Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab)

Anas reported that a man came to the Prophet on a Friday while he was delivering the sermon in Medina. The man said, “Rain has failed us; ask your Lord to send us rain.” The Prophet looked at the sky, and we saw no clouds. He prayed for rain, and clouds gathered together. It rained until the channels of Medina overflowed, and the rain continued without letting up until the following Friday. Then that man, or another man, stood while the Prophet was delivering the sermon and said, “We are flooded; ask your Lord to hold it back from us.” The Prophet smiled and said twice or three times, “O Allah, around us and not upon us.” The clouds began to break apart from Medina to the right and left. It rained around us, but none fell over Medina. Allah showed them the honor He bestowed on His Prophet and the answer to his supplication.

Abdullah reported that the Prophet said: “Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to tell the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a steadfastly truthful person. Lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays the trust.”

Samara ibn Jundub reported that the Prophet said: “I saw two men come to me. They said: The man you saw whose cheek was being split was a liar who told a lie that was carried from him until it reached the horizons; that punishment will be inflicted on him until the Day of Resurrection.”

Hudhayfa said: “The person most like the Messenger of Allah in demeanor, appearance, and guidance was Ibn Umm Abd, from the time he left his home until he returned. We do not know what he did with his family when he was alone.”

Abdullah reported: “The finest speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.”

Abu Musa reported that the Prophet said: “No one—or nothing—is more patient in the face of hurtful words he hears than Allah. They attribute a child to Him, yet He grants them well-being and provides for them.”

Abdullah reported that the Prophet made a distribution, as he sometimes did. A man from the Ansar said, “By Allah, this is a distribution not made for the sake of Allah.” Abdullah said: “I resolved to tell the Prophet. I went to him while he was with his Companions and spoke to him privately. This upset the Prophet; his face changed and he became angry, until I wished I had not told him. Then he said that Moses had been hurt with even more than this and had been patient.”

Aisha reported that the Prophet did something and permitted it, but some people refrained from doing it. This reached the Prophet, so he delivered a sermon, praised Allah, and said: “What is the matter with people who refrain from something I do? By Allah, I know Allah better than they do, and I fear Him more than they do.”

Abu Said al-Khudri reported: “The Prophet was more modest than a young woman in seclusion. When he saw something he disliked, we could tell from his face.”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “When a man calls his brother a disbeliever, the charge returns to one of the two.” Ikrima ibn Ammar also transmitted it through Yahya, Abdullah ibn Yazid, Abu Salama, and Abu Hurayra from the Prophet.

Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Whenever a man calls his brother a disbeliever, the charge returns to one of the two.”

Thabit ibn al-Dahhak reported that the Prophet said: “Whoever falsely swears by a religion other than Islam is as he has said. Whoever kills himself with something will be punished with it in the Fire of Hell. Cursing a believer is like killing him, and whoever accuses a believer of disbelief is like one who kills him.”

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that Muadh ibn Jabal used to pray with the Prophet, then return to his people and lead them in prayer. One night he recited Surat al-Baqara for them. A man left the congregation and prayed a shorter prayer. When this reached Muadh, he called the man a hypocrite. The man heard of this, went to the Prophet, and said, “Messenger of Allah, we are people who work with our hands and water our fields with our camels. Last night Muadh led us in prayer and recited Surat al-Baqara, so I shortened my prayer, and he claimed that I was a hypocrite.” The Prophet said three times, “Muadh, are you causing hardship?” He said, “Recite By the Sun and Its Brightness, Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High, or similar shorter passages.”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “If one of you swears by al-Lat and al-Uzza, let him say that there is no deity but Allah. And whoever invites his companion to gamble should give something in charity.”

Ibn Umar reported that he came upon Umar ibn al-Khattab among a group of riders while Umar was swearing by his father. The Messenger of Allah called out to them: “Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers. Whoever must swear should swear by Allah, or else remain silent.”

Aisha reported that the Prophet entered while there was a curtain in the house bearing images. His face changed color, and he pulled down the curtain and tore it. She said that the Prophet said: “Among the people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection are those who make these images.”

Abu Masud reported that a man came to the Prophet and said, “I am late for the dawn prayer because so-and-so makes it too long for us.” Abu Masud said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah angrier in a sermon than he was that day.” He said: “People, some of you drive others away. Whoever among you leads people in prayer should keep it brief, for among them are the sick, the elderly, and those with needs.”

Abdullah reported that while the Prophet was praying, he saw sputum toward the qibla wall of the mosque. He scraped it away with his hand, became angry, and said: “When one of you is praying, Allah is in front of him, so let him not spit in front of himself during the prayer.”

Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah about a lost item. He said: “Announce it for a year, then learn its tie and container. After that, make use of it, but if its owner comes, return it to him.” The man asked about a lost sheep. He said: “Take it, for it is for you, your brother, or the wolf.” The man asked about a lost camel. The Messenger of Allah became angry until his cheeks—or his face—grew red, then said: “What concern is it of yours? It has its own shoes and water-skin, and will keep going until its owner finds it.”