The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, who is the most entitled among people to my good companionship?" He said: "Your mother." The man said: "Who next?" He said: "Your mother." The man asked again: "Who next?" He replied: "Your mother." The man further said: "Who next?" He said: "Your father." In another narration, the man asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who is the most entitled among people to my good companionship?" He said: "Your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, and then those who are the closest to you."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “None spoke in the cradle, except three: ‘Īsa, the son of Maryam and the companion of Jurayj. Jurayj was a worshiper. He had a hermitage and while he was there, his mother came in and called him while he was praying. He asked: ‘My Lord, my mother or my prayer?’ And he continued his prayer, so she left. The next day she came again and called him while he was in prayer. He asked: ‘My Lord, my mother or my prayer?’ and he continued his prayer. The following day she came again and called him while he was in prayer. He asked: ‘My Lord, my mother or my prayer?’ and he continued his prayer. She said: ‘O Allah, do not let him die until he sees the faces of prostitutes.’ The Children of Israel talked about Jurayj and his worship. There was a prostitute who they took to be an icon of beauty. She offered to seduce him. She tried to do so, but he did not pay her any attention. So she approached a herdsman who used to take refuge in Jurayj’s hermitage. She offered herself to him and he had sexual intercourse with her. She became pregnant, and when she gave birth she claimed that it was Jurayj’s son. The people went to him, invoked curses upon him, destroyed his hermitage, and attacked him. He said: ‘Why are you doing this?’ They replied: ‘You fornicated with this woman and she bore you a child.’ He asked: ‘Where is the child?’ So, they brought the child to him. He said: ‘Leave me until I pray.’ When he had finished praying he came to the boy and poked him in the stomach, and said: ‘O boy, who is your father?’ The boy responded: ‘So-and-so, the herdsman.’ So the people turned to Jurayj, kissing him and touching him, seeking his blessing. They offered to rebuild his hermitage with gold, but he refused and asked them to rebuild it with mud, just as it had been before, and so they did. There was also a baby, who was suckling from his mother when a rider dressed in fine garments passed by on an agile animal. His mother said: ‘O Allah, make my child like this one.’ The baby stopped suckling and looked at the man, and said: ‘O Allah, do not make me like him.’ He then continued suckling.” Abu Hurayrah said: “It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) right now demonstrating the baby suckling with his forefinger in his mouth.” He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued: “And some people passed by holding a slave girl, who they were beating and accusing of fornication and theft. She was saying: ‘Sufficient is Allah for me, and the best of Guardians is He.’ The mother said: ‘O Allah, do not make my child like her.’ Again the baby stopped suckling, looked at her and said: ‘O Allah, make me like her.’ At this point they spoke to each other. The mother said: ‘A good looking man passed by and I asked Allah to make my son like him, and you asked Allah not to make you like him. Then, the people passed by with this slave girl who was being beaten and accused of fornication and theft, and I asked Allah not to make my son like her and you asked Allah to make you like her!’ The child said: ‘The man was a tyrant, so I asked Allah not to make me like him. They were accusing the girl of fornication but she had not committed it, and they were accusing her of stealing, but she had not stolen. So I asked Allah to make me like her.’”

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May his nose be rubbed in dust, then may his nose be rubbed in dust, and may his nose be rubbed in dust." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, who? He said: "The one whose parents, one of them or both, reach old age in his life yet he does not enter Paradise."

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man from the Bedouins met him on his way to Makkah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar greeted him, made him ride on a donkey that he was riding, and gave him a turban that was wrapped around his head. Ibn Dinār said: "We said to him: 'May Allah grant you righteousness! These people are Bedouins and they are pleased with much less.'" ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said: "This man’s father was a dear friend of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) and I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The finest form of dutifulness is maintaining relations with those whom one’s father loved.'" In another narration by Ibn Dinār, he reported that when Ibn ‘Umar set out to Makkah, he kept a donkey with him that he would ride when he became tired of riding his camel, and had a turban that he would tie around his head. One day, while he was riding this donkey, a Bedouin passed by him. Ibn ‘Umar asked him: "Aren’t you so and so the son of so and so?" He said: 'Yes.' So he gave him his donkey and said: "Ride this," and he gave him his turban and said: "Tie this around your head." Some of his companions said to him: "May Allah forgive you! You gave this Bedouin a donkey that you would rest on, and a turban that you would tie your head with?" He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The finest form of dutifulness is maintaining relations with those whom one’s father loved after his death”, and his father was a friend of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man from the Bedouins met him on his way to Makkah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar greeted him, made him ride on a donkey that he was riding, and gave him a turban that was wrapped around his head. Ibn Dinār said: "We said to him: 'May Allah grant you righteousness! These people are Bedouins and they are pleased with much less.'" ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said: "This man’s father was a dear friend of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) and I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The finest form of dutifulness is maintaining relations with those whom one’s father loved.'" In another narration by Ibn Dinār, he reported that when Ibn ‘Umar set out to Makkah, he kept a donkey with him that he would ride when he became tired of riding his camel, and had a turban that he would tie around his head. One day, while he was riding this donkey, a Bedouin passed by him. Ibn ‘Umar asked him: "Aren’t you so and so the son of so and so?" He said: 'Yes.' So he gave him his donkey and said: "Ride this," and he gave him his turban and said: "Tie this around your head." Some of his companions said to him: "May Allah forgive you! You gave this Bedouin a donkey that you would rest on, and a turban that you would tie your head with?" He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The finest form of dutifulness is maintaining relations with those whom one’s father loved after his death”, and his father was a friend of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

An-Nawwās ibn Sim‘ān al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about righteousness and sinfulness, and he said, "Righteousness is good morals, and sinfulness is what your heart is not at ease with, and you hate that people know about it."

An-Nawwās ibn Sim‘ān al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about righteousness and sinfulness, and he said, "Righteousness is good morals, and sinfulness is what your heart is not at ease with, and you hate that people know about it."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah created the creation, and when He finished it, the kinship stood and caught hold of the "Haqw" of the Most Merciful (Haqw is the place where the lower garment is tied upon the body or the lower garment itself). Allah said: 'What is it?’ It said: ‘This is the station of the one seeking refuge with You from severance (of kinship ties).’ He said: 'Would you not be content if I maintain ties with whoever maintains you, and sever ties with whoever severs you?' It said: ‘I would, my Lord.’ He said: ‘That will be so.’” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Read, if you wish {Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship?}” A narration of Al-Bukhāri reads: "Whoever maintains you, I shall maintain ties with him, and whoever severs you, I shall sever ties with him.”

Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The one who severs the ties of kinship will not enter Paradise."

Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The one who severs the ties of kinship will not enter Paradise."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever loves to have his sustenance expanded and his term of life prolonged should maintain his kinship ties."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever loves to have his sustenance expanded and his term of life prolonged should maintain his kinship ties."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man said: O Messenger of Allah, I have relatives with whom I maintain kinship ties, but they sever them with me; I treat them kindly, but they mistreat me; I tolerate them, but they are intolerant with me. He said: "If you are as you say, then it is as if you are feeding them hot ashes, and you will continue to have a supporter against them from Allah as long as you continue to do this."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware of false thought, for false thought is the most untruth speech. Do not search for the faults of one another, do not spy on one another, do not envy one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not harbor hatred for one another, and be, O slaves of Allah, brothers."

Abu Ayyūb al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is unlawful for a Muslim to desert his fellow Muslim for more than three nights. As they meet, both of them turn their backs on each other. But the best of them is the one who starts by greeting the other."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware of false thought, for false thought is the most untruth speech. Do not search for the faults of one another, do not spy on one another, do not envy one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not harbor hatred for one another, and be, O slaves of Allah, brothers."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not envy one another, do not raise prices by overbidding against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn your backs on one another, and do not undercut one another in trade; and be, O slaves of Allah, our brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does not wrong him, he does not fail him, and he does not despise him. Piety lies here," and he pointed to his chest three times. "It is enough evil for a person to look down upon his Muslim brother. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his property, and his honor."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware of false thought, for false thought is the most untruth speech. Do not search for the faults of one another, do not spy on one another, do not envy one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not harbor hatred for one another, and be, O slaves of Allah, brothers."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not envy one another, do not raise prices by overbidding against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn your backs on one another, and do not undercut one another in trade; and be, O slaves of Allah, our brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does not wrong him, he does not fail him, and he does not despise him. Piety lies here," and he pointed to his chest three times. "It is enough evil for a person to look down upon his Muslim brother. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his property, and his honor."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware of false thought, for false thought is the most untruth speech. Do not search for the faults of one another, do not spy on one another, do not envy one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not harbor hatred for one another, and be, O slaves of Allah, brothers."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah does not look at your appearance and wealth, but He looks at your hearts and deeds.”

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, the Almighty, will say on the Day of Judgment: 'Where are those who loved each other for My glory? Today, I will shelter them under My shade the day when there is no shade but My shade.'"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man set out to visit a brother (in faith) in another town, so Allah sent an angel to wait for him on his way. When he met the angel, the latter said: 'Where are you going?' He said: 'I am going to visit my brother in this town.' The angel said: 'Are you returning a favor?' He said: 'No, only that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted.' Thereupon the angel said: 'I am a messenger from Allah to you to tell you that Allah loves you as you love him for His sake.'"

Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a Muslim visits his sick fellow Muslim, he will remain in the Khurfah of Paradise tills he leaves returns." It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what the Khurfah of Paradise." He said: "Its fruit garden."

Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a Muslim visits his sick fellow Muslim, he will remain in the Khurfah of Paradise tills he leaves returns." It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what the Khurfah of Paradise." He said: "Its fruit garden."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, Glorified and Exalted, will say on the Day of Judgment: 'O son of Adam, I was ill, but you did not visit Me.' He will respond: 'O Lord, how could I visit You and You are the Lord of the worlds?' Allah will say: 'Did you not know that My Servant, so-and-so, was ill but you did not visit him? Do you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food, but you did not feed Me.' He will respond: 'O Lord, how could I feed You and You are the Lord of the worlds?' He will say: 'Did you not know that My Servant, so-and-so, asked you for food, but you did not feed him? Do you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found (its reward) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you for water, but you did not give Me any.' He will respond: 'O Lord, how could I give You (water) to drink and You are the Lord of the worlds?' And Allah will say: 'My Servant, so-and-so, asked you for a drink, but you did not give him one. Do you not know that if you had given him a drink, you would have found (its reward) with Me?'"

Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I visited the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in pain because of fever, so I touched him and said: "You are in great pain from raging fever." He said: "Indeed, the pain I feel from fever is like the pain that two men from among you might get."

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited Umm As-Sā'ib (or Umm al-Musayyab) and asked her: "What ails you, O Umm As-Sā'ib (or Umm al-Mūsayyab)? You are shivering!" She replied: "It is the fever, may Allah not bless it!" He said to her: "Do not curse the fever, for it removes the sins of the children of Adam the same way the bellows remove the impurities of iron."

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that he said to ‘Atā’ ibn Abi Rabāh: Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise? ‘Atā’ said: Yes. He said: This black woman came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: I suffer from epilepsy and, as a result, my body becomes uncovered. So supplicate Allah for me. He said: "If you wish, be patient and you will enter Paradise; or, if you wish, I will supplicate Allah to cure you." She said: I will remain patient. She then said: But I become uncovered, so invoke Allah that I do not become uncovered. So he supplicated for her.

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as part of what he narrated from his Lord, said that Allah Almighty said: "O My slaves, I have made oppression forbidden for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My slaves, all of you are misguided except those whom I guide, so seek guidance from Me, and I shall guide you. O My slaves, all of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so ask Me for food, and I shall feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked except those whom I clothe, so ask Me for clothes, and I shall clothe you. O My slaves, you commit sins by night and day, and I forgive all sins, so ask Me for forgiveness, and I shall forgive you. O, My slaves, you can neither do Me harm nor do Me any good. O My slaves, if the first and the last amongst you and all humans and jinn were all as pious as the most pious heart of any man amongst you, that would add nothing to My dominion. O My slaves, if the first and the last amongst you and all humans and jinn were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any man amongst you, this would cause no loss to My dominion. O My slaves, if the first and the last amongst you and all humans and jinn were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he asked for, that would not decrease what I possess, except what is decreased of the sea when a needle is dipped into it. O, My slaves, it is only your deeds that I record for, and I shall recompense you for them. So, whoever finds good should praise Allah, and whoever finds other than that should blame no one but himself."

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware of oppression, for oppression will be layers of darkness on the Day of Judgment; beware of stinginess, as stinginess ruined those before you. It incited them to shed their blood and regard the unlawful as lawful."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you know who the bankrupt is?" They said: "The bankrupt among us is the one who has neither money nor belongings." He said: "Verily, the bankrupt in my Ummah is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and Zakah, but he comes while he has hurled abuse at this one, slandered that one, unlawfully consumed the wealth of this one, shed the blood of that one, and beat this one. So, this one will be given of his good deeds and that one will be given of his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, some of their sins will be cast upon him and then he will be thrown into Hellfire."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "All rights will be restored on the Day of Judgment, until even the hornless sheep will settle its score with the horned one."

Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He seizes him, He does not release him." Then, he recited: {Such is the seizing of your Lord when He seizes the towns that are given to wrongdoing; His seizing is surely painful and severe.} [Surat Hūd: 102]"

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: We were on an expedition when a man from the Muhājirīn (Emigrants) shoved a man from the Ansār (Supporters). The Ansāri cried: O Ansār, help! And the Muhājiri cried: O Muhājirīn, help! Allah made His Messenger (ﷺ) hear this. He asked: "What is this?" They said: A man from the Muhājirīn shoved a man from the Ansār, and the Ansāri called: O Ansār! and the Muhājiri called: O Muhājirīn! The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Leave it, for it is disgraceful." Jābir said: The Ansār were more numerous when the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived (in Madīnah), but later the Muhājirīn increased. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ’Ubayy said: Have they really done this? By Allah, when we return to Madīnah, the mightier will surely expel the weaker from it. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Leave him, so that people will not say that Muhammad kills his Companions."

An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The believers, in their mutual love, compassion, and sympathy, are like a single body; if one of its organs suffers, the whole body will respond with sleeplessness and fever."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Charity does not diminish wealth, and Allah does not increase a servant, on account of his forgiveness, except in honor, and no one humbles himself seeking the pleasure of Allah except that Allah will elevate him."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you know what backbiting is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is to say of your brother what he dislikes." It was said: "What do you think if what I say of my brother is true?" He said: "If what you say of him is true, you have backbitten him; and if not, you have slandered him."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No slave covers another slave in this world except that Allah would cover him on the Day of Judgment."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No slave covers another slave in this world except that Allah would cover him on the Day of Judgment."

A man asked permission to see the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, he said: "Let him in. What an evil brother of his people he is!"

Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of goodness."

Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of goodness."

Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of goodness."

‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her) and wife of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O ‘Ā’ishah, indeed, Allah is gentle and He loves gentleness, and He gives for gentleness what He does not give for violence and what He does not give for anything else."

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet's wife, reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, lenience is not found in anything but it adorns it, and it is not removed from anything but it makes it defective."

‘Imrān ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on one of his journeys, and there was a woman from the Ansār riding a she-camel. It annoyed her and so she invoked curse upon it. Hearing that, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Unload it and set it free, for it is cursed." It is as if I could still see it walking amongst people and no one trying to hold it.

‘Imrān ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on one of his journeys, and there was a woman from the Ansār riding a she-camel. It annoyed her and so she invoked curse upon it. Hearing that, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Unload it and set it free, for it is cursed." It is as if I could still see it walking amongst people and no one trying to hold it.

Abu Barzah Nadlah ibn ‘Ubayd al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While a little girl was riding a she-camel that was carrying some of the people's luggage, she suddenly saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the way of the mountain was narrow. She urged the she-camel to hurry, but it did not do so, so she said: "O Allah, let it be damned." Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let the she-camel upon which curse has been invoked not accompany us."