Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (62) | Chapter of Hope (2)

0:00 *Riyadh 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 Hope (al-Raja').

0:16 On the authority of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

0:20 Some captives were brought before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

0:24 and among them was a woman searching frantically.

0:28 When she found an infant among the captives,

0:30 she took it, pressed it to her belly, and nursed it.

0:34 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then asked,

0:39 "Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire?"

0:44 We replied, "No, by Allah!"

0:47 He said, "Allah is certainly more merciful to His servants than this woman is to her child."

0:53 Agreed upon.

0:56 "Al-Saby" refers to captives of war.

1:00 "Tas'a" means she was rushing and running around.

1:04 "A-tarawna" means: Do you think?

1:07 Key lessons from the hadith:

1:11 The vast mercy of Allah Almighty toward His servants,

1:14 that He wills good for them,

1:16 and desires to rescue them from the Fire;

1:18 thus He opened for them the door of repentance, hope, and turning back to Him in devotion.

1:23 Drawing lessons from real-life incidents,

1:27 and using them for guidance and instruction by striking parables,

1:31 so that comprehensive understanding may be achieved in the most perfect manner.

1:35 A person should anchor their reliance in all states and times to Allah alone,

1:42 and the wise person should direct all their needs to Him.

1:45 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

1:50 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

1:54 "When Allah created the creation,

1:57 He inscribed in a Book,

1:59 which is with Him above the Throne:

2:02 'Verily, My mercy overcomes My wrath.'"

2:05 In another narration:

2:08 "'...has overcome My wrath.'"

2:10 And in yet another narration:

2:12 "'...has preceded My wrath.'"

2:14 Agreed upon.

2:16 Key lessons from the hadith:

2:20 Proof of the transcendence and highness ('Uluww) of Allah Almighty above His creation,

2:24 and that He is above His Throne, distinct and separate from His creation.

2:28 Affirmation of the attributes of Mercy and Wrath for Allah,

2:31 which must not be allegorically reinterpreted as merely the intent to reward and punish,

2:36 as that opposes the methodology of the righteous salaf (early generations), may Allah be pleased with them.

2:43 The mercy of Allah encompasses all of His servants,

2:46 and His mercy has preceded His wrath.

2:51 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

2:54 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

2:59 "Allah made mercy into one hundred parts.

3:02 He retained ninety-nine parts with Himself,

3:05 and sent down one single part to the earth.

3:08 It is from that single part that all creatures show mercy to one another,

3:12 so much so that an animal lifts its hoof away from its offspring,

3:16 fearing that it might harm it."

3:18 In another narration:

3:20 "Verily, Allah Almighty has one hundred mercies.

3:23 He sent down one mercy from them

3:26 among the jinn, mankind,

3:28 beasts, and crawling creatures.

3:30 By virtue of it they show affection and show mercy to one another,

3:34 and by it a wild beast shows compassion to its young.

3:38 And Allah has deferred ninety-nine mercies,

3:41 with which He will show mercy to His servants on the Day of Resurrection."

3:45 Agreed upon.

3:47 Muslim also narrated it from Salman al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him),

3:53 who said:

3:54 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

3:58 "Verily, Allah Almighty has one hundred mercies.

4:01 From them is one mercy by which the creation shows mutual mercy among themselves,

4:05 and ninety-nine are reserved for the Day of Resurrection."

4:09 In another narration:

4:11 "Verily, on the day Allah Almighty created the heavens and the earth, He created

4:16 one hundred mercies,

4:17 each mercy spanning what is between the heavens and the earth.

4:22 From them, He placed one mercy on the earth,

4:26 by which a mother shows compassion to her child,

4:29 and wild beasts and birds show compassion to one another.

4:33 Then, when the Day of Resurrection comes, He will complete them with this mercy."

4:39 "Hafiraha" refers to its foot;

4:43 a horse's hoof is like a cow's cloven hoof.

4:47 "Al-Baha'im" is the plural of "bahimah" (beast),

4:51 referring to four-legged animals;

4:54 they were called such due to their lack of speech and unintelligibility.

4:59 "Al-Hawamm" refers to crawling creatures and vermin.

5:02 "Tibaq" means covering or spanning,

5:05 meaning that it fills the entire expanse between heaven and earth due to its vastness and grandeur.

5:12 Key lessons from the hadith:

5:16 The mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants

5:20 is part of His creation,

5:22 and the good He has sent down to them is from His grace.

5:26 All of this is merely a fraction of what Allah Almighty has stored up for His believing servants on the Day of Resurrection.

5:34 In this hadith is the greatest hope and glad tidings for the believers:

5:39 for if they receive, through a single mercy created for them in this world,

5:45 all this mutual compassion and immense goodness,

5:49 then how magnificent will it be with one hundred mercies on the Day of Resurrection!

5:53 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),

5:57 from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

6:00 narrating from his Lord, the Blessed and Exalted,

6:04 that He said: "A servant committed a sin,

6:08 and said: 'O Allah, forgive me my sin.'

6:12 Whereupon Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:

6:15 'My servant committed a sin

6:19 and knew that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes to account for sin.'

6:25 Then he committed a sin again,

6:27 and said: 'O Lord, forgive me my sin.'

6:31 Whereupon Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:

6:34 'My servant committed a sin

6:37 and knew that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes to account for sin.'

6:42 Then he committed a sin again,

6:44 and said: 'O Lord, forgive me my sin.'

6:48 Whereupon Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:

6:51 'My servant committed a sin

6:54 and knew that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes to account for sin.

6:59 I have forgiven My servant,

7:01 so let him do as he wills.'"

7:04 Agreed upon.

7:07 His saying, the Exalted:

7:09 "So let him do as he wills,"

7:11 means: as long as he continues to do so—

7:14 committing a sin and then repenting—

7:16 I will forgive him,

7:17 for sincere repentance eradicates whatever came before it.

7:22 "Takes to account for sin"

7:24 means: He punishes for it if He wills.

7:27 Key lessons from the hadith:

7:31 The greatness of Allah Almighty's favor and mercy upon His servants,

7:35 as long as they believe that their Lord holds their ultimate affairs in His hand:

7:40 if He wills He forgives, and if He wills He punishes.

7:43 Sincere repentance expiates sin.

7:47 The believer in Allah Almighty purifies his heart through repentance,

7:52 hopes for his Lord's pardon,

7:54 hastens toward righteousness and good deeds,

7:57 and if a sin occurs from him,

7:59 he swiftly remedies it through repentance

8:02 and does not persist in disobedience.

8:05 This hadith

8:06 is proof that even if a sin is repeated a hundred times or more,

8:11 and the person repents each time, his repentance is accepted

8:15 and his sins fall away;

8:17 and even if he repents for all of them with a single repentance after committing them all,

8:22 his repentance remains valid.

8:24 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

8:30 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

8:34 "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul,

8:36 if you were not to sin, Allah would replace you

8:39 and bring a people who would sin,

8:42 and then seek Allah Almighty's forgiveness,

8:45 and He would forgive them."

8:47 Narrated by Muslim.

8:49 On the authority of Abu Ayyub Khalid ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

8:54 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

8:58 "Were it not that you commit sins,

9:01 Allah would create a creation who commit sins,

9:04 and then seek forgiveness, and He would forgive them."

9:07 Narrated by Muslim.

9:09 Key lessons from the hadith:

9:14 A demonstration of Allah Almighty's grace upon His servants through pardon and forgiveness.

9:19 Every child of Adam is prone to error,

9:21 so the servant must hasten to seek forgiveness and repent.

9:26 Among the wisdoms behind religious accountability (taklif)

9:29 is the manifestation of the Divine Names of Allah,

9:31 which encompass His forbearance, His pardon,

9:34 His forgiveness, His concealment of faults, His overlooking the misdeeds of His creation,

9:38 and His emancipation of whomever He wills among His servants.

9:42 The hadith contains no incitement toward committing sins;

9:46 rather, it offers glad tidings of forgiveness,

9:49 and dispels overwhelming fear and despair

9:52 from the hearts of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

9:56 For they used to flee to the mountains

10:00 and withdraw from life and its pleasures out of intense fear,

10:05 so this brought reassurance and hope in Allah's pardon and forgiveness.

10:11 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

10:17 We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

10:22 and among our group were Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them).

10:27 Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up

10:31 from our midst and was absent for a long time,

10:35 so we feared that he might have been harmed or intercepted in our absence.

10:38 We panicked and stood up, and I was the first to panic;

10:43 so I went out searching for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

10:48 until I came upon an enclosed garden belonging to the Ansar.

10:51 —and he mentioned the hadith in full up to where he said:

10:55 Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

10:59 "Go, and whomever you meet beyond this garden who testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,

11:06 with full certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise."

11:11 Narrated by Muslim.

11:14 "Min bayni azhurina" means from our midst.

11:18 "Yuqta'a" means to be seized, harmed, or ambushed.

11:23 "Fazi'na" means we became alarmed and went out searching for him.

11:29 "Abtaghi" means I sought.

11:30 "Ha'itan" means an enclosed garden or orchard.

11:34 "Mustayqinan" means having certainty and firm belief.

11:38 Key lessons from the hadith:

11:42 The intense love of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) for the Messenger (peace be upon him),

11:48 and their deep concern for his safety from every harm.

11:52 True faith grants entry into Paradise,

11:55 either initially through Allah's forgiveness,

11:58 or after enduring purification in the Fire.

12:01 The legitimacy of conveying good news and glad tidings.

12:07 On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with them both),

12:11 that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, recited the words of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime,

12:16 concerning Abraham (peace be upon him),

12:20 “My Lord! Lo! they have led many of mankind astray. But whoso followeth me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeyeth me - Still Thou art Forgiving, Merciful.” (14:36)

12:25 “My Lord! Lo! they have led many of mankind astray. But whoso followeth me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeyeth me - Still Thou art Forgiving, Merciful.” (14:36)

12:28 and the words of Jesus (peace be upon him),

12:32 “If Thou punish them, lo! they are Thy slaves, and if Thou forgive them (lo! they are Thy slaves). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, the Wise.” (5:118)

12:36 “If Thou punish them, lo! they are Thy slaves, and if Thou forgive them (lo! they are Thy slaves). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, the Wise.” (5:118)

12:41 he raised his hands and said:

12:44 "O Allah, my Ummah, my Ummah!"

12:47 and he wept.

12:49 Thereupon, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:

12:51 "O Gabriel,

12:53 go to Muhammad—

12:55 though your Lord knows best—

12:57 and ask him what makes him weep."

12:59 So Gabriel came to him,

13:01 and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told him what he had said,

13:06 though He already knows best.

13:08 Then Allah, the Exalted, said:

13:10 "O Gabriel,

13:12 go to Muhammad

13:14 and say:

13:15 'We shall surely please you regarding your Ummah, and We will not cause you grief.'"

13:19 Transmitted by Muslim.

13:23 Key takeaways from the hadith:

13:25 This hadith is among the most hope-inspiring hadiths for the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

13:31 It demonstrates the profound compassion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for his Ummah,

13:37 his deep concern for their well-being,

13:39 and his devotion to their affairs.

13:42 It highlights the exalted status of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with Allah,

13:47 and that He will elevate him until he is well pleased.

13:50 It is part of the Sunnah in supplication

13:52 to raise one's hands.

13:54 It affirms the transcendence and loftiness of Allah the Exalted above His creation,

13:58 and that He is above the heavens,

14:00 where hearts and hands turn toward Him.

14:04 On the authority of Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

14:09 I was riding behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on a donkey,

14:14 and he said:

14:15 "O Mu'adh,

14:17 do you know what Allah's right over His servants is,

14:20 and what the servants' right over Allah is?"

14:23 I replied:

14:24 "Allah and His Messenger know best."

14:27 He said:

14:28 "Indeed, Allah's right over His servants is that they worship Him alone and associate nothing with Him,

14:34 and the right of the servants over Allah

14:36 is that He will not punish anyone who associates nothing with Him."

14:40 I said:

14:41 "O Messenger of Allah,

14:43 should I not give glad tidings to the people?"

14:45 He replied:

14:46 "Do not tell them, lest they rely entirely on it and slacken in their deeds."

14:49 Agreed upon.

14:51 On the authority of Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with them both),

14:55 that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

14:59 "When a Muslim is questioned in the grave,

15:02 he testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah

15:05 and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

15:08 That is what is meant by the words of Allah the Exalted: ﴿Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word...﴾"

15:10 “Allah confirmeth those who believe by a firm saying in the life of the world and in the Hereafter, and Allah sendeth wrong-doers astray. And Allah doeth what He will.” (14:27)

15:18 Agreed upon.

15:20 "Keeps firm" means He strengthens them

15:24 "with the firm word,"

15:26 meaning with decisive proof and clear evidence.

15:29 Key takeaways from the hadith:

15:33 The questioning in the grave is a reality.

15:36 It shows Allah's care for His believing servants in this world and the Hereafter.

15:41 The best commentary on the Book of Allah

15:44 is the speech of His Messenger (peace be upon him).

15:49 From Riyad al-Salihin.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (62) | Chapter of Hope (2)

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