*Riyad al-Salihin* from the Words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter on the Virtue of Weeping out of Fear of Allah Almighty
and Out of Longing for Him.
Allah Almighty said:
“They fall down on their faces, weeping, and it increaseth humility in them.” (17:109)
And Allah Almighty said:
“Marvel ye then at this statement,” (53:59)
﴾And you laugh and do not weep?﴿
On the authority of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me:
"Recite the Qur'an to me."
I said, "O Messenger of Allah!
Should I recite it to you when to you it was revealed?"
He said:
"Indeed, I love to hear it from someone other than myself."
So I recited Surah An-Nisa' to him,
until I reached this verse:
“But how (will it be with them) when We bring of every people a witness, and We bring thee (O Muhammad) a witness against these?” (4:41)
“But how (will it be with them) when We bring of every people a witness, and We bring thee (O Muhammad) a witness against these?” (4:41)
He said:
"That is enough for now."
So I turned toward him,
and behold, his eyes were overflowing with tears.
Agreed upon.
"As a witness"
means a witness who testifies against them regarding their deeds.
"That is enough"
means that suffices you.
"Overflowing with tears"
means his tears were flowing.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
An affirmation of the virtues of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him),
as the Messenger (peace be upon him) loved to hear
the word of Allah from his mouth.
This hadith indicates
Ibn Mas'ud's keenness in seeking out the Qur'an, memorizing it, and perfecting its recitation.
The recommendation of listening to the Qur'an from others,
as it is more conducive to reflection and contemplation.
The permissibility of a student reciting before the teacher.
The permissibility of instructing another person to stop reciting
if there is a valid benefit in doing so,
as indicated by his saying, "That is enough."
The encouragement to contemplate the Qur'an upon reciting it or listening to it,
so that it leaves a profound impact on the soul.
The virtue of weeping out of fear of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
upon hearing His verses,
while maintaining composure,
observing dignified silence, and refraining from wailing.
Imam al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"And these are the states of the scholars:
they weep without fainting,
they inquire without shouting,
and they feel sorrow without feigning demise."
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered
a sermon the likes of which I had never heard before.
He said:
"If you only knew what I know,
you would laugh little
and weep much."
He said:
Thereupon, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) covered
their faces,
weeping with a muffled sobbng sound.
Agreed upon.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"A man who weeps out of fear of Allah shall not enter the Fire
until the milk returns to the udder;
nor shall dust endured in the cause of Allah
and the smoke of Hell ever combine."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
"Shall not enter [yalij]"
means shall not go into.
"Until the milk returns to the udder"
means until the milk goes back into the breast through its pores,
which is impossible.
"Dust in the cause of Allah"
refers to striving against the enemies of the religion,
seeking the pleasure of Allah Almighty.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
Weeping out of fear of Allah Almighty
inspires steadfastness,
thereby serving as a shield against the torment of the Fire.
The virtue of striving in the cause of Allah Almighty
to make His word supreme.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"There are seven whom Allah will shade under His shade
on the Day when there is no shade but His:
a just leader;
a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah Almighty;
a man whose heart is attached to the mosques;
two men who love each other for the sake of Allah,
meeting upon that and parting upon that;
a man who is seduced by a woman of noble status and beauty,
but he says, 'I fear Allah';
a man who gives charity
and conceals it so that his left hand does not know
what his right hand has spent;
and a man who remembers Allah in seclusion,
and his eyes overflow with tears."
Agreed upon.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn al-Shikhkhir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
while he was praying,
and from his chest came a sound like the boiling of a cauldron from weeping.
Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.
"From his chest [jawfihi]" means his inner chest.
"The boiling of a cauldron" refers to the bubbling of a cooking pot.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
The permissibility of describing the humility of a role model whom people follow,
so that they may emulate him.
A demonstration of what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) possessed
of consummate fear of Allah.
This is proof of his profound knowledge of Allah Almighty
and his awareness of His power,
and deeds are performed in proportion to that awareness.
One who displays signs of humility and awe
is not deemed ostentatious so long as that was not his intent.
Weeping during prayer does not invalidate it,
nor does it negate the worshiper's concentration and devotion;
rather, it is a sign of it.
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said
to Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him):
"Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has commanded me to recite to you."
“Those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters could not have left off (erring) till the clear proof came unto them,” (98:1)
He asked, "And did He mention me by name?"
He replied, "Yes."
Thereupon, Ubayy wept.
Agreed upon.
In another narration:
"So Ubayy began to weep."
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
A demonstration of the great virtues of Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him),
and that he was among the deeply grounded in memorizing and reciting the Holy Qur'an;
he was the best reciter among the Companions,
as established from the Messenger (peace be upon him).
The legitimacy of showing humility in acquiring knowledge from those qualified,
even if the person is of lesser standing.
For here is the Messenger (peace be upon him)
reciting to Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him)
by the command of Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.
Ibn Kathir said:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) only recited to him
to strengthen him and increase his faith."
The permissibility of weeping out of joy, delight, and the attainment of blessings.
The recommendation of reviewing the Qur'an before others,
as this leads to the perfection of its memorization.
This is an established Sunnah,
for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
used to review the Qur'an with Gabriel once every year,
and in the year he passed away,
he reviewed the Qur'an with him twice.
The memorizers and reciters of the Qur'an have continually followed this practice.
Al-Qurtubi said:
"This Surah was specifically chosen for recitation
because of what it contains regarding monotheism, the message, sincerity,
the scriptures and books revealed to the Prophets,
the mention of prayer and zakat,
and the Hereafter, along with the description of the people of Paradise and the Fire,
despite its brevity."
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
Abu Bakr said to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)
after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
"Let us go to Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her)
to visit her, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to visit her."
When they reached her, she wept.
So they asked her:
"What makes you weep?
Do you not know that what is with Allah Almighty is better for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?"
She replied:
"I am not weeping because I do not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him);
rather, I am weeping
because revelation from heaven has ceased."
This stirred their emotions to weep,
so they began weeping along with her.
Narrated by Muslim.
On the authority of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
When the illness of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) became severe,
he was asked regarding the prayer.
He said:
"Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer."
'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"Indeed, Abu Bakr is a tender-hearted man;
whenever he recites the Qur'an, weeping overcomes him."
He said:
"Tell him to lead the prayer."
In a narration from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she said:
I said:
"If Abu Bakr takes your place,
the people will not be able to hear him due to his weeping."
Agreed upon.
"Became severe"
means grew intense and heavy.
"He was asked regarding the prayer"
means who should establish it for the congregation and lead them in it.
"Your place"
means standing as the imam for the people.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
The virtue of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)
and his immense awe and fear of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
In this hadith,
there is evidence for the leadership and caliphate of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)
after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
the recommendation of having a tender heart and weeping when reciting the Qur'an,
and the permissibility of the imam appointing a deputy to lead the people in prayer.
On the authority of Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf,
that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him)
was brought food while he was fasting,
whereupon he said:
"Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed,
and he was better than me,
yet nothing could be found to shroud him in
except a single cloak:
if his head was covered with it, his feet showed,
and if his feet were covered with it, his head showed.
Then the worldly life was laid out for us in abundance,"
or he said:
"We were given of this worldly life what we were given,
and we fear that our good deeds have been advanced to us in this world."
Then he began to weep until he left the food.
Related by al-Bukhari.
"Bussita" means expanded and enriched.
"Our good deeds have been advanced to us"
means that we have already been granted the reward of our righteous deeds in this worldly life,
so that nothing remains stored up for us in the Hereafter.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
The recommendation to remember the biographies of the righteous and the ascetics,
so that a person reduces their attachment to this world;
A clarification of the virtues of the earliest foremost Muslims,
such as Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr and Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with them),
and others among those who were killed in the cause of Allah in the early days of Islam;
A person ought to remember their companions and brethren
for their noble deeds and excellent merits,
seek forgiveness for them,
and avoid mentioning whatever would displease or belittle them;
The encouragement to take little from this world and its adornments,
and to beware of expanding excessively in it, becoming preoccupied with it,
and falling short in fulfilling obligatory duties on its account;
The intense fear that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had of Allah;
A person should look in matters of obedience to those above them,
and in worldly matters to those below them,
so that one remains eager to perform more acts of obedience,
while remaining grateful for the blessings of Allah and His immense grace.
On the authority of Abu Umamah Sudayy ibn 'Ajlan al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said:
"Nothing is more beloved to Allah Almighty than two drops and two marks:
a tear shed out of fear of Allah,
and a drop of blood spilled in the cause of Allah.
As for the two marks: a mark left in the cause of Allah Almighty,
and a mark left while fulfilling one of the obligatory duties prescribed by Allah Almighty."
Related by al-Tirmidhi.
"Athar" (mark/trace) refers to what remains of a thing indicating its occurrence.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
The virtue of weeping out of fear of Allah Almighty,
because it is proof of sincere faith in Allah;
The virtue of jihad,
and the reward of one who is wounded and whose blood flows in the cause of Allah,
retaining the scar of their healed wound;
The virtue of drawing near to Allah Almighty through what He has made obligatory upon His servants,
and striving to perform them as Allah commanded.
There are many hadiths in this chapter,
among which is the hadith of al-'Irbad ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) delivered an admonition to us
by which hearts were moved with fear
and eyes shed tears."
Riyadh al-Salihin.