The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship

كتاب البر والصلة والآداب

Chapter 1: Being Dutiful To One's Parents, And Which Of Them Is More Entitled To It

Abu Huraira reported that a person came to Allah, 's Messenger (ﷺ) and said

Who among the people is most deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he said: Then it is your father. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Qutalba, there is no mention of the word" the people".

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Habib with the several chains of transmitters.

Yazid b. Abu Habib reported that Na'im, the freed slave of Umm Salama, reported to him that 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. 'As said

There came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) a person and said: I owe allegiance to you for migration and Jihad seeking reward only from Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is one from amongst your parents living? He said: Yes, of course, both are living. He further asked: Do you want to seek reward from Allah? He said: Yes. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Go back to your parents and accord them benevolent treatment.

Chapter 2: Being Dutiful To One's Parents Takes Precedence Over Voluntary Prayer, Etc.

Abu Huraira reported that Juraij was one who was devoted to (prayer) in the temple. His mother came to him. Humaid said that Abu Rafi' demonstrated before us like the demonstration made by abu Huraira to whom Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had demonstrated as his mother called him placing her palms upon the eyebrows and lifting her head for calling him and said

Juraij, it is your mother, so talk to her. She found him at that time absorbed in prayer, so he said (to himself): O Lord, my mother (is calling me) (whereas I am absorbed) in my prayer. He opted for prayer. She (his mother) went back, then came again for the second time and said: O Juraij, it is your mother (calling you), so talk to me. He said: O Allah. there is my mother also and my prayer, and he opted for prayer. She said: O Allah, this Juraij is my son. I pray to talk to him but he refuses to talk to me. O Allah, don't bring death to him unless he has seen the prostitutes, and had she invoked the curse upon him (from the heart of her heart) he would have been involved in some turmoil. There was a shepherd living near by his temple (the temple where Juraij was engaged in prayer). It so happened that a woman of that village came there and that shepherd committed fornication with her and she became pregnant and gave birth to a child. It was said to her: Whose child is this? She said: He is the child of one who is living in this temple. So there came persons with hatchets and spades. They called Juraij. He was absorbed in prayer and he did not talk to them and they were about to demolish that temple that he saw them and then came to them and they said: Ask her (this woman) what she says. He smiled and then touched the head of the child and said: Who is your father? He (the child) said: My father is the shepherd of the sheep, and when they heard this, they said: We are prepared to rebuild with gold and silver what we have demolished from your temple. He said: No, rebuild it with clay as it had been before. He then went up (to his room and absorbed himself in prayer).

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

None spoke in the cradle but only three (persons), Christ son of Mary, the second one the companion of Juraij. Juraij had got constructed a temple and confined himself in that. His mother came to him as he was busy in prayer and she said: Juraij. He said: My Lord, my mother (is calling me while I am engaged in) my prayer. He continued with the prayer. She returned and she came on the next day and he was busy in prayer, and she said: Juraij. And he said: My Lord, my mother (is calling me while I am engaged) in prayer, and he continued with the prayer and she went back, and then on the next day she again came and he was busy in prayer and she said: Juraij. And he said: My Lord, my mother (is calling me while I am engaged in my prayer, and he continued with the prayer, and she said: My Lord, don't give him death unless he has seen the fate of the prostitutes. The story of Juraij and that of his meditation and prayer gained currency amongst Bani Isra'il. There was a prostitute who had been a beauty incarnate. She said (to the people): If you like I can allure him to evil. She presented herself to him but he paid no heed (to her). She came to a shepherd who lived near the temple and she offered herself to him and he had a sexual intercourse with her and so she became pregnant arid when she gave birth to a child she said: This is from Juraij. So they came and asked him to get down and demolished the temple and began to beat him. He said: What is the matter? They said: You have committed fornication with this prostitute and she has given birth to a child from your loins. He said: Where is the child? They brought him (the child) and he said: just leave me so that I should observe prayer. And he observed prayer and when he finished, he came to the child. He struck his stomach and said: O boy, who is your father? lie said: He is such shepherd. So they turned towards Juraij, kissed him and touched him (for seeking blessing) and said: We are prepared to construct your temple with gold. He said. No, just rebuild it with mud as it had been, and they did that. Then there was a babe who was sucking his mother that a person dressed in fine garment came riding upon a beast. His mother said: O Allah, make my child like this one. He (the babe) left sucking and began to see towards him, and said: O Allah, don't make me like him. He then returned to the chest and began to suck the milk of his mother. He (Abu Huraira) said: I perceived as if I am seeing Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as he is explaining the scene of his sucking milk with his forefinger in his mouth and sucking that. He (Abu Huraira) further reported Allah's Apostle (may be peace upon him) as saying: There happened to pass by him a girl who was being beaten and they were saying: You have committed adultery and you have committed theft and she was saying: Allah is enough for me and He is my good Protector, and his mother said: O Allah, don't make my child like her and he left sucking the milk, and looked towards her and said: O Allah, make me like her, and there was a talk between them. She said: O with shaven head, a good-looking person happened to pass by and I said: O Allah, make my child like him, and you said: O Allah, don't make me like him, and they passed by a girl while they were beating her and saying: You committed fornication and you committed theft, and I said: O Allah, don't make my child like her, and you said: O Allah, make me like her. Thereupon he said: That person was a tyrant, and I said: O Allah, don't make me like him, and they were saying about her: You committed fornication whereas in fact she had not committed that and they were saying: You have committed theft whereas she had not committed theft, so I said: O Allah, make me like her.

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Chapter 1: Being Dutiful To One's Parents, And Which Of Them Is More Entitled To It

Abu Huraira reported that a person said

Allah's Messenger, who amongst the people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your mother, again your mother, then your father, then your nearest relatives according to the order (of nearness).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shubruma with the same chain of transmitters and the hadith transmitted on the authority of Wuhaib there is a slight variation of wording. Same is the case with the hadith transmitted on the authority of Muhammad b. Talha (and the words are)

" Who amongst the people deserves the best treatment from me".

Abdullah b. 'Amr reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and sought permission (to participate) in Jihad, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said

Are your parents living? He said: Yes. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: You should put in your best efforts (in their) service.

Abu Huraira reported

A person came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). The rest of the hadith is the same as transmitted by jarir but with this addition: By your father, you would get the information.

Chapter 4: The Virtue Of Maintaining Ties With The Friends Of One's Father And Mother, Etc.

'Abdullah b. Umar reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

The finest act of goodness is that a person should treat kindly the loved ones of his father.

Chapter 6: Upholding Ties Of Kinship, And The Prohibition Of Severing Them

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

Verily Allah created the universe and when He had finished that, ties of relationship came forward and said This is the place for him who seeks refuge from severing (of blood-relationship). He said: Yes. Are you not satisfied that I should keep relationship with one who joins your ties of relationship and sever it with one who severs your (ties of relationship)? They (the ties of blood) said: Certainly so. Thereupon He said: Well, that is how things are for you. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said: Recite if you like:" But if you turn away you are sure to make mischief in the land and cut off the ties of kinship. Those it is whom Allah has cursed, so He has made them deaf and blinded their eyes. Do they not reflect on the Qur'an? Or, are there locks on their hearts?".

Anas b. Malik reported

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who is desirous that his means of sustenance should be expanded for him or his age may be lengthened, should join the tie of relationship.

Chapter 7: The Prohibition Of Mutual Jealousy And Hatred, And Turning Away From One Another

Anas reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

Nurse no grudge, nurse no aversion and do not sever ties of kinship and live like fellow-brothers as servants of Allah. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters but with this addition:" As Allah has commanded you."

Chapter 10: The Prohibition Of Wronging, Forsaking, Or Despising A Muslim And The Inviolability Of His Blood, Honor And Wealth

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Don't nurse grudge and don't bid him out for raising the price and don't nurse aversion or enmity and don't enter into a transaction when the others have entered into that transaction and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith: his blood, his wealth and his honour.

Chapter 12: The Virtue Of Love For The Sake Of Allah, May He Be Exalted

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

A person visited his brother in another town and Allah deputed an Angel to wait for him on his way and when he came to him he said: Where do you intend to go? He said: I intend to go to my brother in this town. He said: Have you done any favour to him (the repayment of which you intend to get)? He said: No, excepting this that I love Mm for the sake of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. Thereupon he said: I am a meesenger to you from, Allah: (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hammid b. Salama with the same of transmitters.

Chapter 13: The Virtue Of Visiting The Sick

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Asim al-Ahwal with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 14: The Reward Of The Believer For Whatever Befalls Him Of Sickness, Grief And The Like, Even A Thorn That Pricks Him

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of jarir and the hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Mu'awiya there is an addition of these words

He said: Yes, by Him in Whose Hand is my life, there is no Muslim upon the earth." The rest of the hadith is the same.

Chapter 3: The Disgrace Of One Whose Parents, One Or Both Of Them, Reach Old Age During His Lifetime, And He Does Not Enter Paradise

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

Let him be humbled into dust; let him be humbled into dust. It was said: Allah's Messenger, who is he? He said: He who sees either of his parents during their old age or he sees both of them, but he does not enter Paradise.