الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ
“Religion is the name of well-wishing.”
Benefits:
When the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned the above hadith, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, asked: O Messenger of Allah! For whom should we have well-wishing? He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: “This well-wishing should be for Allah, His Messenger, the Muslims, the rulers, and the general Muslim community.”
Well-wishing for Allah means worshiping Him alone and not associating anyone with Him. It also means obeying the commands and prohibitions revealed by Him. Well-wishing for the Messenger means showing him utmost respect and reverence, considering him as Allah’s representative and accepting his words as the final authority. Well-wishing for the Muslim rulers means obeying them within the limits of Shariah, not rebelling against them except in clear disbelief. Well-wishing for the general Muslims means teaching them religion, promoting enjoining good and forbidding evil among them, and taking care of their needs. For example, Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah Bajali رضي الله عنه says that he pledged allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to pray, give zakat, and have well-wishing for every Muslim.
In the Arabic language, mending torn clothes is called advice (naseehah). Also, when wax is separated from honey, the word naseehah is used. Legally, sincerely informing a person of their faults is called naseehah (advice). However, the condition is that the intention should not be to expose their faults. If there is no sincerity in well-wishing, it can be considered deception. In any case, having the spirit of well-wishing for every Muslim is a very beloved deed in the sight of Allah.
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ أَوْلَادِكُمْ
“Fear Allah regarding your children and deal with them with justice and fairness.”
Benefits:
Children are a great gift from Allah given to parents. Therefore, a heavy responsibility lies on the parents to safeguard this divine gift and to take care of their rights. The rights of children begin as soon as they are born, which are as follows:
➊ At birth, the call to prayer (Adhan) should be given in their ear so that they become familiar with the name of Allah and His Oneness.
➋ Have a righteous and pious person pray for goodness and blessings for them and have them given a sweetened drink (ghutti).
➌ Perform the ‘Aqiqah’ (sacrifice) for them and give them a good Islamic name.
➍ Pay special attention to their education and upbringing so that they may become a continuous charity (Sadaqah Jariyah) for their parents.
Allah Almighty says: “O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire (Hell).”
The best way to protect the family from Hell is to adorn them with Islamic education and pay special attention to their upbringing. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
أَكْرِمُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ , وَأَحْسِنُوا أَدَبَهُمْ
“Take care of the dignity of your children and teach them good manners and ethics.”
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever is entrusted by Allah with daughters and treats them well, those daughters will become a means of protection from the Fire for him.”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ عُقُوقَ الْأُمَّهَاتِ
“Allah Almighty has forbidden you to disobey your mothers.”
Benefits:
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty repeatedly commands serving parents and treating them well. In some places, good treatment of parents is mentioned alongside the worship of Allah:
“It is the decisive command of your Lord that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) once described good treatment of parents in these words:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ : رَغِمَ أَنْفُ، ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ، ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ، قِيلَ : مَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟، قَالَ : مَنْ أَدْرَكَ أَبَوَيْهِ عِنْدَ الْكِبَرِ أَحَدَهُمَا أَوْ كِلَيْهِمَا فَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ
“May his nose be dusted, may his nose be dusted, may his nose be dusted.” It was asked: O Messenger of Allah! Whose? He (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever among his parents, one or both, reaches old age and he treats them well but does not enter Paradise.”
Even if the parents are disbelievers, their right to service does not cease. Allah Almighty says:
“If they compel you to associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness.”
After their death, good treatment means treating their friends well. As stated in the hadith:
إِنَّ مِنْ أَبَرِّ الْبِرِّ صِلَةَ الرَّجُلِ أَهْلَ وُدِّ أَبِيهِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ
“The greatest act of virtue after a man’s father’s death is to maintain ties with his father’s friends.”
الْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ
“A woman is the guardian of her husband’s house, and she will be questioned about it.”
Benefits:
The special nature and importance of the relationship between husband and wife in human interactions needs no explanation; the peace of life and contentment of the heart largely depend on the harmony of this relationship. Allah Almighty has declared this relationship as a sign of His knowledge. The Divine command is:
“Among His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy.”
Allah Almighty has placed such attraction between husband and wife that they cannot find peace apart from each other; that is, both seek and are sought by one another. The requirement of this relationship is that the wife should consider her husband above all, remain loyal to him, and not lessen her goodwill and satisfaction towards him. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described the husband for the wife as Paradise and Hell.
Obedience to the husband is Paradise for the wife, and her disobedience is the cause of Hell for her.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that if he commanded anyone to prostrate to any creature, he would have commanded the wife to prostrate to her husband.
Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described serving the husband in these words:
أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ مَاتَتْ وَزَوْجُهَا عَنْهَا رَاضٍ دَخَلَتِ الْجَنَّةَ
“A woman who dies while her husband is pleased with her will enter Paradise.”
إِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا
“Your wife also has a right over you.”
Benefits:
The background of this hadith is that once the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both: “O Abdullah! I have heard about you that you fast during the day and stand in prayer at night, is this true?” He replied: “O Messenger of Allah! Yes, it is true.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Do not do that. Fast and also break your fast, stand in prayer at night and also rest. Indeed, your body has a right over you. Your eyes have a right over you, and your wife also has a right over you.”
The relationship between husband and wife is very close. The accursed Satan makes extreme efforts to create a rift in it. This is why if his agent succeeds in causing separation between husband and wife, Iblis embraces him and encourages him.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “O people! Fear Allah regarding your wives, for you have taken them as a trust from Allah. It is your responsibility to properly provide for their food, drink, clothing, etc.”
This means that the husband should fulfill his wife’s needs according to his status and the customs of society. He should not be stingy or miserly in this matter. Also, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that no believing husband hates his honest wife; if he dislikes one habit of hers, he will like another.
The Holy Quran also advises to live with wives in a proper manner.
لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ، مَنْ لَا يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ
“The person who harms his neighbors will not enter Paradise.”
Benefits:
A person has a constant relationship with neighbors besides their parents, children, and close relatives. The goodness or deterioration of this relationship greatly affects the peace and tranquility of life and the development or corruption of morals. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) honored this relationship greatly and emphasized its respect and dignity. In the above hadith, good treatment of neighbors is made a condition for entering Paradise. In one hadith, this relationship is considered a part of faith. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “By Allah! That person is not a believer, by Allah! That person is not a believer, by Allah! That person is not a person of faith…” It was asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who is that person? He (peace be upon him) said: “The person whose neighbors are not safe from his harm.”
In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) highlighted the importance of this relationship with these words:
“Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) kept advising me continuously about the rights of neighbors until I thought he would make them my heirs.”
This emphasis on good treatment of neighbors includes all neighbors, whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. Accordingly, there is a hadith about Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin As (may Allah be pleased with him) that one day a goat was slaughtered at his house, and he said to his family: You have also sent meat as a gift to our Jewish neighbor. He repeated this statement several times.
الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ
“A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe.”
Benefits:
This hadith explains the responsibility of a Muslim that no other Muslim should be harmed by his tongue or hand. It commands not to cause harm through the tongue and hand because harm is mostly caused by these two. It does not mean that causing harm by feet or other means is permissible; rather, causing harm in any way is absolutely forbidden. In short, Islam demands that no Muslim should be harmed without reason. In one narration, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, declared the best Muslim to be the one from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe.
In a hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “Every Muslim is a brother to another Muslim; he should neither oppress him nor abandon him to be oppressed by others, nor should he belittle him.”
Due to the Islamic relationship, some special rights have also been mentioned in the hadiths. For example, in a hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“A Muslim has five rights over another Muslim: to respond to his greeting, to visit him when he is ill, to attend his funeral, to accept his invitation, and when he sneezes, to say يرحمك الله and pray mercy for him.”
These five things are such that they show and nurture the mutual relationship among Muslims. Therefore, special attention should be given to them. Other hadiths mention additional things besides these five, which means that other matters are also included in these rights.
مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُ لَا يُرْحَمُ
“No mercy will be shown to the person who does not show mercy to others.”
Benefits:
This hadith contains a severe warning for those who do not show mercy to other deserving human beings and do not feel their pain and need to help and serve them according to their ability. From the words of one narration, it is understood that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, cursed the person who does not show mercy to others in distress. The words of the hadith are:
“Those who do not show mercy to others will be deprived of Allah’s mercy.”
It should be noted that punishing thieves, robbers, and murderers by retaliation is not against the spirit of mercy described in the hadith; rather, it is also a requirement of mercy towards humans. If they are not punished, the public will suffer more from their oppression and cruelty. Thus, Allah Almighty says:
“O you who have intellect! For you in the law of retaliation is life.”
By virtue of being human, all those afflicted are deserving of mercy. Those who show mercy to others in such circumstances, Allah bestows His mercy upon them. The noble saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is:
“Allah has mercy on His servants who have a tender heart towards others.”
In one hadith, a very eloquent encouragement is given to show mercy to all creatures living on earth. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“Show mercy to the creatures on earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy on you.”
فِي كُلِّ ذَاتِ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ
“Indeed, there is reward in feeding and giving drink to every animal.”
Benefits:
The cause and narration of the hadith is that a man was traveling on a road, during which he became extremely thirsty. He saw a well, so he went down into it and drank water. When he came out, he saw a dog panting and licking the wet mud due to extreme thirst. The man thought that the dog must be suffering from thirst just as he had. So he went down into the well again, filled his shoe with water, held it in his mouth, and brought it out to give the dog a drink. Allah Almighty appreciated his action and forgave him. The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! Do we also get reward for good treatment of animals? He (peace be upon him) said: “There is reward for good treatment of every living being that has a moist liver (i.e., a living creature).”
A similar incident is mentioned in the hadith about a woman of bad character whom Allah forgave because she gave water to a dog.
From these incidents, the lesson is that if good treatment is given even to creatures like dogs, it will be a cause for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, and the servant will receive reward and blessings. In another hadith, further clarification is given where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever plants a fruit-bearing tree, then humans and animals eat from it, it will be charity for the one who planted it.”
In a narration, feeding birds is also mentioned as a source of reward.
From these hadiths, the lesson is that feeding and giving drink not only to humans but also to all animals, birds, and livestock created by Allah is charity and a deed of reward.
الْمُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا
“A believer is like a wall for another believer, whose parts strengthen each other.”
Benefits:
The members of this Ummah have been given the status of a community based on religious brotherhood and sincere sympathy. This is possible only when its members remain united through mutual goodwill and selfless cooperation, and their hearts remain connected. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, highlighted this status in the above hadith. To demonstrate this mutual relationship among the believers, he placed the fingers of one hand into the fingers of the other hand and explained that Muslims should unite in such a way as to become a strong wall whose bricks are connected and joined together without any gaps. This characteristic of the believers is described in the Holy Quran in these words:
رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ
“They are merciful to one another.”
In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, emphasized this status of Muslims as follows:
“You will see the believers in their mutual mercy, love, and affection for one another like a single body; when one part of it suffers, the whole body shares the fever and sleeplessness.”
This means that among the people of faith there should be such love, kindness, sympathy, and connection that every observer sees them in such a state that if any one of them is afflicted with a calamity, all consider it their own calamity and share in its distress. والله المستعان
