The Book of Faith

كتاب الإيمان

Chapter 73: The descent of 'Eisa bin Mariam to judge according to the Shari'ah of our Prophet Muhammad (saws); And how Allah has honored this Ummah; And clarifying the evidence that this religion will not be abrogated; and that a group from it will continue to adhere to the truth and prevail until the day of resurrection

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

What will be your state when the son of Mary descends amongst you and there will be an Imam amongst you?

Chapter 74: Clarifying the time when faith will no longer be accepted

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

The (Last) Hour shall not came till the sun rises from the place of its setting And on the day when it rises from the place of its setting even if all the people together affirmed their faith, it would not be of any avail to one who did not believe previously and derived no good out of his belief.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one day said

Do you know where the sun goes? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is asked: Rise up and go to the place whence you came, and it goes back and continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the Throne and falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is asked: Rise up and return to the place whence you came, and it returns and emerges out from it rising place and the it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything ( unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it would be said to it: Rise up and emerge out from the place of your setting, and it will rise from the place of its setting. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said. Do you know when it would happen? It would happen at the time when faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith.

Abu Dharr reported

I entered the mosque and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting there. When the sun disappeared (from the sight) he said: O Abu Dharr! Do you know where it goes? He (the narrator) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) said. Verily it goes and begs permission, for prostration (to Allah) and the permission is granted to it. Once it would be said: Return to the place whence you came, and then it would rise from its setting place. Then he, after the recitation of 'Abdullah recited it: And that is its appointed term.

Chapter 75: The beginning of the revelation to the messenger of Allah (saws)

A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported

The first (form) with which was started the revelation to the Messenger of Allah was the true vision in sleep. And he did not see any vision but it came like the bright gleam of dawn. Thenceforth solitude became dear to him and he used to seclude himself in the cave of Hira', where he would engage in tahannuth (and that is a worship for a number of nights) before returning to his family and getting provisions again for this purpose. He would then return to Khadija and take provisions for a like period, till Truth came upon him while he was in the cave of Hira'. There came to him the angel and said: Recite, to which he replied: I am not lettered. He took hold of me [the Apostle said] and pressed me, till I was hard pressed; thereafter he let me off and said: Recite. I said: I am not lettered. He then again took hold of me and pressed me for the second time till I was hard pressed and then let me off and said: Recite, to which I replied: I am not lettered. He took hold of me and pressed me for the third time, till I was hard pressed and then let me go and said: Recite in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite. And your most bountiful Lord is He Who taught the use of pen, taught man what he knew not (al-Qur'an, xcvi. 1-4). Then the Prophet returned therewith, his heart was trembling, and he went to Khadija and said: Wrap me up, wrap me up! So they wrapped him till the fear had left him. He then said to Khadija: O Khadija! what has happened to me? and he informed her of the happening, saying: I fear for myself. She replied: It can't be. Be happy. I swear by Allah that He shall never humiliate you. By Allah, you join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burden, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you help against the vicissitudes which affect people. Khadija then took him to Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. 'Abd al-'Uzza, and he was the son of Khadija's uncle, i. e., the brother of her father. And he was the man who had embraced Christianity in the Days of Ignorance (i. e. before Islam) and he used to write books in Arabic and, therefore, wrote Injil in Arabic as God willed that he should write. He was very old and had become blind Khadija said to him: O uncle! listen to the son of your brother. Waraqa b. Naufal said: O my nephew! what did you see? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then, informed him what he had seen, and Waraqa said to him: It is namus that God sent down to Musa. Would that I were then (during your prophetic career) a young man. Would that I might be alive when your people would expel you! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Will they drive me out? Waraqa said: Yes. Never came a man with a like of what you have brought but met hostilities. If I see your day I shall help you wholeheartedly.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'A'isha with another chain of narrators like one transmitted by Yunus, i. e. the first thing with which the revelation was initiated with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) except the words

By Allah, Allah would never humiliate you, and Khadija said: O son of my uncle! Listen to the son of your brother.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah al-Ansari who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reportedThe Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told about the intermission of revelation and narrated While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky, and raising my head I saw the angel who had come to me in Hira', sitting on a Throne between heaven and earth I was terror-stricken on that account and came back (to my family) and said

Wrap me up, wrap me up! So they wrapped me up, and the Blessed and Most Exalted Allah sent down:" You who are shrouded, arise and deliver warning, your Lord magnify, your clothes cleanse, and defilement shun," and" defilement" means idols; and then the revelation was followed continuously.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Abdullah that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) says

The wahi was intermitted for me for a small span of time and while I was walking, and then the hadith like the one narrated by Yunus was transmitted but with the exception of these words: I was terror-stricken till I fell on the ground. Abu Salama said: Defilement means idols. After this the revelation was speeded up and followed rapidly.

Chapter 59: Clarification that Allah, most high allows a person's thoughts and whatever occurs in his heart, so long as they do not become established, and the clarification that he, glorious is he and most high, does not burden anyone with more than he can bear, and clarifying the ruling on thinking of doing good and bad deeds

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas

When this verse:" Whether you disclose that which is in your mind or conceal it, Allah will call you to account according to it" (ii 284), there entered in their minds something (of that fear) such as had never entered their hearts (before). The Apostle (ﷺ) observed: Say: We have heard and obeyed and submitted ourselves. He (the reporter) said: Allah instilled faith in their hearts and He revealed this verse:" Allah burdens not a soul beyond its capacity. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. Our Lord, call us not to account if we forget or make a mistake. He the (Lord) said: I indeed did it. Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us. He (our Lord) said: I indeed did it. And pardon us, have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector" (ii. 286). He said: I indeed did it.

Chapter 60: Allah allows a person's thoughts and whatever occurs in his heart so long as they do not become established

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

Verily Allah forgave my people the evil promptings which arise within their hearts as long as they did not speak about them or did not act upon them.

The same hadith has been narrated by Zuhair b. Harb, Waki, Ishaq b. Mansur, Husain b. 'Ali.

Chapter 61: If a person thinks of doing a good deed it will be recorded for him, and if he thinks of doing a bad deed it will not be recorded for him

Abu Huraira reported that Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said

When it occurs to my bondsman that he should do a good deed but he actually does not do it, record one good to him, but if he puts it into practice, I make an entry of ten good acts in his favour. When it occurs to him to do evil, but he does not commit it, I forgive that. But if he commits it, I record one evil against his name. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed. The angels said: That bondsman of Yours intends to commit evil. though His Lord is more Vigilant than he. Upon this He (the Lord) said: Watch him; if he commits (evil), write it against his name but if he refrains from doing it, write one good deed or him, for he desisted from doing it for My sake. The Messenger of Allah said: He who amongst you is good of faith, all his good acts are multiplied from ten to seven hundred times (and are recorded in his name) and all the evils that he commits are recorded as such (i, e. without increase) till he meets Allah.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

He who intended to do good, but did not do it, one good was recorded for him, and he who intended to do good and also did it, ten to seven hundred good deeds were recorded for him. And he who intended evil, but did not commit it, no entry was made against his name, but if he committed that, it was recorded.

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) transmitted it from the Blessed and Great Lord

Verily Allah recorded the good and the evil and then made it clear that he who intended good but did not do it, Allah recorded one complete good in his favour, but if he intended it and also did it, the Glorious and Great Allah recorded ten to seven hundred virtues and even more to his credit. But it he intended evil, but did not commit it, Allah wrote down full one good in his favour. If he intended that and also committed it, Allah made an entry of one evil against him.

Chapter 62: Clarifying the Waswasah (Whispers, Bad Thoughts) with regard to faith, and what the one who experiences that should say

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

Men will continue to question one another till this is propounded: Allah created all things but who created Allah? He who found himself confronted with such a situation should say: I affirm my faith in Allah.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) observed

The Satan comes to everyone. of you and says: Who created this and that? till he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah and keep away (from such idle thoughts).

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that he said

The people will constantly, and the rest of the hadith is the same as that transmitted by 'Abdul-Warith with the exception that there is no mention of the Messenger of Allah in that, but he observed at the end of the hadith: Allah and His Messenger told the truth.

Abu Huraira reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: they (the people) till constantly ask you, Abu Huraira, (about different things pertaining to religion) the they would say: Well, there is Allah, but after all who created Allah? He (Abu Huraira) narrated: Once we were in the mosque that some of the Bedouins came there and said: Well, there is Allah, but who created Allah? He (the narrator) said: I took hold of the pebbles in my fist and flung at them and remarked: Stand up, stand up (go away) my friend (the Holy Prophet) told the truth.

Yazid b. al-Asamm said

I heard Abu Huraira saying that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: people will certainly ask you about everything till they will propound: Allah created every thing, but who created Allah?

Chapter 63: Warning of the Fire for the one who swears a false oath in order to unlawfully take the right of another muslim

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah (b. Umar) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

He who perjured with a view to appropriating the property of a Muslim, and he is in fact a liar and would meet Allah in a state that He would be angry with him. He (the narrator) said: There came Ash'ath b. Qais and said (to the people): What does Abu Abdur-Rahman (the Kunya of Abdullah b. Umar) narrate to you? They replied: So and so. Upon this he remarked: Abu Abdur-Rahman told the truth. This (command) has been revealed in my case. There was a piece of land in Yemen over which I and another person had a claim. I brought the dispute with him to the Messenger of Allah (to decide) He (the Holy Prophet) said: Can you produce an evidence (in your support)? I said: No. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: (Then the decision would be made) on his oath. I said: He would readily take an oath. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked: He who perjured for appropriating the wealth of a Muslim, whereas he is a liar, would meet Allah while He would be angry with him. This verse was then revealed:" Verily those who barter Allah's covenant and their oaths at a small price..." (iii 77).