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Riyad al-Salihin

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From the words of the Master of the Messengers

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Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

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Chapter: Steadfastness (Istiqamah)

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Allah the Exalted says

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"So remain on a right course as you have been commanded."

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And He the Exalted says

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"Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained on a right course—"

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"The angels will descend upon them [saying], 'Do not fear and do not grieve...'"

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“Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised.” (41:30)

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“Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised.” (41:30)

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“We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.” (41:31)

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“We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.” (41:31)

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“We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.” (41:31)

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"...as a gift from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful."

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And He the Exalted says

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"Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained on a right course—"

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"No fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve."

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“Such are rightful owners of the Garden, immortal therein, as a reward for what they used to do.” (46:14)

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"...as a reward for what they used to do."

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On the authority of Abu 'Amr

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And it is said, Abu 'Amrah

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Sufyan Ibn 'Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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I said, "O Messenger of Allah,

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tell me something about Islam that I will not need to ask anyone else about."

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He said, "Say: 'I believe in Allah,' and then remain steadfast."

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Narrated by Muslim

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The desirability of asking about matters that encompass all virtues.

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It is incumbent upon one who is ignorant of a matter to ask those who possess knowledge.

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Faith consists of both speech and action.

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Steadfastness is a high station.

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It indicates the perfection of faith and high aspiration.

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Steadfastness is adhering to the path of Islam.

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'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

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"Steadfastness is to stand firm upon the commands and prohibitions,"

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"and not to swerve from them like the swerving of a fox."

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

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"Follow the middle path and be steadfast,"

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"and know that none of you will be saved by his deeds."

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They asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?"

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He said, "Not even I,"

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"unless Allah covers me with mercy and grace from Him."

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Narrated by Muslim

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"Following the middle path" (al-muqarabah)

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is the moderation that contains neither excess nor negligence.

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And "steadfastness" (al-sadad)

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is consistency and hitting the mark.

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"Covers me" (yataghammaduni)

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means to clothe me and shield me.

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The scholars said:

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The meaning of steadfastness

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is the constant obedience to Allah the Exalted.

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They said it is among the comprehensive words of the Prophet.

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It is the order of all affairs.

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And with Allah is success.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The grace and mercy of Allah toward His servants are more expansive than their deeds.

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Guidance on how to attain goodness.

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This is achieved by remaining steadfast on the path of Allah,

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without excess or negligence.

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A servant should not be deluded by his own deeds,

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living in hope without fear,

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for his soul would then fall into the pitfalls of self-admiration (ujb).

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The deeds of the servants do not earn them Paradise;

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rather, Allah grants them entry out of His favor.

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Their ranks therein are according to their deeds.

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A believer must act,

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and accompany his actions with supplication,

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to attain the mercy of Allah and His guidance to enter Paradise.

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Chapter: Contemplating the greatness of Allah’s creation,

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the transience of this world, the terrors of the Hereafter,

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and all related matters,

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as well as disciplining the soul, refining it,

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and compelling it toward steadfastness.

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Allah the Exalted says:

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"Say, 'I only advise you of one thing...'"

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“Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I exhort you unto one thing only: that ye awake, for Allah's sake, by twos and singly, and then reflect: There is no madness in your comrade. He is naught else than a warner unto you in face of a terrific doom.” (34:46)

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"...then reflect."

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And He the Exalted says:

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"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth"

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"and the alternation of the night and the day"

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"are signs for those of understanding."

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“Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.” (3:191)

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"...and [while] on their sides."

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“Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.” (3:191)

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“Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.” (3:191)

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"...'Exalted are You [above all evil]; protect us from the punishment of the Fire.'"

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The verses.

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And He the Exalted says:

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“Will they not regard the camels, how they are created?” (88:17)

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“And the heaven, how it is raised?” (88:18)

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“And the hills, how they are set up?” (88:19)

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“And the earth, how it is spread?” (88:20)

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“Remind them, for thou art but a remembrancer,” (88:21)

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And He the Exalted says:

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"Have they not traveled through the land and observed..."

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The verse.

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The verses in this chapter are numerous.

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Among the hadiths:

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The previous hadith:

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"The wise person is the one who disciplines his soul..."

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It has also been mentioned in the chapter on vigilance (muraqabah).

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From the benefits of the verses:

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That contemplation is a catalyst for faith.

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And faith is a catalyst for upright conduct.

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Islam is the religion of Allah,

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which is in harmony with human nature and sound intellect.

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Therefore, it calls for reflection and contemplation

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upon the greatness of Allah’s creation.

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Knowing the Creator with true knowledge

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is achieved through deep reflection and insightful observation.

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This leads the person to firm faith

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that cannot be shaken.

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As for the imitator,

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he is prone to swaying with whims.

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Therefore, the "wise" (al-kayyis), meaning the intelligent one,

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is he who holds himself accountable for every small and large matter.

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And the "incapable" (al-'ajiz) is he who follows his soul's desires.

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Chapter: Hastening to do good deeds,

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and urging whoever intends to do good

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to pursue it with earnestness without hesitation.

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Allah the Exalted says:

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"So race to [all that is] good."

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And He the Exalted says:

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“And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil);” (3:133)

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"...as wide as the heavens and the earth,"

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"prepared for the righteous."

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

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that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

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"Hasten to perform deeds before trials"

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"like fragments of a dark night."

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A man will wake up as a believer and go to sleep as a disbeliever,

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or go to sleep as a believer and wake up as a disbeliever,

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selling his religion for a small portion of the world.

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Narrated by Muslim

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"Hasten" (badiru) means to rush toward them before obstacles appear.

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"Fragments of a dark night"

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refers to a portion of the pitch-black night.

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As soon as one dark hour passes,

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another follows it.

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"A portion" (arad) means the fleeting debris of this world.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The obligation to hold fast to the religion,

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and to hasten to perform righteous deeds

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before barriers and obstacles prevent them.

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The succession of misleading trials at the end of time.

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Whenever one trial ends,

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another follows it.

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If an opportunity for good appears to a servant,

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true resolve is to seize it immediately,

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for the bane of resolve is procrastination, which results in missing the opportunity.

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If a servant seeks a small price for the signs of Allah,

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his religion becomes thin and his certainty weakens,

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leading to much wavering and instability.

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We seek refuge in Allah from an evil end.

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On the authority of Abu Suru'ah,

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'Uqbah Ibn al-Harith, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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I prayed behind the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

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in Medina, the 'Asr prayer.

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He performed the taslim, then stood up quickly,

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and stepped over the necks of the people,

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to one of his wives' apartments.

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The people were alarmed by his haste.

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He came out to them,

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and saw that they were surprised by his haste.

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He said:

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"I remembered some gold (tibr) we had,"

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"and I disliked that it should keep me,"

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"so I ordered it to be distributed."

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Narrated by al-Bukhari

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In a narration of his:

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"I had left behind in the house some gold from the charity,"

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"and I disliked keeping it overnight."

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"Tibr" means pieces of gold or silver.

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"Stepped over" means he crossed the rows.

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"Apartments" (hujar) means the houses.

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"Alarmed" (fazi'a) means they were afraid.

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"Keep me" means thinking about it would occupy me

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from turning toward and focusing on Allah.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The permissibility of the Imam standing up after finishing the prayer

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without performing the tasbih,

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if something urgent occupies him.

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Being occupied with thoughts during prayer does not invalidate it,

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but it is feared that it may diminish khushu' (devotion).

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One who has a need

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is permitted to step over the necks of the people.

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The permissibility of being surprised by someone who does an act contrary to his habit.

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Whoever sees disapproval on the faces of his companions,

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it is incumbent upon him to clarify the matter and dispel doubts.

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Walking quickly does not contradict dignity.

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The desirability of ridding oneself of what occupies the heart away from Allah the Exalted.

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The desirability of hastening to do good deeds.

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The permissibility of appointing a deputy or agent to distribute charity,

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even if one is capable of doing it personally.

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Detachment from worldly concerns during worship

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so that the soul may be purified therein.

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On the authority of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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A man said to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, on the day of Uhud:

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"Tell me, if I am killed, where will I be?"

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He said, "In Paradise."

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So he threw away some dates he had in his hand,

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and then fought until he was killed.

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Agreed upon

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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Hastening to perform good deeds,

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and not being occupied with desires.

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The desirability of a person asking about what he does not know.

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The intense longing of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, for Paradise,

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and their eagerness to enter it.

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The asceticism of the Companions regarding this world,

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and their aspiration for martyrdom in the path of Allah.

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Whoever dies a martyr in the path of Allah,

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is among the people of Paradise,

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provided he is not held back by debt.

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

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A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

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and said, "O Messenger of Allah,

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which charity carries the greatest reward?"

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He replied, "That you give charity

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while you are healthy and stingy,

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fearing poverty and hoping for wealth.

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Do not delay until, when the soul reaches the throat,

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you say, 'Give this much to so-and-so,'

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and 'Give this much to so-and-so,'

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when it has already become the property of so-and-so."

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Agreed upon.

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The throat is the passage for breath,

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and the gullet is the passage for food and drink.

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Stinginess (al-shuhh)

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means miserliness combined with intense greed.

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"Fearing" means being afraid.

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"Hoping" means coveting.

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"Reaches the throat"

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means the soul is nearing the point of reaching the throat.

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"You say, 'Give this much to so-and-so,'"

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the intended meaning

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is the acknowledgment of rights, the making of a will, or the distribution of inheritance.

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"When it has already become the property of so-and-so,"

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means it has already passed to the heirs.

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Among the benefits of the hadith:

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Charity given in health is superior to charity given in sickness,

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because stinginess dominates a person while in good health,

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due to the fear of poverty that Satan instills in them,

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and his embellishment of the desire for a long life and the need for wealth.

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Encouragement to hasten toward good deeds and the performance of charity

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before the signs of death descend upon a person.

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Riyad al-Salihin.