Riyadh al-Salihin from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: Vigilance (Muraqabah).
On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
"You perform deeds that you consider more insignificant than a strand of hair,
yet during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, we used to count them among the destructive sins."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
He said: "The destructive sins are those that lead to ruin."
"More insignificant than a strand of hair" is a metaphor for their perceived triviality and smallness.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Taking a sin lightly indicates a lack of fear of Allah the Exalted.
It is a sign of hypocrisy, contrary to viewing a sin as grave.
For viewing a sin as grave indicates the perfection of fear and profound vigilance toward Allah the Exalted.
The hadith contains a warning against a person relying on their own deeds,
becoming conceited by them, and taking sins lightly.
For the accumulation of minor sins will surround him,
and he will meet Allah unable to find a way to escape them,
so they will destroy and ruin him.
The most knowledgeable of people regarding Allah the Exalted, after the Prophets,
the most perfect in piety, and the most intense in fear,
are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
They used to view matters that others considered trivial as destructive,
due to the greatness of their witnessing the majesty of Allah,
and the perfection of their knowledge of Him.
Their understanding—the Companions—of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger is what is considered authoritative,
because it is the path of the believers.
Whoever follows their methodology succeeds,
and whoever deviates from it is ruined and causes others to be ruined.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"Indeed, Allah the Exalted is jealous."
And the jealousy of Allah the Exalted
is that a person commits what Allah has forbidden him.
Agreed upon.
The essence of jealousy is indignation.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is incumbent upon the servant to distance himself from sins,
because they cause the wrath of Allah the Exalted.
Allah, glory be to Him, dislikes disbelief, immorality, and disobedience.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that he heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying:
"There were three men from the Children of Israel:
a leper, a bald man, and a blind man.
Allah intended to test them,
so He sent an angel to them.
He came to the leper and said,
'What thing is most beloved to you?'
He said,
'A beautiful complexion and beautiful skin,
and for that which has caused people to shun me to be removed.'
So he wiped him, and his affliction was removed,
and he was given a beautiful complexion.
He said,
'And what wealth is most beloved to you?'
He said,
'Camels,' or he said,
'Cows.'
The narrator was in doubt.
So he was given a pregnant she-camel,
and he said,
'May Allah bless you in it.'
Then he came to the bald man and said,
'What thing is most beloved to you?'
He said,
'Beautiful hair,
and for that which has caused people to shun me to be removed.'
So he wiped him, and it was removed,
and he was given beautiful hair.
He said,
'And what wealth is most beloved to you?'
He said,
'Cows.'
So he was given a pregnant cow,
and he said,
'May Allah bless you in it.'
Then he came to the blind man and said,
'What thing is most beloved to you?'
He said,
'That Allah restores my sight to me,
so that I may see people.'
So he wiped him, and Allah restored his sight to him.
He said,
'And what wealth is most beloved to you?'
He said,
'Sheep.'
So he was given a pregnant ewe.
It produced offspring, and the other produced offspring,
until this one had a valley full of camels,
this one had a valley full of cows,
and this one had a valley full of sheep.
Then he came to the leper in his [the leper's] former appearance and state,
and said,
'A poor man,
whose means have been cut off in my journey,
so I have no provision today
except through Allah, then through you.
I ask you by the One who gave you the beautiful complexion, the beautiful skin, and the wealth,
for a camel to help me reach my destination.'
He said,
'The obligations are many.'
He said,
'It is as if I know you.
Were you not a leper whom people shunned,
and poor, then Allah gave you wealth?'
He said,
'I only inherited this wealth from my forefathers.'
He said,
'If you are a liar,
may Allah return you to what you were.'
He came to the bald man in his former appearance and state,
and said to him the same as he said to the first,
and he replied to him the same as the first had replied.
He said,
'If you are a liar,
may Allah return you to what you were.'
He came to the blind man in his former appearance and state,
and said,
'A poor man and a traveler,
my means have been cut off in my journey,
so I have no provision today except through Allah, then through you.
I ask you by the One who restored your sight to you,
for a sheep to help me reach my destination.'
He said,
'I was blind,
and Allah restored my sight to me.
So take what you wish and leave what you wish.
For by Allah, I will not burden you today with anything
that you take for the sake of Allah the Almighty.'
He said,
'Keep your wealth,
for you have only been tested.
Allah is pleased with you,
and is angry with your two companions.'
Agreed upon.
The "pregnant she-camel" (al-ashara)
is the one that is pregnant.
His saying,
"It produced offspring" (antaja),
and in one narration "fa-nataja,"
means he managed its breeding.
The "nataj" for a camel is like the midwife for a woman.
"It produced offspring" (walada hadha),
meaning he managed its birth.
It has the same meaning as "nataja" regarding the camel.
So "muwallid," "natij," and "qabila" all have the same meaning,
but the former is for animals,
and the latter is for others.
His saying,
"My means have been cut off" (in quta'at biya al-hibal),
means the causes and resources.
His saying,
"I will not burden you" (la ajhaduka),
means:
I will not make it difficult for you to return anything you take or request from my wealth.
In the narration of al-Bukhari:
"I will not reproach you" (la ahmaduka),
meaning:
I will not reproach you for leaving anything you need.
As they said:
"There is no regret over the length of life,"
meaning over the passing of its length.
"Bald" (aqra'):
is one who has lost the hair of his head due to an ailment.
"Test them" (yabtaliyahum),
meaning: He examines them.
"Shunned me" (qadhara-ni),
meaning: People disliked me and kept away from me.
"No provision" (la balagh),
"Balagh" is that by which one reaches the desired thing.
"From forefathers" (kabiran 'an kabir),
meaning: from father to grandfather.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The permissibility of speaking about past nations,
especially the Children of Israel,
for there were wonders among them.
The obligation of thanking for blessings and not denying them.
It is a cause for blessing and growth.
The virtue of charity,
and the encouragement to be kind to the weak, to honor them, and to help them reach their needs.
Among the most despicable traits is stinginess,
for it led those two individuals to forget the blessing of Allah the Exalted upon them and to deny it.
Stinginess and lying are causes for the wrath and anger of Allah the Exalted,
as happened to the leper and the bald man.
Truthfulness and generosity are among the praiseworthy traits,
and that blind man was characterized by them,
which led him to gratitude and generosity,
and he attained thereby the pleasure of Allah the Exalted.
The reward with Allah the Exalted is based on what appears of a person's deed,
and according to his intention.
Providing guidance and instruction through stories,
because their impact is more profound on the souls.
The permissibility of asking by Allah,
as the angel did with the bald man, the leper, and the blind man.
When blessing settles in something,
it makes the little much,
and the opposite is also true.
Sincere gratitude to Allah the Exalted
is manifested in the servant's acknowledgment of Allah's favor upon him,
with his heart and his tongue,
And he was quick to spend in the way of Allah.
Allah the Exalted says:
"If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]."
On the authority of Abu Ya'la
Shaddad ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him,
from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"The wise person is the one who subdues his soul
and works for what comes after death,
while the helpless one is the one who lets his soul follow its whims
and relies upon Allah for [the fulfillment of] his desires."
It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Tirmidhi and other scholars said:
"Subdues his soul" means he holds it to account.
"The wise" refers to the intelligent and prudent person.
"The helpless" refers to the weak person who neglects what must be done.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The obligation of being firm with one's soul and holding it to account.
Preparing for what comes after death through righteous deeds.
Whoever follows the desires of his soul
has gone astray and led others astray.
One should not rely on false hopes and deceptive illusions,
for Allah the Exalted rewards people for what they have done,
not for what they wished for without action.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Part of the excellence of a person's Islam
is his leaving alone that which does not concern him."
It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
"Part of the excellence of a person's Islam"
means it is a sign of his perfection and uprightness.
"His leaving alone that which does not concern him"
means he abandons what he does not need and what is not necessary according to the rulings of the Shari'ah,
not according to whims and the desires of the self.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
A person should occupy himself with what brings him benefit in this life and the Hereafter,
and turn away from everything else
that he does not need and from which he derives no benefit,
and which may even harm or trouble him.
A person should not meddle in the affairs of others,
for that is part of the perfection of steadfastness in religion.
On the authority of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:
"A man shall not be asked why he beat his wife."
It was narrated by Abu Dawud and others.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
One should preserve the secrets that exist between spouses.
"A man shall not be asked why he beat his wife"
because it may be for reasons that are embarrassing to mention,
or matters that must be kept private.
This is left to the husband and his mindfulness of Allah the Exalted.
If matters are brought before a judge,
and the situation requires questioning and answering,
then that is permissible to establish the truth and reconcile between people.
Riyad al-Salihin.