*Riyadh as-Salihin* (The Meadows of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: On Dignity and Tranquility.
Allah Almighty says:
"And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily..." [Qur'an 25:63]
“The (faithful) slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace;” (25:63)
Narrated 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
"I never saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
laughing so heartily that I could see his uvula;
he would only smile."
Agreed upon [by al-Bukhari and Muslim].
*Al-Lahawat* is the plural of *lahah*,
which is the tissue at the back of the palate.
"Laughing heartily" means laughing excessively,
leaving nothing held back.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
would express his laughter as a smile
whenever he was pleased or delighted by something.
Excessive laughter and raising one's voice in guffaws
are not among the characteristics of the righteous,
for they deaden the heart.
Chapter: On the Recommendation to Approach Prayer, Knowledge,
and Similar Acts of Worship with Tranquility and Dignity.
Allah Almighty says:
“That (is the command). And whoso magnifieth the offerings consecrated to Allah, it surely is from devotion of the hearts,” (22:32)
Narrated Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
"When the prayer has commenced,
do not come to it running,
but come to it walking,
and adhere to tranquility.
Whatever portion you catch, pray it;
and whatever you miss, complete it."
Agreed upon.
Muslim added in another narration:
"For when one of you intends to perform the prayer,
he is already considered to be in prayer."
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The prohibition of hastening when the prayer has been called,
merely to catch the opening takbir (*takbirat al-ihram*),
because doing so may dispel humility (*khushu'*) from the prayer
or prevent reflection when listening to the Qur'an.
A servant should approach the prayer
with dignity and tranquility,
because he is rulings-wise considered to be in prayer.
Thus, he ought to adopt
what a worshipper should adopt,
and avoid what a worshipper should avoid.
The follower should join the Imam
in whatever posture he finds him in.
Whatever he catches counts as part of his prayer,
and whatever he missed, he must complete.
Refraining from rushing
necessitates taking more steps,
which is an intended rewardable goal in coming to prayer.
Whoever catches any part of the congregational prayer
obtains the virtue of praying in congregation,
due to the statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
"Whatever portion you catch, pray it,"
as he made no distinction between catching a little or a lot.
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both:
He departed with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
on the Day of 'Arafah,
and the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard
behind him severe shouting, the beating of camels, and loud noises.
So he pointed his whip toward them and said:
"O people, you must observe tranquility,
for righteousness does not consist in hastening."
Narrated by al-Bukhari, and Muslim narrated part of it.
"Righteousness" means obedience,
and *al-i'da'* means rushing and speeding.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
Excessive rushing while traveling
is not a means of drawing closer to Allah,
as it leads to overcrowding, pushing,
and harming fellow Muslims.
However, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
would quicken his pace whenever he found an open space.
The compassion of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, for his Ummah,
as he forbade them from rushing
so that they would not exhaust themselves over a long distance.
Chapter: On Honoring the Guest.
Allah Almighty says:
“Hath the story of Abraham's honoured guests reached thee (O Muhammad)?” (51:24)
"When they entered upon him and said, 'Peace!'" [Qur'an 51:25]
“When they came in unto him and said: Peace! he answered, Peace! (and thought): Folk unknown (to me).” (51:25)
“Then he went apart unto his housefolk so that they brought a fatted calf;” (51:26)
“And he set it before them, saying: Will ye not eat?” (51:27)
And Almighty Allah says:
“And his people came unto him, running towards him - and before then they used to commit abominations - He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man?” (11:78)
“And his people came unto him, running towards him - and before then they used to commit abominations - He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man?” (11:78)
“And his people came unto him, running towards him - and before then they used to commit abominations - He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man?” (11:78)
"So fear Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests..." [Qur'an 11:78]
“And his people came unto him, running towards him - and before then they used to commit abominations - He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man?” (11:78)
Narrated Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
“Then, when they have reached their term, take them back in kindness or part from them in kindness, and call to witness two just men among you, and keep your testimony upright for Allah. Whoso believeth in Allah and the Last Day is exhorted to act thus. And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him,” (65:2)
"...let him honor his guest;
and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day,
let him maintain his family ties;
and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day,
let him speak good or remain silent."
Narrated Abu Shurayh
Khuwaylid ibn 'Amr al-Khuza'i, may Allah be pleased with him:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
“Then, when they have reached their term, take them back in kindness or part from them in kindness, and call to witness two just men among you, and keep your testimony upright for Allah. Whoso believeth in Allah and the Last Day is exhorted to act thus. And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him,” (65:2)
"...let him honor his guest with his prize."
They asked: "And what is his prize, O Messenger of Allah?"
He replied: "His first day and night;
and hospitality is for three days,
while anything beyond that
is considered charity for him."
Agreed upon.
In a narration by Muslim:
"It is not permissible for a Muslim to stay with his brother until he causes him to sin."
They asked: "O Messenger of Allah,
how would he cause him to sin?"
He replied:
"By staying with him when he has nothing left to offer him as hospitality."
"Causes him to sin"
means leading him into sin.
"To offer him as hospitality"
means to honor him and entertain him as a guest.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
Honoring the guest is obligatory.
Several points demonstrate this:
Including the direct command to do so;
making it a sign indicating faith in Allah and the Last Day;
and designating whatever exceeds three days as charity,
which indicates that what precedes it is an obligation;
as well as prohibiting the guest from driving the host into sin
by overstaying when the host has nothing to offer.
The period of hospitality is three days,
and anything beyond that is charity, favor, and benevolence.
It is recommended for the guest to lighten his stay
and avoid placing a burden on the host.
Chapter: On the Recommendation of Giving Glad Tidings and Congratulating Others on Good News.
Allah Almighty says:
"...So give good tidings to My servants." [Qur'an 39:17]
“Who hear advice and follow the best thereof. Such are those whom Allah guideth, and such are men of understanding.” (39:18)
And Almighty Allah says:
“Their Lord giveth them good tidings of mercy from Him, and acceptance, and Gardens where enduring pleasure will be theirs;” (9:21)
And Almighty Allah says:
“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)
And Almighty Allah says:
"So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy." [Qur'an 37:101]
And Almighty Allah says:
"And certainly did Our messengers come to Abraham with good tidings..." [Qur'an 11:69]
And Almighty Allah says:
"And his wife was standing, and she laughed..." [Qur'an 11:71]
“And his wife, standing by laughed when We gave her good tidings (of the birth) of Isaac, and, after Isaac, of Jacob.” (11:71)
And Almighty Allah says:
“And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.” (3:39)
And Almighty Allah says:
“(And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah).” (3:45)
...to the end of the verse.
The Qur'anic verses in this chapter are numerous and well known,
and as for the hadiths, they are very numerous
and prominent in the authentic collections (*as-Sahihayn*).
Among them:
Narrated Abu Ibrahim—also said to be Abu Muhammad
or Abu Mu'awiyah—
'Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, may Allah be pleased with him:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
gave glad tidings to Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, of a palace in Paradise made of hollowed pearls,
wherein there is no clamor nor hardship.
Agreed upon.
*Al-Qasab* here
refers to hollowed pearls.
*As-Sakhab*
means shouting and uproar.
*An-Nasab*
means fatigue.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
A clarification of the virtue of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her,
as she was among the foremost converts to Islam
and supported the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, during his hardship with everything precious she possessed.
An indication of the great status of Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her,
in the heart of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
Those given glad tidings of Paradise are more than ten;
when "the Ten" are mentioned,
it specifically refers to those mentioned together in a single hadith.
It contains proof of maintaining loyalty, preserving affection,
and respecting the sanctity of a companion and spouse, both in life and after death.
Allah, Mighty and Majestic, conveys glad tidings to whomever He wills among His servants regarding their reward in the Hereafter after death.
Narrated Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him:
He performed ablution in his house
and then went out, saying:
"I shall closely accompany the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and spend this whole day with him."
So he came to the mosque
and asked about the Prophet, peace be upon him.
They said: "He went in this direction."
He said:
"So I followed his footsteps, asking about him,
until he entered the well of Aris.
I sat at the gate
until the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, relieved himself and performed ablution.
Then I went up to him,
and found that he was sitting on the edge of the well of Aris,
in the middle of its wall,
with his legs uncovered and dangling into the well.
I greeted him with peace, then turned away
and sat at the gate,
saying to myself:
'I shall be the doorkeeper of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, today.'
Then Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, arrived
and pushed the door.
I asked: 'Who is it?'
He said:
'Abu Bakr.'
I said:
'Wait a moment.'
Then I went and said: 'O Messenger of Allah,
Abu Bakr is asking permission to enter.'
He said:
'Grant him permission and give him glad tidings of Paradise.'
So I went to Abu Bakr and said,
"Enter,
and the Messenger of Allah gives you the glad tidings of Paradise."
Abu Bakr entered and sat on the right side of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with him on the elevated ledge of the well,
dangling his legs into the well
just as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had done,
having uncovered his shins.
Then I returned and sat down,
having left my brother performing ablution to catch up with me.
I said to myself,
"If Allah intends for so-and-so—
meaning his brother—good,
He will bring him."
Suddenly, someone rattled the door.
I asked, "Who is this?"
He said,
"Umar ibn al-Khattab."
I said,
"Wait a moment."
Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
greeted him with peace, and said,
"This is Umar asking permission to enter."
He said,
"Admit him and give him glad tidings of Paradise."
So I went to Umar and said,
"You are permitted,
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gives you glad tidings of Paradise."
He entered and sat with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the elevated ledge on his left,
dangling his legs into the well.
Then I returned, sat down, and said,
"If Allah intends good for so-and-so—
meaning his brother—
He will bring him."
Then someone came and rattled the door.
I asked, "Who is this?"
He said,
"Uthman ibn Affan."
I said,
"Wait a moment."
I went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and informed him,
and he said,
"Admit him,
and give him glad tidings of Paradise along with a trial that will afflict him."
So I went to him and said,
"And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gives you glad tidings of Paradise along with a trial that will afflict you."
He entered and found the elevated ledge full,
so he sat facing them on the other side.
Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib said,
"I interpreted this as their graves."
Agreed upon.
In another narration it is added:
"And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered me to guard the door."
In it, when Uthman was given the glad tidings,
he praised Allah the Exalted
and then said,
"Allah is the One whose help is sought."
His saying, "He directed himself" (wajjaqa),
means he set out.
The Well of Aris
is an orchard in Madinah near Quba.
And the quff
is the raised casing built around the well.
And his saying, "Wait a moment" (ala rislik),
means take it easy and be gentle.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not keep a permanent doorkeeper,
but rather placed Abu Musa at the door
only for the duration of relieving his need and performing ablution,
yet Abu Musa continued guarding it of his own initiative.
The hadith includes the etiquettes of seeking permission,
among which are:
It is obligatory to seek permission before entering upon people.
Seeking permission should be done with refined courtesy.
Stating one's name when seeking permission.
The one seeking permission must not enter until granted leave.
Whoever is appointed over a matter
ought not to take any action
except by the permission of the one who appointed him.
A clarification of the virtues of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman,
and that they are among the people of Paradise.
The hadith is among the proofs of prophethood,
for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) informed Uthman
of what would afflict him,
and what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) foretold came to pass.
The statement of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him),
"I interpreted this as their graves,"
demonstrates the occurrence of dream-like interpretation while awake,
which is called intuitive discernment (firasah).
His intent was the burial of the two Companions alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and Uthman's separate burial apart from them in al-Baqi'.
The entry of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman in this specific order upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
indicates their designated order in the Caliphate.
The recommendation of imparting glad tidings of good,
just as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did
when he gave his three Companions the glad tidings of Paradise.
Riyad al-Salihin.