SOME AHADITH ABOUT BEING CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT ONE SAYS

Hazrat Abu Hurairah RAA has narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, which can be translated as, A person who believes in Allah Ta'alah and Aakhirah (the Day of Judgment) should either say something good or virtuous, or keep quiet.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah RAA narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, which can be translated as, sometimes a person says something without thinking about it, and that sentence throws him so far deep down in Jahannum (hell) that it is as deep as the distance between East and West.

It is narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, which can be translated as, sometimes a person says something that is in accordance with Allah's will, meaning he says something which makes Allah Subhanau Wa Ta'alah happy. When he is saying it he is oblivious of the importance of what he is saying and he just says it carelessly, but Allah Ta'alah elevates his status in Jannah (heaven) because of what he has said. On the contrary a person sometimes says something which angers Allah Ta'alah, and the person just says it carelessly without realising the importance of what he has said, but that one sentence gets him thrown into Jahannum (hell).

Adapted from the talk "Be careful about what you say" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.

A FEW AHADITH ABOUT GHEEBAT (BACKBITING)

Hazrat Anas Bin Malik RAA has narrated that Rasool Allah SAW said that on the night when we was taken for Ma'iraj he saw some people who were scraping their faces with their nails. When he asked Hazrat Jibrael (Gabriel) AS who these people were, Hazrat Jibrael AS said these people used to do Gheebat (backbiting) against other people, and used to attack their reputations.

In a Hadith Rasool Allah SAW said, that the people who do Gheebat would apparently have done many virtuous acts in this world, they would have prayed Salah, would have fasted, would have given alms, but on the Day of Judgment when they would try to cross the Bridge of Sirat پلِ صراط they would be stopped and would be told that they must atone for the Gheebat they have done before they would be allowed to cross the Bridge of Sirat. It means they would have to beg forgiveness from the person they would have done the Gheebat against, and only after that person has forgiven them would they be allowed to enter Jannah (Heaven)

In another Hadith Rasool Allah SAW said that Riba (interest, usury) is such a great sin that it is a source of numerous wrongs and is a combination of many sins, but committing slander against a fellow Muslim  is the worst form of Riba.

Adapted from the talk "Gheebat - A great sin" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB

SOME AHADITH ABOUT RIGHTS OF PARENTS

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umr Al'Aas has narrated that a person came to Rasool Allah SAW and said, "Ya Rasool Allah! I have come to do Bayt (formal commitment) to you on two things, Hijrat (migration in Allah's way) and Jihad. And I am hoping to get Thawab (eternal reward) from Allah SWT for these." Rasool Allah SAW asked, "Are your parents alive?" He said, "Yes Ya Rasool Allah. Both of them are alive." Rasool Allah SAW asked, "Do you really want Thawab?" He said, "Yes Ya Rasool Allah." Rasool Allah SAW said, "Then rather than going for Jihad with me go back to your parents and look after them well."

There is another Hadith that once preparations were being made for Jihad. A person came to Rasool Allah SAW and said, "Ya Rasool Allah! I have come to join the Jihad." And then as a matter of pride said, "I had such strong desire to do Jihad that I have left my parents crying to come here." What he meant was that his parents didn't want him to leave and were not allowing him to come for Jihad, but he had come anyway leaving them crying because he had left them. Rasool Allah SAW said, "Now go back and make them laugh, and make them happy with you. You are not allowed to come to Jihad with me."

Copied from the talk "Looking after one's parents" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.

It is narrated by Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar RAA that Rasool Allah SAW said that everyone amongst you has been made responsible and accountable for some things, and on the Day of Judgment they will have to answer for what they were made responsible for. A ruler is responsible for everyone living under his rule and on the Day of Judgment they will be asked about how they behaved with these people, what did they do for their learning, and how well did they look after their rights. A husband is responsible for his family members. He will be asked about what did he do for their learning and development, and how well did he look after their rights. A wife is responsible for her husband's household and belongings. She will be asked about the things and people she was responsible for, as to how well she looked after them. An employee is accountable for the material goods and money that he has been given responsibility for, for example if he has been put in charge  of some funds then they are an Amanat (being entrusted with something) for him. On the day of Aakhirah (Day of Judgment) he will be asked about how well did he discharge his responsibilities towards that Amanat.

So everyone is responsible for something or someone and on the day of Aakhirah he/she will have to answer for how well did they carry out this responsibility.

Hazrat further said that there is no doubt that these days everyone is very busy. But everyone can dedicate at least 5-10 minutes of their time each day, to educate those people who are in their sphere of influence, something about religion. He can read a page from a book, or a sermon, or translation of one Hadith, so that they keep learning something about religion each day. That way one would InshaAllah (God willing) be able to discharge their obligations under the Hadith mentioned above.

Adapted from the talk "Character Building of One's Children" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.

WHO IS A MUFLIS (A POOR PERSON)?

THE PREVIOUS DISCLAIMER ABOUT THE TRANSLATION OF AHADITH APPLIES HERE TOO

It is narrated in a Hadith that Rasool Allah SAW once asked the Sahaba (holy companions), "Tell me who is a Muflis (a poor person)?" The Sahaba said , "Ya Rasool Allah SAW, to our knowledge Muflis is a person who doesn't have any money." Rasool Allah SAW said, "No! A person who who doesn't have any money is not the real Muflis. The true Muflis would be the person who would come to Allah SWT's court on the Day of Judgment with a lot of virtues in his account. He would have prayed a lot of Salah (Namaz), would have recited a lot of Tasbeehat, would have recited Quran a lot, would have done Allah's zikr a lot, would have done a lot of Tableegh (preaching), and he would come to Allah's court with all these virtues in his account.

But when the scrutiny of one's good and bad deeds would start it would transpire that while he had performed lots of good deeds, he hadn't been that careful about breach of rights of other human beings. He would have hit somebody physically, would have done backbiting against someone, would have stolen money form someone, would have insulted someone, or would have said bad things about people. So even though he would had done a lot of prayers he would also have hurt a lot of people.

When he goes to Allah SWT's court he would have to face Allah's justice there. So if he had usurped other people's rights they would be given the chance the claim back their rights. But the currency of Allah's court would not be rupees or dollars, it would be virtues. So if he had caused undue harm to someone the victim would be told to take away his some of his virtues. So one person would take away his Nawafil prayers, someone would take away the thawab (reward) of his fasting, someone else would take away the rewards of his Hajj, and victims would keep taking away his virtues and rewards of good deeds until there would be no virtues left in his account. If there are still people remaining who suffered because of him they would ask Allah SWT to get them reparations for the undue harm he caused to them. Allah SWT would say that he has now run out of virtues so now you can transfer sins from your account to his account as a reparation for the harm he caused to you.

Rasool Allah SAW then said that the true Muflis would be that person who would come to Allah's court with a lot of virtuous deeds but because he had been careless with regards to rights of other human beings he would not only not get any benefit of his virtuous deeds but would end up carrying the weight of sins of others.

Hazrat then said that one should be extremely vigilant about the rights of others. Wasting other people's rights, whether in the form of stealing their money, saying bad things about them, backbiting against them, or causing them physical harm, these are such serious sins that even though other sons are forgiven after Taubah (repentance) but sins of Huqooq-ul-Ibad (rights of others) are not forgiven even after doing Taubah to Allah SWT, until and unless the person whose rights were breached forgives too.

Adapted from the talk "The greatness of the knowledge of Quran Karim", by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB

PEOPLE WHO BELONG IN JANNAH AND JAHANNUM

I STRCITLY TRY TO AVOID TRANSLATING QURAN KARIM AND AHADITH BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW ARABIC AND TRANSLATING FORM A TRANSLATION POSES MAJOR RISKS FOR MISINTERPRETATION. THAT IS WHY I OBTAINED AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF MA'ARIF UL QURAN SO THAT I CAN JUST QUOTE FROM IT. BUT I HAVEN'T GOT AN AUTHENTIC TRANSLATION OF AHADITH WHERE I CAN IMMEDIATELY FIND THE RELEVANT HADITH. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NOW SO MANY OF MY YOUNGER, VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART, WHANAU WHO DO NOT READ URDU THAT I DO NOT WISH THEM NOT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE AMAZING TEACHINGS I WAS EXPOSED TO IN MY EARLIER LIFE. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT AS AN ATTEMPT TO CONVEY THE MEANING, AND NOT A LITERAL TRANSLATION. MAY ALLAH SWT FORGIVE ANY UNINTENDED MISTAKES. (AMEEN)

While once addressing the Sahaba (holy companions) Rasool Allah SAW once said, "Should I not tell  you about the people who belong in Jannah?" Then Rasool Allah SAW said, "A person who is weak and insignificant in the eyes of people, (someone who is either physically weak, or financially poor or has a low social status, and people generally think that he is an insignificant person) but that weak person is so beloved to Allah SWT that if he makes a promise on behalf of Allah SWT, Allah SWT makes it so. (meaning if he swears that something will happen this way then Allah SWT will make it happen that way)"

Then Rasool Allah SAW said, "Should I not tell you about the people who belong in Jahannum (hell)?" Then Rasool Allah SAW said, "کل عتل جواظ مستکبر"

The word عتل refers to a person who has a harsh manner. When he speaks to someone he speaks harshly, who is unable to speak softly, who aways talks angrily, and who thinks that others are inferior to him.

The word جواظ refers to a person who is bad tempered, whose forehead is always creased in anger, who is not willing t talk to people he thinks are insignificant, who thinks it would be insulting for him to talk to people who he thinks are low in financial or social status than him, and who is always bragging and boastful.

The word مستکبر refers to a person who does Takabbur meaning he believes he is superior to others, and other people are are inferior to him. 

Rasool Allah SAW has said that these are the people who belong in Jahannum (hell) as they consider themselves superior to other people.

Adapted from the talk, "Do not disrespect poor people" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani RA.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

(Translated from Urdu by me so I ask for forgiveness for any unintended errors)

Rasool Allah SAW (Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him) once said, "Hurry to do good deeds before seven things come," and then mentioned these seven things in a different manner:

1. ARE YOU WAITING FOR POVERTY?
What it means is that if we are financially well off, we have no worries about money, and we are living a comfortable life, and still we are not engaging in good deeds, then (God forbid) are we waiting for that time when we will become poor and then we will engage in good deeds? What Rasool Allah SAW is pointing out is that generally when people develop financial problems then they become so preoccupied with them that they are even less likely to engage in virtuous activities. So don't wait for poverty to come, start doing virtuous activities while you are still living comfortably.

2. ARE YOU WAITING TO BECOME RICH?
Are you waiting that now that you are not well off, or even if you are well off you are waiting to become even richer and then you want to start doing good deeds? Remember that sometimes when people become very rich they think even less about Allah SWT and get involved in all sorts of activities they couldn't do before. So don't wait for that time and start doing whatever good deeds you can do today.

3. ARE YOU WAITING TO BECOME SICK?
If you are healthy now and have no illnesses but are not engaging in good deeds are you then waiting to become sick before you will engage in good deeds? Generally people find it much easier to do good deeds when they are healthy and much more difficult to do so when they become sick. So don't wait to become sick before you start doing good deeds.

4. ARE YOU WAITING TO BECOME OLD?
Are you not engaging in good deeds because you are still thinking that you are too young to become pious, are you thinking that you will have a bit more fun and enjoyment in life, and that you will turn towards prayers when you are a bit older? What Rasool Allah SAW is hinting at is how do you know that when you are older your senses won't go away and you would be able to do things that you may want to do? That is why one should start engaging in good deeds before old age comes.

The other thing is that Thawab (reward for virtues) is dependent upon ability to commit a sin and then staying away from it. The highest degree of reward is received when someone is young, has all the opportunity to commit a sin, has a desire to commit a sin, and then stays away from it because Allah SWT has said so. In old age slowly and gradually one loses capacity and ability to commit sins. When the senses start going then there isn't even a desire to commit a sin. If one doesn't commit a sin then there is no thawab in it as the person has to make no effort or offer any resistance to stay away from a sin. It is the Sunnah of the prophets to abstain from sins when young. This is what Rasool Allah SAW is saying that the best time to do good deeds and abstaining from sins is when you are young. Don't wait to get old before you will turn towards good deeds. How do you know you will live long enough to get old, or even if you do live long enough you will get the opportunity to turn towards good deeds?

5. ARE YOU WAITING FOR DEATH?
Rasool Allah SAW is asking that if you are not engaging in good deeds when you are alive, are you then waiting for death before you will engage in good deeds? We all know we are going to die some day but none of us knows when we are going to die. Sometimes death comes after a warning like severe illness or a serious accident that a person survives for a period of time. But we see all the time that death comes suddenly and completely unexpectedly to people without any warning. There are so many accidents every day and there are so many illnesses that can cause sudden death that none of us know whether we will get any warning at all or whether we will just drop dead suddenly. That is why Rasool Allah SAW is warning that we should start engaging in good deeds immediately while we still have the chance, because once death comes our opportunity of doing good deeds will be gone for ever.

6. ARE YOU WAITING FOR DAJJAL?
Are you thinking that the time is not suitable for good deeds now and will be more suitable once Dajjal has come? The time of Dajjal will be a time of Fitnah (general disturbance). Who knows what sources of misdirection and going astray would there be then and what sort of misdeeds people may get into then. That is why Rasool Allah SAW is saying start engaging in good deeds before that trying time comes.

7. ARE YOU WAITING FOR QIYAMAH (THE DAY OF JUDGMENT)?
Rasool Allah SAW has said that when Qiyamah has come it will be time of so much distress and worry that there will be no opportunity to do any good deeds. Therefore, engage in good deeds before that time has come.

The summary of the whole hadith is that the best time to engage in good deeds is now. If you get an intention of doing a good deed don't postpone it for tomorrow. Who knows what sort of condition a person is going to be in tomorrow or whether they would even be alive or not. That is why if you get a desire to do something good do it immediately.