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Hadeeth Studies

Forty Hadeeth on the Islaamic Personality

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Compiled by Sheikh Alee Hassan Ali Abdul-Hameed 
Translated by : Dawood Burbank

Introduction

Alhamudu lillah. Indeed, all glory and praise is due to Allah. We glorify and praise Him and we ask Him for help and forgiveness. In Allah we seek refuge from the evils of ourselves and from our wrong doings. He whom Allah guides shall not be misguided, and he whom He misguides shall never be guided.

We bear witness that there is no [true] god except Allah, alone without any partners, and We bear witness that Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) is His slave and Messenger.

"Believers! Fear and worship Allah as He deserves, and do not die except as Muslims."

Soorah al-Imran (3): 102

"People! Revere your Lord who has created you from one soul, and created from it its mate, and from these two spread forth multitudes of men and women; and fear Allah through whom you demand [your mutual rights], and [revere the ties of] the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever-watchful over you."

Soorah an-Nisaa' (4): 1

"Believers! Revere Allah, and [always] speak the truth. He will then direct you to do righteous deeds and will forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed achieved a great victory."

Soorah al-Ahzab (33): 70-71

Verily, the best words are those of Allah; the best guidance is that of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), the worst matters [in creed or worship] are those innovated [by people], for every such innovated matter is a bid'ah [1], and every bid'ah is a misguidance which deserves the Fire. [2]

Our Daw'ah and Objectives

Our goal in this and our other works is to propagate the True Daw'ah that derives from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah [3] of His Messenger. Propagating this Daw'ah is a duty that every Muslim should cherish. Allah  says:
"Let there arise from you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islaam), enjoining what is right (according to Islam), and forbidding what is wrong (according to Islam). These are the ones who will achieve success."

Soorah al-Imran (3): 104

This Daw'ah may be summarised in two words: tasfiyah (cleansing and purification) and tarbiyah (cultivation and education). Allah refers to this in the following:
"He it is who has sent unto the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves to convey unto them His messages, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and the Wisdom - whereas before that they had been, most obviously, in clear misguidance."

Soorah al-Jumu'ah (62): 2

Propagating the True Daw'ah must then be pursued through purifying Islam from baseless beliefs and practices, and working patiently to assist the Muslims abide by the true and purified religion. This must be done at various levels as follows:

1. We must uphold the sublime Qur'aan and the Prophet’s authentic Sunnah, and comprehend them in accordance with the understanding and practice of the righteous Salaf  [4].
Allah commands with this once and again. He says:
"If anyone contends with the Messenger after the Guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that of the believers, we shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell: What an evil abode!"

Soorah an-Nisaa' (4): 115

And He says: "So if they believe as you believe [5], they are indeed on the right path"

Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 137

2. We must enlighten and educate the Muslims, urging them to comply with the true Din (Religion), act according to its teachings, and adorn themselves with its virtues and ethics. This will ensure Allah’s acceptance, through which they will realise happiness and glory, as indicated in the following:
"By the passing time, man is indeed in loss, except those who believe, do good deeds, enjoin upon one another the keeping to truth, and enjoin upon one another patience in adversity."

Soorah at-'Asr (103): 1-3

3. We must caution Muslims and exhort them to absolve their lives of all forms of shirk (polytheism), bid'ahs, philosophy, or any other thoughts alien to the pure, essential tenets of Islam. This is a duty that Allah enjoins on us by saying:
"Help one another in righteousness and piety; and do not help one another in sinning and transgressions." Soorah al-Maaidah (5): 2

4. We must help cleanse the Sunnah of  weak and fabricated narrations. The weak reports and unfounded beliefs have marred the clarity of Islam, preventing the advancement of Muslims. This duty is of such absolute vitality that the Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) praised those who perform it by saying:
"This knowledge will be carried by the trustworthy ones of every generation - they will expel from it the alterations made by those going beyond bounds, the false claims of the liars, and the false interpretations of the ignorant."

Reported by Ibn 'Adiyy. Authenticated by  al-Albani in Mishkat (248)

5. We must strive to revive unobstructed Islamic thought within the boundaries of Islamic principles, oppose stubborn adherence to Madhhabs, and oppose prejudiced loyalty to parties. Neglecting this in the past has caused rust to dwell on the hearts and minds of Muslims, diverting them from the pure original sources of Islam, and causing them to deviate from the honest Islamic brotherhood called to by Allah
"And hold fast all together, by the rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves."

Soorah al-Imran (3): 103

And by His Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam): "Be, worshippers of Allah, one brethren." Saheeh al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim

6. We must help provide realistic Islamic solutions to contemporary problems, and strive to resume a true Islamic way of life and establish a true Islamic society governed by Allah’s law. Allah says
"Hence, judge between them in accordance with what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their errant views." Soorah al-Maaidah (5): 49

We call upon all Muslims to support us in carrying out this noble trust. This will surely elevate and honour them and spread the eternal message of Islam all over the earth, as is Allah’s true promise: "He it is who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, in order to make it prevail over all [false] religion, however hateful this may be to the Mashrikin (those who ascribe divinity to other than Allah)." Soorah as-Saff (61): 9

F O O T   N O T E S

[1] These opening paragraphs are a translation of Khutbat ul-Hajah (the Sermon of Need) with which the Messenger used to start his speeches and which he was keen to teach to his companions
[2] Bid'ah: Innovation in the creed or in acts of worship
[3] Sunnah : literally meaning ‘the way’. Islamically it refers to the sayings, actions and silent approvals of the Prophet Muhammed
[4] The Sahabah (the Prophet’s Companions) and their true followers.
[5] The address here is to the Companions of the Messenger

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