*Riyad al-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 Patience.
On the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
On the day of the Battle of Hunayn,
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) favored certain people in the distribution of the spoils.
He gave al-Aqra' ibn Habis one hundred camels,
and gave 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn the like,
and also gave to prominent figures among the Arabs, favoring them that day in the distribution.
Thereupon, a man said:
"By Allah, this is a division in which justice was not observed,
nor was the face of Allah sought therein!"
So I said: "By Allah, I will certainly inform the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
I went to him and told him what the man had said,
and his face changed color until it became like red dye.
Then he said: "Who will be just if Allah and His Messenger are not just?"
Then he said: "May Allah have mercy on Moses;
he was harmed with more than this, yet he bore it with patience."
I then said: "Indeed, I will never convey any report to him after this."
Agreed upon.
His words: "like *sarif*"
means red dye.
Hunayn:
A valley between Mecca and al-Ta'if.
"Certain people": meaning those whose hearts were to be reconciled, the freed captives of Mecca (*tulaqa'*), and Arab chieftains, in order to win over their hearts.
"The distribution": the distribution of the spoils of the Hawazin tribe.
"He favored them": meaning he granted them lavish gifts.
"Indeed (*la jarama*)": meaning truly.
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is permissible to single out a group with gifts to the exclusion of others,
if the leader sees an overriding public interest in doing so.
Among the sound methods of Islamic governance in calling to Allah
is winning over the hearts of notables and figures of influence through the worldly wealth they desire.
In every era, there are enemies of the prophets and their followers,
slandering them, rejecting their words,
and casting doubt upon their mission.
The obligation of offering sincere counsel to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers;
for 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud conveyed the words of those who defamed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) back to him.
Overlooking the faults of the vile is an ancient practice of the prophets;
for Moses, peace be upon him, was harmed yet bore it with patience,
and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was harmed yet pardoned.
The Messenger's emulation of his fellow brother prophets,
in fulfillment of the saying of the Exalted: ◁So follow their guidance▷.
The Messenger is a human being, affected by what affects human beings;
whenever he disapproved of something, became angry at something, or rejoiced at a matter, it was clearly seen on his face.
The most just of people, the most God-fearing, and the most knowledgeable of Allah
are the messengers and prophets, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them.
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:
"When Allah wills good for His servant, He hastens his punishment in this world;
and when Allah wills evil for His servant, He withholds from him the consequence of his sin until He calls him to account for it on the Day of Resurrection."
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Greatness of reward comes with the greatness of affliction;
and when Allah the Exalted loves a people, He tests them.
Whoever is pleased will have Allah's pleasure, and whoever is displeased will have His displeasure."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a fair hadith.
"Until He calls him to account for it" means he will come carrying his sin on his back.
Key lessons from the hadith:
Hastening punishment in this world is a sign of good intended by Allah for His servant,
because it serves as an expiation for sins and a means for their erasure.
The punishment of the Hereafter is far more severe and painful;
thus, whoever Allah does not intend good for, He delays their punishment until they are disgraced on the Day of Resurrection.
People are tested in proportion to their religious commitment.
Patience during calamities and illnesses purifies from sins.
A believer must be content with whatever trials afflict them,
and not despair or display resentment over them.
On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
A son of Abu Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him, was sick,
and while Abu Talhah went out, the boy passed away.
When Abu Talhah returned, he asked:
"How is my son doing?"
Umm Sulaym, the boy's mother, replied:
"He is in a quieter state than he has ever been."
She then served him dinner, and he ate,
and thereafter he had marital relations with her.
When he finished, she said: "Bury the boy."
The next morning, Abu Talhah
went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and informed him.
He asked: "Did you consummate your marriage last night?"
He replied: "Yes."
He said: "O Allah, bless them both."
Subsequently, she gave birth to a boy.
Abu Talhah said to me:
"Carry him until you bring him to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"
and he sent some dates along with him.
The Prophet asked: "Is there anything with him?"
He replied: "Yes, some dates."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took them,
chewed them,
then took them from his mouth
and placed them into the mouth of the boy.
He then softened them for him (*tahnik*) and named him 'Abdullah.
Agreed upon.
In a narration of al-Bukhari:
Ibn 'Uyaynah said:
A man from the Ansar said:
"I saw nine sons, all of whom had memorized the Qur'an,"
meaning from the offspring of 'Abdullah, the newborn child.
In a narration of Muslim:
A son belonging to Abu Talhah and Umm Sulaym died,
and she said to her family:
"Do not speak to Abu Talhah about his son until I am the one who informs him."
He came home,
and she served him dinner, so he ate and drank.
Then she beautified herself for him more attractively than she ever had before,
and he had intimate relations with her.
When she saw that he was satisfied and had fulfilled his desire,
she said:
"O Abu Talhah,
tell me, if a people lent something on loan to a household,
and then asked for their loan back,
do they have the right to refuse them?"
He said: "No."
She said:
"Then seek reward with Allah for your son."
He said:
He became angry
and then said:
"You left me until I indulged myself,
and only then did you tell me about my son?!"
He set out until he reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and informed him of what had happened.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"May Allah bless the two of you in your night."
He said:
So she became pregnant.
He said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and she accompanied him.
Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned to Medina from a journey, he would never arrive unexpectedly by night.
As they drew near Medina,
labor pains overtook her,
so Abu Talhah stayed behind with her,
while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went ahead.
He said:
Abu Talhah was saying:
"You know, O Lord,
that I love to depart with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) whenever he departs,
and enter with him whenever he enters,
but I have been detained by what You see."
Umm Sulaym said:
"O Abu Talhah,
I no longer feel the pain I was feeling;
let us proceed."
So we set off,
and labor pains overtook her as soon as they arrived,
and she gave birth to a boy.
My mother said to me:
"O Anas,
let no one nurse him
until you take him in the morning to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
When morning came,
I carried him and took him to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
And he mentioned the completion of the hadith.
"Was sick (*yashtaki*)":
meaning he was suffering from an illness,
and it does not mean that he was voicing a complaint.
The son of Abu Talhah:
He was Abu 'Umayr,
whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to playfully tease by saying:
"O Abu 'Umayr,
what did the little sparrow (*nughayr*) do?"
"He is in a quieter state than he has ever been":
meaning his soul became tranquil through death,
after having been restless and troubled.
"Then he had marital relations with her":
a polite euphemism for sexual intercourse.
"She beautified herself for him":
meaning by improving her appearance with adornments and the like.
"He lay with her":
meaning he engaged in intimacy with her.
"Tell me (*ara'ayta*)":
meaning inform me.
"Seek reward with Allah for your son":
meaning seek the reward from Allah the Exalted for your affliction regarding your son.
"I indulged myself":
meaning becoming stained with the fluid of intercourse.
"He would never arrive unexpectedly by night":
meaning he would not enter the city during the night,
lest he see something displeasing from his household.
"Labor pains overtook her":
meaning the pangs of childbirth.
Key lessons from the hadith:
The hadith offers a living example of the Muslim woman and righteous wife,
in her profound wisdom and brilliant intellect.
Umm Sulaym's patience upon the death of her child
is a role model for women.
Exercising tact and gentleness when breaking news of a death or calamity.
Prioritizing the husband's comfort over burdening him with grief,
which is an expression of a wife's devotion to her husband.
The Companions' love for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and their eagerness to accompany him, seek his counsel,
and seek blessings through his company.
Spouses should each ease the other's burdens during afflictions,
and beautify themselves for one another
to ensure the endurance of marital companionship and deepen affection.
Whoever leaves something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something far better.
The permissibility of using ambiguous expressions (*ma'arid*)
when necessity calls for it,
and that this is not considered lying.
A woman's striving to attend to her husband's best interests
and attending to his service,
just as Umm Sulaym did
when she offered him dinner and he ate;
the answered prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
for he blessed their child conceived on that night,
and his descendants grew numerous and righteous;
the recommendation to console the afflicted in times of calamity,
just as Umm Sulaym did with Abu Talhah
when she gave him the analogy of a borrowed trust.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The strong person is not the one who can wrestle others down;
rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when angry."
Agreed upon.
In the original Arabic usage, the term *sura'ah* refers to someone who frequently wrestles people down.
Among the lessons of the hadith:
Islam transforms the pre-Islamic, ignorant concept of strength
into noble character traits that forge a distinguished Muslim personality;
thus, the strongest of people
is the one who takes control of himself and reins in his desires;
striving against one's own soul and mastering it
is harder than fighting an enemy;
the obligation to avoid anger,
due to the physical, psychological, and social harms it entails;
anger is an innate human trait
that can be dispelled by several means, including self-restraint;
the prohibition of transgressing against others,
whether in a state of anger or otherwise.
And on the authority of Sulayman Ibn Surad (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
while two men were trading insults,
and one of them had a red face and swollen neck veins.
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'I know a word which, if he were to utter it, would make what he feels depart from him.
If he were to say: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan,
what he feels would leave him.'
So they said to him,
'The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.'"
Agreed upon.
"Trading insults" (*yastabban*):
meaning each of them was reviling the other;
"his neck veins" (*awdajuhu*):
the blood vessels encircling the neck which are severed during slaughter;
"a word" (*kalimah*):
refers here to a complete, meaningful sentence;
"I seek refuge" (*a'udhu*):
meaning I resort to and hold fast to Allah.
Among the lessons of the hadith:
The hadith is derived from the words of Allah the Exalted:
"And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan,
then seek refuge in Allah.
Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
Anger is provoked by Satan
because of the spiritual and worldly harm it brings about;
hence, its root cause is eliminated—
namely the whispering of Satan—by seeking refuge in Allah;
the Companions are human beings,
subject to the same natural bouts of anger that affect all mankind,
yet they were distinguished by their swift responsiveness
to the reminders of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
and by not persisting in falsehood;
the wisdom of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
in calling to Allah,
reminding people of Him, and counseling the Muslims,
in that when someone is expected
not to receive counsel well,
it should not be addressed to him directly;
the recommendation to offer advice to others
even if they did not ask for it;
the permissibility of conveying advice to someone who did not hear it firsthand,
so that he may benefit from what it contains.
*Riyad al-Salihin*.