Sunan Abi Dawud

I did not see more defective in respect of reason and religion than the wise of you (women). A woman asked: What is the defect of reason and religion ? He replied: The defect of reason is the testimony of two women for one man, and the defect of faith is that one of you does not fast during Ramadan (when one is menstruating), and keep away from prayer for some days.

when the Prophet (May peace be upon him) turned towards the Ka’bah (in prayer), the people asked : Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him)! what will happen with those who died while they prayed with their faces towards Jerusalem ? Allah the Exalted, then revealed : “And never would Allah make your faith of no effect.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone loves for Allah's sake, hates for Allah's sake, gives for Allah's sake and withholds for Allah's sake, he will have perfect faith.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The most perfect believer in respect of faith is he who is best of them in manners.

The Prophet (May peace be upon him) gave some people and did not give anything to a man of them. Sa’d said : Messenger of Allah! You gave so and so, so and so, but did not give anything to so and so while he is a believer. The Prophet (May peace be upon him) said : Or he is a Muslim. Sa’d repeated it thrice and the Prophet (May peace be upon him) then said : I give some people and leave him who is dearer to me than them. I do not give him anything fearing lest he should fall into Hell on his face.

We have submitted our wills to Allah”, Al-Zuhri said : We think that ISLAM is a word, and faith is an action.

The Prophet (May peace be upon him) distributed (spoils) among the people I said to him : Give so and so for he is a believer. He said : Or he is a Muslim. I give a man something while another man is dearer to me than him, fearing that he may fall into Hell on his face.

Do not turn unbelievers after me ; one of you may strike the neck of the other.

If any believing man calls another believing man an unbeliever, if he is actually an infidel, it is all right ; if not, he will become an infidel.

Four characteristics constitute anyone who possesses them a sheer hypocrite, and anyone who possesses one of them possesses a characteristics of hypocrisy till he abandons it : when he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he violates it, when he makes a covenant he acts treacherously, and when he quarrels, he deviates from the Truth.

When one commits fornication, one is not a believer ; when one steals, one is not a believer ; when one drinks, one is not a believer ; and repentance is placed before him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a man commits fornication, faith departs from him and there is something like a canvas roof over his head; and when he quits that action, faith returns to him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Qadariyyah are the Magians of this community. If they are ill, do not pay a sick visit to them, and if they die, do not attend their funerals.

Every people have Magians, and the Magians of this community are those who declare that there is no destination by Allah. If any one of them dies, do not attend his funeral, and if any one of them is ill, do not pay a sick visit to him. They are the partisans of the Antichrist (Dajjal), and Allah will surely join them with the Antichrist.

Allah created Adam from a handful which he took from the whole of the earth ; so the children of Adam are in accordance with the earth : some red, some white, some black, some a mixture, also smooth and rough, bad and good.

We attended a funeral at Baql’ al-Gharqad which was also attended by the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) came and sat down. He had a stick (in his hand) by which he began to scratch up the ground. He then raised his head and said : The place which every one of you and every soul of you will occupy in Hell or in Paradise has been recorded, and destined wicked or blesses. A man from among the people asked : Prophet of Allah! Should we not then trust simply in what has been recorded for us and abandon (doing good) deeds? Those who are among the number of the blessed will be inclined to blessing, and those of us who are among the number of the wicked will be inclined to wickedness. He replied : Go on doing good actions, for everyone is helped to do that for which he was created. Those who are among the number of wicked will be helped to do wicked deeds. The Prophet of Allah (May peace be upon him) then recited: “So he who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah), and in all sincerity testifies to the best, we will indeed make smooth for him the path to bliss. But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient, and gives the lie to the best, We will indeed make smooth for him the path of misery.”

The first to speak on Divine decree in al-Basrah was Ma`bad al Juhani. I and Humaid b. `Abd al-Rahman al-Himyari proceeded to perform Hajj or `Umrah. We said : would that we meet any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) so that we could ask him about what they say with regard to divine decree. So Allah helped us to meet `Abd Allah b. `Umar who was entering the mosque. So I and my companion surrounded him, and I thought that my companion would entrust me the task of speaking to him. Then I said : Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, there appeared on our side some people who recite the Qur'an and are engaged in the hair-splitting of knowledge. They conceive that there is no Divine decree and everything happens freely without predestination. He said : When you meet those people, tell them that I am free from them, and they are free from me. By Him by Whom swears ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar, if one of them has gold equivalent to Uhud and he spends it, Allah will not accept it from him until he believes in Divine decree. He then said : ‘Umar b. Khattab transmitted to me a tradition, saying : One day when we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and we did not recognize him. Sitting down beside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), leaning his knees against his and placing his hands on his thighs, he said : tell me, Muhammad, about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said : Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle, that you should observe prayer, pay Zakat, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the house (i.e., Ka`bah), If you have the means to go. He said : You have spoken the truth. We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he spoke the truth. He said : Now tell me about faith. He replied : It means that you should believe in Allah, his angels, his Books, his Apostles and the last day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of good and evil. He said : You have spoken the truth. He said : now tell me about doing good (ihsan). He replied: It means that you should worship Allah as though you are seeing him; if you are not seeing him, he is seeing you. He said: Now tell me about the hour. He replied : The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the one who is asking. He said : Then tell me about its signs. He replied : That a maidservant should beget her mistress, and that you should see barefooted, naked, poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in buildings. ‘Umar said : He then went away, and I waited for three days, then he said : Do you know who the questioner was, `Umar? I replied : Allah and his Apostle know best. He said : He was Gabriel who came to you to teach you your religion.

we met ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar. We told him about divine decree and what they said about it. He then mentioned something similar to it. He added : A man of Muzainah or juhainah asked : What is the good in doing anything, Messenger of Allah ? should we think that a thing has passed and gone or a thing that has happened now (without predestination)? He replied : About a thing that has passed and gone (i.e. predestined). A man or some people asked: Then, why action? He replied: Those who are among the number of those who go to Paradise will be helped to do the deeds of the people who will go to Paradise, and those who are among the number of those who go to Hell will be helped to do the deeds of those who will go to Hell.

What is Islam? He replied : It means saying prayer, payment of zakat, performing HAJJ, fasting during RAMADAN, and taking a bath on account of sexual defilement. Abu Dawud said: 'Alqamah was a Murji'i.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to sit among his Companions. A stranger would come and not recognize him (the Prophet) until he asked (about him). So we asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to make a place where he might take his seat so that when a stranger came, he might recognise him. So we built a terrace of soil on which he would take his seat, and we would sit beside him. He then mentioned something similar to this Hadith saying: A man came, and he described his appearance. He saluted from the side of the assembly, saying: Peace be upon you, Muhammad. The Prophet (ﷺ) then responded to him.