✦ Maʿālim al-Sunnah

عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ».

Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Islam is built upon five: bearing witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; establishing prayer; giving zakat; performing the pilgrimage; and fasting Ramadan.’

Maʿālim al-Sunnah, vol. 1, hadith 1, printed p. 29 · Editorial translation awaiting reader review.

عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي سَفَرٍ، فَأَصْبَحْتُ يَوْمًا قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ وَنَحْنُ نَسِيرُ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ، وَيُبَاعِدُنِي مِنَ النَّارِ. قَالَ: «لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ عَظِيمٍ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ: تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْتَ». ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَلَا أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ: الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ، وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ، وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ». قَالَ: ثُمَّ تَلَا: ﴿تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ﴾ حَتَّى بَلَغَ: ﴿يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [السجدة: ١٦، ١٧]. ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ؟» قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قَالَ: «رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ». ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلَاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ؟» قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ، قَالَ: «كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا». فَقُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ! وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: «ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا مُعَاذُ! وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ، أَوْ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ، إِلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ».

Muʿādh ibn Jabal reported: I was travelling with the Prophet ﷺ, and one morning I was close to him as we journeyed. I said, “Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me to Paradise and keep me away from the Fire.” He said, “You have asked about something great, yet it is easy for one for whom Allah makes it easy: worship Allah without associating anything with Him, establish prayer, give zakat, fast Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the House.” Then he said, “Shall I show you the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire; and a person’s prayer in the depths of the night.” He then recited the verses beginning “Their sides forsake their beds” through “what they used to do” (Qur’an 32:16–17). Then he said, “Shall I tell you the head of the matter, its pillar, and its highest peak?” I replied, “Yes, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is prayer, and its highest peak is striving in Allah’s cause.” Then he said, “Shall I tell you what governs all of that?” I said, “Yes, Messenger of Allah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I asked, “Prophet of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say?” He replied, “May your mother be bereaved of you, Muʿādh! What else throws people into the Fire on their faces—or on their noses—except the harvest of their tongues?”

Maʿālim al-Sunnah, vol. 1, hadith 2, printed p. 29 · Editorial translation awaiting reader review.

عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ: أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا الْإِيمَانُ؟ قَالَ: «إِذَا سَرَّتْكَ حَسَنَتُكَ وَسَاءَتْكَ سَيِّئَتُكَ فَأَنْتَ مُؤْمِنٌ». فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا الْإِثْمُ؟ قَالَ: «إِذَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ شَيْءٌ فَدَعْهُ».

Abu Umāmah reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, “Messenger of Allah, what is faith?” He said, “When your good deed pleases you and your bad deed troubles you, you are a believer.” The man asked, “Messenger of Allah, what is sin?” He replied, “When something causes unease in your chest, leave it.”

Maʿālim al-Sunnah, vol. 1, hadith 3, printed p. 30 · Editorial translation awaiting reader review.

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا، أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَتَزَوَّجُهَا، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ».

Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “O people! Actions are only by intention, and each person shall have only what they intended. Whoever’s migration was to Allah and His Messenger, their migration was to Allah and His Messenger. And whoever migrated to gain some worldly benefit or to marry a woman, their migration was to that for which they migrated.”

Maʿālim al-Sunnah, vol. 1, hadith 4, printed p. 31 · Editorial translation awaiting reader review.