Part 13

[194] Al-Hasan bin Abee Bakr informed us, saying: 'Uthmaan bin Ahmad Ad-Daqaaq reported to us: Ishaaq bin Ibraaheem bin Sunayn narrated to us: 'Umar bin Muhammad bin Ahmad recited to me the following poetic verses:

"You are immersed in reckless hopes You don't know when your time (i.e. death) will come Do not let good health deceive you For it is from the most painful of illnesses Every soul is dependent upon its (present) day For in the morning (i.e. tomorrow), his hopes are cut off Therefore, do good and strive hard in that Before you are prevented from deeds."

[195] Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Rizq informed us, saying: 'Uthmaan bin Ahmad Ad-Daqaaq reported to us: Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Al-Baraa' narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad Al-Ash'aree Al-Madeenee recited to me these poetic verses from Mahmood:

"Your yesterday has passed on as a just witness And you have come upon a day which is (also) a witness against you So if yesterday you committed an evil deed 78 Translator's Note: Not too many people reach old age, so it means that they die while in their youth. This should encourage one to perform deeds while young as opposed to waiting for old age, and Allaah knows best.

58 Do not put aside doing a good deed today for tomorrow For perhaps tomorrow will come, yet you no longer exist If you find fault with your today, its benefit will come back to you But as for what you did yesterday, that will not come back to you."

[196] Ibn Rizq informed us, saying: 'Uthmaan bin Ahmad reported to us: Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Al-Baraa' narrated to us: Dawood bin Rasheed narrated to us: AlWaleed bin Saalih narrated to us from a man who said: I saw the Prophet in a dream and he said to me:

"Whoever treats his two days (i.e. today and tomorrow) equally is cheated. Whoever's tomorrow is the worst of his two days is cursed. Whoever doesn't acknowledge the deficiency in himself is given into deficiency. And whoever is given into deficiency, death is better for him."

[197] 'Alee bin Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah Al-Mu'adal informed us saying: AlHusayn bin Safwaan Al-Bardha'ee narrated to us: 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin Abee Ad-Dunyaa narrated to us, saying: Muhammad bin Al-Husayn narrated to me: Ishaaq bin Mansoor narrated to us from Ja'far bin Sulaymaan from 'Umar bin Maalik from Abul-Jawzaa, that he said concerning Allaah's statement: 79

"And he whose affairs (i.e. deeds) are in excessiveness": "i.e. in procrastination."

[198] Ibn Abee Ad-Dunyaa said: Sa'ad bin Zanboor Al-Hamdaanee narrated to us: 'Abdullaah bin Al-Mubaarak narrated to us from Shu'bah from Abu Ishaaq, that he said:

"It was once said to a man from 'Abdil-Qays: 'Advise us.' So he said: 'Beware of (using the word) sawfa." 80

[199] Ibraaheem bin 'Umar Al-Barmakee informed us: Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah bin Khalf Ad-Daqaaq informed us: Muhammad bin Saalih bin Dhuraih narrated to us: Hanaad bin as-Surree narrated to us: Ibn AlMubaarak reported to us from 'AbdulWaarith from a man on the authority of Al-Hasan Al-Basree, that he said:

"Beware of procrastinating, for indeed you are in your present day and not in your tomorrow. So if there is a tomorrow for you, then be in tomorrow as you are in today. And if there is no tomorrow for you, then do not regret over what you neglected today."

[200] Al-Hasan bin Abee Bakr informed us: 'Abdullaah bin Ismaa'eel AlHaashimee informed us: 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin 'Ubayd narrated to us: Ismaa'eel bin Ibraaheem narrated to me: Saalih Al-Murree narrated to us from Qataadah from AbulJild that he said:

"I read in some books: 'The word sawfa is indeed one of the soldiers in the army of Iblees (i.e. the Devil)."

[201] Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Rizq and 'Alee bin Ahmad bin 'Umar AlMuqree both said: Ja'far bin Muhammad Al-Khaldee informed us: Ibraaheem bin Nasr AlMansooree narrated to us: Ibraaheem bin Bashaar narrated to me: Yoosuf bin Asbaat narrated to me: Muhammad bin Samurah As-Saa'ih wrote the following letter to me:

"O brother! Beware of letting procrastination take control of you and letting it take a firm root in your heart, for indeed it is the cause for fatigue and wasting (of time). Due to it, aspirations are cut short and appointed times are not met. If you allow this to happen, you have let it free you from your resolutions, and in effect, take you over. And reclaim your body from the lethargy that overtook you. But when it returns back to you, your soul will not benefit from your body. And hasten, my brother, for indeed

79 Surah Al-Kahf: 28 80 Translator's Note: The Arabic word "sawfa" denotes the future tense. For example, it can be translated as: "I will do such and such" which indicates procrastinating or nutting something off for tomorrow or a later time.

60 for indeed, the matter is serious. Awaken from your sleep, and snap out of your heedlessness. And remember what you have left behind, what you fell short in, what you neglected, what crimes you committed and what deeds you did, for indeed that is recorded and you will be held accountable for it. So it is as if the matter has come upon you all of a sudden and so you are (either) happy with what you have put forth for it or remorseful for what you have neglected."

This is the last part of the book, thus all praise is due to Allaah alone, and may His praises and peace be upon Muhammad and his family.

'An'ana When a narrator says" So and so said from ('an) so and so." Such a narration is not acceptable if the narrator that does it is considered mudallis and if it established that he never met the person he is narrating from.

Ayaat Lit. Sign - More commonly, this refers to verses from the Noble Qur'aan. Its singular form is ayah. It could also be used to refer to a sign or symbol.

da'if Lit. Weak - A narration that doesn't meet the conditions and standards of a sahih or Hasan narration.

Fitnah Pl. Fitan. This linguistically refers to calamities, trials, tribulations and mischief.

Ghareeb Lit. Strange - A narration that has been reported by just one single person, as is the case with 'Umar's reporting of the hadith: "Verily, actions are based on intentions."

hadith Lit. Speech - A textual recorded narration containing information about one of the Prophet's sayings, actions or tacit approval of something. Such a report can either be authentic or weak, according to the grading and verification of the Muslim scholars on its chain of narration.

Hasan Lit. Good - A sound narration that is of a lesser standing than a sahih narration. This is due to there being a lesser standard of precision on the part of some of the narrators in the chain than that of a sahih narration.

Isnaad It is also referred to as "sanad." This is the chain of narrators in a hadith who have transmitted that particular hadith to us.

Khateeb Commonly used to refer to the person that delivers the sermon on the day of Jumu'ah (Friday).

Marfoo' Lit. Raised - A report that has been "raised" up or ascribed to the Prophet. It is divided into two categories: Marfoo' Sareeh, which is a statement, action, tacit approval, or physical characteristic that has been ascribed to the Prophet; and Marfoo' Hukm, which is a report containing a ruling that is ascribed to the Prophet.

Mawdoo' Lit. Fabricated - A false narration that is ascribed to the Prophet. Such reports are rejected. It is not permissible to mention them unless one desires to expose them and warn against them.

62 cannot be authentically "raised" to a saying of the Prophet.

Mawsool A Marfoo' or mawquf narration that has been "connected."

Mursal A narration that a Sahaabee (Companion) or a Taabi'ee (Successor) raised, i.e. ascribed, to the Prophet but yet did not hear it directly from him.

Munkar A very weak narration due to two causes: (1) The chain contains a narrator that has committed serious errors such that one is not able to distinguish from him what is true or false or he is an open sinner, and (2) it contains a weak narrator that reports something that contradicts what has been narrated by a reliable narrator.

Munqati' Lit. Disrupted - One of the four types of narrations with a broken chain of narrators. It refers particularly to a narration whose chain is missing either one, two or more narrators but not in successive order (i.e. sporadic disruptions in the chain).

Nahu The linguistic science of Arabic Grammar

Rak'ah A unit of prayer or the actual bowing position within prayer.

sahih Lit. Authentic - A narration with a connected chain of just and precise narrators without any irregularities or hidden defects in the chain.

Salaf Lit. Predecessors - This refers to the first three generations of Islaam: The Sahaabah, the Taabi'een, and the Atbaa' at-Taabi'een. These were the first three virtuous generations of Islaam about whom the Prophet said: "The best of people is my generation, then those that come after them, then those that come after them."

SubhaanAn expression commonly translated as "Glory be to Allaah" but which Allaah more specifically means "May Allaah be far removed from all imperfections." This statement is usually made at the time something bad occurs or when a lie/slander is stated.

Surah Pl. Suwar. A chapter from the Noble Qur'aan.

Sunnah Lit. Way - The way and guidance of Prophet Muhammad, as represented in his speech, action, and tacit approval, which have been recorded and transmitted in reports and narrations known as hadith.

Tadlees The quoting of a hadith with its chain of narration in such a way so as to lead the audience to believe more than what the reality is. It is divided into two types:

Tadless-ul-Isnaad: This is when one reports a statement or action from someone he met, which he didn't actually hear or see for himself, at the

63 his choice of words.

Tadlees-us-Shuyookh: When a narrator calls or describes his shaikh (i.e. teacher) with a name/characteristic he is not widely known for, thus leading others to believe he is someones else. This is either done because (1) his shaikh is lower than him (in knowledge) and so he doesn't want to reveal that he narrates from someone lower than him, or because (2) he wants people to think he had many shuyookh (teachers). It can also be done due to other objectives.