Tribulations

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu ‘Ubaydah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘When religious weakness took hold among the Children of Israel, a man would see his brother sinning and forbid him, but the next day what he had seen would not stop him from eating, drinking, and keeping company with him. Then Allah made their hearts resemble one another, and the Qur’an was revealed concerning them: “Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary” (5:78), up to: “Had they believed in Allah, the Prophet, and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient” (5:81).’ The Messenger of Allah had been reclining, but then sat up and said, ‘No! You must restrain the wrongdoer and compel him firmly to follow what is right.’ A second chain of transmission, through ‘Abdullah from the Prophet, reports the same wording.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah stood to preach and said, among other things: ‘Let no man’s fear of people prevent him from speaking the truth when he knows it.’ Abu Sa‘id wept and said, ‘By Allah, we have seen things that frightened us.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Sa‘id reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Let none of you belittle himself.’ They asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, how could one of us belittle himself?’ He said, ‘He sees something concerning which he ought to speak for Allah’s sake, but does not speak. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will say to him, “What prevented you from speaking about such-and-such?” He will reply, “Fear of people.” He will say, “I was more deserving of your fear.”’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Ubaydullah ibn Jarir reported from his father that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whenever sins are committed among a people who have greater power and standing, yet do not change them, Allah’s punishment will encompass them all.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Jabir reported: When the migrants who had crossed the sea returned to the Messenger of Allah, he said, ‘Will you tell me some of the remarkable things you saw in Abyssinia?’ Some young men replied, ‘Yes, Messenger of Allah. While we were sitting, an elderly woman from among their nuns passed by, carrying a water jar on her head. One of their young men came by, put a hand between her shoulders, and pushed her. She fell to her knees and her jar broke. When she rose, she turned to him and said, “You will know, traitor, when Allah sets up the Footstool, gathers the first and the last, and hands and feet speak of what people used to do. Then you will know how my case and yours will be before Him tomorrow.”’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘She spoke the truth, she spoke the truth. How can Allah purify a people if their strong do not have to answer for the rights of their weak?’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The best jihad is a word of justice spoken before an unjust ruler.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Umamah reported: A man approached the Messenger of Allah at the first stone pillar and asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, which jihad is best?’ He did not answer. When he reached the second pillar, the man asked him again, and he did not answer. After he had stoned the Pillar of al-‘Aqabah, he placed his foot in the stirrup to mount and said, ‘Where is the questioner?’ The man said, ‘Here I am, Messenger of Allah.’ He replied, ‘A word of truth before an unjust ruler.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported: On a festival day, Marwan brought out the pulpit and began the sermon before the prayer. A man said, ‘Marwan, you have gone against the Sunnah. You brought out the pulpit on this day, though it was not brought out before, and you began with the sermon before the prayer, though it was not begun that way.’ Abu Sa‘id said, ‘As for this man, he has fulfilled his duty. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Whoever among you sees a wrong and is able to change it with his hand, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue; and if he cannot, then with his heart. That is the weakest degree of faith.”’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Umayyah al-Sha‘bani reported: I came to Abu Tha‘labah al-Khushani and asked, ‘What do you make of this verse?’ He asked, ‘Which verse?’ I said, ‘“Believers, you are responsible for yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you if you are guided” (Qur’an 5:105).’ He said, ‘You have asked someone who knows about it. I asked the Messenger of Allah about it, and he said: “Rather, urge one another to do what is right and forbid one another from what is wrong. Continue until you see greed being obeyed, desires followed, worldly life preferred, and everyone pleased with his own opinion; and until you see a matter you have no power to address. Then attend to your own particular concern and leave the affairs of the common people. For after you will come days of patience, when patience will be like holding a burning coal. Whoever acts in those days will have the reward of fifty men who do the same deeds.”’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Anas ibn Malik reported that it was asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, when should we stop enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong?’ He said, ‘When what appeared among the nations before you appears among you.’ We asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, what appeared among those before us?’ He said, ‘Rule among your young, indecency among your elders, and knowledge among your lowly ones.’ Zayd explained the Prophet’s words ‘knowledge among your lowly ones’ to mean that knowledge would be among the openly disobedient.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hudhayfah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘A believer should not bring humiliation upon himself.’ They asked, ‘How could he bring humiliation upon himself?’ He said, ‘By exposing himself to a trial he cannot bear.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will question a servant until He asks, “What prevented you, when you saw wrongdoing, from condemning it?” When Allah prompts a servant with his defense, he will say, “My Lord, I hoped in You and feared the people.”’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah gives the wrongdoer respite, but when He seizes him, He does not let him escape.’ Then he recited: ‘Such is your Lord’s seizure when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong’ (Qur’an 11:102).

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah turned to us and said: ‘Emigrants, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge in Allah lest you live to see them. Immorality never becomes widespread among a people and is then practiced openly but plague and diseases unknown to their forebears spread among them. They do not shortchange the measure and scale but are afflicted with years of famine, severe hardship, and the oppression of their rulers. They do not withhold the zakah due on their wealth but are denied rain from the sky; were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them. They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger but Allah gives their enemies from elsewhere power over them, and they take some of what they possess. And whenever their leaders do not judge by the Book of Allah and seek what is best from what Allah has sent down, Allah sets their conflict among themselves.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Some people from my community will drink wine, calling it by another name. Musical instruments and singing women will be played over them, and Allah will cause the earth to swallow them and turn some of them into apes and pigs.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘“Allah curses them, and those who curse curse them.”’ He said, ‘The creatures of the earth.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Thawban reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Nothing increases a lifespan except righteousness, nothing turns back the decree except supplication, and a person may be deprived of provision because of a sin he commits.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas reported: I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, which people are most severely tested?’ He said, ‘The Prophets, then the next best, and then the next best. A person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is firm in his commitment, his trial is made more severe; if there is weakness in his commitment, he is tested accordingly. Trials continue to afflict a person until they leave him walking on the earth with no sin upon him.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported: I visited the Prophet while he was feverish. I placed my hand on him and felt his heat through the blanket. I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, how severe it is for you!’ He replied, ‘That is how it is for us: our trials are intensified, and our rewards are intensified.’ I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, which people are most severely tested?’ He said, ‘The Prophets.’ I asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then the righteous. A person among them could be tested with poverty until he had nothing but a cloak to wrap around himself. One of them would rejoice at a trial as one of you rejoices at ease.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Abdullah reported: It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah recounting the story of one of the Prophets, whose people had beaten him while he wiped the blood from his face and said, ‘My Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know.’