Riyad as-Salihin

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "You will see after me favouritism and things which you will disapprove of." They submitted: "What do you order us to do (under such circumstances)?" He replied, "Discharge your obligations and ask your rights from Allah"..

A person from among the Ansar said, "O Messenger of Allah! You appointed such and such person and why do you not appoint me?" Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "After me you will see others given preference to you, but you should remain patient till you meet me at the Haud (Al- Kauthar in Jannah)"..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at one time when he confronted the enemy, and was waiting for the sun to set, stood up and said, "O people! Do not long for encountering the enemy and supplicate to Allah to grant you security. But when you face the enemy, show patience and steadfastness; and keep it in mind that Jannah lies under the shade of the swords." Then he invoked Allah, saying, "O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Disperser of the clouds, Defeater of the Confederates, put our enemy to rout and help us in over-powering them"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Jannah. A man persists in speaking the truth till he is enrolled with Allah as a truthful. Falsehood leads to vice and vice leads to the Fire (Hell), and a person persists on telling lies until he is enrolled as a liar".'.

I remember (these words) from Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Give up what is doubtful to you for that which is not doubtful; for truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt"..

He (ﷺ) told (us): "Worship Allah Alone and do not associate a thing with Him; and give up all that your ancestors said. "He also commands us to perform Salat (prayers), to speak the truth, to observe modesty and to strengthen the ties of kinship..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "He who asks Allah for martyrdom, Allah will raise him to the high status of the martyrs, even if he dies on his bed"..

"One of the earlier Prophets who was out on an expedition proclaimed among his people that no man should follow him who had married a woman with whom he wished to cohabit but had not yet done so, or who had built houses on which he had not yet put the roofs, or who had bought sheep or pregnant she-camels and was expecting them to produce young. He, then, went on the expedition and approached the town at the time of the 'Asr prayer or little before it. He then told the sun that both it and he were under command and prayed Allah to hold it back for them, so it was held back till Allah gave him victory. He collected the spoils and it (meaning fire) came to devour these, but did not. He said that among the people there was a man who stole from the booty. He told them that a man from every tribe must swear allegiance to him, and when a man's hand stuck to his, he said: "There is thief among you and every individual of your tribe must swear allegiance to me". (In course of swearing of allegiance,) hands of two or three persons stuck to his hand. He said: "The thief is among you". They brought him a head of gold like a cow's head and when he laid it down, the fire came and devoured the spoils. Spoils were not allowed to anyone before us, then Allah allowed spoils to us as He saw our weakness and incapacity and allowed them to us"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Both parties in a business transaction have a right to annul it so long as they have not separated; and if they tell the truth and make everything clear to each other (i.e., the seller and the buyer speak the truth, the seller with regard to what is purchased, and the buyer with regard to the money) they will be blessed in their transaction, but if they conceal anything and lie, the blessing on their transaction will be eliminated.".

Once we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when there appeared a man dressed in very white clothes and having extraordinary black hair. No signs of fatigue of journey appeared on him and he was known to none of us. He sat down facing the Prophet (ﷺ) leaning his knees against the knees of the Prophet (ﷺ) and placing both of his palms over his two thighs and said, "O Muhammad (ﷺ)! Tell me about Islam". He (ﷺ) replied, "Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Messenger of Allah; that you observe Salat (prayers), pay Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) of Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) of the House, provided you have resources of making journey to it." He replied: "You have spoken the truth." We were surprised to see that he had asked him and confirmed the correctness of the answers. He then enquired: "Tell me about Iman." He (ﷺ) said: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day and that you believe in preordainment (destiny), its bad and good consequences." He said, "You have spoken the truth." He then enquired: "Tell me about Ihsan." He (ﷺ) said, "It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you." He enquired: "Inform me about the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)." He (ﷺ) replied, "I have no more knowledge thereof than you". He said, "Inform me about some of its signs." He (ﷺ) said, "They are - that a bondswoman gives birth to her own master, and that you will find the barefooted, naked, poor shepherds competing one another in the construction of higher buildings." Then he departed. The Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while then he said to me, "O 'Umar! Do you know who the questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He was Jibril (Gabriel); he came to you to teach you your religion."

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones, the former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people"..

One day, I was riding behind the Prophet (ﷺ) when he said, "O boy! I will instruct you in some matters. Be watchful of Allah (Commandments of Allah), He will preserve you. Safeguard His Rights, He will be ever with you. If you beg, beg of Him Alone; and if you need assistance, supplicate to Allah Alone for help. And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had foreordained (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had pre-destined against you. The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up"..

You indulge in (bad) actions which are more insignificant to you than a hair while we considered them at the time of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to be great destroying sins"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Verily, 'Allah, the Exalted, becomes angry, and His Anger is provoked when a person does what Allah has declared unlawful"..

He heard the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There were three men among the Banu Israel, one leper, one bald and one blind. Allah wanted to test them. He therefore, sent to them an angel who came to the leper and asked him what he would like best. He replied: "A good colour, a good skin and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people". He (the angel) rubbed him and his loathsomeness vanished and he was given a good colour and a good skin. He then asked him what type of property he would like best. The leper replied that he would like camels - .

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is from the excellence of (a believer's) Islam that he should shun that which is of no concern to him"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No man shall be asked for the reason of beating his wife"..

It was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most honourable amongst mankind?" He (ﷺ) said, "The most honourable of them is one who is the most pious of them." They said, "We are not asking about this". He said, "Then, the most honourable of men was Yusuf (Joseph), the Prophet of Allah, the son of Allah's Prophet, who was the son of the Prophet of Allah, who was the son of the Khalil of Allah (i.e., Ibrahim (ﷺ))' They said, "We are not asking you about this." He enquired, "Are you then asking me about the classes of the Arabs? The best of them in the Pre- Islamic Period of Ignorance are the best of them in Islam, provided they comprehend the religious knowledge"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The life of the world is sweet and green. Allah makes you generations succeeding one another so that He may try you in respect of your actions. So beware of the beguilements of the world and those of women. The first trial of Banu Israel was through women"..

"Allahumma inni as'alukal-huda wat- tuqa wal-'afafa wal-ghina (O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self- sufficiency)"..

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "He who has taken an oath (to do something) but found something else better than that (which brings him closer to Allah), then he should do that which is better in piety (and he should expiate for the breaking of oath)"..

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage saying, "Be mindful of your duty to Allah; perform your five daily Salat, observe Saum during the month (of Ramadan) , pay the Zakat on your properties and obey your leaders; (if you do so) you will enter the Jannah of your Rubb"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I was shown the past nations. I saw a Prophet who had a very small group (less than ten in total) with him, another Prophet who was accompanied by only one or two men and some did not have even one. Suddenly I was shown a huge crowd and I thought that they were my Ummah, but I was told: 'This is Musa (Moses) and his people, but look towards the other side.' I looked and beheld a great assemblage. I was told: 'These are your people and amongst them there are seventy thousand who shall enter Jannah without being taken to account or torment". Then the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and went into his apartment, and the Companions began to guess who may be those people who would enter Jannah without any accounting or torment. Some said: "Probably, they are the ones who kept company with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)". Others said: "Probably, they are the ones who have been born as Muslims and have never associated anyone with Allah in worship". Then Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out and asked, "What are you discussing?" So they told him. He then said, "They are those who do not make Ruqyah (blowing over themselves after reciting the Qur'an or some prayers and supplications the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say) nor seek it, nor perceive omens (i.e., they are not pessimistic) but keep trust in their Rubb (Allah)." On this 'Ukashah bin Mihsan stood up and asked: "Pray to Allah to make me one of them." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You are one of them." Then another man stood up and asked the same thing. The Prophet (ﷺ) answered, "'Ukashah has surpassed you"..

"O Allah! To You I have submitted, and in You do I believe, and in You I put my trust, to You do I turn, and for You I argued. O Allah, I seek refuge with You through Your Power; there is none worthy of worship except You Alone; that You safeguard me against going astray. You are the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists; the One Who never dies, whereas human beings and jinn will all die"..

When (Prophet) Ibrahim (Abraham) was thrown into the fire, he said: "Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and, He is the Best Disposer of affairs." So did Messenger of Allah Muhammad (ﷺ) when he was told: "A great army of the pagans had gathered against him, so fear them". But this (warning) only increased him and the Muslims in Faith and they said: "Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A group of people (both men and women) whose hearts will be like the hearts of birds, will enter Jannah"..It has been interpreted that such people are those who put their trust in Allah; another interpretation is that these people are tender- hearted.

I went in an expedition along with the Prophet (ﷺ) in the direction of Najd. When Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned, I also returned with him. Then the mid-day sleep overtook us in a valley full of prickly shrubs. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got down and the people scattered around seeking shade under the trees. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) hang up his sword on the branch of a tree. We were enjoying a sleep when Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called us, and lo! There was a desert Arab bedouin near him. He (ﷺ) said, "This man brandished my sword over me while I was asleep. I woke up and saw it in his hand unsheathed. He asked: `Who will protect you from me?' I replied: 'Allah' - thrice". He did not punish him and sat down. . In another narration, Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: We accompanied Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the campaign of Dhat-ur-Riqa`. We left Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to take rest under a shady tree. One of the polytheists came to him. The sword of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was hanging on a tree. He drew it and said: "Are you afraid of me?'' Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No". Then he said: "Who will then protect you from me?'' Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, "Allah". And in a narration of Abu Bakr Al-Isma`ili, the polytheist asked: "Who will protect you from me?'' Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, "Allah.'' As soon as he said this, the sword fell down from his hand and Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) catching the sword, asked him, "Who will protect you from me.'' He said, "Please forgive me.'' Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "On condition you testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and that I am His Messenger.'' He said, "No, but I promise you that I shall not fight against you, nor shall I be with those who fight with you". The Prophet (ﷺ) let him go. He then went back to his companions and said: "I have come to you from one of the best of mankind".

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "If you all depend on Allah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with full belly at dusk"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked me to recite whenever I go to bed: "Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilaika, wa wajjahtu wajhi ilaika, wa fawwadtu amri ilaika, wal-ja'tu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, la malja wa la manja minka illa ilaika. Amantu bikitabikal-ladhi anzalta, wa nabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta (O Allah! I have submitted myself to You, I have turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You; and committed my back to You out of desire for You and fear of You; expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no refuge and no place of safety from You but with You. I believe in the Book You have revealed and in the Prophet You have sent." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that if anyone recited these words and died that night, he would die in the true religion. In case he remains alive till morning, he will obtain good. and let these words be your last".

When Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I were in the cave of Thaur and I saw the feet of the polytheists who were above us at the mouth of the cave (on the eve of the Emigration), I submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! If one of them were to look down below his feet, he would see us". He (ﷺ) said, "O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two whose third is Allah"..

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) stepped out of his house, he would say, "Bismillah, tawakkaltu 'alallah. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika an adilla aw udalla, aw azilla aw uzalla, aw azlima aw uzlama, aw ajhala aw yujhala 'alayya". ".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever says (upon leaving his house): 'Bismillah, tawakkaltu 'alallah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah .Abu Dawud reported it with this addition: "One devil will say to another: 'How can you deal with a man who has been guided, defended and protected?".

There were two brothers in the days of the Prophet (ﷺ). One of them used to attend the Prophet's circle (to acquire knowledge) and the other used to earn their living). Once the latter complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) against the former (for not earning his living). He (ﷺ) replied, "Perhaps you are being provided because of him"..

I said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell me something of Islam which I will not ask anyone else about it." He (ﷺ) said, "Say, 'I believe in Allah' and then be steadfast"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Follow the Right Path of Faith strictly, and be steadfast; and keep in mind that none of you can achieve salvation through his (good) actions." Someone asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" He (ﷺ) said, "Not even me, unless Allah grants me His Mercy and Grace"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Faith for worldly goods.".

Once I performed the 'Asr prayer in Al-Madinah behind the Prophet (ﷺ). He (ﷺ) got up quickly after finishing the prayer with Taslim, and stepping over the people, went to one of the rooms of his wives. The people were startled at his haste, and when he came out and saw their astonishment at his urgency he said, "I recalled that there was left with me some gold which was meant for charity; I did not like to keep it any longer, so I gave orders that it should be distributed"..In another narration, Messenger of Allah said, "I had left some gold for Sadaqah in the house, and did not wish to keep it overnight".

A man, said to the Prophet (ﷺ) during the battle of Uhud: "Tell me where I shall be if I am killed". When he (ﷺ) replied that he would be in Jannah, the man threw away some dates which he had in his hand and fought until he was killed..

There came a man to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, which charity is the most rewardable?" He (ﷺ) said, "That you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and stingy and fear poverty, hoping to become rich (charity in such a state of health and mind is the best). And you must not defer (charity to such a length) that you are about to die and would be saying: 'This is for so-and-so, and this for so-and-so.' Lo! It has already come into (the possession of) so-and- so"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took up a sword on the day of the battle of Uhud and said, "Who will take this sword from me?" Everyone stretched forth his hand saying: "I will take it; I will take it". He (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said, "Who will take it with its full responsibility (i.e., to use it to fight Allah's enemies with it)?" The Companions hesitated. Abu Dujanah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I shall take it;" and with it he cracked the skulls of the pagans..

We went to Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) and complained to him of suffering at the hands of Al-Hajjaj. He replied: "Show endurance, for no time will come but will be followed by one worse (than the present one) till you meet your Rubb. I heard this from your Prophet (ﷺ)"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions." Then (giving a warning) he said, "Are you waiting for such poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion; or prosperity which will make you corrupt, or disease as will disable you, or such senility as will make you mentally unstable, or sudden death, or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected absent, or the Hour, and the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter"..

On the day of the battle of Khaibar, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I shall hand over this banner to one who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah will give us victory through him." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I had never longed for leadership but that day I expected that I might be called for. However, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called 'Ali bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) and handed the banner to him and said, "Go forth and do not turn around till Allah bestows victory upon you". (On hearing this) 'Ali proceeded a little and then halted and without turning around inquired in a loud voice: "O Messenger of Allah, for what shall I fight them?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Go on fighting till they affirm that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they admit that, their lives and their properties will be secured, subject to their obligations according to Islam, and they will be answerable to Allah"..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted has said: 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: ' When a slave of Mine draws near to Me a span, I draw near to him a cubit; and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running."'..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There are two blessings in which many people incur loss. (They are) health and free time (for doing good)".

The Prophet (ﷺ) would stand (in prayer) so long that the skin of his feet would crack. I asked him, "Why do you do this while your past and future sins have been forgiven?" He said, "Should I not be a grateful slave of Allah?".

With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would pray all the night, and would keep his family awake for the prayers. He tied his lower garment (i.e., avoided sleeping with his wives) and devoted himself entirely to prayer and supplication..

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak one, and both are good. Adhere to that which is beneficial for you. Keep asking Allah for help and do not refrain from it. If you are afflicted in any way, do not say: 'If I had taken this or that step, it would have resulted into such and such,' but say only: 'Allah so determined and did as He willed.' The word 'if' opens the gates of satanic thoughts"..