Acts of Heart

A Bedouin man, among the dwellers of the desert, asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the time of the Hour. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: What righteous deeds have you prepared for it? The questioner said: I have not prepared much deeds for it, except that I love Allah and His Messenger. He did not mention any other act of worship, be it by the heart, body, or property, for these are all branches of love dependent on it, and because true love motivates a person to strive to do righteous deeds. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: You will be with whom you love in Paradise. The Prophet's Companions greatly rejoiced at this good news. Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he loved the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and hoped he would be with them, even though his deeds were not like their deeds.

1. The Hadīth demonstrates the Prophet's wisdom through his reply to the questioner. He guided him to what concerns him and helps him attain salvation, namely to get prepared for the Hereafter by beneficial and pious deeds.
2. Allah Almighty has kept knowledge of the Hour hidden from the people so that everyone will always be ready and prepared for meeting Allah.
3. It highlights the merit of loving Allah and His Messenger and the righteous believers and warns of loving the polytheists.
4. The Prophet's statement "You will be with whom you love" does not mean that they will be equal in rank and status. The meaning is that they will be in Paradise and able to see each other, even if the distance between them is great.
5. The Hadīth directs a Muslim to preoccupy himself with things that are better and more beneficial for him and refrain from asking about things that bring him no benefit.

صحيح البخاري (5/ 12) (3688). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2032) (2639). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 435). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (6/ 177). المعجم الأوسط، للطبراني (1/ 131). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 342).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recounts that a man from the past nations set out to visit a brother in faith in another town. Allah, the Exalted, sent an angel to watch over him and protect him on the way. The angel asked him where he was going. The man said that he was going to visit a brother in religion in that town. So the angel asked if that was his slave, son, dependent, or someone whom he benefits from or whom he owes a favor. The man replied in the negative, saying that he only loved that person for the sake of Allah and wished to gain the pleasure of Allah by visiting him. Thereupon, the angel told him that he was a messenger from Allah to tell him that Allah loves him just as he loves his brother for the sake of Allah.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الدمام، دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة: الأولى، 1415هـ. تطريز رياض الصالحين، فيصل بن عبد العزيز المبارك، المحقق: عبد العزيز بن عبد الله آل حمد، دار العاصمة للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى، 1423هـ - 2002م. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، أبو زكريا محيي الدين النووي، تحقيق ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428هـ. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، أبو زكريا محيي الدين النووي، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة، 1428هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، محمد بن صالح العثيمين، دار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423هـ.

The supplication the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say most frequently is to ask Allah for steadfastness to the religion and obedience to Him and keeping away from deviation and misguidance. Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) wondered at the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) making this supplication frequently. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that the hearts lie between two of the Fingers of Allah and He turns them as He wishes. The heart is the place where Imān or Kufr lies. It is called Qalb (in Arabic) due to its frequent Taqallub (fluctuation). It fluctuates more intensely than a boiling jar. So, Allah makes the heart of whom He wills steadfast to guidance and firm upon the religion, and He diverts the heart of whom He wills from guidance to deviation and misguidance.

1. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was submissive and humble to his Lord and used to implore Him. The Ummah is also exhorted to make the same supplication.
2. The Hadīth highlights the significance of uprightness and steadfastness to the religion, and that the important thing is the end.
3. A person is always in need of Allah to make him steadfast to Islam.
4. We are urged to supplicate Allah a lot, in adherence to the Prophet's example.
5. Steadfastness to Islam is the greatest blessing a person should seek to obtain and for which he should be grateful to his Lord.

سنن الترمذي (4/ 19) (2140). مسند أحمد (19/ 160) (12107). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (17/ 476). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 567). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 1014). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص808). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (6/ 41).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that whoever seeks martyrdom and death in the cause of Allah and is sincere and faithful in his intention to Allah Almighty, Allah will give him the ranks of martyrs by his sincere intention, even if he dies in bed, not in Jihad.

1. The sincerity of intention and doing what is possible is a reason for achieving the intended reward and recompense, even if the required action is not carried out.
2. The Hadīth encourages Jihad and the pursuit of martyrdom in the cause of Allah Almighty.
3. Allah Almighty has honored this Ummah, as He rewards their little deeds with the highest degrees in Paradise.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1517) (1909). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 123). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 87).

The Companions were discussing the trial of the Antichrist, and expressing their fear thereof. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told them that there was a more frightening trial than that of the Antichrist which was hidden polytheism, i.e. being insincere in one's intention and practice, such as improving something that is originally done for Allah's sake so as to attract people's attention.

فتح المجيد شرح كتاب التوحيد، مطبعة السنة المحمدية، القاهرة، مصر، الطبعة: السابعة، 1377هـ - 1957م. القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، دار ابن الجوزي، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الثانية، 1424هـ. 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. التمهيد لشرح كتاب التوحيد، دار التوحيد، تاريخ النشر: 1424هـ. سنن ابن ماجه، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، الناشر: دار إحياء الكتب العربية - فيصل عيسى البابي الحلبي. صحيح الجامع، طبعة المكتب الإسلامي.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah Almighty said: I am the One Who is most free from want of partners. He is Self-Sufficient beyond the need for anything; and if a person performs any good deed and devotes it to Allah and others, Allah discards this deed and does not accept it from him, and He turns it back to him. So, we should make our deeds sincerely devoted to Allah Almighty, for He only accepts what is done purely for His sake.

1. This serves as a warning about polytheism in all its forms and means that it prevents virtuous deeds from being accepted.
2. Our sense of Allah's self-sufficiency and greatness helps us do honorable deeds with sincerity to Him.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2289) (2985). شرح النووي على مسلم (18/ 115). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص287). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص325).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified some of the practices of Jāhliyyah (the pre-Islamic era of ignorance) by way of warning and stressing the fact that all matters are in the Hand of Allah and nothing occurs except with His command and decree. These practices are: First: The people of Jāhliyyah used to think that a disease was contagious by itself. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade such a belief that a disease could be naturally transmitted from one sick person to another, as Allah is the Disposer of the universe and the One Who sends down the disease and lifts it, and this only occurs according to His will and decree. Second: The people of Jāhliyyah used to make a bird fly when setting out on a journey or for trade. If the bird flew towards the right, they would take that as a good omen, but if it flew towards the left, they would consider this an evil omen and would return. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade such an act of taking birds as a bad omen and made it clear that it is a false belief. Third: The people of Jāhiliyyah used to say that if an owl fell on a house, its dwellers would be stricken by a disaster, but again the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking this as an evil omen. Fourth: He forbade taking the month of Safar, which is the second month in the lunar calendar, as a bad omen. It is said that "Safar" is: a snake in the stomach that affects cattle and people, claiming that it is more contagious than scabies; however, he negated such a belief. Fifth: He commanded that one should move far from the leper as he would move far from the lion as a precaution and to seek one's safety and utilize the available means as commanded by Allah. Leprosy: a disease that eats away a man's organs.

1. It is obligatory to rely upon Allah, depend on Him, and utilize the permissible means.
2. It is obligatory to believe in Allah's decree and predestination and to believe that causes lie in the Hand of Allah and that He is the One Who makes them effective or ineffective.
3. Invalidating the practice of some people who take bad omens in certain colors like black and red, or certain numbers, names, persons, or disabled people.
4. The prohibition of approaching a leper, and similarly others afflicted with contagious diseases, is one of the causes that commonly lead to their effects as destined by Allah. So, causes do not act independently; rather, Allah is the One Who deprives them of their powers, if He wills, and they become thus of no effect, or if He wills, He keeps their powers and they, thus, cause an effect.

صحيح البخاري (7/ 126) (5707). صحيح مسلم (4/ 1742) (2220). فتح المجيد شرح كتاب التوحيد، لعبد الرحمن التميمي (ص307). القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، لابن عثيمين (1/ 565). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص228). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص253). التمهيد لشرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح آل الشيخ (ص77).

‘Amr ibn Taghlib (may Allah be pleased with him) reports to us that an amount of money or a number of war captives were brought to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and he distributed that. He gave to some men in order to reconcile their hearts with Islam, and left others because he trusted them, due to the strong faith and certitude which Allah granted to them. He was then informed that those whom he did not give anything spoke words of reproach about him among themselves, thinking that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had given certain people because of they were more religious. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gathered them and stood up to speak. He praised Allah and glorified Him with words that befit His Majesty, and then said: "By Allah! I give some men and leave others, and the ones I do not give are dearer to me than those whom I give." He meant that giving to some people and leaving the others did not mean that he loved the former more than the latter. Rather, he actually loved those who did not receive anything more than those to whom he gave. He then explained the reason for this, saying: "However, I give to those I see in their hearts fear and anxiety," meaning that he gave them because of the dissatisfaction and annoyance they would have felt if they had not received some of the spoils of war. So he gave them in order to gain their loyalty and appease their anxiety. He added: "…and as for the ones whom I do not give anything, I leave them with the richness and good that Allah has put in their hearts," meaning that I left them and did not give them, leaving them with what Allah has given them, which is contentedness and richness of the soul. When he said "good" he meant strength of faith and certainty. he then said that ‘Amr ibn Taghlib was one of those people, meaning that he was one of those whom he did not give because of the strength of his faith and certitude. According to another narration, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, I give to a man while another is dearer to me than him, fearing that he (the former) would be thrown into the Fire upon his face" [Muslim]. ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said after hearing the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) praising him: By Allah! I would not exchange the praise that I just heard from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with anything, even if I were given, in exchange, the most expensive item of wealth that the Arabs possessed, which was red camels.

كنوز رياض الصالحين، تأليف: حمد بن ناصر العمار، الناشر: دار كنوز أشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى: 1430 هـ بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، نسخة الكترونية، لا يوجد بها بيانات نشر نزهة المتقين، تأليف: جمعٌ من المشايخ، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى: 1397 هـ الطبعة الرابعة عشرة 1407 هـ صحيح البخاري، تأليف: محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محيي الدين يحيى بن شرف النووي ، تحقيق: د. ماهر بن ياسين الفحل، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428 هـ منار القاري، تأليف: حمزة محمد قاسم ، الناشر: مكتبة دار البيان، عام النشر: 1410 هـ المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، تأليف: محيي الدين يحيى النووي، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي، الطبعة: الثانية 1392 هـ.