Musnad Ahmad

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 (peace and blessings be upon him), "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which deed is the most virtuous?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "To have faith in Allah and to strive in His path." I asked, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which slave is best to set free?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The one who is most precious and valuable to his owner." I asked, "What if I do not find such a slave?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Help someone in need or work for a needy person." I asked, "What if I am unable to do even that?" He said, "Keep people safe from your harm, for this too is a charity that you give from yourself."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a man named "Ukaf bin Bishr Tamimi" came to the service of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him, "Ukaf! Do you have a wife?" Ukaf replied, "No." The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, "Any slave woman?" He said, "No." The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, "Are you wealthy?" He replied, "Yes, Alhamdulillah!" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Then you are a brother of Satan. If you were among the Christians, you would be counted among their monks, but our way is marriage. The worst among you are the unmarried, and those who die unmarried die the most disgraceful death. Do you fight against Satan? For Satan has no weapon more effective against righteous men than women, except for those who are married. These are the ones who are pure and free from filth. Ukaf, these women were companions of Hazrat Ayub (peace be upon him), Dawood (peace be upon him), Yusuf (peace be upon him), and Krisaf (peace be upon him)." Bishr bin Atiyyah asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Who was Krisaf?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "He was a man who worshipped Allah on a seashore for three hundred years, fasting during the day and standing in prayer at night. But then he fell into the trap of love for a woman and ended up committing disbelief in Allah and abandoned the worship of Allah. Later, Allah helped him and accepted his repentance. O Ukaf! Get married, otherwise you will remain in confusion." He said, "O Messenger of Allah! Please arrange my marriage yourself." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I have married you to Karima bint Kulthum Himyari."

Ahnaf bin Qais (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once I was in Madinah Munawwarah when I saw a man whom, as soon as people saw him, they began to avoid him. I asked him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am the companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him)." I asked him, "Then why are these people avoiding you?" He said, "I stop them from accumulating wealth just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to stop them."

Mutarrif says that once I was sitting with some people of the Quraysh when a man came and started praying. He would perform ruku and sujood, then stand up and again perform ruku and sujood, and would not sit in between. I said, "By Allah! It seems as if he does not know anything, whether to end the prayer with salam on even or odd rak'ahs." The people said to me, "Why don't you go to him and explain to him?" So I went to him and said, "O servant of Allah! It seems that you do not know whether to end the prayer on even or odd rak'ahs." He said, "Allah knows, I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) say: 'Whoever performs a sajdah for Allah, Allah writes for him one good deed, forgives one sin, and raises him one degree.'" I asked him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am Abu Dharr." So I returned to my companions and said, "May Allah give you a bad reward on behalf of your companions; you sent me to teach religion to a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)."

Sa’sa’ah bin Mu’awiyah says that once I came to Hazrat Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him, “What wealth do you possess?” He replied, “My wealth is my deeds.” I requested him to narrate a hadith, so he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If three minor children of a Muslim couple die, Allah Almighty will forgive that husband and wife. And any Muslim who spends two pairs from his wealth in the way of Allah, the gatekeepers of Paradise will come quickly before him, and each of them will call him towards himself.”

Nuaim bin Qanab says that I was heading towards "Rabadha". Shortly after, Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) also arrived. He said something to his wife and she replied back to him. This happened twice. Then Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You people cannot go beyond the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that a woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break, otherwise you will have to live with her as she is, with her crookedness and foolishness."

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.

Once, Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood among his people and said, "O Banu Ghifar! Do not disagree in what you say, because the truthful and trusted Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has told me that on the Day of Resurrection, people will be gathered in three groups: one will be of riders who will eat, drink, and wear clothes; the second group will be of those walking and running, upon whose faces the angels will impose fire and they will be driven towards Hell." Someone asked, "We have understood about these two groups, but what will be the matter of those walking and running?" He replied, "Allah Almighty will send a calamity upon the riding animals so that no riding animal will remain. That is why, in the world, if a man has a very fine garden and is given an extremely furious she-camel, it is obvious that he will not be able to ride it."

Ghudaif bin Harith says that once he passed by Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), and Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Ghudaif is an excellent young man." Then he met Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said, "Brother! Pray for my forgiveness." Ghudaif said, "You are a companion of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and you are more deserving that you pray for my forgiveness." He replied, "I heard Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) say that Ghudaif is an excellent young man, and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah Almighty has made the truth flow on Umar's tongue and heart."

Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that on the Day of Judgment, I will be the closest among you to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say that on the Day of Judgment, the one among you who will be closest to me will be the one who returns from this world in the same state in which I leave him. By Allah, there is no one among you except me who has not attached himself to something of this world.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once at the time of sunset, I was in the mosque with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Abu Dharr! Do you know where this sun goes?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "It goes and prostrates before its Lord, then seeks permission to return, which is granted to it. When it is said to it, 'Return to where you came from,' it returns to its rising place. That is its place of settlement." Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "The sun runs on its fixed course."

A man says that once we collected some things to go and give them to Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). So we reached "Rabadha" and started searching for him, but he was not found there. Someone informed us that he had sought permission to go for Hajj, which was granted to him. So we reached Mina. While we were sitting with him, someone came and informed him that Hazrat Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) had led four rak‘ahs of prayer in Mina. This weighed heavily on Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said some harsh words, saying: "I have prayed with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and he prayed two rak‘ahs, and I have also prayed in the same way with Hazrat Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them)." Then Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and prayed four rak‘ahs. Someone said to him: "Earlier you criticized the action of the Commander of the Faithful, but now you are doing the same thing yourself." He replied: "To differ (with the leader) is even more severe." The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) once addressed us in a sermon and said: "After me, a king will come; do not humiliate him. Whoever wishes to humiliate him, it is as if he has removed the rope of Islam from his own neck, and his repentance will not be accepted until he closes the hole which he has opened, but he will not do so. Then if he returns, he will be among those who honor (the leader)." The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also commanded that we should not be overcome regarding three things: continue to enjoin good, continue to forbid evil, and continue to teach people the Sunnahs.

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 that any gold or silver that is stored and sealed will be a spark of fire for its owner until he spends it in the way of Allah.

Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) once held the ring of the door of the Ka'bah and said: I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say that there is no prayer after the Asr prayer until sunset, and there is no prayer after the Fajr prayer until sunrise, except in Makkah Mukarramah.

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! A man loves a certain people but cannot perform deeds like theirs. What is his status?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), you will be with those whom you love." I said, "Then I love Allah and His Messenger." He repeated this sentence not once, but three times.

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 from my Ummah dies in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Allah, will enter Paradise.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever knowingly ascribes his lineage to someone other than his father commits disbelief, and whoever claims ownership of something that does not belong to him is not from among us, and he should prepare his abode in Hell. And whoever calls someone a disbeliever or an enemy of Allah, while he is not so, then it returns upon the one who said it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I presented myself before the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He was wearing white clothes. When I arrived, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sleeping. I came again, and he was still sleeping. The third time, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had awakened, so I sat beside him. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah and departs from this world upon this testimony, will enter Paradise." I asked, "Even if he commits adultery and theft?" The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Yes! Even if he commits adultery and theft." This question and answer happened three times. The fourth time, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Yes! Even if Abu Dharr's nose becomes dust-covered." Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), upon hearing this, left dragging his cloak, repeating this sentence, and whenever he narrated this hadith, he would certainly repeat this sentence: "Even if Abu Dharr's nose becomes dust-covered."

It is narrated from Hazrat Umm Zar (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the time of Hazrat Abu Dharr’s (may Allah be pleased with him) death drew near, I began to weep. He asked, “Why are you crying?” I said, “Why should I not cry? You are dying in a wilderness in such a state that I have no means to bury you, nor do I have enough cloth to shroud you.” He said, “Do not cry and receive glad tidings, for I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Whoever dies among two or three Muslim children, and he bears their death with patience seeking reward, he will never see the fire of Hell.’ And I also heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘One of you will surely die in a wilderness, and a group of believers will be present with him.’ Now, each of those people has died in some city or among a group, and I am the one who is dying in the wilderness. By Allah, I am neither lying nor has a lie been told to me.” His wife said, “Now even the pilgrims have returned, so who will come?” He said, “Keep watch on the road.” While she was talking, she saw some people approaching, driving their mounts at full speed, as if vultures were swiftly coming. They stopped near her and asked, “What is your matter (that you are standing on the road)?” She replied, “There is a Muslim man here; arrange for his shrouding and burial, you will receive great reward.” They asked, “Who is he?” She replied, “Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him).” They sacrificed their parents for him, placed their whips on the chests of their animals, and hurried on. When they reached there, Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Glad tidings to you, for you are the people about whom the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Glad tidings, for I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: If two or three children of two Muslim men and women die, and both bear it with patience seeking reward, they will never see Hell.’ Now, my condition today is before you. If you find any cloth among my clothes that is sufficient for me, then shroud me in it, and I swear by Allah, do not let anyone shroud me who is a chief, or a leader, or a notable among you.” Now, among those people, each one had some such quality, except for one young Ansari who had come with the people. He said, “I will shroud you. I have two garments which my mother had woven; one of them is on my body.” Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “You are my companion, so you shroud me.”

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.

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! All the reward and merit has been taken by the wealthy people." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "You can also do this: removing a bone from the path is charity, guiding someone on the road is charity, helping a weak person with your strength is charity, clarifying the speech of a person who stammers is charity, and having intercourse with your wife is also charity." I submitted, "O Messenger of Allah! Do we get reward even for fulfilling our 'desire'?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tell me, if you were to fulfill this desire in a forbidden way, would you not incur sin?" I replied, "Yes." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "You count the sin but do not count the good deed."

Hanaf 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 from their backs and will come out from their bellies, and of the branding from the nape that 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 what you said? He replied: I only say to them what I heard the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say. I asked him: What do you say about this stipend? He said: Take it, for nowadays it helps in many matters. If it is the price of your debt, then leave it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: By the will of Allah, a person's eye becomes so enamored with something that he keeps climbing upon the thing to be shaved, then a time comes when he falls down from it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty says, "O My servant! However much you worship Me and place your hope in Me, I will forgive all your sins. O My servant! If you come to Me with sins as much as the earth but do not associate anyone with Me, I will meet you with as much forgiveness, and it will not matter to Me." ... Then the narrator mentioned the complete hadith.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "O Messenger of Allah! The wealthy have taken all the reward; they pray and fast as we do, and in addition, they give charity from their wealth." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Has Allah not appointed for you something to give as charity? Saying 'Subhan Allah' is charity, saying 'Alhamdulillah' is charity, even fulfilling your desire in a lawful way is charity." The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "O Messenger of Allah! Is it charity if one of us fulfills his desire?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tell me, if he fulfills his desire in a forbidden way, would he not be sinful? Therefore, when he fulfills it in a lawful way, why should he not be rewarded?" Some narrators have also considered saying 'La ilaha illallah', saying 'Allahu Akbar', enjoining good, and forbidding evil as charity.

Abu al-Nadr narrated to us, Mahdi narrated to us, and he did not mention Abu al-Aswad.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Charity is due upon every joint of each one of you every morning. Every utterance of SubhanAllah is charity, every utterance of La ilaha illallah is charity, every utterance of Allahu Akbar is charity, every utterance of Alhamdulillah is charity, enjoining good is charity, and forbidding evil is charity. And all these are compensated by two rak‘ahs that any one of you prays at the time of Duha.

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." I asked, "When someone met the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), did he take his hand and shake hands with him?" He replied, "You have asked a well-informed person. Whenever I met the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), he took my hand and shook 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 he asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "O Messenger of Allah! A person does a deed and people begin to praise him and speak highly of him (what is the ruling on this?)" The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "This is an immediate glad tidings for the believer."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abu Dharr! What will your condition be when you live among people who delay the prayer from its appointed time? Then he said: You should perform the prayer at its proper time. If you have to join them, then perform the prayer again with them (with the intention of nafl). Do not say, "I have already performed the prayer, so I will not perform it now."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abu Dharr! What will your condition be when you live among people who delay the prayer from its appointed time? Then he said: You should perform the prayer at its proper time. If you have to join them, then perform the prayer again with them (with the intention of nafl). Do not say, "I have already performed the prayer, so I will not perform it now."

Abu Mujib narrates that once Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) met. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) had the hilt of his sword made of silver. Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade him from this, saying that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever keeps gold and silver upon himself will be branded with it.

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 once the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "O Messenger of Allah! (peace and blessings be upon him) The wealthy have taken all the reward; they pray and fast as we do, and in addition, they give charity from their wealth." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Has Allah not appointed for you something to give as charity? Saying 'Subhan Allah' is charity, saying 'Alhamdulillah' is charity, and even fulfilling your desire in a lawful way is charity." The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "O Messenger of Allah! Is it charity for any one of us to fulfill his desire?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tell me, if he fulfills his desire in a forbidden way, would he not be sinful? Therefore, when he fulfills it in a lawful way, why should he not be rewarded?"

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 the servant of any one of you comes to you, then feed him with what you eat yourself, and feed him with what you eat yourself, and clothe him with what you wear yourself. And if he does not suit you, then sell him and do not subject the creation of Allah to torment.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Charity is obligatory upon every joint of each one of you every morning, and every utterance of Subhanallah is charity, every utterance of La ilaha illallah is charity, every utterance of Allahu Akbar is charity, every utterance of Alhamdulillah is charity, enjoining good is charity, and forbidding evil is charity. And all these are sufficed by the two rak‘ahs that any one of you prays at the time of Duha. Remove a thorn, bone, or stone from the path of people, guide a blind person on the way, explain something to a mute or deaf person, guide a needy person to the place where you know his need can be fulfilled, run with your shins to help an oppressed or distressed person, lift up a weak person with the strength of your hands—these are all doors of charity from you upon yourself. In fact, you even receive reward for intimacy with your wife. Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: How can I receive reward for fulfilling my desire? The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Suppose a child is born to you and you hope for good from him, but he dies—do you hope for reward for that? I said: Yes! The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Did you create him? I replied: No, rather Allah created him. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Did you guide him? I replied: No, rather Allah guided him. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Did you provide for him? I replied: No, rather Allah provided for him. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: In the same way, use it in a lawful manner and avoid the unlawful. If Allah wills, He will grant life to someone, and if He wills, He will grant death to someone, but you will receive reward for it.

Hanaf 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 what you said? He replied: I only say to them what I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say. I asked him: What do you say about this stipend? He said: Take it, for nowadays it helps in many matters. If it is the price of your debt, then leave it.

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

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I submitted in the court of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), "O Messenger of Allah! Advise me with some counsel." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "If you commit a sin, then perform a good deed afterwards which will erase that sin." I asked, "Is saying 'La ilaha illallah' included among good deeds?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "This is the best of all good deeds."

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 says, "Whoever does a good deed will receive ten times its reward, or I may increase it even more. And whoever commits a sin, its recompense will be equal to it, or I may forgive him. Whoever fills the earth with sins and then meets Me in a state that he does not associate anyone with Me, I will decide for him forgiveness equal to that. And whoever comes near to Me by a handspan, I come near to him by an arm's length; and whoever comes near to Me by an arm's length, I come near to him by a fathom; and whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running."