Ahadith

Huzaifah ibn Yaman relates: One night I joined the Holy Prophet in his voluntary Prayer. He began the recitation of sura Al-Baqarah. I thought he would go into ruku’ after reciting a hundred verses but he continued the recitation. Then I thought he would complete its recitation in one raka‘a but he continued his recitation and then began to recite sura Al-Nisa and there- after sura Al-‘Imran. His recitation was unhurried. When he recited a verse which mentioned glorification of God, he glorified Him, where supplication was mentioned he supplicated, and where seeking protection was mentioned he sought protection, Then he went into ruku’ and began repeating: Holy is my Lord, the Great; and his ruku’ was almost as long as his giyam. Then he recited: Allah hears him who praises Him. Thine is the praise O Lord. He then stood up and his giyam was as long as his ruku’. He then went into prostration and recited: Holy is my Lord, the High; and his prostration was like his qiyam (Muslim). : (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Ibn Mas‘ud relates: One night I joined the Holy Prophet in his voluntary Prayer. He prolonged the giyam so much that I made up my mind to commit an impertinence. He was asked: What had you made up your mind to? He answered: To sit down and stop following him (Bokhari and Muslim). (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Anas relates that the Holy Prophet said: Three accompany a dead body: members of his family, his belongings and his deeds. Two of them come away and one remains. The members of his family and his belongings come away, his deeds remain (Bokhari and Muslim). (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Ibn Mas‘ud relates that the Holy Prophet said: Paradise is closer to you than your shoe-lace, and the same is the case with hell (Bokhari). (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Rabi‘ah ibn Ka‘ab Aslami relates: 1 used to pass my night in the proximity of the Holy Prophet and used to put up water for his ablutions. One" day he said to to me: Would you like to ask me for something? I said: I ask for your companionship in Paradise. He inquired: Is there anything else? I said: That is all. He said: Then help me with respect to yourself by multiplying your prostrations (Muslim). (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Thauban relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say: Multiply your prostrations. Every prostration before Allah will raise your status one degree and will remove one of your sins (Muslim). (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Abdullah ibn Busril Aslami relates that the Holy Prophet said: The best person is he who has a long life and is of good conduct (Tirmidhi). (Al-`Ankabut 71, Al-Hijr 101, Al-Muzzammil 10, Az-Zilzal 9, Al-Muzzammil 22, Al-Baqarah 275)

Anas relates: My uncle Anas ibn Nadhr was not present in the battle of Badr. He said to the Holy Prophet: Messenger of Allah, I was absent from your first battle with the pagans. If Allah will bring me to face the pagans in another battle Allah will demonstrate my performance. On the day of the battle of Uhud. the Muslims were exposed. He said: Allah, I plead with Thee concerning that which the Muslims have done, and dissociate myself from that which the pagans have perpetrated. Then he went forward and encountered Sa‘ad ibn Mu'‘az and said to him: Paradise! By the Lord of the Ka‘aba, I perceive the fragrance of Paradise from beyond Uhud. Sa‘ad said later: Messenger of Allah, I have not the power to describe what he did. Anas (the nephew) relates: We found on his body more than eighty injuries inflicted by swords, spears and arrows. Thus was he killed and the pagans had cut off his nose and ears. No one could identify him except his sister who recognised the tips of his fingers. We imagined that the following verse had reference to him and those like him: Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah. Some have fulfilled their vow and laid down their lives in battle, and there are others who wait. They have not weakened in their resolve in the feast (8.24) (Bokhari and Muslim).

Abu Mas‘ud Uqbah ibn Amr Ansari relates that when the verse enjoining charity was revealed we would carry loads on our backs to earn something that we could give away in charity. One person presented a substantial amount for charity and the hypocrites said he had done it to show off. Another gave away a few pounds of dates and they said: Allah is not in need of his dates. Thereupon was revealed: It is these hypocrites who find fault with such of the believers as give alms freely and decide those who have nothing to give save that which they earn through their toil. Allah shall requite them for their derision and for them there is a painful chastisement (9.79). (Fatir 39)

Abu Dharr relates that the Holy Prophet said: Allah admonishes you: O My servants, | have charged Myself to wrong no one and have forbidden it between you, so wrong not anyone; O My servants, all of you are astray save those whom I should guide; O My servants, all of you are hungry save those whom I should feed, then supplicate Me for food, I shall feed you; O My servants, all of you are naked save those whom I should clothe, then supplicate Me for clothes, I shall clothe you; O My servants, you misbehave night and day and I forgive all sins, then supplicate Me for forgiveness, I shall forgive you; O" My servants, you can have no power to do Me harm, nor can you have power to confer any benefit upon Me; O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the whole lot of you, high and low, were to become like one who has the most righteous soul among you, that would not add a whit to My Kingdom; O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the whole lot of you, high and low, were to become like the one who has the most vicious soul among you, that would not detract a whit from My Kingdom; O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the whole lot of you, high and low, were to assemble in one large plain and were to beg Me for whatever they desire and I were to bestow upon each of you all that he had asked for, that would not detract from My treasures any more than a needle would detract from the ocean by being immersed in it. O My servants, I compass your deeds and shall make a full requital for them to you. Then he who encounters good should praise Allah for it; and he who encounters something else should blame only himself (Muslim).