Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (43) | Chapter on the virtue of weak Muslims and the poor and inactive

0:00 Riyadh as-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: The Virtue of the Weak, Poor, and Unnoticed Muslims.

0:17 Allah Almighty said: "And keep yourself patient with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His face."

0:29 “Restrain thyself along with those who cry unto their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His Countenance; and let not thine eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who followeth his own lust and whose case hath been abandoned.” (18:28)

0:32 On the authority of Harithah ibn Wahb (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

0:37 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

0:42 "Shall I not inform you of the people of Paradise?

0:45 Every weak person who is deemed weak by others,

0:48 but if he were to swear an oath by Allah, He would fulfill it.

0:52 Shall I not inform you of the people of the Fire?

0:56 Every harsh, crude, and arrogant person."

1:00 Agreed upon.

1:03 *Al-'Utull* means the coarse, rough, and crude person.

1:07 *Al-Jawwadh* is the greedy hoarder who gathers wealth and refuses to spend it,

1:11 and it is also said to mean the bulky person who struts proudly in his gait,

1:15 or the short, pot-bellied man.

1:22 "Weak" refers to someone who is humble in spirit,

1:25 due to his humility and lowly condition in this worldly life.

1:29 "Deemed weak" (*mutada''af*)

1:31 means people look down on him, despise him, and boast over him.

1:36 "Were to swear an oath by Allah"

1:38 means he swears an oath longing for Allah’s generosity and relying upon Him,

1:42 "He would fulfill it"

1:44 means Allah would grant him what he desires and answer his prayer.

1:50 Among the lessons of the hadith:

1:52 The prohibition of harshness, crudeness, and arrogance,

1:56 for these are the hallmarks of the people of the Fire.

1:59 The recommendation of humility and meekness toward fellow Muslims,

2:03 and lowering the wing of kindness to the believers.

2:07 Bearing hardships and harm for the sake of Allah is a means for having supplications answered.

2:12 A person is not judged by outward appearance,

2:14 but rather by inner character and true substance.

2:20 On the authority of Abu al-'Abbas

2:22 Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

2:26 A man passed by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

2:31 so he said to a man sitting near him:

2:34 "What is your opinion of this man?"

2:36 He replied:

2:38 "He is one of the nobles among the people;

2:41 by Allah, he is worthy, if he proposes marriage, that he be accepted,

2:45 and if he intercedes, that his intercession be granted."

2:48 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, remained silent.

2:52 Then another man passed by,

2:55 so the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, asked the sitting man:

2:59 "What is your opinion of this man?"

3:01 He replied:

3:03 "O Messenger of Allah,

3:05 this is one of the poor Muslims;

3:08 he is worthy, if he proposes marriage, that he be turned down,

3:12 and if he intercedes, that his intercession not be granted,

3:15 and if he speaks, that his speech not be listened to."

3:19 Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

3:23 "This one is better than an earth full of the likes of that other one."

3:28 Agreed upon.

3:30 His word *hariyy*

3:33 means worthy or deserving.

3:35 Among the lessons of the hadith:

3:38 It is permissible for a scholar to open his gathering by questioning his students.

3:44 Allah does not look at people's appearances, wealth, social standing, or lineages.

3:51 The poor, unnoticed, and pious must never be belittled,

3:57 for one of them may be better than an earth full of people of authority and worldly nobility.

4:05 Superiority among people is determined solely by piety (*taqwa*).

4:08 “O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.” (49:13)

4:12 Encouragement to marry righteous men and women,

4:17 even if they are poor,

4:19 because they are well-matched in religious commitment and good character.

4:23 Prevailing social custom has no value

4:25 when it contradicts the standard of the Shariah.

4:28 Speaking about an absent person so that people may know his true condition,

4:34 or to caution them against his harm,

4:36 is not considered prohibited backbiting.

4:39 Social status gained merely through worldly possession

4:44 holds no true weight in Islamic society.

4:48 On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him),

4:53 from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

4:57 "Paradise and the Fire disputed with one another.

5:00 The Fire said:

5:02 'In me are the tyrants and the arrogant.'

5:06 And Paradise said:

5:08 'In me are the weak and the destitute of mankind.'

5:12 Thereupon Allah judged between them, saying:

5:15 'You are Paradise, My mercy;

5:18 I show mercy through you to whomsoever I will.

5:20 And you are the Fire, My punishment;

5:23 I punish through you whomsoever I will.

5:26 And it is incumbent upon Me to fill both of you.'"

5:30 Narrated by Muslim.

5:32 "Disputed" (*ihtajjat*)

5:35 means they debated and argued with each other,

5:38 each presenting its argument against the other.

5:42 "The tyrants" (*al-jabbarun*)

5:44 refers to the proud and overbearing.

5:46 "The weak of mankind"

5:48 refers to the humble.

5:50 "Their destitute" (*masakinuhum*)

5:52 refers to the needy.

5:55 Among the lessons of the hadith:

5:59 The perfection of Allah's knowledge, as He knows what will occur and how it will occur.

6:04 This hadith is to be taken upon its literal reality,

6:08 for Allah has endowed Paradise and the Fire with perception by which they discern,

6:13 so they debated each other and possessed speech.

6:17 Humility before Allah and lowering the wing of kindness to the believers

6:21 are causes for attaining Allah’s mercy and entering Paradise.

6:25 Arrogance and ingratitude are a pathway to the Fire.

6:30 Paradise is the abode of Allah's mercy,

6:33 by which He shows mercy to whomsoever He wills among His allies.

6:36 The Fire is the abode of His punishment,

6:39 by which He punishes whomsoever He wills among His enemies.

6:44 He is the most entitled to judge between disputants with His absolute justice;

6:47 “And He is Allah; there is no Allah save Him. His is all praise in the former and the latter (state), and His is the command, and unto Him ye will be brought back.” (28:70)

6:50 none can overturn His judgment,

6:52 nor can anyone delay His decree.

6:56 Allah Almighty created dwellers destined for Paradise,

6:59 and He created dwellers destined for the Fire,

7:02 and each of them will have its fill.

7:05 The permissibility of debate,

7:07 and that it is legitimate for the purpose of manifesting the truth and vanquishing falsehood.

7:13 Glad tidings of Paradise for the oppressed and humble believers,

7:17 and a stern warning of the Fire for the arrogant tyrants.

7:23 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),

7:26 from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

7:30 "A huge, fat man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection,

7:35 but he will not weigh with Allah as much as the wing of a mosquito."

7:39 Agreed upon.

7:43 Among the lessons of the hadith:

7:46 The worth of a human being is measured by knowledge and piety,

7:49 not by physical form or body on the Day of Resurrection.

7:54 True consideration lies with the criteria of the Shariah.

7:58 A Muslim must focus on reforming his heart and deeds

8:03 before paying attention to outward appearance,

8:05 for the ultimate measure is hearts and deeds,

8:08 not appearances and physical bodies.

8:11 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):

8:15 A black woman used to sweep the mosque—

8:20 or perhaps it was a young man—

8:22 and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, noticed her absence.

8:26 He asked about her—or him—

8:29 and they said: "She died."

8:32 He said: "Why did you not inform me?"

8:36 It was as if they had considered her—or his—affair to be of little significance.

8:40 He said: "Show me her grave."

8:44 So they showed it to him, and he prayed over her.

8:48 Then he said: "Verily, these graves

8:52 are filled with darkness for their occupants,

8:55 and indeed Allah Almighty illuminates them for them by means of my prayer over them."

9:00 Agreed upon.

9:03 *Taqummu* means she used to sweep,

9:07 and *qumamah* refers to sweepings or rubbish.

9:10 *Adhantumuni* means you informed me.

9:14 "Considered her affair to be of little significance" means they took her matter lightly.

9:20 Among the lessons of the hadith:

9:23 The virtue of cleaning the mosque,

9:26 removing impurities and dirt from it,

9:29 and employing an attendant to care for it.

9:33 The Prophet's deep concern, peace be upon him, for his Ummah,

9:37 and his inquiring about their affairs and checking on them.

9:42 His great humility, peace be upon him,

9:45 to the point of asking after a servant and humble friend,

9:49 and leaders after him ought to follow his example in this manner.

9:53 The permissibility of informing those who care about a person of their death,

9:57 and that this is not considered the prohibited form of death-announcement (*na'y*).

10:01 The virtue of attending the funeral prayers of righteous people.

10:06 The permissibility of offering the funeral prayer for someone who missed it,

10:10 even after burial.

10:12 The supplication of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

10:16 is a source of light and blessing for the Muslims.

10:19 Recompensing kindness with supplication.

10:22 It is not permissible to despise others or belittle their worth,

10:28 since their true standing with Allah is unknown.

10:31 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

10:36 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

10:40 "Many a person with disheveled hair, covered in dust, turned away at doors,

10:44 if he were to swear an oath by Allah, He would surely fulfill it."

10:48 Narrated by Muslim.

10:52 "Disheveled" (*ash'ath*) means his hair is matted due to lack of grooming.

10:57 "Covered in dust" (*aghbar*) means he is layered with dust.

11:00 "Turned away at doors"

11:03 means he is repulsed and driven back on account of his poverty.

11:05 Among the lessons of the hadith:

11:09 Verily, Allah does not look at your appearances or your wealth,

11:13 but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.

11:17 A Muslim should attend to the purity of his heart, the righteousness of his deeds, and the sincerity of his intention,

11:24 far more than he cares for his attire and his seat in gatherings.

11:28 Humility before Allah and self-abasement for His sake

11:32 are a cause for having supplications answered;

11:35 therefore, Allah, Glorified be He, fulfills the oaths of the pious and unnoticed.

11:41 The ranks of servants are determined by their deeds,

11:44 not by appearances and wealth.

11:47 On the authority of Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him),

11:51 from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

11:55 "I stood at the gate of Paradise,

11:59 and behold, the majority of those who entered it were the destitute,

12:03 while the people of fortune and wealth were held back,

12:06 except that the inmates of the Fire had already been ordered to the Fire.

12:11 And I stood at the gate of the Fire,

12:14 and behold, the majority of those who entered it were women."

12:17 Agreed upon.

12:21 *Al-Jadd* means good fortune, prestige, and wealth.

12:24 And his statement: "were held back"

12:27 means they had not yet been granted permission to enter Paradise.

12:33 Among the lessons of the hadith:

12:35 The people of Paradise

12:37 are the poor and the doers of righteous deeds.

12:41 For this reason, the poor will be the first to enter Paradise.

12:47 Neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit on the Day of Resurrection,

12:51 except to him who comes to Allah with a sound heart.

12:55 Women who disobey their Lord,

12:58 deny kind treatment, and are ungrateful to their husbands

13:01 will enter the Fire.

13:03 Wealth is a tremendous responsibility before Allah;

13:08 its owner must spend it in accordance with Allah's command,

13:12 so that his reckoning on the Day of Resurrection will be easy.

13:18 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),

13:21 the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

13:25 "None spoke in the cradle except three:

13:29 'Isa ibn Maryam, the companion of Jurayj—

13:33 and Jurayj was a devout worshipper

13:36 who had built a hermitage

13:38 and resided in it.

13:40 His mother came to him while he was praying

13:43 and called out: 'O Jurayj!'

13:46 He said: 'O Lord, my mother or my prayer?'

13:50 And he chose to continue his prayer,

13:53 so she left.

13:55 The next day,

13:57 his mother came to him while he was praying

14:00 and called out: 'O Jurayj!'

14:03 He said: 'O Lord, my mother or my prayer?'

14:07 And he chose to continue his prayer.

14:10 On the following day,

14:12 she came to him while he was praying

14:15 and called out: 'O Jurayj!'

14:18 He said: 'O Lord, my mother or my prayer?'

14:22 And he chose to continue his prayer.

14:24 She said:

14:26 'O Allah, do not let him die until he has looked upon the faces of prostitutes!'

14:32 The Children of Israel mentioned Jurayj and his devotion,

14:36 and there was a prostitute whose beauty was legendary.

14:41 She said:

14:42 'If you wish, I will seduce him.'

14:45 She presented herself to him,

14:47 but he paid no attention to her.

14:49 So she went to a shepherd who used to take shelter near his hermitage,

14:53 surrendered herself to him,

14:56 and he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.

14:59 When she gave birth,

15:01 she said: 'It is from Jurayj.'

15:03 So they came to him, forced him down, demolished his hermitage,

15:07 and began beating him.

15:09 He said:

15:11 'What is the matter with you?'

15:12 They said:

15:13 'You committed fornication with this prostitute,

15:15 and she bore a child from you!'

15:17 He said:

15:18 'Where is the infant?'

15:20 They brought the infant,

15:22 and he said:

15:23 'Leave me until I pray.'

15:26 So he prayed.

15:27 When he finished,

15:29 he approached the infant, prodded him in his belly, and said:

15:33 'O child,

15:34 who is your father?'

15:36 The infant said:

15:37 'So-and-so, the shepherd.'

15:39 Thereupon they turned to Jurayj,

15:41 kissing him and seeking blessings by touching him,

15:44 and they said:

15:46 'We will rebuild your hermitage out of gold.'

15:49 He said:

15:50 'No,

15:51 rebuild it out of clay as it was.'

15:55 And so they did.

15:57 And while a boy was nursing from his mother,

16:00 a man rode past on a splendid beast, with a handsome appearance.

16:06 His mother said:

16:08 'O Allah, make my son like this man!'

16:12 The infant left her breast, turned, looked at him, and said:

16:17 'O Allah, do not make me like him!'

16:20 Then he returned to her breast and began suckling again.

16:24 It is as though I am looking at the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

16:29 imitating his suckling by placing his index finger in his mouth

16:34 and sucking on it.

16:36 Then he said:

16:38 And they passed by a slave-girl whom they were beating, saying:

16:42 'You committed fornication! You stole!'

16:45 while she said:

16:47 'Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs.'

16:50 The mother said:

16:52 'O Allah, do not make my son like her!'

16:56 The infant stopped nursing, looked at her, and said:

17:00 'O Allah, make me like her!'

17:03 Thereupon, a conversation ensued between them.

17:06 She said:

17:08 'A man of handsome appearance passed by,

17:10 and I said:

17:12 "O Allah, make my son like him!"

17:15 but you said:

17:16 "O Allah, do not make me like him!"

17:20 Then they passed by this bondwoman while beating her and saying:

17:25 "You committed fornication! You stole!"

17:27 and I said:

17:28 "O Allah, do not make my son like her!"

17:32 but you said:

17:33 "O Allah, make me like her!"'

17:37 He said:

17:38 'That man was a tyrant,

17:41 so I said:

17:43 "O Allah, do not make me like him!"

17:46 And as for this woman, they say to her: "You committed fornication," yet she did not fornicate;

17:51 and "You stole," yet she did not steal;

17:54 so I said:

17:55 "O Allah, make me like her!"'"

17:59 Agreed upon.

18:01 "Al-Mūmisāt"

18:03 are prostitutes,

18:04 and "al-mūmisah"

18:06 is a prostitute.

18:08 His saying:

18:09 "a splendid beast" (dābbah fārihah)

18:11 means an agile, precious mount.

18:14 "Al-Shārah"

18:15 is the outward beauty of appearance and attire.

18:20 The meaning of "a conversation ensued"

18:22 is that she spoke to the child and he spoke to her.

18:26 And Allah knows best.

18:29 "None spoke except three":

18:32 this restriction pertains specifically to the Children of Israel;

18:35 otherwise, others besides them have spoken in infancy,

18:38 as mentioned in the story of the People of the Ditch.

18:42 "Sawma'ah"

18:44 means an elevated structure with a domed top,

18:48 which is a place where monks worship.

18:52 "O Lord, my mother or my prayer?"

18:55 means: "Both answering my mother and completing my prayer are incumbent upon me,

19:01 so guide me to whichever of the two is better."

19:04 "Baghī"

19:05 means a prostitute.

19:07 "Whose beauty was legendary"

19:09 means that proverbs were coined regarding her beauty.

19:12 "They forced him down"

19:14 means they brought him down forcefully.

19:18 Among the lessons derived from the hadith:

19:20 Affirming the miracles of the Prophets and the divine wonders granted to the righteous allies of Allah.

19:27 Giving precedence to filial piety over voluntary prayer and other supererogatory acts.

19:33 The superiority of sacred knowledge over worship performed without knowledge;

19:37 for Jurayj was a worshipper,

19:38 yet he lacked knowledge,

19:41 and had he been a person of knowledge,

19:43 he would have prioritized answering his mother over his voluntary prayer.

19:48 The supplication of a parent is answered.

19:51 The plotting of the people of falsehood against the righteous is an ancient reality:

19:55 for the Children of Israel mentioned the worshipper Jurayj,

19:58 conspired against him, and incited the prostitute against him;

20:02 then, when they thought they had struck him a fatal blow,

20:06 they claimed they were merely disciplining him,

20:09 professing to seek reform while they were the true corruptors;

20:13 for had they genuinely sought reform,

20:15 they would have applied the prescribed legal punishment to this woman whose prostitution was known to them.

20:21 Those who are sincere with Allah are never harmed by tribulations.

20:26 A person is measured by his piety and deeds,

20:28 not by his outward appearance and clothing.

20:32 The ultimate refuge in critical matters is Allah alone,

20:35 which is realized by turning to Him through prayer and supplication.

20:41 Riyadh as-Salihin.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (43) | Chapter on the virtue of weak Muslims and the poor and inactive

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