Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Cheerfulness Towards People
كتاب الِانْبِسَاطِ إِلَى النَّاسِ
Chapter 120
بَابُ الْمُسْلِمُ مَرْآةُ أَخِيهِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Asbagh narrated to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed me, saying: Khalid ibn Humayd informed me, from Khalid ibn Yazid, from Sulayman ibn Rashid, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Rafi‘, from Abu Hurayra, who said: ‘A believer is the mirror of his brother: when he sees a fault in it, he corrects it.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
الْمُؤْمِنُ مَرْآةُ أَخِيهِ، إِذَا رَأَى فِيهَا عَيْبًا أَصْلَحَهُ.
The feminine pronoun in فِيهَا refers grammatically to the mirror, while أَصْلَحَهُ is masculine and may refer to the brother or the fault; translations differ in how they resolve the metaphor.
Review whether the final pronoun means correcting the brother, the fault, or the mirror image.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibrahim ibn Hamza narrated to us, saying: Ibn Abi Hazim narrated to us, from Kathir ibn Zayd, from al-Walid ibn Rabah, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘A believer is the mirror of his brother, and a believer is the brother of another believer: he protects him from loss and looks after him from behind.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
يَكُفُّ عَلَيْهِ ضَيْعَتَهُ، وَيَحُوطُهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ.
ضَيْعَتَهُ may refer to loss, ruin, or something liable to be neglected; يحوطه من ورائه conveys surrounding or protecting him from behind/when absent.
Review the precise sense of ضيعة and the idiomatic force of يحوطه من ورائه.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn ‘Asim narrated to us, saying: Haywa narrated to me, saying: Baqiyya narrated to us, from Ibn Thawban, from his father, from Makhul, from Waqqas ibn Rabi‘a, from al-Mustawrid, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘Whoever eats a meal by means of a Muslim, Allah will feed him its like from Hell. Whoever is clothed by means of a Muslim man, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will clothe him from Hell. Whoever takes a man as a platform for ostentation and reputation, Allah will take him as a platform for ostentation and reputation on the Day of Resurrection.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
مَنْ أَكَلَ بِمُسْلِمٍ أُكْلَةً، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُطْعِمُهُ مِثْلَهَا مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمَنْ كُسِيَ بِرَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَكْسُوهُ مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ،
The Arabic says بِمُسْلِمٍ and بِرَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ but does not explicitly say ‘at the expense of a Muslim’s honour,’ as the English witness does. The precise force of the preposition is not stated in the Arabic text.
Review the implied harm or transaction conveyed by بِـ before deciding whether to add ‘at the expense of his honour.’
وَمَنْ قَامَ بِرَجُلٍ مَقَامَ رِيَاءٍ وَسُمْعَةٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُومُ بِهِ مَقَامَ رِيَاءٍ وَسُمْعَةٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.
The idiom قَامَ بِرَجُلٍ مَقَامَ رِيَاءٍ وَسُمْعَةٍ is difficult to render literally; the English witness again supplies the idea ‘at the expense of a Muslim’s honour,’ which is not explicit in this clause.
Review the idiomatic meaning of قام برجل مقام and the best rendering of riya’ and sum‘a.
Chapter 121
بَابُ مَا لا يَجُوزُ مِنَ اللَّعِبِ وَالْمُزَاحِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Asim ibn ‘Ali narrated to us, saying: Ibn Abi Dhi’b narrated to us, from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Sa’ib, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—meaning, he said: “Let none of you take his companion’s belongings, whether in jest or in earnest. If one of you takes his companion’s stick, let him return it to him.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، يَعْنِي، يَقُولُ:
The narrator’s parenthetical يَعْنِي interrupts the report and may be an explanatory insertion; its precise referent is not explicit.
Review the placement and function of the narrator’s ‘meaning’ clarification.
Chapter 122
بَابُ الدَّالِّ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us, saying: Sufyan informed us, from al-A‘mash, from Abu ‘Amr al-Shaybani, from Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari, who said: A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘My mount has failed me, so provide me with a mount.’ He replied, ‘I do not have one, but go to so-and-so; perhaps he will provide you with a mount.’ The man went to him, and he provided him with one. He then came to the Prophet and informed him. He said, ‘Whoever guides someone to good will have a reward like that of the one who does it.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
إِنِّي أُبْدِعَ بِي فَاحْمِلْنِي،
أُبْدِعَ بِي is an uncommon expression for becoming stranded or being left behind because one’s mount fails; the English witness makes the mount the explicit subject.
Review the travel expression and whether ‘my mount has failed me’ preserves its sense.
Chapter 123
بَابُ الْعَفْوِ وَالصَّفْحِ عَنِ النَّاسِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab narrated to us, saying: Khalid ibn al-Harith narrated to us, saying: Shu‘ba narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Zayd, from Anas, that a Jewish woman brought the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a poisoned sheep, and he ate from it. She was then brought before him, and it was said, ‘Should we not kill her?’ He replied, ‘No.’ Anas said, ‘I continued to notice its effects in the back of the Messenger of Allah’s throat.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَمَا زِلْتُ أَعْرِفُهَا فِي لَهَوَاتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The feminine pronoun refers back to the poisoned sheep or something understood from the poisoning; the text does not explicitly say ‘its effects.’ لَهَوَاتِ refers to the uvula/soft palate area at the back of the mouth.
Review the pronoun antecedent and whether ‘notice its effects’ adequately conveys أَعْرِفُهَا.
فَمَا زِلْتُ أَعْرِفُهَا فِي لَهَوَاتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The supplied English witness ends after the Prophet’s refusal and omits Anas’s closing observation.
Compare this conclusion against a complete English witness, if available.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam narrated to us, saying: Abu Mu‘awiya narrated to us, saying: Hisham narrated to us, from Wahb ibn Kaysan, who said: I heard ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr say from the pulpit: ‘Take what is readily given, enjoin what is recognized as right, and turn away from the ignorant.’ He said: ‘By Allah, He commanded that it be taken only from people’s character. By Allah, I will certainly continue to take it from them for as long as I keep their company.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
وَاللَّهِ مَا أَمَرَ بِهَا أَنْ تُؤْخَذَ إِلاَّ مِنْ أَخْلاَقِ النَّاسِ، وَاللَّهِ لَآخُذَنَّهَا مِنْهُمْ مَا صَحِبْتُهُمْ.
The referent of بها/ها is the preceding Qur’anic command خذ العفو. The wording about taking it from people’s أخلاق is compact and is variously paraphrased in the English witness as accepting people’s character.
Review whether ‘take what is readily given’ and ‘take it from people’s character’ best preserve the speaker’s wording and intended sense.
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ
The witness translates the Qur’anic phrase as ‘Make allowances for people’; the Arabic phrase can carry a sense of taking what is easy/readily available or pardoning.
Confirm the chosen rendering of this Qur’anic quotation.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Fudayl ibn Ghazwan informed us, from Layth, from Tawus, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Teach, make things easy, and do not make them difficult. When one of you becomes angry, let him be silent.’
Chapter 124
بَابُ الِانْبِسَاطِ إِلَى النَّاسِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Sinan narrated to us, saying: Fulayh ibn Sulayman narrated to us, saying: Hilal ibn ‘Ali narrated to us, from ‘Ata ibn Yasar, who said: I met ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As and said, ‘Tell me about the description of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Torah.’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, he is indeed described in the Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Qur’an: “O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good news, and a warner”; and as a protection for the unlettered. “You are My servant and Messenger. I have named you al-Mutawakkil [the one who relies upon Allah]. He is neither coarse nor harsh, nor clamorous in the marketplaces. He does not repel an evil deed with another evil deed; rather, he pardons and forgives. Allah Most High will not take him until He establishes through him the crooked community, by their saying, ‘There is no god but Allah,’ and opens through it blind eyes, deaf ears, and covered hearts.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
سَمَّيْتُكَ الْمُتَوَكِّلَ،
The Arabic title is الْمُتَوَكِّلَ (one who relies/puts trust), whereas the supplied English witness has ‘the trusty one,’ which may imply a different epithet.
Confirm the intended transliteration and gloss of al-Mutawakkil.
وَحِرْزًا لِلأُمِّيِّينَ،
The phrase describes a protection or refuge for the unlettered; the exact nuance of حرز can vary.
Review whether ‘protection’ or ‘refuge’ best conveys حرز.
وَلاَ يَدْفَعُ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ، وَلَكِنْ يَعْفُو وَيَغْفِرُ،
The supplied English witness omits the complete clause that he does not answer evil with evil, but pardons and forgives.
Confirm this clause against the full Arabic; it is absent from the English witness.
حَتَّى يُقِيمَ بِهِ الْمِلَّةَ الْعَوْجَاءَ،
الْمِلَّة may denote a religious way, community, or creed; الْعَوْجَاءَ is literally crooked. The phrase is retained closely rather than normalized into an interpretation.
Review the idiomatic meaning of الْمِلَّةَ الْعَوْجَاءَ in this report.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abd Allah ibn Salih narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Abi Salama narrated to me, from Hilal ibn Abi Hilal, from ‘Ata ibn Yasar, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, who said: ‘This verse in the Qur’an—“O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good news, and a warner”—is in the Torah in a similar form.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ:
The Arabic chain identifies ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr as the speaker, while the English witness names ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ata’ and omits much of the chain.
Confirm the speaker against the Arabic chain; the witness appears to misattribute this report.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ishaq ibn al-‘Ala narrated to us, saying: ‘Amr ibn al-Harith narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd Allah ibn Salim al-Ash‘ari narrated to me, from Muhammad—he is Ibn al-Walid al-Zubaydi—from Ibn Jabir, who is Yahya ibn Jabir, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr ibn Nufayr, who related to him that his father related to him that he heard Mu‘awiya say: ‘I heard words from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by which Allah benefited me. I heard him say’—or he said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: “If you pursue suspicion among people, you will corrupt them. I do not pursue suspicion about them and corrupt them.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ، أَوْ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ:
The Arabic preserves an explicit alternative in how the report is introduced; the pronoun in the first version refers to the Prophet, while the second gives Mu‘awiya’s direct wording.
Review the placement of the alternative without collapsing the two transmitted phrasings.
إِنَّكَ إِذَا اتَّبَعْتَ الرِّيبَةَ فِي النَّاسِ أَفْسَدْتَهُمْ فَإِنِّي لاَ أَتَّبِعُ الرِّيبَةَ فِيهِمْ فَأُفْسِدَهُمْ.
The wording says ‘pursue suspicion’ but does not explicitly say ‘openly show’ suspicions, as in the English witness.
Review whether ‘suspicion’ or ‘doubtful matters’ best renders الريبة here.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd Allah narrated to us, saying: Hatim narrated to us, from Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Muzarrid, from his father, who said: I heard Abu Hurayra say: ‘These two ears of mine heard, and these two eyes of mine saw, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, take the hands of al-Hasan—or al-Husayn, may Allah’s blessings be upon them both—in both his palms, while the boy’s feet rested on the feet of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah was saying, “Climb up!”’ He said: The boy climbed until he placed his feet on the Messenger of Allah’s chest. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Open your mouth.’ Then he kissed him and said, ‘O Allah, love him, for I love him.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
بِكَفَّيِّ الْحَسَنِ، أَوِ الْحُسَيْنِ
The Arabic itself preserves uncertainty between al-Hasan and al-Husayn; this translation retains the alternative.
No resolution is supplied by the Arabic; retain the transmitted alternative unless another source witness is deliberately consulted.
Chapter 125
بَابُ التَّبَسُّمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Ali ibn ‘Abd Allah narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, from Isma‘il, from Qays, who said: I heard Jarir say: ‘Since I became Muslim, whenever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw me, he smiled at me.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘A man among the best of the people of Yemen will enter through this door; his face bears a trace of an angel.’ Then Jarir entered.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
عَلَى وَجْهِهِ مَسْحَةُ مَلَكٍ،
The expression literally describes a touch or trace of an angel on his face and is likely idiomatic praise.
Review whether ‘trace of an angel’ is the most natural rendering of مسحة ملك.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn ‘Isa narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd Allah ibn Wahb narrated to us, saying: ‘Amr ibn al-Harith informed us that Abu al-Nadr related to him, from Sulayman ibn Yasar, from ‘A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘I never saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laugh so broadly that I could see the back of his throat; he only smiled.’ She said: ‘When he saw a cloud or wind, its effect could be seen on his face.’ She said, ‘Messenger of Allah, when people see clouds, they rejoice, hoping there will be rain in them. Yet when you see one, I see displeasure on your face.’ He replied, ‘‘A’isha, what would assure me that there is no punishment in it? A people were punished by wind, and a people saw the punishment coming from it and said, “This is a cloud bringing us rain.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ضَاحِكًا قَطُّ حَتَّى أَرَى مِنْهُ لَهَوَاتِهِ،
The report uses the plural لَهَوَاتِهِ, referring to the uvula/soft palate area; it may mean a full laugh that exposes the back of the mouth, contrasted with smiling.
Review the anatomical image and best natural English rendering.
وَكَانَ إِذَا رَأَى غَيْمًا أَوْ رِيحًا عُرِفَ فِي وَجْهِهِ،
The Arabic leaves the nature of what was recognized on his face unstated; the subsequent question identifies it as displeasure.
Confirm that ‘its effect’ preserves the initial description without prematurely specifying displeasure.
Chapter 126
بَابُ الضَّحِكِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Sulayman ibn Dawud Abu al-Rabi‘ narrated to us, saying: Isma‘il ibn Zakariyya narrated to us, saying: Abu Raja narrated to us, from Burd, from Makhul, from Wathila ibn al-Asqa‘, from Abu Hurayra, who said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Laugh less, for frequent laughter deadens the heart.’
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us, saying: Abu Bakr al-Hanafi narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd Allah, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘Do not laugh excessively, for excessive laughter deadens the heart.’
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musa narrated to us, saying: al-Rabi‘ ibn Muslim narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ziyad narrated to us, from Abu Hurayra, who said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to a group of his Companions who were laughing and talking. He said, ‘By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.’ Then he turned away, and he made the people weep. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to him: ‘Muhammad, why do you make My servants despair?’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned and said, ‘Receive good tidings, act rightly, and draw near.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَبْشِرُوا، وَسَدِّدُوا، وَقَارِبُوا.
The last two imperatives convey aiming for correctness and coming close to the right course; the English witness instead renders them ‘guide people and draw near to one another.’
Review whether ‘act rightly and draw near’ best preserves سددوا وقاربوا without adding an object.
وَسَدِّدُوا،
The supplied English witness says ‘guide people,’ though the Arabic has no explicit object here.
Confirm the imperative is rendered without an unstated object.
Chapter 127
بَابُ إِذَا أَقْبَلَ أَقْبَلَ جَمِيعًا، وَإِذَا أَدْبَرَ أَدْبَرَ جَمِيعًا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bishr ibn Muhammad narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd Allah informed us, saying: Usama ibn Zayd informed us, saying: Musa ibn Muslim, the client of Qariz’s daughter, informed me, from Abu Hurayra, who would sometimes narrate from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: ‘He described him to me as having long lashes and pale flanks. When he turned toward someone, he turned his whole self, and when he turned away, he turned his whole self. No eye has seen anyone like him, and you will never see him.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
حَدَّثَنِيهِ أَهْدَبُ الشُّفْرَيْنِ، أَبْيَضُ الْكَشْحَيْنِ،
The physical descriptors أهدب الشفرين and أبيض الكشحين are omitted entirely from the English witness; the precise nuance of the latter term is not transparent.
Review the rendering of the eyelashes and the sides of the waist/flanks against lexical sources.
لَمْ تَرَ عَيْنٌ مِثْلَهُ، وَلَنْ تَرَاهُ.
The English witness changes the final object to plural ‘them,’ while the Arabic uses a masculine singular pronoun referring to the Prophet.
Confirm the singular referent and whether the final clause should remain ‘you will never see him.’