Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Murrah that he said: Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Worship Allah as if you see Him, and count yourself among the dead. And know that the little which suffices you is better than the abundance which makes you heedless. And know that virtue does not become old, and sin is not forgotten.

It is narrated from Hazrat Raja bin Haywah that he says: Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered the people of Damascus and then said: Listen to your well-wishing brother. Do you accumulate that which you will not eat? And do you hope for things which you will not attain? And do you build that in which you will not live? Where are those who were before you? They accumulated much and made distant hopes, and built strong (buildings). Then what they accumulated became useless, their hopes deceived them, and their homes became graves.

It is narrated from Hazrat Habib that he says Hazrat Abu Darda, whenever he passed by any settlement, would say: "Where are your inhabitants?" Then he, may Allah be pleased with him, would say: "They have departed, but their deeds remain."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdul Malik bin Umair, he says that Hazrat Abu Darda said: Whoever frequently remembers death, his envy will decrease and his happiness will decrease.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: You cannot become a complete jurist until you become angry with people for the sake of Allah. Then you should return to your own self, and you will find yourself even more angry with your own soul.

It is narrated from Hazrat Muawiyah bin Qurrah that he says Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It is not goodness that your children and wealth become abundant, rather goodness is that your forbearance increases and your deeds become more, and you surpass others in the worship of Allah. Then if you do a good deed, you praise Allah, and if you do a bad deed, you seek forgiveness from Allah.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Contemplation for a moment is better than standing in prayer for the whole night.

Hazrat Salim bin Abi Al-Ja'd narrates from Umm Darda (may Allah be pleased with her), who says that she was asked, "What was the most virtuous deed of Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him)?" She replied: Reflection.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Those whose tongues remain constantly moist with the remembrance of Allah will enter Paradise in such a state that they will be smiling.

Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Whenever I have spent a night in such a way that in the morning people afflict me with some trouble because of that night, I consider it to be a blessing from Allah upon me.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hazim that he says: Hazrat Umm Darda (may Allah be pleased with her) said to Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him): When an old man comes, he performs the prayer, but when a young man comes, he does not perform the prayer. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Everyone is in reward, and for that he has been prepared.

It is narrated from Hazrat Kathir bin Murrah Hadhrami that he says: I heard Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) say: Shall I not tell you of the best of deeds, which is most beloved to your Lord and which raises your ranks the most? Even better than fighting your enemy, so that they strike your necks and you strike their necks? Better than giving dirhams and dinars? The people asked: O Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), what is that? He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: The remembrance of Allah. And the remembrance of Allah is a very great thing.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I command you to do an act while I do not do it myself. But I hope for reward in it, and I have great aversion towards that person upon whom I am unjust, who seeks help regarding me only from Allah.

It is narrated about Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he mentioned the world, he used to say: The world and whatever is in it are all accursed.

It is narrated from Hazrat Muawiyah bin Qurrah that he says Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) fell ill, so people came to visit him. People asked: What is it that you are suffering from? He replied: From my sins. He was asked: What is it that you desire? He replied: Paradise. It was said: Shall we call a doctor for you? He replied: It is He (Allah) who has laid me on this bed.

It is narrated from Hazrat Zaid bin Aslam that he says Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Continue seeking goodness throughout your life and present yourselves before the breezes of Allah’s mercy, for there are certain breezes of Allah’s mercy which Allah bestows upon whomever He wills among His servants. And ask Allah to conceal your secrets and to grant you safety from your fears.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The best place of worship for a person is his house, in which he guards his tongue and his gaze. And beware, avoid the marketplace, for it leads to vain talk and causes heedlessness.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he says: Whoever scrutinizes becomes deprived, and whoever does not show patience in distressing matters becomes helpless. The narrator says that Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If you lend to people, people will also lend to you, and if you forsake them, they will not forsake you. The narrator said: Then what do you command me? Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Take a loan from your honor for the days of your poverty.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu’l-Bakhtari that he says: Once, there was a fire burning under the pot of Hazrat Abu’d-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him), and Hazrat Salman was with him, when suddenly Hazrat Abu’d-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) heard a sound from the pot. Then that sound turned into the sound of weeping, like the cry of a child. The narrator says: Then the pot fell and turned upside down, then it returned to its place, but nothing from it was spilled. So Hazrat Abu’d-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) began to call out: O Salman! See this strange thing! See something the like of which neither you nor your father have seen. Hazrat Salman said: If you had remained silent, you would have heard one of the great signs of Allah Almighty.

It is narrated from Hazrat Humaid bin Hilal that he says Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When I stand for reckoning, the thing I fear the most is that it will be said to me, "Indeed, you had knowledge. So what did you do with what you knew?"

It is narrated from Hazrat Salim bin Abi Al-Ja'd, he says: Two oxen passed by Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), both of them were yoked in work. Then one of them stood up, so the other also stood up. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Surely, there is a lesson in this.

Hazrat Ya'la (may Allah be pleased with him) bin Waleed narrates that he said: I was walking with Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him). He says: I asked, "O Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him)! What do you prefer for the one whom you love?" He replied: "Death." The narrator says: I said to him, "But if he does not die?" He replied: "That his children and wealth become less."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Yazid narrates, he says that Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: One night, in the darkness before dawn, I went towards the mosque. When I entered, I passed by a man. He was in prostration and saying: O Allah! I am afraid, I seek refuge, so grant me refuge from Your punishment. And I am a poor beggar, so provide me sustenance from Your bounty. I am not free from sin, but accept my excuse, and I am not strong, so help me. Rather, I am a sinner and a seeker of forgiveness. The narrator says that Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) began to teach these words to his students in the morning, considering them good.

Hazrat Salman bin Murtad narrates, he says that I heard the daughter of Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: If you knew what I know, then surely you would laugh little and weep much. And you would go out weeping. You would not know whether you will attain salvation or not.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: If you wish, I can swear to you. Indeed, the most beloved servants to Allah Almighty among His servants are those who love Allah, and who cause His servants to love Allah. They are those who, because of the remembrance of Allah, pay attention to the sun, the moon, the stars, and the shadows.

It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abi Laila that he says Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to Hazrat Musleh bin Makhlad while he was the governor of Egypt. "Amma ba'd! Indeed, when a servant performs an act of obedience to Allah, Allah loves him. And when Allah loves him, He grants him love among His creation. And when Allah dislikes a servant, He makes him disliked among His creation."

It is narrated about Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: What has happened to me that I see your scholars are departing and I see your ignorant people are not acquiring knowledge? Acquire knowledge before knowledge is taken away, for the taking away of knowledge is the departure of the scholars. What has happened to me that I see you eager for those things which have been entrusted to you? Among you, I know the evil people better than the one who treats animals knows horses. These are the people who perform prayer after its time has passed, listen to the Holy Qur’an with indifference, and do not free their slaves.

It is narrated from Hazrat Salim that he says: A man went up to Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was picking grains on the upper floor of his room. The narrator says: It was as if that man, out of shyness, turned back. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Come! For your gentle conduct in your livelihood is your wisdom.

Hazrat Umm Darda (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that once Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) fell unconscious, then when he regained consciousness, his son Hazrat Bilal was with him. Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Get up and go out from near me. Then he said: Who has acted like my sleeping place? Who has acted like my hour? وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَہُمْ وَأَبْصَارَہُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ Hazrat Umm Darda (may Allah be pleased with her) says that then unconsciousness overtook him again. He would spend some time, then regain consciousness, and he would repeat the same thing again. Thus, he kept repeating this until his soul was taken.

Hazrat Tamim bin Ghailan narrates that a man came to Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) during his illness and said: O Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him)! Surely, you are departing from this world, so give me some advice by which Allah may benefit me and I may remember you through it. Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You are from a forgiven nation. So establish prayer. If you have wealth, pay zakat. And fast in Ramadan. And avoid immoralities, then glad tidings to you. That man repeated this to Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), so Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) again said the same thing. Upon this, the man shook his sheet and said: {إنَّ الَّذِینَ یَکْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَیِّنَاتِ وَالْہُدَی مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا بَیَّنَّاہُ لِلنَّاسِ } up to His saying: { وَیَلْعَنَہُمُ اللاَّعِنُوْنَ }. So Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Bring him to me. So the man came, and Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: What did you say? The man said: You are a knowledgeable person. You have knowledge that I do not have. My intention was that you would tell me something by which Allah would benefit me, but you gave me only one answer. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the man: Sit down and understand what I am about to tell you. Where will you be on that day when you will have only a piece of land two handspans wide and four handspans long from the earth? And your family, who do not like your separation, will bring you, and your companions and brothers, who do not like your separation, will bring you. Then they will build a good structure over you and heap much earth upon you and will leave you { ذلک بمیتک }. And two curly-haired, black, blue angels will come to you. Their names will be Munkar and Nakir. Both will make you sit and ask you: Who are you? And what religion were you upon? And what do you say about this man? So if you say: By Allah! I do not know. I used to hear people say something, so I also used to say what people said. Then surely you are destroyed and ruined. And if you say: This is Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah revealed His Book to him. And I have believed in him and in what he brought, then surely you are saved and guided. And you do not have the strength for this without steadfastness from Allah. Along with this, you will also be seeing severity and fear. Then where will you be on that day when you will have only the space of your two feet from the earth, and it will be a day whose length will be equal to fifty thousand years. On that day, all people will stand before the Lord of the worlds, and there will be no shade except the shade of the Throne of the Lord of the worlds. And the sun will be brought near. So if you are among those in the shade, then by Allah, you are surely saved and guided. And if you are among those in the sun, then by Allah, you are surely destroyed and ruined. Then where will you be on that day when Hell will be brought, which will encompass both sides… east and west… and it will be said that you will never enter Paradise until you cross Hell. So if you have light, you will pass straight over the Bridge (Sirat). Then surely you are saved and have attained guidance. And if you do not have light, then some of the hooks of Hell, or the dogs of Hell, or some clinging things from there will cling to you. Then surely you will be destroyed and ruined. By the Lord of Abu Darda! What I have said is the truth. So understand what I have said.

It is narrated from Hazrat Khaythamah that he says Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent, I used to trade. When he was sent, I continuously tried to combine worship and trade, but the two did not come together. So I chose worship and left trade.