Reminder
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: مَا أَكْثَرُ مَا يُدْخِلُ الْجَنَّةَ؟ قَالَ: تَقْوَى اللهِ، وَحُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ
Abu Hurayra (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “What is the most frequent reason for someone entering Paradise?” He said, “Taqwa and good character”. [Adab al-Mufrad]
This can be learnt through تلقي (Talaqqi), i.e. to learn from someone directly.
Hadith 2 – Islam, Iman, Ihsan…
عَنْ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَيْضًا قَالَ: ” بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، إذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ، شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ، لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ. حَتَّى جَلَسَ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم . فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إنْ اسْتَطَعْت إلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا. قَالَ: صَدَقْت . فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ! قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ. قَالَ: أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ. قَالَ: صَدَقْت. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِحْسَانِ. قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّك تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ السَّاعَةِ. قَالَ: مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنْ السَّائِلِ. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَاتِهَا؟ قَالَ: أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا، وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ. ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ، فَلَبِثْتُ مَلِيًّا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنْ السَّائِلُ؟. قُلْتُ: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ: فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ “. [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ]
Also on the authority of `Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) who said:
While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet ﷺ rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet ﷺ and placed his palms over his thighs, and said: “O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: “Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger ﷺ, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka`bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it).” He said: “You have spoken the truth.” We were astonished at his thus questioning him ﷺ and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, “Inform me about Iman (faith).” He (the Prophet) answered, “It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects.” He said, “You have spoken the truth.” Then he (the man) said, “Inform me about Ihsan.” He (the Prophet) answered, “It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you.” He said, “Inform me about the Hour.” He (the Prophet) said, “About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.” So he said, “Well, inform me about its signs.” He said, “They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings.” Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Prophet) said, “O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” He said, “That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.” [Muslim]
There is a difference of opinion on whether Jibreel (AS) did that himself or that the Prophet ﷺ made him out to be that way. It is understood that his original form is one that covers the sky, and that pearls drop from his wings.
Putting that to the side, there are many lessons to be learnt from this Hadith. These include:
1) Sitting and approaching people of knowledge is a Sunnah.
The religion is heart to heart and ‘Ilm itself is a light (Noor). There is much Barakah in such sittings. This is the way to learn according to proper etiquette (Adab).
2) “You have spoken the truth…”
The companions around the Prophet ﷺ are surprised as to how such a seemingly random person from out of nowhere is approving what the Prophet ﷺ has said. This draws the listener’s attention to what is being said.
3) “Inform me about Iman…”
In order to be a Muslim you need affirmation of the religion within your heart, you must act according to it and affirm it with your limbs, and you must affirm it verbally through your tongue (i.e. the Shahadah, or the testimony of faith). It is important to note that sometimes Islam and Iman are used interchangeably, but Iman is more related to internal belief as opposed to outward belief. As such, a hypocrite can have Islam but not Iman.
4) Belief in the unseen is essential to being a Muslim.
You have to believe in the angels and the like, otherwise you have disbelieved. This is the same with the messengers, the revealed books, etc. With regards to fate and predestination (Qadr), the correct position is that you must believe in both it’s good and bad aspects.
On this point, the categorisation of Allah ﷻ’s Will becomes relevant. There are two types of Divine Will:
Iraada Kawniya (Universal Will) and Iraada Shar’iya (Legislative Will). The former is when Allah ﷻ wills something it for a reason (as He is the Most Wise) but He doesn’t necessarily love that thing. The latter is something Allah ﷻ wills and He loves that thing. An example of the former is the occurrence of a natural disaster, whilst an example of the latter is fasting.
5) Ihsan applies everywhere and to every thing.
Ihsan is the highest form of faith a believer can achieve. It means to perfect. It also applies outside of the religion, for example, a Muslim should aim to have Ihsan with regards to their dealings with other people, dealing with their parents, and even when slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice to make it halal. In essence, it is about going above and beyond the norm. Anything a Muslim does should have Itqaan (mastery) and Ihsan at it’s core.
6) The future is unknown.
Of course, general conjecture about the future or the final hour is permissible for the most part, but fortune-telling and anything related to fortune-telling, is not.
And Allah ﷻ knows best.