Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (61) | Chapter of Hope (1)

0:00 Riyadh al-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)

0:03 From the Words of the Master of the Messengers,

0:06 may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:09 Chapter on Hope (al-Raja').

0:16 Allah the Exalted said:

0:18 “Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)

0:25 “Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)

0:29 ﴾Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.﴿

0:33 And the Exalted said:

0:35 “This We awarded them because of their ingratitude. Punish We ever any save the ingrates?” (34:17)

0:38 And the Exalted said:

0:40 “Lo! it hath been revealed unto us that the doom will be for him who denieth and turneth away.” (20:48)

0:47 And the Exalted said:

0:49 “And ordain for us in this world that which is good, and in the Hereafter (that which is good), Lo! We have turned unto Thee. He said: I smite with My punishment whom I will, and My mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor-due, and those who believe Our revelations;” (7:156)

0:55 On the authority of 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

0:59 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

1:03 "Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner,

1:08 and that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,

1:11 and that Jesus is the servant of Allah and His messenger,

1:14 “O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One Allah. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.” (4:171)

1:19 and that Paradise is real,

1:21 and that the Fire is real,

1:23 Allah will admit him into Paradise regardless of what deeds he did."

1:29 Agreed upon.

1:31 And in a narration of Muslim:

1:33 "Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah,

1:36 and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,

1:39 Allah will forbid the Fire from consuming him."

1:42 "His Word":

1:45 Meaning that Jesus came into being by His command, without a father.

1:48 "A spirit from Him":

1:50 Meaning among His creation and originating from Him.

1:53 Among the lessons of the hadith:

1:56 None shall enter Paradise except a believing soul.

2:01 The highest station of a believer

2:03 is to be a true servant of Allah the Exalted in reality.

2:07 Whoever dies upon faith,

2:10 major sins do not remove him from the fundamental fold of faith,

2:13 although faith increases through obedience and decreases through disobedience.

2:18 Jesus, upon him be peace and blessings,

2:22 is a proof of Allah over His creation,

2:25 as He created him without a father.

2:28 Among the matters of faith

2:30 is believing that Paradise and Hellfire are real.

2:34 On the authority of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

2:40 The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

2:43 "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says:

2:46 'Whoever comes with a good deed

2:48 will have tenfold its reward, or even more;

2:52 and whoever comes with an evil deed,

2:54 its recompense is an evil deed like it,

2:58 or I shall forgive him.

3:00 Whoever draws near to Me by a handspan,

3:03 I draw near to him by an arm's length;

3:05 and whoever draws near to Me by an arm's length,

3:08 I draw near to him by a fathom's length;

3:11 and whoever comes to Me walking,

3:13 I go to him running.

3:17 And whoever meets Me with nearly an earthful of sins,

3:20 associating nothing with Me,

3:23 I will meet him with an equivalent measure of forgiveness.'"

3:26 Narrated by Muslim.

3:28 The meaning of the hadith:

3:30 "Whoever draws near to Me through obedience to Me,

3:33 I draw near to him with My mercy;

3:36 and if he increases, I increase further.

3:38 And if he comes to Me walking, hastening in My obedience,

3:42 I go to him running":

3:44 That is, I pour out mercy upon him and anticipate him with it,

3:48 without requiring him to walk extensively to attain what he seeks.

3:53 "Qurab al-ard" (nearly an earthful):

3:55 Nearly its full capacity.

3:57 And Allah knows best.

4:00 "Al-Ba'" (a fathom):

4:02 The full span of a person's outstretched arms, forearms, and chest width.

4:07 Among the lessons of the hadith:

4:09 Instilling longing and hope for Allah's pardon and mercy,

4:14 and avoiding despair of His forgiveness.

4:17 The lowest level of multiplying good deeds is tenfold,

4:22 and the promise has reached seventyfold and seven-hundredfold.

4:28 This hadith is among the hadiths concerning divine attributes,

4:31 affirming the coming of the Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He;

4:35 we accept them as they have come,

4:37 without nullifying or figuratively reinterpreting them,

4:40 nor likening them to the attributes of created beings,

4:44 nor delving into them with burdensome speculation.

4:47 On the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

4:52 A Bedouin came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said:

4:57 "O Messenger of Allah,

4:59 what are the two deciding factors (al-mūjibatan)?"

5:01 He said:

5:03 "Whoever dies associating nothing with Allah

5:06 shall enter Paradise,

5:08 and whoever dies associating anything with Him

5:11 shall enter the Fire."

5:13 Narrated by Muslim.

5:15 "Al-Mūjibatan" (the two deciding factors):

5:18 Namely, the trait that necessitates Paradise

5:21 and the trait that necessitates the Fire.

5:26 Among the lessons of the hadith:

5:28 Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah are unanimously agreed

5:31 that the sinner shall not remain eternally in the Hellfire

5:35 as long as he died upon faith,

5:38 whereas the disbeliever shall abide therein eternally.

5:41 On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),

5:45 that while the Prophet (peace be upon him) had Mu'adh riding behind him on the saddle, he said:

5:51 "O Mu'adh!"

5:53 He replied:

5:54 "Here I am at your service and pleasure, O Messenger of Allah."

5:58 He said:

5:59 "O Mu'adh!"

6:01 He replied:

6:02 "Here I am at your service and pleasure, O Messenger of Allah."

6:05 He said:

6:06 "O Mu'adh!"

6:08 He replied:

6:09 "Here I am at your service and pleasure, O Messenger of Allah,"

6:12 repeating it three times.

6:14 He said:

6:15 "There is no servant who testifies that there is no god but Allah

6:19 and that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,

6:22 truthfully from his heart,

6:24 but that Allah will forbid the Fire from consuming him."

6:29 Mu'adh said:

6:30 "O Messenger of Allah,

6:31 shall I not inform the people so they may rejoice?"

6:35 He said:

6:36 "Then they would rely solely on it."

6:39 Yet Mu'adh disclosed it upon his death out of fear of sinning.

6:43 Agreed upon.

6:45 His saying "ta'aththuman" (out of fear of sinning):

6:47 That is, fearing the sin of concealing this knowledge.

6:51 "Radifuhu":

6:54 Meaning riding on the mount behind him.

6:57 "Labbayk":

6:58 Meaning answering your call repeatedly.

7:01 "Wa sa'dayk":

7:03 Meaning continually assisting in your obedience.

7:07 "Yattakilu" (they would rely solely on it):

7:09 Meaning they would depend upon this and abandon righteous deeds.

7:14 Among the lessons of the hadith:

7:16 The permissibility of riding pillion on a mount.

7:19 Clarifying the esteemed status of Mu'adh with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his love for him.

7:27 The permissibility of withholding hadith narrations that the minds of the listeners cannot grasp or comprehend,

7:34 out of fear that a prohibition might result from it,

7:37 or that a superior deed might be abandoned.

7:41 It is impermissible to conceal knowledge out of fear of its loss,

7:44 yet this applies within well-known conditions.

7:47 It is permissible for a person to adopt the more cautious course of action,

7:51 just as Mu'adh did,

7:53 when he narrated it out of fear of falling into the concealment of knowledge.

7:57 The permissibility of inquiring about whatever hesitations arise in the questioner's mind.

8:03 Among the requirements of "there is no god but Allah

8:06 and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"

8:08 is that the one who utters it must be truthful, harboring neither doubt nor hypocrisy.

8:14 The people of Tawhid will not abide eternally in the Hellfire;

8:18 even if they enter it due to their sins,

8:21 they will be brought out of it after being purified.

8:25 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah

8:29 or Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with them both)—

8:33 the narrator was unsure,

8:35 yet uncertainty regarding the specific Companion does not harm the authenticity,

8:38 because all of the Companions are upright—

8:41 who said:

8:42 On the day of the Expedition of Tabuk,

8:45 the people were stricken by famine.

8:47 So they said: "O Messenger of Allah,

8:50 if only you would grant us permission,

8:52 we would slaughter our water-carrying camels,

8:54 eat from them, and use their fat."

8:57 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

9:01 "Do so."

9:02 Then 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came

9:05 and said:

9:06 "O Messenger of Allah,

9:08 if you do that, the riding mounts will become scarce.

9:10 Rather, summon them with whatever surplus provisions they have,

9:14 then supplicate Allah to bless it for them,

9:17 so that Allah may grant them blessing in it."

9:21 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

9:25 "Yes."

9:26 So he called for a leather mat and spread it out,

9:29 then called for the remnants of their provisions.

9:32 One man began coming with a handful of corn,

9:35 another with a handful of dates,

9:38 and another with a piece of bread,

9:41 until a small amount gathered on the leather mat.

9:45 Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) supplicated for blessing,

9:50 after which he said:

9:51 "Take into your vessels."

9:54 So they filled their vessels,

9:56 until they did not leave a single vessel in the camp

9:59 but that they filled it.

10:01 They ate until they were fully satisfied,

10:03 and a surplus still remained.

10:05 Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

10:09 "I testify that there is no god but Allah,

10:13 and that I am the Messenger of Allah;

10:15 no servant meets Allah with these two testimonies, without doubting them,

10:19 but that he will be shielded from being barred from Paradise."

10:21 Narrated by Muslim.

10:23 "Nawadihuna" is the plural of "nadih",

10:27 which refers to the camel used to draw and carry water.

10:31 "Al-Zahr" refers to riding beasts that are mounted on their backs.

10:36 "The surplus of their provisions,"

10:38 meaning the remainder of their food.

10:41 "Barakah" (blessing),

10:42 meaning increase, growth, and abundance of good.

10:46 "Upon a leather mat,"

10:47 meaning a mat made of hide.

10:50 "With a crust,"

10:51 meaning with a piece of bread.

10:53 "Your vessels" is the plural of vessel,

10:57 which is any container in which something is kept and gathered.

11:00 "The camp,"

11:02 meaning the army.

11:04 "He will be screened,"

11:05 meaning he will be shielded and prevented.

11:07 Among the benefits derived from the hadith:

11:11 It is recommended for the leader to accompany his army into battle,

11:15 to serve as a support for them in remaining steadfast during it.

11:19 The reverence and etiquette of the Companions toward the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

11:23 as they would ask his permission in matters they wished to do.

11:28 Likewise, it is incumbent upon the community not to act without the leader's permission,

11:33 because of the potential harm and damage that might ensue.

11:37 The sound judgment of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),

11:41 his excellent management, and his deep-rooted knowledge.

11:45 The life of the first salaf (early generations) was based on mutual consultation and dialogue,

11:49 so Allah guided them to the most prudent course in their affairs.

11:53 The humility of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

11:58 as he listened to the opinion of 'Umar because it served the common good.

12:03 Encouragement of mutual cooperation among Muslims in all their affairs,

12:08 which is evident in each of them bringing the surplus of his provisions,

12:13 to the extent that one man brought a handful of corn,

12:16 another a handful of dates,

12:18 and another a crust of bread.

12:22 The confirmation of the miracle granted to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

12:26 for the multiplication of food occurred through him on more than one occasion.

12:32 Clarification of the virtue of the statement of Tawhid (La ilaha illa Allah),

12:35 and that it is the key to Paradise,

12:37 so long as the one who professes it harbors no doubt concerning it.

12:41 On the authority of 'Itban Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him),

12:46 who was among those who fought at Badr,

12:48 he said:

12:50 "I used to lead my people, Banu Salim, in prayer.

12:53 There was a valley between me and them,

12:56 and whenever it rained, it became difficult for me to cross it toward their mosque.

13:02 So I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

13:06 and said to him:

13:08 'My eyesight has deteriorated,

13:10 and the valley between me and my people floods when it rains,

13:16 making it difficult for me to cross.

13:18 I would love for you to come and pray in my house at a spot I might take as a place of prayer.'

13:25 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied:

13:30 'I will do so.'

13:31 The next morning, the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to me

13:36 after the heat of the day had intensified.

13:38 The Messenger of Allah asked permission to enter,

13:42 and I permitted him.

13:44 He did not sit down until he asked:

13:46 'Where in your house would you like me to pray?'

13:49 I pointed to the place where I wished him to pray.

13:54 The Messenger of Allah stood and proclaimed the takbir,

13:59 and we formed rows behind him.

14:01 He prayed two rak'ahs,

14:03 then concluded with the taslim, and we made the taslim when he did.

14:07 I then detained him for a meal of khazirah that was being prepared for him.

14:11 The people of the neighborhood heard that the Messenger of Allah was in my house,

14:17 and men began pouring in until the house became crowded with men.

14:22 One man said:

14:24 'What has Malik done? I do not see him.'

14:27 Another man remarked:

14:29 'That hypocrite does not love Allah and His Messenger!'

14:33 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

14:37 'Do not say that!

14:39 Do you not see that he has said:

14:41 "There is no god but Allah,"

14:43 seeking thereby the face of Allah Almighty?'

14:47 The man replied:

14:48 'Allah and His Messenger know best.

14:51 As for us,

14:53 by Allah, we see his affection and his talk directed only toward the hypocrites.'

14:59 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

15:03 'Indeed, Allah has forbidden the Fire for anyone who says: "There is no god but Allah,"

15:08 seeking thereby the face of Allah.'

15:11 Agreed upon."

15:13 "Al-Khazirah"

15:15 is flour cooked with fat.

15:18 And his saying: "men poured in" (thaba rijalun)

15:20 means they arrived and gathered.

15:23 "I used to pray for my people,"

15:26 meaning I used to lead them in prayer.

15:28 "Crossing it,"

15:30 meaning traversing through it.

15:33 "Toward their mosque,"

15:35 meaning in the direction of it.

15:37 "My eyesight has deteriorated,"

15:39 meaning I have lost it,

15:41 or my vision has worsened and grown weak.

15:43 "It becomes difficult,"

15:45 meaning it becomes hard.

15:47 "I would love,"

15:48 meaning I wished.

15:50 "The day intensified,"

15:52 meaning the sun rose high and its heat increased.

15:55 "I detained him,"

15:56 meaning I kept him from leaving in order to honor and host him.

16:00 "Do you not see?"

16:03 meaning do you not know?

16:06 Among the benefits derived from the hadith:

16:08 The keenness of the people of faith to attend the congregational prayer and observe it regularly.

16:14 The concession to miss the congregational prayer for a valid excuse that prevents people from performing it.

16:22 Asking the people of knowledge,

16:24 and seeking clarification from them regarding an obligation that cannot be fulfilled except with severe hardship.

16:31 The permissibility of setting aside a dedicated place of prayer in the home,

16:34 and praying in it is more virtuous than in the rest of the house.

16:38 The permissibility of a blind person leading the prayer.

16:41 The permissibility of an individual disclosing a physical defect or ailment affecting him,

16:45 without that being considered an act of complaining against Allah.

16:50 A Muslim ought to accept an invitation

16:53 and respond to his fellow Muslim's request.

16:56 The permissibility of praying supererogatory prayers in congregation behind an imam.

16:59 The permissibility of entering upon one's brothers to visit people of virtue,

17:04 provided their implicit permission is known.

17:07 Bearing witness to the faith of anyone who professes that there is no god but Allah,

17:12 seeking thereby the face of Allah.

17:16 The prohibition of harboring ill thoughts about the people of faith on mere suspicion.

17:21 The obligation to defend the believers and safeguard their honor in their absence,

17:27 and to support them and not let them down.

17:31 Riyad al-Salihin.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (61) | Chapter of Hope (1)

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