Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab)

كتاب الأدب

Chapter 1: Al-Birr and As-Sila

Narrated Al-Walid bin 'Aizar

I heard Abi `Amr 'Ash-Shaibani saying, "The owner of this house." he pointed to `Abdullah's house, "said, 'I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) 'Which deed is loved most by Allah?" He replied, 'To offer prayers at their early (very first) stated times.' " `Abdullah asked, "What is the next (in goodness)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "To be good and dutiful to one's parents," `Abdullah asked, "What is the next (in goodness)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "To participate in Jihad for Allah's Cause." `Abdullah added, "The Prophet (ﷺ) narrated to me these three things, and if I had asked more, he would have told me more."

Chapter 2: Who is more entitled to the best companionship?

Narrated Abu Huraira

A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your father. "

Chapter 3: One should not go for Jihad without the permission of the parents

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr

A man said to the Prophet, "Shall I participate in Jihad?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Are your parents living?" The man said, "Yes." the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do Jihad for their benefit."

Chapter 4: A man should not abuse his parents

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said. "It is one of the greatest sins that a man should curse his parents." It was asked (by the people), "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! How does a man curse his parents?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "'The man abuses the father of another man and the latter abuses the father of the former and abuses his mother."

Chapter 5: The invocation of the person who is dutiful to his parents if fulfilled

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "While three persons were traveling, they were overtaken by rain and they took shelter in a cave in a mountain. A big rock fell from the mountain over the mouth of the cave and blocked it. They said to each other. 'Think of such good (righteous) deeds which, you did for Allah's sake only, and invoke Allah by giving reference to those deeds so that Allah may relieve you from your difficulty. one of them said, 'O Allah! I had my parents who were very old and I had small children for whose sake I used to work as a shepherd. When I returned to them at night and milked (the sheep), I used to start giving the milk to my parents first before giving to my children. And one day I went far away in search of a grazing place (for my sheep), and didn't return home till late at night and found that my parents had slept. I milked (my livestock) as usual and brought the milk vessel and stood at their heads, and I disliked to wake them up from their sleep, and I also disliked to give the milk to my children before my parents though my children were crying (from hunger) at my feet. So this state of mine and theirs continued till the day dawned. (O Allah!) If you considered that I had done that only for seeking Your pleasure, then please let there be an opening through which we can see the sky.' So Allah made for them an opening through which they could see the sky. Then the second person said, 'O Allah! I had a she-cousin whom I loved as much as a passionate man love a woman. I tried to seduce her but she refused till I paid her one-hundred Dinars So I worked hard till I collected one hundred Dinars and went to her with that But when I sat in between her legs (to have sexual intercourse with her), she said, 'O Allah's slave! Be afraid of Allah ! Do not deflower me except legally (by marriage contract). So I left her O Allah! If you considered that I had done that only for seeking Your pleasure then please let the rock move a little to have a (wider) opening.' So Allah shifted that rock to make the opening wider for them. And the last (third) person said 'O Allah ! I employed a laborer for wages equal to a Faraq (a certain measure: of rice, and when he had finished his job he demanded his wages, but when I presented his due to him, he gave it up and refused to take it. Then I kept on sowing that rice for him (several times) till managed to buy with the price of the yield, some cows and their shepherd Later on the laborer came to me an said. '(O Allah's slave!) Be afraid o Allah, and do not be unjust to me an give me my due.' I said (to him). 'Go and take those cows and their shepherd. So he took them and went away. (So, O Allah!) If You considered that I had done that for seeking Your pleasure, then please remove the remaining part of the rock.' And so Allah released them (from their difficulty).

Chapter 6: To be undutiful to parents is one of the greatest sins

Abdullah ibn Amr said on the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him
Narrated Al-Mughira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah has forbidden you ( 1 ) to be undutiful to your mothers (2) to withhold (what you should give) or (3) demand (what you do not deserve), and (4) to bury your daughters alive. And Allah has disliked that (A) you talk too much about others ( B), ask too many questions (in religion), or (C) waste your property."

Narrated Abu Bakra

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said thrice, "Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the great sins?" We said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)" He said, "To join partners in worship with Allah: to be undutiful to one's parents." The Prophet (ﷺ) sat up after he had been reclining and added, "And I warn you against giving forged statement and a false witness; I warn you against giving a forged statement and a false witness." The Prophet kept on saying that warning till we thought that he would not stop.

Narrated Anas bin Malik

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned the greatest sins or he was asked about the greatest sins. He said, "To join partners in worship with Allah; to kill a soul which Allah has forbidden to kill; and to be undutiful or unkind to one's parents." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "Shall I inform you of the biggest of the great sins? That is the forged statement or the false witness." Shu`ba (the sub-narrator) states that most probably the Prophet said, "the false witness."

Chapter 7: To be good to a father who is a Mushrik

Narrated Asma' bint Abu Bakr

My mother came to me, hoping (for my favor) during the lifetime of the Prophet. I asked the Prophet, "May I treat her kindly?" He replied, "Yes." Ibn 'Uyaina said, "Then Allah revealed: 'Allah forbids you not with regards to those who fought not against you because of religion, and drove you not out from your homes, that you should show them kindness and deal justly with them.'.......(60.8)

Chapter 8: Kindness by a lady who has a husband, to her mother

Narrated Asma'

"My mother who was a Mushrikah (pagan, etc.), came with her father during the period of peace pact between the Muslims and the Quraish infidels. I went to seek the advice of the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "My mother has arrived and she is hoping (for my favor)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes, be good to your mother."

Narrated Abu Sufyan

That Heraclius sent for him and said, "What did he, i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) order you?" I replied, "He orders us to offer prayers; to give alms; to be chaste; and to keep good relations with our relatives.

Chapter 9: To be good to one's brother who is a Mushrik

Narrated Ibn `Umar

My father, seeing a silken cloak being sold, said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Buy this and wear it on Fridays and when the foreign delegates pay a visit to you." He said, "This is worn only by that person who will have no share in the Hereafter." Later a few silken cloaks were given to the Prophet (ﷺ) as a gift, and he sent one of those cloaks to `Umar. `Umar said (to the Prophet), "How can I wear it while you have said about it what you said?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I did not give it to you to wear but to sell or to give to someone else to wear." So `Umar sent it to his (pagan) brother who was from the inhabitants of Mecca before he (`Umar's brother) embraced Islam.

Chapter 10: Superiority of good relations with relatives

Narrated Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari

It was said" "O Allah's Messenger! Inform me of a deed which will make me enter Paradise."(continues through a different chain in the next hadith)

Narrated Abu Aiyub Al-Ansari

A man said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Inform me of a deed which will make me enter Paradise." The people said, "What is the matter with him? What is the matter with him?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "He has something to ask (what he needs greatly)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), (In order to enter Paradise) you should worship Allah and join none in worship with Him: You should offer prayers perfectly, give obligatory charity (Zakat), and keep good relations with your Kith and kin." He then said, "Leave it!" (The sub-narrator said, "It seems that the Prophet (ﷺ) was riding his she camel."

Chapter 11: The sin of Al-Qati'

Narrated Jubair bin Mut`im

That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter Paradise."

Chapter 12: Whoever was made wealthy because of keeping good relations with his kith and kin

Narrated Abu Huraira

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Who ever is pleased that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be pro longed, then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."

Narrated Anas bin Malik

Allah 's Apostle said, "Whoever loves that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be prolonged then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."

Chapter 13: Allah will keep good relations with him who keeps good relations with kith and kin

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah created the creations, and when He finished from His creations, Ar-Rahm i.e., womb said, "(O Allah) at this place I seek refuge with You from all those who sever me (i.e. sever the ties of Kith and kin). Allah said, 'Yes, won't you be pleased that I will keep good relations with the one who will keep good relations with you, and I will sever the relation with the one who will sever the relations with you.' It said, 'Yes, O my Lord.' Allah said, 'Then that is for you ' " Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) added. "Read (in the Qur'an) if you wish, the Statement of Allah: 'Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship?' (47.22)

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The word 'Ar-Rahm (womb) derives its name from Ar-Rahman (i.e., one of the names of Allah) and Allah said: 'I will keep good relation with the one who will keep good relation with you, (womb i.e. Kith and Kin) and sever the relation with him who will sever the relation with you, (womb, i.e. Kith and Kin).