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By Imam An-Nawawi

On the authority of Anas (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say :

Allaah the Almighty has said : O Son of Aadam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O Son of Aadam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then asked forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you. O Son of Aadam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the Earth, and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it [too].

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said that it was a Hasan hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 42

In this hadeeth are immense good tidings, clemency and great generosity, and what cannot be enumerated of the types of Grace and Beneficence, Compassion and Mercy and what demands Gratitude. And similar to it is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement: "Allaah is more Joyous by the repentance of His slave, than the joy of one of you when he finds his lost camel [in the desert]".

From Abu Ayyoob (radiAllaahu anhu), when he was on his death-bed, that he said:

Until now I have hidden from you something that I heard from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). I heard him say: 'If you did not commit sins then Allaah would create a new Creation who would then commit sins [and repent], so He would forgive them'".

And there are many other narrations which are in agreement with the meaning of this hadeeth.

As for His, 'azza wa jall, statement: "O Son of Aadam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me" then this is in agreement with His statement: "I [treat My Slave] in accordance to what he supposes of Me, so let him deem of Me whatever he wishes". And it has been narrated that when a Slave commits a sin and then feels remorse, and says "O My Lord! I have committed a sin, so forgive me, for surely none can forgive sins except you!"; so Allaah ta'aalaa says "My slave knows that he has a Lord, Who forgives sins and [also] punishes for them. So I testify to you that I have forgiven him". Then [the slave] does the same a second time, and a third, and so Allaah 'azza wa jall replies the same way each time. Then after that He says: "Do as you please, for I have forgiven you!", meaning when he commits a sin and then repents for it.

Know, that for the acceptance of Repentance there are three conditions:

1. cessation from the sin,
2. remorse for what has preceeded,
3. and firm resolve not to return to performing the sin.

And if the sin involved taking the right of another person, then he must hasten to return his right and absolve himself from this transgression. And if the sin was between him and Allaah ta'aalaa, and a kaffaarah (expiation) is required for this sin, then it is also necessary that he fulfills this kaffaarah, and thus this becomes the fourth condition [for the acceptance of repentance]. And so, even if a person were to commit a sin many times in a single day, and then repent each time with its conditions, Allaah ta'aalaa would still forgive him.

And His, subhaanahu, statement: "for what you have done" implies that Allaah will forgive despite the repetition of the sin.

And His, subhaanahu, statement: "O Son of Aadam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then asked forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you" means that if these sins had a physical form then they would fill the space between the sky and the earth - and this is the limit of multitude. However, even then His Generosity, Clemency, and Forgiveness are still more and greater than that, and there can not even be the thought of comparison between them. So the sins of the creation are wiped away by His Clemency and Forgiveness.

And His, subhaanahu, statement: "and were you then to face Me" means that if the slave were to die upon Eemaan, without associating any partners with Allaah. And there can be no solace or contentment for the Believer until he has faced His Lord. And Allaah ta'aalaa has said:

"Verily Allaah does not forgive that partners be asscociated with Him [in Worship], but He forgives [all sins] other than that for whomsoever He pleases" [Soorah an-Nisaa', 48]

And Abu Hurayrah (radiAllaahu anhu) said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Having good supposition of Allaah is from the best Worship of Allaah."

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That the door of repentance is ever open to a person
• That Allaah forgives no matter how much we sin, as long as we truly repent
• That asscociating partners with Allaah (shirk) is a sin which He does not forgive
• That if we seek to live a life upholding Tawheed, then we have great hope that He will turn to us in Mercy

Source: www.islaam.net

The End!

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By Imam An-Nawawi

On the authority of Abu Muhammad 'Abdullaah bin 'Amr bin al-'Aas (radiAllaahu 'anhumaa) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

None of you [truly] believes until his desires are subserviant to that which I have brought.

[Imaam an-Nawawi says:] We have related it in Kitaab al-Hujjah with a Saheeh chain of narrators.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 41

This hadeeth is similar to His - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - statement

"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith [Eemaan] until they make you (O Muhammad, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) judge in all disputes between them" [Soorah an-Nisaa', 65].

The reason for the revelation of this aayah, as related by al-Bukhaaree (2359-2360), was as follows :

Az-Zubair (radiAllaahu anhu) had a quarrel with a man from amongst the Ansaar over the use of water from a stream, so they both went to the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) for judgement between them. So he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "O Zubair, irrigate your land and then let the water flow to [the land of] your neighbour." Through this, he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) encouraged az-Zubair to pardon his neighbour and to make affairs easy for him. However, the Ansaaree then said : "[You have judged in his favour] because he is the son of your uncle". So the colour of the face of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) changed [from anger], and he said : "O Zubair, hold back the water [in your land] until it rises to the level of the stems [of the trees], and then let it flow [to your neighbours land]". And by this the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) indicated to az-Zubair the means by which the Ansaaree could be corrected from his error [of not submitting to the judgement of the Prophet, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam].

So when the Ansaaree offended and angered the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) with what he said, he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) granted for az-Zubair the whole of his right that was due to him, without any concession for the Ansaaree.

And it has been authenticated from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) in another hadeeth that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, none of you believes until I am more beloved to him than his father or child or the whole of mankind". Abu az-Zinaad said that this is from the Comprehensive Speech of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), as he has combined in these few, simple words great meaning and import. This is so since the types of Love are three : the Love which arises from a feeling of respect and greatness, such as the Love of ones parents; the Love which arises from compassion and mercy, such as the Love of ones child; and the Love which arises from seeing in another [person] traits which are similar to ones own, such as the Love of the whole of mankind in general. Thus all the types of Love have been enumerated [by the Prophet, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, in this hadeeth].

Ibn Buttaal (rahimahu Allaah) said that the meaning of the hadeeth, and Allaah knows best, is that whosoever perfects and completes his Faith (Eemaan) knows that Allaah 'azza wa jall has delivered him from the Fire through the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), and through the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was he guided away from Misguidance and Error.

And the import of the hadeeth is that one must not surrender ones soul to [any person] other than the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). And the Companions (radiAllaahu anhum) used to be alongside the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) in fighting their own fathers and sons and brothers [who were polytheists], and Abu 'Ubaydah (radiAllaahu anhu) killed his own father due to his harming the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). And on the Day of Badr, Abu Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu) faced his own son, 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan, in the hope that he would be able to overcome him and kill him. So whosoever finds similar to this in his self then he can be assured that his desires are subserviant to that which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) brought.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That a person is not a Muslim unless he accepts what is in the Qur'aan and Sunnah without grudge and resistance. "But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith [Eemaan] until they make you (O Muhammad, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission" [Soorah Nisaa', 65]
• That we must train our hearts and minds to willingly submit to the teachings of the Qur'aan and Sunnah
• That all our Laws, regulations, principles, values, norms, outlooks, etc, come from what has been revealed

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The World is the Means and the Sowing-Field for Attaining the Hereafter

by Imam An-Nawawi

On the authority of 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar radiAllaahu anhu, who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) took me by the shoulder and said :

Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.

And Ibn 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhu) used to say :

In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening. Take [advantage of] your health before times of sickness, and [take advantage of] your life before your death.

It was related by al-Bukhaaree.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 40

The Imaam Abu al-Hasan 'Alee bin Khalf said in his explanation of Saheeh al-Bukhaaree that Abu az-Zinaad said : The meaning of this hadeeth is an encouragement upon refraining from excessive socialising, upon purchasing little for ones needs, and upon abstention from the dunyaa.

Abu al-Hasan then said : The explanation of this is that the stranger [in a town] does not socialise much or behave cheerfully with its people, but rather remains aloof and lonely, as he does not hope to pass by someone who knows him, with whom he may socialise and be friendly. Thus he remains lowly, submissive and in a state of fear. And similar to this is the traveller, who is unble to complete his arduous journey except with great strength and determination, and by keeping light of all burdens, and by avoiding being tenacious in retaining those things which may prevent him from completeing his journey. And he only takes with him minimum provision for his journey, and a riding camel, which are enough to help him attain his destination. And this is an indication of his preference for abstention from the dunyaa, and for taking only that which is sufficient for him. And so, just as the traveller does not require more than that which will help him to reach his destination, so similarly the Believer does not require more of the dunyaa than that which will help him attain his goal [ie. Paradise].

And al-'Izz 'Alaa-ud-Deen bin Yahyaa bin Hubairah (rahimahu Allaah) said : In this hadeeth is evidence that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam encouraged emulation of the strangers, since when a stranger enters a foreign land he does not compete with its people to attend their gatherings, nor does he worry about being seen in a state and condition opposite to that which is his normal habit in terms of his dress, nor does he try to behave contrary to the customs of the local people. And similarly is the condition of the traveller who does not take a permanent abode of residence, nor does he enter into arguments with the local people which might cause hatred between them, knowing that he will only be amongst them for a few days. So all the conditions of the stranger and the traveller are beloved for the Believer in this dunyaa, as the dunyaa is not his true abode of residence. Rather, the dunyaa is merely an obstruction that prevents him from reaching his true abode and dwelling place in the Hereafter.

And as for the statement of Ibn 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhu) : "In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening", then this is an encouragement from him for the Believers to always be prepared for the eventuality of death. And death is prepared for with Good Deeds. It is also an encouragement upon not having many hopes and desires, stretching far into the future. Hence, one should not postpone till the morning actions that can be performed at night, but rather, one should hasten towards the performance of good actions. And similarly, when one wakes in the morning he should not rely upon the evening and postpone his good actions till then.

And his, radiAllaahu anhu, statement "Take from your health before times of sickness" is an encouragement upon making use of ones health, and striving ones utmost during times of good health, fearing the onset of sickness which may prevent one from good actions. And similarly, his statement "From your life before your death" is an admonition to make use of the days of ones life, since the one who dies has his actions cut off and his hopes lost. And then his distress will increase no end due to his neglect and previous lack of remorse. So let us know that a time will come when we will spend a great length of time under the dirt, unable to perform any action and unable to remember Allaah 'azza wa jall. So upon us is to hasten to good actions while we are still capable of doing so. And thus, what is more comprehensive and honourable than this hadeeth in its meanings of good ?

And some of the 'ulamaa have said that Allaah ta'aalaa has condemned having high hopes, as He has said :

Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!" [Soorah al-Hijr, 3].

And 'Alee radiAllaahu anhu said :

The Dunyaa has set out from the rear, while the Aakhirah has set out from the front, and for each of them are its sons : so be from amongst the sons of the Aakhirah, and do not be from amongst the sons of the Dunyaa. For verily, today is the time for deeds without any accounting, while tomorrow is the time for accounting without any deeds."

And Anas radiAllaahu anhu said : "The Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam drew some lines [in the sand], and said 'This [line] is Man, and this is his hope, and [the third line, between them] is his appointed time for death. So while he is in this state the closer line takes him'", and that is his appointed hour of death, which contains and constrains his life. So this is a warning to him to lower his hopes, and to expect his appointed time to be near, and to always remain in fear that it may come while he is in a state of heedlessness and indulgence. So the Believer should accustom his soul to seeking those things which will remind him of his death, and he should strive against his desires and never-ending hopes, for verily Man is created with a disposition towards hope.

'Abdullaah bin 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhumaa) said : "The Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, saw me while I was strengthening with clay a shelter for my mother and myself, so he said 'What is this, O 'Abdullaah ?' So I replied : 'O Messenger of Allaah, it [the shelter] has become weak, and so we are repairing it'. So he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said 'I do not see The Affair [ie Death or the Resurrection] except that it is closer than that [ie the falling apart of the shelter]'."

We ask Allaah the Glorious to show kindness to us and to help us abstain from the dunyaa, and to make us desire that which is with Him and ease on the Day of Resurrection, for verily He is the Generous, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Summary :

• That one can hold another's shoulder to say something to him
• That one should not seek name and fame in this world
• That one should not seek permanence in this world
• That a Muslim must always be aware of death
• That a Muslim should know that he may not live to see the night or the next day, thus making him more careful of his actions since he may not have time to repent
• That a Muslim should take advantage of his health to do good deeds
• That a Muslim knows that he has only this life to either make it to eternal happiness or eternal punishment

Source: www.islaam.net

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Leniency for the One who Errs, the One who Forgets, and the One who is Forced

by Imam Nawawi

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Verily Allaah has pardoned [or been lenient with] for me my Ummah : their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they have been forced to do under duress.

A Hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Maajah, and al-Bayhaqee and others.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 39

And it has been related in the tafseer of the statement of Allaah, 'azza wa jall, "And whether you disclose what is in your ownselves or conceal it, Allaah will call you to account for it" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 284]

that when this aayah was revealed it became a great burden upon the Sahaabah, radiAllaahu anhum. So Abu Bakr, 'Umar 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf and Mu'aadh bin Jabal, amongst a number of others, came to the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said "We have been burdened with actions which we find we are incapable of sustaining. Verily one of us may mention to himself [evil] things which he would not like to settle in his heart, even if he were to be offered the wealth of the dunyaa for doing so." So the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said "I fear that you are saying what the Banoo Israa'eel said : 'We hear and we disobey'. But, rather, you should say : 'We hear and we obey'". So this became very hard upon them, and they remained in this state for some time. Then Allaah ta'aalaa revealed upon them His mercy and that which gave them respite, with His statement :

"Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. 'Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error'" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 286].

So Allaah 'azza wa jall said, in a hadeeth Qudsee, "I have decreed so", and thus Allaah revealed to the Muslims that which lightened their burden, and which abrogated the aayah which came before it.

Al-Bayhaqee said that Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee, rahimahu Allaah, said :

Allaah subhaanahu said "Except him who is forced [to kufr] and whose heart is at rest with Faith" [Soorah an-Nahl, 106],

and so there are Rulings regarding Kufr. And since Allaah has dropped the ruling of Kufr from the one who is forced to utter such words, then similarly must be the case of the one who is mistaken or the one who forgets, since when the greater of two issues is dropped, then that which is less than it is also dropped along with it.

Further, it is related from Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhumaa) from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Verily Allaah has pardoned for me my Ummah : their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they have been forced to do under duress", and it has been related from 'Ayeshah (radiAllaahu anhaa) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said : "There is no divorce nor freeing of a slave in a state of anger", and this is the madhhab of 'Umar and Abdullaah ibn 'Umar and 'Abdullaah ibn az-Zubair (radiAllaahu anhum).

And Thaabit bin al-Ahnaf married the mother of a son of 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Zayd bin al-Khattaab, so 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan intimidated and threatened him with a whip, until he unwillingly divorced her, during the Khilaafah of 'Abdullaah bin az-Zubair. So Abdullaah ibn 'Umar said to him that the divorce was not valid, as it had been made under duress, and so he should return to her. At that time Abdullaah bin az-Zubair, the Khaleefah, was in Makkah so he [ibn az-Zubair] wrote to his governor in Madeenah to return Thaabit's wife to him, and to punish 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Zayd. So Safiyyah bint Abee 'Ubayd, the wife of 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, prepared her for her return, and 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar attended their Wedding Feast.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That Allaah has forgiven Muslims for the sins that they commit by mistake
• That Allaah has forgiven Muslims for what they do out of forgetfulness
• That Allaah has forgiven Muslims for what they are compelled to do against their wishes
• That we are to overlook and forgive each other for what we do by mistake, or out of forgetfulness or under duress, since Allaah Himself does so

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The Worship of Allaah is the Means of Attaining Nearness to Him and His Love

by Imam Nawawi

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Verily Allaah ta'aalaa has said : Whosoever shows enmity to a walee (friend) of Mine, then I have declared war against him. And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to me with nawaafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.

It was related by al-Bukhaaree

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 38:

The author of al-Ifsaah said about this hadeeth from its understanding : Verily Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa has put aside all excuses from the one who shows enmity to a walee of His, and has declared that He shall War against him with the same enmity. And the walee of Allaah ta'aalaa is the one who follows that which Allaah has legislated. So let mankind be warned against harming the hearts of the awliyaa of Allaah, 'azza wa jall.

And I consider the meaning [of this hadeeth] as referring to the one who shows enmity to a walee due to the Friendship and Allegiance (Wilaayah) shown to him by Allaah. On the other hand, if the matter is such that it involves a dispute between two walees of Allaah in the form of a legal dispute or a quarrel, which is due to one of them trying to attain a right of his that is hidden from the other, then this does not enter into this hadeeth. And such disputes have occurred between Abu Bakr and 'Umar (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and between al-'Abbaas and 'Alee (radiAllaahu anhumaa), and similarly between many of the sahaabah, and all of them were awliyaa of Allaah.

And His - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - statement "And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him" contains a reference to the fact that we do not place the voluntary deeds (nawaafil) before the obligatory (faraa'id). And the 'nawaafil' are named as such because they are performed after the obligatory deeds have been completed; and if not then they are not given the name 'nawaafil'; and this is indicated by His statement "And My servant continues to draw near to me with nawaafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him", since attaining Nearness with the nawaafil occurs by what follows the completion of the faraa'id. So when the slave becomes persistent in seeking His Nearness through the nawaafil, then this causes Allaah 'azza wa jall to Love him.

Then He said "When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees" until the end of the hadeeth. Then this is a sign of the Wilaayah of Allaah, and its meaning is that he does not hear that which is not permitted for him to hear by the Sharee'ah, nor does he see that which is not permitted by the Sharee'ah, nor does he grasp with his hand that which is not permitted for him by the Sharee'ah, nor does he hasten with his legs towards anything except that which the Sharee'ah allows him to hasten towards. And all of this is the basis (asl) [of being Loved by Allaah]. But also, the Worshipper of Allaah may become so engrossed in the Dhikr of Allaah ta'aalaa that he becomes famous for that, and if another person, who is not from amongst those who Remember Allaah much, were to speak to him without mentioning the Dhikr of Allaah, then it would be as though he did not hear him; until the speaker approaches him with something from the Dhikr of Allaah. And similarly in the case of those things which are seen, and those things which are grasped, and those things towards which one walks. And this is a most noble characteristic, and we ask Allaah that He makes us from amongst its possessors.

And His statement "and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge" shows that even after the slave becomes from amongst the Beloved of Allaah, this does not prevent him from asking his Lord to satisfy his needs or seeking refuge in Him from those whom he fears. And Allaah ta'aalaa is able to give him what he desires before his asking Him for them, and to grant him refuge before he seeks it, but He subhaanahu becomes Near to His slaves through His giving those who ask Him, and His granting refuge to those who seek it from Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary:

• That there are Muslims who are the Awliyaa (Friends) of Allaah
• That one who is close to Allaah because of his piety and worship of Him, has Allaah as his Protector
• That whoever makes a walee an enemy, actually earns the enmity of Allaah for himself
• That one draws closer to Allaah by following the Sharee'ah, and by fulfilling the obligatory duties upon him
• That a Muslim continues to draw closer to Him by performing voluntary acts of worship (nawaafil)
• That ways and means not prescribed in the Sunnah will not help us in drawing closer to Allaah
• That when a servant draws closer to Him, then Allaah Loves him, and then guides him in each moment of his life
• an-Nawawi said that "I am his hearing ..." can mean "I safeguard his hearing from shaytaan"
• That when a servant is Loved by Allaah, He fulfills his du'aa, and protects him from evil when he asks Him to do so

Soure: www.islaam.net

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by Imâm an-Nawawî

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas, radiAllaahu anhu, from the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, from what he has related from his Lord, tabaaraka wa ta'aalaa, that He said :

Verily Allaah ta'aalaa has written down the Good deeds and the Evil deeds, and then explained it [by saying] : Whosoever intended to perform a Good deed, but did not do it, then Allaah writes it down with Himself as a complete Good deed. And if he intended to perform it and then did perform it, then Allaah writes it down with Himself as from ten Good deeds upto seven hundred times, upto many times multiplied. And if he intended to perform an Evil deed, but did not do it, then Allaah writes it down with Him as a complete Good deed. And if he intended it [ie. the evil deed] and then performed it, then Allaah writes it down as one Evil deed.

It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in their two Saheehs in these words.

Imaam An-Nawawi then said :

So look [at this], my brother, and may Allaah grant us the ability to recognise the immense benevolence of Allaah ta'aalaa, and to contemplate these words. And His statement "with Himself" indicates His interest and concern for it. And His statement "a complete [Good deed]" is for emphasis and expressing the strength of His concern. And He said regarding the Evil deed that one intends to do but then leaves acting upon it : "Allaah writes it down with Him as a complete Good deed", so He emphasised it with completeness. And if he acts upon it : "then Allaah writes it down as one Evil deed", so He emphasised its smallness by mentioning it as a single deed, and He did not describe it with 'completeness'. So for Allaah is all Praise and Grace, subhaanahu, and we cannot enumerate His Praises. And from Allaah is the tawfeeq [ability] for attaining His Pleasure.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 37

The explainers of this hadeeth have said : This is a noble and great hadeeth in which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has explained the measure of the Grace of Allaah, 'azza wa jall, upon His creation, as He has made the intention to do a Good deed, without actually performing it, equal to the reward of a Good deed. And He has made the intention to do an evil deed, which one then does not perform, as equal to a complete Good deed [also], and if one were to act upon it then it is deemed as a single evil deed. And if one performs a Good deed then Allaah writes it down as ten, and this is an immense Grace, as He has multiplied for the slaves their Good deeds, but has not multiplied their evil deeds against them.

And He has made the intention to perform a Good deed like a [complete] Good deed because the intention to do good is an action of the heart, due to the resolve of the heart upon that. And if it is then said : "This statement then requires that the one who intends to perform an Evil deed, and does not do it, must also have an Evil deed written for him, as the [evil] intention is also an action from amongst the actions of the heart", then the answer to this would be that this is not the case, as the one who stops short from performing an evil, then he has nullified his resolve to do evil, and has changed it for another resolve to do good, and has thus disobeyed his evil desires, and so he is rewarded for this with the reward of a Good deed. And it has been related in another hadeeth that "Verily he has left it [the evil deed] because of Me", that is "for My sake", and this is similar to his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Upon every Muslim is the giving of charity", so some people asked "What if they do not do so ?", so he replied "Then let them withold from evil, and that will be their charity". This was mentioned by al-Bukhaaree in his Book of Manners. However, if he leaves an evil deed unwillingly, or because he is unable to perform it, then a good deed is not written for him, and this does not enter into the meaning of this hadeeth.

Imaam at-Tabaree, the famous mufassir, said that in this hadeeth is evidence for the statement that the Two Recording Angels, [assigned to each person to write down the good and bad deeds of that person], write down not just the actions but also what the person intends to do of good or evil, and they know what he resolves to do in his heart. And thus, this hadeeth is a refutation of those who wrongly think that the Two Angels only write down that which is apparent from the outward actions of the person, or from what they hear him say. And so this all means that the Two Angels know all that which a person intends in his heart, and it is conceivable that Allaah ta'aalaa has granted for them a means to attain this knowledge [which is from the Knowledge of the Ghayb or Unseen], just as He has granted a means to many of the Prophets to attain knowledge of many things from the Unseen. And Allaah has said regarding 'Eesaa (alayhi as-salaam) that he said to the Banee Israa'eel "And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses" [Soorah Aal 'Imraan, 49].

And our Prophet Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was informed of many things from the Matters of the Unseen, and hence all this shows that it is possible that Allaah has granted to the Recording Angels a means to attain the knowledge of what is in the hearts of mankind, from good or evil, and so they write down whatever he resolves to do. And it has been said that this is through a smell or fragrance that they are able to detect emanating from the heart. And hence the Salaf [ie the Early Righteous Scholars] have differed over which form of Dhikr [Remembrance of Allaah] is better : the dhikr of the heart or the dhikr made out loud.

And all of this [that has been narrated from Imaam at-Tabaree] is the statement of Ibn Khalf, who is better known as Ibn Buttaal. And the author of al-Ifsaah, Yahyaa bin Muhammad al-Hanbalee [d. 560 H], said in some of his writings : When this Ummah had its life spans reduced [as compared to the people of the previous Nations who had much longer life spans], it was compensated for this reduction with a multiplication of the reward of its actions. [ie. Since the life span of our Ummah is shorter, we have less time to do good deeds; so Allaah multiplied the reward for our good deeds to compensate for this.] So whoever intends to peform a good action, it will be counted for him as a complete good deed. And Allaah has declared it as being a 'complete' deed so that none may think that since it is only an intention [and not a complete action] it is somehow deficient. And thus, Allaah has raised the intention to the level of being included amongst the complete actions. So He wrote down the intention as a complete good deed and then multiplied that according the degree of sincerity of the performer, and according to the appropriateness of the action to the time and place.

Then he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said after that "or many times over". This is mentioned, in the Arabic, in the indefinite form which is more comprehensive than the definite, and this implies that the multiplication may be counted upto the most that is possible. Then, it is possible that this generous promise includes that one says that when a man spends in charity a single grain of wheat, then it will be counted for him, from the Grace of Allaah ta'aalaa, as though he sowed that grain in the most pure and fertile land, and attended to it and protected it and watered it, according to its needs, until it ripened, so he harvested it; and then he threshed that harvest in that pure fertile land, so the grains were sown again in it, and were looked after in the same manner as has preceeded; and then the same as this in the second year, and then the third and fourth years, and the years that followed that; and this continues until the Day of Resurrection, and so that single grain of wheat or mustard or couscous will come that day like a mountain. And if the charity was a tiny action from amongst the actions of Eemaan [ie. a good deed] then one may compare it to the profit that may be attained through the purchase of a commodity during that time. And so it is possible that if he sold a commodity in the best market of the greatest nation, and that commodity were the most profitable for trade, then that profit were multiplied [through successive trades] until it returns to him on the Day of Resurrection such that its magnitude is like that of the entire world. And similarly all the actions of righteousness will be treated by Allaah 'azza wa jall in a similar manner, as long as they are performed with a pure and clean intention.

And from this also is that the Grace of Allaah multiplies with the transfer of charity from one person to another. So, for example, consider if a person gives a dirham in charity to a poor man, and then that poor man in turn passes the dirham on to another poor man who is in greater poverty than he, and then this third person passes it onto a fourth, and the fourth to a fifth, and this goes on to a great extent. Then, Allaah ta'aalaa will count for the first person, who originally gave the dirham, ten times the reward. But when this dirham is transferred by the second person to the third, then the second person gains ten and the first person's reward is multiplied to ten thousand. Then, when the third transfers it to the fourth, the second person gets one thousand, and the first gets a million. And so this continues until they attain rewards that may only be counted by Allaah ta'aalaa.

And from this also is that when Allaah - subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa - accounts His Muslim slave on the Day of Resurrection, and his good deeds are of varying and disparate levels, some of them of a high level and others not so, then He - subhaanahu - from His immense Generosity and Grace may count all of his good deeds by the measure of the best and highest amongst them; for verily His Generosity - jalla jalaalahu - is far greater than that He should dispute with his slave, who is pleased with Him, about the disparity in the measure of his good deeds. And no doubt Allaah jalla jalaalahu has said :

"We shall certainly pay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do" [Soorah an-Nahl, 97]

And similarly, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has informed us that if a Muslim declares aloud in a market from amongst the markets of the Muslims : "laa ilaaha illaa Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd, yuhyee wa yumeet, wa huwa 'alaa kulli shayin qadeer [There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allaah, Alone without any partner; for Him is the Dominion and for Him is all Praise; He gives life and He gives death; and He is All-Powerful over all things]" then Allaah will write for him due to that a million rewards, and will wipe away from him a million evil deeds, and will build for him a house in Paradise [narrated by at-Tirmidhee].

And all this that we have mentioned is according to only that which we have knowledge of, and not according to the true level of the Grace of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa. For verily He is far greater than what anyone may deny for Him, or what any of the creation may try to estimate of Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That whatever is classed as a Good deed, or an Evil deed, has already been written down as such by Allaah, ie. Good and Evil deeds are what He has specified them to be
• Therefore, what Allaah has given us in The Qur'aan and Sunnah is from His knowledge of what is Good and what is Evil, as defined and accepted by Him
• That whatever we are going to do is known by Him
• That if we intend to perform a Good deed [as defined by the Sunnah], but do not actually perform it, then we are still rewarded for one full Good deed
• That if we intend to perform a Good deed, and actually perform it, then Allaah will record it as though it were done ten to seven hundred times over, or more than that
• The actual merit of a Good deed is determined by Allaah according to our sincerity
• That not doing a bad deed which one intended to do, obtains for one a reward equal to a complete Good deed
• That if one actually performs a bad deed that one intended to do, then it is written down only as its worth, ie a single bad deed
• That if one ends up in the Fire then he only gets that which he deserves, as he was indeed a very bad person
• That good actions are not all of equal merit, nor are bad actions. Hence, it is not possible to calculate how much good or bad one has accumulated each day
• That one must not forget that it is still possible to destroy all the good deeds we have been doing

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The Virtue of Gathering for the Recitation of The Qur'aan, and for the Remembrance of Allaah

by Imam Nawawi

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Whoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allaah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever alleviates the need of a needy person, Allaah will alleviate his needs in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever shields [or hides the misdeeds of] a Muslim, Allaah will shield him in this world and the Hereafter. And Allaah will aid His Slave so long as he aids his brother. And whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allaah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allaah, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it among themselves, except that Sakeenah (Tranquility) descends upon them, and Mercy envelops them, and the angels surround them, and Allaah mentions them amongst those who are with Him. And whoever is slowed down by his actions, will not be hastened forward by his lineage.

It was related by Muslim in these words.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 36

This is a great hadeeth that encompasses all the branches of Knowledge, and the Principles [of the Religion], and the Excellent Manners. In it is found the virtue of fulfilling the needs of the Muslims, and benefitting them, from what is possible for one, of Knowledge, or wealth, or aid, or guidance towards that which will correct their affairs, or advice. or other than that. And the meaning of "alleviates the need" is removing it.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Whoever shields [or hides the misdeeds of] a Muslim", then 'shielding' here means to hide his slips and lapses, and the intended meaning here is hiding the lapses of those who are of upright and pious character, and those like them who are not known to be evil-doers. And this is with regards to hiding the sins that they may have committed in the past, and which are over. On the other hand, if they are caught red-handed performing a sin then it is obligatory to admonish them and forbid them from it. And if they are unable to do so, then they must raise the matter to the Authorities, if they do not fear any evil repurcussions from this. Thus, in such cases the correct action is not to shield them, as this may tempt them to perpetrate more evil, to cause more harm, to enter into more Forbidden matters, or to encourage others upon what is similar to this. So it is desired that one raises the matter to the Leader, as long as he does not fear any further evil from doing so. And similar to all this is the disparagement and criticising of the Narrators of Hadeeth by the Hadeeth Scholars, and of the Witnesses [to contracts], and the Trustees of the wealth to be distributed in Charity and the Awqaaf, and those who look after the wealth of the Orphans, and what is similar to that. Then in all such cases it is obligatory to expose their evil actions if required, and it is not permissible to hide their sins if one sees from them that which is reproachable. And this is not considered to be from the Forbidden Backbiting, rather it is part of the Obligatory Naseehah [sincerity, advice].

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "And Allaah will aid His Slave so long as he aids his brother" then this is a generalisation whose detailed explanation must include the case where the Slave [of Allaah] resolves to help his brother Muslim [by admonishing him], whereupon it becomes required of him not to be cowardly of speaking the Truth to him, believing, all the while, that Allaah will help him and protect him from any evil repurcussions of doing so.

And in this hadeeth is mentioned the virtue of fulfilling the needs of a Muslim, and of striving in the Path of seeking Knowledge, and this includes the virtue of being pre-occupied with Knowledge. And what is intended by Knowledge here is the Knowledge of the Sharee'ah. And all this requires that one intends by it the Face of Allaah ta'aalaa, just as this is a condition in every act of worship.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allaah, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it among themselves" is a proof for the virtue of gathering in the masjid for the recitation of the Qur'aan. And regarding the word 'Sakeenah' mentioned here, then some people have said that it means 'Mercy', but this interpretation is weak due to the separate mention of Mercy in the next part of the hadeeth. And it has been said that it means Tranquility, Peacefulness and Dignity, and this is better.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "No people gather together" is in the indefinite, general form, as though he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) meant to say "Any people" who gather for this, then they will receive all of the Virtue what he has mentioned. And he (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) did not lay a condition here that the people must be scholars, or ascetics or possessors of High Stations. And the meaning of "and the angels surround them" is similar to that mentioned by Allaah ta'aalaa in His Noble Book : "And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allaah) from all round" [Soorah az-Zumar, 75], that is they will encircle and encompass them from every side. And so it will be as though the angels will be so close to them, so as to completely encircle them, and no gap will be left between them through which Shaytaan may enter.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Mercy envelops them" then the word 'envelop' is not used except when all the parts of the object are completely covered from all sides. And Shaykh Shihaab ad-Deen bin Farj said : "And the meaning of this, from what I see to be correct, is that the Envelopment of His Mercy is such that it encircles and embraces all previous sins, in shaa' Allaah ta'aalaa".

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Allaah mentions them amongst those who are with Him" implies that the mentioning of Allaah ta'aalaa is amongst the Prophets and the Most Honourable of the Angels, and Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That this hadeeth contains encouragement to help each other for our own benefit
• That any Muslim who makes a Muslim happy will receive the Mercy of Allaah on the Day of Resurrection, and He will remove one of his griefs that Day
• That any Muslim who sees to the need of another Muslim, will have his own needs seen to by Allaah
• That any Muslim who protects another Muslim will be protected by Allaah
• That Allaah will help us as long as we help each other
• That one who strives to gain Knowledge of the Deen will be helped by Allaah in acting upon it
• That the mosques should be used to gather in to study the Deen and to recite the Qur'aan collectively
• That such groups of people receive the Peace and Mercy of Allaah, and are surrounded by the Angels, and are mentioned by Allaah to those near Him
• That this is true for any group of Muslims, whether or not they are scholars or very pious individuals
• That when we remember Allaah, He remembers us and makes mention of us
• That if one becomes lax in his religious duties, his lineage or ancestry will not avail him anything before Allaah
• Seeking knowledge of the Deen entails acting upon it and propagating it

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By Imam Nawawi

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Do not envy one another, and do not inflate prices for one another, and do not hate one another, and do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another in trade, but [rather] be Slaves of Allaah and Brothers [amongst yourselves]. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim : he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, nor does he lie to him, nor does he hold him in contempt. Taqwaa (Piety) is right here [and he pointed to his chest three times]. It is evil enough for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. The whole of a Muslim is inviolable for another Muslim : his blood, his property, and his honour

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 35

Regarding his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Do not envy one another" : envy (al-Hasad) is the desire that a blessing is removed from someone else, and this is forbidden. And in another hadeeth "Do not have envy (Hasad), for verily envy eats away good deeds the way fire consumes firewood or grass". As for al-Ghibtah then it is the desire to obtain what another fortunate person possesses without wishing that he loses that blessing. And sometimes the word al-Hasad is used in the place of al-Ghibtah due to the proximity of meaning of the two, as in the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) : "There is to be no Hasad execpt in two cases ... ", meaning here "There is to be no Ghibtah except in two cases".

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "do not inflate prices for one another" then the word used here in Arabic is 'najasha', and the origin of this word carries the meaning of cheating, deception and swindling. And the Arabs sometimes call a hunter a 'naajish' because he deceives and outsmarts the animal he hunts. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "do not hate one another" means do not adopt the means that lead to hatred. This is because love and hate are matters of the heart, such that Mankind does not possess full ability to control them, nor are they able to bring about change in them. And this is as the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said [regarding the division of time he had made between his wives] : "Oh Allaah this division is what I have been able to do, so do not take me to account for that which you control, and over which I have no control", meaning by this his heart.

And "turning away" means enmity, and it has also been said that it means cutting off relations or boycotting. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and do not undercut one another in trade" is referring to the situation where a buyer has almost completed a contract with a seller, and during the final time of choice a second seller approaches him and says : "If you revoke this sale then I will sell to you the same thing or better than it for the same price". Or, if a buyer and seller have agreed upon a price and are pleased with it, and only the completion of the contract remains, and then a second seller offers to give more for the same price, or to give the same goods at a lower price, then this is forbidden as it occurs after agreement on the price has taken place and the buyer and seller have been pleased with it. However, if the second seller makes his offer before they are pleased with the price then this is not forbidden.

And the meaning of "but be you, O Servants of Allaah, Brothers" means deal with one another and live together amiably with brotherhood, and treat one another with love, kindness, compassion and courteousness, and help one another upon goodness, while always having a clear heart and offering sincere advice in all situations.

And regarding his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim : he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, nor does he lie to him nor does he hold him in contempt" : to fail someone means to leave helping or aiding him, so if a Muslim were to seek ones help in defending himself from an oppressor or similar to that, then it is necessary to help him if one is able to, and one has no Shar'ee excuse for not doing so.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "nor does he hold him in contempt" means that he does not behave haughtily towards another Muslim, so as to belittle him.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Taqwaa (Piety) is right here [and he pointed to his chest three times]" and in another narration "Verily Allaah does not look at your bodies nor at your appearances, but rather he looks at your hearts". This means that the apparent actions of the limbs do not, by themselves, attain for one Taqwaa. But rather Taqwaa is attained through what is in the heart of appreciating the Greatness of Allaah the Exalted, and having Fear of Him and having Recognition of Him, and knowing that the Sight of Allaah encompasses all things. And so the meaning of the hadeeth, and Allaah knows best, is the taking of the self to account, and the point of observation of all of this is by the heart.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "It is enough evil for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt" contains a severe warning from doing so, since Allaah ta'aalaa did not look upon him in contempt when He created him, and nourished him, and then perfected his outward appearance, and then subdued whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is in the Earth for his sake. And even though He did this for others along with him, no doubt he has a share in it. Then after that, Allaah - subhaanahu - named him a Muslim and a Believer and a Slave, and his Command extended to the extent that he made the Messenger that He sent to him Muhammad (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam). So whoever treats with contempt a Muslim from amongst the Muslims, then he has treated with contempt one whom Allaah 'azza wa jall has granted greatness and nobility, and no doubt that is sufficient for him. And so from treating a Muslim with contempt is not to send the greeting of salaam upon him if he passes by him, and not to reply to his greeting of salaam if he begins with it. And it also includes not thinking that Allaah will enter him into Paradise or keep him safe from the Hellfire.

And as for the case of the Intelligent one who is resentful of (or is hostile to) the Foolish Ignorant one, or the Just and Honest one who is resentful of the Sinner, then this is not considered to be contempt of a Muslim. Rather, this is resent for the ignorance that is present in the Ignorant one, and the sinfulness that is present in the Sinner. So when this ignorance or sinfulness leaves that person, he returns to treating him well and raises his status in his estimation.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That it is generally forbidden to be envious of one another, although other ahaadeeth specify that envy in certain [good] cases is allowed if we wish to be like them
• That it is forbidden to raise prices to harm others, such as through hoarding or through trying to make unjust profit
• That it is forbidden to turn away from being good to or helping one another
• That it is forbidden to undercut one another in trade
• That we must be brothers to one another, and true Brotherhood lies in being Allaah's Worshippers and Servants
• That it is forbidden to oppress one another, or fail one another on purpose, or lie to one another, or to hold each other in contempt
• That Taqwaa (Piety) is in the heart - see hadeeth number six - and hence the heart must be trained, purified and protected
• That it is forbidden to violate the rights of another Muslim : to shed his blood [unlawfully], or physically hurt him, or to deprive him of what belong to him, or to cheat him
• That it is forbidden to violate the honour of another Muslim

Source: www.islaam.net

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by Imâm an-Nawawî

On the authority of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say :

Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart - and that is the weakest of faith.

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 34

Imaam Muslim has transmitted this hadeeth from Taariq bin Shihaab, who said : The first person to begin with the Khutbah before the Prayer on the Day of 'Eed [instead of the Prayer followed by the Khutbah] was Marwaan [the son of Yazeed]. So a man stood up to him and said : "The Prayer [should be] before the Khutbah !" So [Marwaan] replied : "That old way has been left." So Abu Sa'eed [al-Khudree] said : "As for this man [who spoke up to Marwaan] then he has completed the duty that was upon him. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) say 'Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it [until the end of the hadeeth]'".

In this hadeeth is a proof that no one before Marwaan had changed the order of the 'Eed Prayer and Khutbah. And if it is asked why did Abu Sa'eed himself not attempt to change this evil, until the other man stood up against it, then this can be answered in a number of ways : It is possible that Abu Sa'eed was not present the first time Marwaan began to give the Khutbah before the Prayer, or that the man had begun to oppose Marwaan and then Abu Sa'eed arrived upon the scene and the two of them then opposed Marwaan together. Or it is possible that Abu Sa'eed was present but feared that if he opposed Marwaan then this would lead to a greater fitnah or he feared for his own life, and so he remained silent. Or it is possible that Abu Sa'eed was about to stand up against Marwaan, when the other man unexpectedly rose before him, and so Abu Sa'eed assisted him.

And it is narrated in another hadeeth that is agreed upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, and is mentioned by them in their Chapters on the 'Eeds, that it was Abu Sa'eed who pulled at Marwaan's hand when he was about to climb onto the Mimbar, and Abu Sa'eed and the other man were together so Marwaan replied to them both with what is mentioned here, and so the meaning of what Abu Sa'eed said is that both of them completed their duties.

And as for his (sallAllaah alayhi wa sallam) statement "let him change it" then it is an order indicating obligation by the consensus of the Imaams, and this is in conformity to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah regarding the obligation of commanding the good and forbidding the evil, and it is also part of giving Naseehah [sincere advice] which is the Deen [See hadeeth number Seven]. And as for His - ta'aalaa - statement :

"O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves; no harm can come to you from those who are in error if you follow the right guidance" [Soorah al-Maa'idah, 105]

then this is not in opposition to what we have mentioned. This is because the correct understanding of this Noble Aayah according to the 'Ulamaa of the Truth is that if one performs ones duty then one will not be harmed by the deficiencies of others. And this is similar to His statement : "and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" [Soorah al-An'aam, 164].

And if this is the case, then from what the Muslim has been charged with is commanding the good and forbidding the evil, and so if he does that and yet the one spoken to does not submit, then he carries no blame after that. This is because upon him is the commanding or the forbidding, but not the acceptance [of the correction], and Allaah knows best.

Then, commanding the good and forbidding the evil is a Fard Kifaayah [Collective Duty], so if a group of people establish it such that they suffice then the obligation falls from the rest of the people. But if all of the people leave it, then all of them, who are able to do it without difficulty, are sinful.

Further, sometimes it may be restricted to certain individuals, such as if it concerns an affair that none knows of other than he, or none other than he has the ability to stop that affair, such as the one who sees his wife or son or slave perform an evil.

The 'ulamaa have said that the obligation of commanding the good and forbidding the evil is not removed if a person merely suspects that his admonition will not be accepted - rather he is still obliged to perform it.

Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, the reminding benefits the believers" [Soorah adh-Dhaariyaat, 55],

and it has already preceeded that upon him is to admonish, and acceptance of the admonishment is not upon him. Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "The Messenger's duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way" [Soorah an-Noor, 54].

The 'ulamaa have said : "It is not a condition for the commander of good or the forbidder of evil to himself be perfect in his condition, and fully complying with that which he commands and fully leaving that which he forbids. Rather upon him is to command, even if he himself is not upon that completely. This is because he has two duties upon him : firstly, to order his own soul upon good and forbid it from evil, and secondly to command and forbid other people. So if he fulfils one of them then the other still remains obligatory upon him."

And they said that the actions of commanding the good and forbidding the evil are not meant only for the government officals, but rather they are required from every individual amongst the Muslims, and every one possessing knowledge of what be must commanded or forbidden must do so. So if the matter is one which is well known and apparent, such as the Prayer or the Fasting [of Ramadaan] or Zinaa or drinking of alcohol, or other matters similar to these, then all of the Muslims have knowledge of them and so must command or forbid. But if the matter is from the finer matters of action or speech or that which is associated with ijtihaad, and they are not matters that the general populace have Knowledge of, then it is not for them to forbid, rather this is for the 'ulamaa.

And the 'ulamaa admonish others regarding those issues upon which there is ijmaa' [consensus]. But as for the issues over which there is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars, then they do not admonish regarding them. This is because, according to the first of the two madhhabs in this issue, every mujtahid is correct in his own ruling, and this madhhab has been adopted by many of the verifying scholars. And according to the second madhhab only one opinion is correct, but which ones are in error is not identifiable by us, and hence there is no sin [upon the one who has erred]. So in such cases the scholars do not admonish, but rather advise, as a form of naseehah [sincere advice], in order to keep clear of the difference of opinion, and this is good and desirable, as long as it is done gently and with kindness.

The Shaykh Muhyee ad-Deen an-Nawawi, rahimahu Allaah, said : "And know that this affair of commanding the good and forbidding the evil has been largely abandoned since a great length of time, and in this age nothing is left of it except very few formalities, despite its being an extremely important affair, by which Authority is established in the land - rather it is its foundation and basis. And if wickedness and evil become widespread in the land then the Punishment [of Allaah] will encompass both the pious and the wicked people. So if they do not take hold of the oppressors then they will all be very near to facing the Punishment of Allaah, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said :

"And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware, lest some Fitnah (trials, afflictions, etc) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them" [Soorah an-Noor 63].

 So it is required of the one who seeks the Hereafter, and who exerts himself in attaining the Pleasure of Allaah 'azza wa jall, that he concerns himself with this affair, for indeed its benefit is great. And this is so especially since most of the people have left it, and let not the one who admonishes fear any [evil] repurcussions, due to the raising of his rank [with Allaah]. For verily Allaah ta'aalaa has said :

"Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause)." [Soorah al-Hajj 40].

 And know that the reward is proportionate to the exertion made and hardship faced. And one should also not leave it due to the wrong-doer being ones friend or ones loved-one, for verily the true friend of a person is the one who exerts himself in building his Hereafter, even if this may bring about some loss in his worldly affairs. And the true enemy of a person is the one who exerts himself in taking away his Hereafter, or reducing it, even if by doing so he brings about some benefit in his worldly affairs."

And it is required of the one who commands the good and forbids the evil that he does so with gentleness, in order to ensure the greatest chance of attaining that which is desired [ie the correction and rectification of the wrong-doing individual]. And Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee rahimahu Allaah said : "He who admonishes his brother in secret has sincerely advised him and has adorned him, while he who admonishes his brother openly [in front of everyone] has humiliated him and disfigured him."

And from what the people [nowadays] have become negligient of in this affair is that if they see a trader selling goods or merchandise or animals that are defective, and he does not show this defect to his customers, then nobody admonishes the trader for this, nor do they inform the buyer about the defect. And they will be questioned about this [on the Day of Judgement] for verily the Religion is Naseehah [sincerity or sincere advice], and he who does not give sincere advice has cheated.

And his sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart" means that he must hate it with his heart, and this does not stop the evil occurring nor change it to something good, but this is all that he is capable of doing.

And his sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "and that is the weakest of faith" means, and Allaah knows best, that this is the smallest possible fruit or result of his faith. And it is not upon the one who commands the good and forbids the evil to investigate and search and spy upon others, or to invade others privacy or to suspect others in order to find their wrongs. Rather, if he comes upon an evil then he changes it. And al-Maawardee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "It is not for him to invade the privacy of and spy upon others, except if he is informed by a trustworthy and reliable person that someone has secluded himself with another man in order to murder him, or with a woman in order to fornicate with her. Then in such cases it is permissible for him spy upon them and investigate, and to try to expose them in order to prevent the occurrence of that which cannot be rectified."

And as for his sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam statement "and that is the weakest of faith" then it has already been mentioned that this means the smallest fruit of ones faith. And it has been related in a different narration of this hadeeth : "And after that there does not remain any Eemaan [Faith] even of the size of a mustard seed", ie. that after that there does not remain any level of Eemaan. And the word 'Eemaan' in this hadeeth carries the meaning of 'Islaam'.

In this hadeeth is a proof that the one who fears being killed or being beaten [for admonishing the wrong-doer] is no longer required to act to change the evil, and this is the madhhab of the Scholars of Truth from amongst the Early and Later scholars. However an extreme group has adopted the position that the responsibility to act remains even if he fears for his life or fears punishment.

And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

• That it is everyone's individual duty to improve matters as far as he is able to do
• That if one can correct something with ones hand without bringing about more harm, then he should do so
• That if it is that one can only say something under the circumstances, then one should do so
• That one must at least hate in ones heart the evil that has happened, even if one cannot do anything about it, and this is the weakest level of Faith
• That if one does not feel anything in one's heart against the wrong then this indicates a lack of Faith
• That one should take action whenever it is conducive to do so

Source: www.islaam.net

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