مشكوة المصابيح
Mishkat al-Masabih
كتاب الإيمانThe Book of Faith
(مَا هِيَ عَلَامَةُ الإِيمَانِ؟)(What is the sign of faith?)
Hadith 45
وَعَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا الْإِيمَانُ قَالَ إِذَا سَرَّتْكَ حَسَنَتُكَ وَسَاءَتْكَ سَيِّئَتُكَ فَأَنْتَ مُؤْمِنٌ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَا الْإِثْمُ قَالَ إِذَا حَاكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ شَيْءٌ فَدَعْهُ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد
Abu Umama reported that a man asked God’s messenger what faith was, to which he replied, “When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer.” He then asked what sin was and received the reply, “When you have a besetting sin, give it up.” Ahmad transmitted it.
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Research and Authentication:
It is authentic.
◈ Ibn Hibban [الاحسان : 176، الموارد : 103], Al-Hakim [المستدرک 99/4، 13/2، 14/1], Al-Bayhaqi [شعب الایمان : 6991، 6990، 5746], Ibn Mandah [کتاب الایمان : 1088], Qadi Muhammad bin Salamah Al-Quda‘i [مسند الشہاب : 402], ‘Abd al-Razzaq [المصنف : 20104 نسخہ جدیدہ20273], and Al-Tabarani [المعجم الکبیر : 7539، المعجم الاوسط : 3107] have narrated it through the chain: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir — Zayd ibn Salam — Abu Salam (Mamtoor) — Abu Umamah (radi Allahu anhu).
◈ Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, in addition to being trustworthy and reliable, was also a mudallis (one who practices tadlis). See my book: [الفتح المبين فى تحقيق طبقات المدلسين2/63]
◈ Al-Daraqutni said:
«معروف بالتدليس»
You are well-known for tadlis. [العلل الواردة 124/11 سوال : 2163]
◈ Mu‘awiyah ibn Salam (trustworthy), the brother of Zayd ibn Salam and grandson of Mamtoor Abu Salam, said:
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir took my brother Zayd ibn Salam’s book from me. [تاريخ ابي زرعه الدمشقي : 809وسنده صحيح]
◈ Imam Yahya ibn Ma‘in said:
«لم يلق يحييٰ بن أبى كثير زيد بن سلام، وقدم معاوية بن سلام عليهم، فلم يسمع يحيي بن أبى كثير، أخذ كتابه عن أخيه ولم يسمعه، فدلسه عنه»
“Yahya ibn Abi Kathir did not meet Zayd ibn Salam. Mu‘awiyah ibn Salam came to him. Yahya ibn Abi Kathir did not hear from (Zayd ibn Salam); he took the book from his brother and did not hear anything from him, then he performed tadlis from him.” [تاريخ ابن معين، رواية الدوري : 3983]
It is thus clear that Yahya ibn Abi Kathir did not hear anything from Zayd ibn Salam, but rather narrated from his book. Narrating from a book is correct according to the preferred opinion, provided there is no established criticism in the chain of the book. Here, the intermediary between the book is trustworthy, so this narration is established from Zayd ibn Salam and the rest of the chain is authentic. There are also supporting narrations for this in Sahih Muslim [2553], Sunan al-Tirmidhi [2165 وقال : ”حسن صحيح غريب“], and others.
Jurisprudence of the Hadith
➊ Al-Tibi, the commentator of Mishkat, says: If you are pleased after doing a good deed, hoping for its reward, and you are distressed after committing a sin (fearing its punishment), then this is a sign of faith in Allah and the Hereafter. [مرعاة المفاتيح 1؍116، الكاشف عن حقائق السنن للطيبي 1؍192]
➋ In this hadith, «فأنت مؤمن» “then you are a believer,” refers to perfect faith (kamil al-iman).
➌ For those matters whose clear prohibition is not mentioned in the Shari‘ah, but there remains doubt regarding their permissibility or prohibition, then complete avoidance of all such doubtful matters is a sign of faith.
➍ Acting upon those matters established by the pure Shari‘ah is a cause of reward and a sign of faith, whether the heart inclines towards them or not.
➎ Just as a person likes sweet things and dislikes bitter things, similarly, the state of the people of faith is that they love good deeds and hate evil deeds. As for the hypocrites, disbelievers, and sinners, they distance themselves from good deeds and draw near to and love evil deeds. In this way, black spots appear on the heart until one day the entire heart becomes black and becomes completely disobedient to its Lord. Such people are among those who suffer severe loss in this world and the Hereafter.
It is authentic.
◈ Ibn Hibban [الاحسان : 176، الموارد : 103], Al-Hakim [المستدرک 99/4، 13/2، 14/1], Al-Bayhaqi [شعب الایمان : 6991، 6990، 5746], Ibn Mandah [کتاب الایمان : 1088], Qadi Muhammad bin Salamah Al-Quda‘i [مسند الشہاب : 402], ‘Abd al-Razzaq [المصنف : 20104 نسخہ جدیدہ20273], and Al-Tabarani [المعجم الکبیر : 7539، المعجم الاوسط : 3107] have narrated it through the chain: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir — Zayd ibn Salam — Abu Salam (Mamtoor) — Abu Umamah (radi Allahu anhu).
◈ Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, in addition to being trustworthy and reliable, was also a mudallis (one who practices tadlis). See my book: [الفتح المبين فى تحقيق طبقات المدلسين2/63]
◈ Al-Daraqutni said:
«معروف بالتدليس»
You are well-known for tadlis. [العلل الواردة 124/11 سوال : 2163]
◈ Mu‘awiyah ibn Salam (trustworthy), the brother of Zayd ibn Salam and grandson of Mamtoor Abu Salam, said:
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir took my brother Zayd ibn Salam’s book from me. [تاريخ ابي زرعه الدمشقي : 809وسنده صحيح]
◈ Imam Yahya ibn Ma‘in said:
«لم يلق يحييٰ بن أبى كثير زيد بن سلام، وقدم معاوية بن سلام عليهم، فلم يسمع يحيي بن أبى كثير، أخذ كتابه عن أخيه ولم يسمعه، فدلسه عنه»
“Yahya ibn Abi Kathir did not meet Zayd ibn Salam. Mu‘awiyah ibn Salam came to him. Yahya ibn Abi Kathir did not hear from (Zayd ibn Salam); he took the book from his brother and did not hear anything from him, then he performed tadlis from him.” [تاريخ ابن معين، رواية الدوري : 3983]
It is thus clear that Yahya ibn Abi Kathir did not hear anything from Zayd ibn Salam, but rather narrated from his book. Narrating from a book is correct according to the preferred opinion, provided there is no established criticism in the chain of the book. Here, the intermediary between the book is trustworthy, so this narration is established from Zayd ibn Salam and the rest of the chain is authentic. There are also supporting narrations for this in Sahih Muslim [2553], Sunan al-Tirmidhi [2165 وقال : ”حسن صحيح غريب“], and others.
Jurisprudence of the Hadith
➊ Al-Tibi, the commentator of Mishkat, says: If you are pleased after doing a good deed, hoping for its reward, and you are distressed after committing a sin (fearing its punishment), then this is a sign of faith in Allah and the Hereafter. [مرعاة المفاتيح 1؍116، الكاشف عن حقائق السنن للطيبي 1؍192]
➋ In this hadith, «فأنت مؤمن» “then you are a believer,” refers to perfect faith (kamil al-iman).
➌ For those matters whose clear prohibition is not mentioned in the Shari‘ah, but there remains doubt regarding their permissibility or prohibition, then complete avoidance of all such doubtful matters is a sign of faith.
➍ Acting upon those matters established by the pure Shari‘ah is a cause of reward and a sign of faith, whether the heart inclines towards them or not.
➎ Just as a person likes sweet things and dislikes bitter things, similarly, the state of the people of faith is that they love good deeds and hate evil deeds. As for the hypocrites, disbelievers, and sinners, they distance themselves from good deeds and draw near to and love evil deeds. In this way, black spots appear on the heart until one day the entire heart becomes black and becomes completely disobedient to its Lord. Such people are among those who suffer severe loss in this world and the Hereafter.
Source: Adwa al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, Page: 45
