“There is not to be any causing of harm nor is there to be any reciprocating of harm.”
In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ tells us that all forms of harming others and all forms of wrongly reciprocating harm are prohibited in Islam. There are two types of harm: one that includes acts that only bring harm upon others, and one that includes actions that may bring some benefit, but will cause harm, too. An act that only brings about harm is considered an evil act that is prohibited in Islam.The Qur’an has specifically forbidden acts of this nature. Allah (swt) says in in the Quran in regards to menstruation: "...Say, "It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (2:222) In regards to a couple deciding whether to divorce: “Either take them back on a reasonable basis or let them go free on a reasonable basis. But do not take them back just to hurt them. And whoever does that had wronged his own soul.” (2:231) Any deeds that only bring about harm or are done solely to cause harm (whether emotional, physical, mental, etc.) are thereby prohibited, not allowed and sinful if committed against the word of Allah and that of His messenger ﷺ. Allah protects us from that which is harmful by way of what has been prescribed in Islam, may we find balance in our lives and follow the straight path. May we avoid all of that which is harmful and seek not to cause harm. It is harder to discern how to go about actions that may be beneficial or permissible, but may cause harm. If someone performs an action that is considered inappropriate or unacceptable-and harm comes from such actions, then the person performing that deed is responsible for what they do and what comes out of their actions, because it is their responsibility to prevent any harm that may result from their deeds. If a person performs an deed that is improper or does so in an improper way, or if the act causes ‘unacceptable’ levels of harm, then they will be accountable and liable before the people, and before Allah, for the damage caused to others. However, if someone performs an action that is considered allowable or acceptable, but it may result in something harmful for someone else, then they are not held responsible for the harm coming from their actions. This is because they performed the action without any bad or harmful intentions, nor did they necessarily foresee the chances of harm coming from their actions. Thus, we should never, ever commit a deed or carry out an action with the intent to harm another, whether it be to hurt them, or to seek revenge, or anything of the sort. Indeed, Allah knows best. Of course, this brings us back to the key aspect in our deen-that intention is the key to the weight and value of our actions. May Allah grant us tranquility so that we do not bring harm to others. May we seek restraint and strive for the best and the peaceful for this life and the next.
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Imam Ahmad said:
“Allah has mentioned patience in the Qur’an in ninety places.” Here, we will list the different contexts in which patience appears. Patience is enjoined upon believers: واصبر وما صبرك إلا بالله “And be patient for your patience is but by Allah…” (16:127) واصبر لحكم ربك ”Await in patience the command of your Lord…” (52:48) That which is opposite to patience is forbidden :ولا تستعجل لهم "and be in no haste about them (disbelievers)" (46:35) ولا تهنوا ولا تحزنوا “So lose not heart nor despair…” (3:139) ولا تكن كصاحب الحوت إذ نادى وهو مكظوم “…and be not like the Companion of the Fish [Yunus – when he cried out in agony” (68:48) Patience is made a condition of success and prosperity: يا أيها الذين آمنوا اصبروا وصابروا ورابطوا واتقوا الله لعلكم تفلحون "O you who believe, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful" (3:200) The rewards of those who exercise patience will be doubled: أولئك يؤتون أجرهم مرتين بما صبروا “These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast…” (28:54) إنما يوفى الصابرون أجرهم بغير حساب “…Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” (39:10) Sulayman ibn Qasim said that the reward of every deed is known, except for the reward of patience, which will be like heavy rain. Patience and iman are necessary for leadership in the deen: وجعلنا منهم أئمة يهدون بأمرنا لما صبروا وكانوا بآياتنا يوقنون “And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs. “ (32:24) Patience is the way to earn the companionship of Allah: و اصبروا إن الله مع الصابرين “…and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (8:46) Abu Ali ad-Daqqaq said: “People who have patience are the true winners in this world and the next, because they have the companionship of Allah.” Allah will reward those who have patience with a threefold reward: blessings, mercy and guidance: وبشر الصابرينالذين إذا أصابتهم مصيبة قالوا إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعونأولئك عليهم صلوات من ربهم ورحمة وأولئك هم المهتدون “…but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere – who say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return’ – they are those on whom [descend] blessings from their Lord, and Mercy and they are the ones that receive guidance” (2:155-157) Patience is a means of seeking Allah’s help: واستعينوا بالصبر والصلاة “And seek assistance through patience and prayer…” (2:45) Patience and taqwa are conditions for Allah’s help and support: بلى إن تصبروا وتتقوا ويأتوكم من فورهم هذا يمددكم ربكم بخمسة آلاف من الملائكة مسومين“Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and the enemy come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction] “ (3:125) Patience and taqwa are a great protection against the cunning of enemies: وإن تصبروا وتتقوا لا يضركم كيدهم شيئا إن الله بما يعملون محيط “…And if you are patient and fear Allah , their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do.…” (3:120) The angels will salute the people of patience in Jannah: والملائكة يدخلون عليهم من كل بابسلام عليكم بما صبرتم فنعم عقبى الدار “…And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying],”Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.” (13:23-24) Allah made it permissible to treat our enemies no worse than they treat us, but He has made it clear that practising patience is better: وإن عاقبتم فعاقبوا بمثل ما عوقبتم به ولئن صبرتم لهو خير للصابرين “And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient – it is better for those who are patient.” (16:126) Allah made patience and right actions a condition for forgiveness and great reward: إلا الذين صبروا وعملوا الصالحات أولئك لهم مغفرة وأجر كبير “Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward.” (11:11) Allah has made patience a standard of courage and determination in the conduct of one’s affairs: ولمن صبر وغفر إن ذلك لمن عزم الأمور “And whoever is patient and forgives – indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination” (42:43) يا بني أقم الصلاة وأمر بالمعروف وانه عن المنكر واصبر على ما أصابك إن ذلك من عزم الأمور “[Luqman said:] ‘O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.” (31:17) Allah has promised the believers His support and victory, and has said that they deserve this because of their patience: وتمت كلمة ربك الحسنى على بني إسرائيل بما صبروا “…And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured.…” (7:137) Allah has made patience a condition of His love: وكأين من نبي قاتل معه ربيون كثير فما وهنوا لما أصابهم في سبيل الله وما ضعفوا وما استكانوا والله يحب الصابرين "And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah , nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the patient.” (3:146) Allah has made patience a condition of receiving many blessings: وقال الذين أوتوا العلم ويلكم ثواب الله خير لمن آمن وعمل صالحا ولا يلقاها إلا الصابرون “But those who had been given knowledge said, “Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient.” (28:80) وما يلقاها إلا الذين صبروا وما يلقاها إلا ذو حظ عظيم “But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].” (41:35) Allah has mentioned that only those who practice patience and gratitude will benefit from the Signs of Allah: ألم تر أن الفلك تجري في البحر بنعمة الله ليريكم من آياته إن في ذلك لآيات لكل صبار شكور “Do you not see that ships sail through the sea by the favor of Allah that He may show you of His signs? Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.” (31:31) ومن آياته الجوار في البحر كالأعلامإن يشأ يسكن الريح فيظللن رواكد على ظهره إن في ذلك لآيات لكل صبار شكور ”And of His signs are the ships in the sea, like mountains. If He willed, He could still the wind, and they would remain motionless on its surface. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful” (42:32-33) Ayub (peace be upon him) was praised for his patience. إنا وجدناه صابرا نعم العبد إنه أواب “…Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allah]." (68:44) -Allah described Ayyub (peace be upon him) as excellent because of his patience, so the person who fails to exercise patience when it is necessary will be regarded as a failure and a sinner. Allah has given a general ruling that whoever does not have faith and does not belong to the people of truth and patience, is in state of loss. This means that the only true winners are people of patience: و العصرإن الإنسان لفي خسرإلا الذين آمنوا و عملوا الصالحات و تواصوا بالحق و تواصوا بالصبر “By time,Indeed, mankind is in loss,Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience “ (surah al 'Asr) -Commenting on this surah, Imam ash-Shafi’ee said: “If people thought deeply on this surah, it would provide enough guidance, as man cannot attain perfection without perfecting these two things, his knowledge and his actions, i.e. his faith and right actions. As he is required to perfect himself, so he is required to perfect others, which is joining together in mutual teaching of the truth. The foundation of all this is patience.” The main characteristic of those who attain salvation is patience and compassion: ثم كان من الذين آمنوا و تواصوا بالصبر وتواصوا بالمرحمةأولئك أصحاب الميمنة “And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion. Those are the companions of the right.” (90:18) Allah has mentioned patience alongside the pillars of Islam and imaan, salah: واستعينوا بالصبر والصلاة وإنها لكبيرة إلا على الخاشعين “And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah ]…” (2:45)
“Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward.” (11:11)
“…Verily in this are Signs for everyone who patiently perseveres and is grateful” (42:33)
“…Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. “ (103:3)
“…And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.…” (90:17)
“…And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs” (32:24)
“…the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women…” (33:35) Compiled by Ibn al Qayyim rahimahAllah "Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi (throne) extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great." (2:255) Abu Hurayrah said, "RasulAllah assigned me to keep watch over the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan. A person sneaked in and started taking handfuls of foodstuff. I caught him and said, 'By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, 'Release me, for I am meek and have many dependents and am in great need.' I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, 'What did your prisoner do yesterday, O Abu Hurayrah!' I said, 'Ya RasulAllah! He complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.' RasulAllah said, 'Indeed, he told you a lie and will be coming again.' I believed that he would show up again, for Allah's Messenger had told me that he would return. So, I watched for him. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, 'I will definitely take you to RasulAllah.' He said, 'Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go. In the morning RasulAllah asked me, 'What did your prisoner do last night, O Abu Hurayrah!' I replied, 'Ya RasulAllah! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.' RasulAllah said, 'Verily, he told you a lie; he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, 'I will surely take you to RasulAllah as it is the third time you promised not to return, yet you returned.' He said, 'Let me teach you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.' I asked, 'What are they?' He replied, 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you until morning.' So, I released him. In the morning, RasulAllah asked, 'What did your prisoner do yesterday?' I replied, 'Ya RasulAllah! He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit, so I let him go.' RasulAllah asked, 'What are they?' I replied, 'He said to me: Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He further said to me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you until morning.' (One of the narrators) then commented that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, 'He spoke the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah!' Abu Hurayrah said, `No.' He said, 'It was Satan.' (Sahih Bukhari) What can we take from this hadith?
There is an important virtue in the recitation of ayatul-Kursi, for in it tremendous benefit. More on the ayat: Ubayy bin Ka'b (radiAllahu anhu) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Abu Mundhir! Do you know which Ayah in Allah's Book is the greatest? I said: 'Allah and His messenger know best.' He again said: 'Do you know which Ayah in Allah's Book, according to you, is the greatest?' I replied: ‘It is 'Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum.' Thereupon he (peace be upon him) patted me in the chest and said, ' Rejoice by your knowledge, O Abu Mundhir! (i.e, may this knowledge be a source of respect, honour and benefit to you)'." (Muslim) Abu Dhar said; O Messenger of Allah, what is the greatest thing that has been revealed to you?’ He said, Ayat al-Kursi, 'Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa' (an-Nasa'i) Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The one who recites it after each of the obligatory prayers, then death will be the only thing preventing him from entering Paradise." (Ibn Sunni, Ibn Hibban) Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that in suratul Baqarah, there is an ayat which is the best of all the ayats of the Qur’an. It is never recited in a house but that the Shaytaan leaves: ayatul Kursi. Everything has its pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Quran is Suratul Baqarah. In it there is an ayat which is the greatest in the Quran: ayatul Kursi (at-Tirmidhi) Let us strive to read this after our prayers and seek refuge in our Lord from all harm, evil, and misconduct.
Any mistake is something that can be conquered and defeated with goodness; doing good, for the sake of Allah, out of love and fear for Allah, cleanses the heart from the stains of sin. Thus, we must live and breathe mindfully. We must do with a conscience. We must think beyond the window of our immediate actions to the consequences their consequences.
Let this serve as a reminder to both you and I, and anyone we may share this with. We must correct our intentions and live with honesty, sincerity, honor, virtue. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in this hadith, reminds us to be conscious of Allah at any moment-in any place-at any time-in any situation. We must be heedful of our Lord. We must have taqwa. Regardless of what happens to us, what we have been through, where we are or what we are doing, we must be aware that Allah, the All-Knowing (العليم), the Perfectly Wise (الحكيم), the All-Hearing (السميع) and the All-Seeing (البصير) will know what we do, think, say. To have taqwa, a constant consciousness of Allah, is a sign of both love and fear for Him, for we act cautiously with Him in mind, loving that which He loves, and fearing the punishment of that which He does not. In this hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) teaches us that we must have God-consciousness no matter where we are, who we are or who we may be with, no matter what we are doing. Taqwa is a quality all believers should strive for. But even those with taqwa may make mistakes. We are not perfect beings-we are lost at times, temperamental at times, forgetful at times, sad at times, consumed by our surroundings-but this is not an excuse for us to allow ourselves to persist in bad deeds. This is not an excuse for us to continually sin, to accept our errors and say that we are human. We constantly are in battle with our nafs. Our desires. Our egos. Our selves. Add to that battle the push and stab and pull of the shayateen. Yes, we are human. Yes, we make mistakes. No, it doesn't make it okay. We were created to worship, to submit to our Lord, so why do we allow ourselves to stray from our one true purpose? We can rise after falling. There are different kinds of people, those who allow their nafs to overcome them and lead them to ruin, and those who overcome their nafs and made them obey their commands, who correct themselves and act with Allah in mind. We mustn't allow ourselves to dwell in sin, nor should we ever despair in our errors. We are not beyond being forgiven, but it is up to us to make the difference. The way of the people of taqwa is to turn back to Allah no matter what happens, even if they sin-especially if they sin. Allah says in the Quran: "And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and (to) a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous, Who spend (for the sake of Allah) during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people-verily, Allah loves the doers of good; And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves (with sin), remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their transgressions-and who can forgive sins except Allah?-and (those who) do not persist in what they have done while they know. Those-their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally; How excellent is the reward for the doers of taqwa." (3:133-136) The reward for taqwa is forgiveness. SubhanAllah. Some people are guilty after committing a sin-alhamdulillah for feeling guilty as that is a sign of love and fear for Allah and a sign of guidance if we so choose to act proactively from it. If we transform our guilt as motivation to correct ourselves and follow our bad deeds with good deeds, then we are turning away from sin and seeking forgiveness. Never should we allow our guilt or regret to stop us from moving forward. Having sinned is not a reason to keep doing it. Who are we to question or lose hope in the Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful? When we sin, we should do something good immediately to absolve ourselves and remain positive. This, in turn, allows us to create a habit of checking our actions, thinking before saying or doing, with Allah at the forefront of our thoughts. This allows us to develop good character as we strive to attain the mercy of Allah and do good. The response to a sin should not be to wait, but rather to race to do something good so the sin can be erased. Our attitude should be proactive and positive. We should always have hope that Allah can, and will, have mercy on us as long as we keep struggling and pushing forward. May Allah make us amongst the muttaqeen (those with taqwa), refine our souls with taqwa, and purify our hearts. Ameen. Days go by, and time passes, easily. Our minds are constantly filled with the chatter of voices around us, lists of things to do, people to see, stuff to read. It can get easy to become enveloped in our little worlds, to forget our roles as Muslims, believers, first and foremost. Sadly, it can get easy to forget Allah. It's easy to forget our sins, but time doesn't erase sins. We have to seek forgiveness everyday for our sins, both present and past. We have to be mindful of Allah, our creator. We have to fulfill our purpose in life. We were created to submit, it is in our nature. Let us not deny that.
Let us strive to please Allah (swt), to be placed in Jannah and taste its fruits in the hereafter. Allah loves His servants, so patiently persevere. Do not ever lose hope. Keep faith. May Allah (swt) continually guide us to the straight path. May we be amongst those with taqwa, be amongst the shaded on the Day of Judgement.
Many Muslim scholars have begun their books with this hadith.
This very hadith is one of the most beautifully comprehensive recordings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is to be applied in every one of our deeds, and envelops all affairs of the Hereafter. Let us note that the basis of any good deed is the condition of sincerity in pleasing Allah -- doing things with the intention of doing it for His sake, and His sake alone. We as Muslims must strive in each and every single one of our actions to please Allah. Our aims reach for Jannah, to be near our Lord and to be faithful believers. If we are seeking Allah’s pleasure, we first need to have the intention of pleasing Him, given that what we do is permissible and sanctioned by the sunnah and the shari'ah. Even in the little daily things we do (like chores to take care of the home, wudu to purify ourselves for prayer, cooking to feed our families, listening to our friends and helping them with their problems, sleeping to rest so we can fully concentrate when we perform salaat), if we perform actions with the intention of pleasing Allah, so much ajr (reward) can be earned. This is the mercy and giving nature of Allah, AllahuAkbar! Everything we do can be transformed into an act of worship through our intentions. Our intentions are what deem the sincerity of our actions. The Prophet speaks of migration in this hadith as an example of the importance of intention in one's actions. A deed may be as big as hijrah (to leave or avoid what Allah has prohibited and/or to move from one place to another, as in Islam, to leave the land of the disbelievers to reside in the land of the believers), and can have no real worthy outcome whatsoever, no reward for the hereafter, if the migrant's intentions were not for the sake of Allah. In the same way that a praiseworthy action can be rendered worthless without good intentions, the most minuscule of deeds can be magnanimous to Allah and He may reward us greatly for these deeds. The reward for a sincere deed for the sake of Allah is without end, subhanAllah, and by the mercy of Allah, will accumulate. Our intentions are not something to flaunt-they are something between us and Allah, kept that way, if made with the utmost sincerity. So we must safeguard our intentions, check them and strengthen them. Each time we renew our intentions, our actions are invigorated with purpose. Things do not become simple habits-each action has meaning and importance, weighing in on our relationship between us and our Lord. If we are able to check our intentions, we are able to check our thoughts, better control our impulses and train ourselves to be truthful in all that we do. This, in itself, is an act of purification for our minds and hearts, may Allah purify us and our intentions. Pure intentions leave only peace in our hearts, without the pressure of suspicion or doubt. Establishing this sincere connection with Allah via intention is the first step in building our character to have better relationships with the people around us. Actions will only affect our soul based on our intentions, and to strengthen our faith, to tether our soul to Allah, we must have the best of intentions. We are here, inshaAllah, with the intentions to learn for the sake of Allah in order to purify our hearts, correct our faults and better our character so that we may strengthen our imaan and rise amongst the ranks of the believers-to please Allah. So, let us be at this site with the correct motives. May Allah purify our intentions and set us upon the straight path. For further scholarly commentary on this hadith, read: |
RemindersFor you and I both; here are a collection of reminders-writings, quotes, sisters' posts and more. May we benefit from this experience and be blessed with the light of Allah's guidance. Archives
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