The Sweetness of Faith

عَنْ أَنَسِ عن النبي صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال ثَلَاثٌ من كُنَّ فيه وَجَدَ حَلَاوَةَ الْإِيمَانِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الله وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إليه مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا وَأَنْ يُحِبَّ الْمَرْءَ لَا يُحِبُّهُ إلا لِلهِ وَأَنْ يَكْرَهَ أَنْ يَعُودَ في الْكُفْرِ كما يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْذَفَ في النَّارِ

Anas ibn Malik (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “He who has three qualities will acquire the sweetness of faith: “God and His Messenger become dearer to him than the rest; he loves people only because of God; he dislikes returning to disbelief the way he dislikes being cast into Hell.”1

Blessings of a Thorough Wudu

عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بن عَفَّانَ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ من تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ خَرَجَتْ خَطَايَاهُ من جَسَدِهِ حتي تَخْرُجَ من تَحْتِ أَظْفَارِهِ

  ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “A person who does wudu in a thorough manner, his sins will leave his body to the extent that they will even depart from under his fingernails.”2

Importance of the Prayer

عَبْدُ اللهِ قال سَأَلْتُ النبي  صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إلي اللهِ قال الصَّلَاةُ علي وَقْتِهَا قال ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قال ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قال ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قال الْجِهَادُ في سَبِيلِ اللهِ

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (rta) stated: “I asked the Prophet (sws): ‘Which deed is liked best by God?’ The Prophet (sws) replied: ‘The prayer offered at its time.’ [I then] asked: ‘After that?’ He replied: ‘Kindness to parents.’ [I then] asked: ‘After that?’ He replied: ‘Waging jihad for the cause of God.’”3

The Prayer Erases Sins

عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ سمع رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقول أَرَأَيْتُمْ لو أَنَّ نَهَرًا بِبَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ يَغْتَسِلُ فيه كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسًا ما تَقُولُ ذلك يُبْقِي من دَرَنِهِ قالوا لَا يُبْقِي من دَرَنِهِ شيئا قال فَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ يَمْحُو الله بها الْخَطَايَا

Abu Hurayrah (rta) reports that he heard God’s Messenger (sws) saying: “Consider the fact that if there is a stream flowing near the door of anyone of you in which he bathes five times every day; can any trace of dirt remain on him?” They replied: “No trace of dirt will remain.” The Prophet (sws) [thereupon] said: “This is the example of five prayers. God erases sins through them [in a similar manner.]”4

Importance of the Tahajjud Time

عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَی كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إلی السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حين يَبْقَی ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ فيقول من يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ له وَمَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ له

Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “The Almighty descends on the lower sky every night when the last one-third part [of it] remains and says: ‘Who is there to invoke Me so that I may answer his invocations; who is there to ask Me so that I may give to him; who is there to seek forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him.’”5

Reward of the Congregational Prayer

عن بن عُمَرَ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال صَلَاةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ من صَلَاةِ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “The reward of praying in congregation is twenty seven times that of praying alone.”6

The Best Prayer

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ طُولُ الْقُنُوتِ

Jabir (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “The best prayer is one in which [a person] stands for a long period.”7

Blessings of Fasting

عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللهُ عَنْهُ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُلُّ عَمَلِ بن آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إلی سَبْعمِائَة ضِعْفٍ قال الله عز وجل إلا الصَّوْمَ فإنه لي وأنا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ من أَجْلِي لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ فَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ وَفَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ وَلَخُلُوفُ فيه أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللهِ من رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Every deed of the son of Adam will fetch ten times to seven hundred times reward except the fast. This is because he fasted for Me and I [only] will reward him. He left his carnal desire and eating only for My sake. There are two occasions of happiness for a person who fasts: one when he breaks his fast and the other when he meets his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a person who fasts is more pleasant to God than musk.”8

Optional Monthly Fasts

مُعَاذَةُ الْعَدَوِيَّةُ أنها سَأَلَتْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النبي  صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَكَانَ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُ من كل شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قالت نعم فقلت لها من أَيِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ كان يَصُومُ قالت لم يَكُنْ يُبَالِي من أَيِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ يَصُومُ

Mu‘adhah al-‘Adwiyyah asked ‘Ā’ishah (rta), wife of the Prophet (sws): “Did God’s Messenger (sws) fast for three days every month?” She replied: “Yes.” I [then] asked: “Which days of the month would he fast?” She replied: “He would not be specific in this regard and would fast whichever [three] days he wanted to.”9

Kindness to Wives

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ – (أَنَّ) خَطَبَ (رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) النَّاسَ (فِیْ حَجَّةِ الوِدَاعِ) وَقَالَ– اتَّقُوا اللهَ فِیْ النِّسَاءِ فَإِنَّکُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانِ اللهِ وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِکَلِمَةِ اللهِ … وَلَهُنَّ عَلَيْکُمْ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَکِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (rta) reports – that God’s Messenger (sws) delivered the sermon in the last hajj and said: “Fear God about your wives [that you do not commit any excess against them] because you have acquired them with God’s protection and have legalized sexual relations with them because of a word of God … It is your responsibility to provide them with maintenance and residence according to the norms [of the society].”10

عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَفْرَكْ مُؤْمِنٌ مؤمنة إن كَرِهَ منها خُلُقًا رضی منها آخَرَ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said “A believing husband should not hate a believing wife. If he dislikes one habit of hers, there may be other [habits] which he likes.”11

Taking the Initiative in Salutations

عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ عن النبي صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال يُسَلِّمُ الصَّغِيرُ علی الْكَبِيرِ وَالْمَارُّ علی الْقَاعِدِ وَالْقَلِيلُ علی الْكَثِيرِ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “The young should say salam to the elder, the one who walks should say salam to the one who sits and the smaller crowd should say salam to the bigger one.”12

The Etiquette of Sneezing

عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللهُ عَنْهُ عن النبي صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال إذا عَطَسَ أحدكم فَلْيَقُلْ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَلْيَقُلْ له أَخُوهُ أو صَاحِبُهُ يَرْحَمُكَ الله فإذا قال له يَرْحَمُكَ الله فَلْيَقُلْ يَهْدِيكُمُ الله وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “When anyone of you sneezes, he should say: الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ 13 and if his brother or companion hears these words, he should reply by saying يَرْحَمُكَ الله.14 And when he says يَرْحَمُكَ الله, the [first person] should say: يَهْدِيكُمُ الله وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ (may Allah guide you and keep you well.)”15

Personal Hygiene

عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللهُ عَنْهُ سمعت النبي صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقول الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ الْخِتَانُ وَالِاسْتِحْدَادُ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الْأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الْآبَاطِ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) reports: “I heard the Prophet (sws) say: ‘Five things are from among [the norms of] human nature: circumcision, shaving the pubes, clipping the moustache, paring fingernails and removing hair under the armpits.’”16

أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ علی أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Had it not been for the fact that this would burden my ummah, I would have directed them to clean their teeth before every prayer.”17

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