Knowledge & Sincere Advice

عن معاوية رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «مَنْ يُرِدِ اللهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ، وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا قَاسِمٌ، وَاللهُ يُعْطِي، وَلَنْ تَزَالَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ قَائِمَةً عَلَى أَمْرِ اللهِ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ، حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللهِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that when Allah wills to do good to someone, He endows him with the understanding of His religion. He also states that he is only a distributor who distributes the sustenance, knowledge, and other things that Allah Almighty gave him, and that the true Giver is Allah, and all else are mere causes that can only bring benefit with Allah's permission. He adds that this Ummah will continue to hold onto Allah's laws and not be harmed by those who oppose them until the Hour comes.

• The Hadīth shows the greatness and merit of the Shar‘i knowledge and its learning and urges us to seek it.
• Adherence to the truth must exist within this Ummah. If one group forsakes it, another will follow it.
• Understanding of the religion is part of Allah's intention of goodness for His servants.
• The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only gives according to Allah's Command and His Will, and he himself possesses nothing.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 25) (71). صحيح مسلم (2/ 718) (1037). توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، للبسام (7/ 485). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (10/ 324). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 424). سبل السلام بشرح بلوغ المرام، للصنعاني (2/ 688).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ نَفَّسَ عَنْ مُؤْمِنٍ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ الدُّنْيَا نَفَّسَ اللهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَمَنْ يَسَّرَ عَلَى مُعْسِرٍ يَسَّرَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَمَنْ سَتَرَ مُسْلِمًا سَتَرَهُ اللهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَاللهُ فِي عَوْنِ الْعَبْدِ مَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ فِي عَوْنِ أَخِيهِ، وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِي بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِ اللهِ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلَّا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمِ السَّكِينَةُ، وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ، وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ، وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ، وَمَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that the reward a Muslim receives from Allah is of the same nature as the actions he performs for other Muslims. Whoever relieves, alleviates, removes, or eliminates a hardship and a difficulty from a believer in this world, Allah will reward him by relieving him from one of the hardships of the Day of Judgment. And whoever facilitates and makes things easy for someone in difficulty and removes his difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. And whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, such as knowing what should not be exposed of slips and errors, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah supports His slave as long as the slave supports his brother in his religious and worldly interests. Support could be through supplication, physical action, money, etc. Whoever walks in pursuit of religious knowledge, doing it for the sake of Allah Almighty, Allah will facilitate for him a path to Paradise. No group of people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility and solemnity descend upon them, the mercy of Allah envelops and encompasses them, the angels surround them, and Allah praises them in the presence of those near Him. It is enough of an honor that Allah mentions the slave in the highest assembly. The one whose good deeds are insufficient will not be elevated to the rank of those with righteous deeds. Hence, he should not rely upon his noble lineage and the merit of his forefathers while neglecting the performance of good deeds.

• Ibn Daqīq al-‘Īd said: This is a great Hadīth, comprising various types of knowledge, rules, and etiquettes. It highlights the merit of fulfilling the needs of Muslims and benefiting them in whatever way is possible, whether through knowledge, wealth, assistance, offering useful advice, giving counsel, or other means.
• Encouraging the act of making things easy for the one in difficulty.
• A Muslim is encouraged to help other Muslims, as Allah Almighty helps the one who helps his brother in proportion to his help.
• Among the ways of concealing a Muslim’s faults is: to refrain from seeking out his shortcomings. One of the predecessors is reported to have said: I met people who had no faults, yet they spoke about the faults of others, so people started mentioning their faults. And I met people who had faults but refrained from mentioning the faults of others, so their faults were forgotten.
• It is not a requirement of concealing the faults of others to neglect the prohibition of evil and not to change it. Rather, it should be changed and concealed at the same time, and this applies to those who are not known for corruption or persistence in transgression. As for one who is known for such behavior, it is not recommended to conceal his faults; instead, his affair should be referred to those in authority, provided that this does not lead to greater harm. This is because concealing his faults encourages him in his corruption and emboldens him to harm others, as well as emboldening others from among the wicked and stubborn.
• Encouraging the act of seeking knowledge, reciting, and studying the Qur’an.
• An-Nawawi said: This is evidence of the merit of gathering to recite the Quran in the mosque... and similar gatherings in a school, a garrison, or the like also attain this merit, Allah willing.
• Allah has made the recompense contingent upon deeds, not upon lineages.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2074) (2699). التحفة الربانية، لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص82). الأحاديث الأربعون النووية وعليها الشرح الموجز المفيد، لعبد الله المحسن (ص69). شرح الأربعين النووية ، لابن عثيمين (ص355).

عن تميم الداري رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ» قُلْنَا: لِمَنْ؟ قَالَ: «لِلهِ وَلِكِتَابِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the religion rests upon sincerity and truthfulness, to be observed as Allah ordained, in a perfect manner without shortcomings or deception. It was said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): To whom should sincerity be? He said: First: Sincerity should be to Allah Almighty: by performing deeds sincerely for His sake, not associating partners with Him, believing in His lordship, divinity, names, and attributes, venerating His command, and calling people to believe in Him. Second: Sincerity should be to His Book, namely the noble Qur’an: by believing that it is His speech and the last book revealed by Him and that it superseded all the legislations before it - and by revering it, reciting it correctly, acting upon its definite verses and accepting its ambiguous ones, defending it against the misinterpretation of those who seek to distort it, heeding its lessons and admonitions, spreading its knowledge, and calling people to it. Third: Sincerity should be to His Messenger Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): by believing that he is the last Messenger, believing him in all that he came with, observing his commands and prohibitions, worshiping Allah only according to what he came with, venerating and revering him, spreading his call, disseminating his Shariah, and negating the accusations leveled against him. Fourth: Sincerity should be to the leaders of the Muslims: by helping them in what is right, not fighting them over power, and hearing and obeying them in what is pleasing to Allah. Fifth: Sincerity should be to the Muslims: by showing kindness to them, calling them to Allah, averting harm from them, wishing good for them, and cooperating with them in righteousness and piety.

• The Hadīth commands us to be sincere to everyone.
• Sincerity occupies great status in the religion.
• The religion comprises beliefs, words, and deeds.
• An aspect of sincerity is to rid oneself of deception toward the one to whom sincerity is addressed and to wish good for him.
• The Hadīth highlights the Prophet's good approach to teaching, as he would briefly mention something and then explain it in detail.
• First things first. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began with sincerity to Allah, then to His Book, then to His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then to the leaders of the Muslims, and then to the common Muslims.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 74) (55). التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثا النووية (ص21). شرح الأربعين النووية، لابن عثيمين (ص115). شرح النووي على مسلم (2/ 37).

عن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوْ آيَةً، وَحَدِّثُوا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا حَرَجَ، وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands us to convey knowledge from him, from the Qur’an or the Sunnah, even if it is something short, like a verse from the Qur’an or a Hadīth, provided that a person should have knowledge of what he conveys and invites people to it. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) points out that there is no sin in narrating about the Children of Israel and the events that happened to them, in a way that does not run counter to our Shariah. Then, he warns against telling lies about him and states that whoever intentionally lies about him should occupy his dwelling in Hellfire.

• This hadith encourages us to convey the Shariah of Allah and indicates that a person should pass on what he learns and understands, even if it is something little.
• It is obligatory to seek knowledge of the Shariah, so that we can worship Allah and convey His religion in a correct way.
• We are obligated to ascertain the authenticity of any Hadīth before we convey and spread it, lest we fall under this stern warning.
• We are urged to be truthful and cautious in our speech, lest we fall into telling lies, particularly when it comes to the Shariah of Allah Almighty.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 170) (3461). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 464). نزهة المتقين، لمصطفى الخن وغيره (2/ 951). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 429).

عن أبي مسعود الأنصاري رضي الله عنه قال: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي أُبْدِعَ بِي فَاحْمِلْنِي، فَقَالَ: «مَا عِنْدِي»، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَنَا أَدُلُّهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَحْمِلُهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ دَلَّ عَلَى خَيْرٍ فَلَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ فَاعِلِهِ».

A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said that his camel had become exhausted and asked for a mount to carry him. But the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said he had no mount to give him. So, a man who was present said: O Messenger of Allah, I will guide him to someone who will give him a mount. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told that man that he will also have a reward like the donor himself because he guided the person who needed a mount to him.

• We are urged to guide others to goodness.
• Encouragement of goodness is one of the causes of solidarity and integration within Muslim society.
• The Hadīth shows the great bounty of Allah.
• It gives a general rule that applies to all acts of goodness.
• If a person cannot grant the request of someone in need, he should guide him to someone else.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1506) (1893). شرح النووي على مسلم (11/ 166). توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، للبسام (7/ 349). فتح ذي الجلال والاكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 298).

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مِنَّا شَيْئًا فَبَلَّغَهُ كَمَا سَمِعَ، فَرُبَّ مُبَلِّغٍ أَوْعَى مِنْ سَامِعٍ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for brightness, joy, and beauty in this world, and that Allah grants the person the radiance, bliss, and bloom of Paradise in the Hereafter for whoever hears his Hadīth and memorizes it to convey it to others. Perhaps the one to whom the Hadīth is conveyed understands it better, has deeper insight, and is more capable of deriving rulings than the one who originally transmitted it. The first excels in memorization and transmission, while the second excels in understanding and deduction.

• Encouraging the memorization of the Prophetic Sunnah and its conveyance to people.
• Highlighting the merit of the people of Hadīth and the honor of seeking such knowledge.
• The merit of scholars, who are the people of deduction and understanding.
• The merit of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as they are the ones who heard the Hadīth of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and conveyed it to us.
• Al-Munāwi said: He clarified here that comprehension is not a condition for the Hadīth narrator; rather, memorization is a condition. However, understanding and reflection are required from the jurist.
• Ibn ‘Uyaynah said: No one who seeks Hadīth except that there is brightness in his face because of this Hadīth.
• Memorization, according to the scholars of Hadīth, is of two types: memorization of the heart and mind, and memorization through writing in books and lines. Both types are included in the supplication mentioned in the Hadīth.
• People vary in their level of understanding, for perhaps the one to whom knowledge is conveyed is better at understanding than the hearer, and perhaps the one carrying the knowledge of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) is not himself a jurist.

سنن الترمذي (4/ 394) (2657). سنن ابن ماجه (1/ 157) (232). مسند أحمد (7/ 221) (4157). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 476). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 446). فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير، لعبدالرؤوف المناوي (3/ 206). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (16/ 496). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 956).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ: إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the deeds of a person come to a halt when he dies. No good deeds are recorded for him after death, except for these three things, as he was the cause behind them: First: Charity whose reward is enduring, permanent, and ceaseless, like endowment, building mosques, digging wells, etc. Second: Knowledge from which people draw benefits, like authoring books of knowledge or teaching knowledge to someone, who in turn disseminates this knowledge after his teacher's death. Third: A pious, believing child who supplicates for his parents.

• The scholars unanimously agreed that the rewards that reach a person after his death include ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, supplication, and Hajj, as mentioned in other Hadīths.
• He singled out these three things in the Hadīth because they represent the foundations of goodness and they are mostly the things virtuous people want to endure after their passing.
• Any beneficial knowledge will bring reward, but at the top and pinnacle of it is the Shar‘i knowledge and the sciences that support it.
• Knowledge is the most beneficial of these three, because knowledge benefits the person who learns it, preserves the Shariah, and benefits people in general. Plus, it is more comprehensive and inclusive as people learn from your knowledge that exists during your lifetime and endures after your death.
• The Hadīth encourages us to raise righteous children, as they are the ones who will benefit their parents in the Hereafter, and an example of their benefit is that they supplicate for them.
• It encourages kindness to parents after their death, which is also a form of righteousness from which the child benefits.
• Supplication benefits a deceased person even if the supplicant is not his child. But, a person's child is specifically mentioned because he is mostly the one who continues to supplicate for his parents until he dies.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1255) (1631)، البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (28/ 413).