The Book of Miscellany
كتاب المقدمات
Chapter 22: Enjoining Good and forbidding Evil
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Never a Prophet had been sent before me by Allah to his people but he had, among his people, (his) disciples and companions, who followed his ways and obeyed his command. Then there came after them their successors who proclaimed what they did not practise, and practised what they were not commanded to do. And (he) who strove against them with his hand is a believer; he who strove against them with his heart is a believer; and he who strove against them with his tongue is a believer ; and beyond that there is no grain of Faith".[Muslim].
We swore allegiance to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to hear and obey; in time of difficulty and in prosperity, in hardship and in ease, to endure being discriminated against and not to dispute about rule with those in power, except in case of evident infidelity regarding which there is a proof from Allah. We swore allegiance to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to say what was right wherever we were, and not to fear from anyone's reproach.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The likeness of the man who observes the limits prescribed by Allah and that of the man who transgresses them is like the people who get on board a ship after casting lots. Some of them are in its lower deck and some of them in its upper (deck). Those who are in its lower (deck), when they require water, go to the occupants of the upper deck, and say to them : 'If we make a hole in the bottom of the ship, we shall not harm you.' If they (the occupants of the upper deck) leave them to carry out their design they all will be drowned. But if they do not let them go ahead (with their plan), all of them will remain safe".[Al- Bukhari].
A person asked the Prophet (ﷺ) (when he had just put his foot in the stirrup): "What is the highest form of Jihad?" He (ﷺ) said, "Speaking the truth in the presence of a tyrant ruler".[An-Nasa'i, with a sound chain].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The first defect (in religion) which affected the Children of Israel in the way that man would meet another and say to him: 'Fear Allah and abstain from what you are doing, for this is not lawful for you.' Then he would meet him the next day and find no change in him, but this would not prevent him from eating with him, drinking with him and sitting in his assemblies. When it came to this, Allah led their hearts into evil ways on account of their association with others." Then he (ﷺ) recited, "Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David) and 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. They used not to forbid one another from the Munkar (wrong, evildoing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do. You see many of them taking the disbelievers as their Auliya' (protectors and helpers). Evil indeed is that which their own selves have sent forward before them; for that (reason) Allah's wrath fell upon them and in torment will they abide. And had they believed in Allah and in the Prophet (Muhammad (ﷺ)) and in what has been revealed to him, never would they have taken them (the disbelievers) as Auliya' (protectors and helpers); but many of them are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)." (5:78-81)Then he (ﷺ) continued: "Nay, by Allah, you either enjoin good and forbid evil and catch hold of the hand of the oppressor and persuade him to act justly and stick to the truth, or, Allah will involve the hearts of some of you with the hearts of others and will curse you as He had cursed them".[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan].The wording in At-Tirmidhi is: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When the Children of Israel became sinful, their learned men prohibited them but they would not turn back. Yet, the learned men associated with them and ate and drank with them. So, they were cursed at the tongues of Dawud and 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), because they were disobedient and were given to transgression." At this stage Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was reclining on a pillow sat up and said, "No, By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, there is no escape for you but you persuade them to act justly."
Chapter 23: Chastisement for one who enjoins good and forbids evil but acts otherwise
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and will be cast into Hell, and his intestines will pour forth and he will go round them as a donkey goes round a millstone. The inmates of Hell will gather round him and say: 'What has happened to you, O so-and-so? Were you not enjoining us to do good and forbidding us to do evil?' He will reply: 'I was enjoining you to do good, but was not doing it myself; and I was forbidding you to do evil, but was doing it myself".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 25: Unlawfulness of Oppression and Restoring Others Rights
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever usurps unlawfully even a hand span of land a collar measuring seven times (this) land will be placed around his neck on the Day of Resurrection".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
"You will go to the people of the Book. First call them to testify that 'there is no true god except Allah, that I am (Muhammad (ﷺ)) the Messenger of Allah.' If they obey you, tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them five Salat (prayers) during the day and night; and if they obey you, inform them that Allah has made Zakat obligatory upon them; that it should be collected from their rich and distributed among their poor; and if they obey you refrain from picking up (as a share of Zakat) the best of their wealth. Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) employed a man from the tribe of Al-Azd named Ibn Lutbiyyah as collector of Zakat. When the employee returned (with the collections) he said: "(O Prophet (ﷺ)!) This is for you and this is mine because it was presented to me as gift." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rose to the pulpit and praised Allah and extolled Him. Then he said, "I employ a man to do a job and he comes and says: 'This is for you and this has been presented to me as gift'? Why did he not remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother and see whether gifts will be given to him or not? By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, if any one of you took anything wrongfully, he will bring it on the Day of Resurrection, carrying it on (his back), I will not recognize anyone of you, on the Day of Resurrection with a grunting camel, or a bellowing cow, or a bleating ewe." Then he raised his hands till we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said thrice, ''O Allah ! have I conveyed (Your Commandments)".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Faith in Allah and striving in His Cause (Jihad) are the deeds of highest merit." A man stood up said: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I am killed in the Cause of Allah, will all my sins be forgiven?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, if you are killed in the Cause of Allah while you are patient, hopeful of your reward and marching forward not retreating." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Repeat what you have said." The man said: "Tell me if I am killed in the Cause of Allah, will all my sins be remitted?". He replied, "Yes, if you are martyred while you are patient, hopeful of your reward and march forward without retreating, unless, if you owe any debt, that will not be remitted. Angel Jibril told me that".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Many people misappropriate (acquire wrongfully) Allah's Property (meaning Muslims' property). These people will be cast in Hell on the Day of Resurrection".[Al- Bukhari].
Chapter 26: Reverence towards the Sanctity of the Muslims
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever enters our mosque or passes through our market with arrows with him, he should hold them by their heads lest it should injure any of the Muslims".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When one of you leads the Salat, he should not prolong it because the congregation includes those who are feeble, ill or old". One version adds: "those who have to attend to work") While offering prayers alone, you may pray as long as you like".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or is oppressed". A man enquired: "O Messenger of Allah! I help him when he is oppressed, but how can I help him when he is an oppressor?" He (ﷺ) said, "You can keep him from committing oppression. That will be your help to him".[Al-Bukhari].
Chapter 28: Fulfillment of the needs of the Muslims
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who removes from a believer one of his difficulties of this world, Allah will remove one of his troubles on the Day of Resurrection; and he who finds relief for a hard-pressed person, Allah will make things easy for him on the Day of Resurrection; he who covers up (the faults and sins) of a Muslim, Allah will cover up (his faults and sins) in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah supports His slave as long as the slave is supportive of his brother; and he who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah makes that path easy, leading to Jannah for him; the people who assemble in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah, learning it and teaching, there descends upon them the tranquillity, and mercy covers them, the angels flock around them, and Allah mentions them in the presence of those near Him; and he who lags behind in doing good deeds, his noble lineage will not make him go ahead."[Muslim]
Chapter 29: Intercession
Whenever a needy person would come to the Prophet (ﷺ), he would turn to those who were present and say, "If you make intercession for him, you will be rewarded, because Allah decreed what He likes by the tongue of His Messenger".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 30: Making Peace among People
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "On every joint of man, there is charity, on everyday when the sun rises: doing justice between two men is charity, and assisting a man to ride an animal or to load his luggage on it is charity; and a good word is charity, every step which one takes towards (the mosque for) Salat is charity, and removing harmful things from the way is charity".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 31: Superiority of Poor, Weak and unrenowned Muslims
I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Shall I not inform you about the people of Jannah? It is every person who is, modest and humble (before Allah), a person who is accounted weak and is looked down upon but if he adjures Allah, Allah will certainly give him what he desires. Now shall I not inform you about the inmates of Hell? It is every violent, impertinent and proud man".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 32: Benevolent Treatment towards Orphans, Girls, the Weak, the Poor and the Humble Persons
Six of us were with the Prophet (ﷺ) when the infidels said to him: "Drive these ones away, lest they should begin to venture against us". The six were, myself, Ibn Mas'ud, a man of the Hudhail tribe, Bilal and two other men whose names I don't know. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) thought what Allah wished him to think, and Allah revealed: "And turn not away those who invoke their Rubb, morning and afternoon seeking His Face." (6:52)[Muslim].
A poor woman came to me carrying her two daughters. I gave her three date-fruits. She gave a date to each of them and then she took up one date-fruit and brought that to her mouth to eat, but her daughters asked her that also. She then divided between them the date-fruit that she intended to eat. This (kind) treatment of her impressed me and I mentioned that to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who said, 'Verily, Allah has assured Jannah for her, because of (this act) of her," or said, "He (SWT) has rescued her from Hell- Fire".[Muslim].