Part of Riyad as-Salihin — Gardens of the Righteous (series completed)
· Lesson 12 of 190
Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (22) | Chapter on encouraging an increase in good deeds in late life
0:000:00
Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
0:00
Riyad al-Salihin
0:03
From the words of the Master of the Messengers
0:06
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
0:09
Chapter: Encouragement to increase in good deeds toward the end of one's life
0:19
Allah the Almighty says:
0:21
“And they cry for help there, (saying): Our Lord! Release us; we will do right, not (the wrong) that we used to do. Did not We grant you a life long enough for him who reflected to reflect therein? And the warner came unto you. Now taste (the flavour of your deeds), for evil-doers have no helper.” (35:37)
0:28
Ibn 'Abbas and the scholars of verification said:
0:31
Its meaning is: "Did We not grant you a life long enough for sixty years?"
0:35
This is supported by the hadith we shall mention, if Allah the Almighty wills.
0:40
It is also said that it means eighteen years.
0:44
And it is said forty years.
0:47
This was stated by al-Hasan, al-Kalbi, and Masruq.
0:51
It was also narrated from Ibn 'Abbas.
0:54
It is reported that the people of Medina, when one of them reached forty years of age,
0:59
would devote themselves to worship.
1:01
It is also said that it refers to the age of puberty.
1:04
Regarding His saying: "And the warner has come to you,"
1:08
Ibn 'Abbas and the majority of scholars said:
1:11
It is the Prophet, peace be upon him.
1:14
It is also said to be gray hair.
1:17
This was stated by 'Ikrimah, Ibn 'Uyaynah, and others.
1:20
And Allah knows best.
1:22
From Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
1:27
from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:
1:30
"Allah has left no excuse for a man whose life He has extended until he reaches sixty years."
1:36
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
1:38
The scholars said: This means He has left him no excuse, as He granted him respite for this duration.
1:45
It is said that a man is "excused" (a'dhara) when he has reached the ultimate limit of excuse.
1:51
From the benefits of the hadith:
1:55
The vastness of Allah's mercy toward His servants,
1:58
as He extends their lives so they may be able to perform sincere repentance.
2:04
That Allah the Almighty does not punish His servants until after establishing the proof against them.
2:10
Reaching sixty is a likely sign that the end of one's life is near.
2:14
Because the lifespans of this Ummah are generally between sixty and seventy.
2:19
And few exceed that.
2:22
Whoever reaches sixty has no excuse for failing to repent from sins.
2:27
From Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
2:33
'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to include me with the elders of Badr.
2:38
It seemed as though some of them felt slighted by this,
2:41
and said: "Why do you bring this boy in with us when we have sons like him?"
2:46
'Umar replied: "He is of the status you know."
2:51
One day, he called me and brought me in with them.
2:55
I felt he only called me that day to show them.
3:00
He asked: "What do you say about the saying of Allah the Almighty:
3:04
“When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh” (110:1)
3:08
Some said: "We are commanded to praise Allah and seek His forgiveness
3:13
when He grants us victory and opens [lands] for us."
3:16
Others remained silent and said nothing.
3:19
He asked me: "Do you say the same, O Ibn 'Abbas?"
3:24
I said: "No."
3:26
He asked: "Then what do you say?"
3:28
I said: "It is the term of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
3:33
which Allah made known to him.
3:35
[He said:] 'When the victory of Allah and the conquest comes,'
3:39
that is the sign of your approaching end.
3:42
“Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.” (110:3)
3:45
Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance."
3:48
'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
3:51
"I know nothing of it other than what you have said."
3:55
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
3:58
"Ashyakh" is the plural of "shaykh."
4:01
The intent is the senior Companions who fought at Badr.
4:04
They are among the most virtuous and noble of the Companions.
4:09
"Wajada" means he became angry or felt slighted.
4:12
"Yudkhilu" means he involves you with us in important matters and consultations.
4:17
"Of the status you know":
4:19
From the house of Prophethood, the source of knowledge, and the mine of nobility.
4:23
"Sign of your end":
4:25
Meaning the nearing of the end of your life.
4:29
From the benefits of the hadith:
4:32
The call to seek forgiveness when the end of life draws near,
4:36
because it should be the final act of one's affairs.
4:39
The virtue of knowledge and its people,
4:41
as a person advances ahead of his peers through his keen understanding and vast knowledge.
4:47
The virtue of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas,
4:49
and his understanding of the Book of Allah the Almighty,
4:52
to the point that he was titled the "Interpreter of the Qur'an."
4:55
The permissibility of a person speaking of the blessings Allah has bestowed upon him.
4:59
The permissibility of understanding the implications of verses
5:03
beyond their literal wording,
5:05
through the context and the occasion of revelation,
5:08
and other signs and indications.
5:11
Only those firmly grounded in knowledge are capable of this.
5:15
The permissibility of bringing the young into the company of the elders
5:18
if there is a benefit in doing so.
5:21
Good tidings for the Prophet, peace be upon him,
5:24
regarding the conquest of Mecca.
5:27
It is incumbent upon the ruler and the leader
5:29
to consult the people of knowledge and virtue
5:31
in important matters.
5:33
A person's value lies in his knowledge and his deeds,
5:36
not in his lineage or his advanced age.
5:41
From 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
5:45
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, never prayed
5:48
a prayer after there was revealed to him:
5:51
“When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh” (110:1)
5:54
but that he would say in it:
5:56
"Glory be to You, our Lord, and with Your praise;
5:59
O Allah, forgive me."
6:02
Agreed upon.
6:04
In a narration in the two Sahihs from her:
6:07
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
6:10
used to say frequently in his bowing and prostration:
6:14
"Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise;
6:17
O Allah, forgive me."
6:19
He was interpreting the Qur'an.
6:22
The meaning of "interpreting the Qur'an"
6:25
is that he was acting upon what he was commanded to do in the Qur'an,
6:28
in the saying of Allah the Almighty:
6:30
"So glorify the praise of your Lord,"
6:32
"and ask His forgiveness."
6:34
In a narration by Muslim:
6:36
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
6:39
used to say frequently before he died:
6:42
"Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise;
6:45
I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You."
6:48
'A'ishah said:
6:50
I said: "O Messenger of Allah,
6:52
what are these words that I see you have begun to say?"
6:57
He said:
6:58
"A sign has been set for me in my Ummah;
7:01
when I see it, I say them."
7:04
“When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh” (110:1)
7:07
to the end of the surah.
7:09
In another narration of his:
7:11
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
7:14
used to say frequently:
7:16
"Glory be to Allah and with His praise;
7:19
I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him."
7:22
She said:
7:24
I said: "O Messenger of Allah,
7:26
I see you frequently saying:
7:28
'Glory be to Allah and with His praise;
7:30
I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him.'"
7:34
He said:
7:35
"My Lord informed me that I would see a sign in my Ummah;
7:40
when I see it, I should frequently say:
7:43
'Glory be to Allah and with His praise;
7:46
I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him.'
7:49
And I have indeed seen it."
7:51
“When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh” (110:1)
7:54
The conquest of Mecca.
7:56
“And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops,” (110:2)
8:01
“Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.” (110:3)
8:05
Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.
8:10
From the benefits of the hadith:
8:12
The increase in the Prophet's seeking of forgiveness and his supplication,
8:17
and his turning toward Allah the Almighty.
8:20
A servant should increase in thanking Allah the Almighty
8:24
upon the attainment of blessings.
8:26
The occurrence of what Allah gave glad tidings of to His Messenger, peace be upon him,
8:31
because His promise is true.
8:34
From Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
8:39
Indeed, Allah the Almighty
8:41
sent down the revelation continuously to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
8:45
before his death,
8:47
until the revelation was at its most frequent when he passed away.
8:51
Agreed upon.
8:53
"Sent down the revelation continuously":
8:56
Meaning it was sent down frequently near his death.
8:59
"Until the revelation was at its most frequent when he passed away":
9:03
Meaning the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away
9:06
at a time when the revelation was descending upon him frequently.
9:10
From the benefits of the hadith:
9:14
Allah raises the status of the servant
9:16
through his frequent recitation of the Book of his Lord.
9:20
The continuity of revelation at the end of the Prophetic mission,
9:23
unlike its beginning,
9:25
when the revelation was interrupted for a period.
9:27
The polytheists said to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him:
9:32
"Your Lord has abandoned you."
9:36
The completion of the revelation before his death, peace be upon him.
9:41
The frequency of the revelation descending at the end of his life, peace be upon him,
9:46
is a sign of the approaching end and nearness to Allah the Almighty.
9:51
From Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
9:56
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
10:00
"Every servant will be resurrected according to the state in which he died."
10:04
Narrated by Muslim.
10:06
"Every servant" means every accountable person,
10:10
whether free or enslaved,
10:13
man or woman.
10:15
"According to the state in which he died":
10:17
Meaning the state upon which he died and which was his final end.
10:22
From the benefits of the hadith:
10:26
Encouraging the human being to perform good deeds,
10:30
so that they may be his companion on the Day of Resurrection,
10:33
because he will be resurrected according to the state in which he died.
10:36
One should adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
10:41
in his acts of worship, character, and all his affairs.
10:45
Increasing in acts of obedience at all times,
10:49
due to the possibility of death being near.
10:51
Especially in old age and during illness,
10:55
because deeds are judged by their endings.
10:58
What matters is the conclusion of one's deeds.
11:01
Whoever performs good deeds at the end of his life,
11:04
it is a sign of good tidings.
11:07
And whoever performs evil deeds at the end of his life,
11:10
it is the opposite.
11:12
Riyad al-Salihin