Prophet's Mercy

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs his Companions about the Anti-Christ and his descriptions and signs that no other prophet before him had spoken of. This includes: The fact that he is one-eyed. Allah Almighty gave him something like Paradise and Hellfire that the eyes would perceive as such. His Paradise will, in fact, be Hellfire, and his Hellfire will be Paradise. He admits those who obey him to this Paradise, which looks to be as such to people but is actually a scorching fire; and those who disobey him, he will admit him to Hellfire, which appears to be as such to people but is actually a beautiful Paradise. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then warned us against his trial just as Noah had warned his people against him.

1. The enormity of the trial of the Anti-Christ.
2. Surviving the trial of the Anti-Christ is ensured through true faith, resorting to Allah Almighty, seeking refuge with Him from his trial in the last Tashahhud, and memorizing the first ten verses of Surat al-Kahf.
3. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) showed great care for his Ummah as he clarified to Muslims some of the traits of the Anti-Christ that any other prophet had not clarified before him.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 134) (3338). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2250) (2936).

The Hadīth informs that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would occasionally carry Umāmah, the daughter of his daughter Zaynab, while he was in prayer. He would put her on his shoulder when he was standing and place her on the ground when he bowed or prostrated himself. He did this out of love and affection.

تيسير العلام للبسام الناشر: مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة الطبعة- العاشرة، 1426 هـ - 2006 م . تنبيه الأفهام للعثيمين -طبعة مكتبة الصحابة الامارات - مكتبة التابعين- القاهرة- الطبعة الأولى 1426. صحيح البخاري -أبو عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل بن إبراهيم بن المغيرة الجعفي البخاري، تحقيق محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر - الناشر : دار طوق النجاة -الطبعة : الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم المحقق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي - الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. تأسيس الأحكام -أحمد بن يحيى النجمي- دار المنهاج- القاهرة- مصر -الطبعة الأولى.

Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) recounts that one of the daughters of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him a message that her son was dying and asked that he comes over. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told the messenger to tell her to have patience and to hope for the reward from Allah; meaning that she should be patient with this calamity while expecting the reward for her patience from Allah. Some people are patient but they do not hope for the reward. If they are patient and intend with their patience that Allah give them reward for it, then this is the meaning of Ihtisāb (expecting the reward from Allah). The Prophet's words "to Allah belongs what He takes and to Him belongs what He gives" is a great statement indeed. If everything belongs to Allah, then if He takes something from you, it is His, and if He gives you something, it is also His. So, how could you be angry and discontent if He takes from you what is originally His? That is why it is an act of Sunnah that when a person is afflicted with calamity he should say: "To Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return!" This expression clearly means that we are the property of Allah, Who thus can do what He wills with His property. Likewise are the things we love; if Allah takes them from us, they are ultimately His. So, He is the ultimate owner of what He takes and what He gives. Yo do not own what Allah gives you and, therefore, you cannot dispose of what He has given you except in the way He permitted. Our ownership of what Allah gives us is limited, and we do not have absolute freedom in disposing of it. If this is the case, then how can we be impatient and intolerant when Allah, the absolute Owner, takes back what belongs to Him? This contradicts reason and text (the Quran and Sunnah). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added that everything has an appointed term with Allah; meaning that He has a fixed time limit for everything. So, if you believe with certainty that to Allah belongs what He takes and to Him belongs what He gives and that He has fixed an appointed term for everything, you will be convinced without doubt that man cannot change the decreed term of anything, neither by advancing its time nor by delaying it. This conforms with the saying of Allah, the Exalted: {For every nation is a (specified) term. When their time has come, then they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede (it)} [Sūrat Yunus: 49]. So if a matter is predetermined by Allah and will neither be advanced or delayed from its appointed time, there is no benefit in impatience and discontent. Even if you are impatient and discontent, you will not change any part of fate. When the Prophet's daughter insisted that he goes to her, he went along with some of his Companions. He arrived when her child was in the throes of death. This made the eyes of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) filled with tears. Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah thought that the Prophet was crying out of impatience, so the Prophet told him that he cries out of mercy for the little dying boy, not out of impatience and discontent with fate. Then he added that Allah is merciful to those of His slaves who are merciful to others. This Hadīth indicates the permissibility of crying out of mercy for those who are afflicted with misfortune.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. رياض الصالحين للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428 هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ.

This great Hadīth addresses important themes and facts. The Prophet says that Allah brought the corners of the earth together for him, so he could see the kingdom of his Ummah from east to west. This is a true historical fact; Muslims did expand from the Far West to the Far East. The Prophet also said that he was given two treasures. This too is a true historical fact, because Muslims conquered the land of Persia and Rome and obtained their gold and silver. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked Allah, the Almighty, not to destroy Muslims by a common drought nor to afflict them with an enemy from the unbelievers who would control their lands and eradicate their populations. Allah fulfilled the first and second requests, on condition that the Muslims avoid internal disputes. If they diverge and fight among themselves, an enemy from the disbelievers will take control over them. This actually happened when the Muslims divided. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) feared that Muslims would be inflicted with misguiding leaders and scholars, who would lead people astray and further said that if a civil war erupts between Muslims, it will persist until the Day of Resurrection. This has indeed taken place. A civil war started when ‘Uthmān was killed, and it is still going on. The Prophet also said that some Muslims will join the lands and religions of the polytheists, and that groups of Muslims will leave the fold of Islam. This happened when some Muslims worshiped tombs, trees, and stones. In addition, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) spoke of pseudo-prophets who will emerge, even though prophecy ended with him. He finally gave glad tidings of a group of Muslims who will uphold Islam, despite these crises and tribulations. This group despite being a minority, will not be frustrated by the schemes of its enemies and opponents.

الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، دار العاصمة الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ- 2001م. الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، مكتبة السوادي، جدة، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الخامسة، 1424هـ/2003م. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that what he fears most for his Ummah is minor Shirk, which is showing off, i.e., doing good deeds for the sake of people. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs of the punishment of those who show off with their good deeds as it will be said to them on the Day of Judgment: Go to those for the sake of whom you offered your good deeds and see if they have the ability to reward you for such deeds.

1. Good deeds must be devoted to Allah Almighty with full sincerity and warning of ostentation must be avoided.
2. The Prophet's great compassion towards his Ummah and his keenness to guide and advise them.
3. If this is the Prophet's fear for his Companions, who are the most noble in terms of righteousness, then, the fear for those who succeed them is far greater.

مسند أحمد (39/ 39) (23630). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص57). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص45).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the ‘Ishā' prayer until part of the night had passed and the women and children, who are likely unable to stay late at night, had gone to sleep. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him and said: “Come to pray, for the women and children have slept.” The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out of his home and went to the mosque while his head was dripping with water from the ritual bath and he said: "Had it not been hard for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to perform that prayer at this hour." This indicates that it would have been better to delay ‘Ishā' prayer were it not for the hardship that would result from waiting for such a long time.

الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط1، دار الفكر، دمشق، 1381هـ تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426 هـ تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة لأحكام لابن عثيمين، ط1، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، 1426هـ عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق ، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408 هـ صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423 هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would give up a deed, despite his love to perform it, lest people would do it as well, and therefore the deed would be made obligatory for them. The people would thus be put in a real hardship, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not like to put them into hardships.

نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ - 1987م. شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين، نشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، الطبعة: 1426هـ. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، للهلالي، نشر: دار ابن الجوزي -الطبعة الأولى 1418هـ. صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would start leading a congregational prayer intending to make the prayer long. However, if he heard an infant crying, he would shorten the prayer so that it would not be hard on the infant's mothers, since her heart would be distracted by the crying of her child.

دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين، لابن علان، نشر دار الكتاب العربي. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407ه - 1987م. شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين، نشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، الطبعة: 1426ه. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، للهلالي، نشر: دار ابن الجوزي.