Riyadh al-Salihin from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: Moderation in Worship.
On the authority of Abu Juhayfah Wahb ibn ‘Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, established a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu al-Darda’.
Salman visited Abu al-Darda’.
He saw Umm al-Darda’ looking disheveled.
He asked her, "What is the matter with you?"
She replied, "Your brother Abu al-Darda’ has no interest in the world."
Then Abu al-Darda’ came and prepared food for him.
He said to him, "Eat, for I am fasting."
Salman said, "I will not eat until you eat."
So he ate.
When night fell, Abu al-Darda’ stood up to pray.
Salman said to him, "Sleep," so he slept.
Then he went to stand up again, and he said to him, "Sleep."
When it was the end of the night, Salman said, "Get up now."
So they prayed together.
Salman said to him, "Indeed, your Lord has a right over you."
"And your soul has a right over you."
"And your family has a right over you."
"So give everyone who has a right their due right."
He went to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and mentioned that to him.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Salman has spoken the truth."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
The brotherhood here refers to the covenant of mutual support and upholding the rights of the religion.
"Disheveled" (mutabadhilah):
Meaning she was wearing work clothes.
Abandoning the wearing of adornment.
"What is the matter with you?"
Meaning: Why are you in this state?
"Has no interest in the world":
Meaning he does not concern himself with worldly pleasures and delights.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The legitimacy of establishing brotherhood for the sake of Allah.
Visiting brothers and staying overnight with them.
The legitimacy of speaking to a woman who is not a mahram if there is a need.
And asking about matters that involve a benefit.
Even if, on the surface, it does not concern the questioner.
The legitimacy of offering counsel to Muslims.
And alerting those among them who are heedless.
The virtue of praying at the end of the night.
And that the time of suhur (pre-dawn) is the time for standing in prayer.
The established right of the wife over the husband for kind treatment.
From this, one also derives the wife's right to companionship.
The legitimacy of a woman adorning herself for her husband.
The permissibility of breaking a voluntary fast.
The permissibility of forbidding recommended acts.
If it is feared that doing so will lead to weariness and boredom.
And the neglect of obligatory rights.
The dislike of burdening the soul with what it cannot bear in worship.
This incident between Salman and Abu al-Darda’
Occurred before the obligation of the hijab was revealed.
On the authority of Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was informed that I was saying:
"By Allah, I will fast during the day and pray during the night as long as I live."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Are you the one who says that?"
I replied, "I have said it, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah."
He said, "You will not be able to do that."
"So fast and break your fast, sleep and stand in prayer."
"Fast three days of the month."
"For a good deed is rewarded tenfold."
"And that is like fasting for a lifetime."
I said, "I am capable of more than that."
He said, "Then fast one day and break your fast for two days."
I said, "I am capable of more than that."
He said, "Then fast one day and break your fast for one day."
"That is the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him."
"And it is the most balanced fast."
In another narration: "It is the best fast."
I said, "I am capable of more than that."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"There is nothing better than that."
And had I accepted the three days that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, suggested,
It would have been dearer to me than my family and my wealth.
In another narration: "Was I not informed that you fast during the day and pray during the night?"
I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah."
He said, "Do not do that."
"Fast and break your fast, sleep and stand in prayer."
"For your body has a right over you."
"And your eyes have a right over you."
"And your wife has a right over you."
"And your guest has a right over you."
"It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month."
"For you will have ten times the reward for every good deed."
"And that is the fast of a lifetime."
But he insisted, and it was insisted upon him.
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,"
"I find strength."
He said, "Fast the fast of the Prophet of Allah, Dawud."
"And do not exceed it."
I said, "And what was the fast of Dawud?"
He said, "Half of the lifetime."
‘Abdullah used to say after he grew old:
"I wish I had accepted the concession of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
In another narration:
"Was I not informed that you fast for a lifetime,"
"And recite the Qur'an every night?"
I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah."
"I intended nothing but good by that."
He said, "Then fast the fast of the Prophet of Allah, Dawud."
"For he was the most devout of people."
"And recite the Qur'an every month."
I said, "O Prophet of Allah,"
"I am capable of more than that."
He said, "Then recite it every twenty days."
I said, "O Prophet of Allah,"
"I am capable of more than that."
He said, "Then recite it every ten days."
I said, "O Prophet of Allah,"
"I am capable of more than that."
He said, "Then recite it every seven days and do not exceed that."
He insisted, and it was insisted upon him.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me, "You do not know, perhaps you will live a long life."
He said: So I ended up at what the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, told me.
When I grew old, I wished I had accepted the concession of the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
In another narration: "And your child has a right over you."
In another narration: "He who fasts forever has not fasted at all" (repeated three times).
In another narration: "The most beloved fast to Allah the Exalted is the fast of Dawud."
"And the most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dawud."
He used to sleep half the night, stand in prayer for a third, and sleep for a sixth.
And he used to fast one day and break his fast for one day, and he would not flee when he met the enemy.
In another narration, he said: "My father married me to a woman of noble status."
He used to check on his daughter-in-law, meaning his son's wife.
He would ask her about her husband.
She would say to him, "What an excellent man he is!"
"He has not shared our bed, nor has he approached us since we came to him."
When this went on for a long time, he mentioned it to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He said, "Bring him to me."
I met him after that.
He said, "How do you fast?"
I said, "Every day."
He said, "And how do you complete the Qur'an?"
I said, "Every night."
And he mentioned something similar to what preceded.
He used to recite the seventh part he was assigned to some of his family.
He would review it during the day so it would be easier for him at night.
And when he wanted to regain his strength,
He would break his fast for a few days and count them,
And fast an equal number.
The dislike of leaving something
That the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had set for him.
All these narrations are authentic.
Most of them are in the two Sahihs.
And a few of them are in one of them.
"May my father and mother be sacrificed for you":
Meaning: You are worth more than my father and mother.
"For your guest" (li-zawrika):
Meaning: For your visitor.
"Sufficient for you" (bi-hasbika):
Meaning: Enough for you.
"He does not flee when he meets":
Meaning: He does not run away when he meets the enemy in war.
Because of the strength of his soul, maintained by what he preserved of it.
"Married me" (ankahani):
Meaning: He wedded me.
"Her husband" (ba‘luha):
Meaning: Her spouse.
"He has not shared our bed":
A metaphor for intimacy and sleeping with her on the bed.
"He has not approached us" (lam yakshif lana kanafan):
The "kanaf" is the side.
Meaning: He has not uncovered our veil.
She expressed by this his abstention from intercourse.
And that he did not come near her.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The permissibility of conveying information for the purpose of reconciliation or seeking a ruling.
And that is why the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, spoke
About the statement of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with them both.
The permissibility of a man saying:
"May my father and mother be sacrificed for you."
The scholar or educator should check on
The conditions of his students and those under his care.
And guide them to the best path that is beneficial.
The vastness of Allah the Exalted's mercy toward His servants.
As He made a good deed worth ten times its reward.
The permissibility of questioning a scholar or a mufti.
To clarify a situation that might be hidden from him.
The most complete and best way
Is to follow the methodology and practice of the Prophets.
A Muslim servant should give everyone who has a right their due right.
For it is part of justice and piety
Not to withhold the rights of those who are entitled to them.
A small amount of consistent worship
Is better than a large amount that is interrupted.
Excessive rigor in worship and burdening the soul with hardships
Weakens resolve and exhausts the body.
So that one flees when meeting the enemy and turns one's back.
Preparing the soul and body for meeting enemies.
And not fleeing from the battlefield.
The permissibility of dividing the recitation, memorization, and study of the Qur'an.
The youth are stronger in worship than the elderly.
The intensity of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr's, may Allah be pleased with them both, loyalty.
To what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had set for him.
The prohibition of fasting for a lifetime.
The Sunnah regarding voluntary fasting
Is to fast one day and break the fast on another.
Except for the three days of the full moon.
They should be consecutive.
Likewise, the ninth and tenth of Muharram.
There is no monasticism in Islam.
It is recommended to use euphemisms.
When discussing marital matters and issues related to women.
An explanation of the proper etiquette in expressing complaints.
Islam is a religion of moderation and ease.
It seeks to remove hardship and avoid undue burden.
It is recommended to inquire about one's son's wife and what might be harming her.
And to encourage what benefits her.
Choosing a spouse for one's son who possesses religious commitment and noble lineage.
Reprimanding a child if they fall into error.
On the authority of Abu Rib'i.
Handhala Ibn al-Rabi' al-Usaydi, the scribe.
One of the scribes of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
He said: Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, met me.
He asked, "How are you, Handhala?"
I replied, "Handhala has become a hypocrite."
He said, "Subhan Allah! What are you saying?"
I said, "We are in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
He reminds us of Paradise and Hellfire as if we are seeing them with our own eyes.
But when we leave the presence of the Messenger of Allah,
We become preoccupied with our spouses, children, and worldly affairs.
And we forget much."
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
"By Allah, we experience the same thing."
So I and Abu Bakr set off,
Until we entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
I said, "Handhala has become a hypocrite, O Messenger of Allah."
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, asked,
"And why is that?"
I said, "O Messenger of Allah, when we are with you,
You remind us of Hellfire and Paradise,
As if we are seeing them with our own eyes.
But when we leave your presence,
We become preoccupied with our spouses, children, and worldly affairs,
And we forget much."
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said,
"By Him in whose hand is my soul,
If you were to remain in the state you are in when you are with me and in remembrance,
The angels would shake hands with you in your beds and on your paths.
But, O Handhala,
There is a time for this and a time for that."
He said this three times.
Narrated by Muslim.
His statement,
"We become preoccupied,"
Means we engage with and play with.
And "worldly affairs,"
Means livelihoods.
"Handhala has become a hypocrite,"
Means he feared hypocrisy for himself.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The recommendation to inquire about the well-being of one's brothers.
A servant should monitor his own soul,
Strive against it, and examine its states.
It is permissible to say,
"Subhan Allah,"
When expressing astonishment at something.
Encouraging the scholar to soften the hearts of his companions.
And to remind them of what purifies their souls.
A scholar should be wise in addressing matters.
For worldly life distracts the servant from the affairs of the Hereafter.
If he is swept away by his desires and lusts, he forgets his Hereafter.
Whoever takes account of his soul will be saved.
The hearts of the servants change from one state to another.
A human cannot see the angels in their true form in this world.
Constancy in remembrance and self-vigilance.
And not becoming lax in that.
A wise person should have designated times:
A time to commune with his Lord,
A time to hold his soul to account,
A time to reflect upon the creation of Allah,
And a time to attend to his personal needs of food and drink.
Islam is a religion of natural disposition, moderation, and balance.
It combines the interests of this world and the Hereafter.
And it balances the demands of the spirit and the body.
On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
While the Prophet, peace be upon him, was delivering a sermon,
He saw a man standing.
He asked about him,
And they said, "It is Abu Isra'il."
He vowed to stand in the sun and not sit down,
Not to seek shade, and not to speak,
And to fast.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"Command him to speak,
To seek shade, to sit down,
And to complete his fast."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
From the benefits of the hadith:
A vow of silence is not an act of worship in the Islamic Shari'ah.
Allah the Exalted does not accept an act that He has not legislated or permitted,
And which He has not made an act of worship.
Anything that causes harm to a person, even if only in the end,
And for which no legislation has come in the Book or the Sunnah,
Should not be used to draw closer to Allah the Exalted.
There is no obedience in a vow to commit a sin.
Whoever does so must not fulfill it.
That is why the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded Abu Isra'il
To speak and to seek shade.
A vow of obedience should be fulfilled and not broken.
That is why the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded Abu Isra'il
To complete his fast.
The permissibility of asking about strange circumstances before condemning them.
The obligation to change a wrong with one's hand if one is able,
And if not, then with one's tongue.
The permissibility of appointing an agent to convey an answer or a command and prohibition.
For the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded the Companions
To convey the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to Abu Isra'il.
Riyad al-Salihin.