Worship and the Pillars

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Recite the Qur'an to me." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall I recite it to you when it was revealed to you?" He (ﷺ) said, "I like to hear it from others." Then I began to recite Surat An-Nisa'. When I reached the Ayah: 'How will it be when We shall bring a witness from every people and bring you as a witness against them?' (Having heard it) he said, "Enough! Enough!" When I looked at him, I found his eyes were overflowing with tears..

Abu Sa'id Ar-Rafi' bin Al-Mu'alla (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you leave the mosque?" Then he (ﷺ), took me by the hand, and when we were about to step out, I reminded him of his promise to teach me the greatest Surah in the Qur'an. He (ﷺ) said, "It is 'Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil 'Alamin (i.e., Surat Al-Fatihah) which is As-Sab' Al-Mathani (i.e., the seven oft- repeated Ayat) and the Great Qur'an which is given to me."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported about Surat Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an."According to another version, he (ﷺ) said to his Companions, "Is anyone of you incapable of reciting one-third of the Qur'an in one night?" They considered it burdensome and said: "O Messenger of Allah, which of us can afford to do that?" He (ﷺ) said, "Surat Al-Ikhlas .

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man heard another reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas repeatedly. The next morning he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him about it as if he considered it to be of little reward. On that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, this Surah is equal to one-third of the Qur'an."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Surat Ikhlas is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an."

'Uqbah bin 'Amir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Do you not know that last night certain Ayat were revealed the like of which there is no precedence. They are: 'Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Rubb of the daybreak' (Surah 113), and 'Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Rubb of mankind' (Surah 114)."

Abu Mas'ud Al-Badri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "He who recites the two Ayat at the end of Surat Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "Do not turn your houses into graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited."

Ubayy bin Ka'b (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Abu Mundhir! Do you know which Ayah in Allah's Book is the greatest?" I replied: "It is 'Allah la ilaha illa Huwal-Haiyul-Qayum (Allah! none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living...)'." (2:256) Thereupon he (ﷺ) patted me in the chest and said, "Rejoice by this knowledge, O Abu Mundhir!"

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

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

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

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

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard my Khalil (the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)) as saying, "The adornment of the believer (in Jannah) will reach the places where the water of Wudu' reaches (his body)."

'Uthman bin 'Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who performs the Wudu' perfectly (i.e., according to Sunnah), his sins will depart from his body, even from under his nails."

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

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

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

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

Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Purification is half the Iman."