Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, it is as if he has given new life to a girl who was buried alive.

Abu Kathir, the freed slave of Hazrat Uqbah, says that once I came to Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him that some of our neighbors drink alcohol. He replied, "Leave them to their own state." After some time, I came again and said, "Should I not call the police for them?" Hazrat Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Oh brother! Leave them to their own state, because I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say that whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, it is as if he has given new life to a girl who was buried alive."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: On the Day of Resurrection, every person will be under the shade of his charity, until the reckoning and judgment among the people begins. The narrator says about Abu Khair that there was not a single day in which he would not give something in charity, even if it was sweet bread or an onion.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so I went ahead and held the blessed hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) How will a believer attain salvation?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Uqbah! Guard your tongue, consider your house sufficient for yourself, and weep over your sins."

After some time, I met him again. This time, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went ahead and held my hand and said, "O Uqbah bin Aamir! Shall I not tell you the three best Surahs of the Torah, Zabur, Injil, and Qur'an?" I said, "May Allah sacrifice me for you, why not!" So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me Surah Ikhlas, Surah Falaq, and Surah Naas, and said, "Uqbah! Do not forget them, and do not let any night pass in which you do not recite these Surahs." So from that time, I never forgot them and never spent a night without reciting them.

After some time, I met him again, so I went ahead and held the blessed hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) Tell me about the most virtuous deeds." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Uqbah! Join ties with the one who severs relations with you, give to the one who deprives you, and forgive and turn away from the oppressor."

Khalid bin Zaid says that Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) used to come to me and say, "Come with us, let us practice archery." One day I was feeling heavy (unwell), so he said, "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say that Allah Almighty will admit three people into Paradise because of a single arrow: one who made it with a good intention, the second who assisted in it, and the third who shot it. Therefore, practice archery and horseback riding, and to me, archery is more preferable than horseback riding. And everything that makes a person heedless is falsehood, except for a man's bow and arrows, his care for his horse, and his playful interaction with his wife, for these things are true. And whoever learns the art of archery and then forgets it, he has shown ingratitude to the one who taught him."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever learns the art of archery and then forgets it, he has shown ingratitude to the one who taught him that blessing.

Khalid bin Zaid says that Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) used to come to me and say, "Come with us, let us practice archery." One day I was feeling heavy, so he said, "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say that Allah Almighty will admit three people into Paradise because of a single arrow: one who made it with a good intention, the second who assisted in it, and the third who shot it. Therefore, practice archery and horseback riding, and to me, archery is more preferable than horseback riding. And everything that makes a person heedless is falsehood, except for a man's bow and arrows, his care of his horse, and his playful interaction with his wife, for these things are true. And whoever learns the art of archery and then forgets it, he has shown ingratitude to the one who taught him." The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

And he said: "Shoot and ride, and if you shoot it is better than if you ride." And he said: "Everything with which the son of Adam amuses himself is falsehood, except for three: his shooting with his bow, his training of his horse, and his playing with his family, for these are of the truth." He said: So ‘Uqbah died and he had a few and sixty or a few and seventy bows, with each bow a horn and arrows, and he bequeathed them in the way of Allah. Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, he said: Hisham narrated to us, from Yahya, from Abu Salam, from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Azraq, that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Indeed, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, admits by a single arrow three people into Paradise." Then he mentioned the hadith.

Abdur Rahman bin Aaidh, may Allah have mercy on him, says that once Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir, may Allah be pleased with him, set out to pray in Masjid Aqsa. Some people followed behind him. Hazrat Uqbah, may Allah be pleased with him, asked them the reason for accompanying him. They replied that since you had the honor of being in the company of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we want to walk with you and have come to greet you. Hazrat Uqbah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Stop here and pray." So everyone stopped and prayed. After finishing the prayer, he said, "I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say: Whoever meets Allah in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Him and has not stained his hands with anyone's blood, he will be permitted to enter Paradise through whichever door he wishes."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: The expiation for a vow is the same as the expiation for an oath.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I was walking behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was riding, I placed my hand on his blessed feet and requested, "Teach me Surah Yusuf." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "In the sight of Allah, you will not recite any surah more eloquent than Surah Al-Falaq."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a white mule was presented as a gift to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from somewhere. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rode on it, and Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) began to drive it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "Recite." He submitted, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) What should I recite?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Recite Surah Al-Alaq." So he recited it before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) realized that I was not very pleased with it. So he said, "Perhaps it seems little to you? You will not recite any surah in prayer more eloquent than Surah Al-Falaq."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a silk garment was presented as a gift to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wore it and led us in the Maghrib prayer. After finishing the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took it off restlessly and said, "This clothing is not befitting for the God-fearing."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out and reached the graves of the people of Uhud and offered the funeral prayer for them. Then he returned and ascended the pulpit and said: I will await you and I will bear witness for you. By Allah, I am seeing my pond even now. Remember! I have been given the keys to the treasures of the earth. By Allah! I do not fear that after me you will commit shirk, but I fear that you will become engrossed in the world and compete with one another for it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we submitted in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that sometimes you send us somewhere, and we reach a people who do not show us hospitality. What is your opinion regarding this matter? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you go to a people as guests and they order for you what is appropriate for a guest, then accept it. And if they do not do so, then you may take from them the appropriate right of a guest yourself.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed sacrificial animals among his companions, and a six-month-old lamb came to my share. I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the ruling of sacrificing it, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "You may sacrifice it."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Protect yourselves from going near women. An Ansari asked, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) What is the ruling regarding the brother-in-law?" He replied, "The brother-in-law is death."

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) that the sister of Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) had vowed to perform Hajj on foot without wearing a shawl. Hazrat Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about this, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: What will Allah do with your sister’s hardship? Instruct her to wear a shawl, ride (an animal), and fast for three days.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If a girl has two guardians and both of them marry her off at different places, then the marriage performed first will be valid. And when a person buys something from two men, the one who sells it first will be considered the rightful owner of that thing.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I was walking ahead of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mount on a path, when suddenly the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me, "Shall I not teach you two surahs, the like of which there is none?" I said, "Why not, O Messenger of Allah!" (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Naas. Then the prayer was established, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went forward and recited these two surahs in the Fajr prayer. Then, as he passed by me, he said, "O Uqbah! What do you understand? (Recite these two surahs when you go to sleep and when you wake up as well)."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Offer prayer in sheep enclosures, but do not offer prayer in camel enclosures."

The previous hadith is also narrated from Hazrat Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) through this second chain of transmission.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a silk garment was presented as a gift to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wore it and led us in the Maghrib prayer. After finishing the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took it off restlessly and said, "This clothing is not befitting for the God-fearing."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: The one who commits injustice in collecting taxes will not enter Paradise.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Two such surahs have been revealed to me that there are no surahs like them. The reference is to Al-Mu'awwidhatayn.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to the service of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "My mother has passed away and I want to give some charity on her behalf." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, "Did she command you to do so?" He replied, "No." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Then do not do it."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever frees a Muslim slave, it will become a means of his freedom from Hell.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The responsibility for a slave remains for four days.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: The record of deeds of every deceased person is sealed, except for the person who guards the Islamic borders in the way of Allah; for him, reward will continue to be written in his record of deeds until he is resurrected. The previous hadith is also narrated from Qutaibah, and in it there is this addition: he will also be protected from the trial of the grave.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The best household is Abu Abdullah, Umm Abdullah, and Abdullah (Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we were sitting in the mosque reciting the Holy Qur'an when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and greeted us with salam. We replied to him, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Acquire the knowledge of the Book of Allah, hold firmly to it, and recite it with melody. By the One in whose hand is the life of Muhammad, this Qur'an slips away even faster than camels that are untied from their enclosures.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Of all the conditions that deserve to be fulfilled most, the condition by which you make the private parts of women lawful for yourselves is the most deserving.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever performs ablution and does it well, then looks towards the sky and says: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is alone, He has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger," then all eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter through whichever gate he wishes.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I submitted in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) Is this virtue unique to Surah Al-Hajj in the entire Qur'an that it contains two prostrations?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Yes! And whoever does not perform both prostrations, it is as if he has not recited this Surah at all."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If the Noble Qur'an is wrapped in any leather and thrown into the fire, the fire will not burn it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: Recite the Mu'awwidhatayn, for there is no Surah like them.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Most of the hypocrites of my Ummah will be among the reciters (Qurra).

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The one who recites the Qur'an aloud is like one who gives charity openly, and the one who recites the Qur'an quietly is like one who gives charity secretly. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Hamd bin Khalid was a memorizer of hadith; he used to teach us hadith and also worked as a tailor. Both I and Yahya bin Ma'in have written hadiths from him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he once heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: At the time of death, whoever has even a mustard seed's weight of arrogance in his heart, the fragrance of Paradise will not be lawful for him, nor will he be able to see it. A Qurayshi man whose name was Abu Raihanah said, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) I like beauty, and I like that the whip of my mount and the strap of my shoe be fine. (Is this also arrogance?)" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "This is not arrogance. Allah Almighty is beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance is that a person does not accept the truth and considers people inferior in his own eyes."

It is narrated from Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Two surahs have been revealed to me, the like of which there are no other surahs; by this, he meant Al-Mu'awwidhatayn.