Selections from Hadith
Hadith
The Sweetness of Faith
عَنْ أَنَسِ عن النبي صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ قال ثَلَاثٌ من كُنَّ فيه وَجَدَ حَلَاوَةَ الْإِيمَانِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الله وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إليه مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا وَأَنْ يُحِبَّ الْمَرْءَ لَا يُحِبُّهُ إلا لِلّٰہِ وَأَنْ يَكْرَهَ أَنْ يَعُودَ في الْكُفْرِ كما يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْذَفَ في النَّارِ
Anas ibn Malik (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: "He who has three qualities will acquire the sweetness of faith: "God and His Messenger become dearer to him than the rest; he loves people only because of God; he dislikes returning to disbelief the way he dislikes being cast into Hell."[1]
Blessings of a Thorough Wudu
عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بن عَفَّانَ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ من تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ خَرَجَتْ خَطَايَاهُ من جَسَدِهِ حتي تَخْرُجَ من تَحْتِ أَظْفَارِهِ
'Uthman ibn 'Affan (rta) stated that God's Messenger (sws) said: "A person who does wud@uin a thorough manner, his sins will leave his body to the extent that they will even depart from under his fingernails."[2]
Importance of the Prayer
عَبْدُ اللّٰہِ قال سَأَلْتُ النبي صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إلي اللّٰہِ قال الصَّلَاةُ علي وَقْتِهَا قال ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قال ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قال ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قال الْجِهَادُ في سَبِيلِ اللّٰہِ
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (rta) stated: "I asked the Prophet (sws): 'Which deed is liked best by God?' The Prophet (sws) replied: 'The prayer offered at its time.' [I then] asked: 'After that?' He replied: 'Kindness to parents.' [I then] asked: 'After that?' He replied: 'Waging jihad for the cause of God.'"[3]
The Prayer Erases Sins
عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ سمع رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ يقول أَرَأَيْتُمْ لو أَنَّ نَهَرًا بِبَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ يَغْتَسِلُ فيه كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسًا ما تَقُولُ ذلك يُبْقِي من دَرَنِهِ قالوا لَا يُبْقِي من دَرَنِهِ شيئا قال فَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ يَمْحُو اللّٰہ بها الْخَطَايَا
Abu Hurayrah (rta) reports that he heard God's Messenger (sws) saying: "Consider the fact that if there is a stream flowing near the door of anyone of you in which he bathes five times every day; can any trace of dirt remain on him?" They replied: "No trace of dirt will remain." The Prophet (sws) [thereupon] said: "This is the example of five prayers. God erases sins through them [in a similar manner.]"[4]
Importance of the Tahajjud Time
عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ قال يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَی كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إلی السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حين يَبْقَی ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ فيقول من يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ له وَمَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ له
Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that God's Messenger (sws) said: "The Almighty descends on the lower sky every night when the last one-third part [of it] remains and says: 'Who is there to invoke Me so that I may answer his invocations; who is there to ask Me so that I may give to him; who is there to seek forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him.'"[5]
Reward of the Congregational Prayer
عن بن عُمَرَ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ قال صَلَاةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ من صَلَاةِ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (rta) reported that God's Messenger (sws) said: "The reward of praying in congregation is twenty seven times that of praying alone."[6]
The Best Prayer
عَنْ جَابِرٍ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ طُولُ الْقُنُوتِ
Jabir (rta) reported that God's Messenger (sws) said: "The best prayer is one in which [a person] stands for a long period."[7]
Blessings of Fasting
عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللّٰہُعَنْهُ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَكُلُّ عَمَلِ بن آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إلی سَبْعمِائَة ضِعْفٍ قال اللّٰہعز وجل إلا الصَّوْمَ فإنه لي وأنا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ من أَجْلِي لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ فَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ وَفَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ وَلَخُلُوفُ فيه أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللّٰہِمن رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ
Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God's Messenger (sws) said: "Every deed of the son of Adam will fetch ten times to seven hundred times reward except the fast. This is because he fasted for Me and I [only] will reward him. He left his carnal desire and eating only for My sake. There are two occasions of happiness for a person who fasts: one when he breaks his fast and the other when he meets his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a person who fasts is more pleasant to God than musk."[8]
Optional Monthly Fasts
مُعَاذَةُ الْعَدَوِيَّةُ أنها سَأَلَتْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النبي صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ أَكَانَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَيَصُومُ من كل شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قالت نعم فقلت لها من أَيِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ كان يَصُومُ قالت لم يَكُنْ يُبَالِي من أَيِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ يَصُومُ
Mu'adhah al-'Adwiyyah asked 'Ā'ishah (rta), wife of the Prophet (sws): "Did God's Messenger (sws) fast for three days every month?" She replied: "Yes." I [then] asked: "Which days of the month would he fast?" She replied: "He would not be specific in this regard and would fast whichever [three] days he wanted to."[9]
Kindness to Wives
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ –(أَنَّ) خَطَبَ (رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) النَّاسَ (فِیْ حَجَّةِ الوِدَاعِ) وَقَالَ–اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ فِیْ النِّسَاءِ فَإِنَّکُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانِ اللّٰهِ وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِکَلِمَةِ اللّٰهِ …وَلَهُنَّ عَلَيْکُمْ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَکِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (rta)reports – that God's Messenger (sws) delivered the sermon in the last hajj and said: "Fear God about your wives [that you do not commit any excess against them] because you have acquired them with God's protection and have legalized sexual relations with them because of a word of God … It is your responsibility to provide them with maintenance and residence according to the norms [of the society]."[10]
عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَلَا يَفْرَكْ مُؤْمِنٌ مؤمنة إن كَرِهَ منها خُلُقًا رضی منها آخَرَ
Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God's Messenger (sws) said "A believing husband should not hate a believing wife. If he dislikes one habit of hers, there may be other [habits] which he likes."[11]
Taking the Initiative in Salutations
عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ عن النبي صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَقال يُسَلِّمُ الصَّغِيرُ علی الْكَبِيرِ وَالْمَارُّ علی الْقَاعِدِ وَالْقَلِيلُ علی الْكَثِيرِ
Abu Hurayrah (rta)reported that the Prophet (sws) said: "The young should say salam to the elder, the one who walks should say salam to the one who sits and the smaller crowd should say salam to the bigger one."[12]
The Etiquette of Sneezing
عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللّٰہُ عَنْهُ عن النبي صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَقال إذا عَطَسَ أحدكم فَلْيَقُلْ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِوَلْيَقُلْ له أَخُوهُ أو صَاحِبُهُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللّٰہفإذا قال له يَرْحَمُكَ اللّٰہفَلْيَقُلْ يَهْدِيكُمُ اللّٰہوَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ
Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: "When anyone of you sneezes, he should say: الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ[13]and if his brother or companion hears these words, he should reply by saying يَرْحَمُكَاللّٰہ.[14]And when he says يَرْحَمُكَاللّٰہ, the [first person] should say: يَهْدِيكُمُ اللّٰہوَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ(may Allah guide you and keep you well.)"[15]
Personal Hygiene
عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللّٰہُ عَنْهُ سمعت النبي صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَيقول الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ الْخِتَانُ وَالِاسْتِحْدَادُ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الْأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الْآبَاطِ
Abu Hurayrah (rta) reports: "I heard the Prophet (sws) say: 'Five things are from among [the norms of] human nature: circumcision, shaving the pubes, clipping the moustache, paring fingernails and removing hair under the armpits.'"[16]
أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللّٰہُعَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَقال لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ علی أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ
Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that God's Messenger (sws) said: "Had it not been for the fact that this would burden my ummah, I would have directed them to clean their teeth before every prayer."[17]
[1]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami' al-sahih, vol.1, 14, (no. 16).
[2]. Muslim, Al-Jami' al-sahih, vol. 1, 216, (no. 245).
[3]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami' al-sahih, vol.1, 197, (no. 504).
[4]. Ibid., vol.1, 197, (no. 505).
[5]. Muslim, Al-Jami' al-sahih, vol.1, 521, (no. 758).
[6]. Ibid., vol. 1, 450, (no. 650).
[7]. Ibid., vol. 1, 520, (no. 756).
[8]. Ibid., vol. 2, 807, (no. 1151).
[9]. Ibid., vol.2, 818, (no. 1160).
[10]. Ibid., vol.2, 889-890, (no. 1218).
[11]. Ibid., vol.2, 1091, (no. 1469).
[12]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami' al-sahih, vol.5, 2301, (no. 5877).
[13]. Gratitude is for God.
[14]. May God have mercy on you!
[15]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami' al-sahih, vol. 5, 2298, (no. 5870).
[16]. Ibid., vol. 5, 2209, (no. 5552).
[17]. Ibid., vol. 6, 2645, (no. 6813).
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