Book of Faith

Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said to his young slaves: "Whoever among you wishes to marry, we will get him married. For no fornicator among you commits fornication except that Allah strips the light of faith from him. Then if He wishes to return it, He returns it, and if He wishes to withhold it, He withholds faith from him."

Ibn Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him) said that his father, Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him), said: "How astonishing are our Iraqi brothers, who regard al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf as a believer!"

Al-Ajlah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I bear witness that he believes in the Taghut (false objects of worship) and disbelieves in Allah." Meaning al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf.

Khaythamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "A time will come upon the people when they will gather and pray in the mosques, and there will not be a single believer among them."

Asim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We said to Talq bin Habib (may Allah have mercy on him): "Describe piety (taqwa) to us." He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Piety is acting in accordance with what pleases Allah, hoping for Allah's mercy, upon a light of insight from Allah. And piety is abandoning disobedience to Allah, out of fear of Allah, upon a light of insight from Allah."

Mansur (may Allah have mercy on him) said that whenever al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf was mentioned before Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him), he (may Allah have mercy on him) would say: "Beware, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers."

Mansur (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "For the one who doubts concerning al-Hajjaj, this punishment is sufficient: that Allah distance him from His mercy."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is not a believer who spends the night with a full stomach while his neighbour is hungry beside him."

Talq bin Habib (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There are three qualities; whoever has them has found the taste and sweetness of faith. They are: that the love of Allah and His Messenger be greater than the love of everything else in the world; that he love someone for the pleasure of Allah and hate someone for the pleasure of Allah." And he mentioned polytheism (shirk).

Sayyiduna al-Miswar bin Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) both went in to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) when he had been stabbed. They said: "It is the time of prayer." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The one who neglects the prayer has no share in Islam." Then he prayed while blood was flowing from his wound.

Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) used to say to his companions: "Walk with us so that we may increase in faith."

Al-Aswad bin Hilal al-Muharibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "Sit with us so that we may discuss faith for a while," meaning: let us remember Allah.

Mu'awiyah bin Qurrah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) used to supplicate in this way: "O Allah, I ask You for lasting faith, beneficial knowledge and a straight path."

Mu'awiyah said: So we understood that there is faith which does not last, knowledge which does not benefit, and a path which is not straight.

Al-Aswad bin Hilal (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) would say to one of his companions: "Sit with us so that we may discuss faith for a while." Then the two of them would sit, remembering Allah and praising Him.

Zirr (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those who would take one or two men of their companions by the hand and say: "Come with us, let us increase in faith."

Tariq bin Shihab al-Ahmasi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The example of the five prayers is that of shares of the spoils of war. Whoever takes five shares of it is better than one who takes four shares; whoever takes four shares is better than one who takes three; whoever takes three shares is better than one who takes two; and whoever takes two shares is better than one who takes a single share. And Allah has not made the one who has a share in Islam like the one who has no share."

Abu Zur'ah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Faith is a light. Whoever commits fornication, faith parts from him. Then whoever blames himself and turns back to Allah, faith returns to him."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The believers most complete in faith are those who are best in character."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The believers most complete in faith and most excellent in faith are those among them who are best in character."

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The believers most complete in faith are those who are best in character."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The believers most complete in faith are those who are best in character."

Sa'id bin Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Modesty and faith have been joined together. So when one of them is lifted, the other is lifted as well."

Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that a man said in the presence of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "Indeed I am a believer." He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Then say: 'Indeed I am among the people of Paradise'!" And he said: "Rather, we believe in Allah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers."

Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: "Are you a believer?" He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I hope so."

Abd al-Rahman bin Ismah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "If Allah wills, you are believers."

Ata bin al-Sa'ib (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Abu Abd al-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "When one of you is asked, 'Are you a believer?', let him never be in doubt."

Ziyad bin Ilaqah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Abdullah bin Yazid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "When one of you is asked, 'Are you a believer?', let him never be in doubt about his faith."

Musa bin Abi Kathir reports from an unnamed man, who reports that his father said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "I am a believer."

Al-A'mash (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Abu Wa'il (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man came to Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "I met some riders and asked them: 'Who are you?' They said: 'We are the believers.'" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Why then did they not say: 'We are in Paradise'!"

Ibn Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him) reports from his father, Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him), and Muhill (may Allah have mercy on him) reports from Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him), that when the two of them (Tawus and Ibrahim) were asked about faith, they would say: "We believe in Allah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers."

Muhill reports from Ibrahim that when the two of them (Tawus and Ibrahim) were asked, they would say: "We believe in Allah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers."

Al-Shaybani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I met Abdullah bin Ma'qil (may Allah have mercy on him) and said to him: "Some religious people find fault with me for saying: 'I am a believer.'" Abdullah bin Ma'qil (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "You have indeed failed and lost if you are not a believer."

Sawwar bin Shabib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man came to Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: "There are some people here who testify against me that I am a disbeliever." He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Why do you not say: There is no god but Allah? In this way you will prove them liars."

Ibn Alaqah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Yazid al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Call yourselves by the names that Allah has given you: Hanifi, Muslim and believer.

Salamah bin Sabrah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed us and said: "You are the believers, and you are the people of Paradise."

Ja'far bin Burqan said: Umar bin Abd al-Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote to us, saying: "After praise and blessings: indeed, the firmness of the religion and the foundation of Islam are faith in Allah, keeping up the prayers and giving zakah. So perform the prayer at its proper time."

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever has recited this declaration, There is no god but Allah, and has in his heart good equal to a grain of barley, will come out of Hell." Then he said a second time: "And whoever has recited this declaration, There is no god but Allah, and has in his heart good equal to the weight of a grain of wheat, will come out of Hell." Then he said: "Also, whoever has recited this declaration, There is no god but Allah, while having in his heart good equal to the weight of a speck, will come out of Hell."

Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A group came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave wealth to all of them except one man among them. So Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! You (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to all of them and left out so-and-so. By Allah, I consider him a believer." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Or do you consider him a Muslim?" Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, I consider him a believer." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Or do you consider him a Muslim?" Thus the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said this three times.

Abu Uthman said that Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It will be said to him, meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Ask, and you will be given. Intercede, and your intercession will be accepted. Supplicate, and it will be answered." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) will raise his head and say, two or three times: "My Ummah, my Ummah!" Then Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He (peace and blessings be upon him) will intercede for everyone who has in his heart faith equal to a grain of wheat, or he said: faith equal to a grain of barley, or he said: faith equal to a mustard seed. Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This, for you, is the Praised Station (al-Maqam al-Mahmud).