Hadith #104

Arabic Text

English Translation

ʿAffān narrated to us, Abū Khalaf Mūsā ibn Khalaf — who was counted among the abdāl [righteous substitutes] — narrated to us, Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Sallām, from his grandfather Mamṭūr, from al-Ḥārith al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه, that the Prophet ﷺ of Allāh ﷺ said: "Indeed, Allāh عز وجل commanded Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā عليهما السلام with five commands: to act upon them and to command the Children of Isrāʾīl to act upon them. But he nearly delayed, so ʿĪsā said to him: 'You have been commanded with five things to act upon them and to command the Children of Isrāʾīl to act upon them. Either you convey them, or I will convey them.' He said: 'O my brother, I fear that if you precede me, I will be punished or the earth will swallow me.' So Yaḥyā gathered the Children of Isrāʾīl in Bayt al-Maqdis until the mosque was full. He sat upon the elevated place, praised Allāh and extolled Him, then said: 'Indeed, Allāh عز وجل has commanded me with five things to act upon them and to command you to act upon them. The first is that you worship Allāh and associate nothing with Him. The likeness of that is a man who bought a slave with his own pure wealth — silver or gold — and the slave began working and paying his earnings to someone other than his master. Which of you would be pleased for his slave to be like that? Allāh عز وجل created you and provides for you, so worship Him and associate nothing with Him. And I command you with prayer, for Allāh عز وجل directs His Face toward the face of His servant so long as he does not turn away. So when you pray, do not turn away. And I command you with fasting, for the likeness of that is a man who has a pouch of musk in a group — all of them find the scent of musk. And the breath of the fasting person is better to Allāh than the scent of musk. And I command you with charity, for the likeness of that is a man whom the enemy captured and tied his hands to his neck and brought him forward to strike his neck. He said: Can I ransom myself from you? And he kept ransoming himself from them with small and large amounts until he freed himself. And I command you with much remembrance of Allāh عز وجل, for the likeness of that is a man whom the enemy pursued swiftly on his trail, but he reached a fortified fortress and took shelter in it. The servant is most fortified from Shayṭān when he is in the remembrance of Allāh عز وجل.' The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: 'And I command you with five things that Allāh has commanded me with: the congregation, listening, obeying, emigration, and jihād in the cause of Allāh. For whoever departs from the congregation by a handspan has removed the noose of Islam from his neck, unless he returns. And whoever calls with the call of Jāhiliyyah is among the fuel of Jahannam.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, even if he fasts and prays?' He said: 'Even if he fasts and prays and claims to be a Muslim. So call the Muslims by their names — by what Allāh عز وجل named them: Muslims, believers, servants of Allāh عز وجل.'"