Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (9) | Chapter on patience (4)

0:00 *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.

0:09 Chapter on Patience.

0:15 On the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

0:18 On the day of the Battle of Hunayn,

0:21 the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) favored certain people in the distribution of the spoils.

0:26 He gave al-Aqra' ibn Habis one hundred camels,

0:30 and gave 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn the like,

0:33 and also gave to prominent figures among the Arabs, favoring them that day in the distribution.

0:39 Thereupon, a man said:

0:41 "By Allah, this is a division in which justice was not observed,

0:45 nor was the face of Allah sought therein!"

0:48 So I said: "By Allah, I will certainly inform the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."

0:54 I went to him and told him what the man had said,

0:57 and his face changed color until it became like red dye.

1:01 Then he said: "Who will be just if Allah and His Messenger are not just?"

1:07 Then he said: "May Allah have mercy on Moses;

1:11 he was harmed with more than this, yet he bore it with patience."

1:15 I then said: "Indeed, I will never convey any report to him after this."

1:21 Agreed upon.

1:23 His words: "like *sarif*"

1:25 means red dye.

1:27 Hunayn:

1:30 A valley between Mecca and al-Ta'if.

1:33 "Certain people": meaning those whose hearts were to be reconciled, the freed captives of Mecca (*tulaqa'*), and Arab chieftains, in order to win over their hearts.

1:41 "The distribution": the distribution of the spoils of the Hawazin tribe.

1:46 "He favored them": meaning he granted them lavish gifts.

1:52 "Indeed (*la jarama*)": meaning truly.

1:55 Key lessons from the hadith:

1:58 It is permissible to single out a group with gifts to the exclusion of others,

2:02 if the leader sees an overriding public interest in doing so.

2:06 Among the sound methods of Islamic governance in calling to Allah

2:11 is winning over the hearts of notables and figures of influence through the worldly wealth they desire.

2:16 In every era, there are enemies of the prophets and their followers,

2:20 slandering them, rejecting their words,

2:24 and casting doubt upon their mission.

2:27 The obligation of offering sincere counsel to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers;

2:31 for 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud conveyed the words of those who defamed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) back to him.

2:39 Overlooking the faults of the vile is an ancient practice of the prophets;

2:45 for Moses, peace be upon him, was harmed yet bore it with patience,

2:48 and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was harmed yet pardoned.

2:53 The Messenger's emulation of his fellow brother prophets,

2:58 in fulfillment of the saying of the Exalted: ◁So follow their guidance▷.

3:03 The Messenger is a human being, affected by what affects human beings;

3:09 whenever he disapproved of something, became angry at something, or rejoiced at a matter, it was clearly seen on his face.

3:17 The most just of people, the most God-fearing, and the most knowledgeable of Allah

3:23 are the messengers and prophets, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them.

3:28 On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

3:33 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

3:37 "When Allah wills good for His servant, He hastens his punishment in this world;

3:43 and when Allah wills evil for His servant, He withholds from him the consequence of his sin until He calls him to account for it on the Day of Resurrection."

3:52 And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Greatness of reward comes with the greatness of affliction;

4:00 and when Allah the Exalted loves a people, He tests them.

4:05 Whoever is pleased will have Allah's pleasure, and whoever is displeased will have His displeasure."

4:10 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a fair hadith.

4:15 "Until He calls him to account for it" means he will come carrying his sin on his back.

4:21 Key lessons from the hadith:

4:24 Hastening punishment in this world is a sign of good intended by Allah for His servant,

4:31 because it serves as an expiation for sins and a means for their erasure.

4:36 The punishment of the Hereafter is far more severe and painful;

4:39 thus, whoever Allah does not intend good for, He delays their punishment until they are disgraced on the Day of Resurrection.

4:47 People are tested in proportion to their religious commitment.

4:51 Patience during calamities and illnesses purifies from sins.

4:56 A believer must be content with whatever trials afflict them,

5:01 and not despair or display resentment over them.

5:04 On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

5:07 A son of Abu Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him, was sick,

5:12 and while Abu Talhah went out, the boy passed away.

5:16 When Abu Talhah returned, he asked:

5:19 "How is my son doing?"

5:21 Umm Sulaym, the boy's mother, replied:

5:24 "He is in a quieter state than he has ever been."

5:27 She then served him dinner, and he ate,

5:30 and thereafter he had marital relations with her.

5:32 When he finished, she said: "Bury the boy."

5:36 The next morning, Abu Talhah

5:39 went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and informed him.

5:43 He asked: "Did you consummate your marriage last night?"

5:47 He replied: "Yes."

5:49 He said: "O Allah, bless them both."

5:52 Subsequently, she gave birth to a boy.

5:54 Abu Talhah said to me:

5:57 "Carry him until you bring him to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"

6:02 and he sent some dates along with him.

6:04 The Prophet asked: "Is there anything with him?"

6:07 He replied: "Yes, some dates."

6:10 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took them,

6:13 chewed them,

6:15 then took them from his mouth

6:17 and placed them into the mouth of the boy.

6:19 He then softened them for him (*tahnik*) and named him 'Abdullah.

6:23 Agreed upon.

6:25 In a narration of al-Bukhari:

6:27 Ibn 'Uyaynah said:

6:29 A man from the Ansar said:

6:32 "I saw nine sons, all of whom had memorized the Qur'an,"

6:37 meaning from the offspring of 'Abdullah, the newborn child.

6:42 In a narration of Muslim:

6:44 A son belonging to Abu Talhah and Umm Sulaym died,

6:48 and she said to her family:

6:50 "Do not speak to Abu Talhah about his son until I am the one who informs him."

6:56 He came home,

6:57 and she served him dinner, so he ate and drank.

7:01 Then she beautified herself for him more attractively than she ever had before,

7:06 and he had intimate relations with her.

7:08 When she saw that he was satisfied and had fulfilled his desire,

7:12 she said:

7:13 "O Abu Talhah,

7:15 tell me, if a people lent something on loan to a household,

7:20 and then asked for their loan back,

7:22 do they have the right to refuse them?"

7:24 He said: "No."

7:26 She said:

7:27 "Then seek reward with Allah for your son."

7:29 He said:

7:30 He became angry

7:31 and then said:

7:33 "You left me until I indulged myself,

7:36 and only then did you tell me about my son?!"

7:38 He set out until he reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

7:43 and informed him of what had happened.

7:46 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

7:50 "May Allah bless the two of you in your night."

7:54 He said:

7:55 So she became pregnant.

7:56 He said:

7:57 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and she accompanied him.

8:03 Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned to Medina from a journey, he would never arrive unexpectedly by night.

8:11 As they drew near Medina,

8:13 labor pains overtook her,

8:15 so Abu Talhah stayed behind with her,

8:18 while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went ahead.

8:22 He said:

8:23 Abu Talhah was saying:

8:25 "You know, O Lord,

8:28 that I love to depart with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) whenever he departs,

8:34 and enter with him whenever he enters,

8:37 but I have been detained by what You see."

8:40 Umm Sulaym said:

8:42 "O Abu Talhah,

8:43 I no longer feel the pain I was feeling;

8:46 let us proceed."

8:47 So we set off,

8:49 and labor pains overtook her as soon as they arrived,

8:52 and she gave birth to a boy.

8:54 My mother said to me:

8:56 "O Anas,

8:57 let no one nurse him

8:59 until you take him in the morning to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."

9:04 When morning came,

9:06 I carried him and took him to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

9:12 And he mentioned the completion of the hadith.

9:15 "Was sick (*yashtaki*)":

9:17 meaning he was suffering from an illness,

9:19 and it does not mean that he was voicing a complaint.

9:23 The son of Abu Talhah:

9:25 He was Abu 'Umayr,

9:27 whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to playfully tease by saying:

9:32 "O Abu 'Umayr,

9:34 what did the little sparrow (*nughayr*) do?"

9:36 "He is in a quieter state than he has ever been":

9:38 meaning his soul became tranquil through death,

9:40 after having been restless and troubled.

9:44 "Then he had marital relations with her":

9:47 a polite euphemism for sexual intercourse.

9:49 "She beautified herself for him":

9:51 meaning by improving her appearance with adornments and the like.

9:55 "He lay with her":

9:56 meaning he engaged in intimacy with her.

9:58 "Tell me (*ara'ayta*)":

9:59 meaning inform me.

10:01 "Seek reward with Allah for your son":

10:03 meaning seek the reward from Allah the Exalted for your affliction regarding your son.

10:08 "I indulged myself":

10:09 meaning becoming stained with the fluid of intercourse.

10:12 "He would never arrive unexpectedly by night":

10:14 meaning he would not enter the city during the night,

10:17 lest he see something displeasing from his household.

10:20 "Labor pains overtook her":

10:23 meaning the pangs of childbirth.

10:26 Key lessons from the hadith:

10:28 The hadith offers a living example of the Muslim woman and righteous wife,

10:34 in her profound wisdom and brilliant intellect.

10:38 Umm Sulaym's patience upon the death of her child

10:41 is a role model for women.

10:44 Exercising tact and gentleness when breaking news of a death or calamity.

10:48 Prioritizing the husband's comfort over burdening him with grief,

10:52 which is an expression of a wife's devotion to her husband.

10:56 The Companions' love for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

11:00 and their eagerness to accompany him, seek his counsel,

11:03 and seek blessings through his company.

11:06 Spouses should each ease the other's burdens during afflictions,

11:11 and beautify themselves for one another

11:13 to ensure the endurance of marital companionship and deepen affection.

11:17 Whoever leaves something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something far better.

11:21 The permissibility of using ambiguous expressions (*ma'arid*)

11:25 when necessity calls for it,

11:28 and that this is not considered lying.

11:31 A woman's striving to attend to her husband's best interests

11:35 and attending to his service,

11:37 just as Umm Sulaym did

11:39 when she offered him dinner and he ate;

11:43 the answered prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

11:47 for he blessed their child conceived on that night,

11:51 and his descendants grew numerous and righteous;

11:54 the recommendation to console the afflicted in times of calamity,

11:58 just as Umm Sulaym did with Abu Talhah

12:02 when she gave him the analogy of a borrowed trust.

12:07 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),

12:10 the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

12:14 "The strong person is not the one who can wrestle others down;

12:18 rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when angry."

12:23 Agreed upon.

12:25 In the original Arabic usage, the term *sura'ah* refers to someone who frequently wrestles people down.

12:30 Among the lessons of the hadith:

12:34 Islam transforms the pre-Islamic, ignorant concept of strength

12:38 into noble character traits that forge a distinguished Muslim personality;

12:43 thus, the strongest of people

12:46 is the one who takes control of himself and reins in his desires;

12:50 striving against one's own soul and mastering it

12:54 is harder than fighting an enemy;

12:58 the obligation to avoid anger,

13:01 due to the physical, psychological, and social harms it entails;

13:06 anger is an innate human trait

13:09 that can be dispelled by several means, including self-restraint;

13:13 the prohibition of transgressing against others,

13:16 whether in a state of anger or otherwise.

13:20 And on the authority of Sulayman Ibn Surad (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

13:24 "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

13:27 while two men were trading insults,

13:30 and one of them had a red face and swollen neck veins.

13:34 Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

13:38 'I know a word which, if he were to utter it, would make what he feels depart from him.

13:44 If he were to say: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan,

13:49 what he feels would leave him.'

13:51 So they said to him,

13:53 'The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

13:57 Seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.'"

14:02 Agreed upon.

14:04 "Trading insults" (*yastabban*):

14:06 meaning each of them was reviling the other;

14:09 "his neck veins" (*awdajuhu*):

14:11 the blood vessels encircling the neck which are severed during slaughter;

14:17 "a word" (*kalimah*):

14:18 refers here to a complete, meaningful sentence;

14:20 "I seek refuge" (*a'udhu*):

14:21 meaning I resort to and hold fast to Allah.

14:24 Among the lessons of the hadith:

14:27 The hadith is derived from the words of Allah the Exalted:

14:31 "And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan,

14:35 then seek refuge in Allah.

14:37 Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

14:40 Anger is provoked by Satan

14:42 because of the spiritual and worldly harm it brings about;

14:46 hence, its root cause is eliminated—

14:49 namely the whispering of Satan—by seeking refuge in Allah;

14:52 the Companions are human beings,

14:55 subject to the same natural bouts of anger that affect all mankind,

15:00 yet they were distinguished by their swift responsiveness

15:03 to the reminders of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

15:07 and by not persisting in falsehood;

15:10 the wisdom of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

15:13 in calling to Allah,

15:15 reminding people of Him, and counseling the Muslims,

15:18 in that when someone is expected

15:21 not to receive counsel well,

15:23 it should not be addressed to him directly;

15:26 the recommendation to offer advice to others

15:28 even if they did not ask for it;

15:30 the permissibility of conveying advice to someone who did not hear it firsthand,

15:34 so that he may benefit from what it contains.

15:37 *Riyad al-Salihin*.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (9) | Chapter on patience (4)

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