LESSON FOUR | 40 Ahâdeeth | Arba’een | of Imaam Nawawi رحمة الله عليه

bismillahh

•   LESSON FOUR   •    DOWNLOAD AUDIO > Hadith 3 | Islam is built on Five Pillars    |   DOWNLOAD NOTES > PDF
 

Lessons from Ahâdeeth Shareef by Moulana Naeem Motala  | Commentary on 40 Ahâdeeth | Arba’een | of Imaam Nawawi رحمة الله عليه with emphasis on perfecting one’s character

 

|   LESSON FOUR   |

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنُؤمِنُ بِهِ وَ نَتَوَ كَّلُ عَلَيهِ ، وَنَعُوْذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُوْرِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَناَ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ 

Verily all praise is for Allah, we praise Him and seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness and we believe in Him and we place our trust upon Him, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and our evil actions. Whomsoever Allah guides there is none who can misguide him, and whomsoever Allah misguides there is none who can guide him, and we bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah alone, having no partner, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger

اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ

Allahumma Salli ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad Wa’ala Aali Sayyidina Muhammadin Wa Baarik Wa Sallim | Oh Allah shower blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and upon the family of Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam


|  HADITH 3  |

ISLAM IS BUILT ON 5 PILLARS

 

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَقُولُ :  بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ • رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُ ، وَمُسْلِمٌ

Hazrat Abdullah, the son of Hazrat ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab Radiallahu Anhuma, said:

I heard Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam say, “Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the Salaah (prayer), paying the Zakaat (obligatory charity), making the Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House, and fasting in (the month of) Ramadaan.” [Saheeh Bukhari] [Saheeh Muslim]


|  BRIEF EXPLANTION  |

 

“Islam has been built on five [pillars]

Islam is like a structure built on five pillars. The Kalimah (Imaan) forms the central pillar and the remaining four pillars, give support to the overall structure.

 

testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

  • The first and most fundamental Pillar (of Islam) is the Kalimah (Imaan). Our salvation in the Aakhirah depends on the acceptance of Islam and Imaan. One has to believe in the Kalimah Tayyibah sincerely and affirm its meaning. This Kalimah is the basis of our entire Deen. Without this Kalimah (Imaan) our good deeds will not be accepted by Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala.
  • When one recites the Kalimah sincerely the doors of the sky are opened for it, until this Kalimah reaches the Arsh of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala [Tirmidhi].
  • If the Kalimah had to placed on one pan of the scale and the skies and the earth in the other pan, the Kalimah will outweigh the latter.
     

establishing the Salaah (prayer),

  • After the Kalimah, the next most important pillar of this structure of Deen is Salaah. The implementation of Salaah becomes a great shield against sins and acts of disobedience. Salaah is a deliverance on the Day of Qiyaamah for those who used to observe it well. The very first A’mal (deed) concerning Huququllah (the rights of Allah) of which man will be will be accountable for on the day of Qiyamah, will be Salaah. If the Salaah is found to be sound, the rest of his deeds will also be satisfactory.

Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala has mentioned in the Noble Qur’aan:

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

And they who carefully maintain their prayers – [Surat Al-Mu’minūn 23:9]

  • Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam mentioned : “The coolness of my eyes has been placed in Salaah”.
  • The parting advice of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam just before he left this world were “الصَّلاَةَ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ” … The prayer; and those whom your (right hands) possess. [Sunan Ibn Majah], which means : Vigilantly observe, guard and establish the Salaah and fear Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala regarding your slaves and your subordinates.

Some of the Virtues of Salaah are the following : (1) Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala will forgive his sins. (2) He will not be counted amongst the Ghaafileen (negligent one’s). (3) His minor sins are shed off his body. (4) It will be a means of Nur (light), Burhan (proof) and Najaat (salvation) for him on the day of Qiyaamah. (5) He will gain the Mercy and blessings of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala. (6) Salaah is a key to Jannah.

 

paying the Zakaat (obligatory charity),

 Zakaat purifies and eliminates the impurities that have accumulated in a person’s wealth.

  • Zakaat also means to ‘grow’ and thus is a means of increasing the barakah of a person’s wealth.
  • When a person does not discharge his Zakaat, this will result in misfortune and calamities settling over him. There will be depletion in wealth and elimination of Barakah. People will suffer famine. And, he will be thrown into Jahannum.
  • It is mentioned in the Ahaadeeth, that those who hoard gold and silver, but did not discharge Zakaat regarding it, will be punished with the same wealth (of gold and silver) for a duration of 50 000 years on the day of Qiyamah.
     

and fasting the month of Ramadan.’”

Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala has mentioned in the Noble Qur’aan : 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous. [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183]

  • The importance of fasting (the fourth pillar of Islam) is abundantly established in numerous verses of the Noble Qur’aan and the Ahaadeeth of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. The superiority of fasting over other deeds, is in relation to certain special characteristics, such as, the degree of sincerity. Fasting has in it a very inconspicuous nature, whereas other acts of Ibaadah (Salaah, Zakaat, Hajj) are conspicuous in varying degrees. Fasting is totally concealed. Only Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala is aware whether the person is fasting or not, hence it Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala mentions in a Hadith-e-Qudsi : الصَّوْمُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ ، Fasting is for Me, and I Myself, will reward the fasting person. [Saheeh Bukhaari]
  • By virtue of fasting, a person is protected from internal and external diseases.
  • A person who is fasting experiences two occasions of delight : (1) When he meets his Rabb and receives his reward for fasting (2) and the other at the time of Iftaar.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has mentioned in a Hadith : “الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ” Fasting is a shield. [Saheeh Muslim]. It protects a person from the fire of Jahannum and from sin.

 

making pilgrimage to the House

  • Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is obligatory for a person to make Hajj of the Baitullah (for the sake of Allah). For all those who have the ability and them means to perform the Hajj. Hajj is actually a demonstration of the love of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala and this flavour of love permeates in the different acts of Hajj. A stern warning has been given to those who have ‘the means’ both physically and financially, but neglect this command of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala.
  • Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has mentioned : Whoever has the provisions and the means to convey him to Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala’s house (the Kaabah) and he does not perform Hajj, then it does not matter if he dies as a Jew or a Christian. [Tirmidhi]
  • Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has mentioned :Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or transgression shall return [free from sins] as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him”. [Saheeh Bukhaari]

For a Hajj, free from evil, vice and sin, there is no reward but Jannah.