The Book of Faith

كتاب الإيمان

Chapter 38: Clarifying that faith in Allah most high is the best of deeds

It was heard from Abu 'Amr Shaibani that, pointing towards the house of Abdullah, he said

The owner of this house told me that he asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Which of the deeds are liked by Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Prayer at its proper time. I (again) said: What next? He replied: Then goodness to the parents. I (again) said: What then? He replied: Then Jihad in the cause of Allah. He ('Abdullah) said: This is what I was told (by the Holy Prophet). Had I questioned further, he would have made additions for me.

This hadith has been transmitted by Muhammad b. Bashshar, Muhammad b. Ja'far Shu'ba with this chain of narrators, with the addition that he pointed towards the house of 'Abdullah, but he did not mention his name for us.

It is reported on the authority of 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah observed

The best of' the deeds or deed is the (observance of) prayer at its proper time and kindness to the parents.

Chapter 39: Clarifying that Shirk is the worst of sins, and the worst sins after Shirk

'Abdullah reported

I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Which sin is the gravest in the eye of Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you associate a partner with Allah (despite the fact) that He has created you. He (the reporter) said: I told him (the, Holy Prophet): Verily it is indeed grave. He (the reporter) said: I asked him what the next (gravest sin) was. He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you kill your child out of fear that he shall join you in food. He (the reporter) said: I asked (him) what the next (gravest sin) was. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Then (the next gravest sin) is that you commit adultery with the wife of your neighbour.

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that a man said

Messenger of Allah, which offence is the most grievous in the eye of Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you associate a partner with Allah (despite the fact) that He created you. He (the man) said: What next? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you kill your child out of fear that he would join you in food. He (the inquirer) said (again): What next? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you commit adultery with the wife of your neighbour. And the Almighty and Exalted Lord testified it (with this verse): All those who call not unto another god along with Allah, and slay not any soul which Allah has forbidden, except in the cause of justice, nor commit fornication, and he who does this shall meet a requital of sin (xxv. 68).

Chapter 40: The major sins and the most serious of them

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdur-Rahman b. Abu Bakra that his father said

We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he observed: Should I not inform you about the most grievous of the grave sins? (The Holy Prophet) repeated it three times, and then said: Associating anyone with Allah, disobedience to parents, false testimony or false utterance. The Prophet was reclining, then he sat up, and he repeated it so many times that we wished that he should become silent.

Anas narrated from the Apostle (ﷺ) about the major sins. He (the Holy Prophet) observed

Associating anyone with Allah, disobedience to parents, killing a person and false utterance.

Ubaidullah b. Abu Bakr said

I heard Anas b. Malik saying: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) talked about the major sins, or he was asked about the major sins. Upon this he observed: Associating anyone with Allah, killing of a person, disobedience to parents. He (the Prophet further) said: Should I not inform you about the gravest of the major sins, and (in this connection) observed: False utterance or false testimony. Shu'ba said. It was most probably" false testimony".

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

Avoid the seven noxious things. It was said (by the hearers): What are they, Messenger of Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Associating anything with Allah, magic, killing of one whom God has declared inviolate without a just cause, consuming the property of an orphan, and consuming of usury, turning back when the army advances, and slandering chaste women who are believers, but unwary.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Amr b. al-'As that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

Abusing one's parents is one of the major sins. They (the hearers) said: Messenger of Allah, does a man abuse his parents too? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Yes, one abuses the father of another man, who in turn abuses his father. One abuses his mother and he in turn abuses his (the former's) mother.

This hadith has also been transmitted on the authority of Sa'd b. Ibrahim with this chain of narrators.

Chapter 41: The prohibition of pride and definition of it

It Is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), observed

He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise. A person (amongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people.

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

None shall enter the Fire (of Hell) who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of Iman and none shall enter Paradise who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.

Chapter 42: The evidence that the one who dies not associating anything with Allah will enter paradise, and the one who dies as idolator will enter the fire

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that Waki told (him) that the Messenger of Allah had observed and Ibn Numair asserted

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: He who dies associating anything with Allah would enter the Fire (of Hell). 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud said: I say that he who died without associating anything with Allah entered Paradise.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said

Messenger of Allah, what are the two things quite unavoidable? He replied: He who dies without associating anyone with Allah would (necessarily) enter Paradise and he who dies associating anything with Allah would enter the (Fire of) Hell.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Abdullah

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: He who met Allah without associating anything with Allah entered Paradise and he who met Him associating (anything) with Him entered Fire.

The same hadith has been narrated by Ishaq b. Mansur on the authority of Jabir with another chain of transmitters.

I heard Abu Dharr narrating it from the Apostle (ﷺ) that he observed

Gabriel came to me and gave me the tidings: Verily he who died amongst your Ummah without associating anything with Allah would enter Paradise. I (the narrator) said: Even if he committed adultery and theft. He (the Holy Prophet) said: (Yes), even if he committed adultery and theft.

Abu Dharr reported,

I came to the Apostle (may peace be upon him ) and he was asleep with a white mantle over him. I again came, he was still asleep, I came again and he had awakened. I sat by his side and (the Holy Prophet) observed: There is none among the bondsmen who affirmed his faith in La illaha ill-Allah there is no God but Allah) and died in this state and did not enter Paradise. I (Abu Dharr) said: Even if he committed adultery and theft? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: (Yes) even though he committed adultery and theft. I (again said): Even if he committed adultery and theft? He replied: (Yes) even though he committed adultery and theft. (Th Holy Prophet repeated it three times) and said for the fourth time: In defiance of Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr then went out and he repeated (these words): In defiance of Abu Dharr.