The Book of Virtues

كتاب الفضائل

Chapter 1: The Superiority Of The Prophet's Lineage, And The Stone That Greeted Him Before His Prophethood

Wathila b. al-Asqa' reported

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Isma'il, and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana, and he granted eminence to Banu Hashim amonsgst the Quraish, and he granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim.

Jabir b. Samura reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

I recognise the stone in Mecca which used to pay me salutations before my advent as a Prophet and I recognise that even now.

Chapter 2: The Superiority Of Our Prophet (SAW) Over All Of Creation

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

I shall be pre-eminent amongst the descendants of Adam on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah).

Chapter 3: The Miracles Of The Prophet (SAW)

Anas reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) called for water and he was given a vessel and the people began to perform ablution in that and I counted (the persons) and they were between fifty and eighty and I saw water which was spouting from his fingers.

Anas b. Malik reported

I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) during the time of the afternoon prayer and the people asking for water for performing ablution which they did not find. (A small quantity) of water was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he placed his hand in that vessel and commanded people to perform ablution. I saw water spouting from his fingers and the people performing ablution until the last amongst them performed it.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and his Companions were at a place known as az-Zaura' (az-Zaurd' is a place in the bazar of Medina near the mosque) that he called for a vessel containing water. He put his hand in that. And there began to spout (water) between his fingers and all the Companions performed ablution. Qatada, one of the narrators in the chain of narrators, said

Abu Hamza (the kunya of Hadrat Anas b. Malik), how many people were they? He said: They were about three hundred.

Anas reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) was at az-Zaura' and a vessel containing water was brought to him in which his finger could not be completely dipped or completely covered; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Jabir reported that Umm Malik used to send clarified butter in a small skin to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Her sons would come to her and ask for seasoning when they had nothing with them (in the form of condiments) and she would go to that (skin) in which she offered (clarified butter) to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and she would find in that clarified butter and it kept providing her with seasoning for her household until she had (completely) squeezed it. She came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and (informed him about it). Thereupon, he (the Holy Prophet) said

Did you squeeze it? She said: Yes. Thereupon he said: If you had left it in that very state, it would have kept on provid- ing you (the clarified butter) on end.

Jabir reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and asked for food. And he gave him half a wasq of barley, and the person and his wife and their guests kept on making use of it (as a food) until he weighed it (in order to find out the actual quantity, and it was no more). He came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) (and informed him about it). He said

Had you not weighed it, you would be eating out of it and it would have remained intact for you.

Mu'adh b. Jabal reported that he went along with Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) in the expedition of Tabuk and he (the Holy Prophet) combined the prayers. He offered the noon and afternoon prayers together and the sunset and night prayers together and on the other day he deferred the prayers; he then came out and offered the noon and afternoon prayers together. He then went in and (later on) came out and then after that offered the sunset and night prayers together and then said

God willing, you would reach by tomorrow the fountain of Tabuk and you should not come to that until it is dawn, and he who amongst you happens to go there should not touch its water until I come. We came to that and two persons (amongst) us reached that fountain ahead of us. It was a thin flow of water like the shoelace. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked them whether they had touched the water. They said: Yes. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) scolded them, and he said to them what he had to say by the will of God. The people then took water of the fountain in their palms until it became somewhat significant and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) washed his hands and his face too in it, and then, took it again in that (fountain) and there gushed forth abundant water from that fountain, until all the people drank to their fill. He then said: Mu'adh, it is likely that if you live long that you see what is here filled with gardens.

Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi reported

We went out with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the expedition to Tabuk and we came to a wadi where there was a garden belonging to a woman. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said. Make an assessment (of the price of its fruit). And Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) also made an assessment and it was ten wasqs. He asked that lady (to calculate the amount) until they would, God willing, come back to her. So we proceeded on until we came to Tabuk and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The violent storm will overtake you during the night, so none amongst you should stand up and he who has a camel with him should hobble it firmly. A violent storm blew and a person who had stood up was carried away by the storm and thrown between the mountains of Tayy. Then the messenger of the son of al 'Alma', the ruler of Aila, came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) with a letter and a gift of a white mule. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) wrote him (the reply) and presented him a cloak. We came back until we halted in the Wadi al-Qura. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked that lady about her garden and the price of the fruits in that. She said: Ten wasqs. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I am going to depart, and he who amongst you wishes may depart with me but he who wants to stay may stay. We resumed the journey until we came to the outskirts of Medina. (It was at this time) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: This is Taba, this is Uhud, that is a mountain which loves us and we love it, and then said: The best amongst the houses of the Ansar is the house of Bani Najjar. Then the house of Bani Abd al-Ashhal, then the house of Bani Abd al-Harith b. Khazraj, then the house of Bani Sa'ida, and there is goodness in all the houses of the Ansar. Said b. Ubada came to us and Abu Usaid said to him: Did you not see that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has declared the houses of the Ansar good and he has kept us at the end. Said met Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, you have declared the house of the Ansar as good and have kept us at the end, whereupon he said: Is it not enough for you that you have been counted amongst the good.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Amr b. Yahya with the same chain of transmitters up to the words

There is good in all the houses of the Ansar, and there is no mention of the subsequent event pertaining to Sa'd b. 'Ubada.

Chapter 4: He Put His Trust In Allah And Allah Protected Him From The People

Jabir b. Abdullah reported

We went along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on an expedition towards Najd and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) found us in a valley abounding in thorny trees. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stayed for rest under a tree and he suspended his sword by one of its branches under which he was taking rest. The persons scattered in the valley and they also began to take rest under the shade of trees, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: A person came to me while I was asleep and he took hold of the sword. I woke up and found him standing upon my head and I had hardly become alert (and saw) that the sword was in his hand. And he said: Who can protect you from me? I said: Allah. He again said: Who can protect you from me? I said: Allah. He put his sword in the sheath (and you can see) this man sitting here. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not in any way touch him.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah al-Ansiri, who was one amongst the Companions of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported that he went on an expedition along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) towards Najd and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stayed there, and when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came back he also came back along with him. They, for one day, stayed for rest; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported

We went along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and as we reached the place Dhat-ur-Riqa'; the rest of the hadith is the same, but there is no mention of the word that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not harm him.

Chapter 5: The Likeness Of The Guidance And Knowledge With Which The Prophet (SAW) Was Sent

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

The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall (eagerly) and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly. Then there is a land hard and barren which retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink it and make the animals drink. Then there is another land which is barren. Neither water is retained in it, nor is the grass grown in it. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the religion of Allah and it becomes a source of benefit to him with which Allah sent me. (The second one is that) who acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. (Then the other type is) one who does not pay attention to (the revealed knowledge) and thus does not accept guidance of Allah with which I have been sent.

Chapter 6: His Compassion Towards His Ummah, And His Intense Concern To Warn Them Against That Which May Harm Them

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

The similitude of mine and of that with which Allah sent me is that of a person who came to us and said: O people, I have seen an army with my eyes and I am a plain warner (and issue you warning) that you should immediately manage to find an escape. A group of people from amongst them paying heed (to his warning) fled to a place of protection and a group amongst them belied him and the morning overtook them in their houses and the army attacked them and killed them and they were routed. And that is the similitude of the one who obeyed me, followed with which I had been sent and the similitude of the other is of one who disobeyed and belied me and the Truth with which I have been sent.

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

The similitude of mine and that of my Umma is that of a person who lit fire and there began to fall into it insects and moths. And I am there to hold you back, but you plunge into it.

The above hadith was likewise narrated with another chain of transmitters.