The Book of Miscellany

كتاب المقدمات

Chapter 1: Sincerity and Significance of Intentions and all Actions, Apparent and Hidden

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The reward for Salat performed by a person in congregation is more than 20 times greater than that of the Salat performed in one's house or shop. When one performs Wudu' perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing Salat, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque, and when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing Salat as long as it is the Salat which prevents him (from leaving the mosque); and the angels keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: 'O Allah! have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O Allah! accept his repentance'. This will carry on as long as he does not pass wind".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that

He heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: "Three men, amongst those who came before you, set out until night came and they reached a cave, so they entered it. A rock fell down from the mountain and blocked the entrance of the cave. They said: 'Nothing will save you from this unless you supplicate to Allah by virtue of a righteous deed you have done.' Thereupon, one of them said: 'O Allah! I had parents who were old, and I used to offer them milk before any of my children or slaves. One day, I went far away in search of grazing and could not come back until they had slept. When I milked as usual and brought the drink I found them both asleep. I hated to disturb them and also disliked to give milk to my children before them. My children were crying out of hunger at my feet but I awaited with the bowl in my hand for them to wake up. When they awoke at dawn, they drank milk. O Allah! If I did so to seek Your Pleasure, then deliver us from the distress caused by the rock'. The rock moved slightly but they were unable to escape. The next said: 'O Allah! I had a cousin whom I loved more than any one else (in another version he said: as a man can love a woman). I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her but she refused. Hard pressed in a year of famine, she approached me. I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on condition that she would yield herself to me. She agreed and when we got together (for sexual intercourse), she said: Fear Allah and do not break the seal unlawfully. I moved away from her in spite of the fact that I loved her most passionately; and I let her keep the money I had given her. O Allah! If I did that to seek Your Pleasure, then, remove the distress in which we are.' The rock moved aside a bit further but they were still unable to get out. The third one said: 'O Allah! I hired some labourers and paid them their wages except one of them departed without taking his due. I invested his money in business and the business prospered greatly. After a long time, he came to me and said: O slave of Allah! Pay me my dues. I said: All that you see is yours - camels, cattle, goats and slaves. He said: O slave of Allah! Do not mock at me. I assured him that I was not joking. So he took all the things and went away. He spared nothing. O Allah! If I did so seeking Your Pleasure, then relieve us of our distress.' The rock slipped aside and they got out walking freely".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 2: Repentance

Ibn 'Abbas and Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold, he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 3: Patience and Perseverance

Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Purity is half of faith, and the praise of Allah fills the scale. Glorification and praise fill up what is between the heavens and the earth. Prayer is a light, charity is proof, and patience is illumination. The Quran is a proof for you or against you. All people go out early in the morning and sell themselves, either setting themselves free or ruining themselves.".[Muslim].

Suhaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There lived a king before you and he had a court magician. As he (the magician) grew old, he said to the king

'I have grown old, so send me a young boy in order to teach him magic.' The king sent him a young boy to serve the purpose. And on his way (to the magician) the young boy met a monk to whom he listened to and liked it. It became his habit that on his way to the magician, he would meet the monk and sit there and would come to the magician (late). The magician used to beat him because of this delay. He complained about this to the monk who said to him: 'When you feel afraid of the magician, say: Members of my family detained me. And when you fear your family, say: The magician detained me.' It so happened that there came a huge beast and it blocked the way of the people, and the young boy said: 'I will know today whether the magician or the monk is better.' He picked up a stone and said: 'O Allah, if the way of the monk is dearer to You than the way of the magician, bring about death to the animal so that the people be able to move about freely.' He threw that stone at it and killed it and the people began to move about freely. He then came to the monk and told him the story. The monk said: 'Son, today you are superior to me. You have come to a stage where I feel that you would be soon put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial, do not reveal me.' That young boy began to heal those born blind and the lepers and he, in fact, began to cure people from all kinds of illnesses. When a courtier of the king who had gone blind heard about him, he came to him with numerous gifts and said, 'If you cure me, all these things will be yours.' He said, 'I myself do not cure anyone. It is Allah, the Exalted, Alone Who cures; and if you affirm faith in Allah, I shall also supplicate to Allah to cure you.' This courtier affirmed his faith in Allah and Allah cured him. He came to the king and sat by his side as he used to sit before. The king said to him, 'Who restored your eyesight?' He said, 'My Rubb.' Thereupon he said, 'Do you have another lord besides me?' He said, 'My Rubb and your Rubb is Allah.' So the king kept torturing him untill he revealed the young boy. The young boy was thus summoned and the king said to him, 'O boy, it has been conveyed to me that you have become so much proficient in your magic that you cure the blind and the lepers and you do such and such.' Thereupon he said, 'I do not cure anyone; it is Allah Alone Who cures,' and the king took hold of him and began to torture him until he revealed of the monk. The monk was summoned and it was said to him: 'You should turn back from your religion.' But he refused. The king sent for a saw, placed it in the middle of his head and cut him into two parts that fell down. Then the courtier of the king was brought forward and it was said to him: 'Turn back from your religion.' He, too, refused, and the saw was placed in the midst of his head and he was torn into two parts. Then the boy was sent for and it was said to him: 'Turn back from your religion.' He refused. The king then handed him over to a group of his courtiers, and said to them: 'Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that mountain and when you reach its peak ask him to renounce his Faith. If he refuses to do so, push him to his death.' So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: 'O Allah, save me from them in any way you like,' and the mountain began to shake and they all fell down (dead) and that young boy came walking to the king. The king said to him, 'What happened to your companions?' He said, 'Allah has saved me from them.' He again handed him to some of his courtiers and said: 'Take him and carry him in a boat and when you reach the middle of the sea, ask him to renounce his religion. If he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water).' So they took him and he said: 'O Allah, save me from them.' The boat turned upside down and they all drowned except the young boy who came walking to the king. The king said to him, 'What happened to your companions?' He said, 'Allah has saved me from them,' and he said to the king: 'You cannot kill me until you do what I command you to do.' The king asked, 'What is that?' He said, 'Gather all people in one place and tie me up to the trunk of a tree, then take an arrow from my quiver and say: With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the boy; then shoot me. If you do that you will be able to kill me.' 'The king called the people in an open field and tied the young boy to the trunk of a tree. He took out an arrow from his quiver, fixed in the bow and said, 'With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the young boy,' he then shot the arrow and it hit the boy's temple. The young boy placed his hand upon the temple where the arrow had hit him and died. The people then said: 'We believe in the Rubb of this young boy.' The king was told: 'Do you see what you were afraid of, by Allah it has taken place; all people have believed.' The king then commanded that trenches be dug and fire lit in them, and said: 'He who would not turn back from his (the young boy's) religion, throw him in the fire' or 'he would be ordered to jump into it.' They did so till a woman came with her child. She felt hesitant in jumping into the fire. The child said to her: 'O mother! Endure (this ordeal) for you are on the Right Path".[Muslim].

'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I can still recall as if I am seeing the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) resembling one of the Prophets whose people scourged him and shed his blood, while he wiped blood from his face, he said: "O Allah! Forgive my people, because they certainly do not know".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The strong man is not one who is good at wrestling, but the strong man is one who controls himself in a fit of rage."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

'Uyainah bin Hisn came to Al-Madinah and stayed with his nephew Hurr bin Qais who was among those whom Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) showed favour to. The knowledgeable people (Qurra'), whether they were old or young, had the privilege of joining Umar's council and he used to consult them. 'Uyainah said to Hurr: "My nephew, the Leader of the Believers shows favour to you. Will you obtain permission for me to sit with him?" Hurr asked 'Umar and he accorded permission. When 'Uyainah came into the presence of 'Umar, he addressed him thus: "O son of Khattab, you neither bestow much on us nor deal with us justly." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) got angry and was about to beat him up when Hurr said: ''O Leader of the Believers, Allah said to His Prophet (ﷺ): ' Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e., don't punish them).' (7:199) This one is from the ignorants. When Hurr recited this, 'Umar became quite motionless in his seat. He always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah.[Al-Bukhari].

Chapter 5: Watchfulness

'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No man shall be asked for the reason of beating his wife".[Abu Dawud].

Chapter 6: Piety

'Adi bin Hatim At-Ta'i (May Allah be pleased with him) said

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "He who has taken an oath (to do something) but found something else better than that (which brings him closer to Allah), then he should do that which is better in piety (and he should expiate for the breaking of oath)".[Muslim].

Chapter 7: Firm Belief and Perfect Reliance on Allah

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said

When (Prophet) Ibrahim (Abraham) was thrown into the fire, he said: "Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and, He is the Best Disposer of affairs." So did Messenger of Allah Muhammad (ﷺ) when he was told: "A great army of the pagans had gathered against him, so fear them". But this (warning) only increased him and the Muslims in Faith and they said: "Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)".[Al-Bukhari].

'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "If you all depend on Allah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with full belly at dusk".[At-Tirmidhi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan].

Chapter 2: Repentance

Imran bin Al-Husain Al-Khuza'i (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

A woman from the tribe Juhainah came to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while she was pregnant from (Zina) adultery and said to him: "O Messenger of Allah! I have committed an offense liable to Hadd (prescribed punishment), so exact the execution of the sentence." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called her guardian and said to him, "Treat her kindly. Bring her to me after the delivery of the child." That man complied with the orders. At last the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded to carry out the sentence. Her clothes were secured around her and she was stoned to death. The Prophet (ﷺ) led her funeral prayers. 'Umar submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! She committed Zina and you have performed funeral prayer for her?" He replied, "Verily, she made repentance which would suffice for seventy of the people of Al-Madinah if it is divided among them. Can there be any higher degree of repentance than that she sacrificed her life voluntarily to win the Pleasure of Allah, the Exalted?".[Muslim].

Chapter 3: Patience and Perseverance

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that

Certain people of the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he gave them; then they again asked him and he gave them until all what he possessed was exhausted. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whatever wealth I have, I will not withhold from you. Whosoever would be chaste and modest; Allah will keep him chaste and modest and whosoever would seek self-sufficiency, Allah will make him self-sufficient; and whosoever would be patient, Allah will give him patience, and no one is granted a gift better and more comprehensive than patience".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated

The daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) sent for him as her child was dying, but the Prophet (ﷺ) returned the messenger and sent her good wishes saying, "Whatever Allah takes away or gives, belongs to Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world), and so she should be patient and anticipate Allah's reward." She again sent for him adjuring him for the sake of Allah to come. The Messenger of Allah, accompanied with Sa'd bin 'Ubadah, Mu'adh bin Jabal, Ubayy bin Ka'b, Zaid bin Thabit and some other men went to see her. The child was lifted up to the Messenger of Allah while his breath was disturbed in his chest. On seeing that, the eyes of the Prophet (ﷺ) streamed with tears. Sa'd said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is this?" He replied, "It is compassion which Allah has placed in the hearts of His slaves, Allah is Compassionate only to those among His slaves who are compassionate (to others)".Another version says: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Khabbab bin Al-Aratt (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

We complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) regarding the persecution inflicted upon us by the disbelievers while he was lying in the shade of the Ka'bah, having made a pillow of his cloak. We submitted: "Why do you not supplicate for our prevalence (over the opponents)?". He (ﷺ) replied, "Among those people before you, a man would be seized and held in a pit dug for him in the ground and he would be sawed into two halves from his head, and his flesh torn away from his bones with an iron comb; but, in spite of this, he would not wean away from his Faith. By Allah, Allah will bring this matter to its consummation until a rider will travel from San'a' to Hadramout fearing none except Allah, and except the wolf for his sheep, but you are in too much of a hurry".[Al-Bukhari].

Sulaiman bin Surad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I was sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) when two men began to quarrel and curse each other and the face of one of them turned red and the veins of his neck were swollen (from rage). Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I know of a word, if he were to utter that, his rage would vanish and that is: A'udhu billahi minash-Shaitan nir-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed)." So they (Companions) said to him: "The Prophet (ﷺ) tells you to utter: 'I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed".[Al-Bukhariand Muslim].

'Abdullah bin Abu Aufa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at one time when he confronted the enemy, and was waiting for the sun to set, stood up and said, "O people! Do not long for encountering the enemy and supplicate to Allah to grant you security. But when you face the enemy, show patience and steadfastness; and keep it in mind that Jannah lies under the shade of the swords." Then he invoked Allah, saying, "O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Disperser of the clouds, Defeater of the Confederates, put our enemy to rout and help us in over-powering them".[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 4: Truthfulness

Hasan bin 'Ali (May Allah be pleased with them) said

I remember (these words) from Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Give up what is doubtful to you for that which is not doubtful; for truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt".[At- Tirmidhi, who categorised it as Hadith Hasan Sahih].

Abu Sufyan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported, in course of his detailed narration about Heraclius when the latter questioned him about the teachings of the Prophet (ﷺ) He said that

He (ﷺ) told (us): "Worship Allah Alone and do not associate a thing with Him; and give up all that your ancestors said. "He also commands us to perform Salat (prayers), to speak the truth, to observe modesty and to strengthen the ties of kinship.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].