Hadith Library

1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed us that as the Day of Judgment approaches, the visions of Muslims become more truthful, to the point where they are almost never false. A truthful vision holds great significance, as it is a remnant of prophethood. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said during his illness before his passing: "O people, there are no more glad tidings of prophethood except for righteous visions seen by a Muslim, or on behalf of a Muslim."

2. The most truthful in speech at that time will be the most truthful in visions. The sincere believer who seeks truthfulness in their speech will be blessed in this life and the hereafter. Just as they are truthful in their wakefulness, their dreams will also be truthful. This contrasts with the liar and the sinful, whose dreams are often a mixture and confusion.

3. Righteous visions are one of the characteristics of prophethood. Just as Allah, bestowed the Prophet (peace be upon him) with forty-five characteristics, righteous visions are one of them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) spent six months before receiving revelation, during which he would see visions that would come true like the breaking of dawn.

4. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then informed us that dreams can be categorized into three types. It can be a righteous vision that brings glad tidings and good from Allah, or it can be a vision that reveals some unseen news, which is a fruit of prophethood.

5. It can also be a dream from Satan, which causes distress and sadness to the person, such as nightmares, apparitions, and the like.

6. Or it can reflect one's own thoughts and desires, where a person sees in their dream what they hope to achieve in their wakefulness. For example, someone desiring wealth may dream that they have acquired wealth, and so on.

7. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then advised that if a Muslim experiences dreams or visions that sadden them, they should stand up, perform ablution, and pray to Allah as they wish. They should not disclose these dreams to anyone, as they will not harm them.

1. The truthful visions are from the believers, and sometimes even disbelievers and sinners may see visions that accurately depict their meanings. However, the most truthful in visions are the believers who strive for truthfulness in their speech.

2. It is incumbent upon the believer to seek truthfulness in all aspects of their life, in both words and actions. When their life is upright, they will receive glad tidings in this world and the Hereafter.

3. Strive to embody one of the characteristics of the prophets, and when you embody truthfulness, you will be granted the characteristic of righteous visions.

4. Righteous visions are glad tidings from Allah, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that Allah's saying, "For them are glad tidings in the worldly life" refers to righteous visions seen by a Muslim or on behalf of a Muslim.

5. The righteousness of a vision does not only mean it brings good news. It may also contain some unpleasant news, such as death, illness, or calamity that befalls oneself or one's family. The righteousness of a vision refers to its validity for interpretation.

6. If a Muslim sees a vision, they should seek the interpretation from knowledgeable individuals known for their piety and goodwill towards others. They should not disclose the vision to someone who dislikes or is an enemy.

7. Those who have the ability to interpret dreams may sit with people and interpret their visions, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to do after the Fajr prayer. He would ask his companions, "Did anyone among you see a dream tonight?"

8. Beware of relying solely on your visions and becoming complacent in your actions. Instead, strive in acts of obedience and rejoice in the glad tidings that Allah has granted you.

9. Dreams that involve nightmares, horrors, and the like, and do not possess the characteristics of true visions, should not be interpreted. They are from Satan, who intends to weaken a person's faith and fill them with sadness and distress.

10. It is natural for a hungry person to dream of delicious food, a poor person to dream of wealth and treasures, and a student to dream of the outcome of their exams. All of these dreams are a result of the inner thoughts that occupy the mind in wakefulness.

11. If a Muslim sees something unpleasant in their dream, it is recommended for them to wake up and perform ablution, seek refuge in Allah, and not disclose the dream to anyone.

12. Among the etiquettes of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he saw something disturbing in his dream was to seek refuge in Allah and to spit three times to his left side. He would also turn his body to the other side. He said, "If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit on his left side three times and seek refuge in Allah from the evil of Satan. Then, let him turn to the other side from which he was lying."

1. The Prophet’s companions were diligent in learning about Islam and memorizing the Prophet’s hadiths. The present hadith mentions that ꜤUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb himself discussed with other companions of the Prophet such hadiths. In this case the subject of discussion was the hadith speaking of temptation. His purpose was either mutual remembrance or giving a reminder and admonition. 

2. Some of those present said that they heard the hadith he referred to when the Prophet mentioned it. ꜤUmar asked whether they meant the hadith mentioning the temptation of various matters in which the Prophet says: ‘The temptations a person feels concerning one’s family, property, oneself, one’s children and neighbour are erased through fasting, prayer, ṣadaqah, enjoying what is right and forbidding what is evil’.  When they confirmed that this is what they meant, ꜤUmar told them that such temptations are of the easy type as they are erased by prayer, fasting and charity. They are included in the hadith that quotes the Prophet as saying: ‘The five [obligatory] prayers, and Friday Prayer to Friday Prayer, and Ramadan to Ramadan will wipe away what is committed between them unless major sins are committed’. 

The temptation a person experiences with regard to his family, wealth and children is that they may lead him to commit what incurs God’s displeasure, committing sin and neglecting obligations.

As for one’s neighbour, the temptation is that a person envies his neighbour the blessings he has, or that he watches his faults which are unknown to others. 

3. ꜤUmar said that he was referring to something else. He was looking for the hadith that mentions the general temptations that affect all people and come in quick succession like sea waves. He wondered whether any of the people present had memorized this hadith. All those present remained silent, as they had no knowledge of what the caliph was asking about. Ḥudhayfah, however, stood up and said that he heard the hadith from the Prophet. ꜤUmar was delighted and said to him: ‘How good you are’. This is a free translation of the phrase ꜤUmar said which, in Arabic, was lillāh abūk. Literally, it may be translated as: ‘May God be pleased with your father’. Yet the phrase is never used in its literal sense. It is merely a word of praise which uses God’s name to add an extra sense of honour. It is the praise of a father for having brought up such a son. 

4. Ḥudhayfah narrated the hadith which mentions that temptations attack people’s hearts in succession, one after the other, like the lines of a straw mat. The mat maker brings the straws close together and sews them, leaving no gap between them. 

5. When a person yields to temptation, a black spot is placed on his heart. If he rejects it and seeks God’s refuge from it, his heart is marked with a white spot. 

The black spots are the rust that may cover people’s hearts.

6. Thus, temptations come thick and fast, leaving their effect on people’s hearts. A believer receives a white spot on his heart for resisting temptation, while an unbeliever receives a black spot for yielding to it. Thus, people end up with two types of hearts: one is clearly white, like a smooth stone. Such a heart is unaffected by any temptation in the same way that a smooth stone is unaffected by rain or dust.

The other type of heart is dark, totally black, covered with earth. It is useless, like an overturned cup that cannot retain water. Temptations leave their cumulative effect on such a heart, altering its nature. It no longer distinguishes right from wrong. A person with such a heart pursues his own desires, coveting what is sinful and turning away from what pleases God. 

7. Ḥudhayfah reassures ꜤUmar that he need not fear such temptations. He is shielded from them by a closed door that keeps them away. However, this protective door was to be broken at some point in the near future. ꜤUmar asked him whether it would be broken or opened. If it was to be opened, it may be locked again. Ḥudhayfah told him that it would be broken. Once it was so broken, nothing would protect people from temptation and strife. The door was a symbol referring to a man who prevents temptations. When that man dies, temptations come quick. What Ḥudhayfah said was something he learnt from the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was not anything like people’s unfounded thinking and superstition. Nor was it anything learnt from Jews or Christians. 

Other versions of this hadith mention that people asked Ḥudhayfah about that door. He said: ‘The door is ꜤUmar himself’. He also told them that ꜤUmar was well aware of this. 

This hadith provides more evidence confirming Muhammad’s prophethood. When ꜤUmar was killed, his death ushered in several events that caused much strife. The first of these was the rebellion against ꜤUthmān and his assassination. This was followed by the conflict among the Prophet’s companions during ꜤAlī’s reign. Then groups like al-Khawārij and the extremist Shia started to emerge. 

1. The Prophet’s companions were keen to study the Prophet’s hadiths and acquire better knowledge of their faith. They did not allow life’s preoccupations to divert them from such study. It behoves every Muslim to follow their example of pursuing knowledge. 

2. Every educator and advocate of Islam should discuss the Prophet’s hadith with people. This gives them greater benefit and keeps them more attentive. 

3. Scholars, speakers and advocates should focus on important subjects that address people’s needs. Marginal issues and details that have no great relevance in people’s lives need not be given undue importance. 

4. It is appropriate that a person pursues a particular branch of learning after having acquired the necessary information that every Muslim needs. When a student has gathered such necessary Islamic knowledge, he may proceed to specialize in any useful discipline, such as linguistics, medicine, engineering, etc. Alternatively, he may go ahead and specialize in a particular field of Islamic Studies, such as Fiqh, Qur’anic commentary, Hadith, theology, etc. ꜤUmar was keen to learn the hadiths mentioning temptation in particular, and Ḥudhayfah took care to learn such hadiths, fearing that he may yield to temptation. 

5. No companion of the Prophet ever tried to attribute to the Prophet something he did not hear directly from him. When ꜤUmar asked them about a particular hadith, they remained silent. No one may give a ruling unless it is based on sound knowledge. Nor should anyone argue a point without knowledge.

6. No matter how many sins one has committed, one should turn to God in repentance and do good deeds so that these will wipe away earlier bad ones. 

7. It is not right for a scholar to feel too shy to answer questions or give rulings on what he has clear knowledge of. Nothing should stop him from doing so.

8. Educators and advocates of Islam should reward their students and encourage them to continue to pursue their studies. The minimum they do is verbal encouragement and praying for them. 

9. Temptations come thick and fast. The only protection against them is faith. Every Muslim should turn to God when he is in comfortable circumstances so that He will help him when he is facing adversity. 

10. Muslims should beware of temptations and sinful actions. They continue to place black spots on a person’s heart until he is totally wretched. 

11. Whoever commits a sin should not fail to turn to God in repentance, so that He will erase the black spot the sinful action cast on his heart.

12. Everyone should always try to do more good deeds and keep themselves clear of temptation, whether great or small. This is the way to ensure that hearts remain white, uncoloured by desire or temptation. 

13. A Muslim should seek God’s refuge from people who are immersed in sin. They only see what is wrong and follow their own erring whims. 

14. No one should think lightly of temptations and sinful actions. They will work on a person until they totally corrupt his heart and nature. He will then be a slave to his own desires.

15. There are four types of heart: 1. A clear heart in which a lantern is kindled. This is the heart of a true believer. 2. A sealed heart, which is the heart of a disbeliever. 3. A corrupted heart which belongs to a hypocrite who receives true knowledge but then denies it. He sees the truth then becomes blinded to it. 4. A heart which receives two calls: one of faith and one of hypocrisy. The end result is that which one’s heart is more receptive to. Everyone should choose the heart he wants. 

16. A believer should strengthen his faith, confirming his belief in God and His Messenger who never spoke out of his own desire. His hadiths are full of evidence confirming his status as God’s Messenger and Prophet.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) highlights the great importance and benefit of worship during the time of temptation and turmoil. During such periods people concentrate on pleasure and the satisfaction of their desires. Sinful practices become very common, and bloodshed increases. The Prophet says that attention to worship during such periods earns a person great reward, reaching the level of the reward of a person who deserts his abode and family to serve God’s cause and join the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

‘Worship’ is used here in its general sense which refers to everything that pleases God of word and action, apparent or subtle. Thus, it includes prayer, zakat [i.e. obligatory charity], fasting, hajj, speaking truthfully, being true to one’s trust, dutifulness to parents, kindness to relatives, honouring promises and pledges, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil, striving against disbelievers and hypocrites, good neighbourliness, kindness to orphans, helping the poor and the weak, kindness to animals, supplication, remembrance of God, reciting the Qur’an, etc. All these are covered under the term Ꜥibādah, which means ‘worship’. Likewise, love of God and His Messenger, being in awe of God, turning to Him in repentance, pure submission to Him, accepting His verdict, feeling grateful for His blessings, being happy with whatever He determines, relying on Him, hoping for His mercy, and fearing His punishment, etc. are all aspects of worship, in its general sense.[1]

In this hadith the Prophet uses the Arabic word harj, which is translated here as ‘turmoil’. It refers to a time of great strife and an increase in killing. The same word is defined by the Prophet as meaning ‘killing’. This is in the hadith that says: ‘Time will become short; good action will decrease; stinginess will take hold; [2]and harj will increase’. People asked: ‘What is harj?’ He said: ‘It is killing; it is killing’.

That worship during such times earns great reward and is highly effective is due to the fact that most people will be involved in strife, and they will care little for doing what is lawful and refraining from what is unlawful. Therefore, a person who stays away from most other people is like a migrant who leaves his people who are unbelievers to join the community of believers.

1. Unless one concentrates on acts of obedience of God, one will be tempted by sinful action. 

2. Those who follow falsehood are numerous. The one who chooses the right way, even though its followers are few, is for sure one who is wise. 

3. The hadith makes clear that worship during the time when most people are negligent is commendable. It is clear that God is pleased with it. Some scholars of the early generations of Islam used to recommend voluntary prayer in the interval between Maghrib and ꜤIshā prayers, as it is a time when most people are preoccupied with worldly matters. Likewise, night worship in the middle of the night is considered preferable because most people are inattentive of it. 

4. Worship during a time of turmoil and temptation earns a reward equal to that of migration from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam. No action earns a greater reward than such migration.

5. The Prophet (peace be upon him) tells us that turmoil and troubles will occur towards the end of time, so that every Muslim is prepared and hastens to do good deeds, holding on to his bond with God. 

6. Worship during a time when most people are oblivious of it ensures other’s safety for mankind. Without those who concentrate on worship during such times, God would let human life on earth come to an end. Every Muslim should try to be amongst those who help to provide such reassurance to the Muslim community. 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) explains an aspect of God’s grace which He bestows on His servants who believe in His oneness. Whatever happens to a believer is good for him, as God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) explains: ‘Wonderful is a believer’s case. Everything that happens to him is good, and this is so for none other than a believer. If he encounters what is pleasant, he is grateful and this is good for him; and if he suffers an adversity, he remains patient and this is good for him’. [1] 

Explaining this, the Prophet states that whatever affliction occurs to a Muslim, be it pain or physical discomfort, mental agony for what he fears to happen or to miss out on, or for what might have happened in the past, or for any harm or distress or agony, will ultimately be good for him. This applies to every misfortune that afflicts a believer, however little it may be, even like a thorn in his finger. Any such trouble will ensure that some of his sins will be wiped away. The Prophet said: ‘Adversity will test a believer man or woman in their souls, offspring, and property. Ultimately, they will meet God having no sin in their record’.[2]

However, such reward and wiping away of sins are subject to a condition: that the afflicted person should show patience in adversity and accept what God has willed for them. To panic and reject will burden the afflicted person with more error.  

1. When a Muslim faces some affliction, he should bare it with resignation and acceptance of God’s will. This will ensure God’s reward for his patience in this adversity. Moreover, some of his sins will be wiped away if he suffers an illness.

2. The hadith shows that God credits His servants with different types of reward. Therefore, every believer should always be grateful to God, praising Him, and submitting to His will with genuine love and pleasure.

3. Real affliction is not the encountered adversity; it is being deprived of its reward.

4.  Whatever God has willed of affliction will inevitably take place. Therefore, a Muslim should bear it with patience. He must not be in panic. Alī ibn Abi Ṭālib said to al-Ashath ibn Qays: ‘If you are patient during adversity, you will endure what God has willed for you and you will be rewarded. If you are impatient and in panic, the same will happen but you will be deprived of reward’.[3]

1. By nature man is weak. He has to strive against his personal desires, worldly pleasures and the temptations placed in his way by Satan. Faced with such a struggle, man will inevitably commit some sins. Hence, the Prophet states that all human beings frequently err and commit sin. No one is spared such temptation other than the prophets. 

2. This does not mean that a person considers himself free to commit sin. The Prophet makes it clear that the best of people is those who often repent and turn to God, seeking His forgiveness. Whenever a believer commits an act of disobedience of God, he regrets it, acknowledges his error, and turns to God in repentance. He does not persist with his sin. Describing His God-fearing servants

1. It is wrong to shame anyone for a sin he may commit. Every human being is prone to error. 

2. It is wrong to persist with one’s sinful action, only because everybody else does so. The sins of others do not justify anyone committing a sin. 

3. No one should despair of God’s mercy because he has committed many sins. Had God willed to have servants that do not disobey Him, He would have created us like angels.

4. Beware of dismissing sins and considering them trivial, because this encourages persistence with the sin and lack of repentance. Ibn ꜤAbbās said: ‘You, sinner, should not feel safe of the evil consequences of sin. What follows a sin is worse than the sinful act itself if you but knew it. The fact that you show those on your right and left that you are not ashamed of your sin as you commit it is more serious than the sin you have committed. That you laugh while you do not know what God will do to you is worse than the sin. Your delight at what you achieve as you commit your sin is worse than the sin. Your regret for not being able to commit the sin you intended is worse than the sin. That you fear the wind when you open your gate while committing your sin, but you remain unperturbed by the fact that God sees you is worse than the sin itself’.  [2]

5. Turn quickly to God in repentance whenever you commit a sinful action. Never despair of receiving God’s mercy. In a sacred, or qudsī, hadith,

6. When God wants to bestow goodness on a person, He opens for him the way of humility and frequently seeking God’s help and forgiveness. He enables him to realize how much he needs such help, and see his own faults, ignorance, and transgression. He also enables him to appreciate God’s grace, bounty, mercy, generosity. He realizes that God has no need for anyone, and he praises Him for His bounty. 

7. No matter how grave one’s sin is and how numerous his sinful actions are, God is always pleased when His servant turns to Him in repentance.

8. Genuine repentance presupposes regret for offending God. One should never boast about sins, even though one has repented for having done them. 

9. A person may repent and then commit the same sin again. That one does this several times should not deter a person from turning to God again in repentance. What is important is to have the genuine intention to repent and never to commit the same sin again. That a person errs again and commits the same sin should not be a deterrent preventing him from repentance. In fact, he should make an effort and repent again. The Prophet said: ‘A servant of God committed a sin. He then said: My Lord, forgive me my sin. God, Blessed and Exalted, said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins”. Then he sinned again and said: My Lord, forgive me my sin. God, Blessed and Exalted, said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins”. Then he sinned again and said: My Lord, forgive me my sin. God, Blessed and Exalted, said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do as you wish; I have forgiven you”’. 

10. No Muslim should ever think that his sin will not be forgiven. To do so is to deny what God says about His mercy:

11. The conditions for genuine repentance are: 1) regretting committing a sin; 2) refraining from doing it; 3) resolving not to redo it; and 4) if the sin involves other people’s rights, then giving them their due or what compensates them.

12. Repentance does not only wipe away sins, but it also transforms them into good deeds. A genuine repentant should be delighted by having his sins effaced and his good deeds increased.

1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) urges every Muslim to repent of all wrongdoing, and to repair any wrong done to others. If he has something he has unfairly taken from another person, he should return it. This applies to all deeds, whether touching someone’s honour, such as reviling or backbiting a person or alleging a falsehood against him, or touching his property, such as forcibly taking something belonging to him, or doing him some physical wrong. In any such case, a Muslim should set things right now, during this life, before he has to do it on the Day of Judgement, when financial transactions no longer apply. Setting things right means returning what was unfairly taken, seeking people’s pardon, and ensuring that they are satisfied. 

2. If a person does not make such reparations during his lifetime, then justice will be established on the Day of Judgement by an exchange of good and bad deeds. If the one who has done wrong has some good deeds in his record, some of these will be taken away and given to the person who suffered injustice. If he has no good deeds, then some of the sins of the one who suffered injustice will be loaded onto the wrongdoer. This is stated by the Prophet in the following hadith.

1. Every Muslim should beware of touching people’s property or causing them physical or mental injury. God will be quick with His punishment for wrongdoing.

2. God Almighty, the Master and Owner of the universe, has forbidden himself injustice.

   Injustice is forbidden in all human dealings and situations, regardless of who may be the perpetrator. 

3. Everyone should hasten to repair any wrongdoing. Otherwise, they will come to regret failing to do so.

4. One condition for the acceptance of repentance is the restitution of people’s rights and seeking their pardon. Every repentant sinner should be keen to ensure that his repentance is accepted.

5. A person suffering injustice may have no recourse other than supplication to God to help him. Such prayer is always answered, and the gates of Heaven are wide open to receive it.

6. Every Muslim must beware against acting unjustly.

7. It is very important to keep one’s good deeds, as they do not come easy. They are the result of good effort and sacrifice for God’s sake. Therefore, one should guard them lest someone suffering injustice or verbal injury should take some of them away. 

8. No one likes to be bankrupt in this life. Bankruptcy in the life to come is much worse.

9. Let us imagine ourselves shouldering the burden of sins we have not committed. They have been loaded on us for a wrong word we might have said against someone else.

10. It is sound advice to give reparations for wrongs we might have done, so that we do not face the prospect of paying for them with our good deeds.

1. When God let ꜤAmr ibn al-ꜤĀṣ’s bosom open wide to receive Islam, he came to the Prophet and asked him to put up his hand so that he would pledge his allegiance to him as a Muslim, as this was the normal way of pledging allegiance. 

2. However, when the Prophet put up his hand, ꜤAmr held back his hand. The Prophet was amazed that he immediately stopped and asked him the reason why he had done so. ꜤAmr said that he wanted to establish a condition before giving his pledge. The condition he wanted to stipulate was that God would forgive him his past sins and his opposition to Islam. 

3. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him the good news that when a person embraces Islam, all his past sins and his former disbelief are wiped away. 

4. Likewise, migration from a land of disbelief to the land of Islam wipes away all past sins. In the early period of Islam, this meant migration to Madinah to join the Prophet (peace be upon him). With the takeover of Makkah, migration meant leaving the land of disbelief to join the land of Islam, wherever this happens to be.

  means that there was no longer a migration from Makkah to Madinah, because the people of Makkah embraced Islam and had become part of the land of Islam. Migration means leaving the land of war or the land of disbelief. 

5. The same is true of hajj, or pilgrimage. Performing the hajj wipes away all past sins

1. If you feel inclined to do some good deed, or voluntary act of worship, go ahead and do it, with neither hesitation nor delay. 

2. When ꜤAmr ibn al-ꜤĀṣ recognized God’s guidance to Islam, he cared little for his status and position in the Quraysh, which he was bound to lose. He realized that he would be just one among the Muslims. The proper attitude for a Muslim is to follow the truth and not to care for anything else. 

3. Shaking hands with one’s Muslim brother is a sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to accept people’s pledges of allegiance shaking hands with them. As for a man shaking hands with a woman who is not one of his closest relatives, it is not permissible. ꜤĀʼishah said: ‘By God, God’s Messenger’s hand never touched a woman’s hand at all. He accepted their pledge of allegiance verbally. By God, God’s Messenger never stipulated any condition on women except as God had commanded. He would say to them: I accept your pledges’. [3]

4. ꜤAmr ibn al-ꜤĀṣ did not make his acceptance of Islam conditional on his appointment as commander of an army or governor of any conquered province or city, or receiving a sum of money. All he wanted was to be forgiven his past. Every Muslim should make it his topmost priority to earn God’s forgiveness, obtain a higher grade and enter into Heaven. He should not think of worldly luxuries.

5. Educators, scholars and advocates of Islam should encourage people to accept Islam and explain that when they do, it wipes away their past sins. 

6. Embracing Islam wipes away past sins if the new Muslim does well and abides by Islamic rules. If he does not do well and commits many sins, including major ones, after becoming Muslim, without turning to God in repentance, he will be accountable for all.

7. Islamic benevolence includes that when a person embraces Islam the sins he committed previously are wiped away, but his previous good deeds are credited to him and he will have their reward granted to him by God, the Lord of all the worlds. 

8. Although we have missed out on migration because Islam is predominant in our countries, the greater migration is achieved by being constant in good deeds, abandoning sinful action and dissociating from deviant creeds and their followers.

9. A Muslim should perform the hajj and the Ꜥumrah frequently, if he can, because they erase past sins, making a person as sinless as he was on the day of his birth.

1. Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām asked the Prophet what would happen to the good deeds he used to do prior to becoming a Muslim. He had done them as a form of worship. These included charitable donations, freeing slaves and kindness to relatives, etc. He was a man of noble and very generous character. He freed one hundred slaves in pre-Islamic days and gifted one hundred camels as charity. He did the same after becoming a Muslim. He said: ‘By God, whatever I did before Islam, I shall do the same in Islam’. [1]

2. The Prophet answered him saying that as a Muslim, he retained his past good deeds. This means that God will reward him for the good deeds he did prior to Islam, but will not punish him for the bad deeds he committed during that time.

1. Ḥakīm was not too shy to ask the Prophet about what he did prior to embracing Islam. A Muslim should not be deterred from asking about religious matters, either by shyness or pride. 

2. Ḥakīm was keen to have every good he did credited to him, so that his reward would be multiplied and his grade improved. Every Muslim should ensure that his good deeds are done purely for God’s sake, without blemish. 

3. A Muslim should not prevent an unbeliever or a transgressor from doing any good action. When such a person becomes a Muslim, God is certain to reward him for his good actions. 

4. God’s grace is abounding. He loves His servants and rewards them for their good deeds before they turn to Him and accept the divine faith. He does not punish them for the bad deeds they committed before that. 

1. The Prophet, peace be upon him, informs us that Allah Almighty has divided mercy into one hundred parts. This is an approximation by the Prophet, peace be upon him, to convey the meaning, and Allah knows best about its nature. However, the intended meaning is that there are numerous mercies that Allah has designated for His servants. The purpose is to emphasize that what we possess of mercy is limited, while what He possesses, glorified be He, is abundant.

2. Then, the Prophet, peace be upon him, further explained that ninety-nine percent of these mercies will be in the Hereafter for His servants. All that we witness in this world as manifestations of mercy, such as a mother's mercy towards her child and the compassion and forgiveness among people regarding their rights, and even the mercy shown to animals, whether we know about it or not, is only a part of that mercy which Allah has sent down. If what we see on earth of mercy is just one part out of one hundred, then how about the rest of the parts that Allah has prepared for His servants in the Hereafter? They are stored and reserved by Allah Almighty until the Day of Judgment. People will receive multiplied mercy that exceeds what they experienced in this world. Allah, glorified be He, will forgive them and make it easy for them to forgive one another.

3. Then, the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave an example of the mercy that Allah has bestowed upon His servants. It is the mercy among animals and creatures, where they show compassion towards one another. The lion does not eat its cubs, and even the female horse, with her speed and agility, lifts her leg to avoid harming her offspring. This is a small example among many examples of this one part of mercy, and through it, the vastness of Allah's mercy becomes evident.

1. The mercy of Allah is vast, but He has a special and greater mercy for those who fear Him and believe. Therefore, whoever desires to receive the abundant reward of Allah's mercy should hasten to enter the path of the righteous servants of Allah, by upholding His boundaries, following His commands, and refraining from what He has forbidden.

2. If animals and creatures, who have not been given intellect and wisdom, show compassion towards one another, then what about those who have removed mercy from their hearts? Whoever does not show mercy will not receive mercy.

3. Whenever you see Allah testing you or testing His servant with a calamity, know that it is a result of great wisdom. Otherwise, Allah, glorified be He, is not lacking in mercy. And whenever you see Him cursing or condemning someone to eternal fire, know that they deserve it.

4. Do not let your heart be constricted by the hardships that befall you, for how vast is the mercy of Allah, and how close is its attainment for His weak servants who seek it from Him and have good expectations of Him.

5. Our Lord is merciful, He sends from His mercy what sustains our lives, and He reserves from it that we will need on a day when there will be no currency. Retribution is through good deeds and bad deeds, and the bankrupt is the one who exhausts their good deeds and increases their bad deeds. Then, Allah makes some of His mercy the angels' supplication for us, seeking mercy, forgiveness, elevation in ranks, and the greatest part of it is when He forgives our sins and pardons us, overlooking our shortcomings in worship and obedience to His commands. Indeed, whoever neglects to show gratitude and repentance to Him after that is a deluded loser.

6. As the poet said:
To You, O God, I raise my desire,
Even if I am a criminal, O Possessor of bounty and generosity.
When my heart hardened and my ways narrowed,
I made hope in Your forgiveness my ladder.
My sins overwhelmed me, but when I associated them.
With Your forgiveness, O my Lord, your forgiveness became greater.
And You have always been forgiving of sins,
Generous in pardon and honor. 

1. God bestows His love and kindness on His servants, urging them to turn to Him in repentance for their sins and to seek His forgiveness. Whenever any of His servants prays to Him seeking His forgiveness, He will surely respond favourably and forgive him all his sins, however numerous.

2. God again addresses His servant saying that were his sins to represent a great multitude that filled the earth and reached to the clouds, but then His servant turns to Him, appealing for His forgiveness and feeling genuine regret, God will forgive him all his sins, caring nothing for their number.

3. God then states the special distinction of believing in His oneness. Were a person to come to God with the fill of the earth in sins and wrongdoing, but he believes in God’s oneness and does not associate any partners with Him, God will meet him with an equal amount of forgiveness.

1. Everyone of us should appeal to God and seek His help. Who else can answer our prayers?

2. Let supplication be your worship, as it is an act of worship. The Prophet says: ‘Supplication is worship’.

3. No one should think that any sin, however grave, is unforgiveable by God. He forgives all sins. 

4. Everyone should hope for God’s forgiveness. None should assume high status when appealing to God.

5. When a person prays to God for something and he wants his prayer to be answered, he should make sure to fulfil the conditions for answering prayer. These are: 1) sincerity to God, 2) ensuring that one’s food is legitimately earned, 3) no prayer for anything sinful, 4) earnest appeal to God, and, 5) the presence of one’s heart and mind at the time.

6. When one prays to God and appeals for His forgiveness, one should think well of God.

7. Supplication requesting forgiveness is one reason for wiping away sins and acts of disobedience, even if they reach as high as the clouds. 

8. Constant prayer for forgiveness is a sunnah and a constant practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

9. Praying for forgiveness ensures that sins are wiped away, good deeds are increased, grades are elevated and provisions are blessed.

10. Seeking God’s forgiveness acts as security from punishment in this present life and in the life to come.

11. Luqmān is reported to have said to his son: ‘Son, let your tongue be in the habit of saying: My Lord, forgive me. There are times [known to God] when He does not reject an appeal’. [3]

12. Everyone should make sure to seek God’s forgiveness at all times. Al-Ḥasan said: ‘Appeal for forgiveness often: in your homes, at meal times, when you are in the street, or in the market, or anywhere you happen to be. You do not know when the time comes when God grants forgiveness’. [4]

13. Every Muslim should make sure to repent and seek forgiveness and to hasten to do good deeds. God forgives everything. He stretches His hand during the night so that a person who committed sins during the day will repent and seek forgiveness, and He stretches His hand during the day so that a night sinner will repent and seek forgiveness. He forgives all sins and He does not mind doing so.

14. Beware of associating partners with God: it ruins good deeds and cannot be atoned for except by desisting and repentance. 

15. Believing in God’s oneness ensures security against a permanent stay in Hell. It is also a cause for sin forgiveness and overlooking bad deeds. 

16. Every Muslim should seek God’s refuge against the explicit and implicit association of partners with God. 

17. God is in no need of any of His servants. Yet He is very generous to them and bestows on them His bounty and blessings. Needless to say, we should respond, demonstrating our love of God by doing good deeds that please Him and by voluntary worship. 

18.