The Book of the Sunnah

كتاب المقدمة

Chapter 35: Concerning what the Jahmiyyah denied (i.e., seeing Allah in the Hereafter, etc.)

It was narrated that Jarir bin 'Abdullah said

"We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah. He looked at the moon, which was full, and said, 'Indeed, you will see your Lord as you see this moon. You will not feel the slightest inconvenience and overcrowding in seeing Him. If you have the power not to be overcome and to say this prayer before the sun rises and before it sets, then do that.' Then he recited: "And glorify the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting."

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Do you crowd one another in order to see the moon on the night when it is full?' They said: 'No.' He said: 'And you will not crowd one another in order to see your Lord on the Day of Resurrection.'"

It was narrated that 'Aishah said

"Praise is to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all voices. The woman who disputed concerning her husband (Al-Mujadilah) came to the Prophet when I was (sitting) in a corner of the house, and she complained about her husband, but I did not hear what she said. The Allah revealed: 'Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes with you concerning her husband.'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Your Lord wrote for Himself with His Own Hand before He created the creation: "My mercy precedes My wrath."

Talhah bin Khirash said

"I head Jabir bin 'Abdullah say" 'When 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin )Haram) was killed on the Day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah met me, and said: "O Jabir, shall I not tell you what Allah has said to your father?" Yahya said in his Hadith: "And he said: 'O Jabir, why do I see you broken-hearted?' I (Jabir) said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my father has been martyred and he has left behind dependents and debts.' He said: 'Shall I not give you the glad tidings of that with which Allah met your father?' I said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Allah never spoke to anyone except from behind a screen, but He spoke to your father directly, and He said: "O My slave! Ask something from Me and I shall give it to you." He said: "O Lord, bring me back to life so that I may be killed in Your cause a second time." The Lord, Glorified is He, said: "I have already decreed that they will not return to life." He said: "My Lord, then convey (this news) to those whom I have left behind." Allah said: "Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah, Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision."

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah will laugh at two persons- one of them kills the other, and both of them enter Paradise, for the first one fought in the cause of Allah and was martyred, then his killer repented to Allah and became Muslim, then he also fought in the cause of Allah and was martyred.'"

It was narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said

The Messenger of Allah used to appear before the people during the Hajj season and say: 'Is there any man who can take me to his people, for the Quraish have prevented me from conveying the speech (i.e. the Message) of my Lord.'"

Chapter 36: One who introduces a good or evil practice

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that

The Messenger of Allah said: "Every caller who invites people to misguidance and is followed, will have a burden of sin equal to that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest. And every caller who invites people to true guidance and is followed, will have a reward equal to that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.'"

Chapter 38: The virtue of one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it

It was narrated that 'Uthman bin 'Affan said that

The Messenger of Allah said: (According to one of the narrators) Shu'bah (he) said: 'The best of you' (and according to) Sufyan (he) said: "The most excellent of you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it."

It was narrated that 'Uthmaan bin 'Affan said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The most excellent of you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.'"

Mus'ab bin Sa'd narrated that his father said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The best of you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.' " 'Then he (Mus'ab) took me (the narrator) by the hand and made me sit here, and I started to teach Qur'an.'"

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah has His own people among mankind.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, who are they?' He said: 'The people of the Qur'an, the people of Allah and those who are closest to Him.'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Learn the Qur'an, recite it and go to bed, for the likeness of the Qur'an and the one who learns it and acts upon it is that of a sack filled with musk, which spreads its fragrance everywhere. And the likeness of one who learns it then goes to bed with it in his heart is that of a sack that is tied up from which no fragrance comes out.'"

It was narrated that Nafi' bin 'Abdul-Harith met 'Umar bin Khattab in 'Usfan, when 'Umar had appointed him as his governer in Makkah.

'Umar asked: "Whom have you appointed as your deputy over the people of the valley?" He said: "I have appointed Ibn Abza over them." 'Umar said: "Who is Ibn Abza?" Nafi' said: "One of our freed slaves." 'Umar said: "Have you appointed a freed slave over them?" Nafi' said: "He has great knowledge of the Book of Allah, is well versed in the rules of inheritance (Fara'id) and is a (good) judge." 'Umar said: "Did not your prophet say: 'Allah raises some people (in status) because of this book and brings others low because of it?'"

It was narrated that Abu Dharr said

"The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'O Abu Dharr! For you to come out in the morning and learn one Verse from the Book of Allah is better for you than praying one hundred Rak'ah, and for you to come out and learn a matter of knowledge, whether it is acted upon or not, is better for you than praying one thousand Rak'ah.'"

Chapter 39: The virtue of the scholars, and encouragement to seek knowledge

It was narrated that Yunus bin Maisarah bin Halbas said

"I heard Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan narrating that the Messenger of Allah said: "Goodness is a (natural) habit while evil is a stubbornness (constant prodding from Satan). When Allah wills good for a person, He causes him to understand the religion.'"

It was narrated that Kathir bin Qais said

"I was sitting with Abu Darda' in the mosque of Damascus when a man came to him and said: 'O Abu Darda', I have come to you from Al-Madinah, the city of the Messenger of Allah, for a Hadith which I have heard that you narrate from the Prophet.' He said: 'Did you not come for trade?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Did you not come for anything else?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "Whoever follows a path in the pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. The angels lower their wings in approval of the seeker of knowledge, and everyone in the heavens and on earth prays for forgiveness for the seeker of knowledge, even the fish in the sea. The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon above all other heavenly bodies. The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, for the Prophets did not leave behind a Dinar or Dirham, rather they left behind knowledge, so whoever takes it has taken a great share.'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Whoever comes to this mosque of mine, and only comes for a good purpose, such as to learn or to teach, his status is like that of one who fights in Jihad in the cause of Allah. Whoever comes for any other purpose, his status is that of a man who is keeping an eye on other people's property.'"

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin 'Amr said

"The Messenger of Allah came out of one of his apartments one day and entered the mosque, where he saw two circles, one reciting Qur'an and supplicating to Allah, and the other learning and teaching. The Prophet said: 'Both of them are good. These people are reciting the Qur'an and supplicating to Allah, and if He wills He will give them, and if He wills He will withhold from them. And these people are learning and teaching. Verily I have been sent as a teacher.' Then he sat down with them."

Chapter 40: He who conveys knowledge

It was narrated from Zaid bin Thabit that

The Messenger of Allah said: "May Allah cause his face to shine, the man who hears what I say and conveys it (to others). There are those who have knowledge but no understanding, and there may be those who convey knowledge to those who have more understanding of it than they do.' " (One of the narrators) 'Ali bin Muhammed added to it: "There are three things because of which hatred does not enter the heart of a Muslim: Sincerity in doing an action for the sake of Allah; being sincere towards the rulers of the Muslims; and adhering to the Jama'ah (main body of the Muslims."