Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
This is the grace of Allah, exalted is His majesty, upon His Muslim servants, even though no good deed of a disbeliever is accepted, nor will he receive any reward for it in the Hereafter.
However, if a disbeliever becomes a Muslim, the good deeds he performed during his time of disbelief will also remain valid for him.
Now, those scholars who have expressed an opinion contrary to this hadith should be told that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, knew more about the Hereafter than you.
When Allah bestows a favor, why do you seek to prevent His favor?
﴿أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾ (an-Nisa: 54) (Waheedi)
Hazrat Hakim bin Hizam, radi Allahu anhu, was that eminent and extremely generous Companion who, before Islam, freed one hundred slaves and provided one hundred camels for people to ride.
Then, when Allah blessed him with the wealth of Islam, he thought, why not perform such good deeds in Islam as well?
Thus, after becoming Muslim, he again provided one hundred camels for people to ride and freed one hundred slaves.
It is said that these one hundred camels, in both periods, he offered for the pilgrims to ride.
Then he sacrificed them in the sacred precincts of Makkah.
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, gave him the glad tidings that after embracing Islam, all his good deeds from the time of disbelief would also remain established for him, and Allah, the Pure, would grant him a great reward for all of them.
From this, the purpose of the chapter is established: that even if a polytheist or disbeliever frees a slave, this good deed of his will be considered valid.
The good deeds that non-Muslims perform are rewarded in this world.
﴿وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ نَصِيبٍ﴾ (ash-Shura: 20)
That is, they have no share in the Hereafter.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, it is understood that it is permissible for a polytheist to free a slave with the intention of reward, but he will receive the reward only if he accepts Islam. The statement of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) does not at all mean that the acts of worship of such people are valid while they are in a state of disbelief, because the command of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾ “Their efforts (good deeds and righteousness) have been wasted in the life of this world.” ( al-Kahf 18:104)
Rather, after he becomes a Muslim, he will benefit from the good deeds performed in the state of disbelief. Thus, when Hakim bin Hizam (radi Allahu anhu) freed slaves, he was a disbeliever at that time; he received the reward after becoming a Muslim. Therefore, the person who frees slaves while being a Muslim will, all the more so, receive the reward.

(2)
It should be clear that no good deed of a disbeliever is accepted, nor will he receive any reward in the Hereafter. However, there is a special mercy of Allah upon His Muslim servants that their good deeds performed during the time of disbelief remain preserved for them, as is explicitly stated in the hadith.

Hadith Commentary:
That is, all those good deeds will remain established and their reward will certainly be granted.
By bringing this hadith at the end, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has perhaps indicated that transactions and dealings within permissible limits, which took place before accepting Islam, will remain valid even after embracing Islam, and there will be no alteration in them.
Or, if one of the two parties has become Muslim and there is some ongoing transaction within permissible limits that is related to the period of ignorance (jahiliyyah), then according to their custom, it can continue to be maintained.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has further stated regarding the rights of disbelievers and polytheists that if someone performed good deeds during the Age of Ignorance and then embraced Islam, he will also be rewarded for those good deeds.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“You have not entered Islam by erasing those good deeds, but rather by retaining them, and you will be rewarded for them.
On the contrary, those things which are false will have no value after embracing Islam.
Islam will erase all of them.”
(2)
The relevance of this hadith to the chapter heading is as follows: for a polytheist to give charity, to show kindness to relatives, and to free slaves can only be valid if his ownership in these matters is sound.
The right of ownership of a polytheist is acknowledged, because the validity of freeing a slave depends on the recognition of his ownership as correct.
(Fath al-Bari: 4/512)
(3)
Another meaning of this hadith is that it is due to the good deeds you performed in the previous era that you were granted the ability to accept Islam.

Hadith Commentary:
Hakim bin Hizam al-Qurashi al-Umawi was the nephew of Khadijah. He was born one year and some months before the event of the Elephant (Wāqi‘at al-Feel). He remained honored and respected in both the eras of disbelief and Islam. He passed away in the year 54 AH at the age of 120 years. He spent sixty years each in the periods of disbelief and Islam. He was extremely intelligent, virtuous, and pious. Radi Allahu anhu wa ardah. Ameen.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Hazrat Hakim bin Hizam radi Allahu anhu spent sixty years in the era of disbelief and then also sixty years in the era of Islam, and in both the times of disbelief and Islam, he was among the most honored and took an active part in the most distinguished periods.

(2)
From this hadith, it is understood that if someone performed good deeds while in a state of shirk (polytheism), and then later became Muslim, his good deeds will not be rendered void; rather, he will also be rewarded for the righteous deeds performed during the time of disbelief. Among these good deeds, one is the act of maintaining family ties (silat ar-rahm), which is mentioned specifically in the hadith. The reward for maintaining family ties performed during the era of ignorance (jahiliyyah) will also be given.

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established a chapter heading for this hadith in these words:
(Bab man tasaddaqa fi ash-shirk thumma aslama)
“Whoever gave charity during the time of shirk and then became Muslim.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Zakat, Chapter: 24)

In any case, the acts of worship and obedience performed during the era of shirk will not be wasted after accepting Islam.

And Allah knows best.

Lexical Explanation:
«اَتَحَنَّثُ» (pattern taf‘ul) means: the actions I used to perform with the intention of worship and seeking closeness (to Allah).

Understanding of the Hadith:
This hadith is evidence that if a disbeliever becomes Muslim and then dies in the state of Islam, he is also rewarded for the good deeds he performed during the time of disbelief.

Hadith Commentary:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established from this hadith that if a disbeliever becomes Muslim, he will also receive the reward for the good deeds performed during the time of disbelief.
This is a favor from Allah the Exalted.
No one has any claim over this.
Whatever the Messenger of the True Sovereign (Allah) has stated, that alone is the law.
This is stated even more explicitly in the narration of Dar Qutni, that when a disbeliever accepts Islam and becomes a good Muslim, every good deed he performed before Islam is recorded for him, and every evil deed he committed before Islam is erased.
After that, for every good deed, he continues to receive a reward from tenfold up to seven hundredfold, and for every evil deed, only one evil is recorded.
In fact, it is possible that Allah the Exalted may even forgive that as well.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Another translation of the last part of the hadith is that you became Muslim due to your adherence to previous good deeds, meaning you will receive their reward. There is no need to interpret this in any other way; rather, it should be understood according to its apparent meaning, that is, after embracing Islam, a disbeliever will also receive the reward for the good deeds performed during the period of disbelief.

As mentioned in the hadith: Whoever embraced Islam and then fulfilled the requirements of Islam well, he will also be rewarded for the acts of obedience and good deeds performed during the time of disbelief, and all the mistakes committed during disbelief will be erased.
(Sunan al-Nasa’i, Al-Iman, Hadith: 5001)

Whereas in Sahih al-Bukhari, only the expiation of sins is mentioned, and there are no words about accumulating good deeds.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Iman, Hadith: 41)

Some scholars have written that Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah deliberately omitted this phrase because granting reward for good deeds performed during disbelief is against the general principles. However, Ibn Battal said that Allah Ta’ala may bestow His grace and bounty upon His servants as He wills and in whatever manner He wills; we are not permitted to object to this.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/134)

(2)
In our view, Ibn Battal has spoken correctly, and it is not appropriate to say such things about Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah without reason.

Our position in this matter is that there are two types of good deeds (hasanat):

➊ Such good deeds that are not directly related to acts of worship, but rather pertain to noble character and human compassion, for example: forbearance and patience, freeing slaves, and giving charity, etc. These types of good deeds will benefit the disbeliever in the Hereafter. Regarding maintaining family ties (silat al-rahm), it is explicitly mentioned in the hadith that even a disbeliever receives honor and expansion of sustenance in this world as a result, but such good deeds will not be a means of salvation from punishment in the Hereafter, because faith (iman) is a condition for that, even if it is faint. However, due to these deeds, there will certainly be a reduction in punishment. For example: The entire body of the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam uncle, Abu Talib, will be protected from punishment; only shoes of fire will be put on him, the heat of which will cause his brain to boil.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Manaqib al-Ansar, Hadith: 3885)

➋ Such good deeds that are directly related to acts of worship, for example: performing prayer (salah) or pilgrimage (hajj), will have no value in this world or the Hereafter. Yes, if the person becomes Muslim, then they will be counted. If he does not become Muslim and dies in a state of disbelief, such acts of worship will be rendered as scattered dust (haba’an manthura), because intention (niyyah) is necessary in acts of worship, and intention is not valid without faith. In the second category of acts of obedience, intention is not a condition.

In the hadith of Hakim ibn Hizam radi Allahu anhu, only freeing slaves, giving charity, and maintaining family ties, etc., are mentioned; acts of worship are not mentioned in it.

It is mentioned in the hadith that a disbeliever is given the reward for his good deeds in this world in the form of expansion of sustenance.
(Fath al-Bari: 3/381)

Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has established from this hadith that when a disbeliever or polytheist enters the fold of Islam, his previous good deeds are also preserved, and he receives the reward for the good deeds performed during the period of disbelief. This is purely the grace and bounty of Allah.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has mentioned several explanations, but in our view, the correct position is that when a disbeliever becomes Muslim, his previous good deeds are also recorded in his book of deeds, provided that he dies while adhering to Islam.
(Fath al-Bari: 3/381)

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
:
Atabarraru:
Derived from birr (goodness, kindness),
Through them, he used to seek kindness towards people and nearness to Allah.

Benefits and Issues:
One meaning taken from this hadith is that the good deeds performed during the era of ignorance (jahiliyyah) created within you the capability and readiness to accept Islam, and they became the cause and reason for your embracing Islam.
Or, it is by the blessing and result of those very good deeds that you have accepted Islam.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
UMŪR (أُمُورٌ):
Plural of AMR (أَمْرٌ),
meaning:
deeds and actions.
(2)
ATAHANNAṮU (أَتَحَنَّثُ):
Derived from TAḤANNUṮ (تَحَنّثٌ),
that is, to do such an act by which a person is absolved from sin,
the intent is to perform worship or a righteous deed.

Benefits and Issues:
It is established from the Qur’an and Hadith that the obedience, worship, or good deeds of a disbeliever are not recognized,
because a deed
becomes a good deed only when it is performed with belief in the Hereafter and with the intention of attaining reward in the Hereafter, and a disbeliever does not hold this belief.
However, Islam and faith (iman) possess such weight and strength within themselves that the worthless and futile good deeds performed in the state of disbelief,
even those acquire weight and become beneficial.
If the disbeliever dies upon disbelief, then these deeds are rendered void,
regarding this, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“INNAMA AL-A‘MĀLU BIL-KHAWĀTĪM” — “The outcome of deeds depends upon their conclusion.”

Benefit:
In Sahih Bukhari, there is a detailed hadith that Hakim bin Hizam, during the time of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), freed one hundred slaves and gave one hundred camels to people for riding. When he became Muslim, he gave another one hundred camels to people for riding and freed another one hundred slaves. Sayyiduna Hakim radi Allahu anhu says that he asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me about those things which I used to do in the time of ignorance—meaning, those things I used to do for reward..."
From this, it is proven that if a disbeliever does a good deed with the intention of reward, he will receive its reward if he becomes Muslim. Remember, no good deed of a disbeliever is accepted while he is in a state of disbelief.
The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is: ﴿ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾ (al-Kahf: 104)
"Their efforts (good deeds) in the life of this world have been lost."