Tirmidhi

Explanation:
1:
Their sides remain apart from their beds,
they call upon their Lord with fear and hope,
and from what We have provided them, they spend,
no soul knows what comfort of the eyes has been hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do.
(al-Sajdah: 16-17)
2:
Here, Islam refers to the affirmation of the testimony of faith (kalimat al-shahadatayn) and fulfilling its requirements.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
The purpose of all good deeds and every effort to avoid sins is the attainment of Paradise and salvation from Hellfire; therefore, this is a very great matter.

➋
Good deeds are only possible through Allah’s tawfiq (divine enablement), and protection from sin is not possible without Allah’s help.

➌
By fulfilling all five pillars of Islam as they ought to be fulfilled, one attains Paradise and is saved from Hellfire.

➍
Fasting (sawm), charity (sadaqah), and the night prayer (tahajjud) are doors to goodness.
Each of these acts assists in many other good deeds; therefore, whichever of the voluntary fasts, voluntary charities, or tahajjud is easy for a person, he should do as much of it as possible.

➎
Voluntary fasts are an excellent means of protection from sins.

➏
Through charity (sadaqah), sins are forgiven, as a result of which Paradise is attained.

➐
The night prayer (tahajjud) can be performed at any part of the night; however, it is more virtuous to perform it after half the night has passed, especially when a third of the night remains.

➑
Guarding the tongue is an important act, which has a deep connection with major good deeds.
The benefit of fasting is only attained when one abstains from lying, slander, backbiting, and foul language, etc.
The reward of charity is only received when one does not remind others of his favor, nor commits ostentation by announcing his good deeds.
In tahajjud, the remembrance of Allah, supplication, and recitation are acts of the tongue.

➒
Sins of the tongue are considered insignificant, thus attention is not paid to repentance, and so many sins accumulate that a person becomes deserving of Hellfire.

➓
The head of the religion is the testimony of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), through which a person enters Islam.
Without tawhid, Islam is like a body after its head has been severed.

⓫
The pillar of Islam is the prayer (salah).

Authentication of the Hadith: It is Hasan (good).
◈ The narrator of this hadith, Abu Wa’il Shaqiq bin Salamah rahimahullah (a major Tabi’i), was an eighteen-year-old youth at the time of the death of Sayyiduna Mu’adh bin Jabal radi Allahu anhu. Abu Wa’il is not a mudallis (one who practices tadlis), therefore his narration from Sayyiduna Mu’adh radi Allahu anhu is to be considered connected (muttasil). It is not correct for some people to declare it as disconnected (munqati’).
◈ The chain up to Abu Wa’il is Hasan li-dhatihi (good in itself).
◈ Qari ‘Asim bin Abi al-Najud is Hasan al-hadith (a reliable narrator); the majority of the hadith scholars have authenticated him.
◈ The criticism of ‘Asim bin Abi al-Najud by some hadith scholars is rejected because it is against the majority.

The narrators of hadith are of two types:
➊ Those about whom there is no difference in their criticism or praise; there is consensus and agreement. For example, Sa’id bin al-Musayyib, Sa’id bin Jubayr, and Imam al-Zuhri and others are unanimously trustworthy. Muhammad bin Marwan al-Suddi, Thawir bin Abi Fakhita, and Hammad bin al-Ja’d and others are unanimously criticized.
➋ Those narrators about whom there is a difference among the hadith scholars regarding their criticism or praise. In the absence of general or specific reconciliation and synthesis, the opinion of the majority of hadith scholars is always given preference regarding such narrators.

Fiqh of the Hadith
➊ This hadith mentions the important pillars of Islam and virtuous deeds.
➋ Guarding the tongue is a most important issue.
❀ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«من يضمن لي ما بين لحيه و ما بين رجليه، أضمن له الجنة»
“Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jaws (the tongue) and what is between his legs (the private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him.” [صحيح البخاري : 6474 وأضواء المصابيح : 4812]
❀ In another narration it is mentioned:
«أن العبد ليتكلم بالكمة من رضوان الله، لا يلقي لها بالا، يهوي بهافي جهنم»
“A servant utters a word pleasing to Allah, not realizing its significance, and Allah raises his rank because of it; and a servant utters a word displeasing to Allah, not realizing its significance, and because of it he is thrown into the Fire.” [صحيح البخاري : 6474، 6475 و صحيح مسلم : 2988/50 وأضواءالمصابيح : 4813]
➌ Sayyiduna Mu’adh bin Jabal radi Allahu anhu has many virtues. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent him as a teacher to Yemen. Sayyiduna Mu’adh radi Allahu anhu said: “As for the issue of the scholar’s mistake, (listen) even if he is on the straight path, do not blindly follow him in your religion.” [كتاب الزهد للامام وكيع 300/1 ح 71، وسنده حسن، الحديث حضرو : 9ص44]
↰ It is thus clear that Sayyiduna Mu’adh radi Allahu anhu used to prohibit people from blind following (taqlid) and commanded adherence to the Book and the Sunnah. Therefore, those who practice taqlid oppose him.
➍ Prayer is the pillar of the religion and jihad is its hump. It should be remembered that calling to the Book and the Sunnah and refuting the people of falsehood is a great jihad. «والحمد لله»
➎ Worshipping Allah with fear of Him and hope for Paradise is absolutely correct.