Beneficial counsels

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or from another Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Each of you should take a tongue that remembers (Allah), a grateful heart, and a believing wife who will help him in the matters of his religion and faith."
(The author says:) I have cited this narration because of the doubt present in it, while Imam al-Tirmidhi and Imam Ibn Majah have narrated it through the route of Salim bin Abi al-Ja'd from Sayyiduna Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) alone, and the wording of the hadith reported by both of them is fuller and more complete.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "You give birth for death and build for ruin; you are greedy for what will perish and you neglect what will remain. Behold! How good and welcome for you are these three things: death, illness and poverty."
I (Ibn Hajar) say: Abu Nu'aym narrated it in Hilyat al-Awliya' in the biography of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), through Abdullah bin Wahb, from Yahya bin Ayyub, from Ubaydullah bin Zahr, that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, and then he mentioned the full narration, but at its end he reported these words: "Behold! How excellent are the two disliked things, namely death and poverty," and he did not mention any intermediary in this chain between Ubaydullah and Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Abd al-Wahid that Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "O children of Adam! Give birth (to children) for death and build (buildings) for desolation and ruin; your souls will perish, but your homes and dwellings will remain (after you)."
Takhrij: This athar is found in Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal's Kitab al-Zuhd (no. 3138).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to say in his sermon: "Indeed, the most truthful speech is the Word of Allah; the firmest handhold is the word of taqwa (God-consciousness); the best religion is the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him); the best of stories is this Qur'an; the best ways are the ways of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); the noblest speech is the remembrance of Allah Almighty; the best of affairs are those of firm resolve (that are well established); the worst of affairs are those newly invented in the religion; the best guidance is the guidance of the prophets (peace be upon them); the most honourable death is the death of the martyrs; the worst misguidance is going astray after having been guided; the best knowledge is that which benefits; the best guidance is that which is followed; the worst blindness is blindness of the heart; the upper hand is better than the lower hand; a little that suffices is better than much that distracts; a soul that you save is better than a position of rule whose duties and responsibility you cannot fully discharge; the worst deception is deception at the time of death; the worst regret is regret on the Day of Resurrection; among people are some who come to the Friday prayer or the prayer only at the very last moment, and who remember Allah Almighty only with idle and indecent talk; the greatest of sins is a lying tongue; the best wealth is richness of the soul; the best provision is taqwa; the foundation of wisdom is the fear of Allah Almighty; the best thing placed in the heart is certainty; doubt is part of disbelief; wailing over the dead is among the deeds of the Jahiliyyah; stealing from the spoils of war is among the embers of Hell; hoarded treasure on which zakah has not been paid is a cause of being branded with fire; poetry is the flutes of Iblis; wine is the sum of all sins; women are the snares of Satan; youth is a branch of madness; the worst earnings are the earnings of usury (riba); the worst food is eating the wealth of the orphan; the fortunate one is he who takes admonition from the circumstances of others, and the wretched one is he who was written wretched while still in his mother's womb; what suffices each of you is that with which his soul is content; every person's end is a place of four cubits (the grave); the best matter is that which is accomplished promptly; deeds depend upon their endings; the worst narrations are false narrations; everything that is coming is near; abusing a Muslim is sinfulness and fighting him is disbelief; eating his flesh (backbiting him) is disobedience to Allah; the sanctity of his wealth is like the sanctity of his blood; whoever swears false oaths by Allah, Allah proves him a liar; whoever forgives, Allah forgives him; whoever pardons, Allah pardons him; whoever swallows his anger, Allah rewards him; whoever is patient over calamities, Allah helps him; whoever recognises trial for what it is bears it patiently, and whoever does not recognise it rejects it (with impatience), and whoever rejects it, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, lets him go to ruin; whoever pursues fame, Allah makes him famous (with disgrace); whoever intends this world, it defeats him; whoever follows Satan disobeys Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; and whoever disobeys Allah, He will punish him."
In the narration of Imam Ahmad bin Mani' it states that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to deliver this sermon every Thursday evening, and we considered it to be the sermon of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself: "O people! Indeed, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah; the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); the worst of affairs are newly invented matters; every newly invented matter is an innovation (bid'ah), and every innovation is misguidance. Behold! You will all be gathered on a single plain, where eyes will be able to see all of you and the voice of the caller will be heard by all; and indeed the wretched one is he who was wretched while still in his mother's womb, and the fortunate one is he who takes admonition from others."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Commander of the Believers, Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), when entering Jabiyah in the land of Sham, addressed the people in a sermon and said: "Acquire the knowledge of the Noble Qur'an so that you may be known by it, and act upon it so that you may be counted among its true people. Indeed, the rank and status of anyone who has a right never makes it permissible that he be obeyed in disobedience to Allah Almighty. Know that speaking the truth and giving a great reminder neither brings the time of death closer nor keeps provision away. Understand well that there is a veil between a servant and his provision; his provision shows itself to him, and if he (showing impatience) rushes at it, that veil is torn, yet even then he cannot obtain the slightest bit more than the provision decreed for him. Train and discipline horses, practise archery, wear sandals, take care to use the tooth-stick (miswak), and live a rugged life like your forefather Ma'add bin Adnan. Keep yourselves away from the ways of the non-Arabs and from the company of tyrants. No cross should be seen among you; never sit at a table at which wine is being drunk; do not enter the bathhouse without a waist-wrap; and do not permit your women to go to the bathhouses, for that is not lawful for them. Beware! While staying in the cities of the non-Arabs, avoid such means of livelihood from them as would tie you down in their lands, for soon you will return to your own countries. Refrain from hanging bells (or brass necklaces) around your necks. Hold fast to the wealth of the Arabs, that is, livestock, for wherever you move they can move along with you. Know that drinks are made from raisins, honey and dates; whatever of them becomes intoxicating is wine, which is not lawful. And know also that Allah Almighty will not purify three kinds of people (of their sins), nor look at them with mercy, nor bring them near to Him on the Day of Resurrection: first, a man who pledged allegiance to his imam (ruler) only for worldly benefit; if he gained that benefit he kept his pledge, and if not, he was disloyal. Second, a man who went out after Asr to sell his goods and swore that he had been offered such-and-such a price for them, so the goods were bought on the strength of his word. Abusing a Muslim is sinfulness and fighting him is disbelief. It is not lawful for you to cut off your brother for more than three days. And whoever goes to a sorcerer, a soothsayer or a fortune-teller and believes what he says has disbelieved in the revelation that was sent down upon Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)."
There is weakness in the chain because of Ibn Lahi'ah; however, many parts of the hadith are established by other sahih hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I served the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when I was eight years old, and the first thing that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me was that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O my dear son! Perform your ablution well and perfectly." Then he mentioned the full hadith, at the end of which is: "Never reach the morning or the evening in a state where there is in your heart the slightest deceit, rancour or ill-will towards any Muslim, for this is my way and my Sunnah; whoever holds fast to my Sunnah has truly loved me, and whoever loves me will be with me in Paradise. O my dear son! When you act upon this and preserve this advice of mine, nothing will be more beloved to you than death, for in it lies true rest and peace for you."
Imam Abu Ya'la also narrated it in the same way, indeed in greater detail.
In another chain it is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) added in it: "When you enter your house, greet your household with salam, and Allah Almighty will increase your blessings; honour and respect the elders of the Muslims and show mercy and kindness to their young; (on the Day of Resurrection) you and I will be as close as these two fingers," and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured by joining his blessed fingers.
In the narration of Mansur bin Abi Muzahim it states: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave me advice, at the end of which is: "If you sleep while you are in a state of ablution and purity and death comes to you in that state, you will die the death of a martyr. O Anas! Honour the elders and show mercy to the young."

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi that he said: I saw Umar bin Abd al-Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) when he was our governor in Madinah in the time of al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik; at that time he was an attractive, healthy young man with a full body. Then, when he assumed the office of caliph and bore the burden of the responsibilities of government and concern for his subjects that he bore, his condition changed completely. I began to look at him (in astonishment) and could not take my eyes off him. He asked me: "O Ibn Ka'b! Are you looking at me (intently) in a way you never looked at me before?" I said: "I am astonished at your condition." He asked: "What astonishes you?" I said: "The change in your complexion, the falling out of your hair, and the withering and thinning of your body." He said: "Then how will you be when you see me in the grave three days after my death, when both my eyes will have flowed down onto my face, and pus and worms will be flowing from my nostrils and mouth? Will you not then find me even more strange and unrecognisable? Well, now repeat to me the hadith that you narrated to me on the authority of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)." Muhammad bin Ka'b said: I said: Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated to me, and he traced this hadith back (marfu') to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, everything has a nobility (rank), and the most elevated of gatherings is that in which one faces the qiblah; the talk of a gathering is a trust; kill the snake and the scorpion even if you are in your prayer; whoever would like to be the most honoured of people, let him have taqwa of Allah Almighty; whoever wishes to be the strongest of people, let him rely upon Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; and whoever wishes to be the richest (most self-sufficient) of people, let him have more trust in what is in the hand (power) of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, than in what is in his own hand. Shall I not inform you of the worst among you?" The Companions said: "Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who camps alone (sharing with no one), withholds his gift, and beats his subordinate. Shall I not inform you of one even worse than this?" They said: "Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who hates people and whom people hate. Shall I not tell you of a man even worse than this?" They said: "Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who neither overlooks anyone's slip, nor accepts anyone's excuse, nor forgives anyone's sin. Shall I not inform you of one even worse than this?" They said: "Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one from whom no good is hoped and from whose evil no one is safe. Indeed, Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) stood among his people and said: 'O Children of Israel! Do not speak words of wisdom before the foolish and ignorant, or you will wrong wisdom (by wasting it); do not withhold wisdom from those worthy of it, or you will wrong them; do not wrong anyone yourselves, and do not repay a wrongdoer with wrongdoing, or your merit and excellence with your Lord will be nullified. O Children of Israel! Matters are of three kinds: a matter whose rightness and good are clear, so follow it; a matter whose error is evident, so avoid it; and a matter about which there is disagreement, so refer it to the one who knows it (the scholar).'"
Imam al-Harith also narrated it in the same way from Surayj bin Yunus, from Abd al-Aziz bin Abd al-Samad, from Abu al-Miqdam, from Muhammad bin Ka'b. I (Ibn Hajar) say: The opening parts of this hadith are also found in the books of Sunan.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that one day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came towards the mosque and found some people engaged in conversation with one another whom their talk had made laugh. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped there, greeted them with salam and said: "Remember often the destroyer of pleasures, that is, death." After this incident the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out on another occasion and again saw some people talking and laughing, and he said: "Behold! By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you knew the realities that I know, you would laugh little and weep much." The narrator said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out once again and found people talking and joking, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) greeted them with salam and then said: "Listen! Indeed, Islam began as something strange, and soon it will become strange again just as it began; so glad tidings and Tuba are for those strangers on the Day of Resurrection." It was said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, who are those strangers? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They are the people who remain firm upon righteousness and goodness at the time when people have fallen into corruption and decay."
Musnad Abi Ya'la: 3129, al-Mu'jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani: 13093. Its chain contains Kawthar bin Hakim, who is a matruk (abandoned) narrator; however, there are other sahih hadith with this meaning.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the time of his death drew near, he said: I am narrating to you a hadith that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Worship Allah Almighty as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you; count yourself among the dead (the people of the graves); beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it is certainly answered; and whoever among you is able to attend the Isha and Fajr prayers in congregation, let him surely do so, even if he has to come crawling."
Were it not for one unnamed (mubham) narrator in it, this narration would be sahih.
In another narration from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) it states that he said: "Worship Allah Almighty as though you see Him," and then he reported the same words up to the supplication of the oppressed, and added: "And know that a little that suffices you is better than much that distracts you (from Allah); and surely the recompense, that is, the reckoning, never grows old, and goodness is never forgotten."

Abu Zakariyya al-Kufi narrates from a man that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade a man from three things and enjoined upon him three things. As for the things he (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, he said: "Never break a covenant or pledge, nor help anyone in breaking a covenant; and never commit oppression or transgression, for whoever is oppressed, Allah Almighty will surely help him; and keep away from evil plots, scheming and deception, for the evil plot encompasses none but its own author; and for all these deeds there is One in the court of Allah Almighty who will take them to account." As for the things he (peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined upon him, they are: "Remember death often, for it will make you weary of all other things of the world and give your heart comfort; hold fast to supplication, for you do not know at what moment your supplication will be answered; and cling to gratitude, for it is a cause of increase in blessings." Then Imam Sufyan recited this verse: "If you are grateful, I will surely give you more." [Surah Ibrahim: 7]
Imam al-Bayhaqi mentioned this narration in Shu'ab al-Iman; its chain contains an unnamed (mubham) narrator, but supporting evidence for its various parts is abundantly found in other sahih hadith.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, with Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, are countless treasuries of good and of evil, and the keys that open them are certain particular people."
Musnad Abi Ya'la: 3132. The narrator Abd al-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam in its chain is da'if (weak).