The Book of Miscellany

كتاب المقدمات

Chapter 12: Numerous ways of doing Good

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Giving in charity is an obligation upon every Muslim". It was said (to him): "What about one who does not find (the means) to do so?" He (ﷺ) said, "Let him work with his hands, thus doing benefit to himself and give in charity." It was said to him: "What if he does not have (the means) to do so?" He (ﷺ) said, "Then let him assist the needy, the aggrieved." It was said: "What about if he cannot even do this?" He (ﷺ) said, "Then he should enjoin good." He was asked: "What if he cannot do that?" He (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said, "He should then abstain from evil, for verily, that is a charity from him".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 13: Moderation in Worship

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) to inquire about the worship of the Prophet (ﷺ). When they were informed, they considered their worship insignificant and said: "Where are we in comparison with the Prophet (ﷺ) while Allah has forgiven his past sins and future sins". One of them said: "As for me, I shall offer Salat all night long." Another said: "I shall observe Saum (fasting) continuously and shall not break it". Another said: "I shall abstain from women and shall never marry". The Prophet (ﷺ) came to them and said, "Are you the people who said such and such things? By Allah, I fear Allah more than you do, and I am most obedient and dutiful among you to Him, but still I observe fast and break it; perform Salat and sleep at night and take wives. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 14: Righteous Conduct on a Regular Basis

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

When Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) missed the optional night Salat (Tahajjud) due to pain or any other reason, he would perform twelve Rak'ah during the day time.[Muslim].

Chapter 9: Hastening to do Good Deeds

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said

There came a man to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, which charity is the most rewardable?" He (ﷺ) said, "That you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and stingy and fear poverty, hoping to become rich (charity in such a state of health and mind is the best). And you must not defer (charity to such a length) that you are about to die and would be saying: 'This is for so-and-so, and this for so-and-so.' Lo! It has already come into (the possession of) so-and- so".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took up a sword on the day of the battle of Uhud and said, "Who will take this sword from me?" Everyone stretched forth his hand saying: "I will take it; I will take it". He (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said, "Who will take it with its full responsibility (i.e., to use it to fight Allah's enemies with it)?" The Companions hesitated. Abu Dujanah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I shall take it;" and with it he cracked the skulls of the pagans.[Muslim].

Chapter 10: The Struggle (in the Cause of Allah)

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said

With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would pray all the night, and would keep his family awake for the prayers. He tied his lower garment (i.e., avoided sleeping with his wives) and devoted himself entirely to prayer and supplication.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

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

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Jannah is nearer to anyone of you than your shoe-lace, and so is the (Hell) Fire".[Al- Bukhari].

Chapter 11: Urging towards increasing Good Actions in later part of Life

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said

Allah the Rubb of honour and glory sent Revelation to His Messenger (ﷺ) more frequently before his death than at any other time.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 12: Numerous ways of doing Good

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Every day the sun rises charity (Sadaqah) is due on every joint of a person: you administer justice between two men is a charity; and assisting a man to mount his beast, or helping him load his luggage on it is a charity; and a good word is a charity; and every step that you take (towards the mosque) for Salat (prayer) is a charity and removing harmful things from the road is a charity".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].In Muslim, it is reported on the authority of 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) that Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Everyone of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah (i.e., saying Allahu Akbar), praises Allah (i.e., Al-hamdu lillah), declares Allah to be One (i.e., La ilaha illallah), glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah (i.e., Astaghfirullah), and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins good and forbids evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty, will walk that day having rescued himself from Hell".

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who goes to the mosque at dawn or dusk (for Salat), Allah prepares a hospitable abode for him in Jannah, every time when he walks to it or comes back from it".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

O Muslim women, never belittle any gift you give your neighbour even if it is a hoof of a sheep".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "While a man was walking on his way he became extremely thirsty. He found a well, he went down into it to drink water. Upon leaving it, he saw a dog which was panting out of thirst. His tongue was lolling out and he was eating moist earth from extreme thirst. The man thought to himself: 'This dog is extremely thirsty as I was.' So he descended into the well, filled up his leather sock with water, and holding it in his teeth, climbed up and quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah appreciated his action and forgave his sins". The Companions asked: "Shall we be rewarded for showing kindness to the animals also?" He (ﷺ) said, "A reward is given in connection with every living creature".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].In the narration of Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (ﷺ) is reported to have said: "Allah forgave him in appreciation of this act and admitted him to Jannah".Another narration says: "Once a dog was going round the well and was about to die out of thirst. A prostitute of Banu Israel happened to see it. So she took off her leather sock and lowered it into the well. She drew out some water and gave the dog to drink. She was forgiven on account of her action".

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The five (daily) Salat (prayers), and from one Jumu'ah prayer to the (next) Jumu'ah prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals); provided the major sins are not committed".[Muslim].

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who observes the Fajr and 'Asr (prayers) will enter Jannah."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 13: Moderation in Worship

Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) came in when a woman was sitting beside me. He asked me, "Who is she?" I said: "She is the one whose performance of Salat (prayer) has become the talk of the town." Addressing her, he (ﷺ) said, "(What is this!) You are required to take upon yourselves only what you can carry out easily. By Allah, Allah does not withhold His Mercy and forgiveness of you until you neglect and give up (good works). Allah likes the deeds best which a worshipper can carry out constantly".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

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

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Ruined are those who insist on hardship in matters of the Faith." He repeated this three times.[Muslim]

Abu Juhaifah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) made a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abud-Darda'. Salman paid a visit to Abud-Darda' and found Umm Darda' (his wife) dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied: "Your brother Abud-Darda' is not interested in (the luxuries of) this world. In the meantime Abud-Darda' came in and prepared a meal for Salman. Salman requested Abud-Darda' to eat (with him) but Abud-Darda' said: "I am fasting." Salman said: "I am not going to eat unless you eat." So, Abud-Darda' ate (with Salman). When it was night and (a part of the night passed), Abud-Darda' got up (to offer the night prayer) but Salman asked him to sleep and Abud-Darda' slept. After some time Abud-Darda' again got up but Salman asked him to sleep. When it was the last hours of the night, Salman asked him to get up and both of them offered (Tahajjud) prayer. Then Salman told Abud-Darda': "You owe a duty to your Rubb, you owe a duty to your body; you owe a duty to your family; so you should give to every one his due. Abud-Darda' came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and reported the whole story. Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Salman is right".[Al- Bukhari].

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

While the Prophet (ﷺ) was delivering Khutbah (religious talk), he noticed a man who was standing, so he asked about him and was told that he was Abu Israel who had taken a vow to remain standing and not sit, or go into the shade, or speak while observing fasting. Thereupon Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Tell him to speak, to go into the shade, to sit and to complete his fast".[Al- Bukhari].

Chapter 14: Righteous Conduct on a Regular Basis

'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Should anyone fall asleep at night and fail to recite his portion of the Qur'an, or a part of it, if he recites it between the Fajr prayer and the Zuhr prayer, it will be recorded for him as though he had recited it during the night".[Muslim].

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "O Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so. He used to get up at night for optional prayer but abandoned it later."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].