Part of Riyad as-Salihin — Gardens of the Righteous (series completed)
· Lesson 73 of 190
Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (83) | Chapter on piety and abandoning desires
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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*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.
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Chapter: Scrupulousness (*Wara'*) and Avoiding Doubtful Matters.
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On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,
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the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, found a date in the road
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and said:
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"Were it not that I fear it might be from charity, I would have eaten it."
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Agreed upon.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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Among the unique characteristics of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his household
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is the prohibition of accepting obligatory and voluntary charity.
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It is permissible to make use of insignificant items found on the road,
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which people generally overlook.
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Encouragement to pick up food from the road and eat it if it is clean and edible,
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and not leave it for Satan.
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Whoever is uncertain about the ruling on a matter
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is obligated to leave it and stay away from it.
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On the authority of al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an, may Allah be pleased with him,
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from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
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"Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart
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and you would hate for people to find out about."
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Related by Muslim.
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Meaning: it causes hesitation and unease.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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Exhortation to cultivate good character due to its immense status in Islam,
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and that it delivers one from sin and transgression.
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Sin has two distinguishing signs:
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that it causes inner hesitation and unease,
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and that one hates for people to discover it,
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because it is an ugly blemish that a person of modesty shrinks from exposing.
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The hadith proves that the soul possesses an innate, primordial sense
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of what is praiseworthy and what is blameworthy;
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thus, it is capable of distinguishing between sin and righteousness,
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because Allah created His servants with an innate disposition to recognize the truth, find tranquility in it, and accept it,
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and He ingrained in human nature a love for it and an aversion to its opposite.
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On the authority of Wabisa ibn Ma'bad, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and he said: "Have you come to ask about righteousness?"
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I replied: "Yes."
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He said: "Consult your heart.
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Righteousness is that with which the soul and the heart feel at ease,
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and sin is that which wavers in the soul and hesitates in the chest,
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even if people give you religious verdicts again and again."
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Related by Ahmad and al-Darimi.
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"Consult your heart" means: seek a verdict from your own conscience;
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and "hesitates in the chest" means: the chest finds no ease or expansion with it.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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Among the miracles of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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is informing the questioner of what he intended to ask before he spoke,
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which is from the unseen knowledge that Allah revealed to him.
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Truth and falsehood are never ambiguous to an insightful believer;
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rather, he recognizes the truth by the light it carries,
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so his heart embraces it and turns away from falsehood,
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rejecting it and finding no affinity with it.
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This hadith does not support the claim of some Sufis
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that mystical inspiration (*ilham*) and direct unveiling (*kashf*) are legitimate proofs for deriving legal rulings.
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On the authority of Abu Sarwa'ah, 'Uqbah ibn al-Harith, may Allah be pleased with him,
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who married a daughter of Abu Ihab ibn 'Aziz:
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A woman came and said,
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"I breastfed both 'Uqbah and the woman he has married."
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'Uqbah said to her,
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"I did not know that you breastfed me, nor did you ever inform me."
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So he rode out to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in Medina
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and asked him.
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
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"How can you remain together when this has been said?"
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So 'Uqbah separated from her, and she married another husband.
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Related by al-Bukhari.
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"How can you remain together when this has been said?"
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Meaning: how can you remain together
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when it has been stated that you are foster-brother and sister?
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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Fosterage establishes the same marital prohibitions as biological lineage.
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The testimony of a wet nurse regarding the one she breastfed is sufficient to establish fosterage.
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The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were deeply eager to ascertain the correct ruling,
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even if doing so entailed hardship,
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as 'Uqbah ibn al-Harith rode all the way from Mecca to Medina
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to ask the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Whoever is unclear about a ruling or faces a doubtful matter
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must ask the people of knowledge.
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The recommendation of traveling in pursuit of knowledge.
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Whoever learns a legal ruling is obligated to abide by it.
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A Muslim servant should leave doubtful matters
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and take precautions to safeguard their religion and honor.
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On the authority of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
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I memorized from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
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"Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt."
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Related by al-Tirmidhi.
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The meaning is: leave what you are doubtful of
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and take what you have no doubt about.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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One should halt at doubtful matters and beware of them,
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for purely lawful matters cause no doubt in the believer's heart;
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rather, the soul finds comfort and tranquility in them.
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As for doubtful matters,
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they induce anxiety and turbulence in the heart, giving rise to doubt.
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On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
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Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, had
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a slave who used to pay him a set daily tax from his earnings (*kharaj*),
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and Abu Bakr used to eat from his earnings.
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One day, the slave brought something,
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and Abu Bakr ate from it.
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The slave said to him,
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"Do you know what this is?"
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Abu Bakr asked,
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"What is it?"
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He said,
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"I practiced soothsaying for a man during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance (*Jahiliyyah*),
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though I was no expert in soothsaying;
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I merely deceived him.
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He met me today
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and gave me this, of which you just ate."
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Thereupon, Abu Bakr inserted his hand into his throat
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and vomited up everything that was in his stomach.
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Related by al-Bukhari.
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*Kharaj*:
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a fixed sum that a master imposes upon his slave,
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which the slave pays to the master daily,
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while the remainder of his earnings belongs to the slave.
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"Used to pay him a set daily tax"
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means he would bring him the earnings of that stipulated tax.
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"I practiced soothsaying"
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means: I told him of future events without any basis.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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The profound scrupulousness (*wara'*) of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him,
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and his extreme care that nothing unlawful enter his belly.
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Clarification of the prohibition of soothsaying,
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as well as the payment given to a soothsayer;
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for it is established that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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forbade the earnings of a soothsayer.
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The permissibility of eating from the earnings paid by a slave.
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The default presumption regarding Muslims' food
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is that it is lawful,
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and one should not inquire about it
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unless an unlawful aspect becomes apparent.
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It is impermissible to eat from the food of one whose wealth is known to be unlawful.
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On the authority of Nafi',
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that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him,
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allocated a stipend of four thousand to the earliest Emigrants (*Muhajirun*),
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but allocated three thousand five hundred to his own son.
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It was said to him:
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"He is also from among the Emigrants,
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so why did you reduce his share?"
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He replied: "His father brought him along when he emigrated,"
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meaning:
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"He is not like one who emigrated of his own accord."
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Related by al-Bukhari.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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The scrupulousness of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
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The superior virtue of the earliest Emigrants,
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who set out on their own, fleeing for their religion and seeking the countenance of Allah.
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The ruler has the right to allocate a stipend to certain believers to assist them in their livelihood,
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including those who devote themselves entirely to religious calling and knowledge.
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On the authority of 'Atiyyah ibn 'Urwah al-Sa'di, the Companion, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
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"A servant will not reach the level of the truly pious (*muttaqin*)
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until he leaves that which is harmless
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out of caution against falling into that which is harmful."
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Related by al-Tirmidhi.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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Consuming purely lawful sustenance is a quality of the pious.
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Piety (*taqwa*) serves as a barrier between the servant and doubtful matters.
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True piety entails safeguarding oneself against doubtful matters and turning away from them.
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Chapter: The Recommendation of Seclusion during the Corruption of People and Times,
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or when Fearing Tribulation (*fitnah*) in Religion and Falling into Unlawful and Doubtful Matters, and the Like.
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Allah Almighty said:
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"So flee to Allah.
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Truly, I am a clear warner from Him to you."
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On the authority of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
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"Indeed, Allah loves the servant who is pious, self-sufficient, and obscure."
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Related by Muslim.
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"Self-sufficient" refers to contentment and richness of the soul,
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as previously established in the authentic hadith.
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Key takeaways from the hadith:
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The virtue of secluding oneself from people while remaining steadfast in obedience to Allah,
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when fearing tribulations and the moral corruption of society.
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Affirmation of the attribute of love for Allah,
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and that He loves His obedient servant.
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Clarification of the qualities that earn Allah's love for His servants,
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namely piety, humility, and contentment with what Allah has apportioned.
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Richness is not measured by an abundance of worldly goods and wealth;
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rather, true richness is the richness of the soul.
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The best of deeds are those performed purely for the sake of Allah Almighty,
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done in obscurity away from people's view,
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out of fear of ostentation and seeking fame.
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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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A man asked,
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"Which of the people is best, O Messenger of Allah?"
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He replied:
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"A believer who strives with his life and his wealth in the path of Allah."
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The man asked,
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"Then who?"
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He replied:
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"Then a man in seclusion in a mountain pass, worshiping his Lord"
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— and in another narration:
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"fearing Allah
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and sparing people from his harm."
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Agreed upon.
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Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
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It is recommended to ask about necessary matters of religion.
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The virtue of the mujahid due to sacrificing his life and wealth in the cause of Allah.
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Mixing with people when they are corrupt
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is an incitement to committing sins.
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It is permissible to withdraw from people when turmoil and tribulations occur,
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because of the safety it provides against harms.
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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said
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that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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"The time is soon approaching when the best wealth of a Muslim will be
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sheep which he follows along the mountain peaks
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and the places where rain falls,
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fleeing with his religion from tribulations."
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Narrated by al-Bukhari.
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And "mountain peaks" (sha'af al-jibal)
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refers to their highest points.
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"The time is soon approaching" means it is near.
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"The places where rain falls" (mawaqi' al-qatr)
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refers to the places of pasture where rain descends,
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for if it falls upon the land, vegetation grows.
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Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
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Fleeing from tribulations
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is the way of the sincere believers,
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because it preserves their religion.
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The best wealth of a Muslim is a small flock of sheep he pastures on permitted grazing land,
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thereby earning wholesome sustenance from them.
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Seclusion brings relief from bad companions.
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Permission to live as a desert nomad during times of tribulation;
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for it was previously forbidden for one who migrated in the cause of Allah
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to return after his migration to living as a Bedouin,
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yet it was permitted when tribulations arise.
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Seclusion is recommended for anyone who fears for his religion.
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The hadith is among the signs of prophethood,
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as what the truthful and trusted one foretold has indeed occurred,
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such that a believer can scarcely keep himself safe by night or by day.
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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
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from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:
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"Allah did not send any prophet except that he tended sheep."
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His Companions asked,
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"And you?"
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He said,
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"Yes,
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I used to tend them for the people of Mecca for a few qirats."
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Narrated by al-Bukhari.
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Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
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Allah inspired all the prophets before their prophethood to tend sheep,
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so that by caring for them they would gain training and experience
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for the task they would be charged with in guiding and leading people.
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Mingling with sheep
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fosters forbearance, patience, and compassion;
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for in patiently tending them and gathering them after they scatter across the pasture,
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repelling their attacking enemies such as predatory beasts,
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understanding their differing temperaments and tendency to scatter,
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along with their weakness and need for someone to care for them,
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they grew accustomed to being patient with the Ummah,
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and bearing the differences in their temperaments and the variation in their intellects;
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so they repaired their fractures,
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showed gentleness to the weak among them,
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and showed kindness to those among them who erred.
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This is part of Allah the Exalted's care and guardianship over His prophets,
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nurturing them gradually to bear the trust and convey the message.
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Sheep were specifically chosen to be tended by the prophets
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because they are weaker than other animals,
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and because they scatter more than camels and cattle.
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The humility of the prophets (peace be upon them),
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as seen in their engagement in modest crafts.
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It is recommended for a servant to earn his sustenance lawfully,
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and even if it is little, it contains blessing for one who is content.
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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
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from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he said:
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"Among the best of livelihoods for people
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is a man holding the rein of his horse in the cause of Allah;
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he flies upon its back,
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whenever he hears a battle cry or an alarm,
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he flies toward it, seeking combat or death wherever it is expected;
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or a man with a small flock of sheep upon the peak of one of these mountains,
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or in the bottom of one of these valleys,
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who establishes prayer, pays zakat,
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and worships his Lord until certainty comes to him;
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he deals with people only in good."
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Narrated by Muslim.
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"He flies" means he rushes swiftly,
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and "its back" refers to the back of the horse.
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"Hay'ah" is the clamor or call of battle,
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"faz'ah" has a similar meaning,
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and "the places where a thing is expected" (madann) means the places where it is likely to be found.
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"Ghunaymah" is a diminutive form of "ghanam" (a small flock of sheep),
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and "sha'fah" is the mountain peak.
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"Rein" ('inan) is the strap of the bridle by which the mount is held.
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"Seeking combat"
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means seeking it against the disbelievers in jihad.
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"Certainty" means death.
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"He deals with people only in good"
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means he does not mix with people except in goodness.
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Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
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The virtue of jihad, preparing for it, anticipating it,
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and resolving inwardly to undertake it, seeking martyrdom in the cause of Allah.
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The virtue of tending sheep,
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due to its sufficiency of provision and lawful earnings,
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when withdrawing from people during times of tribulation and corruption.
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Whoever mixes with people, the Muslims should be safe from his hand and his tongue.
18:23
Seclusion due to tribulations
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must not prevent a servant from fulfilling the legal rulings properly,
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such as prayer, fasting, zakat, and Hajj.
18:35
Riyad al-Salihin.