PRACTICING THE SUNNAH (PART 2)

Al-Irbad ibn Sariya (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: One day the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) stood up among us and he admonished us so eloquently that it moved our hearts and made tears come from our eyes. It was said,

“O Messenger of Allah, you have given us a farewell sermon, so enjoin a covenant upon us.”

The Prophet, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, said:

أُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَالسَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ وَإِنْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ يَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ فَإِنَّهَا ضَلَالَةٌ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ

You must fear Allah, listen to and obey your leaders even if an Abyssinian slave is put in charge over you. Whoever lives among you will see many differences, so beware of newly invented matters for they are misguidance. Whoever sees them must adhere to my tradition and the tradition of the upright, guided successors. Bite onto it with your back teeth.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2676, Grade: Sahih

In another narration, the Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

وَشَرُّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلُّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَكُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ

The most evil matters are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.

Source: Sunan An-Nasa’i 1578, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, said:

كُلُّ أُمَّتِي يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَبَى

Everyone from my nation will enter Paradise except those who refuse.

They said, “O Messenger of Allah, who will refuse?”

The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَقَدْ أَبَى

Whoever obeys me enters Paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6851, Grade: Sahih

Salamah ibn Al-Akwa (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: A man was eating with his left hand in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam. The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

كُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ

Eat with your right hand.

The man said, “I cannot do it.”

The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

لَا اسْتَطَعْتَ

You will not be able to do it.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2021, Grade: Sahih

Salamah (RadiAllahu Anhu) said:

مَا مَنَعَهُ إِلَّا الْكِبْرُ قَالَ فَمَا رَفَعَهَا إِلَى فِيهِ

Nothing prevented him from doing it except arrogance. He was no longer able to raise his hand to his mouth.

An-Nu’man ibn Basheer (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, said:

لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ

Straighten the rows of prayer or else Allah will disfigure your faces.

Source: Sahih Muslim 436, Grade: Sahih

An-Nawawi said:

مَعْنَاهُ يُوقِعُ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ وَاخْتِلَافَ الْقُلُوبِ

The meaning is that it will put enmity and hatred between the hearts that will show on the faces.

Source: Sharh Sahih Muslim

Abu Musa (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, said:

إِنَّ مَثَلَ مَا بَعَثَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَصَابَ أَرْضًا فَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ قَبِلَتْ الْمَاءَ فَأَنْبَتَتْ الْكَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ وَكَانَ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتْ الْمَاءَ فَنَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهَا وَسَقَوْا وَرَعَوْا وَأَصَابَ طَائِفَةً مِنْهَا أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَنَفَعَهُ بِمَا بَعَثَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ

Verily, the parable of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah the Exalted has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall and as a result there is abundant growth of plants, then there is a land hard and barren which retains the water and people benefit from it and they and their animals drink from it, then there is another land which is barren and neither is water retained nor does any grass grow. The likeness of the first one is he who develops understanding of the religion of Allah and he benefits from that with which Allah sent me. The second is one who acquires knowledge of religion and teaches others. The third is one who does not pay attention to the message and thus he does not accept the guidance with which Allah sent me.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 79, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abu Huraira (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, said:

إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ النَّاسِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ جَعَلَ الْفَرَاشُ وَهَذِهِ الدَّوَابُّ الَّتِي تَقَعُ فِي النَّارِ يَقَعْنَ فِيهَا فَجَعَلَ يَنْزِعُهُنَّ وَيَغْلِبْنَهُ فَيَقْتَحِمْنَ فِيهَا فَأَنَا آخُذُ بِحُجَزِكُمْ عَنْ النَّارِ وَهُمْ يَقْتَحِمُونَ فِيهَا

Verily, the parable of myself and the people is that of a man who kindled a fire and when it lighted what was around it, some moths and insects started falling into the fire. The man tried to prevent them from falling in, but they overpowered him and rushed into the fire. Likewise, I take hold of your belts in order to prevent you from falling into the Hellfire, but you insist on falling into it.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6118, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Ibn Abbas (RadiAllahu Anhuma) reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, said:

إِنَّكُمْ مَحْشُورُونَ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلًا

Verily, you will be gathered barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.

Then the Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) recited the verse:

كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ

As we began the first creation, so shall We repeat it. It is a promise binding upon Us, and surely We shall do it. (21:104)

The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) continued:

وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يُكْسَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَإِنَّ أُنَاسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِي يُؤْخَذُ بِهِمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ فَأَقُولُ أَصْحَابِي أَصْحَابِي فَيَقُولُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَزَالُوا مُرْتَدِّينَ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ مُنْذُ فَارَقْتَهُمْ فَأَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِحُ وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي إِلَى قَوْلِهِ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

The first to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Abraham, and some of my companions will be taken towards the left side and I will say: My companions! My companions! It will be said: They were renegades after you. Then I will say as the righteous servant said: I was a witness over them while I was among them, but when You took me You were the watcher over them, and You are a witness over all things. If you punish them, they are your servants and if you forgive them, verily, You alone are the Almighty, the Wise. (5:117-118)

Source: Sahih Bukhari 3171, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Anas ibn Malik (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, during a meal would lick what he ate with his three fingers and he would say:

إِذَا سَقَطَتْ لُقْمَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيُمِطْ عَنْهَا الْأَذَى وَلْيَأْكُلْهَا وَلَا يَدَعْهَا لِلشَّيْطَانِ

When one of you drops a mouthful, he should remove any filth from it and then eat, for he should not leave it for the devil.

The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) commanded us to wipe clean our dishes and he would say:

فَإِنَّكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ فِي أَيِّ طَعَامِكُمْ الْبَرَكَةُ

Verily, you do not know in which portion of your food is the blessing.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2034, Grade: Sahih

Abis ibn Rabia (RadiAllahu Anhu) reported: Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RadiAllahu Anhu) came to the black stone and he kissed it. Umar, RadiAllahu Anhu, said:

إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ حَجَرٌ لَا تَضُرُّ وَلَا تَنْفَعُ وَلَوْلَا أَنِّي رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُقَبِّلُكَ مَا قَبَّلْتُكَ

Verily, I know you are only a stone with no power to harm or benefit me. Were it not that I saw the Prophet, SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, kiss you, I would not have kissed you.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 1520, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.