Riyad as-Salihin

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When two persons indulge in abusing each other, the beginner will be the sinner so long as the oppressed does not transgress the limits.".

A drunkard was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). He said, "Give him a beating." Then some beat him with their hands, some with their shoes, and some with (a folded) piece of cloth. When he left, someone said to him: "May Allah disgrace you!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not help Satan overcome him by uttering such words.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "He who accuses his slave of Zina will receive the punishment (Hadd) of slander on the Day of Resurrection, unless the accusation of Zina was true.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not abuse the dead, because they have attained that which they had forwarded (i.e., their deeds, good or bad).".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A (true) Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe; and a Muhajir (Emigrant) is he who leaves the deeds which Allah has prohibited.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who desires to be rescued from the fire of Hell and to enter Jannah, should die in a state of complete belief in Allah and the Last Day, and should do unto others what he wishes to be done unto him.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not harbour grudge against one another, nor jealousy, nor enmity; and do not show your backs to one another; and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to avoid speaking with his brother beyond three days.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The gates of Jannah are opened on Mondays and Thursdays, and then every slave (of Allah) is granted forgiveness if he does not associate anything with Allah in worship. But the person in whose heart there is rancour against his (Muslim) brother, they will not be pardoned and with regard to them it will be said twice: 'Hold both of them until they are reconciled with each other."'.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Beware of envy because envy consumes (destroys) the virtues just as the fire consumes the firewood," or he said "grass.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. Do not look for other's faults. Do not spy one another, and do not practise Najsh (means to offer a high price for something in order to allure another customer who is interested in the thing). Do not be jealous of one another and do not nurse enmity against one another. Do not sever ties with one another. Become the slaves of Allah, and be brothers to one another as He commanded. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He should neither oppress him nor humiliate him. The piety is here! The piety is here!" While saying so he pointed towards his chest. "It is enough evil for a Muslim to look down upon his Muslim brother. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in Faith: his blood, his wealth and his honour. Verily, Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts and your deeds."Another narration is: "Do not feel envy against one another; do not nurse enmity; do not spy on one another and do not cheat one another. Be Allah's slaves, brethren to one another."Another narration is: "Do not have estranged relations with one another. Do not nurse enmity and do not feel envy against one another. O Allah's worshippers! Be brothers!"Another narration is: "Do not estrange mutual relations and do not intervene into the transaction which is likely to be settled with another person.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "If you find faults with Muslims, you will corrupt them.".

"We have been prohibited from spying (on Muslims) and finding faults (with them). But we can take to task only and only if the sin is overt..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is enough evil for a Muslim to look down upon his (Muslim) brother.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The haughty, even with pride equal to a mustard seed in his heart, will not enter Jannah." A man enquired: "What about that a person likes fine dress and fine shoes?" He said: "Allah is Beautiful and likes beauty. Pride amounts to disclaiming truth out of self- esteem, and despising people .".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Once someone said: 'By Allah! Allah will not forgive such and such (a person).' Thereupon Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, said: 'Who is he who takes an oath in My Name that I will not grant pardon to so-and-so? I have granted pardon to so-and-so and rendered your good deeds fruitless."'.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not express pleasure at the misfortune of a (Muslim) brother lest Allah should bestow mercy upon him and make you suffer from a misfortune.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Two matters are signs of disbelief on the part of those who indulge in them: Defaming and speaking evil of a person's lineage, and wailing over the dead.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who takes up arms against us is none of us; and he who cheats us is none of us.".Another narration of Muslim is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) happened to pass by a heap of corn. He thrust his hand in that (heap) and his fingers felt wetness. He said to the owner of that heap of corn, "What is this?" He replied: "O Messenger of Allah! These have been drenched by rainfall." He remarked, "Why did you not place this (the drenched part of the heap) over the corn so that people might see it? He who deceives is not of us."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not practise Najsh (to cheat).".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited the practice of Najsh..

A man mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he was often deceived in dealings. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him, "When you enter into a transaction you should say: "There should be no deception."'.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who deceives another's wife or his slave is none of us.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whosoever possesses these four characteristics is a sheer hypocrite; and anyone who possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of hypocrisy till he gives it up. These are: when he is entrusted with something, he proves dishonest; when he speaks, he tells a lie; when he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous; and when he quarrels, he behaves in very imprudent, evil, insulting manner.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "For every one who breaks his covenant, there will be a (huge) flag on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said: 'This flag proclaims a breach of covenant by so-and-so."'.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Every one who breaks a covenant will have a flag by his buttocks on the Day of Resurrection. It will be raised higher according to the nature of his breach. Behold, there will be no greater a sin with respect to breaking the covenant than that of a ruler who breaks his covenant with the Muslim masses.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah, the Exalted, says: 'I will contend on the Day of Resurrection against three (types of) people: One who makes a covenant in My Name and then breaks it; one who sells a free man as a slave and devours his price; and one who hires a workman and having taken full work from him, does not pay him his wages."'.

The Prophet (ﷺ) observed: "There are three (types of) people to whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of Resurrection nor look at them nor purify them, and they will have a painful chastisement." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) repeated it three times. Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) remarked: "They are ruined. Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "One who lets down his lower garments (below his ankels) out of arrogance, one who boasts of his favours done to another; and who sells his goods by taking a false oath.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah has revealed to me that you should adopt humility. So that no one may wrong another and no one may be disdainful and haughty towards another.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When a person says: 'People have been ruined, he is the one to be ruined the most."'In another version: "He himself is the most ruined among them."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not desert (stop talking to) one another, do not nurse hatred towards one another, do not be jealous of one another, and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to stop talking to his brother (Muslim) for more than three days."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert (stop talking to) his brother beyond three nights, the one turning one way and the other turning to the other way when they meet, the better of the two is one who is the first to greet the other.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "People's deeds are presented before Allah on Mondays and Thursdays, and then every slave (of Allah) is granted forgiveness (of minor sins) if he does not associate anything with Allah in worship. But the person in whose heart there is rancour against his brother, will not be pardoned. With regard to them, it is said twice: 'Hold these two until they are reconciled'.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying, "The Satan has despaired of being worshipped by those who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula but (has not lost hope) in creating dissension among them.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim to forsake his (Muslim) brother beyond three days; and whosoever does so for more than three days, and then dies, will certainly enter the Hell.".

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "Whosoever forsakes his brother for a year is like one who sheds his blood.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is not permissible for a believer to forsake his (Muslim) brother for more than three days. If three days have passed, he should meet him and greet him; and if other responds to it they will both share the reward; but if he does not respond, he will bear his sin and the one who (has taken the initiative to) greet (the other) will be absolved of the sin of forsaking (one's brother in Faith).".

the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "In the presence of three people, two should not hold secret counsel, to the exclusion of the third.".In Abu Dawud, Abu Salih related: I asked Ibn 'Umar: "What if there are four people." He said, "There is no harm in that."Malik reported in Al-Muwatta that 'Abdullah bin Dinar related: Ibn 'Umar and I were together in Khalid bin 'Uqbah's house which was situated in the market place. A man came to consult Ibn 'Umar. None besides me was present. Ibn 'Umar called another man in and we became four and said to me and the man he had called: Move away a bit because I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The two people should not hold secret counsel together excluding the third."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When three of you are together, two of you must not converse privately ignoring the third till the number increases, lest the third should be grieved.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth."

I happened to pass by some lads of the Quraish who had tied a bird at which they have been shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn 'Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn 'Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse him who has done so. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has cursed anyone who makes a live thing the target (of one's marksmanship).".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade animals being tied (as targets)..

I was the seventh child of Banu Muqarrin and we had only one slave-girl. When the youngest of us once happened to slap her (on the face) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered us to set her free..

I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me which said: "Abu Mas'ud! Bear in mind..." I did not recognize the voice for the intense anger I was in. Abu Mas'ud added: As he came near me, I found that he was the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was saying, "Abu Mas'ud! Bear in mind that Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave." Then I said: "I will never beat any slave in future."Another narration is: The whip dropped from my hand in awe of the Prophet (ﷺ).Still another narration is: I said: "He is free for the sake of Allah." He (ﷺ) said, "If you had not done this, you would have been scorched by the Fire.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The expiation for beating or slapping a slave on the face for something he has not done is to set him free.".

"What is the matter?" He was told that they had been detained for the non-payment of Jizyah. (Another narration says that they were being tortured for not having paid Al-Kharaj). Thereupon Hisham said: "I bear testimony to the fact that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, 'Allah will torment those who torment people in the world."' Then he proceeded towards their Amir and reported this Hadith to him. The Amir then issued orders for their release..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw an ass which had been branded on the face. He disapproved of it. Upon this Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said, "By Allah, I shall not brand (the animal) but on a part at a distance from the face." Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) then commanded branding on the hips; he was the first person to brand the animals on hips..

An ass with a brand on the face happened to pass before the Prophet (ﷺ). Thereupon he said, "May Allah curse the one who has branded it (on the face).".Another narration in Muslim is: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited us from hitting across the face and branding on the face (of an animal)."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us on an expedition and said to us, "If you find so- and-so (he named two persons belonging to the Quraish) commit them to the fire." When we were on the verge of departure, he said to us, "I ordered you to burn so-and-so, but it is Allah Alone Who punishes with the fire. So if you find them put them to death.".

We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a journey when he drew apart (to relieve nature). In his absence, we saw a red bird which had two young ones with it. We caught them and the red mother bird came, beating the earth with its wings. In the meantime the Prophet (ﷺ) returned and said, "Who has put this bird to distress on account of its young? Return them to her." He (ﷺ) also noticed a mound of ants which we had burnt up. He asked, "Who has set fire to this?" We replied: "We have done so." He (ﷺ) said, "None can chastise with fire except the Rubb of the fire.".