Fine Qualities

Jabir told that he heard the Prophet say, "The Throne shook on account of the death of Sa`d b. Mu'adh." In a version he said, "The Throne of the Compassionate One shook on account of the death of Sa'd b. Mu'adh." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A silk robe was presented to God's messenger and his companions began to touch it and marvel at its softness, so he said, "Do you marvel at the softness of this? Sa'd b. Mu'adh's headband in paradise is better and softer than it." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Umm Sulaim[*] told that she said, "Messenger of God, Anas is your servant. Make supplication to God for him." He said, "O God, multiply his property and his children, and bless him in what Thou givest him." Anas said, "I swear by God that my property is abundant and that my children and grandchildren exceed the neighbourhood of a hundred in number to-day." *The mother of Anas.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

I have not heard the Prophet say to anyone who walked on the face of the earth that he would be one of the inhabitants of paradise, except 'Abdallah b. Salam. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When I was sitting in the mosque of Medina a man entered with the mark of humility on his face and the people said this would be one pf the inhabitants of paradise. He prayed two rak'as, which he performed briefly, and when he went out, I followed him and said, "When you entered the mosque the people said this would be one of the inhabitants of paradise." He replied, "I swear by God that it is unfitting for anyone to say something he does not know; but I shall explain the matter to you. In the time of God's messenger, I had a vision which I told to him. I seemed to see myself in a garden (whose extent and verdure he mentioned) in the midst of which there was an iron pillar the bottom of which was in the earth and the top in the sky with a handle at the top. I was told to ascend it, and when I replied that I was unable a servant came to me, raised my clothing behind me, and I ascended till I reached the top of it. I then seized the handle and was told to hold tight, and when it was in my hand I awoke. I told it to the Prophet and he said, `That garden is Islam, that pillar is the pillar of Islam, and that handle is the surest handle[*], so you will keep to Islam till you die'." [Qais said] that man was `Abdallah b. Salam. *Cf. Quran, 2:256; 31:22. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Thabit b. Qais b. Shammas was the eloquent one among the Ansar, and when the verse came down, "You who believe, do not raise your voices above the Prophet's voice...[*]" Thabit stayed in his house and kept away from the Prophet. The Prophet asked Sa`d b. Mu'adh, "What is the matter with Thabit? Is he ill?" Sa'd went to him and mentioned what God's messenger had said and Thabit replied, "This verse was sent down, and you know that I am the one among you who has the loudest voice above that of God's messenger, so I am one of those who will go to hell." When Sa'd mentioned that to the Prophet he said, "No, he is one of those who will go to paradise." *Quran, 49:2. Muslim transmitted it.

When we were sitting with the Prophet sura al-Jum u'a[1] came down. Then when the words "and others of them who have not yet joined them"[2] came down, the people asked God's messenger who they were. Salman al-Farisi was among us, and placing his hand on Salman the Prophet said, "If faith were in the Pleiades some of these men would attain it." 1. Quran; 622. Verse 3(Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "0 God, make these little servants of Thine (meaning Abu Huraira) and his mother dear to Thy servants the believers, and make the believers dear to them." Muslim transmitted it.

A'idh b. `Amr told that Abu Sufyan and some men came to Salmon, Suhaib and Bilal who said, "God's swords have not got their due from the neck of God's enemy[1]." Abu Bakr then said, "Do you say this to the shaikh and master of Quraish?" He went to the Prophet and told him and he said, "Perhaps you have angered them, Abu Bakr, and if you have done so you have angered your Lord." He therefore went to them and said, "Have I angered you[2], my brethren?'' They replied, "No, God forgive you, dear brother." 1. i.e., Abu Sufyan. 2. Mirqat, 5:625. prefers this meaning although there is no interrogative particle.Muslim transmitted it.

Anas reported the Prophet as saying, "The sign of faith is love of the Ansar and the sign of hypocrisy is hatred of the Ansar." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Bara' told that he heard God's messenger say, "Only a believer loves the Ansar and only a hypocrite hates them, so he who loves them is loved by God and he who hates them is hated by God." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas told that when God gave His messenger the property of Hawazin which He gave him, and he began to give men from Quraish a hundred camels, some of the Ansar said, "God forgive God's messenger! He is giving to Quraish and leaving us out, yet our swords are dripping with their blood[*]." When God's messenger was told what they had said he sent for the Ansar and collected them in a tent of skin, letting no one else accompany them. Then when they had gathered God's messenger came to them and asked, "What is this I have heard about you?" Their learned ones replied, "Those of us whose opinion is worth considering, messenger of God, have said nothing, but some of our young people have said, `God forgive God's messenger. He is giving to Quraish and leaving the Ansar out, yet our swords are dripping with their blood'." God's messenger said, "I am giving to people who were recently infidels to win them over. Are you not pleased that some people should go off with the property and that you should return to your dwellings with God's messenger?'" They replied, "Certainly, messenger of God, we are pleased." *After the defeat of Hawazin at Hunain in S A.H. the spoils were stored at al-Ji'rana and siege was laid to at-Ta'if. After about a fortnight the siege was raised and the army returned to al-Ji'rana where the spoils were distributed.(Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Were it not for the Hijra I would be one of the Ansar[*]. If the people were to go in a wadi and the Ansar were to go in a different wadi (or mountain road) I would go in the wadi (or mountain-road) of the Ansar. The Ansar are an inner garment and mankind.an upper garment. After I am gone you will see selfish appropriation [of worldly goods], but show endurance till you meet me at the Pond." *This most probably indicates that the dignity of having emigrated is the highest, but that the position of being helpers of the emigrants comes next.Bukhari transmitted it.

When we were with God's messenger on the day of the Conquest he said, "Those who enter Abu Sufyan's house will be safe, and those who lay aside their arms will be safe." The Ansar then said "The man has been seized by pity for his tribe and love for his city." Learning of this by divine inspiration God's messenger said, "You have said the man has been seized by pity for his tribe and love for his city. It is not so. I am God's servant and messenger who have emigrated to God and to you and shall live and die among you." They replied, "We swear by God that we said it only because we were anxious to have God and His messenger to ourselves." He said, "God and His messenger acknowledge that you are telling the truth and excuse you." Muslim transmitted it.

Anas told that when the Prophet saw some boys and women coming from a wedding he stood up and said, "You are indeed among the people dearest to me; you are indeed among the people dearest to me," the reference being to the Ansar. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He told that Abu Bakr and al-`Abbas came upon a gathering of the Ansar who were weeping, and when they asked what was making them weep they replied, "We recalled the meetings the Prophet had with us[1]." One of them[2] went in to the Prophet and told him of that and he came out having tied the border of his garment round his head, mounted the pulpit, a thing he did not do after that day, praised and extolled God most high, then said, "I recommend the Ansar to your care, for they are my intimates and confidants, they have fulfilled what was due from them , and the reward due to them remains, so accept the excuse of those of them who do well and overlook those of them who do ill." 1. Mirqat, 5:618, explains this as meaning that they were afraid such meetings would cease if God decreed the Prophet's death. 2. i.e., Abu Bakr and al-Abbas. Bukhari transmitted it.

The people will become many and the Ansar few till they will be in the same position among mankind as salt in food; so if any of you has some position of authority in which he can injure some people and benefit others he should accept the excuse of those of them who do well and overlook those of them who do ill." Bukhari transmitted it.

Zaid b. Arqam reported God's messenger as saying, "O God, forgive the Ansar, the sons of the Ansar, and the sons of the Ansar's sons.Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Usaid reported God's messenger as saying, "The best of the tribes of the Ansar are the B. an-Najjar, then the B. 'Abd al-Ashhal, then the B. al-Harith b. al-Khazraj, then the B. Sa'ida, and there is good in all the tribes of the Ansar." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

God's messenger sent az-Zubair, al-Miqdad and me (a version having Abu Marthad instead of al-Miqdad) and said, "Go till you come to the meadow of Khakh[1], for there is a woman there travelling on a camel who has a letter which you must take from her." We went off racing one another on our horses till we came to the meadow, and when we found the woman there, we said, "Bring out the letter." She declared that she had no letter, so we said, "You must bring out the letter or strip off your clothes." She then brought it out from her tresses and we took it to the Prophet. It was addressed from Hatib b. Abu Balta'a, to some of the polytheists in Mecca giving them some information about God's messenger. He asked, "What is this, Hatib?" and he replied, "Messenger of God, do not be hasty with me. I have been a man attached as an ally to Quraish and not one of themselves, while those of the Emigrants who are with you have relationship to them by which they guard their property and family in Mecca. As I did not have that advantage by being of their stock, I wanted to give them some help for which they might guard my relations. I am not guilty of unbelief or apostasy from my religion, or of pleasure in infidelity after accepting Islam." God's messenger said, "He has told you the truth," and `Umar said, "Messenger of God, let me cut off this hypocrite's head." But God's messenger replied, "He was present at Badr, and how do you know [he deserves this]? Perhaps God has looked with pity on those who were present at Badr and said, `Do what you wish,1 for paradise is guaranteed to you.'" A version has "You have been forgiven." God most high then sent down, "You who believe, do not take my enemies and yours as friends[2]." This place was on the way from Medina to Mecca, presumably nearer Medina than Mecca. Mirqat, 5:630, says this refers to a small or large amount of good deeds and supererogatory acts. The address is in the plural. Quran; 60:1.(Bukhari and Muslim)