Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Your slaves are your brothers whom Allah has placed under your authority as a trial. Therefore, whoever has his brother under his authority should feed him from what he eats, clothe him from what he wears, and should not assign him a task that overpowers him. If such a task is assigned, then he should help him with it himself."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty did not send any prophet except that He sent him in the language of his people.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I submitted in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, "O Messenger of Allah! The wealthy have clearly surpassed us. They perform prayers and fast as we do, and they also have wealth with which they give charity, whereas we do not have wealth to give in charity." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Shall I not tell you of an act, which if you do, you will catch up with those before you and surpass those who come after you, except for one who does the same as you? After every prayer, say Subhan Allah 33 times, Allahu Akbar 33 times, and Alhamdulillah 34 times."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I presented myself before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka'bah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said twice, "By the Lord of the Ka'bah! Those people are in loss." A severe grief overtook me and, catching my breath, I began to think that perhaps something new had happened concerning me. So I asked, "Who are those people? May my parents be sacrificed for you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The wealthy, except for the one who distributes (his wealth) among the servants of Allah in such and such a way, but such people are very few."

Sa’sa’ah bin Mu’awiyah says that once I reached "Rabadha" where I met Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). He took some riding animals to the water place and then was bringing them back, and had hung a water-skin on the neck of a camel so that he could drink himself and also give his companions to drink, which was the custom of the Arabs. I asked Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Do you have any wealth?" He replied, "I have my deeds." I said, "O Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), tell me something you heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say." He said, "I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever spends two pairs from his wealth, the gatekeepers of Paradise compete for him." I asked him the meaning of "pair," so he said, "If they are slaves, then two slaves; if horses, then two horses; if camels, then two camels," and he counted all types of wealth. Sa’sa’ah bin Mu’awiyah says that once I came to Hazrat Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) and requested him to narrate a hadith, so he said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If two Muslim husband and wife lose three minor children, Allah Almighty will, by His grace, admit those husband and wife into Paradise."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: A messenger from my Lord came to me and gave me the glad tidings that whoever from my Ummah dies in the state that he does not associate anyone with Allah, he will enter Paradise. I asked, even if he commits adultery and theft? The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Even if he commits adultery and theft.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that my beloved friend (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me regarding seven things: He commanded me to love the poor and to remain close to them; to look at those below me and not at those above me; to maintain ties of kinship even if others break them; not to ask anything from anyone; to speak the truth even if it is bitter; not to fear the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah; and to frequently recite "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah," for these words come from a treasure beneath the Throne.

Abu Asma says that once he entered the house of Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was at the place of Rabdha. His healthy black-skinned wife was also with him, but there were no signs of adornment or fragrance on her. He said to me, "Look at this Abyssinian woman, what does she say to me? She says that I should go to Iraq. When I go to Iraq, the people there will come to me with their worldly possessions. And my beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised me that there will be a path over the bridge of Hell which will be slippery and unstable. Therefore, when we reach that bridge, it is better that we have nothing heavy in our belongings than to reach there burdened under the weight of our possessions."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abu Dharr! Soon there will come some rulers who will not perform the prayer at its appointed time. You should perform the prayer at its appointed time. If you come at a time when the people have already prayed, then you have preserved your prayer, and if they have not prayed, then join them, and this prayer will be a voluntary (nafl) prayer for you.

Husayn narrated to us, al-Mubarak narrated to us, Abu Na‘amah narrated to me, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Samit narrated to me that Abu Dharr said to him: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "O Abu Dharr, there will be leaders." Then he mentioned the hadith.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we observed the fasts of Ramadan with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform Qiyam (night prayer) with us for the entire month. When the 24th night came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Qiyam with us until about a third of the night had passed. When the next night came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform Qiyam with us again. On the 26th night, he performed such a long Qiyam with us that about half of the night had passed. I said, "O Messenger of Allah! If only you would continue to lead us in prayer for the rest of the night?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "When a person stands with the Imam and remains with him until he finishes, it is as if he has spent the whole night in prayer." On the next night, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again did not perform Qiyam with us. On the 28th night, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his family, and the people also gathered. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer for so long that we feared missing 'Falah.' I asked about the meaning of 'Falah,' and he explained that it means Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). Then he said, "O nephew! After that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform Qiyam with us on any night of the month."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty says, "I have made oppression unlawful for Myself and for My servants, so do not oppress one another. All the children of Adam commit sins day and night, then they seek forgiveness from Me, so I forgive them, and it does not matter to Me." Furthermore, the Lord says: "O children of Adam, all of you are astray except the one whom I guide. And every one of you is naked except the one whom I clothe. Every one of you is hungry except the one whom I feed. And every one of you is thirsty except the one whom I give drink. Therefore, seek guidance from Me, I will guide you. Ask Me for clothing, I will clothe you. Ask Me for food, I will feed you. And ask Me for water, I will give you drink."

"O My servants! If the first and the last of you, the jinn and mankind, the small and the great, the men and the women, were to gather together upon the heart of the most pious man among you, it would not increase My dominion in the least. And if the first and the last of you, the jinn and mankind, the small and the great, the men and the women, were to gather together upon the heart of the most disbelieving man among you, it would not decrease My dominion in the least, not even as much as the tip of a needle dipped into the sea and then taken out."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Which was the first mosque built on earth? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Masjid al-Haram. I asked: Then which one? He said: Masjid al-Aqsa. I asked: What was the interval between the two? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Forty years. I asked: Then which mosque? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then wherever you find the time for prayer, perform it there, for the whole earth is a mosque.

And Ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Shu'bah narrated to us, from Sulayman, he said: I heard Ibrahim al-Taymi, and he mentioned its meaning.

Abu Al-Aliyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once Ubaidullah bin Ziyad delayed a prayer from its prescribed time. I asked Abdullah bin Samit (may Allah have mercy on him) about this, so he struck my thigh and said, "I asked my friend Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) the same question, so he struck my thigh and said, 'I asked my beloved (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) the same question, so he said: Perform the prayer at its prescribed time. If you have to join these people (in prayer), then pray with them again (with the intention of nafl). Do not say, 'I have already prayed, so I will not pray now.'"

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If a person does not even have the rear part of a camel saddle in front of him, then his prayer will be invalidated if a woman, a donkey, or a black dog passes in front of him. The narrator asked: What is the difference between a black dog and a red dog? Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Nephew! I also asked the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the same question as you have asked me, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The black dog is a devil.

Ahnaf bin Qais (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once I was present in Madinah Munawwarah. I was participating in a gathering "in which some people from the Quraysh were also sitting" when a man came (he approached them and said: Glad tidings to those who accumulate wealth, of the branding that will be branded on their backs and will come out from their bellies, and of the branding that will be branded on the nape and will come out from their foreheads). Then he went away to one side. I followed him until he sat down near a pillar. I said to him: I see that these people were not pleased with your words? He said: Once my beloved friend Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) called me and said: O Abu Dharr! I replied: At your service. He said: Do you see the mountain of Uhud? I raised my gaze and looked at the sun because I thought he would send me for some task, so I replied: I see it. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I do not like that I should have gold equal to this mountain; I would spend all of it except for three dinars.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I do not like that Mount Uhud be turned into gold for me and that when I depart from this world, even one or half a dinar from it remains with me, except if I have kept it for the sake of a creditor.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned some things for which a person receives reward, and among them he also mentioned "approaching one's wife." The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) submitted, "O Messenger of Allah! Does a person receive reward even for fulfilling his desire?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tell me, if he were to fulfill it in a forbidden way, would he not be sinful for it?" The people replied, "Yes." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Just as there would be punishment (for sin), in the same way there is reward (for doing it lawfully)."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that my beloved friend (peace and blessings be upon him) advised me regarding three things: (1) Listen and obey, even if a slave with severed limbs is appointed as your ruler; (2) When you prepare broth, increase its water, then look to your neighbors and deliver some of it to them in a good manner; (3) And perform the prayer at its appointed time, and when you see the imam has finished the prayer, then you have also completed your prayer, otherwise it will be considered a voluntary prayer.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that a person asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Which speech is the best?" The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "That which Allah has chosen for His servants, that is: Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If a person does not have even the rear part of a saddle in front of him, then his prayer will be invalidated if a woman, a donkey, or a black dog passes in front of him. The narrator asked: What is the difference between a black dog and a red dog? Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Nephew! I also asked the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the same question as you have asked me, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The black dog is a devil.

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

Ma’rur says that once I saw (in Rabadhah) Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), and the clothes he was wearing were the same as those his slave was wearing. I asked him about this, so he told me that one day, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), he had spoken harshly to a man and reproached him regarding his mother. That man went to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned this. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There is still some effect of the Age of Ignorance left in you. Your slaves are your brothers whom Allah has placed under your authority. So, whoever has his brother under his authority, he should feed him what he eats himself and clothe him with what he wears himself. And do not burden them with work that is beyond their capacity; and if you must do so, then help them.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: A messenger from my Lord came to me and gave me the glad tidings that whoever from my Ummah dies in the state that he does not associate anyone with Allah, he will enter Paradise. I asked, even if he commits adultery and theft? The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Even if he commits adultery and theft.

And [he] said: Shu'bah narrated to us, from Sulayman, from Zayd ibn Wahb, from Abu Dharr, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: "Jibril gave me glad tidings: that whoever from your ummah dies not associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise." He said: I said, "Even if he committed adultery and even if he stole?" He said: "Even if he committed adultery and even if he stole."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I have been given five such characteristics which were not given to any prophet before me. Thus, I have been helped through awe, and the enemy becomes overawed by me from a distance of one month's journey. The entire earth has been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for me. The spoils of war have been made lawful for me, which were not made lawful for anyone before me. I have been sent to every red and black (i.e., to all mankind), and it was said to me: "Ask, you will be given." So I have reserved this right for the intercession of my Ummah, and this intercession will reach every one of you who meets Allah in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There are three types of people with whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He look at them, nor will He purify them, and for them there will be a painful punishment. I asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Who are these people? They are surely at a loss and in ruin." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his statement three times and said: The one who lets his lower garment hang below his ankles, the one who sells his goods by swearing a false oath, and the one who reminds others of his favors.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever among you wishes to fast three days in a month should fast on the white days.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once he saw two goats butting each other with their horns. He said, "Abu Dharr! Do you know why they are butting each other with their horns?" He replied, "No." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "But Allah knows, and soon He will judge between them as well."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left us, there was not a single bird flying in the sky with its wings about which the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had not informed us of something.

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

Zaid bin Wahb (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once we were returning from a funeral when we passed by Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: Once we were on a journey with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). When the muezzin intended to give the adhan for Zuhr prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "Give the adhan after cooling down." This happened two or three times, until we began to see the shade of the mounds. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "The intensity of heat is from the effect of the heat of Hell, so when the heat is severe, perform the prayer after cooling down."

Muawiyah bin Hudaij once passed by Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) who was standing by his horse. He asked, "Why do you take such care of your horse?" He replied, "I believe that this horse's supplication is accepted." He asked him, "What do you mean by the supplication of an animal?" Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Him in Whose hand is my soul, there is no horse that does not supplicate every day at the time of suhoor: 'O Allah, You have made one of Your servants my owner and placed my sustenance in his hand, so make me more beloved to him in his sight than his family, wealth, and children.'"

Fulan Anzi says that he was returning from somewhere with Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). On the way, at one place, people dispersed, so I said to him, "O Abu Dharr! I want to ask you something regarding the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)." He replied, "If it is a secret matter, I will not tell you." I said, "It is not a secret matter. If a person met the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), would the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) take his hand and shake hands with him?" He replied, "You have asked an informed person. Whenever I met the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), he would take my hand and shake hands with me, except for one time, and that was the very last incident. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a messenger to call me. I presented myself before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and he was in his final illness. I saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) lying down, so I leaned over him. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his hand and embraced me to his chest. Peace and blessings be upon him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we went out from one of the outskirts of Madinah Munawwarah, and I was behind the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abu Dharr! Perform the prayer at its appointed time. If you come at a time when people have already performed the prayer, then you have preserved your prayer. And if they have not yet performed the prayer, then join them, and this prayer will be counted as a voluntary (nafl) prayer for you.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rode on a donkey and made me sit behind him. He said, "Abu Dharr! Tell me, when people are afflicted with severe famine and you are unable to get up from your bed to go to the mosque, what will you do at that time?" He replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Even at that time, protect yourself from asking (others)." Then he said, "Abu Dharr! Tell me, when people begin to die in great numbers and a man's house becomes his grave, what will you do?" He replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Even at that time, be patient." Then he said, "Abu Dharr! Tell me, when people begin to kill each other and Hijarat al-Zayt is drenched in blood, what will you do?" He replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "Sit in your house and lock its door from inside." He asked, "If I am not allowed to stay in my house, then what should I do?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Then go to those people among whom you are, and join them." He said, "I will take my weapon with me." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Then you will be considered one of them. Therefore, if you fear the edge of the sword, then cover your face with your sheet so that he returns with his sin and yours."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that I asked the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about everything, even about removing pebbles during prayer. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Level it only once, or leave it (as it is)."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we observed the fasts of Ramadan with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform Qiyam (night prayer) with us for the entire month. When the 24th night came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Qiyam with us until about a third of the night had passed. When the next night came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform Qiyam with us again. On the 26th night, he performed such a long Qiyam with us that about half of the night had passed. I said, "O Messenger of Allah! If only you would continue to lead us in prayer for the rest of the night?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "No. When a person stands with the Imam and remains with him until he finishes, it is as if he has spent the whole night in prayer." On the next night, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again did not perform Qiyam with us. On the 28th night, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his family, and the people also gathered. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer for so long that we feared missing 'Falah.' I asked about the meaning of 'Falah,' and he explained that it means Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). Then he said, "O nephew! After that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform Qiyam with us on any night of the month."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When any one of you stands for prayer, the mercy of Allah turns towards him, therefore he should not play with pebbles.