Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings on Different Ways of Earning Allah’s Rewards (7/11)

Supplicating for parents:

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Allah the Almighty and Exalted will raise the rank of the righteous slave in Paradise, then the slave will ask: ‘O Allah! How did I attain this rank?’ Allah will reply, ‘By virtue of your child’s supplication for your forgiveness.’”(Reported by Ahmad)

 

Supplicating for Muslims in their absence:

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whenever a Muslim supplicates for his Muslim brother in his absence, an angel says: ‘You will get the same (as you supplicated for).’”(Reported by Muslim)

 

Paying Zakaat Al-Fitr:

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Messenger of Allah made Zakaat Al-Fitr obligatory as a means of purifying the fasting person from idle talk and foul language and feeding the poor. It is accepted as Zakaat from whoever pays it before the (‘Eid) prayer, and as a (simple) charity from whoever pays it after that.” (Reported by Abu Dawud)

 

Giving charity:

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Charity wipes out sins as water extinguishes fire.” (Reported by Tirmidhi)

 

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Righteous deeds protect a person from an evil end; a charity spent in secret extinguishes Allah’s wrath; and maintaining good ties of kinship increases one’s lifespan.” (Reported by Tabaraani)

 

The wife’s obedience to her husband:

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “If a woman prays the five obligatory daily prayers, fasts the month of Ramadaan, guards her private parts (from adultery and fornication), and is obedient to her husband, she will be able to enter Paradise from any of its gates.” (Reported by Ibn Habbaan)

 

The believing wife helping her husband with his faith:

Thawban narrated that when “And those who hoard gold and silver” came down they were with the Prophet on one of his journeys. One of his companions said, “It has come down about gold and silver. Would that we knew which property is best so that we might acquire it!” He replied, “The best property is a tongue which mentions Allah, a grateful heart, and a believing wife who helps a man with his faith.” (Reported by Tirmidhi, Hadeeth 2275; Ahmad, and Ibn Majah)

 

Spending for one’s family:

Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “When a Muslim spends something on his family intending to receive Allah’s Reward, it is regarded as sadaqa (act of charity) for him.” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 7, Hadeeth 263 and Muslim)

 

Raising daughters:

`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “A woman came to me along with her two daughters. She asked me for (charity) but she found nothing with me except one date, so I gave her that. She accepted it and then divided it between her two daughters and herself ate nothing out of that. She then got up and went out, and so did her two daughters. Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) visited me and I narrated to him her story. There upon Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “He who is involved (in the responsibility) of bringing up) daughters, and he accords benevolent treatment towards them, there would be protection for him against Hell-Fire.’”(Reported by Muslim,Vol. 4, Hadeeth 6362)

 

Malik (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as saying: “He who brought up two girls properly till they grew up, he and I would come (together very closely) on the Day of Resurrection.” And he interlaced his fingers (for explaining the point of nearness between him and that person. (Reported by Muslim, Vol. 4, Hadeeth 6364)

 

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri(radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “If anyone cares for three daughters, disciplines them, have them married, and does good to them, he will go to Paradise.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, Hadeeth 5128)

 

Nurturing the orphan:

Sahl ibn Sa’id (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this.” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 8, Hadeeth 34)

 

Abu Hurairah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said “One who looks after the orphan whether he is his relative or not, I and he would be together in Paradise like this” and Malik (explained it) with the gesture by drawing his index finger and middle finger close together. (Reported by Muslim, Hadeeth 7108)

 

Stroking the head of an orphan:

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said in reply to a man who complained about the hardness of his own heart: “Stroke the head of an orphan and feed the needy.” (Reported by Ahmad)

 

Kindness to a widow or a poor person:

Abu Hurairah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) who fights for Allah’s Cause, or like one who offers salat (prayers) all the night and observes sawm (fast) all the day.” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 7, Hadeeth 265)

 

Good treatment and kindness to slaves:

Abu Hurairah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the (Hell) Fire as he has manumitted the body-parts of the slave.” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadeeth 693)

 

Narrated Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him): I asked the Prophet, “What is the best deed? He replied, “To believe in Allah and to fight for His Cause.” I then asked, “What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)? He replied, “The manumission of the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master.” I said, “If I cannot afford to do that?” He said, “Refrain from harming others for this will be regarded as a charitable deed for your own good.” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadeeth 694)

 

Al-Ma`rur ibn Suwaid narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So if one has one’s brethren under one’s control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job).” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadeeth 721)

 

Abu Musa Al-Ashgari narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manner and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who observes Allah’s right and his master’s right will get a double reward..” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadeeth 723)

 

Abu Hurairah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “When your servant brings your meal to you (ask him to join you). Then if you do not let him sit and share the meal, then he should at least be given a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or a meal or two meals, as he has prepared it.” (Reported by Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadeeth 734 and Vol. 7, Hadeeth 370)

 

(Continued)