"When Iblis (Satan) who was an angel -was devised, Gabriel and Mika'il burst weeping and Allah asked them, why did you weep? They answered, 0 Lord we cannot feel secure from Your devising. Hence, Allah said, "keep on feeling in secure from My Devising." `Aishah related that the Prophet used to regularly say, “0 changer of hearts! Make our hearts firm in Thy faith. He was asked, O Messenger of Allah! Do you fear (that we may convert) He said, people's hearts are between two fingers of Allah's who changes it whenever He likes. “2
"Verily one of you behaves like the people of Paradise until there is but an arm's length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of the Hell-Fire and thus he enters it.”3
"Verily one of you behaves like the people of Hell-fire until there is but an arm's length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of Paradise and thus he enters it. Works are only judged by the end.”4
Once, there was a devout Egyptian man who went regularly to the mosque to perform the call to prayer and to perform the prayer himself. One day, he ascended the minaret to call to prayer as usual. The minaret was juxtaposed to a house belonging to a Christian man.
Reported by Ahmad and AI-Baihaqi. Reported by Ibn Majah, AI-Hakim, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban. A part of a hadith is reported by A1-Bukhari. Reported by A1-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad. When he cast a glance into the house he saw a very beautiful woman. He was so fascinated that he neglected the call to prayer and went to her. The woman asked him, what do you want? He said, nothing but you. She said, "I could not do any indecency." He said, "What about marriage?" She replied, "But you are a Muslim and my father will reject you." He said, "1 '11 convert to Christianity." In doing so, I'll marry you, she replied. Accordingly, be converted to Christianity to marry her. No sooner did he marry her than he fell down from the floor, where he was supposed to do something and died. Alas, neither did he remain a believer nor did he enjoy the woman. Salim Ibn Abdullah related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would frequently swear by saying, "No, by the changer of the hearts.”1 This means that Allah changes one's heart faster than the wind but in different way! Agreement, disagreement, willingness and hatred etc. Allah says, {And know that Allah cometh in between a man and his heart, and that it is He to whom ye shall (all) be gathered} (AI-Anfal: 24)
Mujahid comments that Allah comes in between one's mind and his own hand as stated in Allah's saying, {Verily in this is a message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and is a witness.} (Qaf: 37)
i.e. he who has mind. `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that the Prophet (pbuh) would always say,
"0 Changer of hearts! Make my heart firm in thy faith. I asked, 0 Messenger of Allah, I think that you make this supplication much! Do you fear? He said, how could I be secure while the people's hearts are between the two fingers of Allah, Who changes it whenever He likes. Thus, if He wants to change one's heart, He does."
Therefore, you should not be deluded by your own faith, prayer, fasting or whatever you do of acts of worship. This is because all of these works refer to Allah's will and his plentiful bounties and He can strip you of such blessings.
Reported by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Ahmad. 64) Despairing of the Mercy of Allah and Losing of Hope
Allah Most High says, }And never give up hope of Allah's soothing mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah's soothing mercy, except
those who have no faith. } (Yusuf: 87)
{He is the one that sends down rain (even) after (men) have given up all hope.} (Ash-Shura: 28)
{Say, 'O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the mercy of Allah).} (AzZummar: 53)
The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Let none of you die except thinking the best of Allah the Almighty.”1 Allah, unless you love forgiveness, none of the sinful men will be delayed. O Allah, you are the Ever-Forgiver, the Ever Generous and love forgiveness: may you forgive me. O Allah look at us tenderly and include us amongst the people of purity not those of wretchedness. O Allah! Help us to achieve our hopes, make us prosperous, grant us your pleasure, guide us to goodness and give us a good deed in this world, a good deed in the next and keep us away of the Hell-Fire.
Reported by Muslim. 65) Forgoing the Congregational Prayer to Pray Alone Without a Legal Excuse
`Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,
"I have considered having a man lead people at prayer and going myself to those who stay back from attending the congregational prayer to bum their houses down upon them..”
"If the people forgo the Friday Prayer, Allah will set a seal on their hearts for them to become heedless.”1
"Whoever misses three Friday prayers without a legal excuse, Allah will set a seal on his heart.”2
"Whoever misses the Friday prayer without a (legal) excuse or a danger will be accounted amongst the hypocrites in a record that cannot be erased or altered.”3 Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) related, the Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Going to the Friday prayer is obligatory for every male who has reached puberty.”4
Reported by Muslim. Reported by Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi Reported by Ahmad. Repoted by Abu Dawud 66) Constantly Missing the Friday and Congregational Prayer Without a Valid Excuse
Allah Most High says, {The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able. Their eyes will be cast down--ignomity will cover them, seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused).} (Al-Qalam: 42-43)
Ka'b Al-Ahbar said, this Ayah is only revealed concerning those who miss the congregational prayers. Sa'id Ibn Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "Those people heard the call to prayer and did not respond while they were whole." The Prophet (pbuh) said, "By Him in Whose Hands is my soul, I have considered having wood gathered when the call to prayer is made and going myself to those who stay back from attending the congregational prayer to burn their houses down upon them. " In the aforementioned Ayah and hadith there is a severe warning waiting for those who miss the congregational prayer without excuse.
Ibn ' Abbas related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever hears the caller to prayer and does not have a valid excuse that withholds him from responding. Someone asked what is an excuse, Messenger of Allah? He said. "Fear or sickness," will not have his prayer accepted i.e., the prayer, which he performed at home.
At-Tirmidhi related on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) who was asked about a man who spends the day fasting and the night praying but he does not pray in a congregation. Ibn `Abbas answered, if he dies adhering to that, he will enter the Hell fire. " Once, a blind man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and submitted,
"0 Messenger of Allah, I have nobody to lead me to mosque, do I have a dispension to pray at home? Then the Prophet permitted him. But when he was going back the Prophet called him and asked, do you hear the call to prayer? The man replied, yes. "Therefore respond to it.” the Prophet said.”
The same hadith is reported by Abu Dawud as follows: Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said,
"0 Messenger of Allah, there are large number of reptiles and beasts in Medina and I am blind, do I have a dispension to pray at home? Then the Prophet (pbuh) said, do you hear the words of the call to prayer (haiyaala salah, haiyaala salah). He said, yes."
The Prophet said, then you have to respond to. Another narration states that,
"0 Messenger of Allah, I am a blind man and live far away from the mosque and love an inconvenient guide, do I have dispension? "Whoever hears the call to prayer and no excuse withholds him to respond will not have his prayer accepted. They asked, 0 Messenger of Allah, what is an excuse? He said, fear or sickness. "
"May Allah curse three people: he who leads a group of people who hate him, a woman who spends a night angry with her husband, and a man who hears the call to prayer and does not answer. " Abu Hurairah said, it is better for one's ears to be filled with molten lead than to hear the call to prayer and not answer it." Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The prayers performed by a neighbor of a mosque are not accepted except in the mosque." Someone asked, who is a neighbor of a mosque? He re- plied, he who hears the call to prayer." Ali also said, whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond his prayer will not go further than his head except if he has an excuse." Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him said, whoever likes to meet Allah as a Muslim should keep on performing the five prayers when the call to them is issued. This is because, Allah has given your Prophet the traditions of guidance (Sunna) and they (the five prayers) belong to such traditions. If you pray at home as does the one who remisses the prayer, then you neglect the Prophet's Sunna. If you neglect the Prophet's Sunna you will be astray. Verily, none of us would miss the congregational prayer but a well- known hypocrite or a sick man. I remember that a man would be brought leaning on two men and put in the raw to attain its reward and escape the sins of missing it." Performing prayers in congregation is so great as mentioned in Qur'an Allah most high says, {Before this We wrote in the psalms, after the message given to Moses): "My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth.} (AI-Anbiya': 105)
The exegetes said that the righteous servants are those who perform the five prayers in congregation. In explaining Allah's statement,
{And we record that which they leave behind.} (Yasin: 12)
The exegetes said, "What they leave behind" means then steps.
The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Whoever purifies himself (makes his ablution) at home and then goes to one of the houses of Allah (mosque) to discharge his duty to Allah (to offer obligatory prayers) his one step towards a mosque wipes out a sin and another step rises his status". If he continues sitting on prayer -carpet, after prayer is over, and he remains with ablutions, the angels beseech Allah for his blessings upon him and pray. /' Allah! Forgive him! Allah have mercy on him.” 1
"May I tell you something thereby, Allah will remit your sins, and thereby your position will be raised. The companions said, "Do tell us 'O Messenger of Allah! He said, "Performing the ablution properly, going to the mosque frequently for prayers even in difficult and distressing circumstances and waiting for the next prayer after one is over. This is your Jihad in the cause of Allah.”2
Reported by Muslim. Reported by Muslim. 67) Bringing Loss to the Bequest
Allah Most High, says, {After payment of legacies and debts: so that no loss is caused (to any).} (An-Nisa': 12)
This means that when someone brings loss to heirs by claiming that he is indebted to such and such. Allah the Almighty says,
{Thus is it ordained by Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing. Those are limits set by Allah: those who obey Allah and his Messenger will be admitted to gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (forever) and that will be the supreme achievement. But those who disobey Allah and his Messenger and transgress his limits will be admitted to a fire, to abide therein: and they shall have a humiliating punishment.} (An-Nisa': 12-14)
The reward and the punishment mentioned in the aforementioned Ayat concerns those who deal with the inheritance. Abu Hurairah related that Prophet (pbuh) said, "A man or a woman work abiding by Allah's commandments for sixty years until the death comes to them. Then they bring loss to the bequest and thereby they enter the hellfire". Then Abu Hurairah reads, Allah's saying: {After payment of legacies and debts: so that no loss is caused (to any one)}" 1
"Whoever prevents his heirs from receiving their inheritance, Allah will prevent his inheriting Paradise.”2
"Allah has given every one his right. Thus there is no bequest for an heir.” 3
Reported by Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi. Reported by Ibn Majah. Reported by Ibn Majah, At- Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ahmad. 68) Deception and Evil Schemes
Allah, Most High say, {But the plotting of evil will hem in only the authors thereof} (Fatir: 43)
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Plotting and duplicity are in the Hell-Fire.”1 "A deceiver, a miser and he who reminds recipients of his charity to them will not enter paradise.” Allah the Almighty says about the hypocrites: {They seek to deceive Allah, but it is Allah who deceive them.} (An-Nisa: 142)
Al-Wahidi said, "They will be treated in the manner they treated others: they will be shown the light as the believers but when they approach the Sirat (a bridge on fire) the light diminishes and they will be left in darkness. The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"The people of Hell-Fire are five" and mentioned a man who disaffects one's wife or property from him day
and night.”2
69) Spying on the Muslims and Revealing their Weaknesses
Included in this subject is the hadith of Hatib Ibn Abi Balta’ah (1) (who sent a secret letter telling of the Muslims military plans to his relatives in Mecca in hopes that they would not get hurt), 'Umar (Allah be well pleased with him) wanted to kill him for what he had done, but the Prophet (pbuh) forbade 'Umar to, as Hatib had fought at Badr (and by accepting Hatib's excuse, left nothing for any Muslim to criticize.3
If someone's spying entails undermining Islam and its people, or the killing of captives, enslavement, or plundering of the Muslims, or anything of the like, then he is one of those who strive for corruption in the land, destroying tillage and offspring, and he is subject to death, and deserves the torment (of Hell- Fire), may Allah save us from it, Anyone who spies necessarily knows that if ordinary talebearing is a major sin, spy's carrying information is far more abominable and heinous, May Allah save us from that for He is the Ever-Clement?
Reported by Ai-Hakim and A1-Baihaqi. Reported by Muslim. This story ismantioned in the Sahih of AI-Bukhri. 70) Disparaging the Companions of the Prophet
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah most high says: he who is hostile to a friend (Waliyy) of Mine, I declare war against" "Do not revile my companions, for by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, were one of you to spend gold equal to mount Uhud, you would not attain the reward of the handful of one of them or even half of it.”1 (Because what they spent benefited Islam more)
"Allah! Allah! (Keep the thought of Allah) concerning my companions. "Do not take them as a target" (for your obscenity or charges) after me, He who loves them, loves me but he who hate them, hates Me, and he who offends them, offends me and in turn offends Allah and he who offends Allah, Allah almost takes him”2 "The sign of faith is love of the helpers (Ansar), and the sign of hypocrisy is hatred of the helpers.”3 This is because they were the first believers who fought the enemies of Islam fiercely at the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh). Likewise, the love of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is of faith and the hatred of him is hypocrisy"
The excellence of the Prophet's companions can be recognized by studying their biography and their traces during the Prophet's lifetime and thereafter. This excellence is represented in their sincere faith, fighting against the disbelievers, disseminating the belief, declaring the Islamic rites, raising high the word of Allah and His Messenger and teaching others the obligatory and Sunna worshiping. Were not they, we would not receive anything concerning the religion. Hence, whoever disparages them is beyond the pale of Islam.
Such disparaging is undoubtedly out of the belief that they were wicked people and thus denying the sayings of Allah and His Messenger when praising them and indicating their virtues. They are also the intermediaries between the source and the target of sacred knowledge. Doubting the intermediary necessarily affects the source. The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Allah has selected me and picked out my companions. From among my Companions, I have ministers, helpers, and relatives by marriage. Thereby, whoever disparages them entails the curse of Allah, His angels and all the people. Allah will not accept their deeds on the Day of Judgment.”4
Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) related, once the Prophetic Companions said,
"The curse of Allah the angels and the whole people is upon whoever reviles my companions.” 5
"Allah has selected me and picked out my companions. He also granted me friends, brothers and relatives by marriage. There will be another generation thereafter who will revile and disparage them. Therefore,
Reported by AI-Bukhari and Muslim. Reported by At- Tirmidhi. 3. Repoted by AI-Bukhari and Muslim. Reported by Ibn Hajar AI-Haithami in Majma' Al-Zawa'id. Reported by Ibn Hajar AI-Haithami in Majma' Al-Zawa'id. you should not interact with them in food, drink marriage, prayer over them or prayer with them.” 1
Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Hold your tongue whenever you hear the mentioning of my Companions, stars and destiny.”2 Scholars argued that, holding one's tongue is a sign of complete submission to Allah. It is obligatory for a Muslim to love Allah and his Messenger. Of the Prophet's love is to love all what He was sent with, those who take after him, those who apply his tradition and guidance, household, companions, wives, progeny, servants, and to love whoever loves them and hate whoever hates them. Abu Ayyub As-Sakhtiyyani (may Allah be pleased with him) said, whoever loves Abu Bakr raises the minaret of the religion higher, whoever loves 'Umar clarifies the way, whoever loves 'Uthman, is en- lightened by Allah's light, whoever loves Ali adheres to the clearest principle and whoever says, the Prophet's companions are good and right is free from hypocrisy.
As for the virtues of the Prophetic companions, they are countless. The best of the companions are the ten whom the Prophet promised to enter paradise. The best four of them are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and' Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all). Whoever doubts them, is a hypocrite. In the hadith narrated by AI-'Irbad Ibn Sariyyah, the Prophet said,
"You must follow my deeds (Sunna) and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Hold it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties (in religious matters), for every novelty is an innovation and every innovation is an error and every error is in hell.” 3
The Rightly-Guided Caliphs are: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and , Ali. The former was mentioned in the Qur'an several times.
"Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want, and those who have left their homes in Allah's cause" (An-Nur: 22)
{ Being the second of the two, they two were in the care.} (At- Tawbah: 40)
{And he who brings the truth and who confirms (and supports) it.} (Az-Zummar: 33)
Ash-Shawkani attributed it to Aqily in Durr As-Sahabah and said it is a weak hadith. As-Suyuti attributed it to At- Tabarani in Jami' Al-Adhkar. Reported by Abu Dawud.