The Book of Virtues

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “The Prophet Abraham circumcised himself with an adze when he was eighty years old.”

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah said that the Prophet Abraham never spoke an untruth except three times: twice concerning Allah, namely his statements that he was sick and that the greatest idol had done it, and once concerning Sarah. Abraham came with Sarah to the land of a tyrant. She was among the most beautiful of people. He told her that if the tyrant learned she was his wife, he would take her from him; if asked, she should say she was his sister, since she was his sister in Islam. He said he knew of no other Muslims on earth besides the two of them. When they entered the land, one of the tyrant people saw her and told him that a woman had arrived who should belong to no one but him. The tyrant sent for her, and she was brought to him. Abraham stood in prayer. When she entered before the tyrant, he could not restrain himself from reaching out to her, but his hand was seized forcefully. He told her to pray to Allah to release his hand, promising not to harm her. She did, but when he tried again his hand was seized more tightly than before. He asked her the same again, and she prayed. He tried a third time, and his hand was seized more tightly than the first two times. He asked her to pray to Allah to release his hand and pledged that he would not harm her. She did, and his hand was released. He summoned the man who had brought her and said that he had brought him a devil, not a human being, and ordered him to remove her from his land and give her Hajar. She walked away. When Abraham saw her, he turned to her and asked what had happened. She said all was well: Allah had restrained the hand of the wicked man and given her a servant. Abu Huraira said, “That is your mother, O descendants of the rainwater.”

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet said, relating the words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: “It is not fitting for a servant of Mine”—Ibn al-Muthanna version says “for My servant”—“to say, I am better than Jonah son of Matta, peace be upon him.” Ibn Abi Shaiba said that Muhammad ibn Jafar narrated it from Shuba.

Abu al-Aliya said that the son of the paternal uncle of your Prophet, meaning Ibn Abbas, reported from the Prophet that he said, “It is not fitting for a servant to say, I am better than Jonah son of Matta.” The report traces Jonah to his father.

Abu Huraira reported that people asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who is the most honored of people?” He replied, “The most God-conscious among them.” They said, “That is not what we are asking you about.” He said, “Then it is Joseph, the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the intimate friend of Allah.” They said, “That is not what we are asking you about.” He said, “Then are you asking me about the noble lineages of the Arabs? The best of them in the pre-Islamic era are the best of them in Islam, if they gain understanding of the religion.”