Taken from the treatise Kalimah al-Ikhlas by the talented scholar Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali [795 AH]. In this treatise he [Allah bless him] discusses the virtues of faith and explains various Ahadith. At times the Ahadith can be misunderstood, hence, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali explains the meaning behind the Ahadith. An inspirational read on the virtues of faith. [Please see explanation of these hadith at the end of the article].
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Chapter 1: The Virtue of Faith
Imam Bukhari [256 AH] and Imam Muslim [261 AH] narrate a hadith:
حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمُعَاذٌ رَدِيفُهُ عَلَى الرَّحْلِ قَالَ ” يَا مُعَاذُ بْنَ جَبَلٍ ”. قَالَ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَسَعْدَيْكَ. قَالَ ” يَا مُعَاذُ ”. قَالَ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَسَعْدَيْكَ. ثَلاَثًا. قَالَ ” مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صِدْقًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ إِلاَّ حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّارِ ”. قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَفَلاَ أُخْبِرُ بِهِ النَّاسَ فَيَسْتَبْشِرُوا قَالَ ” إِذًا يَتَّكِلُوا ”. وَأَخْبَرَ بِهَا مُعَاذٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ تَأَثُّمًا .
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
“Once Mu`adh was along with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as a companion rider. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “O Mu`adh bin Jabal.” Mu`adh replied, “Labbaik and Sa`daik. O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” Again the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “O Mu`adh!” Mu`adh said thrice, “Labbaik and Sa`daik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “There is none who testifies sincerely that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and Muhammad is his Apostle, except that Allah, will save him from the Hell-fire.” Mu`adh said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ! Should I not inform the people about it so that they may have glad tidings?” He replied, “When the people hear about it, they will solely depend on it.” Then Mu`adh narrated the above-mentioned Hadith just before his death, being afraid of committing sin (by not telling the knowledge).
[See Sahih Bukhari: 128 and Sahih Muslim: 32]
[Another similar Hadith]
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ حَرَّمَ عَلَى النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ ”.
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah has forbidden the (Hell) fire for those who say, ‘None has the right to be worshiped but Allah’ for Allah’s sake only.“
[Sahih Bukhari: 425]
عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَنْ، لَقِيَ الْوَفْدَ الَّذِينَ قَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ . قَالَ سَعِيدٌ وَذَكَرَ قَتَادَةُ أَبَا نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ فِي حَدِيثِهِ هَذَا . أَنَّ أُنَاسًا مِنْ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ قَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّا حَىٌّ مِنْ رَبِيعَةَ وَبَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ كُفَّارُ مُضَرَ وَلاَ نَقْدِرُ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ فِي أَشْهُرِ الْحُرُمِ فَمُرْنَا بِأَمْرٍ نَأْمُرُ بِهِ مَنْ وَرَاءَنَا وَنَدْخُلُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ إِذَا نَحْنُ أَخَذْنَا بِهِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” آمُرُكُمْ بِأَرْبَعٍ وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْ أَرْبَعٍ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَصُومُوا رَمَضَانَ وَأَعْطُوا الْخُمُسَ مِنَ الْغَنَائِمِ وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْ أَرْبَعٍ عَنِ الدُّبَّاءِ وَالْحَنْتَمِ وَالْمُزَفَّتِ وَالنَّقِيرِ ” .
It is reported on the authority of Qatada that one among the delegates of the ‘Abdul-Qais tribe narrated this tradition to him. Sa’id said that Qatada had mentioned the name of Abu Nadra on the authority of Abu Sa’id Khudri who narrated this tradition:
That people from the- tribe of ‘Abdul-Qais came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, we belong to the tribe of Rabi’a and there live between you and us the unbelievers of the Mudar tribe and we find it impossible to come to you except in the sacred months; direct us to a deed which we must communicate to those who have been left behind us and by doing which we may enter heaven. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I enjoin upon you four (things) and forbid you to do four (things): worship Allah and associate none with Him, establish prayer, pay Zakat, and observe the fast of Ramadan, and pay the fifth part out of the spoils. And I prohibit you from four (things): dry gourds, green-coloured jars, hollowed stumps of palm-trees, and receptacles.
[See: Sahih Muslim: 27]
[Another Hadith – See end of article for explanation]
عَنِ الْمَعْرُورِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ” أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ – عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ – فَبَشَّرَنِي أَنَّهُ مَنْ مَاتَ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ لاَ يُشْرِكُ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ” . قُلْتُ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ . قَالَ ” وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ ” .
I heard Abu Dharr narrating it from the Apostle (ﷺ) that he observed:
Gabriel came to me and gave me the tidings: Verily he who died amongst your Ummah without associating anything with Allah would enter Paradise. I (the narrator) said: Even if he committed adultery and theft. He (the Holy Prophet) said: (Yes), even if he committed adultery and theft.
[Sahih Muslim:94, see Sahih Bukhari: 5827 for similar narration]
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَنْ قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَنَّ عِيسَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَابْنُ أَمَتِهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ وَأَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ النَّارَ حَقٌّ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَىِّ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَةِ شَاءَ ” .
It is narrated on the authority of Ubadah b. Samit that the messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:
He who said:” There is no god but Allah, He is One and there is no associate with Him, that Muhammad is his servant and His messenger, that Christ is the servant and the son of Mary [Allah bless her] and he (Christ) His word which He communicated to Mary and is His Spirit, that Paradise is a fact and Hell is a fact,” Allah would make him (he who affirms these truths enter Paradise through any one of its eight doors which he would like.
Explanation of the Hadith of this chapter
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali [795 AH] states: There are many Ahadith [pl. Hadith] in this regard, to many to mention.
The Ahadith of this chapter are of two types:
- Whomsoever comes [on the day of judgment] with the two testifications of faith [Faith in the oneness of Allah and in the final Prophet Muhammad ﷺ] will enter paradise and will not be prevented from it, this is apparent. For surely, the fire will not keep in eternity anyone from the people of sincere faith [Tawhid]. He will enter paradise eventually, however it may occur after he is cleansed from his sins [by entering the fire]. [We seek refuge from Allah from entering the fire].
- The meaning of the Hadith of Abu Dhar [Sahih Muslim:94, as quoted above] is that: Adultery and stealing [which are major sins] don’t prevent a person who has faith [Tawhid] from entering paradise, and there is no doubt about this. However, it does not mean that these two sins will not go unpunished, even if he is a person of faith.
