*Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn* (The Meadows of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: Honoring the Household of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and clarifying their virtue.
“And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of Ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor-due, and obey Allah and His messenger. Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.” (33:33)
And the Exalted said: "And whoever honors the sacred symbols of Allah—it is surely from the piety of the hearts."
On the authority of Yazīd ibn Ḥayyān, who said: I set out along with Ḥuṣayn ibn Sabrah and 'Umar ibn Muslim
to Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with them). When we sat with him, Ḥuṣayn said to him:
"You have indeed encountered immense good, O Zayd! You saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
heard his hadith, fought alongside him in battle, and prayed behind him. You have indeed encountered immense good, O Zayd!
Relate to us, O Zayd, what you heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
He replied: "O son of my brother, by Allah, my age has advanced, my time has grown distant,
and I have forgotten some of what I used to retain from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
So whatever I relate to you, accept it, and whatever I do not, do not burden me with it."
He then said: "One day, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stood up to deliver a sermon among us
at a water spring called Khumm, between Mecca and Medina.
He praised Allah, extolled Him, exhorted the people, and reminded them.
Then he said: 'To proceed: Hearken, O people, for I am only a human being.
The messenger of my Lord is soon to come to me, and I shall answer.
And I am leaving among you two weighty trusts: the first of them is the Book of Allah;
in it is guidance and light, so take hold of the Book of Allah and adhere firmly to it.'
Thus, he urged adherence to the Book of Allah and encouraged devotion to it.
Then he said: 'And the people of my household! I remind you of Allah regarding the people of my household!
I remind you of Allah regarding the people of my household!'"
Ḥuṣayn said to him: "And who are the people of his household, O Zayd?
Are his wives not of the people of his household?"
He replied: "His wives are of the people of his household,
but the people of his household are those who were forbidden from receiving zakat and charity after him."
He asked: "And who are they?"
He answered: "They are the family of 'Alī, the family of 'Aqīl, the family of Ja'far, and the family of 'Abbās."
He asked: "All of these were forbidden from receiving charity?"
He said: "Yes."
Narrated by Muslim.
In another narration:
"Hearken! I am leaving among you two weighty trusts:
one of them is the Book of Allah, and it is the rope of Allah;
whoever follows it will be upon guidance,
and whoever abandons it will be upon misguidance."
"A'ī" means: I remember and retain.
"Mā' Khumm" is a location between Mecca and Medina,
in which there is a well-known pool (ghadīr).
"The messenger of my Lord is soon to come":
meaning the Angel of Death is near to arriving,
summoning me to the meeting with Allah.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The commendability of praising a scholar with qualities befitting him,
and praying for him before seeking knowledge from him.
For this reason, flattery is only permissible when seeking knowledge.
The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
are people of virtue and righteousness.
It is permissible for a scholar to excuse himself to his listeners
before relating hadiths to them, concerning any inadvertent error or slip
that might occur on his part.
Old age is a cause for forgetfulness and weakening of memory.
A scholar ought
only to narrate what he knows with certainty,
and it is not permissible to speak without knowledge.
A seeker of knowledge should not embarrass his teacher,
nor burden him with what he cannot bear to answer,
if he sees that his teacher is content with what he has already related.
It is commendable for a scholar to seize opportune moments
to teach his companions and remind them.
A scholar ought to instruct his followers
with that which will rectify their affairs after he is gone.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
is a mortal whom death overtakes just as it overtakes all human beings.
The Exalted said:
“Lo! thou wilt die, and lo! they will die;” (39:30)
The obligation of holding fast to the Book of Allah,
for it is Allah's firm rope
and the straight path;
whoever follows it is guided,
and whoever abandons it remains in misguidance.
The injunction to care for the family of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and the requirement to attend to their affairs.
The wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
are among the members of his household.
Charity is forbidden for the Prophet's household,
and only the one-fifth share of the spoils of war was made lawful for them.
On the authority of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both),
from Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him),
as a mawqūf narration,
that he said:
"Show reverence to Muḥammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
regarding the people of his household."
Narrated by al-Bukhārī.
The meaning of "Show reverence to":
Respect him, honor him, and venerate him.
And Allah knows best.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
Venerating the household of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
honoring them, and showing loyalty to them.
The recognition by the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
of the rights of the Prophet's household,
particularly the two elders, Abū Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).
Chapter: Reverence for Scholars, Elders, and People of Virtue,
giving them precedence over others,
elevating their seating places,
and manifesting their elevated rank.
Allah the Exalted said:
“Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.” (39:9)
"Only people of understanding will take heed."
On the authority of Abū Mas'ūd
'Uqbah ibn 'Amr al-Badrī al-Anṣārī (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The people are to be led in prayer by the one among them who is most proficient in the Book of Allah.
If they are equal in recitation,
then by the one most knowledgeable in the Sunnah.
If they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah,
then by the earliest of them to have emigrated.
If they are equal in emigration,
then by the eldest of them in age.
A man must not lead another man in prayer in his place of authority,
nor sit in his house upon his honored seat except with his permission."
Narrated by Muslim.
And in another narration:
"the earliest of them in acceptance of Islam"
instead of "eldest in age,"
or "earliest in entering Islam."
And in another narration:
"The people are to be led in prayer by the one among them who is most proficient in the Book of Allah
and the earliest of them in recitation.
If they are equal in recitation,
then the earliest of them to have emigrated shall lead them.
If they are equal in emigration,
then the eldest of them in age shall lead them."
What is meant by "his place of authority" is the realm of his jurisdiction
or the place specifically designated for him.
"His honored seat" refers to that which is exclusively his, such as a special rug, bed, or the like.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
Giving precedence to the more knowledgeable in leading the prayer:
the one most knowledgeable in the Book of Allah and most proficient in reciting it,
then the one most knowledgeable in the Sunnah,
then the earliest in emigration or acceptance of Islam,
then the eldest in age.
The greatest of all disciplines of knowledge is knowledge of the Book of Allah, Majestic and Exalted,
in recitation, teaching, and memorization;
and stemming from it is knowledge of the Prophetic Sunnah
in narration, comprehension, and implementation.
Precedence in Islam carries distinct weight.
The ruler, the owner of a house or workplace,
and the appointed imam of a mosque have greater right to lead prayer than anyone else,
even if someone else is more knowledgeable, unless they grant permission.
The host of a gathering has greater right to his own seat than anyone else.
A woman has no right to lead men in prayer,
because the word "qawm" (people) in this context refers specifically to men to the exclusion of women,
as Allah the Exalted said:
“O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), not let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turneth not in repentance, such are evil-doers.” (49:11)
“O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), not let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turneth not in repentance, such are evil-doers.” (49:11)
And on the authority of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr al-Badrī al-Anṣārī (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to touch our shoulders in prayer
and say:
"Straighten your rows and do not fall into discord, lest your hearts become discordant.
Let those of you who possess maturity and understanding stand closest to me,
and then those who follow them."
Narrated by Muslim.
His statement, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"Let those of you who possess maturity and understanding stand closest to me":
meaning let those of sound intellect stand nearest to me.
"Those of maturity" refers to adults,
and it is also said to mean people of forbearance and virtue.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The obligation to straighten the rows, fill the gaps,
and align shoulders and feet in prayer.
The imam should take care to inspect the congregants' rows before commencing the prayer.
Discord and contention are causes for corruption of the hearts.
Outward alignment exerts an influence on the inward state.
The most virtuous are placed closest to the imam,
and virtue here refers to people of knowledge and forbearance.
People of knowledge and forbearance should stand immediately behind the imam,
so as to prompt him if he errs or forgets,
or take his place if an emergency or sudden event requires it.
On the authority of 'Abdullāh ibn Mas'ūd (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Let those of you who possess maturity and understanding stand closest to me,
and then those who follow them"—saying it three times—
"and beware of the clamor of the marketplaces!"
Narrated by Muslim.
"The clamor of the marketplaces":
meaning their confusion, arguing, quarreling,
and the raising of voices therein.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The prohibition against worshippers causing disturbances in mosques,
such as disputing, arguing, and raising voices,
because that dispels humility and focus.
Mosques have their sanctity;
for this reason, buying and selling are not permitted,
nor is announcing lost property inside the mosque.
The obligation of keeping the prayer rows distinct,
such that the men's rows are distinct from the women's rows,
and it is not permissible for them to be intermingled
in the manner of people intermingling in marketplaces.
On the authority of Abū Yaḥyā—
and it is also said: Abū Muḥammad—
Sahl ibn Abī Ḥathmah al-Anṣārī (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
'Abdullāh ibn Sahl
and Muḥayyiṣah ibn Mas'ūd set out for Khaybar,
which was at that time under a peace treaty.
They separated from each other,
and then Muḥayyiṣah came upon 'Abdullāh ibn Sahl
while he was wallowing in his blood, slain.
So he buried him,
and then returned to Medina.
Thereupon, 'Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Sahl
along with Muḥayyiṣah and Ḥuwayyiṣah, the sons of Mas'ūd, went
to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
'Abd al-Rahman began to speak,
but he said, "Let the eldest speak! Let the eldest speak!"
for he was the youngest among them.
So he remained silent,
and the elders spoke.
Then he asked,
"Will you take fifty oaths and claim the right against the killer of your companion?"
And he recounted the rest of the hadith.
It is agreed upon.
And his saying, peace be upon him:
"Let the eldest speak! Let the eldest speak!"
means that the oldest among them should speak first.
"And it was under a peace treaty that day"
means after its conquest,
and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) agreement leaving its people on it under a peace treaty.
"Wallowing"
means floundering and rolling in his own blood.
"The youngest of the people"
means the youngest in age among them.
Among the lessons derived from this hadith:
The permissibility of making a truce with the enemy out of necessity,
such that reconciliation is more advantageous for Islam.
But if Islam is dominant over disbelief,
and no clear benefit appears in making peace,
then it is not permissible.
Individual Muslims do not have the right to act on their own initiative regarding the enemy
if their action impacts the broader community of Muslims, without the permission of the ruler.
Giving precedence to the eldest in speaking.
Taking oaths in the claim of Qasamah is for the heirs of the slain.
Qasamah refers to fifty oaths,
divided among the heirs of the slain
when they claim blood money,
or upon the accused if they deny the charge.
Riyad al-Salihin.