Marwan ˹b. al-Hakam˺ used to appoint Abu Hurayrah as his deputy, and he would be at Dhu al-Hulayfah. His mother would be in one house and he in another.

He said: When he wanted to go out, he would stand at her door and say, “Peace be upon you, my mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.” She would say, “And upon you be peace, my son, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.” Then he would say, “May Allah have mercy on you as you raised me when I was small.” And she would say, “May Allah have mercy on you as you have been dutiful to me when I am old.” Then when he wanted to enter, he would do the same.

أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ كَانَ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ مَرْوَانُ [بْنُ الْحَكَمِ]، وَكَانَ يَكُونُ بِذِي الْحُلَيْفَةِ، فَكَانَتْ أُمُّهُ فِي بَيْتٍ، وَهُوَ فِي آخَرَ. 

قَالَ: فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ، وَقَفَ عَلَى بَابِهَا، فَقَالَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكِ يَا أُمَّتَاهُ، وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. فَتَقُولُ: وَعَلَيْكَ السَّلَامُ يَا بُنَيَّ، وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. فَيَقُولُ: رَحِمَكِ اللَّهُ كَمَا رَبَّيْتِنِي صَغِيرًا. فَتَقُولُ: رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ كَمَا بَرَرْتَنِي كَبِيرًا. ثُمَّ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ، صَنَعَ مِثْلَهُ.

Abū Bakr came to me and said, "Have you heard a supplication from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he taught me?" I asked, "What is it?" He said, "Jesus, the son of Mary, used to teach it to his companions. If any of you had a debt as great as a mountain, and he invoked Allah with it, Allah would fulfill it for him. Say: allāhuma fārij al-hamm, kāshif al-ghamm, mujība daʿwat al-muḍṭarrīn, Raḥmān al-dunyā wa-al-ākhirah wa-raḥīmahumā, anta tarḥamunī, fa-irḥamnī bi-raḥmatin tughnīnī bihā ʿan raḥmati man siwāk (O Allah, reliever of distress, dispeller of sorrow, answerer of the supplication of the distressed, al-Raḥmān (Most Merciful) of the world and the Hereafter and the One Who who bestows mercy upon them, You are the One who ˹also˺ bestows mercy upon me, so bestow mercy upon me with a mercy that will suffice me from the mercy of anyone other than You.)"

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq said, "I had some remaining debt that I was a burden on me. I invoked Allah with this supplication, and Allah fulfilled it for me."

ʿĀʾishah said, "Asmāʾ b. ʿUmays had a debt of one dinar and three dirhams upon me, and she used to visit me. I was embarrassed to face her because I had nothing to pay her with. So, I invoked Allah with this supplication, and soon after, Allah provided me with some wealth, not as charity to be given, nor as a heritage received, but Allah settled it for me. I distributed a good share among my relatives and set free the slave girl of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān with three 'ūqiyyah and he had a good favor upon us."

دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ: هَلْ سَمِعْتِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ دُعَاءً عَلَّمَنِيهِ؟ قُلْتُ: مَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: كَانَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يُعَلِّمُهُ أَصْحَابَهُ۔ قَالَ: لَوْ كَانَ عَلَى أَحَدِكُمْ جَبَلُ ذَهَبٍ دَيْنًا فَدَعَا اللَّهَ بِذَلِكَ، لَقَضَاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: 

اللَّهُمَّ فَارِجَ الْهَمِّ، كَاشِفَ الْغَمِّ، مُجِيبَ دَعْوَةِ الْمُضْطَرِّينَ، رَحْمَانَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَرَحِيمَهُمَا، أَنْتَ تَرْحَمُنِي، فَارْحَمْنِي بِرَحْمَةٍ تُغْنِينِي بِهَا عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ۔

قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ: وَكَانَتْ عَلَيَّ بَقِيَّةٌ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ وَكُنْتُ لِلدَّيْنِ كَارِهًا، فَكُنْتُ أَدْعُو بِذَلِكَ فَأَتَانِي اللَّهُ بِفَائِدَةٍ فَقَضَاهُ اللَّهُ عَنِّي۔

قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: «كَانَ لِأَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ عُمَيْسٍ عَلَيَّ دِينَارٌ وَثَلَاثَةُ دَرَاهِمٍ فَكَانَتْ تَدْخُلُ عَلَيَّ فَأَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ أَنْظُرَ فِي وَجْهِهَا لِأَنِّي لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَقْضِيهَا۔ فَكُنْتُ أَدْعُو بِذَلِكَ فَمَا لَبِثْتُ إِلَّا يَسِيرًا حَتَّى رَزَقَنِي اللَّهُ رِزْقًا مَا هُوَ بِصَدَقَةٍ تُصُدِّقَ بِهَا عَلَيَّ وَلَا مِيرَاثٌ وَرِثْتُهُ فَقَضَاهُ اللَّهُ عَنِّي وَقَسَمْتُ فِي أَهْلِي قَسْمًا حَسَنًا وَحَلَّيْتُ ابْنَةَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بِثَلَاثِ أَوَاقٍ وَرِقٍ وَفَضَلَ لَنَا فَضْلٌ حَسَنٌ»

A man had a claim against me, and I feared him. So I stayed home and remained for two days without going out. Then I went out and came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said: “O Muʿādh, what kept you back?” I said: A man had a right over me; I feared him until I became ashamed, and I disliked that he should meet me. He said: “Shall I not instruct you in some words you can say—if you have debts like mountains, Allah will pay them off for you?”

I said: Yes. He said: "Say: (O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will,’ up to His saying, ‘without reckoning,’ to the end, [Al Imran 3:26-27] Merciful of this world and the Hereafter and Compassionate to them both; You grant of them to whom You will and You withhold of them from whom You will. O Allah, enrich me so that I have no need of poverty, pay off my debt for me, and cause me to die in Your service and in striving in Your path.)"

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَيَّ بَعْضُ الْحَقِّ، فَخَشِيتُهُ، فَجَلَسْتُ، فَلَبِثْتُ يَوْمَيْنِ لَا أَخْرُجُ، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ، فَجِئْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: «يَا مُعَاذُ، مَا خَلَّفَكَ؟». فَقُلْتُ: كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَيَّ حَقٌّ، خَشِيتُهُ، حَتَّى اسْتَحْيَيْتُ، وَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ يَلْقَانِي. فَقَالَ: «أَلَا آمُرُكَ بِكَلِمَاتٍ تَقُولُهُنَّ، إِنْ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ أَمْثَالُ الْجِبَالِ، قَضَاهُ اللَّهُ؟».

قُلْتُ: بَلَى. قَالَ: «قُلِ: ﴿ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ، تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴾ إِلَى الْآخِرِ، رَحْمَنَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَرَحِيمَهُمَا، تُعْطِي مِنْهُمَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتَمْنَعُ مِنْهُمَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ، اللَّهُمَّ أَغْنِنِي عَنِ الْفَقْرِ، وَاقْضِ عَنِّي الدَّيْنَ، وَتَوَفَّنِي فِي عِبَادِكَ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِكَ».

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ missed him on Friday. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished praying, he came to Mu‘adh and said to him, “O Mu‘adh, why did I not see you?” He said, “O Messenger of Allah, a Jew has against me an uqiyyah of gold, so I set out to come to you, but he detained me from you.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, “O Mu‘adh, shall I not teach you a supplication with which you may supplicate? Even if you had a debt like Mount Ṣabir, Allah would discharge it for you—and Ṣabir is a mountain in Yemen. So supplicate with it, O Mu‘adh. Say:

allāhumma mālika al-mulk, tuʾtī al-mulka man tashāʾu wa-tanziʿu al-mulka mimman tashāʾ, wa-tuʿizzu man tashāʾu wa-tudhillu man tashāʾ, bi-yadika al-khayr, innaka ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. tūliju al-layla fī al-nahār wa-tūliju al-nahāra fī al-layl, wa-tukhriju al-ḥayya mina al-mayyit wa-tukhriju al-mayyita mina al-ḥayy, wa-tarzuqu man tashāʾu bi-ghayri ḥisāb. raḥmāna al-dunyā wa-l-ākhirah wa-raḥīmahuma, tuʿṭī man tashāʾu minhumā wa-tamnaʿu man tashāʾu, irḥamnī raḥmatan tughniynī bihā ʿan raḥmati man siwāk

(O Allah, Owner of sovereignty: You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty from whom You will; You honor whom You will and You abase whom You will. In Your hand is all good; indeed You are over all things competent. You cause the night to enter into the day and You cause the day to enter into the night; You bring forth the living from the dead and You bring forth the dead from the living; and You provide for whom You will without account [Al Imran 3:26-27]. O Most Merciful of this world and the Hereafter, and their Most Compassionate: You give to whom You will of them and You withhold from whom You will. Have mercy on me with a mercy by which You will make me independent of the mercy of anyone besides You.”)

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ افْتَقَدَهُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَتَى مُعَاذًا، فَقَالَ لَهُ: «يَا مُعَاذُ، مَا لِي لَمْ أَرَكَ؟». قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، لِيَهُودِيٍّ عَلَيَّ أُوقِيَّةٌ مِنْ تِبْرٍ، فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَيْكَ، فَحَبَسَنِي عَنْكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «يَا مُعَاذُ، أَلَا أُعَلِّمُكَ دُعَاءً تَدْعُو بِهِ؟ فَلَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ مِثْلُ جَبَلِ صَبِرٍ أَدَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ، وَصَبِرٌ جَبَلٌ بِالْيَمَنِ، فَادْعُ بِهِ، يَا مُعَاذُ، قُلْ:

﴿ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ، تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ، إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ، وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ، وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ، وَتُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ، وَتَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴾، رَحْمَانَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَرَحِيمَهُمَا، تُعْطِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُمَا، وَتَمْنَعُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، ارْحَمْنِي رَحْمَةً تُغْنِينِي بِهَا عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ».

I came to Abu Dharr, but I did not find him, so I said to his wife, “Where is Abu Dharr?” She said, “He is working; he will come to you now.” So I sat waiting for him. Then he came with two camels, having tethered one of them to the rump of the other; on the neck of each of them was a waterskin. He set them down, then came in.

I said, “O Abu Dharr, there is no man I would meet whose meeting would be dearer to me than yours, and none whose meeting would be more hateful to me than yours.” He said, “May your father be to Allah! What has brought this together?” He said, “In the pre-Islamic era I buried alive a baby girl. I fear, if I meet you, that you will say, ‘There is no repentance for you; there is no way out for you,’ and I was hoping that you would say, ‘You have repentance and a way out.’” He said, “Was it in the pre-Islamic era that you did it?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Allah has pardoned what has passed.”

Then he said to his wife, “Bring us some food,” but she refused. Then he ordered her, and she refused, until their voices rose. He said, “Go on, for you women do not go beyond what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said.” I said, “And what did the Messenger of Allah say about them?” He said, “Indeed woman was created from a rib; if you try to straighten her you will break her, and if you treat her gently, then in her there is crookedness and sufficiency.” 

So she turned away, then came with a tharid dish as if it were a sandgrouse. He said, “Eat, and I will not alarm you, for I am fasting.” Then he stood to pray, and he began to make his bowing well-formed; then he turned away and ate.

I said, “Truly, to Allah we belong! I was not afraid that you would lie to me.” He said, “May your father be to Allah! I have not lied since you met me.” I said, “Did you not tell me that you were fasting?” He said, “Yes. I fasted three days of this month, and its reward was written for me, and the food became lawful for me.”

أَتَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ، فَلَمْ أُوَافِقْهُ، فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: أَيْنَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ؟ قَالَتْ: يَمْتَهِنُ، سَيَأْتِيكَ الْآنَ. فَجَلَسْتُ لَهُ، فَجَاءَ وَمَعَهُ بَعِيرَانِ، قَدْ قَطَرَ أَحَدَهُمَا بِعَجُزِ الْآخَرِ، فِي عُنُقِ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا قِرْبَةٌ، فَوَضَعَهُمَا، ثُمَّ جَاءَ.

فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ، مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ كُنْتُ أَلْقَاهُ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ لُقْيًا مِنْكَ، وَلَا أَبْغَضَ إِلَيَّ لُقْيًا مِنْكَ. قَالَ: لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ، وَمَا جَمَعَ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: إِنِّي كُنْتُ وَأَدْتُ مَوْءُودَةً فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، أَرْهَبُ إِنْ لَقِيتُكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ: لَا تَوْبَةَ لَكَ، لَا مَخْرَجَ لَكَ، وَكُنْتُ أَرْجُو أَنْ تَقُولَ: لَكَ تَوْبَةٌ وَمَخْرَجٌ. قَالَ: أَفِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَصَبْتَ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: عَفَا اللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ.

وَقَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: آتِينَا بِطَعَامٍ، فَأَبَتْ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَهَا فَأَبَتْ، حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا. قَالَ: إِيهِ، فَإِنَّكُنَّ لَا تَعْدُونَ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قُلْتُ: وَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فِيهِنَّ؟ قَالَ: «إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ، وَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تُرِدْ أَنْ تُقِيمَهَا تَكْسِرُهَا، وَإِنْ تُدَارِهَا فَإِنَّ فِيهَا أَوَدًا وَبُلْغَةً». 

فَوَلَّتْ، فَجَاءَتْ بِثَرِيدَةٍ كَأَنَّهَا قَطَاةٌ، فَقَالَ: كُلْ، وَلَا أَهُولَنَّكَ، فَإِنِّي صَائِمٌ. ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي، فَجَعَلَ يُهَذِّبُ الرُّكُوعَ، ثُمَّ انْفَتَلَ فَأَكَلَ.

فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ، مَا كُنْتُ أَخَافُ أَنْ تُكَذِّبَنِي. قَالَ: لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ، مَا كَذَبْتُ مُنْذُ لَقِيتَنِي. قُلْتُ: أَلَمْ تُخْبِرْنِي أَنَّكَ صَائِمٌ؟ قَالَ: بَلَى، إِنِّي صُمْتُ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَكُتِبَ لِي أَجْرُهُ، وَحَلَّ لِيَ الطَّعَامُ.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The hospitality of a guest for one night is a right and an obligation upon every Muslim. Whoever finds a guest in his courtyard in the morning, it is a debt upon him; if he wishes, he may demand it, and if he wishes, he may forgo it.”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «لَيْلَةُ الضَّيْفِ حَقٌّ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ، فَمَنْ أَصْبَحَ بِفِنَائِهِ فَهُوَ دَيْنٌ عَلَيْهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ فَإِنْ شَاءَ اقْتَضَاهُ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ».

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, you send us out and we come to a people who do not offer us hospitality, so what do you think about that?” He said to us: “If you stay with a people and they provide you with what is due to a guest, then accept it. But if they do not, then take from them the due of the guest that is rightfully yours.”

قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّكَ تَبْعَثُنَا فَنَنْزِلُ بِقَوْمٍ فَلَا يَقْرُونَا، فَمَا تَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ لَنَا: «إِنْ نَزَلْتُمْ بِقَوْمٍ، فَأُمِرَ لَكُمْ بِمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلضَّيْفِ فَاقْبَلُوا، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَخُذُوا مِنْهُمْ حَقَّ الضَّيْفِ الَّذِي يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ».

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest: his due is one day and one night, and hospitality is for three days; whatever is beyond that is charity. And it is not lawful for him to stay with him until he embarrasses him.”

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ جَائِزَتَهُ يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ، وَالضِّيَافَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ، فَمَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ، وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَثْوِيَ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى يُحْرِجَهُ».

My ears heard and my eyes saw when the Prophet ﷺ spoke, and he said: “(1) Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor; and (2) whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest with his due reward.” He was asked: And what is his due reward, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “˹It is˺ a day and a night; and hospitality is for three days. Whatever is beyond that is charity for him. (3) And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.”

سَمِعَتْ أُذُنَايَ وَأَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَايَ حِينَ تَكَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: «(١) مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ، (٢) وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ جَائِزَتَهُ».قَالَ: وَمَا جَائِزَتُهُ، يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ، وَالضِّيَافَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ، فَمَا كَانَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ عَلَيْهِ، (٣) وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ».

I reached the ˹good old days˺,  when they would be in a single dwelling with their families. Sometimes a guest would come to one of them while another man’s pot was on the fire, so the host of the guest would take it for his guest. Then the owner of the pot would miss his pot and say, “Who took the pot?” The host of the guest would say, “We took it for our guest,” and the owner of the pot would say, “May Allah bless you in it,” or words to that effect. 

Baqiyyah > Muhammad: and the bread, when they baked it, was like that as well, and there were between them only reed walls. Baqiyyah said: And even I myself reached ˹such people˺: Muhammad b. Ziyad and his companions.

أَدْرَكْتُ السَّلَفَ، وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَكُونُونَ فِي الْمَنْزِلِ الْوَاحِدِ بِأَهَالِيهِمْ، فَرُبَّمَا نَزَلَ عَلَى بَعْضِهِمُ الضَّيْفُ، وَقِدْرُ أَحَدِهِمْ عَلَى النَّارِ، فَيَأْخُذُهَا صَاحِبُ الضَّيْفِ لِضَيْفِهِ، فَيَفْقِدُ الْقِدْرَ صَاحِبُهَا، فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ أَخَذَ الْقِدْرَ؟ فَيَقُولُ صَاحِبُ الضَّيْفِ: نَحْنُ أَخَذْنَاهَا لِضَيْفِنَا، فَيَقُولُ صَاحِبُ الْقِدْرِ: بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فِيهَا، أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا.

قَالَ بَقِيَّةُ: وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ، وَالْخُبْزُ إِذَا خَبَزُوا مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَيْسَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلَّا جُدُرُ الْقَصَبِ. قَالَ بَقِيَّةُ: وَأَدْرَكْتُ أَنَا ذَلِكَ، مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ زِيَادٍ وَأَصْحَابَهُ.

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ, so he sent to his wives, and they said, “We have nothing with us but water.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Who will take this man in or host him?” A man from the Ansar (it is said he was Abu Talhah) said, “I will.” So he went with him to his wife and said, “Honor the guest of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” She said, “We have nothing except food for the children.” He said, “Prepare your food, fix your lamp, and put your children to sleep if they ask for supper.” So she prepared her food, fixed her lamp, and put her children to sleep. Then she got up as if to fix her lamp and put it out, and the two of them made him think they were eating, while they spent the night hungry.

When morning came, he went early to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he ﷺ said, “Allah has laughed, or marveled, at what you two did.” And Allah revealed: “And they give ˹others˺ preference over themselves, even though they are in need; and whoever is protected from the greed of his soul, those are the successful.” (Hashr 59:9)

أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَى نِسَائِهِ، فَقُلْنَ: مَا مَعَنَا إِلَّا الْمَاءُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ يَضُمُّ أَوْ يُضِيفُ هَذَا؟». فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ [يعني أبو طلحة]: أَنَا. فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَكْرِمِي ضَيْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَقَالَتْ: مَا عِنْدَنَا إِلَّا قُوتٌ لِلصِّبْيَانِ. فَقَالَ: هَيِّئِي طَعَامَكِ، وَأَصْلِحِي سِرَاجَكِ، وَنَوِّمِي صِبْيَانَكِ إِذَا أَرَادُوا عَشَاءً. فَهَيَّأَتْ طَعَامَهَا، وَأَصْلَحَتْ سِرَاجَهَا، وَنَوَّمَتْ صِبْيَانَهَا، ثُمَّ قَامَتْ كَأَنَّهَا تُصْلِحُ سِرَاجَهَا فَأَطْفَأَتْهُ، وَجَعَلَا يُرِيَانِهِ أَنَّهُمَا يَأْكُلَانِ، وَبَاتَا طَاوِيَيْنِ.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ، غَدَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَقَالَ ﷺ: «لَقَدْ ضَحِكَ اللَّهُ أَوْ عَجِبَ مِنْ فَعَالِكُمَا»، وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ: ﴿ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ، وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴾.

I went out with my father (Ubadah b. Samit) when I was a young boy, and we met an old man. I said, “Uncle, what kept you from giving your servant this long striped cloak and taking the mantle, so that you would have two mantles and he would have a striped cloak ˹so that he will be fully covered˺?” He turned to my father and said, “Is this your son?” He said, “Yes.” So he stroked my head and said, “May Allah bless you. I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Feed them from what you eat, and clothe them from what you wear.’ O son of my brother, losing the goods of this world is dearer to me than that he should take from the goods of the Hereafter.” I said, “Father, who is this man?” He said, “Abu al-Yusr Ka‘b b. Amr.”

خَرَجْتُ مَعَ أَبِي وَأَنَا غُلَامٌ شَابٌّ، فَنَلْقَى شَيْخًا، قُلْتُ: أَيْ عَمِّ، مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تُعْطِيَ غُلَامَكَ هَذِهِ النَّمِرَةَ، وَتَأْخُذَ الْبُرْدَةَ، فَتَكُونُ عَلَيْكَ بُرْدَتَانِ، وَعَلَيْهِ نَمِرَةٌ؟ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى أَبِي، فَقَالَ: ابْنُكَ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: فَمَسَحَ عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَقَالَ: بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ، أَشْهَدُ لَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «أَطْعِمُوهُمْ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ، وَاكْسُوهُمْ مِمَّا تَكْتَسُونَ». يَا ابْنَ أَخِي، ذَهَابُ مَتَاعِ الدُّنْيَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْ مَتَاعِ الْآخِرَةِ. قُلْتُ: أَيْ أَبَتَاهُ، مَنْ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ؟ قَالَ: أَبُو الْيَسَرِ كَعْبِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو.

[AI] I came to Kufa, and I had no concern there except Uways al-Qarani: I searched for him and asked about him until I happened upon him sitting alone on the bank of the Euphrates at midday, performing ablution and washing his garment. I recognized him by the description. There he was: a fleshy man, dark-complexioned, intensely so; hairy, with a shaved head—meaning he had no forelock—thick-bearded, wearing a woolen waist-wrapper and a woolen cloak, without shoes; large-faced, and very awe-inspiring in appearance. I greeted him, and he returned my greeting and looked at me and said, “May God give you life—who are you?” I extended my hand to him to shake his, but he refused to shake my hand and said, “And you—may God give you life.” I said, “May God have mercy on you, O Uways, and forgive you. How are you—may God have mercy on you?” Then jealousy choked me, from my love for him and my tenderness toward him because of what I saw of his condition, until I wept and he wept. Then he said, “And you—may God have mercy on you, O Harim ibn Hayyan. How are you, my brother? Who guided you to me?” I said, “God.” He said, “There is no god but God. Glory be to our Lord: surely the promise of our Lord is to be fulfilled,” when he named me. By God, he had never seen me, nor had I seen him. Then I said, “How did you recognize me, and know my name and my father’s name? For by God I had never seen you before this day.” He said, “The All-Knowing, the All-Aware informed me. My spirit recognized your spirit when my soul spoke to your soul: spirits have breaths like the breaths of the living. The believers recognize one another and converse by God’s Spirit even if they have not met, and even if they have not spoken; they come to know one another, even if lands are distant from them and homes separate them.”

He said: I said, “Tell me a hadith from the Messenger of God ﷺ that I may memorize from you.” He said, “I did not meet the Messenger of God ﷺ, nor did I have companionship with him. I have seen men who saw him, and what has reached me of his hadith is as what has reached you. I do not like to open this door upon myself—so that I become one who relates traditions, or a judge, or one who gives legal opinions; a person has enough to occupy him, O Harim ibn Hayyan.” He said: I said, “My brother, recite to me verses from the Book of God so I may hear them from you, for I love you for God with a strong love. And supplicate with prayers and give counsel with an admonition that I may preserve from you.” He said: he took my hand on the bank of the Euphrates and said, “I seek refuge in God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from Satan the accursed. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.” He gasped once, then wept in his place, then said: “My Lord—exalted be His mention—has said, and most rightful of speech is His speech, most truthful of discourse is His discourse, and best of words is His word: {And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in play; We created them only in truth} [al-Dukhan 39],” until he reached, “{except whom God has mercy upon; indeed He is the Mighty, the Merciful} [al-Dukhan 42].” Then he gasped again and fell silent. I looked at him, thinking he had fainted. Then he said, “O Harim ibn Hayyan, your father has died, and you are soon to die; and Abu Hayyan has died—either to Paradise or to the Fire. Adam has died, and Eve has died, O son of Hayyan; and Noah has died, and Abraham, the intimate friend of the Most Merciful, O son of Hayyan; and Moses, the one spoken to by the Most Merciful, has died, O son of Hayyan; and David, the vicegerent of the Most Merciful, has died, O son of Hayyan; and Muhammad, the Messenger of the Most Merciful, has died, and Abu Bakr, the caliph of the Muslims, has died, O son of Hayyan; and my brother, my chosen one, and my friend, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, has died.” Then he said, “Oh ‘Umar!” May God have mercy on ‘Umar—while ‘Umar at that time was still alive, and that was at the end of his caliphate. He said: I said to him, “May God have mercy on you—‘Umar ibn al-Khattab is still alive.” He said, “Yes, if you understand: you have already understood what I said— I and you are among the dead; it has already been.” Then he invoked blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ and made brief supplications. Then he said, “This is my counsel to you, O Harim ibn Hayyan: the Book of God; keeping company with the righteous among the Muslims; and prayer and peace upon the Prophet ﷺ. I have announced death to myself and announced it to you; so keep remembrance of death—do not let it leave you even for a moment. Warn your people when you return to them, and advise all the people of your religion. Strive for your own soul, and beware, beware of separating from the جماعت (the community), lest you separate from your religion without realizing and enter the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”

Then he said, “O God, this man claims that he loves me for Your sake and has visited me for Your sake. O God, show me his face in Paradise, and admit him to me as a visitor in Your abode, the Abode of Peace. Preserve him so long as he remains in the world, wherever he may be; gather up for him what he has lost; make him content in this world with little; and whatever You give him of this world, make it easy for him; and make him, for what You give him of Your blessing, among the grateful; and reward him with the best reward. I entrust you to God, O Harim ibn Hayyan. Peace be upon you and the mercy of God.”

Then he said to me, “You will not see me after today—may God have mercy on you—for I dislike fame, and solitude is dearer to me, because I am deeply sorrowful and heavily burdened with care so long as I remain alive in this world among these people. Do not ask about me, and do not seek me. Know that you are in my mind even if I do not see you and you do not see me; remember me and pray for me, for I will remember you and pray for you, God willing, exalted is He. Go—here,” until he took this way. He said: I was eager to walk with him for an hour, but he refused, so I parted from him—he weeping and I weeping. He said: I kept looking at his back until he entered one of the alleys. How often I sought him after that and asked about him, yet I found no one who could tell me anything about him. May God have mercy on him and forgive him. No week passed over me except that I saw him in my sleep once or twice—or as he said.

قَدِمْتُ الْكُوفَةَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِي بِهَا هَمٌّ إِلَّا أُوَيْسٌ الْقَرَنِيُّ أَطْلُبُهُ وَأَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى سَقَطْتُ عَلَيْهِ جَالِسًا وَحْدَهُ عَلَى شَاطِئِ الْفُرَاتِ نِصْفَ النَّهَارِ يَتَوَضَّأُ وَيَغْسِلُ ثَوْبَهُ فَعَرَفْتُهُ بِالنَّعْتِ فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ لَحِمٌ أَدَمُ شَدِيدُ الْأَدَمَةِ أَشْعَرُ مَحْلُوقُ الرَّأْسِ يَعْنِي لَيْسَ لَهُ جُمَّةٌ كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ عَلَيْهِ إِزَارٌ مِنْ صُوفٍ وَرِدَاءٌ مِنْ صُوفٍ بِغَيْرِ حِذَاءٍ كَبِيرُ الْوَجْهِ مَهِيبُ الْمَنْظَرِ جِدًّا فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ وَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ حَيَّاكَ اللَّهُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ؟ فَمَدَدْتُ يَدِي إِلَيْهِ لِأُصَافِحَهُ فَأَبَى أَنْ يُصَافِحَنِي وَقَالَ وَأَنْتَ فَحَيَّاكَ اللَّهُ فَقُلْتُ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ يَا أُوَيْسُ وَغَفَرَ لَكَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ؟ ثُمَّ خَنَقَتْنِي الْغَيْرَةُ مِنْ حُبِّي إِيَّاهُ وَرِقَّتِي لَهُ لِمَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ حَالِهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ حَتَّى بَكَيْتُ وَبَكَى ثُمَّ قَالَ وَأَنْتَ فَرَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ يَا هَرِمُ بْنَ حَيَّانَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا أَخِي؟ مَنْ دَلَّكَ عَلَيَّ؟ قُلْتُ اللَّهُ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنْ كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًا حِينَ سَمَّانِي وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ رَأَيْتُهُ قَطُّ وَلَا رَآنِي ثُمَّ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَيْنَ عَرَفْتَنِي وَعَرَفْتَ اسْمِي وَاسْمَ أَبِي فَوَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ رَأَيْتُكَ قَطُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِي الْعَلِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ عَرَفَتْ رُوحِي رُوحَكَ حَيْثُ كَلَّمَتْ نَفْسِي نَفْسَكَ أَنَّ الْأَرْوَاحَ لَهَا أَنْفَسٌ كَأَنْفُسِ الْأَحْيَاءِ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَعْرِفُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا وَيَتَحَدَّثُونَ بِرُوحِ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَلْتَقُوا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمُوا وَيَتَعَارَفُوا وَإِنْ نَأْتِ بِهُمُ الدِّيَارُ وَتَفَرَّقَتْ بِهُمُ الْمَنَازِلُ قَالَ قُلْتُ حَدِّثْنِي عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِحَدِيثٍ أَحْفَظُهُ عَنْكَ قَالَ إِنِّي لَمْ أُدْرِكْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لِي مَعَهُ صُحْبَةٌ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رِجَالًا قَدْ رَأَوْهُ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ كَمَا بَلَغَكُمْ وَلَسْتُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَفْتَحَ هَذَا الْبَابَ عَلَى نَفْسِي أَنْ أَكُونَ مُحَدَّثًا أَوْ قَاضِيًا وَمُفْتِيًا فِي النَّفْسِ شُغْلٌ يَا هَرِمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَخِي اقْرَأْ عَلَيَّ آيَاتٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ أَسْمَعْهُنَّ مِنْكَ فَإِنِّي أُحَبُّكَ فِي اللَّهِ حُبًّا شَدِيدًا وَادْعُ بِدَعَوَاتٍ وَأَوْصِ بِوَصِيَّةٍ أَحْفَظْهَا عَنْكَ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي عَلَى شَاطِئِ الْفُرَاتِ وَقَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ قَالَ فَشَهِقَ شَهْقَةً ثُمَّ بَكَى مَكَانَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ رَبِّي تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ وَأَحَقُّ الْقَوْلِ قَوْلُهُ وَأَصْدَقُ الْحَدِيثِ حَدِيثُهُ وَأَحْسَنُ الْكَلَامِ كَلَامُهُ {وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ مَا خَلَقْنَاهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ} [الدخان 39] حَتَّى بَلَغَ {إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ} [الدخان 42] ثُمَّ شَهِقَ شَهْقَةً ثُمَّ سَكَتَ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَحْسِبُهُ قَدْ غَشِيَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا هَرِمُ بْنَ حَيَّانَ مَاتَ أَبُوكَ وَأَوْشَكَ أَنْ تَمُوتَ وَمَاتَ أَبُو حَيَّانَ فَإِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّارِ وَمَاتَ آدَمُ وَمَاتَتْ حَوَّاءُ يَا ابْنَ حَيَّانَ وَمَاتَ نُوحٌ وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ خَلِيلُ الرَّحْمَنِ يَا ابْنَ حَيَّانَ وَمَاتَ مُوسَى نَجِيُّ الرَّحْمَنِ يَا ابْنَ حَيَّانَ وَمَاتَ دَاوُدُ خَلِيفَةُ الرَّحْمَنِ يَا ابْنَ حَيَّانَ وَمَاتَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الرَّحْمَنِ وَمَاتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ خَلِيفَةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَا ابْنَ حَيَّانَ وَمَاتَ أَخِي وَصَفِيِّي وَصَدِيقِي عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَاعُمَرَاهُ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عُمَرَ وَعُمَرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ حَيٌّ وَذَلِكَ فِي آخِرِ خِلَافَتِهِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ بَعْدُ حَيٌّ قَالَ بَلَى إِنْ تَفْهَمْ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا قُلْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتَ فِي الْمَوْتَى وَكَانَ قَدْ كَانَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَدَعَا بِدَعَوَاتٍ خِفَافٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَذِهِ وَصِيَّتِي إِلَيْكَ يَا هَرِمُ بْنَ حَيَّانَ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَاللِّقَاءُ بِالصَّالِحِينَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَلَقَدْ نَعَيْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَنَعَيْتُكَ فَعَلَيْكَ بِذِكْرِ الْمَوْتِ فَلَا يُفَارِقَنَّ عَلَيْكَ طَرْفَةً وَأَنْذِرْ قَوْمَكَ إِذَا رَجَعْتَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَانْصَحْ أَهْلَ مِلَّتَكَ جَمِيعًا وَاكْدَحْ لِنَفْسِكَ وَإِيَّاكَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُفَارِقَ الْجَمَاعَةَ فَتُفَارِقَ دِينَكَ وَأَنْتَ لَا تَعْلَمُ فَتَدْخُلُ النَّارَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ هَذَا يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ يُحِبُّنِي فِيكَ وَزَارَنِي مِنْ أَجَلِكَ اللَّهُمَّ عَرِّفْنِي وَجْهَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَأَدْخِلْهُ عَلَيَّ زَائِرًا فِي دَارِكَ دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَاحْفَظْهُ مَا دَامَ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَيْثُ مَا كَانَ وَضَمَّ عَلَيْهِ ضَيْعَتَهُ وَرَضِّهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْيَسِيرِ وَمَا أَعْطَيْتَهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا فَيَسِّرْهُ لَهُ وَاجْعَلْهُ لِمَا تُعْطِيَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَتِكَ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ وَاجْزِهِ خَيْرَ الْجَزَاءِ اسْتَوْدَعْتُكَ اللَّهَ يَا هَرِمُ بْنَ حَيَّانَ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي لَا أَرَاكَ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ فَإِنِّي أَكْرَهُ الشُّهْرَةَ وَالْوَحْدَةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ لِأَنِّي شَدِيدُ الْغَمِّ كَثِيرُ الْهَمِّ مَا دُمْتُ مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ النَّاسِ حَيًّا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَا تَسْأَلْ عَنِّي وَلَا تَطْلُبُنِي وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّكَ مِنِّي عَلَى بَالٍ وَلَمْ أَرَكَ وَلَمْ تَرَنِي فَاذْكُرْنِي وَادْعُ لِي فَإِنِّي سَأَذْكُرُكَ وَأَدْعُو لَكَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى انْطَلِقْ هَا هُنَا حَتَّى أَخَذَ هَا هُنَا قَالَ فَحَرَصْتُ عَلَى أَنْ أَسِيرَ مَعَهُ سَاعَةً فَأَبَى عَلَيَّ فَفَارَقْتُهُ يَبْكِي وَأَبْكِي قَالَ فَجَعَلْتُ أَنْظُرُ فِي قَفَاهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فِي بَعْضِ السِّكَكِ فَكَمْ طَلَبْتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ وَسَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ فَمَا وَجَدْتُ أَحَدًا يُخْبِرُنِي عَنْهُ بِشَيْءٍ فَرَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَفَرَ لَهُ وَمَا أَتَتْ عَلَيَّ جُمُعَةٌ إِلَّا وَأَنَا أَرَاهُ فِي مَنَامِي مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ

We went out with the Prophet ﷺ for the funeral of a man from the Ansar. When we arrived at the grave and it had not yet been dug, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down, and we sat around him as if birds were on our heads (in silence and stillness). In his hand, he had a stick with which he was striking the ground. Then he raised his head and said twice or thrice, "Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave."

Then he said, "When the believing servant is about to depart from this world and head towards the Hereafter, angels from the heavens descend upon him, their faces as bright as the sun, bringing shrouds from Paradise and fragrance from Paradise. They sit at a distance that the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death, ﷺ , comes and sits by his head and says, 'O good soul, come out to forgiveness and pleasure from Allah.’ It comes out as gently as a drop flows from a water-skin, and the Angel of Death takes it. When he takes it, they (the angels) do not leave it in his hand even for the twinkling of an eye; they take it and place it in that shroud and that fragrance. From it emanates a fragrance like the sweetest scent of musk ever found on the face of the earth.

Then they ascend with it. They do not pass by a group of angels but they say, 'What is this good soul?’ They reply, 'It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,' using the best names by which people called him in this world, until they reach the first heaven. They ask for it to be opened, and it is opened for them. The closest angels from each heaven accompany him to the next heaven until they reach the seventh heaven. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, says, 'Record the book of My servant in Illiyyin (the highest heaven) and return him to the earth, for I have created them from it and return them into it, and from it, I will bring them forth once again.'

His soul is then returned to his body, and two angels come to him, make him sit up and ask him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'My Lord is Allah.’ They then ask, 'What is your religion?' He replies, 'My religion is Islam.’ They further ask, 'Who is this man who was sent among you?' He says, 'He is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ They will ask him, 'What is your knowledge?' He replies, 'I read the Book of Allah, believed in it, and accepted it as true.’ Then a voice calls from the heaven, saying, 'My servant has spoken the truth. Furnish him from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him to Paradise.' Then he is provided with some of its fragrance and pleasant smell, and his grave is made wide, as far as the eye can see.

Then a man with a handsome face, beautiful clothing, and a good scent comes to him and says, 'Rejoice with what pleases you, for this is your day which you were promised.’ He asks, 'Who are you? Your face is one that brings good.’ He replies, 'I am your righteous deeds.’ Then he says, 'O Lord, establish the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.'

When the disbelieving servant is about to depart from this world and head towards the Hereafter, angels descend upon him from the heavens. Their faces are dark, and they bring sackcloth. They sit at a distance that the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says, 'O foul soul, come out to the displeasure and wrath of Allah.’ It recoils within his body, and he drags it out like a skewer being pulled from wet wool. When he takes it, they do not let it stay in his hand even for the twinkling of an eye; they take it and place it in that sackcloth. From it emanates a stench like the foulest stench of a dead body ever found on the face of the earth.

Then they ascend with it. They do not pass by a group of angels but they say, 'What is this foul soul?' They reply, 'It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,' using the worst names by which people called him in this world, until they reach the first heaven. They ask for it to be opened, but it is not opened for them." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited: 'The gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.' (7:40) Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, says, 'Record his book in Sijjin (in the lowest earth) and return him to the earth, for I have created them from it and return them into it, and from it, I will bring them forth once again.' His soul is then cast down.” Then the Messenger of Allah recited: 'And whoever ascribes partners to Allah, it is as though he had fallen from the sky and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had blown him to a far-off place.' (22:31)

His soul is then returned to his body, and two angels come and make him sit up and ask him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, 'What is your religion?' He replies, 'Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, 'Who is this man who was sent among you?' He replies, 'Alas, alas, I do not know.' Then a voice calls from the heaven, saying, 'He has lied, so furnish him from Hellfire and open a door for him to Hell.' Then some of its heat and hot wind comes to him, and his grave is made narrow, so much so that his ribs are crushed together.

Then a man with an ugly face, ugly clothing, and a foul smell comes to him and says, 'Rejoice with what displeases you, for this is your day which you were promised.’ He asks, 'Who are you? Your face is one that brings evil.’ He replies, 'I am your evil deeds.’ Then he says, 'O Lord, do not establish the Hour.’"

خَرَجْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي جِنَازَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْقَبْرِ وَلَمَّا يُلْحَدْ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسْنَا حَوْلَهُ كَأَنَّ عَلَى رُءُوسِنَا الطَّيْرَ وَفِي يَدِهِ عُودٌ يَنْكُتُ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ اسْتَعِيذُوا بِاللهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا

ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَإِقْبَالٍ مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَائِكَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِيضُ الْوُجُوهِ كَأَنَّ وُجُوهَهُمُ الشَّمْسُ مَعَهُمْ كَفَنٌ مِنْ أَكْفَانِ الْجَنَّةِ وَحَنُوطٌ مِنْ حَنُوطِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسُوا مِنْهُ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَيَقُولُ أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الطَّيِّبَةُ اخْرُجِي إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ قَالَ فَتَخْرُجُ تَسِيلُ كَمَا تَسِيلُ الْقَطْرَةُ مِنْ فِي السِّقَاءِ فَيَأْخُذُهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَهَا لَمْ يَدَعُوهَا فِي يَدِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ حَتَّى يَأْخُذُوهَا فَيَجْعَلُوهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْكَفَنِ وَفِي ذَلِكَ الْحَنُوطِ وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا كَأَطْيَبِ نَفْحَةِ مِسْكٍ وُجِدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ

قَالَ فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا فَلَا يَمُرُّونَ يَعْنِي بِهَا عَلَى مَلَإٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِلَّا قَالُوا مَا هَذَا الرُّوحُ الطَّيِّبُ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ بِأَحْسَنِ أَسْمَائِهِ الَّتِي كَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَنْتَهُوا بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَسْتَفْتِحُونَ لَهُ فَيُفْتَحُ لَهُمْ فَيُشَيِّعُهُ مِنْ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ مُقَرَّبُوهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا حَتَّى يُنْتَهَى بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ فَيَقُولُ اللهُ ﷻ اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَ عَبْدِي فِي عِلِّيِّينَ وَأَعِيدُوهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ فَإِنِّي مِنْهَا خَلَقْتُهُمْ وَفِيهَا أُعِيدُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا أُخْرِجُهُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى

قَالَ فَتُعَادُ رُوحُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ فَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَنْ رَبُّكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيَ اللهُ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَا دِينُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ دِينِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُ هُوَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ وَمَا عِلْمُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ اللهِ فَآمَنْتُ بِهِ وَصَدَّقْتُ فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ صَدَقَ عَبْدِي فَأَفْرِشُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَلْبِسُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ رَوْحِهَا وَطِيبِهَا وَيُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ مَدَّ بَصَرِهِ

قَالَ وَيَأْتِيهِ رَجُلٌ حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ حَسَنُ الثِّيَابِ طَيِّبُ الرِّيحِ فَيَقُولُ أَبْشِرْ بِالَّذِي يَسُرُّكَ هَذَا يَوْمُكَ الَّذِي كُنْتَ تُوعَدُ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَوَجْهُكَ الْوَجْهُ يَجِيءُ بِالْخَيْرِ فَيَقُولُ أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الصَّالِحُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّ أَقِمِ السَّاعَةَ حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِي وَمَالِي

قَالَ وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَإِقْبَالٍ مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَلَائِكَةٌ سُودُ الْوُجُوهِ مَعَهُمُ الْمُسُوحُ فَيَجْلِسُونَ مِنْهُ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَيَقُولُ أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْخَبِيثَةُ اخْرُجِي إِلَى سَخَطٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَغَضَبٍ قَالَ فَتُفَرَّقُ فِي جَسَدِهِ فَيَنْتَزِعُهَا كَمَا يُنْتَزَعُ السَّفُّودُ مِنَ الصُّوفِ الْمَبْلُولِ فَيَأْخُذُهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَهَا لَمْ يَدَعُوهَا فِي يَدِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ حَتَّى يَجْعَلُوهَا فِي تِلْكَ الْمُسُوحِ وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا كَأَنْتَنِ رِيحِ جِيفَةٍ وُجِدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ

فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا فَلَا يَمُرُّونَ بِهَا عَلَى مَلَأٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِلَّا قَالُوا مَا هَذَا الرُّوحُ الْخَبِيثُ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ بِأَقْبَحِ أَسْمَائِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ يُسَمَّى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يُنْتَهَى بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيُسْتَفْتَحُ لَهُ فَلَا يُفْتَحُ لَهُ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ {لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ} [الأعراف 40] فَيَقُولُ اللهُ ﷻ اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَهُ فِي سِجِّينٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ السُّفْلَى فَتُطْرَحُ رُوحُهُ طَرْحًا ثُمَّ قَرَأَ {وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ} [الحج 31]

فَتُعَادُ رُوحُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ وَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَنْ رَبُّكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ هَاهْ هَاهْ لَا أَدْرِي فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَا دِينُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ هَاهْ هَاهْ لَا أَدْرِي فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُ هَاهْ هَاهْ لَا أَدْرِي فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَنْ كَذَبَ فَافْرِشُوا لَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى النَّارِ فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ حَرِّهَا وَسَمُومِهَا وَيُضَيَّقُ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرُهُ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِفَ فِيهِ أَضْلَاعُهُ

وَيَأْتِيهِ رَجُلٌ قَبِيحُ الْوَجْهِ قَبِيحُ الثِّيَابِ مُنْتِنُ الرِّيحِ فَيَقُولُ أَبْشِرْ بِالَّذِي يَسُوءُكَ هَذَا يَوْمُكَ الَّذِي كُنْتَ تُوعَدُ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَوَجْهُكَ الْوَجْهُ يَجِيءُ بِالشَّرِّ فَيَقُولُ أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الْخَبِيثُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّ لَا تُقِمِ السَّاعَةَ

from the Prophet ﷺ who said: “Indeed, Allah, Exalted is He, says: ‘O son of Adam, devote yourself to My worship; I will fill your chest with richness and I will suffice your poverty. But if you do not, I will fill your hands with preoccupation and I will not suffice your poverty.’”

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: (يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ تَفَرَّغْ لِعِبَادَتِي، أَمْلأْ صَدْرَكَ غِنًى، وَأَسُدَّ فَقْرَكَ، وَإِلاَّ تَفْعَلْ مَلأْتُ يَدَيْكَ شُغْلاً وَلَمْ أَسُدَّ فَقْرَكَ)».

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Īmān (faith) wears out (deteriorates) within ˹the depths˺ of each one of you just as worn out clothing has been worn out. Therefore, ask Allah to renew Īmān in your hearts."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ الْإِيمَانَ لَيَخْلَقُ فِي جَوْفِ أَحَدِكُمْ كَمَا يَخْلَقُ الثَّوْبُ الْخَلِقُ، فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ أَنْ يُجَدِّدَ الْإِيمَانَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ».

Abu Talha had a child who was sick. Once, while Abu Talha was out, the child died. When Abu Talhah returned home, he asked, "How does my son fare?" Umm Salaym (his wife) replied, "He is quieter than he has ever been." Then she brought supper for him and he took his supper and slept with her. When he had finished, she said (to him), "Bury the child (as he's dead)." Next morning Abu Talha came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him about that. The Prophet ﷺ said (to him), "Did you sleep with your wife last night?" Abu Talha said, "Yes". The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Allah! Bestow your blessing on them as regards that night of theirs."

Umm Sulaim gave birth to a boy. Abu Talha told me to take care of the child till it was taken to the Prophet. Then Abu Talha took the child to the Prophet ﷺ and Um Sulaym sent some dates along with the child. The Prophet ﷺ took the child (on his lap) and asked: "Was there was something with him?" The people replied, "Yes, a few dates." The Prophet took a date, chewed it, took some of it out of his mouth, put it into the child's mouth and did Tahnik for him with that, and named him 'Abdullah.

كَانَ ابْنٌ لأَبِي طَلْحَةَ يَشْتَكِي، فَخَرَجَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ فَقُبِضَ الصَّبِيُّ۔ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ قَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ ابْنِي؟ قَالَتْ أُمُّ سُلَيْمٍ: هُوَ أَسْكَنُ مَا كَانَ۔ فَقَرَّبَتْ إِلَيْهِ الْعَشَاءَ فَتَعَشَّى ثُمَّ أَصَابَ مِنْهَا۔ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَتْ: وَارِ الصَّبِيَّ۔ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ: «أَعْرَسْتُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ۔ قَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَهُمَا»،

فَوَلَدَتْ غُلاَمًا۔ قَالَ لِي أَبُو طَلْحَةَ احْفَظْهُ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ۔ فَأَتَى بِهِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَأَرْسَلَتْ مَعَهُ بِتَمَرَاتٍ، فَأَخَذَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «أَمَعَهُ شَىْءٌ؟» قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، تَمَرَاتٌ۔ فَأَخَذَهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَمَضَغَهَا ثُمَّ أَخَذَ مِنْ فِيهِ، فَجَعَلَهَا فِي فِي الصَّبِيِّ وَحَنَّكَهُ بِهِ وَسَمَّاهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ۔

The Prophet ﷺ said, "An honest treasurer who gives ˹in charity˺ what he is ordered to give ˹by the owner˺ fully, perfectly and willingly to the person to whom he is ordered to give, is regarded as one of the two charitable persons."

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «الْخَازِنُ الأَمِينُ الَّذِي يُنْفِقُ»، وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ: «الَّذِي يُعْطِي مَا أُمِرَ بِهِ كَامِلاً مُوَفَّرًا طَيِّبٌ نَفْسُهُ إِلَى الَّذِي أُمِرَ بِهِ أَحَدُ الْمُتَصَدِّقَيْنِ».

The Prophet ﷺ, while in a tent ˹on the day of the Battle of Badr˺ said,

"O Allah! I ask you the fulfillment of Your Covenant and Promise. O Allah! If You wish ˹to destroy the believers˺ You will never be worshipped after today."

Abu Bakr caught him by the hand and said, "This is sufficient, O Allah's Apostle! You have asked Allah pressingly." The Prophet ﷺ was clad in his armor at that time. He went out, saying to me: "Soon their large group will be destroyed and they will turn around ˹feeling˺. Besides this, the Hour ˹of Judgement˺ is their appointed time and that Hour will be more grievous and more bitter ˹than worldly defeat˺" (Qamar 54:45-46)

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَهْوَ فِي قُبَّةٍ:

(اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَنْشُدُكَ عَهْدَكَ وَوَعْدَكَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ شِئْتَ لَمْ تُعْبَدْ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ)

فَأَخَذَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ بِيَدِهِ فَقَالَ: حَسْبُكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَقَدْ أَلْحَحْتَ عَلَى رَبِّكَ، وَهْوَ فِي الدِّرْعِ، فَخَرَجَ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ {سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ * بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ}

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever takes away the right of a Muslim person by his (false) oath, Allah has made the Fire obligatory for him and has forbidden Paradise to him.” A man said to him: “Even if it is something insignificant, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Even if it is a twig from an arāk tree.”

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «مَنِ اقْتَطَعَ حَقَّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ بِيَمِينِهِ فَقَدْ أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ النَّارَ وَحَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ»، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: وَإِنْ كَانَ شَيْئًا يَسِيرًا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «وَإِنْ قَضِيبًا مِنْ أَرَاكٍ».

A man said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, indeed I slaughter the sheep while being merciful to it. He ﷺ said: “And the sheep, if you show it mercy, Allah will show you mercy."

أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي لَأَذْبَحُ الشَّاةَ وَأَنَا أَرْحَمُهَا أَوْ قَالَ إِنِّي أَرْحَمُ الشَّاةَ أَنْ أَذْبَحَهَا فَقَالَ وَالشَّاةُ إِنْ رَحِمْتَهَا رَحِمَكَ اللهُ

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever is silent, he is saved.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ صَمَتَ نَجَا

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him. But if he must long for death, then he should say:

allāhumma aḥyinī mā kānat al-ḥayātu khayran lī, wa-tawaffanī idhā kānat al-wafātu khayran lī

O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «لاَ يَتَمَنَّيَنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمُ الْمَوْتَ لِضُرٍّ نَزَلَ بِهِ۔ فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ بُدَّ مُتَمَنِّيًا لِلْمَوْتِ فَلْيَقُلِ: 

(اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي)».

"Increase your recitation of the Quran before it is lifted." They said, "˹˹When˺ these copies of the Quran are lifted, how will it remain in the hearts of the people?" He said, "A night will come when by the morning their hearts will be empty of it. They will ˹even˺ forget the statement: There is no god worthy of worship other than Allah. They will return back to the times of ignorance and their poetry. That will be when Word (command of Allah) will take effect."

«أَكْثِرُوا تِلَاوَةَ الْقُرْآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ» قَالُوا هَذِهِ الْمَصَاحِفُ تُرْفَعُ فَكَيْفَ بِمَا فِي صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ؟ قَالَ «يُسْرَى عَلَيْهِ لَيْلًا فَيُصْبِحُونَ مِنْهُ فُقَرَاءَ وَيَنْسَوْنَ قَوْلَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَيَقَعُونَ فِي قَوْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَأَشْعَارِهِمْ وَذَلِكَ حِينَ يَقَعُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ»

"Modesty brings about nothing except goodness."

«الحياءُ لا يأتِي إِلَّا بخيرٍ۔»

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah ˹audits˺ his creation during the night of the middle of ˹the month of ˺ Shaʿbān then He forgives all His servants, except for the one filled with hate or a murderer."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «يَطَّلِعُ اللهُ ﷻ إِلَى خَلْقِهِ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَيَغْفِرُ لِعِبَادِهِ إِلَّا لِاثْنَيْنِ مُشَاحِنٍ وَقَاتِلِ نَفْسٍ».

I said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, if I come to know which night is the Night of Decree, what should I say in it?” He said, “Say:

allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun karīmun, tuḥibb al-ʿafwa, faʿfu ʿanni

O Allah, You are Pardoning and Generous; You love pardon, so pardon me.”

قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عَلِمْتُ أَىُّ لَيْلَةٍ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ مَا أَقُولُ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ: قُولِي:

«اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي»

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to inform the people about the ˹date of the˺ Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) but there happened a quarrel between two Muslim men. The Prophet ﷺ said, "I came out to inform you about ˹the date of˺ the Night of Qadr, but as so and so have quarrelled, and its knowledge has been taken away (i.e. I have made to forgot it) and maybe it was better for you. Now look for it in the seventh, the sixth and the fifth ˹of the last ten nights of the month of Ramaḍān)."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ يُخْبِرُ بِلَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَتَلاَحَى رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقَالَ: «إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ لأُخْبِرَكُمْ بِلَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَإِنَّهُ تَلاَحَى فُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ فَرُفِعَتْ وَعَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ خَيْرًا لَكُمُ الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي السَّبْعِ وَالتِّسْعِ وَالْخَمْسِ۔»

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, my father used to maintain family ties and do good deeds. Does he receive any reward for that?" He replied, "Indeed, your father sought something, and he achieved it."

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ أَبِي كَانَ يَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ وَيَفْعَلُ وَيَفْعَلُ فَهَلْ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ يَعْنِي مِنْ أَجْرٍ؟ قَالَ إِنَّ أَبَاكَ طَلَبَ أَمْرًا فَأَصَابَهُ

Three are the (persons) with whom Allah would neither speak on the Day of Resurrection, nor would look at them nor would absolve the and there is a painful chastisement for them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ repeated it three times. Abu Dharr remarked: They failed and they lost; who are these persons, Messenger of Allah? Upon this he (the Holy) Prophet) observed: They are: (2) the one who does isbal (drags the lower garment below the ankles), (2) the one who recounts favors, and (3) the seller of goods by false oath.

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ قَالَ فَقَرَأَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ قَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ خَابُوا وَخَسِرُوا مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ الْمُسْبِلُ وَالْمَنَّانُ وَالْمُنَفِّقُ سِلْعَتَهُ بِالْحَلِفِ الْكَاذِبِ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed, your Lord ﷻ is modest and generous; He is shy to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ عَبْدِهِ إِذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا».

“Charity in secret extinguishes God's anger; Tying bonds of kinship increases the lifespan; Manufacturing maʿrūf (the known good) protects against the factories of evil; and the statement "lā ilāha illā Allah" (There is no god worthy of worship except Allah) defends the one saying it from ninety-nine gates of trial, the least of which is uneasiness."

"إِنَّ صَدَقَةَ السِّرِّ تطفئُ غَضَبَ الرَّبِّ، وإِن صَلَةَ الرحِمِ تَزِيدُ في العُمْرِ، وإِنَّ صَنائع الْمَعْرُوف تَقِى مَصَارِعَ السوء، وإِن قولَ: لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، تَدْفَعُ عن قَائِلها تسعةً وتِسْعِينَ بابًا من الْبَلَاءِ، أدْنَاهَا الْهَمُّ".

from the Prophet ﷺ: “The two ˹Sunnah˺ rakʿahs of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it.”

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا»

O Son of Adam, I made you in your mother's womb, and covered your face with a covering so that you do not dislike the womb (family relations), and turned your face toward your mother's back so that the smell of the food does not bother you, and made you lie ˹comfortably˺ on your right side and your left side. As for what is on your right is the liver. As for what is above you is the spleen. And I taught you sitting and standing in your mother's womb. Thus who else is capable of such a thing other than me? And when your appointed time is elapsed, and we inspired the angel in the womb to deliver you, then he delivered you upon a feather from his wings.

You did not have teeth to chew or strength in your arms, nor strength in your feet to walk, so two thin veins in your mother's breast were released for you, running with pure milk that were warm in the winter and cool in the summer. And I put love for you in your parents' hearts. They do not take their fill ˹with food and drink˺ until you take your fill, and they do not sleep until you sleep. And when your back gained strength, you fought against me through sins while you were alone and you did not feel shy ˹to do so in front of˺ me. Even then, when you called upon me, I responded to you, and when you asked from me, I granted you, and if you repented and I accepted ˹your repentance˺.

يا ابن آدم جعلتك في بطن أمك، وغشيت وجهك بغشاء لئلا تنفر من الرحم، وجعلت وجهك إلى ظهر أمك لئلا تؤذيك رائحة الطعام، وجعلت لك متكأ عن يمينك ومتكأ عن شمالك، فأما الذي عن يمينك فالكبد، وأما الذي عن شمالك فالطحال، وعلمتك القيام والقعود في بطن أمك، فهل يقدر على ذلك غيري؟ فلما أن تمّت مدتك، وأوحيت إلى الملك بالأرحام أن يخرجك، فأخرجك على ريشة من جناحه۔

لا لك سن تقطع، ولا يد تبطش، ولا قدم تسعى، فانبعث لك عرقان رقيقان في صدر أمك يجريان لبنا خالصا، حارا في الشتاء وباردا في الصيف، وألقيت محبتك في قلب أبويك، فلا يشبعان حتى تشبع، ولا يرقدان حتى ترقد، فلما قوي ظهرك واشتد أزرك، بارزتني بالمعاصي في خلواتك، ولم تستح مني، ومع هذا إن دعوتني أجبتك، وإن سألتني أعطيتك، وإن تبت إليّ قبلتك

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If anyone says to his brother O kāfir (disbeliever)! Then surely, one of them such."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ قَالَ لأَخِيهِ: يَا كَافِرُ، فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهَا أَحَدُهُمَا۔»

The Prophet ﷺ used to teach us the Istikhara for each and every matter as he used to teach us the Suras from the Holy Quran, he would say, "If anyone of you intends to do something, he should offer a two-rakah prayer other than the obligatory prayer, and then say:

allāhumma inni astakhīruka bi-ʿilmika, wa-astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa-asʾaluka min fadlik al-ʿaẓīm, fa-innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa-taʿlamu wa-la aʿlamu, wa anta ʿallām al-ghuyūb; allāhumma in kunta taʿlamu anna {hādhā al-amra} khayrun lī fī dīni wa-maʿāshī wa-ʿāqibati amrī," or said, "fi ʿājili amrī wa-ājilihī, fa-uqdurhu lī, wa-in kunta taʿlamu anna {hādhā al-amra} sharrun lī fī dīni wa-maʿāshī wa-ʿāqibati amrī," or said, "fī ʿājili amri wa-ʿājilihī fa-iṣrifhu ʿannī wa-iṣrifnī ʿanhu wa-uqdur līya al-khayra ḥaythu kāna, thumma raḍḍini bi-hī."

(O Allah! I seek ˹Your help˺ in making a choice through Your knowledge, and seek the ability ˹to do so˺ through Your Power, and I ask You for Your Great Blessings. For You are capable and I am not. You know ˹better˺, and I do not, and You know the ˹matters of the˺ unseen. O Allah! If You know that {such a matter} is good for me, my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter..." or he said, "for my short-term ˹goals˺ as well as the long-term ˹goals˺, then ordain it for me and make its ˹path˺ easy for me and then bestow Your blessings upon it. If You know that {such a matter} is bad for me, my religion, my livelihood, and for my Hereafter..." or he said, "for my short-term ˹goals˺ as well as my long-term ˹goals˺, then remove it from ˹my path,˺ and remove me from ˹its path˺ and ˹instead˺ ordain for me good, whatever it may be, and let me be content with it."

He said: he should name his need (in place of what is mentioned in brackets).

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الاِسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا كَالسُّورَةِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ إِذَا هَمَّ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ:

«(اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ؛ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ؛ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ {هَذَا الأَمْرَ} خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي،» أَوْ قَالَ «عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي؛ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ {هَذَا الأَمْرَ} شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي» أَوْ قَالَ «فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ؛ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ)

وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَهُ»

ʿĀʾishah said: Whoever tells you that Muhammad ﷺ has seen his Lord, he is mistaken/a liar, for Allah says: "No vision can grasp Him." (Anʿām 6:103) And if anyone tells you that he knows ˹everything˺ about the Unseen, he is mistaken/a liar, for Allah says: "None has the knowledge of the Unseen except Allah."

مَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ {لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ} وَمَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ لاَ يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ

Give the masajid their due, ˹offer˺ two rakahs before you sit down.

"أعْطُوا المساجدَ حقها، ركعتان قبل أَن تجلِسُوا".

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The rights of a Muslim over another Muslim are five.”

from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Five things are incumbent upon a Muslim toward his brother: (1) returning the greeting of peace, (2) saying ‘may Allah have mercy on you’ to one who sneezes, (3) accepting an invitation, (4) visiting the sick, and (5) following funeral processions.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «حَقُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ خَمْسٌ». 

ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «خَمْسٌ تَجِبُ لِلْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى أَخِيهِ: (١) رَدُّ السَّلاَمِ، (٢) وَتَشْمِيتُ الْعَاطِسِ، (٣) وَإِجَابَةُ الدَّعْوَةِ، (٤) وَعِيَادَةُ الْمَرِيضِ، (٥) وَاتِّبَاعُ الْجَنَائِزِ».

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Come toward the pulpit," and we all came. When he climbed a step, he said, "Āmīn", and when he climbed the second step he said, "Āmīn", and when he climbed the third step he said, "Āmīn.” When he came down ˹after the sermon˺ we asked, "O Messenger of Allah, we heard something from you that we had not heard before."

He said, "Jibrīl ﷺ ˹came˺ to me and said, (1) 'Away with the one who found Ramadan and he was not forgiven.'", and I said, 'Āmīn.'"

"When I climbed the second ˹step˺ he said, 'Away with the one to him when I (Allah) am mentioned and he does not send ṣalāh upon you.'"

"When I climbed the third ˹step˺ he said, 'Away with the one who finds his parents in old age or ˹at least˺ one of them and they do not become ˹a means˺ for him to enter Jannah.' And I said, 'Āmīn.'"

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «احْضَرُوا الْمِنْبَرَ» فَحَضَرْنَا فَلَمَّا ارْتَقَى دَرَجَةً قَالَ «آمِينَ»، فَلَمَّا ارْتَقَى الدَّرَجَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ قَالَ «آمِينَ» فَلَمَّا ارْتَقَى الدَّرَجَةَ الثَّالِثَةَ قَالَ «آمِينَ» فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ قُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ سَمِعْنَا مِنْكَ الْيَوْمَ شَيْئًا مَا كُنَّا نَسْمَعُهُ۔

قَالَ: «إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ ﷺ عَرَضَ لِي فَقَالَ: بُعْدًا لِمَنْ أَدْرَكَ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَغْفَرْ لَهُ. قُلْتُ: آمِينَ».

«فَلَمَّا رَقِيتُ الثَّانِيَةَ قَالَ: بُعْدًا لِمَنْ ذُكِرْتُ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْكَ. قُلْتُ: آمِينَ».

«فَلَمَّا رَقِيتُ الثَّالِثَةَ قَالَ: بُعْدًا لِمَنْ أَدْرَكَ أَبَوَاهُ الْكِبَرَ عِنْدَهُ أَوْ أَحَدُهُمَا فَلَمْ يُدْخِلَاهُ الْجَنَّةَ. قُلْتُ: آمِينَ».

A man said to the Prophet ﷺ: O best of creation! So he said, “˹Not me,˺ that is Ibrāhīm.”

قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: يَا خَيْرَ الْبَرِيَّةِ! قَالَ «ذَلِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ۔»

Who, from among Kaʿb's sons, was the guide of Kaʿb when he became blind: I heard Kaʿb bin Malik narrating the story of (the Ghazwa of) Tabuk in which he failed to take part. Kaʿb said, "I did not remain behind Messenger of Allah ﷺ in any Ghazwa that he fought except the Ghazwa of Tabuk, and I failed to take part in the Ghazwa of Badr, but Allah did not admonish anyone who had not participated in it, for in fact, Messenger of Allah ﷺ had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraish till Allah made them (i.e. the Muslims) and their enemy meet without any appointment. I witnessed the night of Al-ʿAqaba (pledge) with Messenger of Allah ﷺ when we pledged for Islam, and I would not exchange it for the Badr battle although the Badr battle is more popular amongst the people than it (i.e. Al-ʿAqaba pledge). As for my news (in this battle of Tabuk), I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind the Prophet ﷺ in that Ghazwa. By Allah, never had I two she-camels before, but I had then at the time of this Ghazwa. Whenever Messenger of Allah ﷺ wanted to make a Ghazwa, he used to hide his intention by apparently referring to different Ghazwa till it was the time of that Ghazwa (of Tabuk) which Messenger of Allah ﷺ fought in severe heat, facing, a long journey, desert, and the great number of enemy. So the Prophet ﷺ announced to the Muslims clearly (their destination) so that they might get prepared for their Ghazwa. So he informed them clearly of the destination he was going to. Messenger of Allah ﷺ was accompanied by a large number of Muslims who could not be listed in a book namely, a register." Kaʿb added, "Any man who intended to be absent would think that the matter would remain hidden unless Allah revealed it through Divine Revelation. So Messenger of Allah ﷺ fought that Ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade looked pleasant. Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions prepared for the battle and I started to go out in order to get myself ready along with them, but I returned without doing anything. I would say to myself, 'I can do that.' So I kept on delaying it every now and then till the people got ready and Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Muslims along with him departed, and I had not prepared anything for my departure, and I said, I will prepare myself (for departure) one or two days after him, and then join them.' In the morning following their departure, I went out to get myself ready but returned having done nothing. Then again in the next morning, I went out to get ready but returned without doing anything. Such was the case with me till they hurried away and the battle was missed (by me). Even then I intended to depart to take them over. I wish I had done so! But it was not in my luck. So, after the departure of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whenever I went out and walked amongst the people (i.e, the remaining persons), it grieved me that I could see none around me, but one accused of hypocrisy or one of those weak men whom Allah had excused. Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not remember me till he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk, he said, 'What did Kaʿb do?' A man from Banu Salama said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! He has been stopped by his two Burdas (i.e. garments) and his looking at his own flanks with pride.' Then Muʿadh bin Jabal said, 'What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! O Allahs Apostle! We know nothing about him but good.' Messenger of Allah ﷺ kept silent." Kaʿb bin Malik added, "When I heard that he (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ ) was on his way back to Medina. I got dipped in my concern, and began to think of false excuses, saying to myself, 'How can I avoid his anger tomorrow?' And I took the advice of wise member of my family in this matter. When it was said that Messenger of Allah ﷺ, had come near all the evil false excuses abandoned from my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem by forging a false statement. Then I decided firmly to speak the truth. So Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey., he used to visit the Mosque first of all and offer a two-rakʿat prayer therein and then sit for the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who had failed to join the battle (of Tabuk) came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. They were something over eighty men; Messenger of Allah ﷺ accepted the excuses they had expressed, took their pledge of allegiance asked for Allah's Forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts for Allah to judge. Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said, 'Come on.' So I came walking till I sat before him. He said to me, 'What stopped you from joining us. Had you not purchased an animal For carrying you?' I answered, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! But by Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have avoided his anger with an excuse. By Allah, I have been bestowed with the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but by Allah, I knew well that if today I tell you a lie to seek your favor, Allah would surely make you angry with me in the near future, but if I tell you the truth, though you will get angry because of it, I hope for Allah's Forgiveness. Really, by Allah, there was no excuse for me. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you.' Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'As regards this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up till Allah decides your case.' I got up, and many men of Banu Salama followed me and said to me. 'By Allah, we never witnessed you doing any sin before this. Surely, you failed to offer excuse to Messenger of Allah ﷺ as the others who did not join him, have offered. The prayer of Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Allah to forgive you would have been sufficient for you.' By Allah, they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them, 'Is there anybody else who has met the same fate as I have?' They replied, 'Yes, there are two men who have said the same thing as you have, and to both of them was given the same order as given to you.' I said, 'Who are they?' They replied, Murara bin Ar-Rabi Al- Amri and Hilal bin Umaiya Al-Waqifi.' By that they mentioned to me two pious men who had attended the Ghazwa (Battle) of Badr, and in whom there was an example for me. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade all the Muslims to talk to us, the three aforesaid persons out of all those who had remained behind in that Ghazwa. So we kept away from the people and they changed their attitude towards us till the very land (where I lived) appeared strange to me as if I did not know it. We remained in that condition for fifty nights. As regards my two fellows, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest of them and the firmest of them, so I used to go out and witness the prayers along with the Muslims and roam about in the markets, but none would talk to me, and I would come to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and greet him while he was sitting In his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether the Prophet ﷺ did move his lips in return to my greetings or not. Then I would offer my prayer near to him and look at him stealthily. When I was busy with my prayer, he would turn his face towards me, but when I turned my face to him, he would turn his face away from me. When this harsh attitude of the people lasted long, I walked till I scaled the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada who was my cousin and dearest person to me, and I offered my greetings to him. By Allah, he did not return my greetings. I said, 'O Abu Qatada! I beseech you by Allah! Do you know that I love Allah and His Apostle?' He kept quiet. I asked him again, beseeching him by Allah, but he remained silent. Then I asked him again in the Name of Allah. He said, "Allah and His Apostle know it better.' Thereupon my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall." Kaʿb added, "While I was walking in the market of Medina, suddenly I saw a Nabati (i.e. a Christian farmer) from the Nabatis of Sham who came to sell his grains in Medina, saying, 'Who will lead me to Kaʿb bin Malik?' The people began to point (me) out for him till he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan in which the following was written: "To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ ) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not let you live at a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So join us, and we will console you." When I read it, I said to myself, 'This is also a sort of a test.' Then I took the letter to the oven and made a fire therein by burning it. When forty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold ! There came to me the messenger of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, 'Messenger of Allah ﷺ orders you to keep away from your wife,' I said, 'Should I divorce her; or else! what should I do?' He said, 'No, only keep aloof from her and do not cohabit her.' The Prophet ﷺ sent the same message to my two fellows. Then I said to my wife. 'Go to your parents and remain with them till Allah gives His Verdict in this matter." Kaʿb added, "The wife of Hilal bin Umaiya came to Apostle and said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Hilal bin Umaiya is a helpless old man who has no servant to attend on him. Do you dislike that I should serve him? ' He said, 'No (you can serve him) but he should not come near you.' She said, 'By Allah, he has no desire for anything. By, Allah, he has never ceased weeping till his case began till this day of his.' (continued...) (continuing... 1): -5.702:... ... On that, some of my family members said to me, 'Will you also ask Messenger of Allah ﷺ to permit your wife (to serve you) as he has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umaiya to serve him?' I said, 'By Allah, I will not ask the permission of Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding her, for I do not know What Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say if I asked him to permit her (to serve me) while I am a young man.' Then I remained in that state for ten more nights after that till the period of fifty nights was completed starting from the time when Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited the people from talking to us. When I had offered the Fajr prayer on the 50th morning on the roof of one of our houses and while I was sitting in the condition which Allah described (in the Qur'an) i.e. my very soul seemed straitened to me and even the earth seemed narrow to me for all its spaciousness, there I heard the voice of one who had ascended the mountain of Sala' calling with his loudest voice, 'O Kaʿb bin Malik! Be happy (by receiving good tidings).' I fell down in prostration before Allah, realizing that relief has come. Messenger of Allah ﷺ had announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allah when he had offered the Fajr prayer. The people then went out to congratulate us. Some bringers of good tidings went out to my two fellows, and a horseman came to me in haste, and a man of Banu Aslam came running and ascended the mountain and his voice was swifter than the horse. When he (i.e. the man) whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good tidings, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; and by Allah, I owned no other garments than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments and wore them and went to Allah's Apostle. The people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allah's Acceptance of my repentance, saying, 'We congratulate you on Allah's Acceptance of your repentance." Kaʿb further said, "When I entered the Mosque. I saw Messenger of Allah ﷺ sitting with the people around him. Talha bin Ubaidullah swiftly came to me, shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allah, none of the Muhajirin (i.e. Emigrants) got up for me except him (i.e. Talha), and I will never forget this for Talha." Kaʿb added, "When I greeted Messenger of Allah ﷺ he, his face being bright with joy, said "Be happy with the best day that you have got ever since your mother delivered you." Kaʿb added, "I said to the Prophet ﷺ 'Is this forgiveness from you or from Allah?' He said, 'No, it is from Allah.' Whenever Messenger of Allah ﷺ became happy, his face would shine as if it were a piece of moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Because of the acceptance of my repentance I will give up all my wealth as alms for the Sake of Allah and His Apostle. Allah's Apostle said, 'Keep some of your wealth, as it will be better for you.' I said, 'So I will keep my share from Khaibar with me,' and added, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Allah has saved me for telling the truth; so it is a part of my repentance not to tell but the truth as long as I am alive. By Allah, I do not know anyone of the Muslims whom Allah has helped fortelling the truth more than me. Since I have mentioned that truth to Messenger of Allah ﷺ till today, I have never intended to tell a lie. I hope that Allah will also save me (from telling lies) the rest of my life. So Allah revealed to His Apostle the Verse:-- "Verily, Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin (i.e. Emigrants (up to His Saying) And be with those who are true (in word and deed)." (9.117-119) By Allah, Allah has never bestowed upon me, apart from His guiding me to Islam, a Greater blessing than the fact that I did not tell a lie to Messenger of Allah ﷺ which would have caused me to perish as those who have told a lie perished, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else. Allah said:-- "They (i.e. the hypocrites) will swear by Allah to you when you return to them (up to His Saying) Certainly Allah is not pleased with the rebellious people-- " (9.95-96) Kaʿb added, "We, the three persons, differed altogether from those whose excuses Allah's Apostle accepted when they swore to him. He took their pledge of allegiance and asked Allah to forgive them, but Messenger of Allah ﷺ left our case pending till Allah gave His Judgment about it. As for that Allah said):-- And to the three (He did for give also) who remained behind." (9.118) What Allah said (in this Verse) does not indicate our failure to take part in the Ghazwa, but it refers to the deferment of making a decision by the Prophet ﷺ about our case in contrast to the case of those who had taken an oath before him and he excused them by accepting their excuses.

سَمِعْتُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يُحَدِّثُ حِينَ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ قِصَّةِ تَبُوكَ۔ قَالَ كَعْبٌ: لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا إِلاَّ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ غَيْرَ أَنِّي كُنْتُ تَخَلَّفْتُ فِي غَزْوَةِ بَدْرٍ وَلَمْ يُعَاتِبْ أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا۔ إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرِيدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ حَتَّى جَمَعَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ عَدُوِّهِمْ عَلَى غَيْرِ مِيعَادٍ وَلَقَدْ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ حِينَ تَوَاثَقْنَا عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِهَا مَشْهَدَ بَدْرٍ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ بَدْرٌ أَذْكَرَ فِي النَّاسِ مِنْهَا۔

كَانَ مِنْ خَبَرِي أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ قَطُّ أَقْوَى وَلاَ أَيْسَرَ حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْهُ فِي تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ وَاللَّهِ مَا اجْتَمَعَتْ عِنْدِي قَبْلَهُ رَاحِلَتَانِ قَطُّ حَتَّى جَمَعْتُهُمَا فِي تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ۔ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرِيدُ غَزْوَةً إِلاَّ وَرَّى بِغَيْرِهَا حَتَّى كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةُ غَزَاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي حَرٍّ شَدِيدٍ وَاسْتَقْبَلَ سَفَرًا بَعِيدًا وَمَفَازًا وَعَدُوًّا كَثِيرًا۔ فَجَلَّى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ أَمْرَهُمْ لِيَتَأَهَّبُوا أُهْبَةَ غَزْوِهِمْ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِوَجْهِهِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ۔

وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَثِيرٌ وَلاَ يَجْمَعُهُمْ كِتَابٌ حَافِظٌ يُرِيدُ الدِّيوَانَ۔ قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَمَا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَغَيَّبَ إِلاَّ ظَنَّ أَنْ سَيَخْفَى لَهُ مَا لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فِيهِ وَحْىُ اللَّهِ۔ وَغَزَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةَ حِينَ طَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ وَالظِّلاَلُ۔

وَتَجَهَّزَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ فَطَفِقْتُ أَغْدُو لِكَىْ أَتَجَهَّزَ مَعَهُمْ فَأَرْجِعُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا۔ فَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَا قَادِرٌ عَلَيْهِ۔ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يَتَمَادَى بِي حَتَّى اشْتَدَّ بِالنَّاسِ الْجِدُّ فَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ مِنْ جَهَازِي شَيْئًا۔ فَقُلْتُ أَتَجَهَّزُ بَعْدَهُ بِيَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَلْحَقُهُمْ۔ فَغَدَوْتُ بَعْدَ أَنْ فَصَلُوا لأَتَجَهَّزَ فَرَجَعْتُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا۔ ثُمَّ غَدَوْتُ ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِي حَتَّى أَسْرَعُوا وَتَفَارَطَ الْغَزْوُ وَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْتَحِلَ فَأُدْرِكَهُمْ۔

وَلَيْتَنِي فَعَلْتُ فَلَمْ يُقَدَّرْ لِي ذَلِكَ۔ فَكُنْتُ إِذَا خَرَجْتُ فِي النَّاسِ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَطُفْتُ فِيهِمْ أَحْزَنَنِي أَنِّي لاَ أَرَى إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ النِّفَاقُ أَوْ رَجُلاً مِمَّنْ عَذَرَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الضُّعَفَاءِ۔

وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى بَلَغَ تَبُوكَ فَقَالَ وَهْوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْقَوْمِ بِتَبُوكَ: «مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبٌ؟» فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ: حَبَسَهُ بُرْدَاهُ وَنَظَرُهُ فِي عِطْفِهِ۔ فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ: بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ خَيْرًا۔ فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ۔

قَالَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ: فَلَمَّا بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ تَوَجَّهَ قَافِلاً حَضَرَنِي هَمِّي وَطَفِقْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ الْكَذِبَ وَأَقُولُ بِمَاذَا أَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ غَدًا وَاسْتَعَنْتُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ ذِي رَأْىٍ مِنْ أَهْلِي۔ فَلَمَّا قِيلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أَظَلَّ قَادِمًا زَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ وَعَرَفْتُ أَنِّي لَنْ أَخْرُجَ مِنْهُ أَبَدًا بِشَىْءٍ فِيهِ كَذِبٌ۔

فَأَجْمَعْتُ صِدْقَهُ وَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَادِمًا وَكَانَ إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ بَدَأَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ فَيَرْكَعُ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ۔ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ لِلنَّاسِ فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ جَاءَهُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ فَطَفِقُوا يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ وَكَانُوا بِضْعَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلاً۔ فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلاَنِيَتَهُمْ وَبَايَعَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ وَوَكَلَ سَرَائِرَهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ۔

فَجِئْتُهُ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ۔ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «تَعَالَ۔» فَجِئْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ لِي: «مَا خَلَّفَكَ؟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ قَدِ ابْتَعْتَ ظَهْرَكَ؟» فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَوْ جَلَسْتُ عِنْدَ غَيْرِكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا لَرَأَيْتُ أَنْ سَأَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ بِعُذْرٍ، وَلَقَدْ أُعْطِيتُ جَدَلاً، وَلَكِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ لَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيثَ كَذِبٍ تَرْضَى بِهِ عَنِّي لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُسْخِطَكَ عَلَىَّ، وَلَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثَ صِدْقٍ تَجِدُ عَلَىَّ فِيهِ إِنِّي لأَرْجُو فِيهِ عَفْوَ اللَّهِ۔ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ لِي مِنْ عُذْرٍ۔ وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَقْوَى وَلاَ أَيْسَرَ مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ۔ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَ، فَقُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ۔» فَقُمْتُ۔

وَثَارَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ فَاتَّبَعُونِي فَقَالُوا لِي: وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَاكَ كُنْتَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَبْلَ هَذَا وَلَقَدْ عَجَزْتَ أَنْ لاَ تَكُونَ اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَا اعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُتَخَلِّفُونَ قَدْ كَانَ كَافِيَكَ ذَنْبَكَ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَكَ۔ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا زَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونِي حَتَّى أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ فَأُكَذِّبُ نَفْسِي۔ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُمْ هَلْ لَقِيَ هَذَا مَعِي أَحَدٌ؟ قَالُوا: نَعَمْ رَجُلاَنِ قَالاَ: مِثْلَ مَا قُلْتَ فَقِيلَ لَهُمَا مِثْلُ مَا قِيلَ لَكَ۔ فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ هُمَا؟ قَالُوا: مُرَارَةُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ الْعَمْرِيُّ وَهِلاَلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الْوَاقِفِيُّ۔ فَذَكَرُوا لِي رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا فِيهِمَا إِسْوَةٌ۔

فَمَضَيْتُ حِينَ ذَكَرُوهُمَا لِي وَنَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَنْ كَلاَمِنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلاَثَةُ مِنْ بَيْنِ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ فَاجْتَنَبَنَا النَّاسُ وَتَغَيَّرُوا لَنَا حَتَّى تَنَكَّرَتْ فِي نَفْسِي الأَرْضُ فَمَا هِيَ الَّتِي أَعْرِفُ۔ فَلَبِثْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ خَمْسِينَ لَيْلَةً۔ فَأَمَّا صَاحِبَاىَ فَاسْتَكَانَا وَقَعَدَا فِي بُيُوتِهِمَا يَبْكِيَانِ۔ وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَكُنْتُ أَشَبَّ الْقَوْمِ وَأَجْلَدَهُمْ۔ فَكُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ فَأَشْهَدُ الصَّلاَةَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَطُوفُ فِي الأَسْوَاقِ وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُنِي أَحَدٌ۔ وَآتِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَهْوَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ فَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي هَلْ حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ بِرَدِّ السَّلاَمِ عَلَىَّ أَمْ لاَ۔ ثُمَّ أُصَلِّي قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَأُسَارِقُهُ النَّظَرَ فَإِذَا أَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى صَلاَتِي أَقْبَلَ إِلَىَّ وَإِذَا الْتَفَتُّ نَحْوَهُ أَعْرَضَ عَنِّي۔

حَتَّى إِذَا طَالَ عَلَىَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ جَفْوَةِ النَّاسِ مَشَيْتُ حَتَّى تَسَوَّرْتُ جِدَارَ حَائِطِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ وَهْوَ ابْنُ عَمِّي وَأَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا رَدَّ عَلَىَّ السَّلاَمَ۔ فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَنْشُدُكَ بِاللَّهِ هَلْ تَعْلَمُنِي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟ فَسَكَتَ فَعُدْتُ لَهُ فَنَشَدْتُهُ فَسَكَتَ فَعُدْتُ لَهُ فَنَشَدْتُهُ۔ فَقَالَ: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ۔ فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاىَ وَتَوَلَّيْتُ حَتَّى تَسَوَّرْتُ الْجِدَارَ۔

قَالَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي بِسُوقِ الْمَدِينَةِ إِذَا نَبَطِيٌّ مِنْ أَنْبَاطِ أَهْلِ الشَّأْمِ مِمَّنْ قَدِمَ بِالطَّعَامِ يَبِيعُهُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدُلُّ عَلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ؟ فَطَفِقَ النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ لَهُ، حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَنِي دَفَعَ إِلَىَّ كِتَابًا مِنْ مَلِكِ غَسَّانَ۔ فَإِذَا فِيهِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ جَفَاكَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْكَ اللَّهُ بِدَارِ هَوَانٍ وَلاَ مَضْيَعَةٍ فَالْحَقْ بِنَا نُوَاسِكَ فَقُلْتُ لَمَّا قَرَأْتُهَا وَهَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْبَلاَءِ فَتَيَمَّمْتُ بِهَا التَّنُّورَ فَسَجَرْتُهُ بِهَا۔

حَتَّى إِذَا مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنَ الْخَمْسِينَ إِذَا رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْتِينِي فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلَ امْرَأَتَكَ۔ فَقُلْتُ: أُطَلِّقُهَا أَمْ مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ؟ قَالَ: لاَ بَلِ اعْتَزِلْهَا وَلاَ تَقْرَبْهَا وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى صَاحِبَىَّ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ۔ فَقُلْتُ لاِمْرَأَتِي: الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ فَتَكُونِي عِنْدَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ فِي هَذَا الأَمْرِ۔ قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هِلاَلَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ شَيْخٌ ضَائِعٌ لَيْسَ لَهُ خَادِمٌ فَهَلْ تَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ؟ قَالَ: «لاَ وَلَكِنْ لاَ يَقْرَبْكِ۔» قَالَتْ: إِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ مَا بِهِ حَرَكَةٌ إِلَى شَىْءٍ وَاللَّهِ مَا زَالَ يَبْكِي مُنْذُ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا كَانَ إِلَى يَوْمِهِ هَذَا۔ فَقَالَ لِي: بَعْضُ أَهْلِي لَوِ اسْتَأْذَنْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي امْرَأَتِكَ كَمَا أَذِنَ لاِمْرَأَةِ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ أَنْ تَخْدُمَهُ فَقُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَسْتَأْذِنُ فِيهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَا يُدْرِينِي مَا يَقُولُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِيهَا وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ شَابٌّ فَلَبِثْتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عَشْرَ لَيَالٍ۔

حَتَّى كَمَلَتْ لَنَا خَمْسُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ حِينِ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ كَلاَمِنَا فَلَمَّا صَلَّيْتُ صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ صُبْحَ خَمْسِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَنَا عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِنَا فَبَيْنَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ قَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلَىَّ نَفْسِي وَضَاقَتْ عَلَىَّ الأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ، سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَ صَارِخٍ أَوْفَى عَلَى جَبَلِ سَلْعٍ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِ: يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ مَالِكٍ أَبْشِرْ! قَالَ: فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ فَرَجٌ وَآذَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِتَوْبَةِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْنَا حِينَ صَلَّى صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ۔ فَذَهَبَ النَّاسُ يُبَشِّرُونَنَا وَذَهَبَ قِبَلَ صَاحِبَىَّ مُبَشِّرُونَ وَرَكَضَ إِلَىَّ رَجُلٌ فَرَسًا وَسَعَى سَاعٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأَوْفَى عَلَى الْجَبَلِ وَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنَ الْفَرَسِ۔ فَلَمَّا جَاءَنِي الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ يُبَشِّرُنِي نَزَعْتُ لَهُ ثَوْبَىَّ فَكَسَوْتُهُ إِيَّاهُمَا بِبُشْرَاهُ۔ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَمْلِكُ غَيْرَهُمَا يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاسْتَعَرْتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ فَلَبِسْتُهُمَا وَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ۔ فَيَتَلَقَّانِي النَّاسُ فَوْجًا فَوْجًا يُهَنُّونِي بِالتَّوْبَةِ يَقُولُونَ لِتَهْنِكَ تَوْبَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ۔

قَالَ كَعْبٌ: حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَالِسٌ حَوْلَهُ النَّاسُ فَقَامَ إِلَىَّ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ يُهَرْوِلُ حَتَّى صَافَحَنِي وَهَنَّانِي۔ وَاللَّهِ مَا قَامَ إِلَىَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ غَيْرُهُ وَلاَ أَنْسَاهَا لِطَلْحَةَ۔ قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهْوَ يَبْرُقُ وَجْهُهُ مِنَ السُّرُورِ: «أَبْشِرْ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ مَرَّ عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ۔» قَالَ قُلْتُ: أَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «لاَ بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ۔» وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا سُرَّ اسْتَنَارَ وَجْهُهُ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ قِطْعَةُ قَمَرٍ وَكُنَّا نَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ۔

فَلَمَّا جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ۔ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ۔» قُلْتُ: فَإِنِّي أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِي الَّذِي بِخَيْبَرَ۔ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّمَا نَجَّانِي بِالصِّدْقِ وَإِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ لاَ أُحَدِّثَ إِلاَّ صِدْقًا مَا بَقِيتُ۔ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا أَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَبْلاَهُ اللَّهُ فِي صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ مُنْذُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْسَنَ مِمَّا أَبْلاَنِي مَا تَعَمَّدْتُ مُنْذُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا كَذِبًا، وَإِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِي اللَّهُ فِيمَا بَقِيتُ۔

وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ ﷺ {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ}۔ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىَّ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ قَطُّ بَعْدَ أَنْ هَدَانِي لِلإِسْلاَمِ أَعْظَمَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ صِدْقِي لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، أَنْ لاَ أَكُونَ كَذَبْتُهُ فَأَهْلِكَ كَمَا هَلَكَ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۔ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ لِلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا حِينَ أَنْزَلَ الْوَحْىَ شَرَّ مَا قَالَ لأَحَدٍ فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: {سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ}۔

قَالَ كَعْبٌ: وَكُنَّا تَخَلَّفْنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلاَثَةُ عَنْ أَمْرِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ قَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ حَلَفُوا لَهُ فَبَايَعَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ۔ وَأَرْجَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمْرَنَا حَتَّى قَضَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ۔ فَبِذَلِكَ قَالَ اللَّهُ {وَعَلَى الثَّلاَثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا} وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ مِمَّا خُلِّفْنَا عَنِ الْغَزْوِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ تَخْلِيفُهُ إِيَّانَا وَإِرْجَاؤُهُ أَمْرَنَا عَمَّنْ حَلَفَ لَهُ وَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُ۔

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “One of you may see a splinter in your brother's eye, but forget the log in your own.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يُبْصِرُ أَحَدُكُمُ الْقَذَاةَ فِي عَيْنِ أَخِيهِ وَيَنْسَى الْجِذْعَ فِي عَيْنِهِ»

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever has wronged someone with regard to his honor or anything else, let him seek his pardon from him today, before there will be no dinar and no dirham. If he has righteous deeds, some will be taken from him in proportion to his wrongdoing; and if he has no good deeds, some of the other person’s bad deeds will be taken and placed upon him.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ مَظْلَمَةٌ لأَحَدٍ مِنْ عِرْضِهِ أَوْ شَىْءٍ فَلْيَتَحَلَّلْهُ مِنْهُ الْيَوْمَ قَبْلَ أَنْ لاَ يَكُونَ دِينَارٌ وَلاَ دِرْهَمٌ. إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ أُخِذَ مِنْهُ بِقَدْرِ مَظْلَمَتِهِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٌ أُخِذَ مِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ صَاحِبِهِ فَحُمِلَ عَلَيْهِ».

that the Prophet ﷺ said or he said Abū al-Qasim said, "˹Start˺ fasting ˹the month˺ upon seeing it (the moon), and break ˹fasting the month˺ upon seeing it. If it is hidden for you (as a result of an overcast at the start of the month), then complete thirty days of Shaʿbān."

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَوْ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ ﷺ «صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غُبِّيَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلاَثِينَ۔»

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Beware of wrongdoing/oppression, for wrongdoing will become darknesses on the Day of Judgement. And beware of miserly greed, for miserly greed destroyed those who came before you: it drove them to shed one another’s blood and ˹make invading˺ their ˹personal˺ sanctity as lawful.”

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ، فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَاتَّقُوا الشُّحَّ، فَإِنَّ الشُّحَّ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ: حَمَلَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْ سَفَكُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَاسْتَحَلُّوا مَحَارِمَهُمْ».

The Prophet ﷺ said: A man called al-Harith ibn Harrath will come forth from Ma Wara an-Nahr. His army will be led by a man called Mansur who will establish or consolidate things for Muhammad's family as Quraysh consolidated them for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Every believer must help him, or he said: respond to his sermons.

النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَخْرُجُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ وَرَاءِ النَّهْرِ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ حَرَّاثٍ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَنْصُورٌ يُوَطِّئُ أَوْ يُمَكِّنُ لآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا مَكَّنَتْ قُرَيْشٌ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَبَ عَلَى كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ نَصْرُهُ أَوْ قَالَ إِجَابَتُهُ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: No one should have three daughters or three sisters or two daughters or two sisters while he fears Allah with regard to them and treats them kindly but that he will enter Paradise.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَكُونُ لِأَحَدٍ ثَلَاثُ بَنَاتٍ أَوْ ثَلَاثُ أَخَوَاتٍ أَوْ ابْنَتَانِ أَوْ أُخْتَانِ فَيَتَّقِي اللهَ فِيهِنَّ وَيُحْسِنُ إِلَيْهِنَّ إِلَّا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

On the day of Hunayn, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ showed preference (to some) people in the distribution of the spoils. He bestowed on Aqra' b. Habis one hundred camels, and bestowed an equal (number) upon 'Uyainah, and bestowed on people among the elites of Arabia, and preferred them (to others) on that day, in the distribution (of spoils). Upon this a person said: By Allah, neither justice has been done in this distribution (of spoils), nor has the pleasure of Allah been sought in it. I (the narrator ) said: By Allah, I will certainly inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about it. 

I came to him and informed him about what he had said. The color of his (the Prophet's) face changed red like blood and he then said: "Who would do justice, if Allah and His Messenger do not do justice?" He further said: "May Allah have mercy upon Moses; he was tormented more than this, but he showed patience." I said: Never would I convey him (the Holy Prophet) after this (unpleasant) narration.

لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ حُنَيْنٍ آثَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَاسًا فِي الْقِسْمَةِ، فَأَعْطَى الأَقْرَعَ بْنَ حَابِسٍ مِائَةً مِنَ الإِبِلِ، وَأَعْطَى عُيَيْنَةَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، وَأَعْطَى أُنَاسًا مِنْ أَشْرَافِ الْعَرَبِ وَآثَرَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ فِي الْقِسْمَةِ۔ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذِهِ لَقِسْمَةٌ مَا عُدِلَ فِيهَا وَمَا أُرِيدَ فِيهَا وَجْهُ اللَّهِ۔ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ لأُخْبِرَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ۔ 

قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا قَالَ قَالَ فَتَغَيَّرَ وَجْهُهُ حَتَّى كَانَ كَالصِّرْفِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «فَمَنْ يَعْدِلُ إِنْ لَمْ يَعْدِلِ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ؟» قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مُوسَى قَدْ أُوذِيَ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ هَذَا فَصَبَرَ»، قَالَ قُلْتُ: لاَ جَرَمَ لاَ أَرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ بَعْدَهَا حَدِيثًا۔