The Book of the Sunnah

كتاب المقدمة

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

Waki' bin Hudus narrated that his paternal uncle Abu Razin said

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where was our Lord before He created His creation?' He said: He was above the clouds, below which was air, and above which was air and water. Then He created His Throne above the water.'"

It was narrated that Safwan bin Muhriz Al-Mazini said

"We were with 'Abdullah bin 'Umar when he was circumambulating the House; a man came up to him and said: 'O Ibn 'Umar, what did you hear the Messenger of Allah say about the Najwa?' He said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'On the Day of Resurrection, the believer will be brought close to his Lord until He will cover him with His screen, then He will make him confess his sins. He will ask him: "Do you confess?" He will say: "O Lord, I confess." This will continue as long as Allah wills, then He will say: "I concealed them for you in the world, and I forgive you for them today." Then he will be given the scroll of his good deeds, or his record, in his right hand. But as for the disbeliever or the hypocrite, (his sins) will be announced before the witnesses.' " (One of the narrators) Khalid said: "At: 'before the witnesses' there is something missing." "These are the ones who lied against their Lord!' No doubt! The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers."

It was narrated that Jabor bin 'Abdullah said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'While the people of Paradise are enjoying their blessings, a light will shine upon them, and they will raise their heads, and they will see their Lord looking upon them from above. He will say: "Peace be upon you, O people of Paradise." This is what Allah says in the Verse: "Salam (peace be upon you) - a Word from the Lord (Allah), The Most Merciful." He will look at them, and they will look at Him, and they will not pay any attention to the delights (of Paradise) so long as they look at Him, until He will screen Himself from them. But His light and blessing will remain with them in their bodies.'"

It was narrated that 'Adi bin Hatim said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'There is no one among you but his Lord will speak to him without any intermediary between them. He will look to his right and will not see anything but that which he sent forth. He will look to his left and will not see anything but that which he sent forth. Then he will look in front of him and will be faced with the Fire. So whoever among you can protect himself from fire, even by means of half a date, let him do so.'"

It was narrated that 'Abbas bin 'Abdul-Mutallib said

"I was in Batha with a group of people, among them whom was the Messenger of Allah. A cloud passed over him, and he looked at it and said: 'What do you call this?' They said: 'Sahab (a cloud).' He said: 'And Muzn (rain cloud).' They said: 'And Muzn.' He said: 'And 'Anan (clouds).' Abu Bakr said: "They said: 'And 'Anan.'" He said: 'How much (distance) do you think there is between you and the heavens?' They said: 'We do not know.' He said: 'Between you and it is seventy-one, or seventy-two, or seventy-three years, and there is a similar distance between it and the heaven above it (and so on)' until he counted seven heavens. 'Then above the seventh heaven there is a sea, between whose top and bottom is a distance like that between one heaven and another. Then above that there are eight (angels in the form of) mountain goats. The distance between their hooves and their knees is like the distance between one heaven and the next. Then on their backs is the Throne, and the distance between the top and the bottom of the Throne is like the distance between one heaven and another. Then Allah is above that, the Blessed and Exalted."

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that

The Prophet said: "The Right Hand of Allah is full and that is never affected by the continuous spending, night and day. In His other Hand, is the Scale, which He raises and lowers. Have you seen what Allah has spent since He created the heavens and the earth? And that has not decreased what is in His Hands in the slightest.'"

Nawwas bin Sam'an Al-Kilabi said

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'There is no heart that is not between two of the Fingers of the Most Merciful. If He wills, He guides it and if He wills, He sends it astray.' The Messenger of Allah used to say: 'O You Who makes hearts steadfast make our hearts steadfast in adhering to Your religion.' And he said: 'The Scale is in the Hand of the Most Merciful; He will cause some peoples to rise and others to fall until the day of Resurrection.'"

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah smiles at three things: a row in the prayer, a man who prays in the depths of the night, and a man who fights' I think he said, 'behind the battalion.'"

Chapter 36: One who introduces a good or evil practice

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"A man came to the Prophet, who encouraged the people to give charity to him. A man said: 'I have such and such,' and there was no one left in that gathering who did not give him something in charity, to a greater or lesser extent. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever initiates a good practice that is followed, he will receive a perfect reward for that, and a reward equivalent to that of those who follow it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever introduces a bad practice that is followed, he will receive the complete burden of sin for that, and a burden of sin equivalent to that of those who follow it without that detracting from their burden in the slightest.'"

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that

The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever calls people to true guidance, will have a reward equal to that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever calls people to misguidance, will have a (burden of) sin equal to that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their sins in the slightest.'"

Chapter 37: One who revives a Sunnah that had died out

Kathir bin 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin 'Awf Al-Muzani said

"My father told me narrating from my grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever revives a Sunnah of mine, which people then act upon, will have a reward equivalent to that of those who act upon it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever introduces an innovation (Bid'ah) that is acted upon, will have a burden of sins equivalent to that of those who act upon it, withot that detracting from the burden of those who act upon it in the slightest.'"

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

It was narrated from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari that

The Prophet said: "The likeness of the believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron, the taste and smell of which are good. The likeness of a believer who does not read the Qur'an is that of a date, the taste of which is good but it has no smell. The likeness of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is that of a sweet basil, the smell of which is good but its taste is bitter. And the likeness of a hypocrite who does not read the Qur'an is that of a colocynth (bitter apple), the taste of which is bitter and it has no smell.'"

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

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever relieves a Muslim of some worldly distress, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal him (his faults) in this world and the Day of Resurrection. And whoever relives the burden from a destitute person, Allah will relieve him in this world and the next. Allah will help His slave so long as His slave helps his brother. Whoever follows a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy fro him a path to paradise. No people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and teaching it to one another, but the angels will surround them, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will envelop them and Allah will mention them to those who are with Him. And whoever is hindered because of his bad deeds, his lineage will be of no avail to him.'"

Chapter 40: He who conveys knowledge

Muhammed bin Jubair bin Mut'im narrated that his father said

"The Messenger of Allah stood up at Khaif in Mina and 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.'" (Hasan)Other chains with similar wording.

'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Abdullah narrated from his father that

The Prophet said: "May Allah cause his face to shine, the man who hears a Hadith from us and conveys it, for perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed may remember it better than the one who (first) hears it."

It was narrated that Abu Bakrah said

"The Messenger of Allah delivered a religious speech on the Day of Sacrifice and said: 'Let those who are present convey to those who are absent. For perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed will understand it better than the one who (first) hears it.'"

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'May Allah cause to flourish a slave (of His) who hears my words and understands them, then he conveys them from me. There are those who have knowledge but no understanding, and there may be those who convey knowledge to those who may have more understanding of it than they do.'"

Chapter 43: He who dislikes having people walk behind him

It was narrated from Shu'aib bin 'Abdullah bin 'Amr that his father said

"The Messenger of Allah was never seen eating while reclining or making two men walk behind him." (Sahih)Other chains with the same meanings.

Chapter 45: Gaining benefit from knowledge and acting in accordance with it

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that

The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever seeks knowledge in order to argue with the foolish, or to show off before the scholars, or to attract people's attention, will be in Hell."

Chapter 13: The Virtue of 'Umar (ra)

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin Shaqiq said

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which of the (Prophet's) Companions was most beloved to him?' She said: 'Abu Bakr.' I said: 'Then which of them?' She said: ''Umar.' I said: 'Then which of them?' She said: 'Abu 'Ubaidah.'"