Concise and foremost counsels

Hadrat Abü Hurairah (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that the Messenger by ALLAH said, “My Lord has specially given me the following nine commandments:

1. Fear ALLAH in private and public:

2. Speak what is just and equitable whether in anger or in agreeable (mood) (i.e. it should not be like this that, when you are cross with someone and are enraged with him, then you usurp his rights and do injustice to him and when you are on friendly and good terms with someone, then you favour him and help unduly, but whatever the case may be, the middlecourse of fairplay and equity should be followed:

3. Stick to moderation in poverty and indigence as well as in riches and wealth i.e. when ALLAH, the Exalted involves you in poverty then you should not express impatience and perturbation. At the same time, when, He favours you with enough and to spare then he should not forget the fact of the matter and be involved in pride and head strongness. In substance, in both these conditions of trial one should refrain from going to the extremes:

4. I should establish relationship with the kinsmen and fulfil their obligations who break the relationship with me and misbehave with me:

5. I should give them also who might have deprived me of my rights:

6 I should forgive them who might have oppressed me:

7. In my silence there should be meditation i.e. when I am silent I should ponder over matters deserving serious consideration e.g., Attributes of ALLAH, the Exalted and his signs—i.e., what is ALLAH, the Exalted’s relationship with me? What is His commandment for me? What is my attitude towards Him and His commandments and what should it be? And what is going to be my end? And, for example, how should these servants of ALLAH, the Exalted, who are indifferent towards Him be connected with ALLAH. In substance in silence there should be meditation of this nature.

8. My conversation should be Zikr i.e., whenever I have to speak and whatever I speak, it should be about ALLAH. It may either be praise and hymn of ALLAH or educating and preaching of his commandments, or of the nature that it should have regard and care for the commandments and punishments of ALLAH. In all these cases, whatever be the conversation, it will be of the nature of (Zikr) and

9. My observation should be one for learning a lesson (i.e. on whatever thing I cast a glance, it should be with the intention of learning a moral and a lesson) and exhort people to do what is reputable.” [Ma’arif -uI- Hadis Razn]

Hadrat Mu’az -bin- Jabal (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH recommended ten things to me saying:

(1) Do not associate anything with ALLAH even if you are put to death;

(2) Do not be disobedient to your parents, even if they command you to quit your family and property;

(3) Do not deliberately neglect to observe a compulsorily prescribed Salaah, for one who deliberately neglects a comulsorily prescribed Salaah, will have ALLAH’s protection removed from him;

(4) Do not drink wine, it is the root cause of all evils (so it has been called mother of all evils);

(5) Save yourself from all sins, because ALLAH’s wrath descend son account of sin;

(6) Do not run away from the engagement in Jihad even if the casualties be running high;

(7) When you are living with some people at a place where, due to epidemic, death becomes widespread, you stay there with determination (Do not run away from that place for the sake of your life);

(8) Spend on your family members according to your status and means (Do not be close fisted so much so that inspite of you having money the (family members) suffer. Similarly do not be spendthrift beyond your means;

(9) For educating them good manners, be strict and harsh (as the situation demands); and (10) Cause them to fear ALLAH. [Musnad Ahmad, Ma’arif -ul- Hadis]

Hadrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that a man came to the Messenger of ALLAH and requested him for some advice but that it should be brief (so that it may be easy for him to remember it). He said,

(Firstly) when you stand up for Salaah then say the Salaah just like a person who is about to bid farewell to everything and to say Good Bye to everybody (i.e. the Salaah should be like that of a person who is about to breathe his last). You should say every Salaah in the same manner,

(secondly) do not utter any such thing for which you may have to offer an apology and explanation on the day following (i.e. when talking you should be careful not to speak such a thing for which you might be required to offer an explanation before someone in this world or to ALLAH on the day of judgement),

And (Thirdly) whatever you see with people or in their hands, make yourself totally hopeless about all that. (i.e. Only be the centre of your expectations and attention and have absolutely no hopes in the people). [Musnad Ahmad, Ma’ariful Hadis]

It has been reported from the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) that he said, I bequeath you to fear ALLAH, the Exalted, to listen to the orders of the Ameer (Head of the State) and to obey him even if he be an Abyssinian slave. Whoever will survive me, will see too much of dissension. So at that time, you must follow the path set forth by me and my viceregents who have received guidance from me and hold fast their ways, rather hold them with your teeth and protect yourself from innovations, for every new action (for which there is no authority) is innovation and every such new action means going astray from the divine order”. [Mishkat, Ma’arif -ul-Hadis]

Hadrat Mu’az bin Jabel (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that one day he requested the Messenger of ALLAH, Inform me, Messenger of ALLAH of an act which will cause me to enter paradise and remove me far from hell”. He said, “You have asked a serious question, but it is easy for the one whom ALLAH helps to answer it. Please listen, it is of primary importance, these basic requirements of religion should be met with care and determination. Worship of ALLAH and associate nothing with Him, observe the prayer in the proper manner single - mindedly. Pay the Zakat, fast during Ramadhan, and perform Hajj. He then said, “Shall I not guide you to the gateways of what is good? (i.e. whatever he had told were the pillars of faith and obligations - Faraiz) He then said, “Shall I not guide you to other gateways of what is good?” (Perhaps he meant voluntary Salaah) so, he appreciating the eargerness of Hadrat Mu’az narrated, “Fasting is a protection (from sins and hellfire) and alms - giving extinguishes fire, and Salaah in the middle of night (Tahajjud Salaah) has the same effect and has a special place in the gateways of what is good. After that he (in connection with the eminence of Tahajjud Salaah and Sadaqa) recited the following verse of Surah.

Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of that We have bestowed on them.

No soul knoweth what is kept hid for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do. 32 / 16— 17

Then he said, “Shall I not guide you to the head and support of the matter and the top of its hump”. (Mu’az says) I said, “Yes Sir,” He said “The head of the matter (religion) is Islam, its supportis Salaah and the top of its hump is Jihad. Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), said, “Shall I not tell you that on which all this is based’ (and without which all these are weightless and useless)’ Hadrat Mu’az says, I said “Sir tell me that as well”. So he took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain it (i.e. keep it under control. This should not go astray). Mu’az says that he said, “Sir, Shall we really be punished for what we talk about. The Messenger of ALLAH said, “O Mu’az! Thine mother should not have given birth to thee. (According to Arab dictum, this is an expression of love). People will be overthrown in hell on their faces (or on their nostrils) mostly due to their unthoughiful utterances”. [Musnad Imam Ahmad, Tirmizi]

Hadrat Anas (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) addressed Abu Zarr saying, “Shall I not tell you two traits of character which are light on the back (i.e. it is not cumbersome to cultivate them) and will be very heavy in the scale of ALLAH.” Abu Zar (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) says that he said, “O Messenger of ALLAH! Do tell me these two traits of character”. The Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “The habit of remaining mostly silent and secondly pleasing disposition. I swear by ALLAH in whose possession is my soul, in human actions these two things have no parallel”. [Ma’ariful Hadis]

lmran - bin – Hittan - Taba’ee has related that one day he visited Abu Zarr Ghafari (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) and saw him in the mosque in such a condition that he was sitting alone wrapped up in a black scarf. He said, “O Abu Zarr! How is this loneliness and single-mindedness” (i.e why have you chosen to remain aloof and away from society? He replied “I have heard the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) saying, “Seclusion is better than the company of bad persons and sitting with a good person is better than solitude, and enjoining what is reputable is better than keeping silence, and keeping silence is better than telling what is disreputable”. [Shuab -UI- lman Al Baihaqui, Ma’arif -UI- Hadis]

Hadrat Abu Zarr Ghifari (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that my beloved friend has specially recommended the following seven things.

1. Loving the needy and destitute,                             

2. Looking towards those who are below me (i.e. those who do not possess as much as I have) and should not look towards those who are above me (i.e. those who have much more provision for worldly life than I have). In some traditions it has been reported that by doing so a habit of patience and thankfulness is created and it is evident also.

3. I should show mercy towards my kinsmen and establish relations with them (i.e. I should deal with them as one should deal with his relatives and kinsmen) though they do not do so with me.

4. I should not beg anything from anybody (i.e. for every requirement of mine I should beseech ALLAH, the Exalted and I should not go abegging on anybody else’s door).

5. I should speak truth on every occasion even if it be bitter for the people (and may be distasteful to them on account of their own intents and wishes).

6. I should not be afraid of those who reproach me in the way of ALLAH (i.e if worldly people reproach me, even then I should say ... and do what has been enjoined by ALLAH and by which ALLAH is pleased. I should not care at all for the reproach.)

I should recite abundantly

Because all these things are from the treasure which is below the heaven (i.e. these are gems from the treasures which is beneath the throne of ALLAH and which are given to those servants of ALLAH whom he likes. Nobody else has access to that). 

Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that the Apostle of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “On the day of resurrection, the feet of the son of Adam will not move away till he is questioned about five matters:

1. On what he spent his life;

2. In what he made his youth pass away;

3. Whence he acquired his property;

4. On what he spent it and

5. What he did regarding what he knew; [Tirmizi Ma’arif -ul-Hadis]

Abdullah bin Umar (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “If you have four characteristics then it does not matter if worldly advantage passes you by.

1. Keeping a trust.

2. Speaking the truth,

3. A good character, and

4. Abstentiousness in food. [Musnad Ahmad, Baihaqui, Ma’arif -ul-Hadis]

Amr -bin- Maimum-al-Audi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) counselling a person said, “Get hold of five things before five others and make use of them as far as you can:

1. Youth before decreptitude;

2. Health before illness;

3. Riches before poventy;

4. Leisure before work, and

5. Life before death.”