Faith

كتاب الإيمان

Chapter 1: Chapter - Section 1

‘Umar b. al-Khattab said

One day when we were with God's messenger, a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and none of us recognised him. Sitting down beside the Prophet, leaning his knees against his, and placing his hands on his thighs, he said, “Tell me, Muhammad, about Islam." He replied, “Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God’s messenger, that you should observe the prayer, pay the zakat, fast during Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if you have the means to go." He said, “You have spoken the truth." We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he spoke the truth. He said, “Now tell me about faith.” He replied, “It means that you should believe in God, His angels, His books, His apostles, and the last day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of good and evil." Remarking that he had spoken the truth, he then said, “Now tell me about doing good." He replied, “It means that you should worship God as though you saw Him, for He sees you though you do not see Him." He said, “Now tell me about the Hour." He replied, “The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the one who is asking." He said, “Then tell me about its signs." He replied, “That a maid-servant should beget her mistress, and that you should see barefooted, naked, poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in buildings." [‘Umar] said: He then went away, and after I had waited for a long time [the Prophet] said to me, “Do you know who the questioner was, ‘Umar?" I replied, “God and His messenger know best." He said, “He was Gabriel who came to you to teach you your religion."Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira transmitted it with a difference containing the following

When you see the barefooted, the naked, the deaf, the dumb as kings of the earth, as -well as five things which no one but God knows. Then he recited, ‘‘God has knowledge of the Hour, and He sends down the rain…” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God's messenger as saying, “Islam is based on five things

the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of zakat, the Pilgrimage, and the fast during Ramadan.”(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Faith has over seventy branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but God, and the humblest of which is the removal of what is injurious from the road. And modesty is a branch of faith.”(Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God's messenger as saying, “The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe, and the Emigrant is he who abandons what God has prohibited.” This is Bukhari’s wording. Muslim has

A man asked the Prophet, “Which of the Muslims is best?” He replied, “He from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.”.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you believes till I am dearer to him than his father, his child, and all mankind.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

He also reported God’s messenger as saying, “There are three qualities for which anyone who is characterised by them will experience the sweetness of faith

he to whom God and His messenger are dearer than all else; he who loves a human being for God’s sake alone; and he who has as great an abhorrence of returning to unbelief after God has rescued him from it as he has of being cast into hell.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who is well-pleased with God as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as messenger will experience the savour of faith,” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "By Him in whose hand Muhammad’s soul is, anyone of this people, Jew or Christian, who hears of me and then dies without believing in my message, will be among those who go to hell.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reported God’s messenger as saying, "Three types will have a double reward

one of the people of the Book who believes in his prophet and believes in Muhammad; a slave when he fulfils what is due to God and what is due to his patrons; and a man who has a slavegirl with whom he has intercourse, who gives her a good training in manners and a good education, then sets her free and marries her—he will have a double reward.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, "I am commanded to fight with men till they testify that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's messenger, observe the prayer and pay the zakat. When they do that they will keep their lives and their property safe from me, except for what is due to Islam; and their reckoning will be at God’s hands.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but Muslim did not mention, "except for what is due to Islam”.)

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, "If anyone observes our form of prayer, faces our qibla, and eats what we kill, that one is a Muslim who has protection from God and His messenger; so do not betray God’s protection.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported that an Arab came to the Prophet and said, "Guide me to a deed by doing which I shall enter paradise.” He said, “Worship God and associate nothing with Him, observe the prescribed prayer, pay the obligatory zakat, and fast during Ramadan.” He replied, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, I shall not add anything to this, or fall short of it.” Then when he turned away the Prophet said, "If anyone wishes to look at a man who will be among the people of paradise, let him look at this man.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sufyan b. ‘Abdallah ath-Thaqafi reported that he said, "Messenger of God, say something about Islam concerning which I shall need to ask no one after you are gone.” (A version has "anyone else”.) He said, "Say, ‘I believe in God’, then keep to the straight path.” Muslim transmitted it.

Talha b. ‘Ubaidallah said

A man of the people of Najd with dishevelled hair came to God’s messenger. We could hear the sound of his voice, but could not understand what he was saying till he came near God’s messenger and we realised that he was asking about Islam. God’s messenger said, “Five times of prayer each day and night.” He asked, “Must I observe any more than them?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” God's messenger said, “And fasting during the month of Ramadan.” He asked, “Must I observe anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Talha said that God's messenger mentioned the zakat to him, and he asked, “Must I pay anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” He said that the man turned away saying, “I swear by God that I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it.” So God’s messenger said, “The man will prosper if he is speaking the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when the deputation of ‘Abd Qais came to the Prophet, God's messenger asked, “Who are the people?” or, “Who are the deputation?” They replied, “Rabi‘a”, and he said, “Welcome to the people (or deputation), neither ashamed nor regretful.” They said, “Messenger of God, we are able to come to you only in the sacred month, for this tribe of the infidels of Mudar is between us and you; so give us a decisive command which we may tell to those at home and by [obeying] which we may enter paradise;” and they asked him about drinks. He commanded them to observe four things and he forbade them four things. He commanded them to put their faith in God alone saying, “Do you know what faith in God alone is?” They replied, “God and His messenger know best.” He said, “It includes the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God’s messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of zakat, the fast of Ramadan, and your giving a fifth of the booty.” And he forbade them four things

glazed jars, gourds, hollowed stumps of palm trees, and receptacles smeared with pitch, saying, “Observe them and tell your people at home about them.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but the wording is Bukhari’s).

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported that God's messenger said when a number of his Companions were around him, “Swear allegiance to me on the basis that you will not associate anything with God, or steal, or commit fornication, or kill your children, or produce slander which you yourselves have falsely fabricated, or be disobedient concerning what is good. If any of you fulfils his promise, God will undertake his reward but if anyone perpetrates any of these things and is punished for it in this world, it will be an atonement for him. If, however, anyone perpetrates any of those things and God conceals it regarding him, the matter lies in God’s hands; if He wishes He will forgive him, and if He wishes He will punish him.” So we swore allegiance to him on that basis. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that when God’s messenger went out to the place of prayer on the day of sacrifice, or on the day when the fast was broken, he came upon some women and said, "Give alms, you women folk, for I have been shown that you will be the majority of the inhabitants of hell.” They asked, “For what reason, messenger of God?” He replied, “You are greatly given to abuse, and you are ungrateful to your husbands. Among women who are deficient in intelligence and religion I have not seen anyone more able to remove the understanding of a prudent man than one of you.” They asked, “What is the deficiency of our religion and our intelligence, messenger of God?” He replied, “Is not the testimony of a woman equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They said, “Yes.” Remarking that that pertained to the deficiency of her intelligence, he asked, “Is it not the case that when she menstruates she neither prays nor fasts?” When they replied, “Yes,” he said, “That pertains to the deficiency of her religion.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported that God’s messenger declared that God said, “The son of Adam has accused me of falsehood, which he had no right to do; and he has reviled me, which he had no right to do. His accusation of falsehood is in his saying, ‘He will not bring me back to life as He created me’, whereas the original act of creation is no easier for me than to bring him back to life. His reviling of me is in his saying, ‘God has taken a son’, whereas I am the One, to whom men repair, who has not begotten and has not been begotten, and to whom no one is equal.” A version from Ibn ‘Abbas has

“His reviling of me is his statement that I have a son. Far be it from me that I should have a consort or a son.” Bukhari transmitted it.