Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (88) | Chapter on pardoning and turning away from the ignorant

0:00 *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.

0:09 Chapter on Pardoning and Turning Away from the Ignorant.

0:16 Allah the Exalted said: "Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant."

0:26 And the Exalted said: "So overlook their faults with gracious forgiveness."

0:31 And the Exalted said: "Let them pardon and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you?"

0:39 “Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good;” (3:134)

0:47 And the Exalted said: "And whoever is patient and forgives—indeed, that is among the matters of steadfast determination."

0:55 And the verses in this chapter are numerous and well known.

0:59 On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

1:07 "Did you ever experience a day harder than the day of Uhud?"

1:12 He replied, "I have indeed suffered much from your people, and the hardest trial I met from them was on the day of al-'Aqabah,

1:20 when I offered myself to Ibn 'Abd Yalil ibn 'Abd Kulal,

1:25 but he did not respond to what I wanted.

1:28 So I departed, overwhelmed with grief, wandering aimlessly on my way,

1:32 and I did not recover my senses until I found myself at Qarn al-Tha'alib.

1:36 I raised my head, and behold, a cloud had shaded me.

1:42 I looked, and in it was Gabriel, peace be upon him.

1:47 He called out to me and said: 'Indeed, Allah the Exalted has heard what your people said to you and how they responded to you.

1:56 He has sent to you the Angel of the Mountains so that you may order him to do whatever you wish concerning them.'

2:02 Then the Angel of the Mountains called out to me, greeted me with peace, and said:

2:08 'O Muhammad, indeed Allah has heard what your people said to you, and I am the Angel of the Mountains.

2:16 My Lord has sent me to you so that you may give me your command, so what do you wish?

2:22 If you wish, I will bring down upon them the two mountains (*al-Akhshaban*).'

2:26 The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

2:29 'Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins those who will worship Allah alone, associating no partner with Him.'"

2:38 Agreed upon.

2:40 *Al-Akhshaban* refers to the two mountains surrounding Mecca,

2:45 and *al-akhshab* means a rugged, massive mountain.

2:49 "I offered myself"

2:52 means: I presented myself to him seeking victory and support to establish the religion.

2:59 "Ibn 'Abd Yalil ibn 'Abd Kulal"

3:02 was one of the prominent notables of the people of al-Ta'if from Thaqif.

3:06 "Overwhelmed with grief" means sorrowful and distressed.

3:09 "I did not recover my senses" means I was unaware of my surroundings.

3:13 "Qarn al-Tha'alib"

3:16 is a place located a day and a night's journey from Mecca,

3:20 and it is the *miqat* for the people of Najd,

3:23 also called Qarn al-Manazil.

3:26 The two mountains of Mecca

3:28 are Abu Qubays and al-Ahmar.

3:31 Among the beneficial lessons of the hadith:

3:34 An illustration of the Messenger's compassion, peace be upon him, toward his people,

3:40 his patience in the face of their harm,

3:42 and his pardoning of those among them who mistreated him.

3:46 The trials to which callers to Allah are subjected vary:

3:50 some take the form of torture, some of denial, and some of mockery.

3:55 Callers do not compel people to follow them or believe in their message;

4:02 rather, their duty is simply to convey the message to the people.

4:06 Affirmation of the attributes of Hearing and Sight for Allah the Exalted,

4:11 and that He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing;

4:13 nothing audible escapes Him,

4:16 and nothing is hidden from Him,

4:19 without any sounds, movements, or stillnesses becoming confused before Him.

4:24 Allah's protection over His allies,

4:26 and that He is their supporter and the elevator of their renown whenever they support His religion.

4:31 The angels have specific duties that they carry out by the command of Allah the Exalted.

4:39 Callers ought to look toward the future of the da'wah,

4:43 not merely at its present state;

4:46 hence, it is not wise in da'wah to hasten the descent of punishment upon opponents.

4:52 The aim and ultimate objective of the callers

4:56 is to bring people out of darkness into light,

4:59 so that they may worship Allah alone.

5:02 And on the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:

5:07 "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never struck

5:10 anything at all with his hand,

5:12 neither a woman nor a servant,

5:14 except when fighting in the cause of Allah.

5:17 Nor was he ever harmed in any way and took retribution against the perpetrator,

5:22 unless something of the sacred limits of Allah the Exalted was violated,

5:27 in which case he would take retribution for the sake of Allah the Exalted."

5:30 Reported by Muslim.

5:33 Among the beneficial lessons of the hadith:

5:36 An illustration of the forbearance of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

5:40 and his pardoning of personal harm inflicted upon him.

5:43 Anger for the sake of Allah does not contradict forbearance, deliberation, gentleness, and pardon.

5:50 And on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

5:54 "I was walking with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

5:58 and he was wearing a Najrani cloak with a thick border.

6:03 A Bedouin caught up with him

6:06 and pulled his cloak violently.

6:09 I looked at the side of the Prophet's neck, peace be upon him,

6:13 and the edge of the cloak had left a mark on it from the violence of his pull.

6:18 Then he said:

6:20 'O Muhammad!

6:22 Order that I be given some of Allah's wealth that you possess.'

6:25 The Prophet turned to him and smiled,

6:28 then ordered that a gift be given to him."

6:31 Agreed upon.

6:33 *Burd* (cloak)

6:34 refers to a square black garment.

6:39 *Najrani*

6:41 means attributed to Najran,

6:43 *Najrani*

6:45 is an attribution to Najran,

6:47 which is a town in Yemen.

6:50 "With a thick border"

6:52 means having a coarse, rough edge.

6:54 *Jabadhahu*

6:55 means he pulled or jerked him.

6:57 *'Atiq* (shoulder/neck)

6:58 is the area between the neck and the shoulder.

7:02 *Safhah* (side)

7:03 means the lateral surface or edge.

7:05 Among the beneficial lessons of the hadith:

7:08 The coarseness of Bedouins and their rough manner in dealing with others,

7:12 as he pulled the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, violently,

7:16 addressed him by his bare name,

7:18 and demanded a grant from him.

7:22 The noble character of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

7:26 his patience with the ignorant,

7:28 his bearing of their annoyance,

7:30 and his pardoning of those who mistreated him.

7:33 The recommendation to meet mistreatment with benevolence,

7:37 and not to retaliate in kind against bad treatment.

7:42 It is recommended for the caller to soothe the heart of the one in error and not to be harsh with him,

7:47 because that is more effective in advising him

7:50 and gives greater hope for his return to the truth.

7:54 And on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

7:58 "It is as though I am looking at the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

8:02 recounting the story of one of the prophets,

8:05 may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them,

8:09 whose people beat him until they caused him to bleed,

8:12 while he was wiping the blood from his face and saying:

8:15 'O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.'"

8:20 Agreed upon.

8:25 "Recounting" (*yahki*) means describing or narrating the likeness of.

8:28 "Caused him to bleed" (*admawhu*) means they made his blood flow.

8:31 Among the beneficial lessons of the hadith:

8:35 An explanation that the prophets are the most severely tested of all people,

8:40 followed by those closest to them in virtue,

8:42 the exemplary and then the next most exemplary.

8:44 People are heedless and do not realize the reality of their final destination,

8:48 and so they act ignorantly toward the one who intends good for them and calls them to it.

8:53 The obligation of patience and enduring harm for the sake of Allah.

8:58 The recommendation to meet mistreatment with benevolence.

9:02 The permissibility of praying for the guidance of disbelievers.

9:07 The perfection of the noble character of the prophets, peace and blessings be upon them.

9:12 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

9:16 that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

9:20 "The strong person is not the one who overpowers others in wrestling;

9:23 rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when angry."

9:28 Agreed upon.

9:30 Chapter on Enduring Harm.

9:36 Allah the Exalted said:

9:39 "And those who restrain anger and pardon people—

9:45 and Allah loves the doers of good."

9:49 And the Exalted said:

9:51 “And verily whoso is patient and forgiveth - lo! that, verily, is (of) the steadfast heart of things.” (42:43)

9:57 And under this chapter

9:58 fall the previous hadiths mentioned in the chapter before it.

10:02 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

10:06 that a man said:

10:08 "O Messenger of Allah,

10:10 I have relatives with whom I try to maintain ties, but they sever them;

10:14 I treat them well, but they treat me poorly;

10:18 and I am forbearing with them, but they act ignorantly toward me."

10:21 So he said:

10:23 "If you are as you have said,

10:25 it is as if you are feeding them hot ashes,

10:28 and there will never cease to be with you a supporter from Allah against them

10:33 as long as you remain upon that."

10:35 Reported by Muslim.

10:37 Chapter on Becoming Angry When the Sacred Limits of the Sharia Are Violated,

10:44 and Standing Up in Defense of the Religion of Allah the Exalted.

10:47 Allah the Exalted said:

10:51 “That (is the command). And whoso magnifieth the sacred things of Allah, it will be well for him in the sight of his Lord. The cattle are lawful unto you save that which hath been told you. So shun the filth of idols, and shun lying speech,” (22:30)

10:57 And the Exalted said:

10:59 “O ye who believe! If ye help Allah, He will help you and will make your foothold firm.” (47:7)

11:05 On the authority of Abu Mas'ud 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr al-Badri, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

11:12 "A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said:

11:17 'I hold back from the morning prayer on account of so-and-so because he prolongs it for us.'

11:23 I never saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, angrier in an exhortation

11:29 than he was on that day.

11:32 He said:

11:34 'O people!

11:36 Indeed, among you are those who drive people away!

11:38 Whichever of you leads the people in prayer, let him be brief,

11:42 for behind him are the elderly, the young, and those with pressing needs.'"

11:46 Agreed upon.

11:48 "A man came" —

11:51 it is said that he was Haram ibn Milhan, may Allah be pleased with him,

11:54 and others said it was someone else.

11:56 "Let him be brief"

11:59 means let him lighten it and restrict himself to what is established in the Sunnah,

12:03 adding nothing beyond it,

12:05 while completely fulfilling the essential pillars and performing the recommended Sunnah acts.

12:08 Among the beneficial lessons of the hadith:

12:11 The recommendation to show anger for the sake of Allah whenever any of the sacred limits of the Sharia are violated,

12:16 or when harm and distress befall the Muslims.

12:19 The validity and permissibility of informing the leader of the Muslims

12:24 about what causes distress to them or drives them away,

12:27 or what may become a cause for their fitnah (trial/tribulation).

12:30 The permissibility of delaying or staying away from congregational prayer

12:34 if attending it entails unbearable harm

12:38 and intolerable distress.

12:40 The prohibition of driving people away from the religion

12:42 through actions, words, or gestures.

12:45 The imam leading the prayer ought to take into account the condition of those behind him,

12:51 for among them are the frail elderly, the sick, the young, and those with urgent needs;

12:56 hence, in such cases,

12:58 it is obligatory to lighten the prayer,

13:00 namely by reciting moderately short passages,

13:03 not compromising the essential pillars of the prayer, its mandatory duties, or its recommended acts.

13:08 And on the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she said:

13:13 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned

13:16 from a journey,

13:18 while I had screened an alcove of mine with a thin curtain bearing images.

13:22 When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw it,

13:26 he tore it down, his face changed color, and he said:

13:30 "O 'A'ishah!

13:32 The people receiving the severest punishment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection

13:36 are those who imitate Allah's creation."

13:39 Agreed upon.

13:41 "The alcove" (al-sahwah)

13:43 is like a shelf or small recess in the front part of the house.

13:46 "The qiram" is a thin curtain.

13:49 "He tore it down" means he destroyed the image that was on it.

13:53 "Tamathil" means images or depictions.

13:57 "They imitate" (yudah'un)

13:59 means they make what they craft resemble what Allah has created.

14:03 Among the benefits derived from this hadith:

14:06 The legitimacy of becoming angry when religious matters are violated,

14:11 for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) became angry

14:15 whenever a sanctified boundary of Allah was breached.

14:18 The obligation to denounce wrongdoing against the offender to the best of one's ability,

14:22 even if they did not intend to commit a violation;

14:25 for 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not deliberately seek to do what angers Allah and His Messenger.

14:31 A Muslim man ought to maintain righteous guardianship over his household,

14:37 “Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful.” (7:157)

14:41 inspecting his home so that nothing forbidden by Allah enters it.

14:47 Engaging in image-making or drawing is forbidden

14:50 if it depicts animate beings with souls,

14:53 and earning a livelihood through it is likewise unlawful.

14:56 This is evident in the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):

15:01 "The most severely punished people will be the image-makers."

15:06 Displaying images in homes is prohibited.

15:09 For an image to be permitted in demeaning use, it is required that it be altered in a way that effaces its distinguishing features;

15:15 for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) tore down the curtain

15:20 and thereby defaced the image on it.

15:23 And on the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):

15:27 The Quraysh were deeply concerned about the case of the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft.

15:32 They said, "Who will intercede on her behalf with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?"

15:38 Then they said, "Who would dare to do so except Usamah ibn Zayd, the beloved of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?"

15:47 So Usamah spoke to him,

15:49 whereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

15:53 "Do you intercede regarding one of the prescribed legal punishments (hadd) ordained by Allah Almighty?!"

15:57 He then stood up, delivered a sermon, and said:

16:01 "Those before you were destroyed simply because whenever a noble person among them stole, they let him go,

16:08 but if a weak person among them stole, they executed the legal punishment upon him.

16:12 By Allah!

16:14 Even if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would surely cut off her hand."

16:20 Agreed upon.

16:22 Among the benefits derived from this hadith:

16:26 The prohibition of interceding in prescribed punishments once the matter reaches the ruler.

16:30 It is obligatory upon the ruler to execute prescribed punishments once they are brought to his attention,

16:34 and he must not accept the intercession of any intercessors.

16:37 The noble status of the perpetrator does not waive the prescribed punishment,

16:40 because the rulings of the Sacred Law apply equally to the noble and the humble alike.

16:45 The ruler discriminating among people in carrying out Allah's prescribed punishments

16:50 is an injustice that brings destruction upon the Ummah.

16:53 One should be stern in reproaching anyone who belittles a prescribed punishment of Allah,

16:59 permits its omission,

17:01 or attempts to intercede for someone upon whom it has become mandatory.

17:05 The repentance of the thief is accepted;

17:08 for this woman repented sincerely and mended her ways

17:12 after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) carried out the legal punishment upon her.

17:17 The permissibility of giving an example involving a person of great stature

17:20 for the sake of emphasis in deterrence;

17:23 for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) mentioned his daughter Fatimah for this purpose.

17:29 A clarification of the esteemed status of Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him and his father)

17:34 with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

17:38 One should draw lessons from the condition of past nations that violated Allah's methodology,

17:44 “Allah coineth a similitude: a township that dwelt secure and well content, its provision coming to it in abundance from every side, but it disbelieved in Allah's favours, so Allah made it experience the garb of dearth and fear because of what they used to do.” (16:112)

17:47 bringing upon themselves the punishment of eradication or replacement.

17:52 And on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):

17:56 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw some spittle on the wall facing the Qiblah,

18:01 which distressed him so much that it was visibly apparent on his face.

18:05 He stood up and scraped it off with his own hand,

18:08 and then said: "When one of you stands in prayer,

18:13 he is in intimate conversation with his Lord,

18:15 and his Lord is between him and the Qiblah;

18:19 so none of you should spit toward the Qiblah,

18:23 but rather to his left or beneath his foot."

18:28 Then he took an edge of his garment, spat into it,

18:31 folded one part over the other,

18:34 and said: "Or do like this."

18:38 Agreed upon.

18:40 The instruction to spit to one's left or beneath one's foot

18:44 applies when one is outside the mosque;

18:47 as for being inside the mosque, one should only spit into his garment.

18:53 "Nukhamah" (spittle/mucus)

18:55 refers to what a person expels from the chest through the mouth or nose.

18:59 "In the Qiblah"

19:01 means on the wall facing in the direction of the Qiblah.

19:05 "It distressed him"

19:07 means it was burdensome and offensive to him.

19:09 "He scraped it off"

19:11 means he removed it.

19:14 Among the benefits derived from this hadith:

19:16 The obligation of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong,

19:20 and eliminating it by hand whenever possible.

19:24 It is impermissible to pollute mosques or discard filth in them,

19:30 and it is obligatory to clean them and keep them free of anything repulsive.

19:35 The obligation of being angered for the sake of Allah when His sanctities are violated,

19:39 whether minor or major in the estimation of the people.

19:42 The prayer is an intimate converse between the servant and his Lord;

19:46 therefore, the servant must turn entirely toward his Master,

19:50 occupying himself with what rectifies his heart, his intention, and his purpose.

19:54 A minor physical action during prayer does not invalidate it,

19:59 as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) spat into his garment,

20:04 folded it over itself,

20:06 and guided them to do likewise.

20:08 The permissibility of spitting for someone in prayer if the need arises.

20:13 Riyad al-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous).

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (88) | Chapter on pardoning and turning away from the ignorant

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