The Book of Miscellany
كتاب المقدمات
Chapter 54: Excellence of Leading an Ascetic Life, and Virtues of Simple Life
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I stood at the gate of Jannah and saw that most of those who enter it were poor, whereas the rich were held back; but those who were destined to go to Hell were ordered to be sent there (immediately)."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 55: Excellence of Simple Living and being Content with Little
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said that he happened to pass by some people who had a roast lamb before them. They invited him, but he declined, saying: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) left the world without having eaten his fill with barley bread."[Al- Bukhari].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had never seen bread made out of fine flour throughout his life, since Allah commissioned him until his death. He was asked, "Did you not have sieves at the time of the Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never saw a sieve." He was asked, "How did you manage to eat barley bread made of unsieved flour?" He said, "We used to ground it and then blew away the husk, and what remained we kneaded into dough."[Al-Bukhari].
By Allah other than Whom there is none worthy of worship, I used to press my stomach against the earth owing to my hunger; I would tie a stone over it. One day, I was sitting on the way they usually take when the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by me. When he saw me he smiled at me and knew my condition and my feelings. He called me and I replied, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Follow me." So I followed him. Having arrived at home, he sought permission and entered. He allowed me in and I, too, entered. He found milk in a bowl and asked, "Where is this from?" He was told that it was a gift for him from so- and-so. He called me and I responded: "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Go to the people of As-Suffah and usher them in." He Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) explained: The people of As-Suffah were guests of Islam; they had no family, no property and no relations. When Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to receive something in charity, he would send it to them without taking anything from it. When he received a present, he would send for them and share it with them. On this occasion, I disliked to give them anything. I said to myself: "This meagre quantity of milk will not be enough for all the people of As-Suffah! I am more deserving of it than anyone else. By drinking it I may attain some strength. When they come, he will order me to give it to them. I do not expect that anything will be left for me from this milk." As there was no alternative but to obey Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ). I went and called them. They came and sought permission which was granted. They took their seats. The Prophet (ﷺ) called me and I responded, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He then said, "Take the milk and give it to them." I took the bowl and gave it to one man who drank his fill and returned it to me, and I gave it to the next and he did the same. I went on doing this till the bowl reached Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). By that time all had taken their fill. He (ﷺ) took the bowl, put it on his hand, looked at me, smiled and said, "Abu Hirr." I said, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Now you and I are left." I said, "That is true, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Sit down and drink." I drank, but he went on saying, "Drink some more." I said, "By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I have no room for it." He said, "Then give it to me." So I gave him the bowl. He praised Allah, uttered the Name of Allah and drank the remainder.[Al- Bukhari].
When Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, his armour was mortgaged with a Jew for thirty Sa' (measures) of barley.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
I saw seventy of the people of As-Suffah and none of them had a cloak. They had either a lower cloth or a blanket which they suspended from their necks. Some reached half way down to the legs and some to the ankles, and one of them would manage to keep it in his hand to avoid exposing his private parts.[Al-Bukhari].
The mattress of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was a piece of tanned skin stuffed with palm fibres.[Al-Bukhari].
Chapter 50: Hope in Allah's Mercy
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When Allah intends to show mercy to a people, He collects their Prophet before them and makes him a herald to happiness for them in the Hereafter; and when He intends to destroy a people, He punishes them while their Prophet is alive, and destroys them while he is alive and watches them and makes him witness their destruction because they disbelieved in him and disobeyed his commands".[Muslim].
Chapter 51: Excellence of Good Hopes
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: 'O son of adam, I forgive you as long as you pray to Me and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of 'Adam, I do not care if your sins reach the height of the heaven, then you ask for my forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of 'Adam, if you come to Me with an earth load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I would match it with an earthload of forgiveness."'[At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].
Chapter 53: Excellence of Weeping out of Fear from Allah (swt)
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delivered a Khutbah to us the like of which I had never heard from him before. In the course of the Khutbah, he said: "If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much". Thereupon those present covered their faces and began to sob.[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Seven people Allah will give them His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but the Shade of His Throne (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection): And they are: a just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques, two men who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer and) says: 'I fear Allah'; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes become tearful".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
When the illness of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) became serious, he was asked about the leading of Salat and he said, "Ask Abu Bakr to lead Salat." Whereupon, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said; "Abu Bakr is very tender hearted. He is bound to be overcome by weeping when he recites the Qur'an." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) repeated, "Ask him (Abu Bakr) to lead Salat".In another narration: 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: "When Abu Bakr stands in your place, he will not be able to recite the Noble Qur'an to the people on account of weeping."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 54: Excellence of Leading an Ascetic Life, and Virtues of Simple Life
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat on the pulpit and we sat around him. He said: "What I am concerned most is the flourishment and the beauty of this world will be available to you".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The world is sweet and green (alluring); and verily, Allah is making you to succeed each other, generations after generations in it in order to see how you act. So beware of this world and beware of women".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Among the inmates of Hell, a person who had led the most luxurious life in this world will be brought up on the Day of Resurrection and dipped in the Fire and will be asked: 'O son of Adam! Did you ever experience any comfort? Did you happen to get any luxury?' He will reply: 'By Allah, no, my Rubb.' And then one of the people of Jannah who had experienced extreme misery in the life of this world will be dipped in Jannah. Then he will be asked: 'O son of Adam! Did you ever experience any misery? Did you ever encounter difficulty?' He will say: "By Allah, no my Rubb, I neither experienced misery nor passed through hardship".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was passing through the bazaar with his Companions on his both sides, when he saw a dead skinny lamb. He held its ear and said, "Who of you would like to have it for a dirham". They replied, "We do not like to get it for nothing, and what shall we do with it?". Then he (ﷺ) asked, "Would you like to have it for nothing?". They replied, "Had it been alive, it would have been defective because it is skinny; but when dead it is of no use". Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Truly, the world is more contemptible to Allah than this (the dead lamb) is to you".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Look at those who are inferior to you and do not look at those who are superior to you, for this will keep you from belittling Allah's favour to you."This is the wording in Sahih Muslim.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].The narration in Al-Bukhari is: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When one of you looks at someone who is superior to him in property and appearance, he should look at someone who is inferior to him".
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "May he be miserable, the worshipper of the dinar and dirham, and the worshipper of the striped silk cloak. If he is given anything, he is satisfied; but if not, he is unsatisfied".[Al-Bukhari]
I saw seventy of the people of the Suffah and none of them had a cloak. They had either a lower garment or a blanket which they suspended from their necks. Some (cloaks) reached halfway down to the legs and some to the ankles; and the man would manage to keep it in his hand to avoid exposing his private parts.[Al- Bukhari].
A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, guide me to such an action which, if I do Allah will love me and the people will also love me." He (ﷺ) said, "Have no desire for this world, Allah will love you; and have no desire for what people possess, and the people will love you."[Ibn Majah, Hadith Hasan].