Islam

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen to call its people to Allah and teach them, he clarified to him that he would meet Christian people and that he should first call them to what is more important and then to what is less important, and so on. He should first call them to reform their creed by testifying that none is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This is because they enter Islam with this testimony. If they complied with that, he should then enjoin them to establish the prayer, for it is the most important obligation after the testimony of Tawhīd (monotheistic belief). If they established the prayer, he should then order the rich amongst them to pay Zakah on their property to the poor amongst them. Thereafter, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned him not to take their best property; instead, it is required to adopt a moderate approach in this regard. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to avoid oppression, lest an oppressed person might supplicate to Allah against him, as his supplication is readily answered.

1. The testimony that none is worthy of worship except Allah means that we should devote worship to Allah Almighty alone and shun the worship of all other things.
2. The testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah means to have faith in him and what he came with, to believe in him, and to believe that he is the last Messenger sent by Allah to all humankind.
3. Speaking to a knowledgeable person or someone with certain misconceptions differs from speaking to an ignorant one. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alerted Mu‘ādh with his words: "You will come to a people of the Scripture."
4. It is important for a Muslim to have proper knowledge of his religion to get rid of the misconceptions of those who raise them.
5. It demonstrates the invalidity of the religion of the Jews and the Christians after the mission of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that they are not among the people who will attain salvation on the Day of Judgment unless they enter the religion of Islam and believe in the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

صحيح البخاري (2/ 119) (1458)، (2/ 128) (1496)، (9/ 114) (7372). صحيح مسلم (1/ 50) (19). فتح الباري لابن حجر (13/ 349). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح فوزان (ص54). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص64).

A man from the people of Najd came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). His hair was disheveled, his voice was loud, and his words could not be understood until he approached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about the obligations of Islam. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started with the prayer and informed him that Allah has enjoined upon him five obligatory prayers to be performed every day and night. He said: Do I have to perform any other prayer besides these five prayers? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied: No, unless you choose to perform something of the voluntary prayers. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Among what has been enjoined upon you by Allah is fasting the month of Ramadan. The man said: Do I have to fast any other day besides fasting Ramadan? He said: No, unless you choose to fast voluntarily. Afterward, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned Zakah to him. The man said: Do I have to give any charity besides the obligatory Zakah? He said: No, unless you do so voluntarily. After listening to the Prophet's words about such obligations, the man turned away and swore by Allah that he would adhere to them without any addition or omission. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: If this man is truthful regarding his oath, he will be among the successful.

1. Tolerance of the Islamic Shariah and how it makes things easy for those who are religiously accountable.
2. The Prophet's good treatment of this man, as he allowed him to get close to him and ask him.
3. When calling others to Allah Almighty, one should start with the most important thing, followed by the next in importance.
4. Islam is both a creed and a code of conduct; hence, deeds without faith are of no avail, and likewise, faith without deeds is of no avail.
5. The importance of these deeds and the fact that they are from the pillars of Islam.
6. The Friday prayer is included in the five obligatory prayers because it replaces the Zhuhr prayer on Friday for whomever the Friday prayer is obligatory.
7. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started his instruction with the most crucial obligations of Islam, namely its pillars that follow the two testimonies of faith, as the man was a Muslim. He did not mention Hajj either because this occurred before it was enjoined or because its time had not yet come.
8. If one performs only what is obligatory according to the Shariah, he will indeed be successful. However, this does not mean that performing voluntary acts of worship is not Sunnah, as such voluntary acts will make up for the shortcomings in the obligations on the Day of Judgment.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 18) (46). صحيح مسلم (1/ 40) (11). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين. بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 346). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 857). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 242).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah commanded him to fight the polytheists until they testify that no deity is truly worthy of worship except Allah alone without any partner and that Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is His Messenger and act upon this testimony by observing the five prayers every day and night and paying the obligatory Zakah to those who are entitled to receive it. If they do these things, Islam protects their lives and properties, and it, thus, becomes unlawful to kill them unless they commit a crime or felony that makes them worthy of being killed in compliance with the rulings of Islam. Then, on the Day of Judgment, Allah Almighty will be in charge of their reckoning as He knows their innermost thoughts.

1. External aspects are what count in rulings, whereas the intentions are judged by Allah.
2. The importance of calling to Tawhīd (monotheism) and the fact that it is the first thing to start with in Da‘wah (calling to Allah).
3. This Hadīth does not imply forcing the polytheists to embrace Islam; rather, they have the choice either to enter Islam or pay Jizyah (protection tax). However, if they insist on preventing the call to Islam, then, the only option is to fight them in compliance with the rulings of Islam.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 14) (25). صحيح مسلم (1/ 53) (22). التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثًا النووية، لإسماعيل السعدي (ص23). شرح الأربعين النووية، لابن عثيمين (ص125).

Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I was on a journey in the company of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). One morning, I was close to him when we were on the move, so I said: O Messenger of Allah, inform me of a deed that admits me to Paradise and keeps me far from Hellfire. He said: You have asked me about a deed that is hard for people to perform, but it is, indeed, easy and simple for whomever Allah makes it easy. Perform the obligations of Islam. First: Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. Second: Establish the five obligatory prayers every day and night, namely Fajr, Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ''Ishā'—along with observing their conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts. Third: Pay the obligatory Zakah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship due on every type of property that has reached the limit prescribed by the Shariah, and it is to be given to those entitled to it. Fourth: Fast Ramadan, which is abstaining from food, drink, and other fast invalidators as a form of worship from the break of dawn to sunset. Fifth: Make Hajj to the House by heading for Makkah to perform the rituals as a means of worshiping Allah Almighty. Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I inform you of the path leading to the gates of goodness? Follow these obligations with voluntary acts of worship. First: Voluntary fast, which prevents from falling into sins by breaking the lust and enfeebling the power. Second: Voluntary charity extinguishes the sin after being committed, eliminates it, and erases its traces. Third: Tahjjud prayer during the last third of the night, then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Allah's statement: {They forsake their beds}, i.e., they leave their beds {invoking their Lord} in prayer, Dhikr, recitation of the Qur’an, and supplication {with fear and hope, and spend out of what We have provided for them. No soul knows what delights are kept hidden for them}, i.e., the bliss that will provide them with ultimate comfort on the Day of Judgment and in Paradise {as a reward for what they used to do.} Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I inform you of the essence of the religion, its pillar upon which it is founded, and its peak? Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: The head of the matter is: Islam, i.e., the two testimonies of faith by which one attains the essence of the religion. Its pillar is: the prayer, since there is no Islam without prayer as there is no house without a pillar. So, whoever prays, his religion is enhanced and elevated. Its peak and climax are attained through Jihad and the exertion of effort in fighting against the enemies of the religion to make the word of Allah supreme. Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I tell you what controls and perfects the aforementioned? He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his tongue and said: Control this and do not speak about what does not concern you. Mu‘ādh said: Does our Lord hold us accountable and responsible and punish us for what we speak?! He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: May your mother lose you! This is not meant as a supplication against him; rather, it is one of the Arabs' common expressions that is meant to draw attention to something that one is supposed to be aware of and to know. Then he said: What else can cast people and throw them on their faces in Hellfire other than the harvest of their tongues speaking words of disbelief, accusing of immorality, insult, backbiting, talebearing, false accusation, etc.?!

1. The Companions' keenness on acquiring knowledge; hence, they used to ask the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) frequently about it.
2. The Companions' good understanding of the religion, as they knew that deeds are a means of entering Paradise.
3. The question posed by Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) is of great significance because it is in reality the secret of life and existence. The goal of every existent being in this world from mankind or the jinn is either Paradise or Hellfire, and this is the reason why such a question has great significance.
4. Admittance to Paradise is contingent on fulfilling the five pillars of Islam, which are: the two testimonies of faith, prayer, Zakah, fasting, and Hajj.
5. The head of the religion, the most precious mission, and the most important duty is belief in the oneness of Allah by worshiping Him alone with no partner.
6. As a token of Allah's mercy towards His slaves, He opened for them the gates of goodness to take provision from the causes leading to rewards and forgiveness of sins.
7. The merit of drawing closer to Allah by performing voluntary acts of worship after performing the obligatory ones.
8. Prayer, in relation to Islam, is like the pillar upon which a tent is set up, and without prayer, there is no Islam just as a tent collapses with the collapse of its pillar.
9. It is obligatory to restrain the tongue from whatever negatively affects man's religion.
10. Restraining, controlling, and curbing the tongue is the basis of all goodness.

سنن الترمذي (4/ 362) (2616). سنن ابن ماجه (5/ 116) (3973). مسند أحمد (36/ 344) (22016). التحفة الربانية، لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص67). شرح الأربعين النووية، للعثيمين (ص291). الأحاديث الأربعين النووية مع ما زاد عليها ابن رجب وعليها الشرح الموجز المفيد، لعبد الله بن صالح المحسن (ص57).

Al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the situation if he meets a man from the disbelievers during a battle and they fight with swords and the disbeliever strikes one of his hands with the sword and cuts it off, then he runs away from him and seeks protection in a tree and says: La ilāha illallāh (there is no god but Allah), is it lawful for me to kill him after cutting off my hand? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Do not kill him. He said: O Messenger of Allah, but he cut off one of my hands; how could I not kill him despite this?! He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not kill him because his life has become inviolable. If you kill him after declaring his Islam, his Islam has made his life inviolable just like you, and you will have the same status as his, as it will be permissible to kill you by way of legal retribution for killing him.

1. It is unlawful to kill whoever does or says what indicates embracing Islam.
2. If any of the disbelievers embraces Islam during a battle, his life becomes inviolable, and refraining from harming him becomes obligatory unless he proves otherwise.
3. A Muslim's personal desire must comply with the Shariah, not with fanaticism and revenge.
4. Ibn Hajar said: It is permissible to ask about afflictions that have not yet occurred, based on the opinion stating that this story most likely has not taken place. Considering what was reported from some of the righteous predecessors about this being disliked, it is taken to refer to what rarely occurs. However, it is permissible to ask about what could usually occur to make it known.

صحيح البخاري (5/ 85) (4019). صحيح مسلم (1/ 95) (95). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 359). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 461). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (6/ 345). المعجم الوسيط، (2/ 815).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched Usāmah ibn Zayd in a detachment to Al-Huraqah, a sub-tribe of Juhaynah. When they reached the idolaters and overtook them, a man from the idolaters escaped. Usāmah and a man from the Ansār chased him in order to kill him, and when they reached him, the man said: "There is no god but Allah." The Ansasri man left him when he said that. Usāmah, on the other hand, killed him. When they returned to Madīnah, and the news reached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) he asked Usāmah: "Did you kill him after he had said There is no god but Allah?" Usāmah said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, He only said it to save himself from being killed." The Prophet repeated the question: "Did you kill him after he had said There is no god but Allah?" Usāmah said: "Yes, he only said it to save himself from being killed. He brought harm to the Muslims and killed so and so of them." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Did you split open his heart to verify his intention? What would you do with (his statement) 'there is no god but Allah' when it comes on the Day of Judgment? Who will intercede for you, speak on your behalf and argue your case when the word of monotheism is brought and it is said to you: 'How could you kill someone who proclaimed it?'" Usāmah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day", because if he were a disbeliever who had just embraced Islam, Allah would pardon him. However he committed this act while he was a Muslim.

رياض الصالحين، للنووي، نشر: دار ابن كثير للطباعة والنشر والتوزيع، دمشق – بيروت، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428هـ - 2007م. 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. كنوز رياض الصالحين، نشر: دار كنوز إشبيليا، الطبعة: الأولى، 1430ه 2009م. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415ه. صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified how Muslims should act together. They should love goodness for each other, show mercy, offer help, and support each other. Moreover, they should feel hurt by whatever harm afflicts them. In other words, they should act like a single body; whenever one of its organs gets sick, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.

1. The Muslims' rights should be venerated and cooperation and mutual kindness between them should be encouraged.
2. There should be mutual love and support between the believers.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 10) (6011). صحيح مسلم (4/ 1999) (2586). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 246). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 317). كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (4/ 405). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص173). المعجم الوسيط (1/ 492).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Islam to a well-built structure based on five pillars that carry it and the rest of its characteristics complement the structure. First pillar: The two testimonies of faith; testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two testimonies constitute one pillar as they are both inseparable. The slave utters the two testimonies of faith acknowledging the oneness of Allah and His exclusive worthiness of worship apart from others, acting upon their requirements, believing in the message of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and following him. Second pillar: Establishing the prayer, which refers to the five obligatory prayers that are to be observed every day and night and they are: Fajr (morning), Zhuhr (noon), ‘Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and ‘Ishā’ (night), along with observing their conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts. Third pillar: Giving the obligatory Zakah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship due on every type of property that has reached the limit prescribed by Shariah and it is to be given to those entitled to it. Fourth pillar: Performing Hajj, which is travelling to Makkah to perform the rituals as a means of worshipping Allah Almighty. Fifth pillar: Fasting Ramadān, which is abstaining from food, drink, and other invalidators from the break of dawn until sunset with the intention of worshipping Allah.

1. The two testimonies of faith are inseparable, i.e., none of them is valid without the other; hence, he considered them one pillar.
2. The two testimonies of faith are the core of the religion; hence, they are essential for the validity of any saying or deed.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 11) (8)، صحيح مسلم (1/ 45) (16)، و(1/ 88) (82)، فتح الباري لابن رجب (1/ 22)، جامع العلوم والحكم (1/147)، شرح الأربعين لابن العطّار (ص 62)، شرح الأربعين النووية لعبد الكريم الخضير (ص 87)، فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين للعباد (ص 29)، شرح الأربعين النووية لصالح آل الشيخ (ص 91 - 95)، التحفة الربانية لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص 12).