Riyad as-Salihin

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) put me in charge of charity of Ramadan (Sadaqat-ul- Fitr). Somebody came to me and began to take away some food-stuff. I caught him and said, "I must take you to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." He said, "I am a needy man with a large family, and so I have a pressing need." I let him go. When I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) next morning, he asked me, "O Abu Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah! He complained of a pressing need and a big family. I felt pity for him so I let him go." He (ﷺ) said, "He told you a lie and he will return." I was sure, according to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he would return. I waited for him. He sneaked up again and began to steal food-stuff from the Sadaqah. I caught him and said; "I must take you to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." He said, "Let go of me, I am a needy man. I have to bear the expenses of a big family. I will not come back." So I took pity on him and let him go. I went at dawn to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who asked me, "O Abu Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?" I replied, "O Messenger of Allah! He complained of a pressing want and the burden of a big family. I took pity on him and so I let him go." He (ﷺ) said, "He told you a lie and he will return." (That man) came again to steal the food-stuff. I arrested him and said, "I must take you to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and this is the last of three times. You promised that you would not come again but you did." He said, "Let go of me, I shall teach you some words with which Allah may benefit you." I asked, "What are those words?" He replied, "When you go to bed, recite Ayat-ul- Kursi (2:255) for there will be a guardian appointed over you from Allah, and Satan will not be able to approach you till morning." So I let him go. Next morning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked me, "What did your prisoner do last night." I answered, "He promised to teach me some words which he claimed will benefit me before Allah. So I let him go." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, "What are those words that he taught you?" I said, "He told me: 'When you go to bed, recite Ayat- ul-Kursi from the beginning to the end i.e.,.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever commits to memory the first ten Ayat of the Surat Al-Kahf, will be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).".In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "(Whoever commits to memory) the last ten Ayat of Surat Al-Kahf, he will be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist)."

While Jibril (Gabriel) was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he heard a sound above him. He lifted his head, and said: "This is a gate which has been opened in heaven today. It was never opened before." Then an angel descended through it, he said: "This is an angel who has come down to earth. He never came down before." He sent greetings and said: "Rejoice with two lights given to you. Such lights were not given to any Prophet before you. These (lights) are: Fatihah-til-Kitab (Surat Al-Fatihah), and the concluding Ayat of Surat Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them without being given the blessings it contain s.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Any group of people that assemble in one of the Houses of Allah to recite the Book of Allah, learning and teaching it, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, angels will surround them and Allah will make mention of them to those (the angels) in His proximity.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "On the Day of Resurrection, my followers (or Ummah) will be summoned 'Al-Ghurr Al-Muhajjalun' from the traces of Wudu'. Whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so.".

I heard my Khalil (the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)) as saying, "The adornment of the believer (in Jannah) will reach the places where the water of Wudu' reaches (his body).".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who performs the Wudu' perfectly (i.e., according to Sunnah), his sins will depart from his body, even from under his nails.".

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing Wudu' the way I have just done it and said, "He who performs Wudu' like this, his previous sins will be forgiven and his Salat and walking to the mosque will be considered as supererogatory act of worship.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When a Muslim, or a believer, washes his face (in the course of Wudu'), every sin which he committed with his eyes, will be washed away from his face with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin which is committed by his hands will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin his feet committed will be washed away with the water, or with the last drop of water; until he finally emerges cleansed of all his sins.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went to the (Baqi') cemetery and said, "May you be secured from punishment, O dwellers of abode of the believers! We, if Allah wills, will follow you. I wish we see my brothers." The Companions said, "O Messenger of Allah! Are not we your brothers?" He (ﷺ) said, "You are my Companions, but my brothers are those who have not come into the world yet." They said; "O Messenger of Allah! How will you recognize those of your Ummah who are not born yet?" He (ﷺ) said, "Say, if a man has white-footed horses with white foreheads among horses which are pure black, will he not recognize his own horses?" They said; "Certainly, O Messenger of Allah!" He (ﷺ) said, "They (my followers) will come with bright faces and white limbs because of Wudu'; and I will arrive at the Haud (Al-Kauthar) ahead of them.".

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I not tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates ranks (in Jannah)?" The Companions said; "Certainly, O Messenger of Allah." He (ﷺ) said, "Performing the Wudu' thoroughly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the mosque, and waiting for the next As- Salat (the prayer) after observing Salat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Purification is half the Iman.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever of you performs Wudu' carefully and then affirms: 'Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu Wahdahu la sharika Lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluhu .In the narration in At- Tirmidhi, it is added: "Allahummaj-'alni minat-tawwabina, waj-'alni minal-mutatahhirin (O Allah make me among those who repent and purify themselves)."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Were people to know the blessing of pronouncing Adhan and the standing in the first row, they would even draw lots to secure these privileges. And were they to realize the reward of performing Salat early, they would race for it; and were they to know the merits of Salat after nightfall ('Isha') and the dawn (Fajr) Salat, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "The Mu'adhdhinun (callers to prayer) will have the longest necks on the Day of Resurrection.".

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "I see that you like living among your sheep in wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep or in wilderness and you want to call Adhan, you should raise your voice because whoever hears the Adhan, whether a human or jinn or any other creature, will testify for you on the Day of Resurrection." Abu Sa'id added: "I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When Adhan for Salat is pronounced, the devil takes to his heels and breaks wind with noise so as not to hear the call. When the Adhan is finished, he returns. When the Iqamah is announced, he turns his back, and after it is finished, he returns again to distract the attention of one and makes him remember things which he does not recall in his mind before the Salat, and says 'Remember this, and this,' and thus causes one to forget how many Rak'at he performed.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "When you hear the Adhan, repeat what the Mu'adhdhin says. Then ask Allah to exalt my mention because everyone who does so will receive in return ten rewards from Allah. Then beseech Allah to grant me Al-Wasilah, which is a high rank in Jannah, fitting for only one of Allah's slaves; and I hope that I will be that man. If any one asks Al-Wasilah for me, it becomes incumbent upon me to intercede for him."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When you hear the Mu'adhdhin (pronouncing the call to Salat), repeat after him what he says.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who says upon hearing the Adhan: 'Allahumma Rabba hadhihid-da'wati-ttammati, was-salatil-qa'imati, ati Muhammadanil-wasilata wal-fadhilata, wab'athu maqaman mahmuda nilladhi wa 'adtahu .