Faith

Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas reported God’s messenger as saying, “The Muslim who offends most against the Muslims is he who enquires about something which has not been forbidden to men, and it is declared forbidden because of his enquiry.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “In the last days there will be lying <i>dajjals </i>who will bring you traditions of which neither you nor your fathers have heard, so beware of them. They will neither lead you astray nor seduce you.” Muslim transmitted it.

He also said that the people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and expound it in Arabic to the Muslims, so God’s messenger said, “Neither believe nor disbelieve the people of the Book, but say, ‘We believe in God and what has been sent down to us... [1] ’” Bukhari transmitted it. [1] Quran, ii, 136.

He also reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is enough falsehood for a man to relate everything he hears.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “There was no prophet whom God raised up among his people before me who did not have from among his people apostles and companions who held to his sunna and followed what he commanded; then they were succeeded by people who said what they did not practise and did things they were not commanded to do. So he who strives against them with his hand is a believer, he who strives against them with his tongue is a believer, and he who strives against them with his heart is a believer. Beyond that there is not so much faith as a grain of mustard seed.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone summons others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those of the people who follow him without their rewards being diminished in any respect on that account; and if anyone summons others to follow error the sin of which he is guilty will be equivalent to those of the people who follow him without their sins’ being diminished in any respect on that account.” Muslim transmitted it.

He also reported God’s messenger as saying, “Islam began as a small religion and will return to the state in which it began. Then blessed will be the few [who hold to it]' Muslim transmitted it.

Talha b. ‘Ubaidallah said:

A man of the people of Najd with dishevelled hair came to God’s messenger. We could hear the sound of his voice, but could not understand what he was saying till he came near God’s messenger and we realised that he was asking about Islam. God’s messenger said, “Five times of prayer each day and night.” He asked, “Must I observe any more than them?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” God's messenger said, “And fasting during the month of Ramadan.” He asked, “Must I observe anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Talha said that God's messenger mentioned the<i> zakat </i>to him, and he asked, “Must I pay anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” He said that the man turned away saying, “I swear by God that I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it.” So God’s messenger said, “The man will prosper if he is speaking the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He also reported God’s messenger as saying, “Faith will shrink back to Medina as a snake shrinks back to its hole.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Rabi'a al-Jurashi said:

A heavenly visitant came to God’s prophet, and he was told to let his eye sleep, his ear hear, and his heart understand. He said, “My eyes then slept, my ears heard, and my heart understood, and I was told that a lord built a house, prepared a feast, and sent one to issue invitations. Whoever responds to the one who invites him will enter the house, eat of the feast, and enjoy the lord’s favour; but whoever does not respond to the one who invites him will not enter the house, or eat of the feast, and he will incur the lord's anger.” He explained that God is the lord, Muhammad is the one who delivers the invitation, the house is Islam, and the feast is paradise. Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Rafi‘ reported God’s messenger as saying, “Let me not find one of you reclining on his couch when he hears something regard which I have commanded or forbidden and saying, ‘I do not know, we found in God’s Book we have followed.’ ” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, A Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Baihaqi (<i>in Dala’il an-nubuwa</i>) transmitted it.

Al-Miqdam b. Ma'dikarib reported God’s messenger as saying, “I have indeed been brought the Qur’an and something like it along with it, yet the time is coming when a man replete on his couch will say, ‘Keep to this Qur’an; what you find in it to be permissible treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as prohibited.’ But what God’s messenger has prohibited is like what God has prohibited. The domestic ass, beasts of prey with fangs, a find belonging to a confederate, unless its owner does not want it, are not permissible to you. If anyone comes to some people they must entertain him, but if they do not, he has a right to mulct them to an amount equivalent to his entertainment.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Darimi transmitted something similar. Ibn Majah transmitted the same up to “like what God has prohibited.”

Al-Irbad b. Sariya declared that God’s messenger got up and said, “Does any of you, while reclining on his couch, imagine that God has prohibited only what is to be found in the Qur’an? By God, I have commanded, exhorted and prohibited various matters as numerous as what is found in the Qur’an, or more numerous. God has not permitted you to enter the houses of the people of the Book without permission, or dishonour their women, or eat their fruits, when they give you what is imposed on them.” [1] [1] The source from which this tradition comes is omitted. The editor of Damascus edition of the Mishkat notes that it comes from Abu Dawud. It is Abu Dawud <i>Kitab al-kharaj wal imara wal fai’ bab </i>33.

He also said that God’s messenger led them in prayer one day, then faced them and gave them a lengthy exhortation at which their eyes shed tears and their hearts were afraid. A man said, “Messenger of God, it seems as if this were a farewell exhortation, so give us an injunction.” He then said, “I enjoin you to fear God, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you .who live after me will see great disagreement. You must therefore follow my sunna and that of the rightly guided Caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. [1] Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is error.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but the last two did not mention the prayer. [1] Lit. :

Bite on it with the molar teeth.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told how God’s messenger drew a line for them and then said, “This is God’s path.” Thereafter he drew several lines on his right and left and said, “These are paths on each of which there is a devil who invites people to follow it.” And he recited, “And that this is my path, straight; follow it...” [1] Ahmad, Nasa’I and Darimi transmitted it. [1] Quran iv, 153.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you is a believer till his desire follows what I have brought.” He transmitted it in Sharh al-sunna ; and an-Nawawi said in his <i>Arba’in</i>, “This is a sound tradition which we have transmitted in <i>Kitab al-hujja </i>with a sound <i>isnad</i>.”

Bilal b. Harith al-Muzani reported God’s messenger as saying, “Whoever revives a <i>sunna</i> of mine which has been neglected after my time will have a reward equal to the rewards of those who act upon it, without their rewards being diminished in any way. But whoever invents a misleading innovation with which God and His messenger are not pleased will be charged with a sin equal to the sins of those who act upon it without that diminishing their loads in any way.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Kathir b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr from his father from his grandfather.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when the deputation of ‘Abd Qais came to the Prophet, God's messenger asked, “Who are the people?” or, “Who are the deputation?” They replied, “Rabi‘a”, and he said, “Welcome to the people (or deputation), neither ashamed nor regretful.” They said, “Messenger of God, we are able to come to you only in the sacred month, for this tribe of the infidels of Mudar is between us and you; so give us a decisive command which we may tell to those at home and by [obeying] which we may enter paradise;” and they asked him about drinks. He commanded them to observe four things and he forbade them four things. He commanded them to put their faith in God alone saying, “Do you know what faith in God alone is?” They replied, “God and His messenger know best.” He said, “It includes the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God’s messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of <i>zakat</i>, the fast of Ramadan, and your giving a fifth of the booty.” And he forbade them four things:

glazed jars, gourds, hollowed stumps of palm trees, and receptacles smeared with pitch, saying, “Observe them and tell your people at home about them.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but the wording is Bukhari’s).

‘Amr b. ‘Auf reported God’s messenger as saying, “The religion will shrink back to the Hijaz as a snake shrinks back to its hole, and the religion will seek refuge in the Hijaz as the mountain goat seeks refuge in the mountain top. The religion began few in number and will return to the state in which it began. Blessed are the few, for they will set right the corruptions caused in my sunna by people after my death.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God's messenger as saying, “My people will experience what the B. Isra’il experienced, as closely as one sandal resembles another. If they had among them one who openly- had intercourse with his mother, among my people there will be one who does that. The B. Isra’il divided into 72 sects, but my people will divide into 73 sects, all of which but one will go to hell.” On being asked which it was, he replied, “It is the one to which I and my companions belong.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. A version by Ahmad and Abu Dawud from Mu'awiya has, “Seventy-two will be in hell and one in paradise, it being the community. And folk will come forth from among my people in whom those passions will run as does hydrophobia in one who suffers from it, permeating every vein and joint.”