Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 36 of Nawawi
Hadith number 36 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in faithful English translation.
Contents
Updated on 07 October 2026 at 4:51 AM
📖 41 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
Certain companions of al-'A'mach added to the wording of the hadith, "And whoever remits the debt of a Muslim, Allah shall efface his offence on the day of Resurrection." And the two collections reported it from the hadith of Ibn 'Omar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said, "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he wrongs him not and abandons him not to perdition. Whoever provides the need of his brother, Allah provides his need. Whoever relieves a distress of a Muslim, Allah relieves from him a distress among the distresses of the day of Resurrection. And whoever covers a Muslim, Allah covers him on the day of Resurrection."
At-Tabarani reports from the hadith of Ka'b ibn 'Oujra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said, "Whoever relieves a believer a distress among his distresses, Allah relieves from him a distress among the distresses of the day of Resurrection. Whoever covers the dishonour of a believer, Allah covers his dishonour. Whoever delivers a believer from a distress, Allah delivers him from his distress." And Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Maslama ibn Makhled, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said, "Whoever covers a Muslim in this low world, Allah covers him in this low world and the Hereafter. Whoever saves a man overwhelmed, Allah relieves from him a distress among the distresses of the day of Resurrection. And whoever provides the need of his brother, Allah provides his need."
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever relieves a believer a distress among the distresses of the low world, Allah relieves from him a distress among the distresses of the day of Resurrection," come to this, the retribution being of the same nature as the deed. The texts multiplied in this sense, like his words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah shows mercy only to the merciful among His servants"; and his words, "Allah punishes those who punish people in this low world." The distress (kourba) is the great trial casting its holder into anguish, its relief (tanfis) being to lighten him of it, a word drawn from taking breath when suffocation loosens, as though the anguish let him take breath. The deliverance (tafrij) is greater still, removing from him the distress until his anguish disperses, his worry and his sorrow disappearing.
Thus the retribution of relief is relief, and the retribution of deliverance is deliverance, as in the hadith of Ibn 'Omar; the two were gathered in the hadith of Ka'b ibn 'Oujra. And at-Tirmidhi reports from the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, in raised form, "Every believer who feeds a hungry believer, Allah feeds him on the day of Resurrection of the fruits of Paradise; every believer who gives drink to a thirsty believer, Allah gives him drink on the day of Resurrection of the sealed drink; and every believer who clothes a naked believer, Allah clothes him in the green garments of Paradise." And Imam Ahmad reports it doubting its raising, it being said the correct version makes it the words of a Companion.
And Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reports by his chain from Ibn Mas'oud, "The people shall be resurrected on the day of Resurrection blinder than ever they were, hungrier than ever they were, thirstier than ever they were, more exhausted than ever they were. Whoever clothed for Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, Allah clothes him; whoever fed for Allah, Allah feeds him; whoever gave drink for Allah, Allah gives him drink; whoever pardoned for Allah, Allah pardons him." And al-Bayhaqi reports from the hadith of Anas, in raised form, that a man of Paradise shall look on the day of Resurrection at the people of the Fire, and a man of the Fire call him, "O so and so! Know you me?" He says, "No, by Allah, I know you not, who are you?" He says, "I am the one you passed in the dwelling of the low world and asked a draught of water, and I gave you drink." He says, "I recognise you." He says, "Intercede then for me with your Lord because of that." He asks then Allah the Most High, who says to him, "Intercede for him." He is commanded, and he comes out of the Fire.
His words, "a distress among the distresses of the day of Resurrection," without saying, among the distresses of the low world and the Hereafter, as he did for facilitation and covering. It has been said, explaining that, that distresses are the great trials, and it befalls not everyone to experience that in this low world, unlike penury and dishonours demanding covering, none of men escaping them hardly in this low world, were it only by the embarrassment of some essential need. And it has been said also, the distresses of the low world, compared to the distresses of the Hereafter, are nothing, and Allah reserved the retribution of relieving distresses to relieving with it the distresses of the Hereafter.
[The proof of that:] It is witnessed by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah shall gather the first and the last upon one height; the herald shall make them hear, the gaze reach them, and the sun draw near them, until the people know a worry and anguish they can neither bear nor carry. The people shall then say, see you not what has befallen you? Await you not that someone intercede for you with your Lord?" And he mentions the hadith of intercession. The two collections report it in this sense from the hadith of Abu Hourayra, and from the hadith of 'Aicha, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "You shall be resurrected barefoot, naked and uncircumcised." She says, I then say, Messenger of Allah! Shall men and women look upon one another? He says, "The affair is too grave for them to attend to it." And the two report it from the hadith of Ibn 'Omar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), concerning the words of the Most High,
"The day the people stand for the Lord of the Universe."
Al-Mutaffifin, 6
He says, each shall stand in his sweat to the middle of the ears.
And the two report from the hadith of Abu Hourayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "The people shall sweat on the day of Resurrection until their sweat sinks into the earth seventy cubits, and it shall rise them to their ears." The wording is that of al-Boukhari, and the wording of Mouslim, "The sweat sinks into the earth seventy cubits, and it reaches the mouths of the people or their ears." And Mouslim reports from the hadith of Miqdad, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "The sun shall draw near the servants until being at one or two miles; the sun shall grill them, and they shall be in sweat according to the measure of their deeds, with some it rises to the ankles, with others to the knees, with others to the hips, and with certain the sweat covers them entirely, to their ears."
And Ibn Mas'oud says, "On the day of Resurrection the earth entire shall be fire, and Paradise behind it, its domes and palaces seen; man shall sweat until his sweat drips into the earth according to the measure of his stature, then it shall rise to his nose, according to what befell him of judgement." It was said, what is that, O Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman? He said, "Among what the people shall see done to one another." And Abu Moussa says, "On the day of Resurrection the sun shall be above the heads of the people, and their deeds shall shade them or burn them." And in the Mousnad, from the hadith of 'Oqba ibn 'Amir, in raised form, "Each shall be in the shade of his alms until the people be judged."
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "And whoever grants ease to a man in hardship, Allah grants him ease in this low world and the Hereafter," that also indicates hardship can occur in the Hereafter. Allah described the day of Resurrection as a hard day, not easy for the disbelievers, proof He makes it easy for others. And He says,
"And it shall be a day, for the disbelievers, difficult."
Al-Fourqane, 26
Ease granted the man in hardship, in respect of wealth, operates in two manners, either granting him delay until ease, that being a duty, as the Most High says,
"And if he be in hardship, then a deferral until ease."
Al-Baqara, 280
or remitting the debt were he indebted, otherwise giving him what makes his hardship disappear, the two having immense merit.
[And its effects:] In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hourayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "A merchant lent the people, and when he saw a man in hardship he said to his servants, remit him the debt, that Allah remit us our offences, and Allah remitted him." And in the two, from the hadith of Houdhayfa and Abu Mas'oud al-'Ansari, they heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, "A man died, and he was asked, what did you do? He says, I traded with the people, being indulgent to the rich and gentle to whoever was in hardship," and in a version, "I looked at whoever was in hardship and was lenient upon the credit," or he said, "upon the cash," and he was pardoned. And Mouslim reports it from the hadith of Abu Mas'oud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
And in his hadith, Allah says, "We are more entitled than he to that, remit him his debt." And it is reported also from the hadith of Abu Qatada, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever desires Allah save him from the distresses of the day of Resurrection, let him relieve the hardship of an overwhelmed man or remit him his debt." And from the hadith of Abu al-Yasar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever grants delay to a man in hardship or remits him his debt, Allah shall shade him with His shade, the day there is no shade but His." And in the Mousnad, from Ibn 'Omar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever wishes his supplication be answered and his distress lifted, let him relieve the hardship of an overwhelmed man."
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "And whoever covers a Muslim, Allah covers him in this low world and the Hereafter," the texts multiplied in this sense.
Ibn Majah reports from the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "Whoever covers the dishonour of his Muslim brother, Allah covers his dishonour on the day of Resurrection, and whoever exposes the dishonour of his Muslim brother, Allah exposes his dishonour until covering him with shame in his own house." And Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of 'Oqba ibn 'Amir that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, "Whoever covers, in this low world, the dishonour of a believer, Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, covers his dishonour on the day of Resurrection." It is reported of certain righteous Ancients that he said, "I knew people having no defects, but mentioning the defects of people, and theirs were mentioned; and I knew people having defects, withholding from mentioning the defects of people, and their defects were forgotten," or according to what he says.
This hadith finds support in that of Abu Barza, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "O people who believe by the tongue and into whose hearts faith entered not, slander not the Muslims and pursue not their dishonours, whoever pursues their dishonours, Allah shall pursue his dishonour, and whoever's dishonour Allah pursues, He covers him with shame in his own house." Reported by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawoud. And at-Tirmidhi reports its sense from the hadith of Ibn 'Omar.
Know that the people are of two categories. The first, the covered man
The first: whoever is covered, known under no disobedience; were a slip or a fault befall him, it is not permitted exposing it, tearing it, nor speaking of it, that being the illicit slander. He is the one intended by these texts, Allah the Most High saying,
"Those who love that indecency spread among those who believed have a painful punishment in this low world and the Hereafter."
An-Nour, 19
Meaning the spreading of the indecency of the hidden believer, in what befell him, or in what he is suspected of while innocent of it, as in the story of the lie (al-ifk). Certain pious viziers said to one of those commanding good, "Strive to cover the disobedient, the exposing of their disobediences being a stain upon the people of Islam, and the first of duties being covering defects." Should such a man come repenting, regretting and confessing a legal punishment without explaining it, he is not questioned, but commanded to return and cover himself, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded Ma'iz and the woman of Ghamid, and as the one saying, "I incurred a legal punishment, execute it upon me," was not questioned. And should such a man be seized for his offence, and that reach not the emir, intercession is made for him that it reach not the emir. In this sense comes the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Pass over the faults of men of distinction," reported by Abu Dawoud and an-Nasa'i from the hadith of 'Aicha.
The second, whoever displays his disobediences publicly
The second: whoever is known for his disobediences, displaying them publicly, caring not for what he commits nor what is said him: that is the notorious profligate. There is no slander concerning him, as al-Hasan al-Basri and others made explicit. For such a one no ill in seeking his affair that the legal punishment be executed upon him. Certain of our scholars stated it, arguing by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Rise, O 'Anis, concerning the wife of this one, were she to confess, stone her." For such a one intercession is not made were he seized, even were it reach not the governor, he being left until the legal punishment be executed upon him, to restrain his malice and dissuade his like. Malik said, "Whoever is known for evil or perversion, I love not that intercession be made for him, but he is left until the legal punishment be executed."
Ibn al-Moundhir and others report it. And Imam Ahmad disapproved leading the profligates to the governor in every circumstance, disapproving that because they generally execute not the punishments as they should, whence his words, "Were you to know he executes its punishment, lead him to him." He mentions afterwards they struck a man who died of it, meaning his death was not lawful.
Were one of those struck the first time to repent, it is better for him repenting between him and Allah the Most High, and covering himself. As for the second blow, it has been said likewise, and it has been said the more profitable for him is coming to the emir and confessing upon himself what requires the legal punishment, until he purify him.
His words, "Allah aids the servant so long as the servant aids his brother." And in the hadith of Ibn 'Omar, "and whoever provides the need of his brother, Allah provides his need." The merit of providing needs and busying oneself with them already came in the commentary of the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth hadith. At-Tabarani reports from the hadith of 'Omar, in raised form, "The best of deeds, introducing joy into a believer, clothing his dishonour, satiating his hunger, or providing his need." And al-Hasan al-Basri sent men among his companions to provide the need of a man, and said to them, "Pass by Thabit al-Bounani and take him with you." They came to Thabit, who says, "I am in pious retreat." They returned to al-Hasan and informed him, and he said, "Say to him, O man of weak eyes! Know you not that your walking for the need of your Muslim brother is better for you than a pilgrimage after a pilgrimage?" They returned to Thabit, who left his retreat and went with them.
Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of the daughter of Khoubbab ibn al-'Aratt, who says, Khoubbab went on expedition, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cared for us to the point of milking for us a goat into our vessel until it were full and overflowing; when Khoubbab returned he milked it, and its milk returned to what it was. And Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, milked for the quarter the sheep of his people; when he became caliph, a servant of theirs said, now he shall milk them no more; Abu Bakr said, "Yes! I hope that into which I entered shall turn me from nothing of what I did," or according to what he says. The men busied themselves with milking because, among the Arabs, the women milk not, holding it dishonourable, and when the men were absent the women needed whoever milked for them.
It is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said to people, "Make me not drink the milk of a woman." And 'Omar cared for the widows, carrying them water by night. Talha saw him one evening entering upon a woman; Talha entered by day upon her, a blind old woman sitting, and asked her what that man did with her. She says, "He is for me since such and such a time, caring for me, bringing me what serves me and removing from me harm." He says, "May your mother lose you, O Talha! The traces of 'Omar cease not appearing."
And Abu Wail made each day the rounds of the women of the quarter and their old women, buying for them their provisions and what arranged them. And Moujahid says, I accompanied Ibn 'Omar in travel to serve him, and he served me. And many of the righteous demanded of their companions in travel that they serve them. And a man accompanied people in jihad on condition they serve him, each of them, when wanting to wash his head or garment, saying, it is of my covenant, and doing it; when he died they undressed him for washing and saw upon his hand written, of the people of Paradise, and looked, it being an inscription between skin and flesh.
In the two authentic collections, from Anas, "We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in travel, among us fasters and non-fasters; we halted one day of intense heat, whoever had most shade among us being the holder of a garment, and among us were those shielding the sun with the hand; the fasters fell, and the non-fasters rose, mounting the tents and giving drink to the mounts; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'Today the non-fasters carried off the reward.'" And it is reported from a man of the tribe of Aslam that food was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in one of his travels, and he ate, his companions ate, and the man of Aslam withheld his hand; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him, "What is with you?"
He says, I fast. He says, "What pushed you to it?" He says, I have with me two sons, men travelling with me and serving me. He says, "They shall ever have the merit over you." And in the Mursal of Abu Dawoud, from Abu Qoulaba, people of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came praising the virtue of one of their companions, "We never saw the like of such a one, when we were on the road he recited, when we halted he prayed." He says, "And who busied himself with his wealth, who fed his camel or beast?" They said, we. He says, "Each of you is better than he."
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "And whoever takes a way in quest of knowledge, Allah facilitates him thereby a way towards Paradise." Abu ad-Darda reports this sense also from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Taking a way in quest of knowledge includes taking the real way, walking to the circles of the scholars, and includes taking the spiritual ways leading to acquiring knowledge, memorising it, revising it, studying it, writing it, understanding it, and what resembles these spiritual ways by which knowledge is attained.
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah facilitates him a way towards Paradise," one may understand thereby that Allah facilitates him the knowledge he sought, levelling his way and making it easy, for knowledge is a way leading to Paradise, like the words of the Most High,
"We made the Quran easy to retain, is there then anyone to reflect?"
Al-Qamar, 17
Certain righteous Ancients used to say, "Is there a student of knowledge that one come to his aid?" One may also understand that Allah eases the seeker of knowledge, when directing his way by the face of Allah the Most High, intending profiting thereby and acting according to its requirements, being the cause of his guidance and his entry into Paradise. And Allah may ease the seeker of knowledge other sciences he profits by and that lead to Paradise, as it is said, whoever acts by what he knows, Allah makes him inherit knowledge of what he knew not; and as it is said, "the reward of the good deed is the good deed following it."
It is witnessed by the words of the Most High,
"Allah increases the guidance of those who guide themselves."
Maryam, 76
and His words,
"Those who guide themselves, He increases their guidance and grants them their piety."
Muhammad, 17
One may understand therein also the facilitation of the sensible way of Paradise on the day of Resurrection, which is the Bridge, and of what precedes and follows it of terrors, facilitated the seeker of knowledge in reward of his profit, for knowledge guides to Allah by the ways nearest Him, whoever taking its way without straying from it arriving at Allah the Most High and Paradise by the nearest and easiest ways, and all ways leading to Paradise eased for him, in this low world and the Hereafter. There is no way to the knowledge of Allah, access to His satisfaction, conquest of His proximity and neighbourhood with Him in the Hereafter, save by profitable knowledge, by which Allah sent His messengers and sent down His books, it being the guide to Him, by it one is guided in the darknesses of ignorance, doubts and suspicions. That is why Allah named His book light, for one is guided thereby in darknesses. Allah the Most High says,
"A light and an explicit book have come to you from Allah, by it Allah guides to the ways of peace whoever seeks His satisfaction, bringing them out of darknesses into light, by His permission, and guides them to an upright way."
Al-Ma'ida, 15-16
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) compared the bearers of the knowledge he brought to the stars by which one is guided in darknesses. In the Mousnad, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "The scholars on earth are like the stars in the sky, by them one is guided in the darknesses of earth and sea; were the stars to extinguish, it is near the guided stray." So long as knowledge remains on earth the people are in guidance, and the persistence of knowledge is the persistence of its bearers; when its bearers and its defenders disappear, the people fall into straying, as in the two authentic collections, from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah takes not knowledge snatching it from the breasts of people, but takes it taking the scholars; when He leaves no scholar, the people take ignorant ones for chiefs, asked, they give opinions without knowledge, straying and misleading."
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned the day knowledge shall be taken, and it was said to him, how shall knowledge vanish while we read the Quran and make our women and children read it? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The Torah and the Gospel are in the hands of the Jews and Christians, what avails them?" 'Oubada ibn as-Samit was asked of this hadith, and said, "Were I to will, I inform you of the first knowledge taken from the people, solemnity." 'Oubada said that because knowledge is of two sorts, the first being that whose fruit is in the heart of man, being the knowledge of Allah the Most High, of His names, His attributes and His deeds, requiring His fear, His majesty, His veneration, humility before Him, love of Him, hope in Him, supplication of Him and trust in Him, and that is profitable knowledge, as Ibn Mas'oud says, "People read the Quran without it passing their collarbones, but were it to penetrate the heart and settle in it, it profits."
And al-Hasan says, "Knowledge is of two sorts, knowledge upon the tongue, that being the proof of Allah against the sons of Adam, and knowledge in the heart, that being profitable knowledge." And the second sort, knowledge upon the tongue, is the proof of Allah, as in the hadith, "The Quran is a proof for you or against you."
The first knowledge taken is profitable knowledge, the interior knowledge permeating hearts and filling them with uprightness. The knowledge of the tongue remains, proof against the people, they showing negligence of it and acting not according to its requirements, neither its bearers nor others. Then that knowledge disappears with the disappearance of its bearers, and there remains only the Quran in the books, none knowing its senses, its limits nor its rules. Then it shall be taken at the end of time, there remaining in the books nor in the hearts anything at all. After that comes the Hour, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The Hour rises not but upon the worst of people." And he said, "The Hour rises not while remaining on earth anyone saying, Allah, Allah."
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "And people sit not in a house among the houses of Allah reciting the book of Allah and studying it among them, but that serenity descends upon them, mercy envelops them, angels surround them, and Allah mentions them among those with Him." That indicates sitting in mosques for the recitation of the Quran and its study is recommended. Were that understood of learning the Quran and teaching it, no disagreement upon its recommendation, in the Sahih of al-Boukhari, from 'Outhman, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "The best of you is whoever learns the Quran and teaches it." Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Soulami says, "That is what made me hold the rank I hold," teaching the Quran in the time of 'Outhman ibn 'Affan until the time of al-Hajjaj ibn Youssouf. Were it understood of what is vaster, there enter gathering in mosques for study of the Quran in general.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sometimes commanded one to read the Quran to hear his recitation, commanding Ibn Mas'oud read before him and saying, "I love hearing it from other than me." And 'Omar commanded one read before him and his companions who listened, sometimes commanding Abu Moussa, sometimes 'Oqba ibn 'Amir. It was asked of Ibn 'Abbas, which is the best deed? He says, the remembrance of Allah. It was said, and, "people sit not in a house among the houses of Allah treating the book of Allah among them and studying it, but that the angels cover them with their wings, and they be the guests of Allah so long as they dwell therein, until they disperse to other speech"? He says, "It is reported in raised form, but the version stopped at the Companion is more authentic."
And Yazid ar-Raqachi reports from Anas that they said, having prayed the morning prayer they sat in circles, reciting the Quran, learning the religious obligations and the Sunna, and remembering Allah the Most High. And 'Atiyya reports from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "No group praying the morning prayer, then sitting in their place of prayer treating the book of Allah and studying it, but that Allah assigns them angels seeking forgiveness for them until they disperse to other speech." That indicates gathering after the morning prayer for the study of the Quran is recommended, but in 'Atiyya there is weakness. And Harb al-Kermani reports by his chain from al-'Awza'i that he was asked of study after the dawn prayer, and said, Hassan ibn 'Atiyya informed me the first to introduce it in the mosque of Damascus was Hicham ibn Isma'il al-Makhzoumi, under the caliphate of 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marouan, and the people set to it.
And by his chain, Sa'id ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz and Ibrahim ibn Soulayman studied the Quran after the dawn prayer at Beirut, and al-'Awza'i in the mosque, none preventing them. Harb mentions seeing the people of Damascus, of Homs, of Mecca and of Bassora gather for the Quran after the dawn prayer, but the people of Syria recited the Quran all together in one tenor from a single sura aloud, and the people of Mecca and Bassora gathered, the one reading ten verses and the people listening, then another ten, until they finished. Harb says, "All of that is good and beautiful." Malik disapproved it to the people of Syria. Zayd ibn 'Oubayd ad-Dimachqi says, Malik ibn Anas said to me, it reached me you sit in circles to read; I informed him of what our companions did, and Malik said, "With us, in the time of the Emigrants and the Ansar, we know not that." I say, it is strange?
He says, "And stranger, a man reads and the people gather around him?" He says, "That is contrary to our view." And Abu Moussab and Ishaq ibn Muhammad al-Farawi said, we heard Malik ibn Anas say, "The gathering at morning after the dawn prayer for the reading of the Quran is an innovation, neither the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) nor the scholars after them were upon that; when they prayed, each isolated himself, read and remembered Allah the Most High, then they dispersed without speaking to one another, busied with the remembrance of Allah; all of that is innovated." And Ibn Wahb says, I heard Malik say, "Let the reading in the mosque not be of the affair of the people of old." And the first to introduce it in the mosque was al-Hajjaj ibn Youssouf. Malik said, "And I disapprove also reading in the mosque from the book." All of that Abu Bakr an-Naysabouri reported in his book of the merits of Malik, may Allah have mercy on him. And the majority argued the recommendation of gathering for the study of the Quran in general by the hadiths indicating the recommendation of gathering for remembrance, the Quran being the best species of remembrance.
In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hourayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah has angels roaming the roads seeking the people of remembrance, and when they find a people remembering Allah the Most High they call one another, come to your need; they surround them with their wings to the lowest sky. Their Lord asks them, He knowing them better, what say My servants? They say, they glorify Thee, magnify Thee, praise Thee and proclaim Thee great. He says, have they seen Me? They say, no, by Allah, they saw Thee not. He says, what would they be had they seen Me? They say, had they seen Thee, they would worship Thee more intensely, proclaim Thy greatness more strongly and praise Thee more, and glorify Thee more often. He says, what ask they of Me? They say, they ask Thee Paradise. He says, have they seen it? They say, no, by Allah, O Lord, they saw it not.
He says, what would they be had they seen it? They say, had they seen it, they would be more eager, more ardent seeking it, more desirous being therein. He says, of what do they protect themselves? They say, of the Fire. He says, have they seen it? They say, no, by Allah, O Lord, they saw it not. He says, what would they be had they seen it? They say, had they seen it, they would flee it more ardently and fear it more strongly. Allah the Most High says then, be witnesses I pardoned them. One of the angels says, among them is such a one, not of them, he came only for a need. He says, they are people sitting, their neighbour is not unfortunate."
And in the Sahih of Mouslim, from Mou'awiya, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed near a circle of his companions and said, "What makes you sit?" They said, we sit remembering Allah and praising Him for guiding us to Islam and gracing us with it. He says, "By Allah, is it only that which makes you sit?" They said, by Allah, we sit only for that. He says, "I make you not swear by way of accusation, but Jibril came to me and informed me Allah the Most High glories in you before the angels." And al-Hakim reports from the hadith of Mou'awiya, I was one day with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he entered the mosque and found people sitting in the mosque, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, what makes you sit?
They said, we prayed the prescribed prayer, then sit studying the book of Allah and the Sunna of His prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "When Allah is remembered, His mention increases." And in this sense, other multiple hadiths. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informed the retribution of those sitting in a house of Allah studying the book of Allah is of four things.
The first, serenity descends upon them. In the two authentic collections, from al-Bara ibn 'Azib, a man recited sourate al-Kahf, having a horse tethered near two stakes, and a cloud enveloped him, turning and drawing near, and his horse began being frightened of it; at morning he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and mentioned it to him, and he said, "It is the serenity descended for the Quran." And in the two also, from Abu Sa'id, 'Ousayd ibn Houdhayr read one night in his horse enclosure when his horse startled, he read and it startled again, he read and it startled again; 'Ousayd says, I feared it trample Yahya my son; I rose facing it, it being something like a canopy above my head wherein were figures like lanterns, and it rose to the sky until I saw it no more.
At morning he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and mentioned it to him, and he said, "Those were the angels listening to you, had you continued your recitation the people at morning would have seen what remains hidden them." The wording, in the two, is that of Mouslim. And Ibn al-Moubarak reports from Yahya ibn 'Ayyoub, from 'Obayd Allah ibn Zahr, from Sa'd ibn Mas'oud that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in a circle, raised his eyes to the sky, then lowered them, then raised them, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked of that, and he said, these people remembered Allah the Most High, the people of the circle before him, serenity descended upon them borne by the angels like a dome, and when near them a man of them pronounced a false word, and it was lifted from them; and this hadith is mursal.
The second, the envelopment of mercy, Allah the Most High saying,
"The mercy of Allah is near the beneficent."
Al-'A'raf, 56
And al-Hakim reports from the hadith of Salman that he was in a group remembering Allah the Most High, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed near them and said, "What said you? I saw mercy descend upon you and wished taking part with you." And al-Bazzar reports from the hadith of Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah has caravans of angels seeking the circles of remembrance, and when they pass near them they surround them, then send their scout to the sky, to the Lord of majesty, blessed and exalted, saying, our Lord! We came upon servants of Thy servants proclaiming Thy benefits, reciting Thy book, praying upon Thy prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and asking Thee their Hereafter and their low world. Allah, blessed and exalted, says, envelop them in My mercy. They say, O Lord! Among them is such a one, a sinner, who came only passing. He says, envelop them in My mercy, they are people sitting, their neighbour is not unfortunate."
The third, the angels surround them, mentioned in these hadiths we cited, in the hadith of Abu Hourayra already cited, "they surround them with their wings to the lowest sky," and in a version of Imam Ahmad, "the ones mount upon the others until reaching the Throne." And Khalid ibn Ma'dan, raising the hadith, "Allah has angels in the air circulating between sky and earth seeking remembrance, and when they hear people remembering Allah the Most High they say, halt, may Allah increase you! They deploy their wings around them until each of them mounts to the Throne." Al-Khallal reports it in his book as-Sounna.
The fourth, Allah mentions them among those with Him. In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hourayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah the Mighty and the Majestic says, "I am according to the opinion My servant has of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me, were he to remember Me in himself I remember him in Myself, and were he to remember Me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than them." These four qualities are for every group gathered upon the remembrance of Allah the Most High, as in the Sahih of Mouslim, from Abu Hourayra and Abu Sa'id, each of them from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the people of the remembrance of Allah the Most High have four things, serenity descends upon them, mercy envelops them, angels surround them, and the Lord mentions them among those with Him. Allah the Most High said,
"Remember Me then, and I remember you."
Al-Baqara, 152
The mention of the servant by Allah is His eulogy of him in the supreme assembly among His angels, His glorification of him and setting forward his mention. Ar-Rabi' ibn Anas said, Allah mentions whoever mentions Him, increases the reward of whoever thanks Him, and punishes whoever denies Him. The Most High says,
"O you who have believed! Remember Allah with abundant remembrance, and glorify Him at dawn and dusk. It is He who prays upon you, and His angels too, that He bring you out of darknesses into light."
Al-Ahzab, 41-42
The prayer of Allah upon His servant is His eulogy of him among His angels and setting forward his mention, thus says Abu al-'Aliya; al-Boukhari mentions it in his Sahih. And a man said to Abu 'Oumama, I saw in dream the angels praying upon you each time you entered, each time you went out, each time you rose, each time you sat; Abu 'Oumama says, "And you, were you to will, the angels pray upon you." Then he recited,
"O you who have believed! Remember Allah with abundant remembrance, and glorify Him at dawn and dusk. It is He who prays upon you, and His angels too, that He bring you out of darknesses into light."
Al-Ahzab, 41-42
Al-Hakim reports it.
His words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "And whoever's deed is slow, his lineage shall not advance him." Sense: it is deed that brings the servant to the degrees of the Hereafter, as the Most High says,
"For each there are degrees according to what they did."
Al-'Ahqaf, 19
Whoever's deed is slow bringing him to the elevated dwellings with Allah, his lineage shall not make him attain those degrees, Allah the Most High attaching retribution to deeds, not lineages, as the Most High says,
"When the horn is blown, there shall be no kinship between them that day, nor shall they ask one another."
Al-Mou'minoun, 101
Allah the Most High commanded racing towards His pardon and mercy by deeds,
"And race towards a pardon of your Lord and a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-fearing, those spending in ease and hardship, mastering their anger and pardoning people, Allah loves the beneficent."
Al 'Imran, 133-134
And the Most High says,
"Those whom the fear of their Lord seizes with anxiety, those believing in the signs of their Lord, those associating nothing with their Lord, those giving what they give, hearts seized, for they return to their Lord, those race to good deeds, and they are first attaining them."
Al-Mou'minoun, 57-61
Ibn Mas'oud says, "The Bridge shall be erected over Gehenna, and the people shall pass according to the measure of their deeds, in groups, the first like the lightning passing, then like the wind passing, then like the bird passing, then like the race of beasts, until a man pass running, and another pass walking, until the last of them crawl upon his belly, and he says, O Lord! Why delayedst Thou me? He says, I delayed thee not, thy deed delayed thee."
In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hourayra, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, when was sent down,
"And warn your kin, the nearest."
Ach-Chou'ara, 214
"O people of Qouraych! Buy your souls from Allah, I avail you nothing with Allah. O sons of 'Abd al-Mouttalib! I avail you nothing with Allah. O 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Mouttalib! I avail you nothing with Allah. O Safiyya, aunt of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! I avail you nothing with Allah. O Fatima, daughter of Muhammad! Ask me what you will, I avail you nothing with Allah."
And in a version outside the two authentic collections, "My allies are your righteous, the people come with deeds, and you come with the low world carrying it upon your necks, and you say, O Muhammad! And I say, I conveyed." And Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reports from the hadith of Abu Hourayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "My allies on the day of Resurrection are your righteous, even were a lineage nearer than the lineages; the people come with deeds, and you come with the low world carrying it upon your necks, and you say, O Muhammad, O Muhammad, and I turn from you on this side and on that." And al-Bazzar reports from the hadith of Rifa'a ibn Rafi' that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to 'Omar, "Gather me your people," meaning the Qouraych.
He gathered them, and he said, "My allies among you are your righteous, were you those people, well and good; otherwise see that the people come not with deeds on the day of Resurrection and you with burdens, and you be turned away." And al-Hakim reports it in abridged form and authenticated it. And in the Mousnad, from Mou'adh ibn Jabal, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent him to the Yemen, he went out with him counselling him, then turned and directed his face towards Medina, and said, "The nearest of people to me are your righteous, whoever they be and wherever they be." And at-Tabarani reports it and adds, "These people of my house believe themselves the nearest of people to me, and it is not so, my allies are your righteous, whoever they be and wherever they be."
It is witnessed, in the two authentic collections, by the hadith of 'Amr ibn al-'As, that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, "The family of such a one are not for me allies, my ally is Allah and the righteous believers." That indicates his alliance is acquired not by lineage, near though it be, but by faith and righteous deed, most complete in faith and deed being greatest ally, having near lineage or not. In this sense certain say, "By your life, man is only by his religion... Leave not piety trusting lineages, Islam elevated Salman the Persian, and fatal polytheism degraded Abu Lahab."