81. To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)
٨١۔ كتاب الرقاق
The Prophet ﷺ had a she-camel called Al-ʿAdba' and it was too fast to surpass in speed. There came a bedouin riding a camel of his, and that camel outstripped it (i.e. Al-Aqba'). That result was hard on the Muslims who said sorrowfully, "Al- Adba has been outstripped." Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "It is due from Allah that nothing would be raised high in this world except that He lowers or puts it down."
عَنْ أَنَسٍ ؓ كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَاقَةٌ قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدٌ أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَزَارِيُّ وَأَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ الطَّوِيلِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ كَانَتْ نَاقَةٌ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ تُسَمَّى الْعَضْبَاءَ وَكَانَتْ لاَ تُسْبَقُ فَجَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ عَلَى قَعُودٍ لَهُ فَسَبَقَهَا فَاشْتَدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَقَالُوا سُبِقَتِ الْعَضْبَاءُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ حَقًّا عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ لاَ يَرْفَعَ شَيْئًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ وَضَعَهُ
Drawing nearness to Allah through nawafil and voluntary good deeds
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed Allah has said: ‘Whoever shows enmity to a wali (a pious worshiper) of Mine, I have declared war upon him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give him; and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely grant him refuge. And I do not hesitate over anything I am going to do as I hesitate ˹out of mercy˺ over the soul of the believing servant: he dislikes death, and I dislike to cause him distress.’”
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ عَبْدِي بِشَىْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَىَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطُشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ»