Faith and Belief

Talha b. ‘Ubaidallah said: A man of the people of Najd with dishevelled hair came to God’s messenger. We could hear the sound of his voice, but could not understand what he was saying till he came near God’s messenger and we realised that he was asking about Islam. God’s messenger said, “Five times of prayer each day and night.” He asked, “Must I observe any more than them?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” God's messenger said, “And fasting during the month of Ramadan.” He asked, “Must I observe anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Talha said that God's messenger mentioned the zakat to him, and he asked, “Must I pay anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” He said that the man turned away saying, “I swear by God that I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it.” So God’s messenger said, “The man will prosper if he is speaking the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported that God's messenger said when a number of his Companions were around him, “Swear allegiance to me on the basis that you will not associate anything with God, or steal, or commit fornication, or kill your children, or produce slander which you yourselves have falsely fabricated, or be disobedient concerning what is good. If any of you fulfils his promise, God will undertake his reward but if anyone perpetrates any of these things and is punished for it in this world, it will be an atonement for him. If, however, anyone perpetrates any of those things and God conceals it regarding him, the matter lies in God’s hands; if He wishes He will forgive him, and if He wishes He will punish him.” So we swore allegiance to him on that basis. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that when God’s messenger went out to the place of prayer on the day of sacrifice, or on the day when the fast was broken, he came upon some women and said, "Give alms, you women folk, for I have been shown that you will be the majority of the inhabitants of hell.” They asked, “For what reason, messenger of God?” He replied, “You are greatly given to abuse, and you are ungrateful to your husbands. Among women who are deficient in intelligence and religion I have not seen anyone more able to remove the understanding of a prudent man than one of you.” They asked, “What is the deficiency of our religion and our intelligence, messenger of God?” He replied, “Is not the testimony of a woman equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They said, “Yes.” Remarking that that pertained to the deficiency of her intelligence, he asked, “Is it not the case that when she menstruates she neither prays nor fasts?” When they replied, “Yes,” he said, “That pertains to the deficiency of her religion.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported that God’s messenger declared that God said, “The son of Adam has accused me of falsehood, which he had no right to do; and he has reviled me, which he had no right to do. His accusation of falsehood is in his saying, ‘He will not bring me back to life as He created me’, whereas the original act of creation is no easier for me than to bring him back to life. His reviling of me is in his saying, ‘God has taken a son’, whereas I am the One, to whom men repair, who has not begotten and has not been begotten, and to whom no one is equal.” A version from Ibn ‘Abbas has: “His reviling of me is his statement that I have a son. Far be it from me that I should have a consort or a son.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported that God’s messenger declared that God said, “The son of Adam injures me by abusing time, whereas I am time. Authority is in my hand. I vary night and day.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa reported God's messenger as saying, “No one is more patient over injury which he hears than God. Men attribute a son to Him, yet He preserves them and provides for them.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Mu'adh said: I was riding behind the Prophet on an ass with nothing between him and me but the rear part of the saddle, when he said, “Do you know, Mu'adh, what God has a right to expect from His servants, and what His servants have a right to expect from God?” I replied, “God and His messenger know best.” He said, “What God has a right to expect from His servants is that they should worship Him, not associating anything with him; and what the servants have a right to expect from God is that He should not punish one who does not associate anything with Him.” I said, “Messenger of God, shall I not give this good news to the people?” He replied, “Do not tell them, and have them trusting in it alone.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported that, when Mu'adh was riding behind the Prophet on the saddle, he said, “Mu'adh”, to which he replied, “At your service and at your pleasure, messenger of God.” He said, “Mu'adh”, to which he replied, “At your service and at your pleasure, messenger of God.” He said, “Mu'adh”, to which he replied, “At your service and at your pleasure, messenger of God,” three times altogether. He said, “If anyone testifies sincerely from his heart that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God’s messenger, God will declare him immune from hell.” He asked, “Messenger of God, shall I not then inform people of it, so that they may be of good cheer?” He replied, “Then they would trust in it alone.” Mu'adh told about it at the time of his death, to avoid sinning. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Dharr said: I came to the Prophet and found him asleep under a white sheet. When I came back to him after he had awakened he said, “If anyone says there is no god but God and dies in that belief, he will enter paradise.” I asked, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals?” He replied, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals.” I asked, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals?” He replied, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals.” I asked, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals?” He replied, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals, in spite of Abu Dharr.” When Abu Dharr told this he said, “Even if Abu Dharr’s pride is humbled.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone testifies that there is no god but God alone, who has no partner, that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, that Jesus is God’s servant and messenger, the son of His handmaid, His word which he cast into Mary and a spirit from Him, and that paradise and hell are real, God will cause him to enter paradise no matter what he has done.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ubada b. as-Samit said: I heard God's messenger say, “If anyone testifies that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's messenger, God will keep him from going to hell." Muslim transmitted it.

‘Uthman b. ‘Affan reported God's messenger as saying, “Whoever dies knowing that there is no god but God will enter paradise." Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported that God's messenger said, “Two things have results." On being asked by a man what these two things were, he replied, “He who dies a polytheist will enter hell, and he who dies worshipping God alone will enter paradise." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said: We were seated around God's messenger, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and some others being with us, when God's messenger got up and left us. He delayed for some time, which made us fear that he might be attacked by some enemy when we were not with him; so being alarmed we got up. I was the first to be alarmed. I therefore went out to look for God's messenger and came to a garden belonging to the B. an-Najjar, a section of the Ansar, I went round it looking for a gate, but failed to find one. Seeing a rabi’ (i.e. a streamlet) flowing into the garden from a well outside, I drew myself together and went in to where God's messenger was. He said, “Is it Abu Huraira?" I replied, “Yes, messenger of God." He said, “What do you want?" I replied, “You were among us, but got up and went away and delayed for a time, so fearing that you might be attacked by some enemy when we were not with you, we became alarmed. I was the first to be alarmed, so when I came to this garden I drew myself together as a fox does; and these people are following me." Addressing me by name he gave me his sandals and said, “Take away these sandals of mine, and when you meet anyone outside this garden who testifies that there is no god but God, being assured of it in his heart, gladden him by announcing that he will go to paradise." Now the first one I met was ‘Umar. He asked, “What are these sandals, Abu Huraira?” and I replied, “These are God’s messenger’s sandals with which he has sent me to gladden anyone I met who testified that there is no god but God, being assured of it in his heart, with the announcement that he would go to paradise.” Thereupon ‘Umar struck me on the breast and I fell down on my seat.” He then said, “Go back, Abu Huraira”; so I went back to God’s messenger, and I was ready to weep. ‘Umar followed me closely, and there he was behind me. God’s messenger said, “What is the matter with you, Abu Huraira?” I replied, “I met ‘Umar and conveyed to him your message, whereupon he gave me a blow on the breast which made me fall down on my seat and ordered me to go back.” God’s messenger said, “What induced you, ‘Umar, to do what you did?” He replied, “Messenger of God, for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, did you send Abu Huraira with your sandals to gladden anyone he met who testified that there is no god but God, being assured of it in his heart, with the announcement that he would go to paradise?” He said, “Yes.” ‘Umar said, “You must not do it, for I am afraid that people will trust in it alone; let them go on doing works.” God’s messenger said, “Well let them.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you makes a good profession of Islam, every good deed he does will be recorded for him ten to seven hundredfold, and every evil deed he does will be recorded as it is till he meets God.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “The major sins are associating other objects of worship with God, disobedience to parents, murder, and deliberate perjury (al-yamin al-ghamus)." Bukhari transmitted it. Anas’s version has “false witness”* (shahadat al-zur) instead of ‘‘deliberate perjury." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Avoid the seven noxious things." When his hearers asked, “What are they, messenger of God?" he replied, “Associating anything with God, magic, killing one whom God has declared inviolate without a just cause, devouring usury, consuming the property of an orphan, turning back when the army advances, and slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God's messenger as saying, “Four characteristics constitute anyone who possesses them a sheer hypocrite, and anyone who possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of hypocrisy till he abandons it: when he is trusted he betrays his trust, when he talks he lies, when he makes a covenant he acts treacherously, and when he quarrels he deviates from the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God's messenger as saying, “The hypocrite is like a ewe which goes to and fro between two flocks, turning at one time to the one and at another time to the other.” Muslim transmitted it.

Hudhaifa said, “Hypocrisy existed only in the time of God’s messenger, whereas to-day there are only unbelief and faith.” Bukhari transmitted it.