do and the objectives He wants us to achieve are the best things for us in this world and in the hereafter. My duty is to continue steadfastly on the job Allah has assigned to me utilizing every tool humanly possible and doing my earnest best, without worrying about the results, but instead leaving the results totally to Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`ala.

The real success is attaining the pleasure of Allah, not the results in this world. Whether my efforts bear any visible result in this world or not, I must continue on my course steadfastly.

Whatever hardships, test, trials and sufferings I endure during my servitude to Him are all part of His plan for my ultimate success. Enduring them with contentment without a word of complaint or without being disheartened in any way is a part of my job as His slave that I am doing for His pleasure.

These convictions produce a winning state of mind and a believer feels that because I truly believe in Allah and am doing what He wants me to do, He is with me, watching me, and accepting my efforts; and He is not going to let my endeavours go in vain, let me fail or leave me unsupported. No one can do anything to me that is not part of His plan for me as His slave. Regardless of what transpires in this world, the ultimate success is mine, as long as I am truly committed to His work. If I keep the right attitude, come what may, I will be successful:

The Messenger of Allah, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam said,"How wonderful it is for a believer that he always ends up with goodness: If he suffers and remains steadfast, it is rewarding; if good things happen and he thanks Allah, that is also rewarding." (Suhaib in the Muslim)

It is a totally liberating, very empowering state of mind that a true believer attains because of his trust in and reliance on the power, authority, help and support of Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and because of the contentment he feels in serving Allah without being concerned about the results that Allah provides for his untiring efforts. This kind of resolute trust in and reliance on Allah– Tawakkul – provides such a tranquility to one’s heart, such a courage in one’s psyche and such a resilience in one’s nature that a believer cannot be scared, pressured into giving up, made to compromise, compelled to give in, bought out of his Islamic mission, or forced into submission by any enemy, tyrant, power or authority. For those who have Tawakkul, Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala says:

Whoever relies on Allah (has Tawakkul), He is sufficient for him (At-Talaaq 65:3)

Thus, Tawakkul is a natural corollary of true faith and is one of the evidences (Shahada) of faith. A person with true faith will always rely on Allah / have Tawakkul. Lack of Tawakkulindicates lack of true faith. This was true for previous Ummah's as it is for us:

The believers are only those who: when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful; when His verses are recited to them, they increase their faith; and only on their Lord they rely(have Tawakkul). (Surat Al-'Anfāl 8:2)

When Musa `alayhissalam invited Bane Israel to enter Palestine , they refused to do so, being scared of the strength of the enemy. Two of the believers endowed with true faith spoke up and said,

Enter upon them through the gate, for when you enter it, you will be the dominant. And rely upon Allah (have Tawakkul), if you are believers.(Al-Ma'idah 5:23)

Also:

But no one believed in Musa`alayhissalam except the offspring (youth) of his people, because of the fear of Fir’awn and his establishment that they would persecute them; and indeed, Fir’awn was arrogant in the land and indeed, he was of the transgressors.

And Musa said, “O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then rely on Him (have Tawakkul in Him), if you are Muslims.” So they said, “Upon Allah do we rely (have Tawakkul). Our Lord! Do not make us (object of) trial (persecution) of the unjust/wrongdoers. And save us by Your mercy from the disbelievers.” (Younus 10:83-85)

As is evident from the verses quoted above as well as those quoted below, Tawakkul is closely related to the untiring struggle that a Muslim undertakes to achieve both the personal and collective goals of Deen -- Iqaamah of Deen in personal life to achieve personal excellence as a Muslim and in collective life to achieve the establishment and dominance of the Islamic system of peace and justice.

Personal struggle and Tawakkul:

Indeed, there is no authority for him (Shaytaan) over those who believe and rely upon their Lord(have Tawakkul). (An-Nahl 16:99)

If Shaytaan tries to sow doubts in the mind of a believer, a believer with Tawakkul is protected by Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala:

The Messenger of Allah, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam said,“The human mind keeps wandering and branching away into different valleys. If someone follows his mind in all those wanderings, Allah does not care which valley ruins that person. On the other hand, whoever has Tawakkul in Allah, He will be sufficient to save him from those wanderings.”(Ibn Maajah from ‘Amr Ibn Al-’Aas)

A person without Tawakkul will fall prey to many un-Islamic practices in the face of adversity that a true believer with Tawakkul on Allah will avoid at every cost. Those who have Tawakkul will be appropriately rewarded in the Hereafter:

Seventy thousand of my Ummah will enter Jannah without reckoning. They will be those who did not seek cure through mantras, who did not take omens and who had Tawakkul in their Lord.(Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn ‘Abbas)

Islamic work and Tawakkul: A person with tawakkul on Allah will bravely, unflinchingly and steadfastly continue working for Islamic objectives regardless of the impediments, threats and hardships encountered. When Nooh `alayhissalaam was rebuked and threatened, this is how he responded:

And recite to them the news of Noah, when he said to his people, "O my people, if my residence and my reminding of the signs of Allah has become burdensome upon you - then I have relied upon Allah . So resolve upon your plan and [call upon] your associates. Then let not your plan be obscure to you. Then carry it out upon me and do not give me respite.(Younus 10:71)

During resistance from his people, the Messenger Hood `alayhissalaam said to them:

I put my Tawakkul in (I rely on) Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is not a creature but He holds its forelock (controls it).(Hood 11:56)

Shu’aib `alayhissalaam said to his people:

I do not want to do the things from which I stop you. I only desire reform as much as I am able. My potential and inclination is only through Allah, upon Him I rely (in him I have Tawakkul) and to Him I turn. (Hood 11:88)

Ibrahim `alayhissalaam and his people’s struggle and Tawakkul are presented as a model:

Indeed there has been for you an excellent model in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people: “Verily we disassociate from you and whatever you worship other than Allah We have rejected you and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone… Our Lord upon You we have relied (have Tawakkul), to You we have turned and to You is the destination. Our Lord, do not make us (object of) persecution for the disbelievers, and forgive us, our Lord. Indeed, only You are the All-Mighty, the Wise.”(Al-Mumtahinah 60:5-6)

In fact, that has been the way of all prophets, messengers and Islamic workers:

Their messengers said to them: True, we are human like yourselves, but Allah bestows His grace on whom He pleases of His slaves. It is not for us to bring you a miracle except by Allah’s permission. And on Allah should the believers rely (have Tawakkul). How should we not rely upon (have Tawakkul in) Allah when He has indeed guided us in our ways? Certainly we would persevere against the persecution that you may inflict on us . And upon Allah must the reliant rely (have Tawakkul). (Ibrahim 14:11-12)

For our Ummah:

Thus have We sent you to a community, before whom other communities have passed away, in order that you recite to them what We have revealed to you, but they disbelieve in the Most Gracious. Say: He is my Lord; there is no deity except Him; upon Him I rely (in Him I have Tawakkul) and to him is my return in repentance.(Ar-Ra’d 13:30)

When commenting on Uhad, Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala said,

When two parties among you were about to lose courage, while Allah was their ally; and upon Allah must the believers rely (have Tawakkul). (Aali-‘Imraan 3:122)

And when you have made a decision, then rely upon Allah (have Tawakkul). Verily, Allah loves those who rely on Him. If Allah helps you, no one can overcome you; but if He forsakes you, who is there who can help you after Him. And upon Allah must the believers rely (have Tawakkul). (Aali-‘Imraan 3:159-160)

On the Prophet, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam’s concern for enemies’ attacks over his marriage to Zainab radhiallahu `anha on Allah’s command, Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala admonished:

O Prophet! Fear Allah and do not obey disbelievers or hypocrites, certainly Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise; follow what is revealed to you from your Lord, certainly Allah is fully aware of what you do; and, (have Tawakkul) rely on Allah, He is sufficient as a Trustee.(Al-Ahzaab 33:1-3)

If at any point, a believer feels powerless or hopeless, he should refresh his faith and tawakkul in Allah and continue his personal or Islamic struggle with hope and a winning attitude. The Prophet, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

Allah Ta`alaa condemns powerlessness / hopelessness. It is incumbent upon you to take a stand with hope and intelligent resolve. If you are overpowered in a matter, then say, “Sufficient is Allah for my means and He is the best supporter.”(Abu Dawood )

Otherwise, a true believer knows that the best of the successes is for him in the hereafter, if he relies only on Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala:

As for those who emigrated for Allah after they had been persecuted, We will certainly settle them in this world nicely, but their reward of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew. They are those who persevered and relied in their Lord.(An-Nahl 16:41-42)

With the degeneration of the Ummah, Tawakkul has also taken on wrong connotations. Some people think that Tawakkul entails only sitting like monks and doing nothing, hoping that Allah will do something. That meaning is from Shaytaan to make Muslims inactive and indolent. The real Tawakkul, as evidenced by the verses of the Qur'an quoted above, is such a strong conviction of Allah’s approval and mercy being with you in your Islamic struggle that no problem in the world is able to dampen your spirit or make you feel defeated or helpless. The life of the Prophet, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam was a superb example of Islamic tawakkul. In every move he made and at every stage of his mission, he used the best tactics and strategies at human disposal, and then fully relied on Allah without having even a bit of worry of the consequences.

For example, while migrating to Madeenah, he took all the precautions that were humanly possible for his safe departure from Makkah and safe arrival in Madeenah: Planning the migration secretly, leaving when least expected, asking ‘Ali to sleep in his bed so that his departure is not noticed, selecting a hiding place on an opposite direction to Madeenah, arranging of survival provisions for three days of hiding and a week of traveling, arranging of a faithful guide, arranging for the camels to be brought only when leaving the hiding place, selection of route least traveled, etc. But once he had done whatever was humanly possible, he had such trust in Allah that he was never worried about the consequences even when everything seemed to fall apart. It was the remarkable demonstration of his Tawakkul, when enemies reached at the mouth of the Thowr cave and Aboo Bakr, radhiallahu `anhu became worried, he calmly assured him, “Do not worry, Allah is with us.” Even in basic matters of the world, one has to do his best and then leave the results to Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.

A person asked,“Should I tie my camel and have Tawakkul (trust in Allah for her protection) or should I leave her untied and have Tawakkul.” The Messenger, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam replied,“Tie her and then have Tawakkul.”(Reported by Tirmidzi from Anas)

‘Umar Bin Khattaab, radhiallahu `anhu heard the Messenger of Allah, Sall Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam saying,“If you trust All ah with right kind of Tawakkul, He will provide you sustenance as He provides for the birds – they go out in the morning with empty stomachs and come back in the evening with full stomachs.” (Tirmidzi)

A bird sitting in his nest, praising Allah, will not have his stomach filled. It has to go out to seek food. It is only the one that goes out and does its best to find food, comes back full.

Tawakkul, as described above, is related to one’s efforts and results of those efforts for the matters that fall under the area of human endeavour. A person with right concept of accountability to and tawakkul on Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala puts in his best possible efforts to do what Allah expects him to do in those matters and does not worry about the results. He positively and constructively deals with whatever he encounters and continues with full force doing his level best regardless of the results or consequences. Another matter closely related to Tawakkul is being content with matters that are beyond our power and influence.

There are many things in our life that are decided for us without our input or approval. The examples are the parents we are born to, our genes that determine many things in our life, our physical features, the circumstances of the society we are born in or we live in, etc. The Muslims who understand that our life is a test of how we live and do the best with whatever we got and whatever situations we have been put in, they are fully content and happy with the circumstances, putting all their efforts and energies in making the best of their situations and making the correct Islamic decisions in those situations.

They know that their personal success is not dependent on circumstances but in doing their best in the given circumstances. If they find themselves in bad circumstances, they work hard to do better, and keep seeking Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala’s help, mercy and bounty through Du’a and Istikharah to go with their best of the efforts. On the other hand, the losers concentrate on their circumstances and on the things beyond their control. They neither seek Allah’s help, mercy and bounty, nor do they take the circumstances as given and work on performing the best they can in those given situations. They end up being unhappy, miserable complainers always complaining about what they do not have, rather than making the best of what they do have. They end up being the utter losers. This is what was expressed in the following Hadith:

“One of the factors that indicate blessedness (Sa’adah) of a person is his being pleased with Allah’s decision for him, while two of the attitudes indicating wretchedness / despondence (Shaqawah) of a person are: his not seeking goodness from Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala or his being unhappy about Allah’s decisions for him.” (Sa’ad in Musnad of Ahmad and Jaami’ of At-Tirmidzee)

The following account shows the indelible mark that God's Messenger has imprinted on people of every age:

One of Ibn Sina's students told Ibn Sina that his extraordinary understanding and intelligence would cause people to gather around him if he claimed prophethood. Ibn Sina said nothing. When they were travelling together during winter, Ibn Sina woke up one morning at dawn, woke his student, and asked him to fetch some water because he was thirsty. The student procrastinated and made excuses. However much Ibn Sina persisted, the student would not leave his warm bed. At that moment, the cry of the muezzin (caller to prayer) called out from the minaret: "God is the greatest. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God."

Ibn Sina considered this a good opportunity to answer his student, so he said:

You, who averred that people would believe in me if I claimed to be a prophet, look now and see how the command I just gave you, who have been my student for years and have benefited from my lessons, has not had the effect of making you leave your warm bed to fetch me some water. But this muezzin strictly obeys the 400-year-old command of the Prophet. He got up from his warm bed, as he does every morning together with hundreds of thousands of others, climbed up to this great height, and bore witness to God's Unity and His Prophet. Look and see how great the difference is!

The Prophet's name has been pronounced five times a day together with that of God for 1,400 years all over the world.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, gave lots of information about past peoples and events

History is an important branch of knowledge. It is not a science like physics or biology. It mostly depends on document s that have remained of the past. Although we can have knowledge of the past and past events by means of documents, it is quite often very difficult to penetrate into the facts behind those events. We can hardly know the intentions of historical ‘actors’ or ‘actresses’ and the real motives behind events. In order to be able to judge rightly about persons and events, the documents we have should be reliable. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that personal inclinations and interests, prejudices, and different other motives may have a part of their own in documents, and, worse, documents may have been distorted. For example, if the Quran had not been sent down to our Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, we could not have had true knowledge about the Israelite Prophets and especially the Prophet Jesus, and the original identity of Christianity and Judaism. The Old and New Testaments have been so frequently and badly distorted and corrupted that it is impossible to open a way through them to historical truths.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, gave lots of information about past peoples and events. Much of this information is in the Quran. As well as the main points in the histories of many past peoples and places like the ‘Ad, Thamud, Iram, Sodom and Gomorra, and ancient Egypt, and the peoples of Noah, Abraham and Shu‘ayb, we can also find in the Quran at least the general outlines of the history of the Israelite people from the beginning to the time of Jesus, particularly including the time of the Prophets Moses, David and Solomon, upon them be peace. It is highly interesting that much of this information is in the Quranic chapters which were revealed in the Makkan period of Muhammad’s Prophethood, during which he had contact with neither Christians nor Jews. When the Prophet emigrated to Madina, Jewish and Christian scholars asked him many questions about certain topics in the Torah and Gospels and since they received from him convincing answers, they could not object to any of them.

Neither the Quran nor the books of Tradition have been changed the least over time and none of the information the Prophet gave about the past has ever been contradicted

Some of the information which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, gave about the past is found in the books of Tradition like Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Muslim, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and others. Neither the Quran nor the books of Tradition have been changed the least over time and none of the information the Prophet gave about the past has ever been contradicted. Rather, much of it has been affirmed the rest will also be affirmed through future investigations and excavations. This is an absolute, undeniable proof of Muhammad’s Prophethood.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, did not only give information about past events and peoples, but he also analyzed them with their causes and results

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, did not only give information about past events and peoples, but he also analyzed them with their causes and results. Thus, the historical accounts of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, are of the kind that they presented laws of history and the broad psychological, social and economic principles concerning human individual and collective life. In addition, these accounts are masterpieces of literary style and eloquence, such that it is impossible to produce a like of them.

Theologically speaking, the universality of Prophet Muhammad's message (peace and blessings be upon him) comes from the concept of Allah who is the God of all, not only the God of Muslims.

Allah describes Himself in the first chapter of the Qur'an -which is recited by all Muslims around the world in their five daily Prayers- as "Rabb al-`Alamin" i.e. the Allah of all creation. Whether humans are aware of this fact or not, Allah is the God of all mankind - Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc. - regardless of their differences. Allah is the Creator of everything, with no exception. The Qur'an declares that a gigantic star and an atom are shoulder to shoulder, worshipping Allah; flies and elephants are brothers and sisters; all of creation is here to help us understand the meaning and the mystery of the universe.

Arabia Before the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

Before addressing the universality of Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) message, it is essential to focus our attention to the era when Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) message first emerged: fourteen hundred years ago in pre-Islamic Arabia. Although there were some positive characteristics of Arabs before Islam, such as generosity, courage, and dignity, the feudal system of society was so harsh that the marginalized almost did not have any rights. Slaves were persecuted, women were sold like property, and female infants in many cases were buried alive as part of traditional tribal honor. Wars between tribes broke out uncontrollably. People worshipped idols and made their own gods according to their own desires.

In the midst of such chaos, the holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born in 571 CE. Throughout his adulthood he was not satisfied with the tribal traditions of his society. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would go into seclusion and meditate for a long time, particularly for the whole month of Ramadan. In the year 610 C.E., he (peace and blessings be upon him) experienced the first revelation which changed him and transformed the world forever. The revelation that came to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over a span of twenty-three years, constituted the Holy Scripture of Islam, the Qur'an, which literally means the recitation. In a very short period of time, despite hostile reaction to his message, the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) kindness and tenderness made an impact on the hearts of many in the city of Makkah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider himself a deity or a part of Allah, rather he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw himself as the servant and Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who was to convey Allah's message to the world.

The Holy Qur'an speaks of many prophets, like Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, and Jesus (peace be upon them all). There are chapters in the Noble Qur'an named after some of these prophets. There are also particular verses about the personality of the Prophet of Islam. In one verse, the Qur'an speaks of him as "rahmatan lil al-`Amīn" i.e. "a mercy for realms and worlds". In order to understand the meaning of being merciful to creation, Islamic scholars ask us to think of the oppression that was occurring in the world into which Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born and the transformation that Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) message made.

Universal Message

Although Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) message addressed Arabs first, its nearest audience, it was not limited to a particular nation. Many Qur'anic verses transcend locality, region, ethnicity, and nationality by starting with the call, "O Human beings," or "O People." The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) message brings the idea that everything in creation is a living, chanting, obedient worshipper of Allah, regardless of whether they are humans, animals, or other creatures. In the Qur'an said,

(The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet you understand not how they declare His glory)(Al-Israa’ 17:44)

He invites the reader to enter the world in which the Qur'an was revealed and see the darkness that dominated it. In Arabia, before the Prophet, the meaning of creatures was not recognized. The Qur'anic revelation breathed life into the world of nature and taught that the creatures around us were not dead and meaningless matters. Instead, all of them were praising Allah with great joy through their own languages. The same Islamic scholar invites the audience to ride the vehicle of history and travel to the land of Arabia to see the situation there before and after the emergence of Islam. One should keep in mind that to change a little vice, such as a bad habit, is difficult enough, let alone changing the minds and the hearts of an entire society as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. Even in our modern world, with a comparison made by this Islamic scholar, if one hundred philosophers with all their knowledge were to go to Arabia and work for one hundred years, they would not be able to make the changes that Muhammad made in twenty-three years. He successfully transformed this wild society into a civilized community and shaped leaders for a new civilization.

Transformation Embodied

If one would like to see the power of transformation that Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) made, one needs only to look at `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), the second caliph: `Umar before Islam and `Umar after Islam. `Umar himself said that he remembered two things from his pre-Islamic life: one, he would cry for, and the other he would laugh at. He cried that he buried his own daughter alive and he was still hearing her voice calling him. He laughed that he made god out of pressed dates which people ate when they were hungry. The new `Umar became a symbol of justice for the whole world. After Islam, during his caliphate, `Umar is known for the following statement: "If a lamb at the shore of the Euphrates was taken by a wolf, (I am afraid that) Allah would ask me about it." Out of compassion, he would walk among houses at night and see if there was anyone who needed food and he would anonymously feed them. It was the universal message of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that transformed `Umar into such a high persona of humanity.

Mercy and compassion constitute the foundation of the Prophet's universal message. In Basmalah -the beginning statement that comes before 113 chapters of the Qur'an- Allah is described as having two attributes, the "Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate." This very statement has become the symbol of Islam. The Qur'anic verse says,

(We sent you not, but as a Mercy for all creatures) (21:107)

Being merciful towards all creation, Muhammad's personal life has become a reflection of this Qur'anic verse. In his relationships with people, he always smiled and no one ever heard a bad word from his mouth. In his family life, he showed the same mercy to his wives and children. His companion Anas ibn Malik, who faithfully served him for 13 years, witnessed this mercy, saying that he never received any reprimand for his service, despite his mistakes.

All People Are Equal

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)was also very sensitive towards human sufferings. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) heard of a slave being tortured, he (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded one of his Companions to buy that slave's freedom. His famous hadith about the treatment of slaves is a great example of his universal teachings. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say, "Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask them (slaves) to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them." (Bukhari)

Slaves demonstrated great love toward Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). On one occasion, he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Zayd ibn Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him), a slave he (peace and blessings be upon him) freed, if he would like to go back with his father who had come to take him, and Zayd refused, preferring to stay with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) Farewell Sermon on the plain of `Arafat also has remarkable aspects of the universality of his message. In this sermon, he(peace and blessings be upon him) spoke about women, the relationship between races, and slaves. In fact, because of Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) message, within the span of thirty years after his death it was difficult to find slaves in Arabia. The Qur'anic verse clearly says that,

(O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you )(Al-Hujurat 49:13)

In his Last Sermon, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) emphasized this aspect of his message. He said that all humankind is from Adam and Eve: an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab and a non-Arab has no superiority over an Arab. Also, a white person has no superiority over a black one and a black person has no superiority over a white one. Furthermore, of women he stressed that it is true that husbands have certain rights in regard to their women, but their women also have rights over them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) successfully established a sense of responsibility and conscience in the minds and hearts of his people.

Universal Mercy for Enemies and Animals

The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mercy even extended to his enemies—he(peace and blessings be upon him) never sought revenge.

It is reported that in one of the battles some of the Companions went to him, to find a bedouin sitting with him. "Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "This (bedouin) took my sword out of its sheath while I was asleep. When I woke up, the naked sword was in his hand and he said to me, 'Who can save you from me?', I replied, 'Allah.'... (Now) here he is (sitting)." Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) did not punish him (for that)" (Bukhari). In another authentic narration, that Bedouin –called Ghawrath- was forgiven by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and allowed to return to his tribe. The man told his people, "I am now coming from the presence of the best of men."

The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) universal message of mercy did not include only human beings, but also animals. `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said "We were with the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)during a journey. He went to ease himself. We saw a bird with her two young ones and we captured her young ones. The bird came and began to spread its wings. The Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "Who grieved this for its young ones? Return its young ones to it." He (peace and blessings be upon him) also saw an ant village that we had burnt. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who has burnt this?" We replied: “We did”. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not proper to punish with fire except the Lord of fire." (Abu Dawud). On another occasion, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a donkey on the road with a brand on its face, and said, "Allah's curse is on him who branded it."(Muslim).

Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a camel came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), prostrated itself as a sign of respect, and knelt beside him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked about its owner, so a group of young people from the Ansar said they are the owners. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them what is wrong with it, they said that they used it for twenty years till it became old, so they decided to slaughter it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them to treat it well till it dies. Moreover, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Muslims not to over-burden animals by riding on their backs during their talks.

To conclude, the famous Muslim poet, Rumi, wrote:

The light of Muhammad (pbuh) has become distributed in millions of pieces

And has encompassed the whole world.

The Prophet (pbuh) was like the lightening of that light.

When it strikes, all veils of disbelief are torn and

Thousands of monks are influenced by Muhammad (pbuh)and run toward him.

His Words are all pearls from the ocean of reality

Because his heart was united with the ocean of truth.

Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“Should I not tell you of such a thinga which are the best and purest deeds in the court of your Lord, high in ranks (darajat), better for you then spending gold and silver (in Allah’s path), and better than slaying the neck of the enemy during war? The Sahaba said, “Yes, Oh Rasool Allahﷺ!” He ﷺ said,“It is Zikr of Allah.” (Tirmizi)

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “Any gathering in which people sit and do not do Zikr of Allah and do not send Durood upon their Prophetﷺis of loss for them. If Allah wills, give them azab (punishment) and if wills, forgive them.”(Tirmizi)

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺsaid, “Allah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala says when a person moves his lips for Zikr of Allah, I am with him.”(Bukhari)

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “Allah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala says I am closer to my slave than his supposition of which he keeps of me. And when he/her does Zikr of Allah, I am with him/her. If he does Zikr in his heart, I do his Zikr near MY proximity (closeness) and if he does Zikr in a gathering, I mention him in a gathering Afdhal (better) than it. (Bukhari)

Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“He/She who does Zikr of Allah and he/she who doesn’t, their example is of like an alive and a dead.” (Bukhari)

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “The angels look for those who do Zikr of Allah on the paths. When they find those who are doing Zikr of Allah then they call each other, “Come, your desired has been found.” Then those angels cover those are doing Zikr of Allah up to the skies of this world with their wings. And Allah Rabbul Izzat says about them to those angels “What are my slave doing?” Though Allah knows more than those angels. The angels say, “Those people are doing your Tasbeeh, Tahmeed, and Tamjeed.” Allah says, “Have they seen me?” The angels say, “We swear by your pure Entity, they have not seen you.” Rab Ta’ala says to them, “If they had seen me then what would be their state?” The angels say, “If they could’ve seen you then they would do your Tamjeed and your Tasbeeh even more."

Allah says, “What slaves are asking from me?” The angels say, “They are asking for Jannat from you.” Allah says, “Have they seen Jannat?” The angels say, “We swear by Your Pure Entity, they have not seen Jannat.” Allah says, “If they had seen Jannat then what would be their state?” The angels say, “If these people had seen jannat then their greed, desire, and inclination for it would increase. Allah says, “What else are they doing?” The angels say, “They are seeking refuge.” Allah says, “From what are they seeking refuge?” The angels say, “They are seeking refuge from Hell.” Allah says, “Have they seen Hell?” The angels say, “Oh Rabbi, we swear by Your Pure Entity, they have not seen it.” Allah says, “If they had seen it then what would be their state?” The angels say, “If they had seen it then they would run even further away from it and fear it even more.

Allah says, “angels, Be witnesses that I have forgiven them.” An angel says, “There is one person amongst them who is not part of those who do Zikr, he is there for some necessity of his/her.” Allah says, “These are such people that even those sitt ing among them are not deprived.” (Bukhari)

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “When you pass by gardens of paradise, eat fruits of them. The Sahaba said, “What are the gardens of Paradise?” He ﷺ said, “The gatherings of Zikr.” (Tirmizi)

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “Whenever a Jama'at (a group of people) sits for Zikr of Allah, the angels surround it. Blessing covers that Jama'at. And peace and calm descends on them. And Allah mentions them to the angels present in HIS court.”(Muslim)

Ameer Muaviah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Rasool Allah ﷺ passed by a Jama'at and asked them,“Why have you gathered here?” Some people of the Jammat replied, “We have gathered here for the Zikr and Hamd of Allah because by guiding us towards Islam He did favor on us.” Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “By Allah, have you gathered only for this (purpose)?” They said, “By Allah, we have gathered here only for such purpose.”

Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“I did not give you oath because of any imputation (doubt) rather it is because Jibraeel came to me and told me that Allah boasts of you in the gathering of the angels.” (Muslim)

Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“The Shaitan sticks to the heart of the child of Adam. When he does Zikr of Allah, he (the Shaitan) runs away from him. And when the child of Adam becomes careless from the Zikr of Allah, the Shaitan begins to put was-wasah (evil suggestions) into his heart.” (Bukhari)

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“Don’t have a conversation [without] Zikr of Allah. Because talking too much without Zikr of Allah is the reason for the heart’s hardness and wretchedness. And that person becomes distant from Allah in whose heart there is wretchedness.” (Tirmizi)

Abudullah Bin Bisr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one person asked, “Ya Rasool Allahﷺ! There are many commands on me of Islam. Tell me of such a thing which I may hold on to steadfast.”Rasool Allah ﷺ replied, “Always keep your tongue wet from Zikr of Allah.” (Tirmizi)

Abdullah Bin Bisr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a villager came to the Holy Court of Rasool Allah ﷺ and asked, “Which man is the best?” Rasool Allah ﷺ said, “It is the luck and good-fortune of that person whose life is long and his deeds are good.” He asked, “Ya Rasool Allahﷺ! Which deed is the best?” Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“Your tongue be wet from Zikr of Allah when you part from this world.”(Tirmizi)

Muaaz bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said,“The people of Jannat will only regret that moment which had been empty of Zikr of Allah.”(Beihaqi)