The Book of Miscellany

كتاب المقدمات

Chapter 72: Clemency, Tolerance and Gentleness

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

A bedouin urinated in the mosque and some people rushed to beat him up. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Leave him alone and pour a bucket of water over it. You have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult."[Al-Bukhari].

Chapter 73: Forgiveness of the Ignorant

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never hit anything with his hand neither a servant nor a woman but of course, he did fight in the Cause of Allah. He never took revenge upon anyone for the wrong done to him, but of course, he exacted retribution for the sake of Allah in case the Injunctions of Allah about unlawful acts were violated.[Muslim].

Chapter 74: Endurance of Afflictions

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

A man said to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "I have relatives with whom I try to maintain good relationship but they sever relations with me; whom I treat kindly but they treat me badly, with whom I am gentle but they are rough to me." He (ﷺ) replied, "If you are as you have said, then it is as though you are feeding them hot ashes and you will not be without a supporter against them from Allah, as long as you do so."[Muslim].

Chapter 75: Indignation against the Transgression of Divine Laws

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Quraish were much worried about the case of a Makhzumiyah woman who had committed theft and wondered who should intercede for her with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (so that she would not get punished for her crime). Some said Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with him) was his beloved and so he may dare do so. So Usamah(May Allah be pleased with him) spoke to him about that matter and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Do you intercede when one of the legal punishments ordained by Allah has been voilated?" Then he got up and addressed the people saying, "The people before you were ruined because when a noble person amongst them committed theft, they would leave him, but if a weak person amongst them committed theft, they would execute the legal punishment on him. By Allah, were Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, to commit the theft, I would have cut off her hand."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 76: Obligation of Rulers to show Kindness to their Subjects

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

I heard the the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicating in my house: "O Allah! Treat harshly those who rule over my Ummah with harshness, and treat gently those who rule over my Ummah with gentleness."[Muslim].

Chapter 79: Undesirability of Aspiring for Office

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "O Abu Dharr, I see that you are weak and I like for you what I like for myself. Do not rule over (even) two persons, and do not manage an orphan's property."[Muslim].

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I said to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Why do you not appoint me to an (official) position?" He (ﷺ) patted me on the shoulder with his hand and said, "O Abu Dharr, you are a weak man and it is a trust and it will be a cause of disgrace and remorse on the Day of Resurrection except for the one who takes it up with a full sense of responsibility and fulfills what is entrusted to him (discharges its obligations efficiently)."[Muslim].

Chapter 67: Leading an Abstemious Life and refraining from the Doubtful

'Atiyyah bin 'Urwah As-Sa'di (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No one will attain complete righteousness until he abandons (certain) unobjectionable (but doubtful) things so as to remain on his guard against something objectionable."[At-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].

Chapter 68: Desirability of Seclusion at times of corruption committed by the people of the World

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best of people is a man who is holding his horse's rein in the way of Allah (in Jihad) and is galloping towards the place wherever he hears a call for war or detects a note of danger; he goes on proceeding, seeking martyrdom or death wherever it is expected. And a man who retires with some sheep in a mountainside or a valley. He performs Salat regularly and pays the Zakat, continues worshipping his Rubb, till death overtakes him. He does not interfere in the affairs of the people except for betterment."[Muslim].

Chapter 69: Modesty and Courtesy towards the Believers

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

A slave-girl of Al-Madinah would take hold of the hand of the Prophet (ﷺ) and take him wherever she desired.[Al- Bukhari].

Al-Aswad bin Yazid (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) was asked: "What did Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do inside his house?" She answered: "He used to keep himself busy helping members of his family, and when it was the time for Salat (the prayer), he would get up for prayer."[Al-Bukhari].

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a she-camel called Al-'Adba' which would not allow any other camel to surpass her. A bedouin came riding his camel which outstripped it. The Muslims were much grieved at this. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) perceived it and said, "It is Allah's Way that he lowers whatever raises itself in the world."[Al- Bukhari].

Chapter 70: Condemnation of Pride and Self-Conceit

Harithah bin Wahab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I not inform you about the inmates of Hell? It is every violent, impertinent and proud person."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

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

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There was a dispute between Hell and Jannah, and Hell said: 'The haughty and proud are in me.' The Jannah said: 'In me are the weak and the humble.' Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, judged between them saying: 'You the Jannah are My Mercy, and through you I shall show mercy to those whom I wish.' (And addressing the Hell) He said: 'You are My punishment to punish whom I wish amongst My slaves, and each one of you will have its fill."'[Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "While a man was walking, dressed in clothes admiring himself, his hair combed, walking haughtily when Allah caused the earth to swallow him. Now he will continue to go down in it (as a punishment) until the Day of Resurrection."[Muslim].

Salamah bin Al-Akwa' (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Man continues to display haughtiness and arrogance until he is recorded among the arrogant and will be therefore afflicted with what afflicts them."[At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].

Chapter 71: Good Conduct

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the best of all the people in behaviour.[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Sa'b bin Jaththamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I presented a wild ass to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as a gift but he returned it to me. When he perceived signs of despair on my face, he said, "I have declined to accept it because I am in the state of Ihram."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "A believer will attain by his good behaviour the rank of one who prays during the night and observes fasting during the day."[Abu Dawud].

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be one who is the best of you in manners; and the most abhorrent among you to me and the farthest of you from me will be the pompous, the garrulous, and Al-Mutafaihiqun." The Companions asked him: "O Messenger of Allah! We know about the pompous and the garrulous, but we do not know who Al-Mutafaihiqun are." He replied: "The arrogant people."[At-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].