An-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths
Hadith 24, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم فِيمَا يَرْوِيهِ عَنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "يَا عِبَادِي: إنِّي حَرَّمْت الظُّلْمَ عَلَى نَفْسِي، وَجَعَلْته بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا؛ فَلَا تَظَالَمُوا. يَا عِبَادِي! كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إلَّا مَنْ هَدَيْته، فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي! كُلُّكُمْ جَائِعٌ إلَّا مَنْ أَطْعَمْته، فَاسْتَطْعِمُونِي أُطْعِمْكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي! كُلُّكُمْ عَارٍ إلَّا مَنْ كَسَوْته، فَاسْتَكْسُونِي أَكْسُكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي! إنَّكُمْ تُخْطِئُونَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ، وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا؛ فَاسْتَغْفِرُونِي أَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي! إنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَبْلُغُوا ضُرِّي فَتَضُرُّونِي، وَلَنْ تَبْلُغُوا نَفْعِي فَتَنْفَعُونِي. يَا عِبَادِي! لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَتْقَى قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ، مَا زَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْئًا. يَا عِبَادِي! لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ، مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئًا. يَا عِبَادِي! لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ قَامُوا فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَسَأَلُونِي، فَأَعْطَيْت كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مَسْأَلَته، مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا عِنْدِي إلَّا كَمَا يَنْقُصُ الْمِخْيَطُ إذَا أُدْخِلَ الْبَحْرَ. يَا عِبَادِي! إنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا لَكُمْ، ثُمَّ أُوَفِّيكُمْ إيَّاهَا؛ فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْرًا فَلْيَحْمَدْ اللَّهَ، وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَلُومَن إلَّا نَفْسَهُ". [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ].
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as he relates from his Lord, Blessed and Exalted, that He said: “My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another. My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I guide, so seek guidance from Me and I will guide you. My servants, all of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so ask Me for food and I will feed you. My servants, all of you are unclothed except those whom I clothe, so ask Me for clothing and I will clothe you. My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I will forgive you. My servants, you cannot attain causing Me harm, nor can you attain benefiting Me. My servants, if the first and last of you, and your humans and jinn, were all like the most God-fearing heart of one man among you, that would add nothing to My dominion. My servants, if the first and last of you, and your humans and jinn, were all like the most wicked heart of one man among you, that would diminish nothing from My dominion. My servants, if the first and last of you, and your humans and jinn, stood together on one plain and asked Me, and I gave every one of them what he asked for, that would diminish from what I have only as much as a needle diminishes from the sea when it is dipped into it. My servants, these are only your deeds: I count them for you, then repay you for them. Whoever finds good, let him praise Allah; and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself.” [Narrated by Muslim].
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم فِيمَا يَرْوِيهِ عَنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى،
This is a sacred narration distinguished from the Prophet’s own speech by the source formula. The source identifies the attribution, but no independent edition or commentary was provided for review.
Can the attribution formula and this wording be checked against the cited Muslim edition before any approval?
لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَتْقَى قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ،
The Arabic uses the superlative أتقى; the witness renders it “most pious.” “God-fearing” is chosen descriptively here, but no approved glossary settles this term.
Which glossary rendering of taqwa is preferred in this context?