The Book of Faith

It is reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (ﷺ) addressed Mu'adh b. Jabal as he was riding behind him to which he replied:

At your beck and call, and at your pleasure, Messenger of Allah. He again called out: Mu'adh, to which he (again) replied: At your beck and call, and at your pleasure. He (the Prophet) addressed him (again): Mu'adh, to which he replied: At your beck and call, and at your pleasure, Messenger of Allah. Upon this he (the Prophet) observed: If anyone testifies (sincerely from his heart) that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His bondsman and His messenger, Allah immuned him from Hell. He (Mu'adh) said: Messenger of Allah, should I not then inform people of it, so that they may be of good cheer? He replied: Then they would trust in it alone. Mu'adh told about it at the time of his death, to avoid sinning.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Itban b. Malik that he came to Medina and said:

Something had gone wrong with my eyesight. I, therefore, sent (a message to the Prophet): Verily it is my ardent desire that you should kindly grace my house with your presence and observe prayer there so, that I should make that corner a place of worship. He said: The Prophet (ﷺ) came there, and those amongst the Companions whom Allah willed also accompanied him. He entered (my place) and offered prayer at my residence and his Companions began to talk amongst themselves (and this conversation centered round hypocrites), and then the conspicuous one, Malik b. Dukhshum was made the target and they wished that he (the Prophet) should curse him and he should die or he should meet some calamity. In the meanwhile the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) completed his prayer and said: Does Malik b. Dukhshum not testify the fact that there is no god but Allah and verily I am the messenger of Allah. They replied: He makes a profession of it (no doubt) but does not do it out of (sincere) heart. He (the Prophet) said: He who testifies that there is no god but Allah and I am the messenger of Allah would not enter Hell or its (flames) would not consume him. Anas said: This hadith impressed me very much and I told my son to write it down.

It is narrated on the authority of Anas that 'Itban b. Malik told him that he became blind. He sent a message to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he should come and mark a place of worship for him. Thereupon came the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his people and then there was a discussion among them about a man who was known as Malik b. Dukhshum, and subsequently the narrator described the hadith of Sulaiman b. Mughira as stated above.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abbas b. 'Abdul-Muttalib that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying:

He has found the taste of faith (<i>iman</i>) who is content with Allah as his Lord, with Islam as his religion (code of life) and with Muhammad (ﷺ) as his Prophet.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

Iman has over seventy branches, and modesty is a branch of Iman.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Faith has over seventy branches or over sixty branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and the humblest of which is the, removal of what is injurious from the path: and modesty is the branch of faith.

Salim reported on the authority of his father that the Prophet (ﷺ) heard a man censuring his brother regarding modesty. Upon this the Prophet (ﷺ) remarked:

Modesty is part of Iman (faith).

Zuhri has narrated this hadith with the addition of these words:

He (the Prophet) happened to pass by a mass of Ansar who was instructing his brother (about modesty).

It is narrated on the authority of 'Imran b. Husain that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

Modesty brings forth nothing but goodness. Bushair b. Ka'b said: It is recorded in the books of wisdom, there lies sobriety in it and calmness of mind in it, Imran said: I am narrating to you the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and you talk of your books.

It is narrated on the authority of Qatada. We were sitting with 'Imran b. Husain in a company and Bushair ibn Ka'b was also amongst us. 'Imran narrated to us that on a certain occasion the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Modesty is a virtue through and through, or said: Modesty is a goodness complete. Upon this Bushair ibn Ka'b said: Verily we find in certain books or books of (wisdom) that it is God-inspired peace of mind or sobriety for the sake of Allah and there is also a weakness in it. Imran was so much enraged that his eyes became red and he said: I am narrating to you the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and you are contradicting it. He (the narrator) said: Imran reported the hadith, He (the narrator) said: Bushair repeated, (the same thing). Imran was enraged. He (the narrator) said: We asserted: Verily Bushair is one amongst us. Abu Nujaid! There is nothing wrong, with him (Bushair).

Ishaq b. Ibrahim narrates this hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) on the authority of Imran b. Husain, like the one narrated by Hammad b. Zaid.

It is narrated on the authority of Sufyan b. 'Abdulla al-Thaqafi that he said:

I asked the Messenger of Allah to tell me about Islam a thing which might dispense with the necessity of my asking anybody after you. In the hadith of Abu Usama the (words) are: other than you. He (the Prophet) remarked: Say I affirm my faith in Allah and then remain steadfast to it.

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Amr that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) which of the merits (is superior) in Islam. He (the Prophet) remarked:

That you provide food and extend greetings to one whom you know or do not know.

'Abdullah b. Amr b. al-As is reported to have said:

Verily a person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who amongst the Muslims was better. Upon this (the Prophet) remarked: From whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that he heard the (Prophet) say:

A Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Musa Ash'ari:

I asked the Messenger of Allah which (attribute) of Islam is more excellent. Upon this he remarked: One in which the Muslims are safe, protected from the tongue and hand of (other Muslims).

Ibrahim b. Sa'id al-Jauhari has narrated this hadith with the same words in addition to these. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked as to who amongst the Muslims is better, and the rest of the hadith was narrated like this.

It is reported on the authority of Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (ﷺ ) said:

There are three qualities for which anyone who is characterised by them will relish the sweetness of faith: he to whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than all else; he who loves a man for Allah's sake alone; and he who has as great an abhorrence of returning to unbelief after Allah has rescued him from it as he has of being cast into Hell.

It is reported on the authority of Anas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

There are three qualities for which any one who is characterised by them will relish the savour of faith: that he loves man and he does not love him but for Allah's sake alone; he is to whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than all else; he who prefers to be thrown into fire than to return to unbelief after Allah has rescued him out of it.

A similar hadith has been reported on the authority of Anas (with another chain of transmitters) with the exception of these words:

that he again becomes a Jew or a Christian.