Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 38 of Nawawi
Hadith number 38 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in faithful English translation.
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Updated on 07 October 2026 at 4:51 AM
📖 45 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.
And he adds at its end, "And I withhold in nothing what I will to do, save delay towards the soul of the believer: he hates death, and I hate harming him." And that is among the singularities of the authentic collection, Ibn Karama alone reporting it from Khalid, it being not in the Mousnad of Ahmad, whereas Ahmad and others criticised Khalid ibn Makhlad al-Qatanani concerning it, saying he has reprovals; and 'Ata, in his chain, it is said he is son of Abu Rihaba, and it is said, son of Yasar, and he is found marked so in certain copies of the Sahih. This hadith is reported also by other channels, all not exempt of critique.
'Abd al-Wahid ibn Maymoun, Abu Hamza, freedman of 'Ourwa ibn az-Zoubayr, reports it from 'Ourwa, from 'Aicha, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, says, "Whoever harms My friend has rendered lawful My declaration of war. And My servant draws not near Me by anything more beloved than performing what I prescribed him. My servant ceases not drawing near Me by supererogatory deeds until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing wherewith he hears, his hand wherewith he seizes, his foot wherewith he walks, his heart wherewith he understands, his tongue wherewith he speaks. Were he to call Me, I answer him; were he to ask Me, I give him. And I withhold in nothing what I will to do, save delay towards his death: he hates death, and I hate harming him." Ibn Abi ad-Dunya and others report it. Imam Ahmad reports it in the sense.
And Ibn 'Adi mentions 'Abd al-Wahid is alone reporting it from 'Ourwa; and of this 'Abd al-Wahid, al-Boukhari says, reproved in hadith. But at-Tabarani reports it, Haroun ibn Kamil informed us, Sa'id ibn Abi Maryam informed us, Ibrahim ibn Souwayd the Medinese informed us, Abu Hazra, that is Ya'qoub ibn Moujahid, said to me, 'Ourwa informed me, from 'Aicha, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he mentions it. Here is a good isnad, its narrators all reliable, mentioned in the Sahih, save the shaykh of at-Tabarani, whose state I cannot know presently. The reporter perhaps said, Abu Hamza informed us, meaning 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Maymoun, and the listener believed he said Abu Hazra, then named it from him according to his error, and Allah knows best.
And at-Tabarani and others report, from the narration of 'Outhman ibn Abi al-'Atika, from 'Ali ibn Yazid, from al-Qasim, from Abu 'Oumama, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, Allah the Most High says, "Whoever humiliates My friend has defied Me in war. O son of Adam! Thou reach not what is with Me but by performing what I prescribed thee; My servant ceases not making himself beloved to Me by supererogatory deeds until I love him: I become his heart wherewith he understands, his tongue wherewith he speaks, his sight wherewith he sees. When he calls Me, I answer him; when he asks Me, I give him; when he asks My succour, I aid him; and the most beloved of the worships of My servant with Me is good counsel." 'Outhman and 'Ali ibn Yazid, weak. Abu Hatim ar-Razi says of this hadith, very reproved.
It is reported from the hadith of 'Ali, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), by a weak chain; al-Isma'ili reports it in the Mousnad of 'Ali. And from the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, by a weak chain; at-Tabarani reports it, with additions in its wording. And we reported it by another channel from Ibn 'Abbas, weak also.
And at-Tabarani and others report it from the hadith of al-Hasan ibn Yahya al-Khouchani, from Saddaqa ibn 'Abd Allah ad-Dimachqi, from Hicham al-Kinani, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), from Jibril, from his Lord, the Most High, who says, "Whoever humiliates My friend has defied Me in war. I withhold nothing of what I will to do, save the taking of the soul of My believing servant, he hating death and I hating harming him, and he escaping it not. And there are among My believing servants who desire a gate of worship, and I turn him from it fearing he enter it in vanity, and that corrupt him. My servant draws near Me by nothing more beloved than performing what I prescribed him; he ceases not drawing near Me by supererogatories until I love him, and he whom I love has of Me hearing, sight, hand and succour.
He calls Me, I answer him; asks Me, I give him; counsels Me, I counsel him. And there are among My servants he whose faith is set right only by wealth, were I to impoverish him that corrupts him; and among My servants he whose faith is right only by poverty, were I to enrich him that corrupts him; and among My servants he whose faith is right only by health, were I to make him sick that corrupts him; and among My servants he whose faith is right only by sickness, were I to cure him of it that corrupts him; I manage My servants by My knowledge, with what is in their hearts, I am knowing, aware."
Al-Khouchani and Saddaqa, weak, and Hicham is unknown. Ibn Ma'in was asked of this Hicham, who is he? He says, none knows him, he counts not. And al-Bazzar reports part of the hadith by the way of Saddaqa, from 'Abd al-Karim al-Jazari, from Anas. And at-Tabarani reports from the hadith of al-'Awza'i, from 'Abda ibn Abi Loubaba, Zar ibn Houbaych said to me, I heard Houdhayfa say the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Allah the Most High revealed to me, O brother of the envoys! O brother of the warners! Warn thy people against entering any of My houses with injustice in them, I curse it so long as it remains standing before Me, praying, until it return that injustice to its holders. I become its hearing wherewith it hears, its sight wherewith it sees; it is of My friends and My elect, and it shall be neighbour of the prophets, the truthful and the martyrs in Paradise." And here is a good isnad, and very singular.
Let us return to the commentary of the hadith of Abu Hourayra that al-Boukhari reports. It has been said, it is the noblest of hadiths reported on the friends of Allah.
[Whoever declares Me enmity:] His words, "Whoever declares Me enmity, I inform him of war," mean, I inform him that I am at war with him, he having become My enemy by enmity towards My friends. Wherefore the hadith of 'Aicha says, "he has rendered lawful My declaration of war," and the hadith of Abu 'Oumama and others, "he has defied Me in war." Ibn Majah reports, by a weak chain, from Mou'adh ibn Jabal, that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, "Little display is of polytheism, and whoever declares enmity for Allah towards His friend has defied Allah in war, and Allah the Most High loves the righteous, pious hidden ones: when they are absent they are not missed, when they are present they are not invited, and they are not known, their hearts being lamps of guidance, they come out of every deep darkness." The friends of Allah must therefore be followed, and enmity to them illicit, like the enemies of Allah being held enemies and their following illicit. The Most High says,
"Take not for allies My enemy and yours."
Al-Ma'ida, 57
And He says,
"Your allies are only Allah, His messenger and those who believe, establishing the prayer and giving the zakat while bowing. Whoever takes for allies Allah, His messenger and the believers, the party of Allah are the victorious."
Al-Ma'ida, 55-56
And He described those He loves and who love Him as humble towards the believers, mighty towards the disbelievers. Imam Ahmad reports in his book of detachment, by his chain, from Wahb ibn Mouannabih, Allah the Most High said to Moussa, upon him peace, when He spoke him, "Know that whoever humiliates My friend or harms him has defied Me in war, attacked Me first and exposed himself; he called me to it, and I am the quickest thing to aid My friends. Does whoever declares me war believe to withstand Me? Does whoever opposes Me believe to render Me impotent? Does whoever defies Me believe to outstrip Me or flee Me? And how, while I am the avenger for them in this low world and the Hereafter? Entrusted I their aid to other than Me?"
Know that all disobediences are declaration of war against Allah the Most High. Al-Hasan said, "O son of Adam! Hast thou the strength to wage war upon Allah? Whoever disobeys Allah declares him war, but the ugliest sin is the hardest war against Allah." That is why Allah named the eater of usury and the cutter of road fighters of Allah and His messenger, for the greatness of their injustice towards His servants and their doing of corruption in His lands. And likewise enmity towards His friends, for the Most High takes charge of their aid, loves and supports them, whoever declaring them enmity having declared enmity to Allah and declared him war. In the hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah, Allah, concerning my companions, make them not a target, whoever harms them harms Me, whoever harms Me harms Allah, and whoever harms Allah is near being seized." At-Tirmidhi and others report it.
His words, "My servant draws not near Me by anything more beloved than performing what I prescribed him; he ceases not drawing near Me by supererogatory deeds until I love him." After mentioning enmity towards His friends being declaration of war against Him, he mentions the description of His friends whose enmity is illicit and following obligatory, and mentions by what they draw near to Him. The root of alliance is proximity, and the root of enmity distance, the friends of Allah being those drawing near to Him by what draws them near to Him, and His enemies those He distanced from Him by their deeds requiring their expulsion and estrangement. His near friends divide into two.
The first, whoever draws near Him by performing the obligations, embracing performing duties and leaving prohibitions, all of that being obligations of Allah prescribed His servants. The second, whoever draws near Him, after the obligations, by supererogatories. It appears thus there is no other way leading to drawing near Allah the Most High, His alliance and His love, but His obedience He legislated by the tongue of His messenger; whoever claims alliance of Allah, His drawing near and His love outside this way appears liar in his claim, like the polytheists drawing near Allah the Most High by worshipping those they worshipped below Him, as Allah cites them saying,
"We worship them only that they bring us near to Allah in proximity."
Az-Zoumar, 3
And like Allah cites the Jews and Christians saying,
"We are the sons of Allah and His beloved."
Al-Ma'ida, 18
while persisting treating His messengers as liars, committing His prohibitions and leaving His obligations. He mentions therefore in this hadith that the friends of Allah are upon two degrees.
Then they are two degrees
One, those drawing near Him by performing obligations, that being the degree of the people of the middle way, people of the right, and performing obligations is the best of deeds, as 'Omar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, says, "The best of deeds is performing what Allah prescribed, scruple towards what Allah forbade, and sincerity of intention in what is with Allah the Most High." 'Omar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz said in his sermon, "The best of worships is performing the obligations and avoiding the prohibitions." For Allah the Most High prescribed these obligations to His servants only to draw them near Him and make obligatory them His satisfaction and mercy. The greatest of bodily obligations drawing near Him is the prayer, as the Most High says,
"And prostrate, and draw near."
Al-'Alaq, 19
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says, "The nearest the servant is to his Lord is when prostrated." And he says, "When one of you prays, he converses with his Lord, or his Lord is between him and the direction of prayer." And he says, "Allah turns His face to the face of His servant in his prayer so long as he turns not away."
Among obligations drawing near Allah the Most High is the justice of the shepherd towards his flock, whether a general flock as the governor, or particular as the justice of individuals towards their families and children, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says, "Each of you is a shepherd, and each questioned of his flock." And in the Sahih of Mouslim, from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "The just are with Allah upon pulpits of light, at the right of the All-Merciful, and His two hands are right, those just in their judgements, their families and what they are charged of." And in at-Tirmidhi, from Abu Sa'id, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "The most beloved of the servants of Allah on the Day of Resurrection, and nearest to Him in sitting, is a just imam."
The degree of the forerunners brought near, those drawing near Allah after the obligations by striving in the supererogatories of obedience, and folding back, out of scruple, upon the details of disapproved deeds, that making obligatory the servant the love of Allah, as He says, "My servant ceases not drawing near Me by supererogatories until I love him." Whoever Allah loves receives His love, His obedience, being busied by His remembrance and His service, Him making obligatory him His proximity, delegation to Him and favour with Him, as Allah the Most High says,
"Whoever of you turns back upon his religion, Allah shall bring a people He loves and who love Him, humble towards the believers, mighty towards the disbelievers, fighting in the path of Allah fearing not the blame of the blamer. That is the grace of Allah, He gives it whom He wills, and Allah is vast, omniscient."
Al-Ma'ida, 54
In this verse is the indication that whoever turns from our love and our proximity cares not of us, We replace him by whoever worthier of that grace; whoever turns from Allah, Allah has his replacement, "I have an occupation other than him, I have an occupation... What turns my heart from its passion, blame turns it not; let me see what I shall do should it grow cold, and hope deceived, I have a replacement, and he has my replacement." And in certain narrations, Allah the Most High says, "O son of Adam! Seek Me, thou findest Me, were you to find Me you find everything, and were you to lose Me you lose everything, and I am dearer to thee than everything."
And Dhoul-Noun repeated often these verses at night, "Seek for your souls... like what I found, I found a rest not in His passion this side; were He distant, He draws me near, and were I to draw near Him, He draws near; whoever Allah lacked, were he to obtain Paradise entire, he is loser, how then obtaining but a weak, low, vile part, of a dwelling entire worth not the wing of a mosquito? Whence it is said, whoever lacked seeing thee one day... all his moments are lacks, and wherever thou art of lands... my gaze is turned to thy face."
Then he mentions the attributes of those Allah loves and who love Him, "humble towards the believers," treating the believers with humility, gentleness and lowered wing; "mighty towards the disbelievers," treating the disbelievers with might, hardness and severity. Loving Allah, they love His friends loving Him, treating them with love, tenderness and mercy, and hate His enemies declaring Him enmity, treating them with hardness and severity, as the Most High says,
"Harsh towards the disbelievers, merciful among themselves."
Al-Fath, 29
"Fighting in the path of Allah fearing not the blame of the blamer."
Al-Ma'ida, 54
The secret of love is jihad against the enemies of the beloved, and jihad in the path of Allah is a call to those turning from Allah to return to Him, by sword and spear, after calling them by argument and proof; the lover of Allah loves drawing all creation to His door, whoever answering not the call with gentleness needing be called with hardness and violence, "Thy Lord wonders at a people driven to Paradise in chains"; "they fear not the blame of the blamer," the lover having no concern but satisfying his beloved, content with whom He is content, and displeased with whom He is displeased, whoever fearing blame in the passion of the one he loves being insincere in love. I halted my passion where Thou art, I have... neither delayer nor hastener, I find blame in Thy passion delicious... for love of Thy remembrance, let the blamer blame me! And His words,
"That is the grace of Allah, He gives it whom He wills."
Al-Ma'ida, 54
the degree of those He loves and who love Him, with their mentioned attributes; "and Allah is vast, omniscient," vast in giving, knowing whoever merits grace in His giving and whoever merits it not in His withholding.
Dawoud, upon him peace, said, "O Allah! Make me of Thy beloved, when Thou lovest a servant, Thou pardonest his sin, however great, and acceptest his deed, however small." And Dawoud said in his supplication, "O Allah! I ask Thee Thy love, the love of whoever loves Thee, and the love of the deed bringing me to Thy love. O Allah! Make Thy love dearer than my soul, my family and cool water." And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "My Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, came to me," in the dream, "and said, O Mouhammad! Say, O Allah! I ask Thee Thy love, the love of whoever loves Thee, and the love of the deed bringing me to Thy love." And his supplication was, "O Allah! Grant me Thy love and the love of whoever avails Thy love; O Allah! What Thou granted me of what I love, make of it strength for me in what Thou lovest; O Allah! What Thou hidest me of what I love, make of it leisure for me in what Thou lovest."
And it is reported from him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he supplicated, "O Allah! Make Thy love the most beloved of things to me, Thy fear the most feared of things in me, and cut me the needs of the low world by longing of meeting Thee; and when Thou consolidatest the eyes of the people of the low world of their low worlds, consolidate my eye by Thy worship." The people of this degree of the brought near have no concern but that drawing them near the One they love and who loves them.
Certain righteous Ancients said, "The deed upon fear may be changed by hope, and into the deed upon love languor enters not." And of the words of certain, "When the idle weary of their idleness, Thy beloved weary not of Thy discourses and Thy remembrance." Farqad as-Sabakhi said, I read in certain books, "Whoever loves Allah has nothing preferred to His passion, and whoever loves the low world has nothing preferred to the passion of his soul."
The lover of Allah the Most High is an emir charged over the emirs, his troop the first of troops on the Day of Resurrection, and his sitting the nearest of sittings there, and love is the limit of proximity and striving; the lovers shall not weary of their long striving for Allah the Most High, they love Him, love His remembrance, answer His call towards His creation, walk among His servants as counsellors, and fear for them their deeds the day faults appear. Those are the friends of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, His beloved, people of His election, having no rest without meeting Him. Fath al-Mawsili said, "The lover finds, with the love of Allah, no sweetness in the low world, and forgets not the remembrance of Allah a wink." And Mouhammad ibn an-Nadr al-Harithi said, "Whoever loves Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, almost wearies not of the proximity of Allah the Most High, and wearies not almost of it."
And certain said, "The lover of Allah has the heart like a bird, much remembrance, making his way to His satisfaction by every way he can of ways and supererogatories, drop by drop, and longing upon longing." And certain righteous Ancients recited, "Be for thy Lord a lover serving Him... the lovers of the beloved are servants." And another recited, "The lover has but the will of His love... the lover in every state laments."
Among the greatest things by which the servant draws near Allah the Most High of supererogatories is the multiplicity of reciting the Quran and listening to it, with reflection, meditation and understanding. Khabbab ibn al-'Aratt, may Allah be pleased with him, said to a man, "Draw near Allah the Most High as much as you can, and know you draw near Him by nothing more beloved to Him than His speech." And in at-Tirmidhi, from Abu 'Oumama, in raised form, "The servants draw not near Allah the Most High by anything like what issues from them," meaning the Quran.
Nothing is sweeter to lovers than the word of their beloved, it being the sweetness of their hearts and the extremity of their quest. 'Outhman used to say, "Were your hearts pure, you would never sate of the word of your Lord." Ibn Mas'oud used to say, "Whoever loves the Quran loves Allah and His messenger." Certain knowers of Allah said to a disciple, "Memorise you the Quran?" He said, no. He said, "O misery! By Allah, a disciple memorising not the Quran, by what savours he? By what chants he? By what converses he with his Lord, the Most High?"
Certain multiplied the recitation of the Quran, then turned from it to other, and he saw in dream a speaker, "Were thou claiming My love... why left thou My book? Sawest thou not what it contains... of the subtlety of My reproach?"
Among that also is the multiplicity of the remembrance of Allah, whereto concur heart and tongue. In the Mousnad of al-Bazzar, from Mou'adh, I say, O Messenger of Allah! Inform me of the best of deeds and nearest Allah the Most High. He says, "That thou die, thy tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah the Most High." And in the authentic hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah the Most High 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, were he to remember Me in an assembly I remember him in an assembly better than them." And in another hadith, "I am with My servant when he remembers Me and his lips move for Me." And the Mighty and Majestic says,
"Remember Me then, and I remember you."
Al-Baqara, 152
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard those raising their voices in magnification and formula of oneness, while with him in travel, he said to them, "You invoke not a deaf nor an absent, you invoke Him who hears all, near, and He is with you." And in a version, "He is nearer you than the necks of your mounts."
Among that, loving the friends and beloved of Allah in Him, and declaring enmity to His enemies in Him. In the Sunan of Abu Dawoud, from 'Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "There are among the servants of Allah men neither prophets nor martyrs, whom the prophets and martyrs envy for their rank with Allah the Most High." They said, O Messenger of Allah! Inform us, who are they? He says, "They are people loving one another by the spirit of Allah, no kinship between them nor wealth to exchange, by Allah their faces are light, and they are upon a light, fearing not when the people fear, nor grieving when the people grieve." Then he recited this verse,
"That indeed: the friends of Allah have no fear upon them, nor do they grieve."
Younous, 62
And a similar hadith is reported from the hadith of Abu Malik al-'Ach'ari, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And in his hadith, "The prophets envy them for their proximity and place with Allah the Most High." And in the Mousnad, from 'Amr ibn al-Joumouh, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "The servant attains not the right of pure faith until he loves for Allah and hates for Allah, loving for Allah and hating for Allah he obtains the right of the alliance of Allah; My friends are of My servants, and My beloved of My creation, those remembering Me by My remembrance and I remembered by their remembrance." And al-Mirta'ch was asked, by what is love obtained? He says, by following the friends of Allah and enmity to His enemies, its origin being conformity. And in the book of detachment of Imam Ahmad, from 'Ata ibn Yasar, Moussa, upon him peace, said, O Lord!
Who are the people of Paradise under the shade of Thy Throne? He says, O Moussa! They are creatures of pure hands and purified hearts, loving one another by My majesty, when I am mentioned they are mentioned with Me, when they are mentioned I am mentioned with their mention, performing well the ablution in hard situations, returning to My remembrance as eagles return to their nests, moved of love as the child for his folk, and angered for My prohibitions when violated as the tiger angered when fought.
His words, "When I love him, I become his hearing wherewith he hears, his sight wherewith he sees, his hand wherewith he seizes, his foot wherewith he walks." And in certain narrations, "his heart wherewith he understands, and his tongue wherewith he speaks." This speech means whoever strives drawing near Allah the Most High by the obligations, then supererogatories, Allah draws him near and raises him from the degree of faith to the degree of excellence, he becoming worshipping Allah with presence and watchfulness, as though seeing Him, his heart filling with knowledge of Allah the Most High, of His love, His greatness, His fear, His reverence, His veneration, intimacy with Him and longing for Him, until that knowledge in his heart become contemplation of Him by the eye of inner sight. As it is said, "Dwelling in the heart, he inhabits it... I forget him not, I mention Him! He vanished from my hearing and my sight... but the black of the heart sees Him!"
Al-Foudayl ibn Iyad said, Allah the Most High says, "Lied whoever claims My love and sleeps of Me, is it not that every lover loves the solitude of his beloved? I attend My beloved, they imagined Me between their eyes, spoke to Me in contemplation, conversed with Me in presence; tomorrow I consolidate their eyes in My gardens." And what is in the hearts of the near lovers ceases not strengthening until filling their hearts, nothing remaining in their hearts other than Him, their limbs able to move only in conformity with what is in their hearts. Whoever is in that state, it is said of him, there remains in his heart only Allah, in the sense of His knowledge, His love and His remembrance. Of this sense the famous Israelite report, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, "My heavens nor My earth contained Me, but the heart of My believing servant contained Me."
And certain knowers of Allah said, "Beware of Him, He is jealous, loving not seeing in the heart of His servant other than Him." Of this sense certain say, "The people have no place in my heart... Thy passion increased therein until filling it." And another says, "My heart is forged to the measure of their love... the love of other than them finds no place therein." And to this sense the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) alluded in his sermon, arriving at Medina, "Love Allah with all your hearts," as Ibn Ishaq mentions in his sira. When the heart is filled therefore with the greatness of Allah the Most High, it effaces from the heart everything other than Him, nothing remaining to the servant of his soul and passion, nor will, save what his Lord wills of him; the servant then speaks only by His remembrance, moves only by His command, were he to speak, he speaks by Allah, were he to hear, he hears by Him, were he to see, he sees by Him, were he to seize, he seizes by Him. Such is the sense of, "I become his hearing wherewith he hears, his sight wherewith he sees, his hand wherewith he seizes, his foot wherewith he walks"; whoever indicates other than that indicates only the straying of incarnation or oneness, and Allah and His messenger are innocent of it.
That is why certain righteous Ancients, like Soulayman at-Taymi, said, "It is not beautiful that Allah be disobeyed." And a woman of the righteous Ancients commended her children, "Accustom yourselves to the love of Allah and His obedience, for the righteous familiarised themselves with obedience, their limbs feeling foreign to other; were the accursed to present himself to them in disobedience, disobedience passes before them with modesty, they deny it." Of this sense the saying of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, "We saw that the devil of 'Omar feared him commanding him sin."
We already indicated that is part of the specific secrets of oneness, the sense of, "there is no god but Allah," being that none be divinised, by love, hope, fear and obedience. When the heart completes by complete oneness, there remains in it love only for what Allah loves, and detestation only for what Allah detests. Whoever is thus, his limbs move only by obedience to Allah, sins being born of loving what Allah detests or hating what Allah loves, that being born of preferring the passion of the soul to the love of Allah the Most High and His fear, touching the completeness of obligatory oneness, the servant falling thereby into neglecting some obligations or committing some prohibitions. Whoever's heart completed by the oneness of Allah has concern only in Allah and in that by which Allah is satisfied of him.
The raised hadith says, "Whoever wakes with a concern other than Allah is not of Allah." And Imam Ahmad reports it from the hadith of 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b, in a stopped version, "Whoever wakes with the greatest concern other than Allah is not of Allah." Certain knowers of Allah said, "Whoever tells thee My friend has a concern in other than Me, believe him not." And Dawoud at-Ta'i called the night, "O Allah! Thy concern paralysed in me the concerns, and covenanted between me and insomnia! And my longing seeing Thee is firmer than sweetnesses, and erected a wall between me and desires; I am in Thy prison, O Generous, sought!" Of this some say, "They said, He busied Himself with us and chose a replacement... of us, and that is the deed of the fleeing traitor! And how should my heart busy itself other than your love... outside your remembrance, O all my concerns?!"
His words, "And were he to supplicate Me, I answer him; were he to ask My aid, I aid him." And in another narration, "Were he to call Me, I answer him; were he to ask Me, I give him." This beloved brought near has with Allah a special position requiring that, when he asks Allah a thing, He gives it him, when seeking refuge with Him from something, He protects him, when supplicating Him, He answers, becoming of answered supplications, by his nobility with his Lord the Most High. Many righteous Ancients were famous for answering of supplication.
In the authentic collection, ar-Roubayyi' bint an-Nadr broke a tooth of a servant girl; the compensation was presented them and they refused, pardon was sought them and they refused, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) judged between them retaliation. Anas ibn an-Nadr said, "Shall the tooth of ar-Roubayyi' be broken? By Him who sent thee with the truth, her tooth shall not be broken!" The people were content and took the compensation. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "There are among the servants of Allah who, were they to swear upon Allah, He fulfils it." And in the Sahih of al-Hakim, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "How many men weak, despised, his two sandals worn, were he to swear upon Allah, He fulfils it!" Among them al-Bara ibn Malik, al-Bara met a troop of the polytheists, and the Muslims said to him, swear upon thy Lord!
He says, "I swear upon Thee, O Lord, that Thou takest their shoulders!" He took their shoulders. Then they met a second time, and it was said to him, swear upon thy Lord! He says, "I swear upon Thee, O Lord, that Thou takest their shoulders, and joinest me to Thy prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)!" He took their shoulders, and al-Bara was slain. And Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reports, by a chain, that an-Nou'man ibn Qawqal said the day of Uhud, O Allah! I make Thee an oath that I be slain and enter Paradise, and he was slain; the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "an-Nou'man swore upon Allah and He answered him." And Abou Nou'aym reports, by his chain, from Sa'd that 'Abd Allah ibn Jahch said the day of Uhud, O Lord! When I meet the enemy tomorrow, make me meet a man hard in vigour, strong in ardour, fighting me for Thee and I fighting him, then taking me and cutting my nose and ear; when I meet Thee tomorrow Thou say, O 'Abd Allah, who cut thy nose and ear, and I say, for Thee and Thy messenger, and Thou say, thou spokest true.
Sa'd says, I saw him at the end of the day, his nose and ear hanging by a thread. And Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was of answered supplications, a man lied about him, and he says, "O Allah! Were he a liar, blind his sight, lengthen his life and expose him to trial." All of that reached the man, exposing himself to the servant girls in the paths saying, "Poor erring old man, the supplication of Sa'd reached me." And he supplicated against a man he heard insulting 'Ali, the man remaining not in his place but that a haughty camel came and struck him with its hands and feet until killing him. And a woman disputed Sa'id ibn Zayd over a land of his, claiming he took it, and he says, O Allah! Were she lying, blind her sight and slay her in her land, and she became blind; one night she walked in her land and fell into a well, and died.
And al-'Ala ibn al-Hadrami was in troop, they thirsted, and he prayed saying, "O Allah! O Omniscient! O Indulgent! O Sublime! O Immense! We are Thy servants, and in Thy path we fight Thy enemy, give us drink a rain whereof we drink and perform ablutions, and let none other have part." They walked little and found a river of rain water flowing, drank and filled their vessels; then they marched, certain of his companions returning to the place of the river, seeing nothing, as though water had never been at its place. It was complained to Anas ibn Malik of the dryness of his land at Bassora, and he performed ablution, went out to the desert, prayed two rak'a and supplicated, rain came watering his land, not exceeding his land but little. And fields burned at Bassora in the time of Abu Moussa al-'Ach'ari, a lot remaining in the middle unburned.
Abu Moussa said to the holder of the lot, why burnt not thy lot? He says, "I swore upon my Lord not to burn it." Abu Moussa said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, in my community are men of unkempt hair, dusty garments, were they to swear upon Allah He fulfils their oath." And Abu Mouslim al-Khawlani was famous for answering, a gazelle passing near him, the children saying to him, supplicate Allah retaining us that gazelle; he supplicated Allah, and He retained it until they took it with their hands. And he supplicated against a woman who corrupted ten of his wives making him lose his sight, she losing sight at once; she came to him pleading him and soliciting him, he pitied her, supplicating Allah the Most High, and her sight was returned her, and his wife returned to her state with him.
And a man lied about Mouctarrif ibn 'Abd Allah ibn ach-Chikhkhir, and Mouctarrif said to him, "Were thou liar, Allah hasten thy end!" The man died on the spot. And a man of the Kharidjites came to the assembly of al-Hasan al-Basri harming them, and when he increased his evil, al-Hasan said, "O Allah! Thou knowest his evil to us, suffice us of him as Thou wilt." The man fell from his mount, carried to his family but dead upon his bed. And Salla ibn ach-Chim was in troop, his mule died of its load, and the people departed; he rose, prayed, and said, "O Allah! I make Thee an oath Thou returnest me my mule and its load," and it came, standing before him. And he was once in a desert, hungry poor men asking Allah food, and he heard a meal behind him, a garment or kerchief with fresh soft dates, eating of it, the garment remaining with his wife Ma'adha al-'Adawiyya, who was of the righteous.
And Mouhammad ibn al-Mounkadir was in campaign, a man of his companions saying, I crave fresh cheese; Ibn al-Mounkadir said, "Ask Allah the food, He feed you, He is capable." The people supplicated, and they had walked not much but saw a sewn bundle, being fresh cheese. Certain of the people said, were it honey? Ibn al-Mounkadir said, "He who fed you cheese here is capable feeding you honey, ask Him." They supplicated, walked little, and found a skin of honey upon the path; they alighted and ate. And Habib al-'Ajami, Abu Mouhammad, was famous for answering, supplicating for a boy of bald head, weeping and wiping with his tears the head of the boy, the boy rising not but that the hair of his head blackened, returning the most beautiful of people in hair.
And a man of the black race was brought, in a palanquin; he supplicated for him, and the man stood upon his legs, carrying his palanquin upon his neck and returning to his family. And in famine he bought much food and gave alms of it to the poor, then sewed purses, placing them under his bed, and supplicating Allah the Most High, the holders of food coming demanding its price; he brought out those purses, full of dirhams, weighing them, the amount of their rights, giving them them. And a man often jested with him, Habib supplicating against him, and he became leprous. And he was once at Malik ibn Dinar's, a man coming reviling Malik for dirhams Malik had distributed; when that lasted, Habib raised his hands to the sky and said, O Allah! This one busied us from Thy remembrance, deliver us of him as Thou wilt; the man fell upon his face, dead.
And a people went on campaign in the path of Allah, one of them having a donkey; it died, and his companions departed; he rose, performed ablution, prayed, and said, "O Allah! I went out fighting in Thy path, seeking Thy satisfaction, and I attest Thou makest live the dead and resurrectest those of tombs, make live for me my donkey." Then he rose towards the donkey, striking it, and the donkey rose, shaking its ears; he mounted it and joined his companions, selling the donkey afterwards at Koufa. And a troop went in the path of Allah, touched by intense cold near perishing, supplicating Allah the Most High, a great tree at their side kindling into fire, drying their garments and warming themselves until the sun rose upon them; they departed, and the tree was returned to its form.
And Abu Qoulaba went on pilgrimage, outstripping his companions one summer day, having intense thirst, and saying, "O Allah! Thou art able removing my thirst without breaking fast." A cloud shaded him and rained upon him until wetting his garment, his thirst departing; he alighted, dug basins and filled them; his companions arrived and drank, the rain reaching not his companions. And this kind is very abundant, its examination long.
Most of those of answered supplications among the righteous Ancients endured trial, choosing its reward, supplicating not for themselves deliverance. It is reported that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas supplicated for people that they know his answering, and it was said to him, supplicate Allah for thy sight? His sight had already burdened him, and he says, "The decree of Allah is dearer to me than my sight!" And one was tried by leprosy, and it was said to him, we were informed thou knowest the supreme name of Allah, wert thou to ask Him removing what is in thee? He says, O nephew! He tried me, and I detest being contradicted. And it was said to Ibrahim at-Taymi, in the prison of al-Hajjaj, wert thou to supplicate Allah the Most High? He says, "I detest supplicating Him delivering me that wherein I have reward." And likewise Sa'id ibn Joubayr endured the evil of al-Hajjaj until he slew him.
And a man was of answered supplications, having a cock rising at night by its crowing for prayer; one night it rose not at its hour, and Sa'id rose not for prayer, that being hard upon him, and he said, what is with it, may Allah cut its crowing! The cock sang no more, his mother saying, O my son! Supplicate after that against nothing whatsoever. And it was mentioned to Rabia a man having rank with Allah, feeding himself of what he gathered of refuse upon dumps; a man said, why supplicates he not Allah enriching him of that? Rabia says, "The friends of Allah, when Allah decrees them a decree, protest not." And Haywa ibn Chourayh lived very hard, and it was said to him, wert thou to supplicate Allah expanding thee? He took a stone of earth and said, O Allah! Make it gold, and it became an ingot in his hand; he says, no good in the low world save the Hereafter; then he says, "He knows better what reforms His servants."
The believer may supplicate without being answered, the believer of answered supplications supplicating a thing Allah knowing its better for him being its avoidance, He answering not his request, compensating him what is better for him, in this low world or the Hereafter. The raised hadith of Anas preceded, "Allah says, there are among My servants asking Me a gate of worship, I turn him from it fearing he enter it in vanity." And at-Tabarani reports from the hadith of Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd, from Thawban, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "There is in my community whoever, were one of you to come asking him a dinar, give him not, asking him a dirham, give him not, asking him a felus, give him not, and were he to ask Allah Paradise, He give it him, a man of two worn sandals given no attention, were he to swear upon Allah, He fulfils it." Others report it from the hadith of Salim in mursal form, adding, "and were he to ask Allah a thing of the low world, Allah give him it not, out of nobility towards him."
His words, "And I withhold nothing of what I will to do, save delay towards the taking of the soul of My believing servant, he hating death, and I hating harming him." Allah the Most High decreed death upon His servants, as the Most High says,
"Every soul shall taste death."
Al 'Imran, 185
Death is the separation of the spirit from the body, occurring only with very great pain, the greatest of pains touching the servant in this low world. 'Omar said to Ka'b, inform me of death? He says, O Commander of the Believers! It is like a most thorny tree in the bowels of the son of Adam, no nerve nor articulation exempt of it, and there is a man of strong arms drawing it from him, and 'Omar wept. And when 'Amr ibn al-'As was dying, his son asked him the description of death, and he says, by Allah, as though my hip were upon a hard rock, as though I breathed of the venom of a needle, and as though a thorn branch were drawn from my foot to my nape. And a man was said, at the approach of death, how findest thou? He says, I find myself drawn of a draw, as though daggers were various in my bowels, and as though my bowels were in an oven heated, blazing of combustion.
And another was said, how findest thou? He says, I find as though the skies folded upon the earth upon me, and my soul as though issuing of a needle's eye. Death being of that hardness, and Allah the Most High having made it obligatory upon all His servants, without escape, while He hates harming the believer and doing him evil, that was named delay towards the believer. As for the prophets, upon them peace, they are not taken before having had choice. Al-Hasan said, when the prophets hated death, Allah eased it them by the meeting of Allah, and all they loved of gift or nobility, to the point the soul of one of them is drawn from between his two sides while loving that, by what was presented him. And 'Aicha said, "I would envy none whom death was eased, after what I saw of the hardness of the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
She says, there was before him a cup of water, he putting his hand in the cup, wiping his face with the water, saying, O Allah! Aid me against the intoxication of death. She says, he ceased not saying, "there is no god but Allah, death has indeed intoxications." And in a mursal hadith he said, "O Allah! Thou takest the spirit from between the nerves, the reeds and the fingers; O Allah! Aid me against death, and ease it me." And certain righteous Ancients loved striving at death, 'Omar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz saying, "Would I wish they ease me not the intoxication of death, it being the last expiation of the believer!" And an-Nakha'i said, they loved striving at death, and certain feared the hardness of death trying them. When Allah wills easing death the servant, it is easy him.
In the authentic collection, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "When death comes to the believer, he is announced the satisfaction of Allah and His nobility, nothing being dearer him than what is before him, he loving the meeting of Allah, and Allah loving his meeting." Ibn Mas'oud said, when the angel of death comes taking the spirit of the believer, he says to him, "Thy Lord conveys thee salam." And Mouhammad ibn Ka'b said, the angel of death says to him, "Salam upon thee, O friend of Allah! Allah conveys thee salam." Then he recited,
"Those whom the angels take while pure say, salam upon you."
An-Nahl, 32
And Zayd ibn Aslam said, the angels come to the believer dying, saying to him, "Fear not what befalls thee, Allah shall remove thy fear, grieve not for the low world and its people, and be glad of Paradise," and he dies, the good tidings having come him. And al-Bazzar reports from the hadith of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah is the most miserly of the dead of His believing servant, like you of your dearest wealth, until He takes his soul upon his bed." Zayd ibn Aslam says, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Allah has servants of the people of well-being in this low world and the Hereafter." And Thabit al-Bounani said, "Allah has servants He spares in this low world of death and pains, lengthening their lives, beautifying their subsistences, making them die upon their beds, and imprinting them the natures of martyrs."
Ibn Abi ad-Dunya and at-Tabarani report it in raised form, by weak channels. In certain of its formulations, "Allah has treasures of His creation to whom He refuses trial, making them live in health, die in health, and enter Paradise in health." Ibn Mas'oud and others say, "sudden death is an ease for the believer." And Abu Tha'laba al-Khouchani said, I hope Allah strangle me not, as I see you choking at death. One night, in his dwelling, he was heard calling, O 'Abd ar-Rahman! And 'Abd ar-Rahman had been slain with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); then he went to the mosque of his house, prayed, and his soul was taken prostrating. And a group of the righteous Ancients was taken in prayer, prostrating. And certain said to their companions, I die not of your death, but I shall be called and answer; one day, sitting with his companions, he said, I answer Thy call!
Then he collapsed, dead. And another sat with his companions, hearing a voice say, O such a one! Answer, this by Allah is thy last hour of the low world! He sprang and said, this by Allah is the caller of death! He bade his companions farewell, giving them salam, then went towards the voice, saying, "salam upon the envoys, and praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds," then the voice cut, they followed his trace and found him dead. And another sat writing in a book, laying down the calame of his hand and saying, "were your death thus, by Allah it is a beautiful death!" Then he fell, dead. And another sat writing hadith, laying down the calame of his hand, raising his hands, supplicating Allah; he died, may Allah the Most High have mercy on him.