Hadeeth Cards
Da'wa cards that highlight great meanings from the noble prophetic hadiths in a simple style and attractive display that helps the Muslim to have a deeper understanding of his religion in an easy way
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‘Abdullāh ibn Waqdān As-Sa‘di (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was with a delegation that went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) each of us with something to ask of him. I was the last of them to enter upon him, and I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have left people behind me claiming that Hijrah has ceased." He said: "Hijrah will not cease so long as the disbelievers are being fought."
An-Nasaa’i
This noble Companion went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with a group of his people to ask him for things. He was the last one to enter upon the Messenger of Allah. One of his questions was that some people that he had left behind were saying that Hijrah had come to an end. So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that Hijrah from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam would not cease so long as the Muslims are in fight with the disbelievers. However, Hijrah from Makkah to Madīnah had ceased based on the Hadīth: ''There is no Hijrah after the Conquest (of Makkah).'' [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from Yemen a piece of gold, that still had some of its dirt on it, in a tanned leather pouch. He said: He distributed it among four men: ‘Uyaynah ibn Badr, Aqra‘ ibn Hābis, Zayd al-Khayl, and the fourth one was either ‘Alqamah or ‘Āmir ibn at-Tufayl. A man from among his Companions said: We were more entitled to this than those. He said: This reached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who said: "Do you not trust me, whereas I am the trustee of the One Who is in the heavens? News from the heavens comes to me morning and evening." He said: Then a man with sunken eyes, prominent cheeks, an elevated forehead, a thick beard, a shaven head, and his lower garment tucked up stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah, fear Allah. He said: "Woe to you! Am I not the worthiest among the people of the earth to fear Allah?" He said: Then the man left. Khālid ibn al-Walīd said: O Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck? He said: "No, perhaps he observes the prayer." Khālid said: And how many are those who pray, saying with their tongues what is not in their hearts. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have not been commanded to pierce people's hearts or to split their bellies." He said: Then he looked at him as he was going away and said: "From the offspring of this man will emerge a people who recite the Book of Allah with fresh voices, yet it will not go beyond their throats. They will depart from the religion as an arrow passes through its target." And I believe he said: "If I live to see them, I will certainly kill them as the people of Thamūd were killed."
Agreed upon
‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from Yemen a piece of gold in a tanned leather pouch. The gold piece had not yet been refined from its dust. He said: He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divided it among four men: ‘Uyaynah ibn Badr al-Fazāri, Aqra‘ ibn Hābis al-Hanzhali, Zayd al-Khayl an-Nabhāni, and ‘Alqamah ibn ‘Ulāthah al-‘Āmiri. A man from among his Companions said: We were more entitled to this than those. He said: It reached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who said: "Do you not trust me, whereas I am the trustee of the One Who is in the heavens? News from the heavens comes to me morning and evening." He said: Then a man stood up, with deep-set eyes, prominent and high cheekbones, a raised forehead, a thick but not long beard, a shaved head, and with his lower garment raised and he said: O Messenger of Allah, fear Allah, thereupon he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Woe to you! Am I not the worthiest among the people of the earth to fear Allah?!" He said: Then the man left. Khālid ibn al-Walīd said: O Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck? He said: No, perhaps he observes the prayer. Khālid said: And how many are those who pray, saying with their tongues what is not in their hearts. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: I have not been commanded to pierce people's hearts or split their bellies; rather, I have been commanded to judge by the apparent aspects of their matters. He said: Then he looked at him as he was going away and said: From the offspring of this man and his companions, or from his tribe, will emerge a people skilled in reciting the Book of Allah with a beautiful voice, their tongues moist from frequent recitation. However, the Qur’an does not pass beyond their throats, and their hearts do not absorb it, so it does not reform them, and Allah neither raises it nor accepts it. They will leave Islam as swiftly and lightly as an arrow passes through its target. And I believe he said: If I live to see their emergence to fight the Muslims with the sword, I will certainly kill them as the people of Thamūd were killed.
Masrūq reported: I was reclining in the house of ‘Ā’ishah when she said: "O Abu ‘Ā’ishah, there are three things, whoever speaks of one of them has fabricated a tremendous lie against Allah; whoever claims that Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord, then he has fabricated a tremendous lie against Allah." I was reclining, so I sat up an said: "O Mother of the Believers, give me enough time and do not be hasty! Did not Allah, Glorified and Exalted, say: {And truly he saw him on the clear horizon} [Sūrat At-Takwīr: 23] and: {He saw Him in another descent.} [Sūrat An-Najm: 13]?" She said: "I am the first of this Ummah who asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about it; and he said: ‘Verily it is Jibrīl. I have never seen him in his original form in which he was created except on those two occasions (to which these verses refer); I saw him descending from the heaven and filling (the space) from the sky to the earth with the greatness of his bodily structure.’ Have you not heard that Allah says: {Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. and He is Subtle, and All-Aware} [Sūrat al-An‘ām: 103]? Have you not heard that Allah says: {And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.} [Sūrat Ash-Shūra: 51]. The one who presumes that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace be upon him) concealed anything from the Book of Allah has fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. Allah says: {O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message} [Sūrat al-Mā’idah: 67]. The one who presumes that he would foretell what will happen tomorrow has fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. Allah, the Almighty says: {Say: None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah.} [Sūrat An-Naml: 65]"
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
The venerated Tābi‘i Masrūq was reclining in the house of the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). She told him: "There are three things, and the one who speaks of one of them has fabricated a tremendous lie against Allah." He asked her: "What are they?" She answered: 1. Whoever claims that Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord has fabricated a tremendous lie. Masrūq was reclining, but then he sat upright an wondered: "How can you say that while Allah, the Exalted, said: {And truly he saw him on the clear horizon} [Sūrat At-Takwīr: 23] and: {He saw Him in another descent...} [Sūrat An-Najm: 13]?" She told him that she was the first ever to ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) specifically about these two verses. he told her that it was Jibrīl (peace be upon him) whom he saw and that he has not seen him in his original form upon which Allah, the Exalted, created him except in those two instants; once on earth towards the direction of the sunrise, where everything appears in its most vivid form, and once in Paradise. He saw him descending from the heavens, filling the space between the heaven and the earth with his magnificent body. Then she cited two Qur’anic verses proving that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has not seen his Lord. Allah says: {Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision, and He is Subtle and All-Aware.} [Sūrat al-An‘ām: 103]? And His saying: {And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.} [Sūrat Ash-Shūra: 51] 2. Whoever claims that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concealed anything from the Book of Allah has fabricated a tremendous lie against Allah. Allah said: {O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message.} [Sūrat al-Mā’idah: 67] 3. Whoever claims that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) could foretell the future on his own without revelation from Allah, the Exalted, has fabricated a tremendous lie against Allah. Allah says: {Say: None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah.} [Sūrat An-Naml: 65]
Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam As-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) a man sneezed, so I said: "May Allah have mercy upon you." People looked at me disapprovingly, so I said: "May my mother lose me, why do you stare at me?" They began to strike their thighs with their hands, and when I saw them urging me to be silent I said nothing. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer – and may my father and mother be sacrificed for him! I have never seen a mentor before him nor after him who gave better instruction than him. By Allah, he neither scolded me, nor beat me, nor insulted me, rather he said: ‘In prayer, nothing of people's ordinary speech is allowed. Only Tasbīh, Takbīr, and recitation of the Qur'an are allowed." Or he said something similar to that. Then I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have recently abandoned the beliefs of the pre-Islamic era, and Allah has brought Islam to us, and there are men among us who go to diviners." He said: "Do not go to them." I said: "There are men who believe in omens." He said: "That is something which they find in their hearts, but let it not prevent them (from doing whatever they intend to do) (Ibn As-Sabbāh said: let it not prevent you)." I said: "Among us are men who draw lines." He said: "There was a prophet who used to draw lines, so if their lines are as his, then that will be good." He (Mu‘āwiyah) added: "I had a bondmaid who tended sheep for me by the side of Uhud and Al-Jawwāniyyah. One day, I happened to pass that way and found that a wolf had snatched a ewe from her flock. As a normal human being, I got angry and gave her a slap. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who considered my act of slapping her grievous, so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, should I emancipate her?' He said: 'Bring her to me.' So I brought her to him, and he said to her: 'Where is Allah?' She said: 'He is in the heaven.' He said: 'Who am I?' She said: 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Set her free, for she is a believing woman.'"
Narrated by Muslim
Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam As-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) relates what happened when he was praying with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in one of the congregational prayers. He heard a man sneeze and say: "Praise is due to Allah," so he responded immediately by saying: "May Allah have mercy upon you," based on the statement of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "When anyone of you sneezes, he should say 'Praise be to Allah,' and his brother or companion should say 'May Allah have mercy upon you.'" Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was unaware that responding to the one who sneezes by saying "May Allah have mercy upon you” is recommended outside the prayer. "People looked at me disapprovingly," i.e. they gave him a critical look without speaking. He did not know the reason for their disapproval, so he said: "May my mother lose me," i.e. I am doomed. "Why do you stare at me?" i.e. what makes you look at me with such anger? "They began to strike their thighs with their hands," i.e. expressing more disapproval. He understood that they wanted him to be silent and stop talking, so he said nothing. He was wondering about the ugliness of what he had done, and their exaggerated disapproval of his action. He wanted to argue with them, but he said nothing out of compliance, because they were more knowledgeable than him. So, he did not act on his anger or ask them about the reason for their disapproval. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer, he was not harsh with him, nor did he reproach him. Rather, he explained to him the Shariah ruling in a way that made it more likely to be accepted and obeyed. "By Allah, he neither scolded me, nor beat me, nor insulted me", rather he gently explained the Shariah ruling, saying: "In prayer, nothing of people's ordinary speech is allowed. Only Tasbīh, Takbīr, and recitation of the Qur'an are allowed", i.e. it is unlawful for people to converse with one another in prayer, it was permissible in the early days of Islam but was later on abrogated. What is permissible during the prayer is: glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and recitation of the Qur'an. He told the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that he had recently abandoned the pre-Islamic beliefs and reverted to Islam, hence, he was not aware of all the rulings of religion. He then mentioned that some of his companions go to diviners, and ask them about matters of the unseen that will occur in the future. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from going to diviners because they speak about matters of the unseen, and some of their predictions may coincide with reality, and this could be misleading. There are many corroborating authentic Hadīths that demonstrate the prohibition of going to diviners, and believing what they say, as well as paying their fees. Mu‘āwiyah then mentioned the belief in omens, i.e. feeling pessimistic based on something seen or heard, or based on a certain time or place. The Arabs were known for their belief in evil omens, to the point that if one of them intended to do something good, and then he saw birds fly to the right or left – depending on what was known among them – he would delay what he wanted to do. Also, among them were those who would hear a sound or see a person and take it as an evil omen, or those who would be pessimistic about getting married in the month of Shawwāl, or those who would be pessimistic about Wednesday, or the month of Safar. All of this was invalidated by the divine legislation, due to its negative effect on one's mind, thinking, and attitude. Paying no attention to such things represents reliance on Allah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commented on that saying that pessimism is an involuntary feeling, and there is no blame on one in this regard. However, one should not let such pessimism prevent him from managing his affairs, which is something he can control, and one is thus held accountable for. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from acting on omens, and letting such belief in evil omens prevent them from managing their affairs. There are authentic Hadīths that collectively demonstrate the prohibition of believing in omens, which here refers to acting upon them, not to what one feels about them without his actions being affected. "I said: 'Among us are men who draw lines'": According to the Arabs, drawing lines meant that a person would bring a diviner and in front of him would be a boy whom he would order to draw several lines on the sand. Then he would order him to erase them two at a time, then he would look at what finally remained of those lines. If an even number remained, then this would be a proof of happiness and prosperity. If an odd number remained, then this would be a proof of disappointment and hopelessness. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that there was a Prophet who used to draw lines, like the lines drawn in the sand, and would know about matters through perspicacity by the position of those lines. This prophet was either Idrīs (Enoch) or Danyāl (Daniel) (peace be upon them). So if their lines were as the lines of that Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that would be permissible. However, there is no way for us to know for certain that it is done in the same manner of that prophet, so it is not permissible. This statement denotes the prohibition of such a practice, because it is not permissible except with certainty that it is the same as that done by that prophet, and we are not certain. One possibility is that this practice was abrogated in our divine legislation. Another possibility is that the permissibility of drawing lines was a sign on the prophet-hood of that prophet, and it has ceased; so we have been prohibited from practicing it. In sum, the Hadīth indicates the unlawfulness of practicing geomancy, not its permissibility. Furthermore, it indicates the invalidity of the manner in which people practice it, because practicing it in the same way as that prophet requires knowledge of it, and knowledge comes through one of the following ways: 1. A clear, authentic text that clarifies the manner of this science. 2. An uninterrupted transmission concerning this matter from the time of that prophet to the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Both ways do not exist. It is worth mentioning in this context that prophets do not claim knowledge of the unseen, and they never inform people that they know the unseen. Whatever they informed people of unseen matters was only learnt through revelation from Allah, and they never attributed it to themselves. Allah, the Almighty, says (what means): {The All-Knower of the unseen, and He reveals to none His unseen. Except to a messenger whom He has chosen, and then He makes a band of watching guards to march before him and behind him} [Sūrat al-Jinn: 26-27]. That is because the unseen is part of that knowledge which is exclusive to Allah, and no one claims it for himself except a person who claims to share with Allah some of the characteristics of Lordship. That is exactly what the masters of this craft do. Hence, the fraud of these people appears in their claim that this prophet is their teacher. Mu‘āwiyah then mentioned that he had a bondmaid who tended his sheep in a place close to Mount Uhud. One day he happened to pass that way and found out that a wolf had killed one of the sheep that belonged to him. He became angry and wanted to beat her severely for that, but he only gave her a slap. Then he went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who considered what he had done grievous. Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam As-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) asked if he should emancipate her, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to bring her to him. When he brought her, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Where is Allah?" i.e. where is the deity worthy of worship and characterized by traits of perfection? By this question, he wanted to make sure that she believed in the oneness of Allah, so he spoke to her by what would make his purpose understood, as the sign of those who believe in monotheism is their belief that Allah is in the heaven. She replied that Allah is in Heaven, meaning that He is above everything and above His Throne which is the canopy of the creation. He asked her about himself, and she replied that he was the Messenger of Allah. Thereupon, he ordered Mu‘āwiyah to set her free, for being a believing woman. Her replies were a clear proof of her faith and the soundness of her beliefs.
‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said during his illness from which he did not recover: "May the curse of Allah be upon the Jews and Christians; they took the graves of their prophets as mosques." She said: If it were not for that, his grave would be made prominent; yet, it was feared that it might be taken as a mosque.
Agreed upon
‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said during his illness that became severe and led to his death: May Allah curse the Jews and Christians and expel them from His mercy, for they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship by building over graves, praying at them, or facing them in worship. Then she (may Allah be pleased with her) said: If it were not for that prohibition and warning from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and the Companions' fear that his grave might be treated the way the Jews and Christians treated the graves of their prophets, his grave would have been made apparent and prominent.
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to Al-Ashajj, Ashajj ‘Abdul-Qays: "Indeed you possess two traits that Allah loves: prudence and deliberation."
Narrated by Muslim
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to Al-Mundhir ibn ‘Ā’idh, known as Al-Ashajj of the tribe of ‘Abdul-Qays and its leader (may Allah be pleased with him): Indeed, you possess two traits that Allah loves: reason, calm deliberation, sobriety, and avoiding haste.
Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were on a journey with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and whenever we ascended from a valley we would say "there is no god but Allah" and "Allah is the Greatest" and we would raise our voices. So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people, do not trouble yourselves too much. He Whom you are calling is not deaf or absent. Verily, He is with you, He is All-Hearing and Ever Near."
Al-Bukhari and Muslim. This is the wording of Al-Bukhari
The Hadīth of Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) states that they were with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey. They would say "there is no god but Allah" and "Allah is the Greatest" in a loud voice." So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people, do not trouble yourselves too much", meaning take it easy and do not burden yourselves with raising your voices, because the One you are calling is not deaf or absent. You are calling Allah, the Almighty, Who is All-Hearing, Answering your call, and Near to all. He has no need seeing you burdening yourselves with raising your voices when glorifying, praising, or exalting Him. This is because Allah, the Exalted, hears and sees everything. He is Near and encompasses everything in spite of the fact that He is above the heavens. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) highlights that Allah, the Almighty, is completely Hearing, Seeing, and Near as He possesses the highest level of all perfect attributes. The very hidden movement never escapes His hearing. He hears the crawling of the ant on the black rock in the darkness of night, and even what is quieter than that. Similarly, no screen covers anything from His sight. He hears your tones, the sounds of your breath, and any word you utter. Allah sees your movements. He is with you and Near to those who call Him. He is also with all of His creatures in a away that He knows and encompasses them. The whole creation is in His grasp. Yet, He is above His throne and high above all of His creation. No secrets of the creation are hidden from Him, whatever it may be. Hearing and Seeing are two attributes affirmed to Allah, the Exalted, in a way that befits His Majesty without asking how, resembling Allah to any of His creation, or distorting the wording or the meaning.
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When Allah wants to punish a people, the punishment befalls whoever is among them, then they will be resurrected according to their deeds.”
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) tells that when Allah wants to inflict punishment upon people as a penalty for their bad deeds, the punishment befalls whoever is among them even those among them who are not like them (do not commit the same sins). It means that Allah, the Almighty, destroys all people when evil becomes rampant and sins are committed openly. On the day of Judgment, each of them will be resurrected according to his own deeds. If the deeds are righteous, then the outcome shall be good; otherwise, it shall be bad. Such punishment serves as a means of purification for the righteous people and a means of revenge against the evil ones. Resurrecting the righteous according to their deeds is an act of justice, because they will be rewarded for these good deeds in the Hereafter. In this life, however, whatever befalls them of affliction is expiation for any bad deed they have done. Thus, the punishment sent upon the sinners in the worldly life encompasses those who were with them but did not disapprove of their sins, as a consequence of the adulation they showed to the sinners. Then, on the Day of Judgment, each of them will be recompensed according to his deeds.
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One morning, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stayed home and did not come out to offer the Fajr prayer until the sun almost rose. Then he came out in a hurry and led us in the prayer, which he performed quicker than at his usual pace. After the prayer was over, he asked us to remain in our places, and then he said to us: "I will tell you what caused me to be late. I got up at night to pray. I made ablution and then prayed as much as Allah willed me to pray. I dozed off while praying and fell into a deep sleep, whereupon I saw My Lord, Glorified and Exalted, in the best appearance. He said to me: 'O Muhammad.' I said: 'Here I am, my Lord.' He said: 'Do you know what the higher assembly (of angels) argue about?' I said: 'My Lord, I do not know.' He asked me three times, and then I saw Him put His Palm between my shoulders until I felt the coolness of His fingertips between my breasts. Consequently, everything became clear to me and I had knowledge. He asked me: 'O Muhammad.' I said: 'Here I am, my Lord.' He said: 'Do you know what the higher assembly (of angels) argue about?' I said: 'About acts of expiation (for sins).' He said: 'What are they?' I said: 'Walking to join congregational prayers, sitting in the mosques after prayers, and performing ablution properly when it is difficult (to do so).' He asked me: 'Then about what else?' I said: 'Feeding people, lenient speech, and offering prayer at night while the people are asleep.' He said: 'Ask Me anything.' I said: 'O Allah, I ask You to help me do good deeds and abstain from evil ones, to grant me the love of the poor and needy, and to forgive me and have mercy on me. And if it is Your Will that You put some people to trial (regarding their faith), then make me die without being put to that trial. I ask You to grant me Your Love, the love of those who love You, and the love of deeds that bring me closer to Your Love." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then said: "These words are true, so study them and then learn them."
Narrated by At-Termedhy - Narrated by Ahmad
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was late one morning in coming out to lead them in the Fajr prayer, until it was almost time for sunrise. Then he came out hurriedly, ordered them to make the Iqāmah, and led them in a relatively quick prayer. When he finished the prayer, he ordered them to remain in their places in the rows. Then he told them about the reason for his coming late to the Fajr prayer. He said that he got up at night, made ablution, prayed as much voluntary prayer as Allah willed him to pray, and then fell asleep during his prayer. In his sleep, he had a vision of His Lord, the Exalted, in the best appearance, and He asked him: “What do the close angels talk about?” He said: “I do not know.” This question and answer occurred three times. Then the Exalted Lord put His palm between the Prophet’s shoulders until the Prophet felt the coolness of Allah’s Fingers in his chest. The Prophet’s description of his Lord, the Almighty, is truthful. It is obligatory to believe in it just as Allah described Himself, without drawing any similarities between Him and His creation. Whoever has difficulty in understanding this, then let him say what those who are firmly grounded in knowledge have said: as Allah says about them in the Qur’an: {We believe in it, all of it is from our Lord}, and he should not burden himself with trying to interpret what he has no knowledge of, lest it leads him to ruin. Any time the believers hear speech which is similar to this, they should say: this is what Allah and His Messenger told us, and Allah and His Messenger have said the truth. This only increases their faith and submission to their Lord. When the Lord placed His hand between the Prophet’s shoulders, everything was revealed to him and he knew the answer to the question, so he said: “They are talking and discussing and arguing the traits that expiate sins.” Their arguing is that they compete in recording those deeds and taking them up to the heavens, or their discussing the virtue and nobility of those deeds. These deeds are: walking to the congregational prayer, sitting in the mosque after the prayer to recite Qur’an and Dhikr, listening to knowledge and teaching it to others, and performing a perfect ablution when it is difficult to do so, as in the case of extremely cold weather. Then the Lord said to him: “And then what are the close angels arguing about?” The Prophet answered: “Feeding people, speaking to people with good kind words, and praying at night (voluntary night prayer) while the people are asleep.” Then the Lord said to him: “Ask me whatever you want.” So the Prophet asked Allah to grant him success in doing good deeds and shunning evil deeds; to make him love the poor and less fortunate; to forgive him and have mercy upon him; and that if Allah willed to put a people through a trial that might lead them astray, he would take his life without being put to that trial or being led astray by it. He also asked Him to grant him love of Him, and love of those who love Allah, and love of everything that gets one closer to Allah. Finally, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions that this vision was true and ordered them to study it and learn the meanings and rulings that it implies.
