Imam ibn hajar al-asqalani - 3

Preparing for the day of judgement

[1] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to Abu Dharr al-
Ghifari, “O Abu Dharr! Mend the ship for the sea is deep, take all provisions for
the journey is long, lighten the load for the obstacles are difficult, and make
sincere your actions for the Critic is All-Seeing.”

[2] A poet said:
It is an obligation upon people to repent.
But leaving sins is even more of an obligation.
Patience in the midst of hardships is difficult to bear.
But loosing the opportunity for reward is more difficult to bear.
Time is indeed perplexing in the way it passes.
Yet people’s heedlessness is even more perplexing.
Everything that is due to arrive is indeed close,
Yet death is closer than everything else.

[3] An ascetic said, “Four things are good but four others are even better –
chastity is good in men, but in women it is even better, justice is good in lay
people, but in rulers it is even better; repentance by an old man is good, but by a
young man it is even better; and contentment by the rich is good, but by the poor
it is even better.”

[4] A wise man said, “Four things are bad but four others are even worse –
sinning is bad from a young man, but from an old man it is even worse; busying
oneself with the dunya is bad from an ignorant person, but from a scholar it is
even worse; laziness in fulfilling religious obligations is bad from laymen, but
from scholars and students of knowledge it is even worse; and pride is bad from
the rich, but from the poor it is even worse.”

[5] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Four things are completed by
four others – prayer with the Two prostrations of Forgetfulness (sajdaty al sahw),
fasting [Ramadan] with sadaqat al-fitr (alms given at the end of Ramadan), hajj
with sacrificial slaughter, and iman (faith) with jihad.”

[6] `Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said, “The one who prays twelve rak`ahs everyday
has fulfilled the right of prayer; the one who fasts three days every month has
fulfilled the right of fasting; the one who recites one hundred verses everyday
has fulfilled the right of the Qur’an; and the one who gives a dirham in charity
every Friday has fulfilled the right of charity.”

[7] `Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “There are four types of oceans – passion is the
ocean of sins, the nafs is the ocean of desires, death is the ocean of lives, and the
grave is the ocean of regrets.”

[8] `Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “I found the sweetness of worship in four
things – the first in fulfilling Allah’s commandments, the second in abstaining
from Allah’s prohibitions, the third is enjoining good with the intention of
attaining Allah’s reward of Allah, and the fourth in forbidding evil fearing
Allah’s wrath.”

[9] `Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) also said, “There are four things, the outward of
which is a virtue but the inner of which is an obligation – being in the company
of the righteous is a virtue and imitating them is an obligation; reciting the
Qur’an is a virtue and acting according to its commandments is an obligation;
visiting the graves is a virtue and preparing for the time when one will enter
them is an obligation; visiting a sick person is a virtue and asking him for advice
is an obligation.”

[10] `Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The one who longs for Paradise will rush
towards good deeds; the one who dreads Hell will put an end to his vices; the
one who has a firm conviction in [the imminent arrival of] death will lose all his
passions; and the one who really knows the dunya will find disasters easy to
bear.”
[11] It is said that Allah revealed to one of the prophets of Bani Isra`il:
“Remaining silent instead of speaking evil is fasting for Me; guarding your
organs against prohibition is prayer for Me; loosing any hope in creatures [that
they can bring one good or evil] is charity for Me; and refraining from hurting
Muslims is jihad for Me.”
[12] `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Four things are from the
darkness of the heart – a full stomach without caring [whether it is halal or haram];
keeping the company of oppressors; forgetting past sins; and being under the
delusion that one’s lifetime will surely be long. There are another four things
that are from the illumination of the heart – an empty stomach because of caution;
accompanying the righteous; remembering past sins; and not expecting to live
for long.”

[13] Hatim al-Asamm said, “The one who claims four things without doing four
others has lied – the one who claims to love Allah yet does not abstain from
things prohibited by Him has lied; the one who claims to love the Prophet
(salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) yet dislikes the poor and needy has lied; the one who
claims to love Paradise yet does not give charity has lied; and the one who claims
to fear Hell yet does not give up sinning has lied.”

[14] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “ Premonitory signs of
wretchedness are four – forgetting past sins whilst their record is with Allah the
Exalted; remembering past good deeds whilst one does not know whether they
have been accepted or rejected; looking to those of a higher status in the dunya,
and looking to those of a lower status in the Religion [of Islam]. Allah will say, ‘I
wanted him but he did not want Me and thus I have left him.’ Premonitory signs
of bliss are four – remembering past sins; forgetting past good deeds; looking at
those of a higher status in the Religion [of Islam]; and looking at those of a lower
status in the dunya.”

[15] An ascetic said, “The rights of faith (iman) are four – God-consciousness,
shame, gratitude and patience.”

[16] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Mothers are four: the mother
of cures, the mother of manners, the mother of worship, and the mother of hopes.
The mother of curses is eating less, the mother of manners is speaking less, the
mother of worship is sinning less, and the mother of hopes is patientce.”

[17] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said, “There are four gems in
the body of the son of Adam that are removed by four things – as for the gems
they are intellect, Religion, shame, and good deeds. Anger removes the intellect,
envy removes Religion, desire removes shame, and backbiting removes good
deeds.”

[18] He (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said, “There are four things in Paradise
that are better than Paradise itself – remaining eternally in Paradise is better than
Paradise; being served by the angels in paradise is better than Paradise; being in
the company of the Prophets in Paradise is better than Paradise; and gaining
Allah’s pleasures in Paradise is better than Paradise itself. There are four things
in Hell that are worse than Hell itself – remaining eternally in Hell is worse than
Hell; the reproaching of the unbelievers by the angels in Hell is worse than Hell;
being in the company of Satan in Hell is worse than Hell; and Allah’s wrath in
Hell is worse than Hell itself.”

[19] When one of the ascetics was asked, “How are you?” He replied, “I am with
my Lord in compliance, with the nafs in opposition, with creatures in [giving and
taking] advice, and with the dunya only in necessity.”

[20] An ascetic selected four aphorisms from the four revealed Books – from the
Torah: “The one who is content with what Allah has given him will find repose
in this world and in the next”; from the Bible: “The one who destroys his vices
will be honoured in this world and in the next”; from the Psalms: “The one who
isolates himself away from people will find salvation in this world and in the
next”; and from the Qur’an, “The one who safeguards his tongue will be safe in
this world and in the next.”

[21] `Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “I swear by Allah! I have never been tested by
hardship except that Allah bestowed up on me due to it four blessings – the first
is that I was not tested through a sin; the second, that the hardship was not
greater than it was; the third, I wasn’t deprived of being contented with it; the
fourth, I hope that I will be rewarded for it.”

[23] ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said, “A wise man collected numerous sayings
and from them he selected forty thousand; from the forty thousand he selected
four thousand, from the four thousand he selected four hundred, from the four
hundred he selected forty, and from the forty he selected four – the first, “Don’t
trust a woman in any situation.”; the second, “Don’t be deluded by wealth in any
situation”; the third, “Don’t burden your stomach with what it can’t bear”; and
the forth, “Don’t gather from knowledge that which is no benefit to you.”

[24]`Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Din and dunya will continue to exist as long as
four things exist – as long as the rich are not miserly in that which they have been
blessed; as long as the scholars practice what they have learnt; as long as the
ignorant are not arrogant about that which they do not know; and as long as the
poor do not sell the Hereafter in return for the dunya.”

[25] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “On the Day of Judgement
Allah will use four people as a proof against four types of people – [Prophet]
Sulayman [Solomon] against the rich, [Prophet] Yusef against servants, [Prophet]
Ayyub against the sick, and [Prophet] `Isa (Jesus) against the poor.”

[26] Sa`d ibn Bilal said, “Despite committing a sin, Allah still bestows four
blessings on His sinful servant – He does not cut off his sustenance, He does not
cause his health to deteriorate, He does not make the sin apparent on him for all
to see, and He does not hasten his punishment.”

[27] Hatim al-Asamm said, “The one who delays four things until four others
will find Paradise – sleep until the grave, pride until after the accounting [of
good and bad deeds], repose until after the crossing of the sirat (bridge to be
crossed on the Day of Judgement), and desires until entering Paradise.”

[28] Hamid al-Laffaf said, “We searched for four things in four others and failed
to find them there, but found them in yet another four things – we sought
richness in money but found it in contentment; we sought peace in opulence but
found it in poverty; we sought pleasure in abundance but found it in good health;
and we sought sustenance in the earth and found it in the sky.”

[29] `Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Four things, a little of which is still a lot – pain,
poverty, fire and enmity.”

[30] Hatim al-Asamm said, “Four things are not appreciated except by four types
of people – youth is not appreciated by the old, freedom from worries is not
appreciated by those afflicted with calamities, health is not appreciated but by
those in poor health and life is not appreciated but by the dead.”

[31] The poet Abu Nuwwas said:
My sins, if I think about them, are many
But the mercy of my Lord is much vaster
I do not hope for salvation in any good action I may have done
Rather in Allah’s mercy is my hope
He is Allah my Lord who is my Creator
And I am [in front of Him] a slave who obeys and submits
If forgiveness is intended for me then that is mercy
And if it is other than it then what am I to do?

[32] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “On the Day of Judgement the
scales will be placed and the people of prayer will be brought forward and they
will be compensated according to the Scales; then the people of fasting will be
brought forward and they will be compensated according to the Scales; then the
people of hajj will be brought forward and they will be compensated according
to the Scales; and then the people afflicted with hardships and calamites [in the
dunya] will be brought forward and the Scales will not be used for them nor will
their records be brought out, and they will given their reward without any
account, so much so that the people who used to be free of worries and
calamities would wish that they were in their position, such is the immensity of
their reward from Allah the Exalted.”

[33] A wise man said, “The son of Adam will face four seizures – the Angel of
Death will seize his soul, his heirs will seize his wealth, the worms will seize his
body, and his adversaries (the people he had wronged or backbitten) will seize
his honour, meaning his good deeds, on the Day of Judgement.”

[34] An ascetic said, “The one who preoccupies himself with desires must have
women; the one who preoccupies himself with collecting wealth must indulge in
the prohibited; the one who preoccupied himself with bringing benefit to
Muslims must have secrecy; and the one who preoccupies himself with worship
must have knowledge.”

[35] “Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The most difficult of actions are four –
forgiving when in a state of anger, contentment in times of hardships, chastity in
seclusion, and speaking the truth in front of someone whom one fears or from
whom one hopes for largesse.”

[36] In the Psalms it is stated, “Allah revealed to [Prophet] Dawud that a wise
and intelligent person never neglects four periods of time – a time to intimately
converse with his Lord, a time to bring himself to account, a time to visit those of
his brothers who will show him his defects, and a time to give himself free reign
to indulge in the permissible.”

[37] An ascetic said, “The whole of worship is in four things – honouring
promises, abiding by the limits [set by Divine Law], being patient over loss, and
being content with whatever is in one’s possession.”

Imam ibn hajar al-asqalani - 1

preparing for the day of judgement

[1] It has been narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “There
are two traits, nothing is better than them: belief in Allah and bringing benefit to
the Muslims. And there are two traits, nothing is worse than them: associating
partners with Allah and bring harm to the Muslims.”

[2] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Sit with the scholars and listen
to the speech of the wise, for verily Allah the Exalted gives life to the dead heart
with the light of wisdom as he gives life to the dead soil with rainwater.”

[3] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “He who enters the grave without
any provisions is as though he wishes to sail the sea without a ship.”

[4] `Umar ibn al-Khattab (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Honour in this world is in
wealth, and honour in the Hereafter is in righteous actions.”

[5] `Uthman ibn `Affan (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Worrying about the dunya is a
darkness in the heart, while worrying about the Hereafter is a light in the heart.”

[6] `Ali ibn Abi Talib (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The one who seeks after knowledge,
Paradise will seek after him; and the one who seeks after disobedience, the
Hellfire will seek after him.”

[7] Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, “An honourable person would never be disobedient
to Allah, and a wise person would never prefer the dunya over the Hereafter.”

[8] Al-A`mash said, “The one whose capital is God-consciousness (taqwa),
tongues will be incapable of describing the fortune that is his piety; and the one
whose capital is the dunya, tongues will be incapable of describing the magnitude
of his loss of piety.”

[9] Sufyan al-Thawri said, “Every act of disobedience committed due to passion,
its forgiveness is hoped for. Every act of disobedience committed due to
arrogance, its forgiveness is not hoped for because the root of Satan’s
disobedience was arrogance, whereas the root of Adam’s lapse was passion.”


[10] An ascetic once said, “The one who sins while laughing, Allah will make
him enter the Fire while crying. And the one who obeys while crying (out of fear
of Allah) Allah will make him enter Paradise while laughing.”

[11] A wise man said, “Do not belittle minor sins, for verily from them major sins
grow.”

[12] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No sin remains minor when
accompanied by persistence, and no sin remains major when accompanied by the
seeking of forgiveness.”

[13] It is said, “The Gnostic (‘arif) occupies himself with praise [of Allah], while
the ascetic (zahid) occupies himself with supplication; because the Gnostic’s
concern is his Lord, while the ascetic’s concern is his own nafs.”

[14] An ascetic said, “Whoever is under the delusion that he has a closer friend
than Allah, little is his knowledge of Allah; and the one who is under the
delusion that he has a greater enemy than his nafs, little is his knowledge of his
nafs.”

[15] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said regarding the Qur’anic verse,
‘Corruption has appeared on land and sea’, “The land refers to the tongue and
the sea refers to the heart. If the tongue is corrupted people cry over it, and if the
heart is corrupted the angels cry over it.

[16] It is said, “Verily passion turns kings into slaves, and patience turns slaves
into kings… Do you not see the story of Yusuf and Zulaykha?”

[17] It is said, “Glad tidings to the one whose intellect is his master and whose
desire is his slave. And woe to the one whose desire is his master and whose
intellect is his slave.”

[18] It is also said, “The one who leaves sins, his heart will be softened; and the
one who leaves the forbidden and eats the lawful, his intellect will be
enlightened.”

[19] Allah revealed to one of the Prophets, “Obey me in that which I have
commanded you, and do not disobey me in that which I have advised you.”

[20] It is said, “The perfection of the intellect is in following the pleasure of Allah
and avoiding His wrath.”

[21] It is said, “There is no exile for the learned, and there is no homeland for the
ignorant.”


[22] It is said, “The one who is close to Allah due to his obedience will be a
stranger amongst people.”

[23] It is said, “The movement towards obedience is evidence of knowledge just
as the movement of the body is evidence of its vitality.”

[24] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The root of all sins is love of
the dunya and the root of all tribulation sis withholding taxes and zakat.”

[25] It is said, “The one who admits his shortcomings is always praised, and
admitting shortcomings is a sign of acceptance [by Allah].”

[26] It is said, “Ingratitude for blessings is baseness and the company of a fool is
bad fortune.”

[27] A Poet said:
O he who is busy with his dunya!
Whom illusions of a long lifetime have deluded
Was he not in a state of heedlessness
Until his appointed time drew near?
Verily death arrives suddenly
And the Grave is the collection-box of actions
Be patient over the dunya and its hardships
No death is there except at one’s appointed time

Imam ibn hajar al-asqalani - 9

preparing for the day of judgement

[1] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Use the siwak, for
there are ten benefits in it – it purifies the mouth, pleases the Lord, angers Satan,
is loved by the Merciful and by the guardian angels, strengthens the gums,
eliminates phlegm, gets rid of the bad taste from the mouth, brightens the eyes,
eliminates bad breath, and is from my Sunnah.” He then added. “One prayer
after [using] the siwak is better than seventy prayers without [using] it.”
[2] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “There is not a servant whom
Allah has given the following ten traits except that he will be saved from all
pitfalls and afflictions, reach the rank of those who are close to Allah, and attain
the position of the pious ones – the first is perpetual truthfulness together with a
content heart; the second, complete patience together with permanent gratitude;
the third, perpetual poverty together with ever-present asceticism (zuhd); the
fourth, uninterrupted contemplation together with an empty stomach; the fifth,
lasting sadness together with continuous fear; the sixth, perpetual struggle
together with a humble body; the seventh, perpetual gentleness together with
ever-present mercy; the eighth, perpetual love [of Allah] together with shame;
the ninth, beneficial knowledge together with perpetual patience; and the tenth,
perpetual faith (iman) with an unflappable intellect.”
[3] `Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Ten things are not right without ten others –
intelligence without God-consciousness, superiority without knowledge success
without fear, power without justice, noble lineage without manners, happiness
without security, wealth without generosity, poverty without contentment,
[having] a high and exalted position without humility, and jihad without the
guidance and support of Allah.”
[4] `Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The most futile of all things are ten – a
scholar who is not asked, knowledge which is not acted upon, a correct opinion
which is not accepted, a weapon which is not used, a mosque wherein none pray,
a copy of the Qur’an which is not read, wealth which is not spent, a horse which
is not mounted, knowledge of asceticism by one who pursues the dunya, and a
long life in which no provisions have been prepared for the departure,”
[5] `Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Knowledge is the best inheritance, good manners
are the best craft, piety is the best provision, worship is the best baggage,
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righteous action is the best guide, good character is the best companion,
gentleness is the best advisor, contentment is the best wealth, [divine] assistance
is the best ally, and death is the best teacher.”
[6] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Ten [types of
people] from this ummah are disbelievers (kuffar) in Allah the Great and who
think they are believers – the killer without a right, the one who practices magic,
the withholder of zakat, the drinker of alcohol, the one upon whom hajj became
obligatory but did not perform it, the spreader of sedition and trouble (fitna), the
seller of weapons to the enemy, the one who has anal intercourse with a woman,
the one who commits adultery with a close female relative (mahram) whom he is
legally forbidden to marry – if they deem what they have done permissible (halal)
then they have apostatised.”
[7] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No servant [of
Allah] in the heavens and the earth can be a believer unless he has arrived [at the
true belief in God], and he cannot arrive [at true belief in God] unless he is a
Muslim, and he cannot be a Muslim unless he is knowledgeable, and he cannot
be knowledgeable unless he acts upon what he knows, and he cannot act upon
what he knows unless he is an ascetic, and he cannot be an ascetic unless he is
God-conscious, and he cannot be God-conscious unless he is humble, and he
cannot be humble unless he knows himself, and he cannot know himself unless
he is intelligent and cautious in speech,”
[8] Yahya ibn Mu`adh al-Razi said:
O you who entreats his Lord with all types of speech!
And who asks of Him residence in the Land of Speech
Who ceaselessly delays repentance year after year
I do not see you being just to your soul amongst all people
Had you filled your day with fasting, O heedless one!
And stayed awake all night in prayer
And diminished your water and food
You would have been fit to attain the honour of elevated rank
And given the ability to perform great feats by the Lord of creation
And secured the greatest pleasure of the Possessor of Majesty and
Generosity
[9] An ascetic said, “Ten characteristics are hated by Allah from ten [types of]
people – miserliness from the rich, arrogance from the poor, greed from scholars,
lack of shame from women, love of the dunya from the elderly, laziness from the
youth, oppression from the rulers, cowardice from warriors, self-infatuation
from ascetics, and ostentation from worshippers.”
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[10] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Well-being is in
ten forms, five in this world and five in the next. As for those in this world, they
are – knowledge, worship, halal income, patience in difficult times, and gratitude
for blessings; as for the ones in the next world they are – the coming of the Angel
of Death to the believer with mercy and gentleness; Munkar and Nakir not
frightening him in the grave; being safe on the day of the greatest terror (the Day
of Judgement); the wiping away of his sins and the acceptance of his good
actions; and he will pass by the sirat [bridge over the Hellfire not to be crossed by
everyone on the Day of Judgement] like a flash of lightening, and will enter
Paradise in peace.”
[11] Abul Fadl said, “Allah the Exalted has named the Qur’an with ten names –
al-Qur’an, al-Furqan [the Criterion], al-Kitab [the Book], al Tanzil [Sent Down], al-
Huda [the Guidance], al-Nur [the Light], al-Rahma [the Mercy], al-Shifa` [the Cure],
al-Ruh [the Spirit], and al-Dhikr [the Remembrance]. As for its naming al-Qur’an,
al-Furqan, al-Kitab, al-Tanzil it is known, as for [its naming] al-Huda, al-Nur, al-
Rahmah and al-Shifaa’. Allah the Exalted says, ‘O people! A reminder has come
from your Lord and a Cure for that which is in the hearts, and Guidance and
Mercy for the believers.’ ‘And from Allah has come to you Light and a manifest
Boo.’ As for al-Ruh, He says, ‘And thus We revealed to you a Spirit from Our
command.’ And as for al-Dhikr, He says, ‘And we have revealed to you the
Remembrance to make clear to people.”
[12] Luqman said to his son, “Wisdom is in doing ten things – enlivening the
dead heart, sitting with the needy, staying away from the gathering of kings,
honouring the humble, freeing the slave, being hospitable to the stranger,
enriching the poor, and venerating the people of honour. These things are better
than wealth, are a protection from fear, a weapon in war, a merchandise at the
time of commerce, an intercessor when afflicted with terror, an indication that
conviction has entered the heart, and a covering when no clothes can cover one
[on the Day of Judgement].”
[13] An Ascetic said, “It is incumbent upon the intelligent person when he
repents to do ten things – seek forgiveness with the tongue; regret with the heart;
abandon the sin with the body; resolve never to return to it (the act of
disobedience); love of the Hereafter; hate the dunya; reduce speech; reduce food
and drink so that he can devote himself to knowledge and worship; and reduce
his sleep. Allah the Exalted says, ‘Little did they sleep at night, and in the early
hours of dawn they did seek forgivness.’”
[14] Anas Ibn Malik (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Everyday the earth calls out with
ten things, saying, ‘O son of Adam! You strive on my surface and your
destination is my stomach; you disobey [Allah] on my surface and you will be
42
punished for it in my stomach; you laugh on my surface and you will cry in my
stomach; you are happy on my surface and you will be sad in my stomach; you
gather wealth on my surface and you will regret gathering it in my stomach; you
are arrogant on my surface and you will be humiliated in my stomach; you walk
insolently on my surface and you will fall miserably into my stomach; you walk
in the light on my surface and you will be in the darkness in my stomach; and
you walk with crowds and large gatherings on my surface and you will be lonely
in my stomach.”
[15] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The one who
laughs a lot will be afflicted with ten things – his heart will die, he will lack
shame and honour, Satan will laugh at him, [Allah] the Merciful will be angry
with him, he will be held to account on the Day of Judgement, the Prophet
(salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) will turn away from him on the Day of Judgement,
the angels will curse him, the people fo the heavens and earth will detest him, he
will forget everything, and he will be exposed on the Day of Judgement.”
[16] Al-Hasan al-Basri said, “One day I was walking with a young pious man in
the narrow streets of Basra and its markets until we reached a physician sitting
on a chair and around him were many men, women, and children who had
bottles of water in their hands. Each one of them was seeking a cure for his
illness. The young man moved closer to the physician and asked him, ‘O
physician! Do you have a medicine that cleans away sins and cures the [spiritual]
diseases of the heart? He replied ‘Yes!’ The young man said, ‘Give it to me!” The
physician said, “Take ten things from me – take the roots of the tree of poverty
with the roots of the tree of humility, and pour in it the milk of repentance, then
place it in the mortar of acceptance [of whatever is predestined for one], crush it
with the pestle of contentment, then place it in the pot of piety, pour over it the
water of shame, then boil it with the fire of love, then place it in the cup of
gratitude and cool it down with the fan of hope, then drink it with the spoon of
praise. If you do all of this then it will cure you of every illness and trial in this
world and in the Hereafter.’”
[17] It is said that a king gathered five scholars and ascetics and ordered each one
to give a word of wisdom. Each one spoke and gave two pieces of wisdom and
thus they became ten. The first one said, “Fearing the Creator is security and
feeling safe [from His wrath] is disbelief; and feeling safe from another creature
is freedom and fearing him is slavery.” The second said, “Hoping from Allah is
richness that no poverty can harm, and loosing hope in Him is poverty that no
wealth can alleviate.” The third said, “Poverty in worldy possessions does not
harm the one rich at heart (i.e. contented), and richness in worldy possessions
does not benefit the one poor at heart (i.e. greedy).” The fourth said, “Generosity
does not increase the richness of the heart except in richness, and poverty at
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heart (greed) does not increase with richness in material possessions except in
poverty.” The fifth said, “Taking a little from goodness is better than leaving a lot
from evil, and leaving all acts of evil is better than committing a few acts of
goodness.”
[18] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Ten things are incumbent
upon the one who enters the mosque – removing one’s shoes; entering with the
right foot; saying when entering, ‘In the name of Allah and peace be upon the
Messenger of Allah and the angels of Allah. O Allah upon for us the doors of
Your mercy, verily You are the Grantor’; greeting with salam the people of the
mosque, or saying if nobody is in the mosque ‘Peace be upon us and the
righteous servants of Allah’; saying ‘I testify that there is no Lord but Allah and
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; not passing in front of those who are
praying; not engaging in worldly actions or worldly talk; not leaving without
praying two rak’ahs, not entering [the mosque] without ablution; and saying
when standing up [to leave] ‘Glory and praise be to You O Allah! I testify that
there is no Lord except You, I see your forgiveness sand repent to You.’”
[20] Abu Hurayrah (radyAllahu`anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam) said, “Prayer is a pillar of the Religion and in it are ten benefits –
beauty for the face, light for the heart, rest for the body, and escaping the
loneliness of the grave. It makes mercy descend, is the key to Paradise, is heavy
on the Scales [of good deeds], [gains] the pleasure of the Lord, is the price of
Paradise, and the barrier against the Fire. The one who establishes it has
established the Religion, and the one who leaves it has destroyed the Religion.”
[21] ‘A’isha (radyAllahu`anha) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said, “When Allah wants to allow the people of Paradise to enter Paradise,
He sends them an angel with a gift of clothes from Paradise. When they’re about
to enter Paradise, the angel says to them, ‘Wait, I have a gift with me from the
Lord of the Worlds.’ They will say, ‘What is the gift?’ The angel will say, ‘It is ten
seals – on the first one is written ‘Peace be upon you! You were good, so enter
[the Garden of delight], to dwell therein’; on the second [seal] it is written, ‘Your
sadness and anxieties have been removed;’ written on the third is, ‘And this is
the garden which you are given as an inheritance on account of what you did’;
written on the fourth is, ‘We have given you ornaments and beautiful clothes to
wear’; written on the fifth is, ‘We shall wed them with Houris with wide, lovely
eyes,’ and ‘I have rewarded them this day because they were patient, that they
are the triumphant’; written on the sixth is, ‘This is your reward today for the
acts of obedience you were engaged in’; on the seventh is, ‘You have been
returned to your youth and you will never become aged’; on the eighth is, ‘You
are in perpetual security and need never be frightened;’ on the ninth is, ‘You will
be in the company of the prophets, truthful ones, martyrs, and righteous ones’;
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written on the tenth is, ‘You will reside beside the All-Merciful who Possesses
the Great Throne.’ The angels will then say ‘Enter it in peace and security.’ They
will thus enter paradise and say, ‘Praise is due to Allah the One who removed
our anxieties, surely our Lord is Most Forgiving and Grateful.’ ‘Praise is due to
Allah the One who was true to His Promise and gave us the inheritance of this
earth… thus is the reward of those who work.’
And when Allah wishes to throw the People of hell into the Fire, he sends them
an angel who has ten seals. On the first one is written, ‘Enter it, never will you
die, be brought to life, or ever brought out of it’; on the second is written, ‘Linger
in punishment, never will there be any repose for you’; on the third is written,
‘They have despaired of My mercy’; on the fourth is written, ‘Enter it, into
perpetual distress, anxiety, and sorrow’; on the fifth is written, ‘Your clothes will
be fire, your food will be from an extremely bitter and thorny tree that grows at
the bottom of the Hellfire (zaqqum), your drink will be boiling fluids, and your
bed and covering will be the Fire’; on the sixth is written, ‘This is your
recompense today for disobeying me;’ on the seventh is written, ‘My anger will
be with you in the Fire forever;’ on the eight is written, ‘You are cursed for the
major sins you intentionally committed, for which you never repented nor had
any regret’; on the ninth is written, ‘Your eternal friends in the Fire will be the
devils’; and on the tenth is written, ‘You followed [the path of] Satan, desired the
dunya and neglected the Hereafter, thus this is your recompense.’”
[22] An ascetic said, “I sought ten things in ten places and found them in ten
others – I sought elevation in arrogance but found it in humility; I sought
worship in ritual prayer but found it in asceticism; I sought illumination of the
heart in the daytime public ritual prayers but found it in the secret late night
prayers; I sought the light of the Day of Judgement in giving and generosity but
found it in thirst and fasting; I sought permission to pass the sirat in sacrificing
animals [to feed the poor] but found it in giving charity (sadaqa); I sought
protection from the Hellfire in permissible actions but found it in leaving desires;
I sought the love of Allah the Exalted in the dunya but found it in His
remembrance (dhikr); I sought well-being in gatherings but found it in solitude;
and I sought illumination of the heart in lectures and reading the Qur’an but
found it in contemplation and crying.”
[23] Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Ten things are from the sunna, five
related to the head and five to the body - as for the head they are; using siwak,
rinsing the mouth, rinsing the nose, shortening the moustache, and shaving the
head. As for the body they are: removing armpit hair, clipping the nails, shaving
pubic hair, circumcision, and cleansing [after reliving oneself].”
[24] Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The one who sends one salutation unto
the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) Allah will send ten salutations unto him,
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and the one who insults the Prophet once Allah will insult him ten times; do you
not see the saying of Allah the Exalted regarding al-Walid ibn al-Mughira may
the curse of Allah be upon him, when he insulted the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam) once and Allah insulted him ten times and said, ‘Heed no the type of
despicable men – ready with oaths, a slanderer, going about with calumnies,
hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor, ignoble, besides all that, base-born;
because he posses wealth and (numerous) sons. That, when our revelations are
recited unto him, he says: Mere fables of the men of old.’ [The last part] means
that he rejected the Qur’an.
[25] Ibrahim ibn Adham was asked about the saying of Allah the Exalted, ‘And
Your Lord said, Supplicate to me and I will answer your supplication.’ “We
supplicate but our prayers are not answered!” He said, “Your hearts have
become dead due to ten things – you have known Allah but have not fulfilled
His right; you have read the Book of Allah but did not abide by it; you
proclaimed enmity of Satan but made him your guardian and protector; you
claimed love of the Messenger but you left his path and his Tradition (sunnah);
you claimed love of Paradise but you did not work for it; you claimed fear of the
Hellfire but did not renounce committing sins; you claimed that you believed
that death was a reality but you did not ready yourselves for it; you busied
yourselves with the faults of others and neglected your own faults; you eat from
the sustenance that Allah provides for you but do not show gratitude; and you
bury your dead ones but do not take heed from it.”
[26] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Any servant [of Allah],
whether male or female, who supplicates with this du`a’ – which is composed of
ten phrases on the night of `Arafah one thousand times – will not ask a thing
from Allah except that He will give it to him providing he does not supplicate for
the severance of ties of kinship or for an act of disobedience. The first is – glory
be to the One whose Throne is in heaven; glory be to the One whose dominion
and power is on earth; glory be to the One whose knowledge is in the wombs;
glory be to the One whose decree is in the graves; glory be to the One who raised
the skies without any pillars; glory be to the One who extended the earth; glory
be to the One in Whom there is no refuge or salvation except in Him.”
[27] Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) narrated that one day the Messenger of Allah
(salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to Satan, may the curse of Allah be upon him,
“How many [types of] people are beloved to you from my ummah?” He said,
“Ten – the oppressive ruler; the arrogant; the rich who neither care how they
obtain their wealth nor how they spend it; the scholars who find excuses for the
oppression of a ruler; the fraudulent trader; the one who monopolises [a
product]; the fornicator; the one who deals in interest; the miser who does not
care how he accumulates his wealth; and the alcoholic.” The Prophet then asked,
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“How many [types of] people are your enemies from my ummah?” He said,
“Twenty types [of people] – the first one is you O Muhammad, I truly hate you!
[Then] the scholar who acts upon his knowledge; the one who memorises the
Qur’an and fulfills its commandments; the muadhdhin for the five daily prayers
who calls the adhan only for the sake of Allah; the one who loves the poor, needy,
and orphans; the one who has a merciful heart; the one who humbles himself in
front of the truth; the young man who grows up in the obedience of Allah the
Exalted; the one who eats only halal; the two young men who love each other for
the sake of Allah; the one who is always zealous in performing his prayers in
congregation; the one who offers prayers at night while people are asleep; the
one who holds his nafs back from committing the haram; the one who advises [in
another narration, supplicates for] his brothers without having any ulterior
motive in his heart; the one who is always in a state of ablution; the one who is
generous; the one with good manners and character; the one who believes in
what His Lord has guaranteed for him; the one who does good to widows; and
the one who readies himself for death.”
[28] Wahb ibn Munabbih said, “It is written in the Torah, ‘He who prepares
provisions [for the Hereafter] in this world will be safe from Allah’s punishment
on the Day of Judgement; he who leaves hatred will be praised on the Day of
Judgement in front of the whole creation; he who abandons love of leadership
will be honoured on the Day of Judgement in front of the Omnipotent King; he
who abandons the excesses of the dunya will be blissful amongst the righteous
ones [on the Day of Judgement]; he who abandons quarrelling in this world will
be amongst the winners on the Day of Judgement; he who abandons miserliness
in this world will be mentioned in front of the whole of creation on the Day of
Judgement; he who abandons repose in this world will be happy on the Day of
Judgement; he who abandons the prohibited in this world will be in the
company of the Prophets on the Day of Judgement; he who abandons looking at
that which has been prohibited in this world, Allah will delight his eyes on the
Day of Judgement in Paradise; he who abandons wealth and chooses poverty in
this world, Allah will raise him on the Day of Judgement amongst the beloved
and the Prophets of Allah; he who assists others in fulfilling their needs, Allah
will make him free from all needs in this world and in the next. He who wishes
to have good company instead of solitude in his grave should wake up in the
darkness of the night and pray; he who wishes to be in the shade of the Throne of
the Merciful should become an ascetic; he who wishes his bring to account to be
easy should advise himself and his brothers; he who wishes the angels to be his
visitors should become God-conscious; he who wishes to live in the delight of
Paradise should remember Allah during the night and day; he who wishes to
enter Paradise without any bringing to account should repent to Allah with a
sincere repentance; he who wishes to be rich should become contented with what
Allah the Exalted his allotted for him; he who wishes to be a man of
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understanding in the sight of Allah should have fear of Allah; he who wishes to
be wise should seek knowledge; he who wishes to be safe from people should
not mention anyone except with good and take a lesson from his own self and
ponder over why and from what he was created; he who wants dignity and
honour in both the dunya and in the Hereafter should give preference to the
Hereafter over the dunya; he who wishes for al-Firdaws (the highest rank in
Paradise) and infinite happiness should not waste his life in the vices of the
dunya; he who wishes for Paradise in this world and the next should adopt the
path of generosity, because the one who is generous is close to Paradise and far
from Hell; he who wishes his heart to be enlightened with the complete light
should adopt the path of contemplation and of taking lessons [from life and
creation]; he who wishes to have a body that patiently endures [hardships], a
tongue that is in constant remembrance [of Allah], and a heart which is fearful
[of Him] should adopt the path the path of seeking forgiveness for the believers –
male and female, and for the Muslims – male and female.”