Whosoever learns knowledge by which is to be sought the Face of Allāh, but he does not do so except to acquire the goal of this world, he will not smell the odour of Paradise upon the Day of Resurrection.

The Miser and the Fortunate One

Abū Hurayrah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “That person is a miser who, when I am mentioned to him, does not send ṣalāt upon me.”¹

Anas Ibn Mālik (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) said that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “Whosoever sends ṣalāt upon me once.  Allāh will send ṣalāt upon him ten times, omit from him ten evils and raise him up ten degrees.”²

Warning Against Narrating Without Verification

Abū Qatādah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “Beware of reporting too much from me.  He who reports from me, then let him not say anything, except that which is true.  So he who attributes to me that which I did not say, then let him take his place in the Fire.”³

Learning With Correct Intention

Abū Hurayrah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “Whosoever learns knowledge, by which is to be sought the Face of Allāh, but he does not do so except to acquire the goal of this world; he will not smell the odour of Paradise upon the Day of Resurrection.”⁴

Understanding the Religion

Abū Hurayrah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “Whosoever Allāh wishes to show excellence to, He gives him the understanding of the Religion.  Indeed, I am the distributor, but the giver is Allāh the Mighty and Majestic.”⁵

Abū Hurayrah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There are two qualities which can never coexist in a hypocrite: Good manners and understanding of the Religion.”⁶

Good Character

Jābir (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) related that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Indeed those nearest to me and seated nearest to me upon the Day of Resurrection are those with the best manner and character. And indeed, the most hateful to me and sitting farthest away from me upon the Day of Resurrection are the tharthārūn (those who speak too much), the mutasbaddiqūn (those who are overbearing in their speech), and the mutfayhiqūn.” We said: We know who the tharthārūn and the mutasbiddiqūn are, but who are the mutafayhiqūn?  He said: “The arrogant ones.”⁷

Sins of the Tongue

ʿUqbah Ibn ʿĀmir said: I met the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) and asked: In what is salvation?  He said: “Control your tongue, keep to your house and weep over your sins.”⁸

ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿUmar (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) say: “Most of the sins children of Ādam are from his tongue.”⁹

Concerning the Hereafter

“He whose is the Hereafter then Allāh brings together his affairs, makes his priority be in his heart, and then the world comes to him, even with aversion.  And he whose intention is this world, Allāh splits up his goods, puts poverty before his eyes and nothing of the world comes to him except what is written for him.”¹⁰

Sample Heading

Endnotes:

[1] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by Aḥmad (1/201), al-Tirmidhī (2/271) and others; and it was declared to be authentic by al-Ḥākim, al-Dhahabī and al-Tirmidhī himself.  Refer to the checking of al-Mishkāt (no. 933) by al-Albānī.
[2] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by al-Nisāʾī (1/191) and al-Ḥākim (1/550) who declared it authentic, and al-Dhahabī agreed.  Refer to the checking of al-Mishkāt(no. 922).
[3] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by Ibn Mājah (no. 35), al-Ṭahāwī in al-Mushkilul-Āthār (1/172) and others. It was authenticated by al-Albānī in al-Ṣaḥihah(no. 1753).
[4] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by Aḥmad (2/338), Abū Dāwūd (no. 3664) and others. It was authenticated by al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī – as mentioned by al-Albānī in his checking of Iqtidaa‘ul-’Ilmil-’Amal (no. 102) of al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī.
[5] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by al-Ṭahāwī in al-Mushkil (2/280), and it was authenticated by al-Albānī in al-Ṣaḥihah(no. 1194).
[6] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by al-Tirmidhī (2/114) and Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq indicated it’s being authentic in Aḥkām al-Kubrá (no. 63).
[7] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by al-Tirmidhī (no. 2104) and al-Khaṭīb in at-Taareekh (4/63). It was authenticated by al-Albānī in al-Ṣaḥihah (no. 791).
[8] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by Ibn al-Mubārak in al-Zuhd (no. 134) and from him, Aḥmad (5/259) and also al-Tirmidhī (no. 2531). It was authenticated by al-Albānī in al-Ṣaḥihah(no. 890).
[9] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by at-Ṭabarānī (3/87/1-2) and others, al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Mundharī authenticated it in al-Targhīb (4/8).
[10] Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by Aḥmad (5/183) and Ibn Mājah (2/524-525), and it was authenticated by al-Baswīrī in az-Zawā‘id (1/252) as is mentioned in al-Ṣaḥihah (no. 404).