Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (23) | Chapter on explaining the many paths of goodness (1)

0:00 Riyad al-Salihin (The Gardens of the Righteous)

0:03 From the words of the Master of the Messengers

0:06 Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

0:09 Chapter: Explaining the Abundance of the Paths of Good

0:15 Allah the Exalted says

0:20 “They ask thee, (O Muhammad), what they shall spend. Say: that which ye spend for good (must go) to parents and near kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. And whatsoever good ye do, lo! Allah is Aware of it.” (2:215)

0:25 And He the Exalted says

0:27 “The pilgrimage is (in) the well-known months, and whoever is minded to perform the pilgrimage therein (let him remember that) there is (to be) no lewdness nor abuse nor angry conversation on the pilgrimage. And whatsoever good ye do Allah knoweth it. So make provision for yourselves (Hereafter); for the best provision is to ward off evil. Therefore keep your duty unto Me, O men of understanding.” (2:197)

0:31 And He the Exalted says

0:33 “And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then,” (99:7)

0:38 And He the Exalted says

0:40 Whoever does righteousness, it is for his own soul

0:43 The verses in this chapter are numerous

0:46 As for the hadiths

0:48 They are very many and cannot be enumerated

0:52 So we shall mention a portion of them

0:56 On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub Ibn Junada, may Allah be pleased with him, who said

1:01 I said, "O Messenger of Allah,

1:03 Which deeds are best?"

1:06 He said,

1:07 "Faith in Allah,

1:09 And jihad in His cause."

1:11 I said,

1:12 "Which slaves are best [to free]?"

1:15 He said,

1:16 "Those most precious to their owners,

1:18 And the highest in value."

1:21 I said,

1:22 "And if I cannot do that?"

1:24 He said,

1:25 "You assist a worker or work for one who is incompetent."

1:30 I said, "O Messenger of Allah,

1:32 What if I am too weak to perform some of these deeds?"

1:35 He said,

1:36 "Refrain from harming people,

1:39 For that is a charity from you to your own soul."

1:43 Agreed upon

1:45 "A worker" (al-sani'), and it is also narrated as "one in need" (da'i')

1:48 Meaning one who is in a state of loss due to poverty, dependents, or similar circumstances

1:53 And "the incompetent" (al-akhraq)

1:54 Is one who cannot master what he attempts to do

2:00 "Slaves" (al-riqab)

2:01 Is the plural of "neck" (raqaba)

2:04 Meaning the enslaved person

2:06 Whether it refers to their manumission,

2:08 Or their liberation from slavery,

2:10 Or assisting in that

2:13 "Most precious" (anfasuha)

2:14 Meaning the finest and best of them

2:17 "Refrain" (takuffu)

2:18 Meaning you prevent

2:21 From the benefits of the hadith:

2:23 The head of the matter

2:24 Is faith in Allah and His oneness

2:27 And it is the foundation for the acceptance of deeds by Allah

2:31 Encouragement toward jihad in the cause of Allah

2:34 Because it is the best of deeds after faith in Allah

2:38 Urging the assistance of those who need help with a task they are unable to perform

2:45 Abstaining from evil and harming others

2:48 Is included in the deeds of faith

2:51 And that it is no less in reward than charity and benevolence

2:56 It is permissible to seek clarification through questioning

2:59 And that this does not detract from one's good manners

3:02 The desirability of a scholar being patient with his student and gentle with him

3:07 Islam's endeavor to liberate the enslaved

3:12 The ease of Islam and its suitability to the servant's ability and capacity

3:17 For the servant must find, in all his states, a righteous deed he can perform

3:23 The comprehensiveness of acts of piety and goodness in Islam

3:30 On the authority of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him,

3:33 That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

3:37 "Every morning, charity is due for every joint of yours.

3:42 Every glorification (tasbih) is a charity,

3:45 Every praise (tahmid) is a charity,

3:47 Every declaration of oneness (tahlil) is a charity,

3:50 Every declaration of greatness (takbir) is a charity,

3:53 Enjoining good is a charity,

3:56 And forbidding evil is a charity.

3:59 Two rak'ahs performed during the forenoon (Duha) suffice for all of that."

4:04 Narrated by Muslim

4:06 "Joint" (sulama) refers to the bones/articulations

4:09 From the benefits of the hadith:

4:14 One should increase in acts of charity

4:17 In gratitude to Allah the Exalted for one's well-being

4:20 And to ward off affliction

4:22 The abundance of the doors of goodness and acts of obedience

4:25 By maintaining the dhikr (remembrances)

4:27 And the remembrance of Allah the Exalted

4:29 And enjoining good and forbidding evil

4:33 The virtue of the Duha prayer

4:35 For it is the prayer of the oft-repentant (awwabin)

4:37 And none maintains it except one who is oft-repentant

4:41 The vastness of Allah's mercy toward His servants

4:44 Since servants are unable to give charity every day in this manner

4:50 So two rak'ahs of Duha suffice for that

4:55 Charity and spending by one who is capable is better than other deeds

4:59 Because its benefit extends to others

5:01 And whoever combines both [charity and prayer]

5:03 Has attained the most complete state

5:05 On the authority of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

5:10 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

5:14 "The deeds of my Ummah were presented to me,

5:17 Both their good and their bad.

5:19 I found among their good deeds

5:22 The removal of harm from the road,

5:25 And I found among their bad deeds

5:28 Sputum left in the mosque without being buried."

5:32 Narrated by Muslim

5:34 "Harm" (al-adha) is anything that harms passersby, such as stones, thorns, or otherwise

5:42 "Removed" (yumatu) means cleared away and set aside

5:46 "Sputum" (nukha'a) is the phlegm that comes from the mouth

5:51 Which is related to the mouth

5:53 And "phlegm" (nukhama) is the mucus that comes from the depths of the throat

5:58 Which is related to the chest

6:01 "Not buried" means not removed by burying

6:05 Because the floor of the mosque was [originally] dirt

6:08 As for the mosques of the Muslims today,

6:11 It should be removed by washing or scrubbing

6:14 And Allah knows best

6:16 From the benefits of the hadith:

6:21 Allah the Glorified and Exalted informed His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

6:26 Of the deeds of his Ummah

6:28 Deeds are divided into good and bad

6:32 Good deeds

6:34 Are every deed that contains goodness, however small

6:37 And bad deeds are those that contain evil, however small

6:43 One should increase in acts of goodness

6:46 For among them are things people might think are of no consequence

6:50 Such as removing harm from the road

6:53 And [cleaning] sputum from the mosque

6:55 Urging the performance of what benefits people and brings them interest

7:00 And distancing oneself from everything that harms them and causes them corruption

7:05 Mosques should be respected and kept free from impurities

7:10 Such as sputum, phlegm, and urine

7:13 And maintained with proper etiquette

7:16 Encouragement to remove harm from the path of the Muslims

7:20 For that is one of the branches of faith

7:23 On the authority of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him,

7:28 That some people said, "O Messenger of Allah,

7:31 The wealthy have taken all the rewards;

7:34 They pray as we pray,

7:36 They fast as we fast,

7:39 And they give charity from their surplus wealth."

7:42 He said, "Has Allah not provided you with that which you can give as charity?

7:48 Indeed, every glorification is a charity,

7:51 Every declaration of greatness is a charity,

7:54 Every praise is a charity,

7:57 Every declaration of oneness is a charity,

7:59 Enjoining good is a charity,

8:02 And forbidding evil is a charity,

8:05 And in the sexual act of one of you is a charity."

8:08 They said, "O Messenger of Allah,

8:10 Does one of us satisfy his desire and have a reward in it?"

8:15 He said, "Do you see, if he were to place it in a forbidden act,

8:19 Would he have a sin upon him?

8:21 Likewise, if he places it in the lawful,

8:24 He has a reward."

8:26 Narrated by Muslim

8:28 "Wealth" (al-duthur)

8:30 Refers to riches

8:31 Its singular is "dathr"

8:33 "Surplus wealth"

8:37 Meaning their wealth that exceeds their needs and sufficiency

8:42 "Sexual act" (bud')

8:43 Meaning intercourse

8:45 Which is a man's intimacy with his spouse

8:48 "Desire" (shahwa)

8:49 Meaning his pleasure and what his soul craves

8:53 "In a forbidden act"

8:55 Meaning in adultery

8:57 "Sin" (wizr)

8:58 Meaning transgression and punishment

9:00 "The wealthy have taken all the rewards"

9:03 Meaning the rich have secured all the reward

9:06 And have been singled out for it

9:10 From the benefits of the hadith:

9:13 The competition of Muslims in performing good deeds

9:16 And their eagerness to do acts of obedience and attain closeness to Allah

9:21 The breadth of the concept of worship in Islam

9:24 And that it includes every deed a Muslim performs

9:28 With a righteous intention and good purpose

9:31 Even if it is among the ordinary, natural, permissible acts

9:36 A person is rewarded for abandoning sin

9:39 Just as he is rewarded for performing an act of obedience

9:42 If it is with the intention of obedience and compliance

9:45 The poor Muslims used to envy the rich among them

9:50 The ease and simplicity of Islam

9:53 For every Muslim finds something he can do to obey Allah

9:57 The rich and the poor are commanded

10:00 To perform acts of obedience and abandon forbidden things

10:03 The wisdom of the jurist and the educator

10:07 In guiding those who feel distress within themselves

10:10 Due to their inability to keep up

10:12 With those who excel in good deeds

10:15 On the authority of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

10:20 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me:

10:23 "Do not belittle any good deed,

10:27 Even if it is meeting your brother with a cheerful face."

10:31 Narrated by Muslim

10:34 "Do not belittle" (la tahqiranna)

10:37 Meaning do not let its value be low in your estimation

10:39 So do not disregard it

10:41 Or do not consider it insignificant.

10:43 [It means] cheerful.

10:44 That is, smiling and joyful.

10:46 Among the benefits of the hadith:

10:51 Do not belittle any good deed.

10:53 As long as it is a form of goodness.

10:56 The desirability of bringing joy to Muslims.

10:59 Because of the harmony it achieves among them.

11:05 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

11:08 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

11:12 "Every joint of the people owes a charity."

11:16 "Every day the sun rises."

11:19 "To reconcile between two people is a charity."

11:22 "To help a man with his mount,"

11:25 "By lifting him onto it,"

11:27 "Or lifting his luggage onto it for him, is a charity."

11:31 "And a good word is a charity."

11:34 "And every step you take toward the prayer is a charity."

11:38 "And removing a harmful object from the road is a charity."

11:42 Agreed upon.

11:44 It was also narrated by Muslim.

11:46 In the narration of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:

11:50 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

11:54 "Indeed, every human being from the children of Adam was created,"

11:58 "With three hundred and sixty joints."

12:01 "So whoever magnifies Allah, praises Allah,"

12:05 "Declares the oneness of Allah, glorifies Allah,"

12:08 "And seeks the forgiveness of Allah,"

12:10 "And removes a stone from the path of the people,"

12:14 "Or enjoins good or forbids evil,"

12:19 "To the number of those three hundred and sixty,"

12:22 "Then he will spend his day,"

12:25 "Having distanced himself from the Fire."

12:30 "Reconcile" means to mediate between them and judge with justice.

12:34 "His luggage,"

12:36 Meaning what he benefits from, such as food, clothing, and the like.

12:41 Among the benefits of the hadith:

12:45 The desirability of reconciling between people with justice.

12:48 And treating them with noble character.

12:51 The desirability of maintaining congregational prayer in the mosque.

12:56 Specifying the number of joints for which a Muslim owes charity.

13:03 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

13:07 From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

13:11 "Whoever goes to the mosque or returns,"

13:14 "Allah prepares for him a dwelling in Paradise every time he goes or returns."

13:20 Agreed upon.

13:22 "Dwelling" is sustenance, provision, and what is prepared for a guest.

13:27 "Goes" is traveling at the beginning of the day, meaning the departure.

13:35 "Returns" is traveling at the end of the day, meaning the return.

13:40 Among the benefits of the hadith:

13:44 The deeds of all servants are recorded with Allah the Almighty.

13:49 Whoever goes to the mosque for no reason other than prayer,

13:54 His walking in his departure and return is recorded for him.

13:58 The virtue of maintaining congregational prayer.

14:02 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

14:07 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

14:11 "O Muslim women,"

14:13 "Let no neighbor belittle her neighbor,"

14:17 "Even if it is the hoof of a sheep."

14:19 Agreed upon.

14:21 Al-Jawhari said:

14:23 The "hoof" (farsan) of a camel is like the hoof of a beast.

14:27 He said: It is sometimes used metaphorically for a sheep.

14:31 "Let no neighbor belittle" means do not underestimate or consider it insignificant.

14:39 The "hoof" is a bone with little meat on it.

14:43 Among the benefits of the hadith:

14:47 Encouragement to give gifts and charity.

14:50 No matter how small the item is.

14:53 The prohibition of stinginess and miserliness.

14:56 The desirability of maintaining ties between Muslims.

14:59 Especially neighbors.

15:01 Not belittling any act of kindness, whatever it may be.

15:06 A gift, even if it is small in the eyes of the giver,

15:11 Is great in reward with Allah the Almighty.

15:15 And of great benefit to the recipient.

15:18 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

15:22 From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

15:26 "Faith has over seventy,"

15:29 "Or over sixty branches."

15:32 "The best of them is the statement 'There is no god but Allah',"

15:36 "And the lowest of them is removing a harmful object from the road."

15:40 "And modesty is a branch of faith."

15:44 Agreed upon.

15:46 "Over" (bid') refers to a number between three and nine.

15:50 "Branch" (shu'bah) is a part or section.

15:53 "Modesty" (haya') is a character trait that prompts the avoidance of shameful acts.

15:59 And prevents one from falling short in the rights of those who have rights.

16:03 "The best of them" means the highest and most rewarding.

16:07 "The lowest of them" means the easiest.

16:11 "Removing a harmful object" means clearing it away and moving it aside.

16:17 Among the benefits of the hadith:

16:21 Faith has ranks, some higher than others in importance.

16:26 Faith, according to the salaf, is both speech and action.

16:30 Faith is a motivator and a regulator for righteous deeds.

16:34 It is what produces righteous acts.

16:37 And it is what directs them toward the pleasure of Allah.

16:42 Faith is divisible.

16:44 And therefore, it increases and decreases.

16:47 It increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.

16:51 Based on this,

16:53 A person who commits a major sin does not become a disbeliever.

16:56 Rather, his faith decreases.

16:58 Faith is something acquired.

17:01 Therefore, the servant should tend to his faith and improve his Islam.

17:06 And ascend the ranks of the believers.

17:09 To reach the perfection of faith.

17:12 The variation in the ranks of faith,

17:14 Is not a reason to belittle the rituals of the religion.

17:18 Because they all come from the Lord of the worlds.

17:23 Modesty is a praiseworthy character trait.

17:25 It prompts faith in Allah and awareness of His watchfulness.

17:29 And struggling against the self to perform acts of obedience.

17:32 Riyadh al-Salihin.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (23) | Chapter on explaining the many paths of goodness (1)

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