On the authoority of Muaadh ibn Jabal (May allah be pleased with him) who said, “O Messanger of Allah, inform me of an act which will place me into paradise and keep me away from the Fire.”
He said, “You have asked about a great matter but it is easy for whomever Allah, Exalted be He, makes it easy. [You should] worship Allah and not ascribe any partner to Him, establish the prayer, give the zakat, fast Ramadhan and make the pilgrimage to the House.”
He then said, “Shall I not inform you of the gates to goodness? [They are] fasting [which] is a shield, charity [which] extinguishes the sins like water extinguishes a fire and the prayer of a man in the depths of the night [which also extinguishes sins].”
Then he recited [the verses], “Who forsake their beds” until he reached, “they used to do.”
Then he said, “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its apex?” I said, “Certainly, O Prophet of Allah.” He said, “The head of the matter is submission [to Allah). Its pillar is the prayer. And its apex is jihad.”
Then he said, “Shall I not inform you of what controls all of this?” I said, “Certainly, O Prophet of Allah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say?” He said, “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Muaadh. Is there anything that has people thrown on their faces– or he said on their noses- into the Fire except that which their tongues reap?” Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and he said, “It is a hasan sahih hadith.”
- “Inform me of an act which will enter me into Paradise…”
- “You have asked about a great matter”
- “But it is easy for whomever Allah, Exalted be He, makes it easy”
- “[You should] worship Allah … the House.”
- “fasting [which] is a shield”
- “charity [which] extinguishes the sins like water extinguishes a fire”
- “the prayer of a man in the depths of the night. .. they used to do.”
- “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter … “
- “Shall I not inform you of what controls that?
General Comments About the Hadith: The importance of this hadith is obvious from the request put to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “Inform me of an act which will place me in Paradise and keep me away from the Fire.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated the basic acts that lead one to Paradise. Then he went on from that to state the acts that open the gates to goodness. He also stated the head of the matter, its pillar and its apex. At the end, he stated what controls all of those matters. In essence, nothing of great importance has been left out of this hadith.
1. “Inform me of an act which will enter me into Paradise and keep me away from the Fire.”
lbn Rajah points out that this was one of the many times that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked such a question. In general, his replies were approximately the same. The Companions knew the most important aspect of life: How to be saved from the Hell-fire and entered into Paradise; hence, a number of them came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to ask him this very important question. In a narration in Musnad Ahmad, it states that Muaadh came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I want to ask you about a statement that has made me ill, sick and burning inside.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Ask whatever you wish.” He said, “Inform me about a deed that will enter me into Paradise and concerning which I will not ask anyone other than you.” This shows how much Muaadh was concerned about this issue. It was something that was driving at his soul and burning him up inside. So he came and asked the only one who could give him the sound answer to that question.
This hadith is evidence that it is by one’s deeds that a person enters Paradise. This is, in fact, what is stated by Allah in the Quran, when He said, “This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit because of your deeds which you used to do [in the life of the world]” (al-Zukhruf 72).
However, there is a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that states, “No one’s deeds enter him into Paradise.” They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Not even me unless Allah envelopes me in His mercy.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) What this hadith means is that one’s actions alone are not sufficient to earn the great rewards and pleasures of Paradise. It is only by Allah’s grace, by His rewarding a person much more than he deserves, that one is entered into Paradise. Furthermore, as ibn Rajah points out, a person’s deeds are also part of Allah’s grace and mercy upon him. Hence, both Paradise and the actions that lead one to Paradise are from Allah’s mercy and grace.
2. “You have asked about a great matter”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him that he had asked about a great matter. Indeed, for the human being, is there anything greater than what he had asked? Allah revealed the books and sent the messengers concerning the very matter that he had asked about. All of this information was to show mankind how it could save itself from the Hell-fire and be entered into Paradise. In this hadith, the Companion Muaadh put all of that into one question. One can tell by the rest of the Prophet’s response that what he meant was not simply that the matter was a great matter. But his response also indicates that it is a very difficult matter. It is a very difficult matter except for those who are blessed by Allah, as shall be discussed below.
Al-Haitami states that entering Paradise and escaping the Hell-fire is indeed a great matter. It is for this reason that people fulfill the commands and remain away from what is prohibited. But, in reality, this is a very great and difficult matter. It is a great matter with respect to its consequences in the Hereafter and it is a great matter upon the soul in this life. Allah has shown that most of mankind will not be able to be victorious in this most important of affairs. He has said, “But few of My servants are grateful” (Saba 13). Allah also says, “You will not find most of them thankful [to Allah]” (al-Araaf 17)
3. “But it is easy for whomever Allah, Exalted be He, makes it easy”
This portion of the hadith demonstrates that all guidance is in the hands of Allah. Muaadh had asked about something very great and difficult. However, Allah can make anything easy for anyone. So, Allah can make this grave and difficult matter easy for anyone He wills. Allah opens a person’s heart to faith and Islam. The person loves Islam and loves obeying Allah. This makes fulfilling the obligatory deeds easy for him. This makes staying away from the forbidden acts easy for him.
If Allah makes guidance and good deeds easy for a person, then the question of entering Paradise and escaping Hell is an easy matter. If Allah does not make it easy for a person, it will never be easy for him as it is a grave and difficult matter that cannot be made easy except by Allah.
Allah has said in the Quran, “As for him who gives [in charity] and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in a reward from Allah, We will make smooth for him the path of goodness. But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient and belies the reward from Allah, We will make smooth for him the path for evil” (al-Lail 5-1 0).
Every believer should realize this fact and tum to Allah for help and guidance. If a person beseeches Allah and strives to follow the straight path, Allah will make the path easy for him. Allah will guide him, as Allah has said, “As for those who strive hard in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our paths. And, verily, Allah is with the doers of good” (al-Ankaboot 69)
4. “[You should] worship Allah … the House.”
In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told Muaadh that the key to entering Paradise and escaping the Hell-fire is the five pillars of lslam. These acts are the foundation of Islam. If one performs them properly and well, one is bound to enter Paradise.
“Shall I not inform you of the gate to goodness?”: According to al-Haitami, the words, “Shall I not inform you” are of way of attracting the listener’s attention. It shows that something of importance is about to follow. Indeed, the following instruction is of great importance. Beyond the entry into Paradise, there is a great deal of good that one can receive inside of Paradise. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not stop at what Muaadh asked. Instead, he showed him the gates or doors to good beyond what Muaadh had asked him.
The pillars of Islam are the obligatory acts that one must fulfill to have a hope of entering Paradise. Now, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is pointing Muaadh to voluntary acts that open the door to greater rewards in Paradise. As shall be discussed under Hadith Number 38, the most beloved servants to Allah are those who get close to Him by performing voluntary acts of worship after completing the acts that are obligatory upon them. The fasting and charity referred to below are, then, the voluntary fasts and charity and not the obligatory fasting of Ramadhan and the zakat.
5. “fasting [which] is a shield”
Since the obligatory fast of Ramadhan has already been mentioned in this hadith, this is an encouragement to increase one’s voluntary fasting. The act of fasting is itself a shield. Allah describes obligatory fasting in the following manner. “O believers, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa” (al-Baqara 183). The result of fasting, whether obligatory or voluntary, should be taqwa. The word taqwa comes from wiqaayah, which implies a protection. Taqwa means to protect oneself from the Hell-fire by putting a barrier between oneself and the Hell-fire.
In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has given a different but similar description for fasting. He has called it a shield, like the shield that one uses in the battlefield. The shield protects a person from the enemy and fasting protects a person from committing sins and from entering the Hell fire. Ibn Rajah points out that fasting is a shield only if the act of fasting is not harmed by foul or improper speech. He quotes the hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim which states, “Fasting is a shield. If it is a day in which one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual contact and quarreling. If somebody should abuse him or fight him, he should say, ‘I am a man who is fasting.“‘ (Recorded by al-Bukhari)
Then ibn Rajah makes the point that if fasting is not a shield from committing sins in this world, it will not be a shield from the Hell-fire in the next. Al-Baitaar points out that the word for shield is in the indefinite. This implies that it can be every type of shield. It is a shield from the Hell-fire, from Allah’s anger, from disease in this world, from straying from the Straight Path, from becoming arrogant and so forth. If fasting can be such a shield, the person who fasts properly will receive a great deal of reward in Paradise. There are specific days that a Muslim is recommended but not obliged to fast. These include: the Day of Ashoorah (the 10th of Muharram) along with the 9th or 11th in addition, the Day of Arafah (the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah) for those who are not making the pilgrimage, Monday and Thursday of every week, any three days of every month, the three days of the full moon in the middle of every lunar Islamic month, any days of the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah and six days in the month of Shawaal.
6. “charity [which] extinguishes the sins like water extinguishes a fire”
Again, the reference here is to voluntary charity and not the obligatory zakat. Furthermore, the sins referred to here are the minor sins that are between a human and Allah. The major sins are not included here nor are the acts of wrong done toward others. The major sins are not extinguished by charity but are in need of repentance. Wrong done toward others needs their forgiveness. In the Quran, Allah also states that through charity one’s sins may be wiped away. Allah says, “If you disclose your charity, it is well; but if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is better for you. [Allah] will expiate some of your sins. And Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do” (al-Baqara 271 ).
In general, good deeds may wipe away evil deeds. Allah says, “Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds” (Hood 114). Al-Haitami states that charity has been specifically mentioned because its benefit extends to others and all of the creatures are Allah’s creatures and dependents. In general, if a person helps another person’s dependents, that removes the latter’s anger. This is also how charity has been described in other reports.
Al-Teebi points out that the removal of sins has been mentioned in three different manners. First is the removal of sins, as in the verse mentioned above. Second is the wiping away or erasing of sins as in the hadith, “Follow up a bad deed with a good deed and it will wipe it out.” The third level is given here in this hadith: the extinguishing of sin. This expression gives the impression that the acts of charity will take one away from the Hell-fire because sins take one to the Hell-fire. If the sins are not extinguished, one will be consumed by the fire of Hell. The person can save himself from being consumed due to his sins by giving in charity, which will extinguish his sins and extinguish the fire for him in the Hereafter.
7. “the prayer of a man in the depths of the night. .. they used to do.”
According to ibn Raj ab, the meaning of the Prophet’s statement is that the late-night prayer extinguishes sins in the same manner that charity does. The word jauf when used along with the word night means the middle of the night. That is the case here. In some cases, there is reference to the last of the night. In that case, it is referring to the middle of the last half of the night or, in other words, after five-sixths of the night has passed.
The Importance of the Late-Night Prayer: In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) quoted the following verses of the Quran, “Their sides forsake their beds to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend [in charity] out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do” (alSajdah 16-17). There is a great deal of difference of opinion concerning the meaning of the phrase, “their sides forsake their beds,” and what prayer it is referring to. However, this statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) seems to make it clear that the verse is in reference to the late-night prayer, although perhaps not exclusively.
Ibn al-Qayyim points out that the people who perform the late night prayer, in general, are hiding that from the eyes of others. Usually, no one sees what they are doing. Therefore, in this verse, Allah specifically states that the reward for what they are doing in a hidden fashion is a great reward that is kept hidden for them. No one can know it now or imagine it. These are just one set of many verses that emphasize the importance of performing the late-night prayers. Others include the following, “They used to sleep but little at night [spending that time in prayer] and in the hours before dawn, they were found asking for forgiveness [from Allah]” (alDhaariyaat 17-18). In this verse, Allah is stating some of the characteristics of the pious people who will be entered into Paradise.
Allah said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), in a verse that demonstrates how praiseworthy the act of late-night prayers is, “And in some parts of the night offer the late-night prayer with it [the Quran ], as an additional prayer for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a position of praise” (al-Israa 79). Another verse states, “Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing [in prayer] during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord [equal to one who disbelieves]? Say: Are those who know equal to those who know not? It is only people of understanding who will remember [and take a lesson from this]” (Zumar9).
In a set of verses describing the true servants of the Merciful, Allah has stated, “The faithful slaves of the Most Merciful [Allah] are those who walk on the earth humbly and when the foolish address them [with improper speech] they simply reply with mild words of gentleness, and those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrate and standing” (al-Furqaan 63-64). Allah has also said, “O you [Muhammad] wrapped in garments, stand to pray all night, except a little, half or it or a little less than that, or a little more. And recite the Quran in a slow style. Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty word. Verily, the rising by night is very hard and most potent and good for governing oneself and most suitable for [understanding] the Word [of Allah]. Verily, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties. And remember the Name of your lord and devote yourself to Him with a complete devotion” (alMuzzammil 1 -8).
Qataada stated that the late night prayer was made obligatory upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers in these verses. This was in the earliest part of Islam. The Companions performed that prayer for a year and then the revelation that made the late night prayer voluntary was revealed. The relaxation was because Allah knew that there would be weak people in the community as well as those who would go out seeking Allah’s bounty by working and so forth. There are also many hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that demonstrate the importance of the late-night prayer (tahajjud). These hadith include the following, “The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is that during the depths of the night.” (Recorded by Muslim.)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “You should perform the late-night prayer for verily it was the custom of the pious people before you. Certainly, the late-night prayer is an act that takes one closer to Allah, keeps one away from sins, expiates for evil deeds and repels disease from the body.” (al-Tinnidhi)
There are many aspects that make the late-night prayer special. First and foremost, it is a prayer. The best action or matter is prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “The prayer is the best matter. Whoever can increase [his prayers] should do so.” (al-Tabaraan)
Second, al-Haitami points out that, in general, the prayer said in the late-night is more virtuous than the voluntary prayers during the day because it is further from ostentation and being done for show. In other words, the intention behind the late-night prayer should be a pure one. Furthermore, it is easy to have the fear of Allah and concentrate on the prayer in the late night prayer as there are fewer disturbances at that time. This is perhaps one of the greatest aspects of the late-night prayers. It increases one’s sincerity to Allah. The Follower Qataada said, “They used to say that the hypocrite would not spend the night up [in prayer].” It also makes the person realize his real purpose and goal in this life. He is getting up in the middle of the night and forsaking his sleep because he realizes that his goal is not the pleasure or relaxation of this world. Instead, he has a much greater purpose and goal in life. For that reason, he is getting up to pray when the rest of mankind– especially those whose only concern is this life-:- are either sleeping or committing sins under the cover of night.
8. “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter … “
According to ibn Raj ab, the “matter” here is in reference to the religion itself with which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent. But it seems more apparent, in this context, that the matter is more specifically that of entering Paradise and escaping the Hell-fire. This is al-Haitami’s explanation. He says the “matter” is “the matter that you asked about. ” The Prophet (peace be upon him) is continuing his answer as to how to enter Paradise and remain away from Hell. He frrst began by stating the minimum that it takes to enter Paradise. Then he stated how one moves beyond that to the doors of good in Paradise. Now he is summarizing the whole matter with the forthcoming instruction.
8.1 “The head of the matter is submission [to Allah].”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the head, meaning the most important and essential aspect, of the matter is islaam. Al-Baitaar states that the meaning of islaam here, in particular, is submission and obedience to Allah. In another narration, it states that the head of the matter is the testimony of faith. lbn Rajah explains that by saying that the one who does not accept and apply the testimony of faith, both internally and externally, has no portion of Islam whatsoever. Submission to Allah or adherence to the testimony of faith is the head of the matter and plays a role similar to the head of a human body. Without a head, there is no life. Similarly, without this head, there is no Islam. There is no hope, in other words, of escaping the Hell-fire and entering Paradise. This is the head of the matter. Everything is secondary to this primary issue. If this issue is not first fulfilled properly, the hope of attaining Paradise can be forgotten.
8.2 “Its pillar is the prayer.”
The foundation upon which the religion, submission to Allah and being entered into Paradise rests is the prayer. A pillar is an upright support for a building or structure to rest. Without proper pillar support, the structure is not sound and can easily be destroyed. This statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is just a fraction of much evidence demonstrating the importance of the prayer. The place of prayer in Islam cannot be denied. As was discussed in the commentary to Hadith #3, the opinion of many scholars- and it seems to be the strongest opinion, Allah knows best- is that the one who does not pray falls outside of the fold of Islam. In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) made it clear that the one who does not attend to his prayers is missing the foundation and the pillar that can save him from the Hell-fire.
8.3 “Its apex is jihad.”
Al-Haitami states that jihad is the highest form of obedience because it is through it that Islam becomes dominant over all the other religions and ways of life. This is not true for the other acts of worship. Therefore, in this particular respect, it is the greatest act of worship. Al-Baitaar further points out that it is through jihad that the religion is protected and preserved as is also the honor of the Muslims protected. Although every act of worship has its great importance, the place of jihad is of special importance.
Jihad, therefore, is considered the most important deed after the obligatory acts, as Imam Ahmad and others have stated. This statement most probably is in reference to the pillars of Islam vis-a-vis the non-obligatory, recommended jihad. There are times when jihad is obligatory. Although that is the case, there is no excuse for emphasizing jihad while ignoring the pillars of Islam. The pillars form the foundation of lslam, as discussed in Hadith Number 3, and without these pillars one cannot expect one’s jihad to be the complete jihad or completely pleasing to Allah.
The Importance of Jihad:
The importance of jihad can be seen in numerous verses of the Quran and statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is not surprising given that it is the apex or highest point of entry into Paradise and being saved from the Hell-fire, as the present hadith demonstrates. The verses from the Quran concerning jihad include: “Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not equal with those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah has conferred on those who strive with their wealth and lives a rank above the sedentary. Unto each Allah has promised good. But He has bestowed on those who strive a great reward above the sedentary: Degrees of rank from Him, and forgiveness and mercy. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful” (al-Nisaa 95-96).
“Count you the quenching of a pilgrim’s thirst and tending of the Inviolable Place of Worship as (equal to the worth of him) who believes in Allah and the Last Day, and strives in the Way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah guides not wrongdoing folk. Those who believe and have left their homes and striven with their wealth and their lives in Allah’s way are of much greater worth in Allah’s sight. These are they who are triumphant” (al-Tauba 19-20).
“Lo Allah loves those who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure” (al-Saff 4). The following hadith touch upon this topic: [Abu Huraira related that] a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, show me a deed that is equal to jihad.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him, “I do not find such a deed.” Then he told him, “Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battlefield, enter your mosque to perform prayers without ceasing and fast while never breaking your fast?” The man said, “Who could do that?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him, “The one who makes jihad is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders about for grazing while tied on a long rope.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)
Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrated that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Allah’s messenger, who is the best among the people?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A believer who strives his utmost in Allah’s cause with his life and property.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)
In addition to the above, the negative results of abandoning jihad have been made very clear by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Perhaps these are other reasons why the Prophet (peace be upon him) has stated that jihad is the apex of the matter of entering Paradise and escaping the Hell-fire.
The following are some of the negative results of abandoning jihad:
(1) The abandonment of jihad is a source of destruction in both this life and in the Hereafter. With respect to this life, if people do not make an effort to propagate and defend what they believe in, they will be subjugated and despised by others and will not be able to live freely. With respect to the Hereafter, the person who does not perform jihad will not be deserving of Allah’s mercy and he will actually be destroying himself. Allah says, “Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah, and be not cast by your own hands to ruin; and do good. Lo, Allah loves the beneficent” (al-Baqara 195).
This verse was explained by Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari. When the Muslims were trying to penetrate the enemy’s ranks at Constantinople, some of them said that they were not supposed to kill themselves by their own hands. Abu Ayyoob said, “We are more knowledgeable [than others] about this verse.
It was revealed concerning us, the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We participated in the battles with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Allah aided us. Then when Islam spread and we were victorious, we said, ‘Allah has honored us by being Companions of the Prophet and He aided him until Islam spread and its adherents were many. We sacrificed our time with our families, wealth and children. Now, the burden of war is over and we should return to our families and children and spend our time with them.’ Then Allah revealed concerning us, ‘Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah, and be not cast by your own hands to ruin; and do good. Lo, Allah loves the beneficent'” Thus, by abandoning spending in the way of Allah and, therefore, jihad, the person is actually destroying himself by his own hands.
(2) The abandonment of jihad is a reason for humiliation and disdain. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Surely, If you abandon the jihad and spend all of your time with your agriculture and you deal in al-eenah, then Allah will make humiliation accompany you and not allow you to be rid of it until you repent to Allah and return to your original state [before this condition].”
Al-Ulyaani wrote, What the Messenger (peace be upon him), who does not speak from his own desires, stated is certainly true. If anyone looks to the situation of the Muslims today, who are heedless of the most important aspects of their religion as they have abandoned the jihad against the unbelievers and taking the jizyah from them, he will see that Allah has inflicted them with humiliation as they tum to the unbelievers of the East or the unbelievers of the West, seeking aid and honor from them, and they do not even realize that this humility will never leave them until they return to their religion as the most honest speaker [the Prophet (peace be upon him) has stated in this hadith. If they continue in their present state they can be given the same tidings that Allah has given them [when He said], “Bear unto the hypocrites the tidings that for them there is a painful doom; Those who choose disbelievers for their patrons instead of believers. Do they look for power at their hands? Lo, all power belongs to Allah” [al-Nisaa 138-139].
(3) The abandonment of jihad is also a source of calamity, affliction and trials. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If you begin to participate in al-eenah, take after the tails of cows, become pleased with agriculture and leave jihad in the way of Allah, Allah will inflict upon you a disgrace that will not leave you until you return to their religion.” (Ahmad)
(4) The abandonment of jihad can also be a source of punishment from
Allah. Allah says in the Quran, “If you go not forth [for j ihad] He will afflict you with a painful doom, and will choose instead of you a folk other than you. You cannot harm Him at all. Allah has power over all things” (al-Tauba 39). Jihad, in one of its many forms or another, will always exist and be a communal imperative. The reality of this world is that every human falls into one of two groups or parties: the party that follows the messengers of Allah (called “the party of Allah”) and the party that refuses to believe in and follow the messengers whom Allah had sent for their own benefit (this group is called “the party of Satan”).
The relation between these two parties is one of enmity. Satan, the leader of the forces of evil, swore to mislead mankind until the Day of Judgment. Allah says, “He [the Satan] said: Now, because you have sent me astray, verily I shall lurk in ambush for them on Your Right Path. Then I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them beholden (unto You)” (al-Araaf 16-17)
Furthermore, unbelievers, in general, will never be satisfied and will never rest until they eradicate as many forms of true obedience and worship of Allah as they can. Allah clearly states, “And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made you renegades from your religion, if they are able to do so” (al-Baqara 217). Therefore, the only way that Allah’s law, justice, right and truth will prevail on this earth is if the believers in Allah sacrifice their time, wealth and souls for the establishment of truth. In other words, Muslims must participate in jihad until the Day of Judgment since the ungodly forces will not rest until that time.
9. “Shall I not inform you of what controls that? …
In previous hadith of al-Nawawi’s collection, the importance of speaking good things and refraining from evil speech has been discussed. However, in these final words of teachings to Muaadh, the Prophet (peace be upon him) goes far beyond the aspects that were previously mentioned. Commenting on this part of the hadith, ibn Rajah stated, “This indicates that
restraining, controlling and withholding one’s tongue is the foundation of all good. The one who controls his tongue controls, restrains and commands all of his affairs.” Hence, as Sultaan points out, the one who has been given control over his tongue and speech has been given a great blessing indeed. It is the key to happiness in both this world and the Hereafter.
The meaning of what the Prophet (peace be upon him) tells Muaadh in this portion of the hadith is that, in general, it is because of the deeds of one’s tongue that one is thrown into the Hell-fire. Someone might wonder why this is the case. Can the deeds of the tongue be that great and that harmful? Ibn Rajab has explained how that is the case. He wrote, The sins of speech include shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is the greatest sin in Allah’s sight. It also includes speaking about Allah without knowledge, which is the companion of shirk. It also includes giving false witness, which can be equivalent to shirk. It also includes sorcery, calumny and other major and minor sins, such as lying, backbiting, tale-spreading. In fact, the other sinful acts, in general, are usually accompanied by speech that assists in those deeds.
Given ibn Rajah’s explanation, it is simple to understand how the ability or lack of ability to controls one’s tongue is directly related to one’s entrance into Paradise or into the Hell-fire. Note the following hadith also, On the authority of Abu Huraira who said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about what most enters a people into Paradise and he said, “Taqwa of Allah and good character.” Then he was asked about what most enters a people into Hell and he said, “The mouth and the private part.”
Concerning the tongue, Ibn Buraidah stated that he one time saw ibn Abbas taking hold of his tongue and then saying, “Woe to you. Speak well and you will gain from that. Refrain from speaking evil and you will be safe. Otherwise, you must realize that you will have to be remorseful.” The early scholar Yahya ibn Katheer said, “A person’s speech is not made sound except that it is reflected in the rest of his deeds. And a person’s speech is not made wicked except that it is reflected in the rest of his deeds.” Yoonus ibn Ubaid, another early scholar, also said, “One will not find any act of piety that is followed by all other acts except in the tongue. You can find a man who fasts during the day and breaks his fast on forbidden things [because of his speech]. He spends the night in prayer and during the day he gives false witness … ” [He mentioned a number of aspects and then said,] “However, you will not find a person who only speaks the truth whose actions ever contradict that.”
Ibn Taimiya noted how difficult it is for people to control their tongues even though they are able to control many of their actions. He stated, It is amazing how it is easy for a human to control and protect himself from eating forbidden items, wronging others, fornication, stealing, drinking alcohol, looking at what is forbidden while it is difficult for him to control the movement of his tongue. You can even find a man who is considered religious, pious and a worshipper while he speaks words that anger Allah and he does not even considered them important; he is lowered by one speech a distance even greater than what is between the East and West. How many times do you see a person who refrains from the lewd acts and wrongdoing while his tongue flows in false speech concerning the honor of those both alive and dead, and he does not even care about what he is saying.
Abdul Maalik al-Qaasim notes how in this day and age, one truly has to be careful about this matter. Nowadays, first, the level of piety or religious awareness seems to be less than in the past. To add to that, many Muslims today seem to have much more free time than they did in the past, due to modem day conveniences and ease of life. This free time can be very dangerous as it allows more opportunity for people to sit and talk for hours at a time. People may be able to speak in a good manner for some time, but, after a while, they have a tendency to stray into matters that they should have avoided. Al-Zuhri noticed this aspect and said, “If the gathering becomes long, then Satan has a portion of it.
In addition, the means of communication, such as telephone, e-mail and so on, makes it even easier to communicate more often with others. All of these have turned out to be very dangerous with respect to a person’s words. Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid points out that this last part of the hadith alludes to another important form of jihad: jihad against the self. This is the jihad or struggling by which a person controls his actions and desires. It is this type of jihad that is needed to control one’s speech. Without this type of jihad, as this hadith clearly demonstrates, the results can be disastrous as one may end up being thrown into the Hell-fire. The key to this jihad is to remember that one will be held responsible for every word that he speaks. As Allah bas stated,
“Not a word does be utter but there is a watcher by him ready [to record it]” (Qaaf 18). Umar ibn Abdul Azeez stated, “The one who realizes that his speech is part of his deeds will restrict his words to only what is of concern to him and is of benefit to him.”
Other Points Related to This Hadith:
• The “teacher” should express his teachings in such a way that the listener’s attention is turned to what he is saying. In this example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did this more than once by saying, “Shall I not tell you … ,” “Shall I not inform you . . . “
• Sultaan points out that this haditb also demonstrates that one should teach in a progressive manner. In other words, one should start with the basics and then move on to more intricate matters after them. This is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) did in this particular hadith.
Summary of the Hadith:
• The Companions were very anxious to know the key to entering Paradise and escaping the Hell-fire. Hence, they asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) on numerous occasions to guide them to this goal.
• This question is a great matter. However, if Allah makes it easy for someone, then it will become easy for him.
• The key to entering Paradise is the fulfillment of the five pillars of Islam.
• Beyond entering Paradise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the keys to the great rewards in Paradise. These keys are voluntary fasts, which are a shield, charity and prayers during the late night, which extinguish sins.
• The main aspect of the issue of entering Paradise and escaping Hell is in the submission to Allah. The pillar or the foundation to that submission is prayer. Its apex or loftiest aspect is jihad in the way of Allah.
• Controlling one’s tongue is what can control one’s acts to lead a person to Paradise and save him from the Hell-fire.
• The greatest reason for people being thrown into the Hell-fire is from the effects of their tongues.
Books of Muslims 