٤٥ - باب زيارة أهل الخير ومجالستهم وصحبتهم ومحبتهم وطلب زيارتهم والدعاء منهم وزيارة المواضع الفاضلة

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: After the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abū Bakr said to ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): “Let us go to Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her) and visit her, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to visit her.” When they reached her, she wept. They both said to her, “What makes you weep? Do you not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” She said, “I am not weeping because I am unaware that what is with Allah, the Exalted, is better for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; rather, I weep because revelation from heaven has now been cut off.” Thus she stirred them both to weeping, and they began to weep along with her. Narrated by Muslim.

On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet ﷺ, that: “A man set out to visit a brother of his in another village, so Allah, the Exalted, appointed an angel to watch over him on his road. When he came upon him, he asked, ‘Where are you headed?’ He said, ‘I want to reach a brother of mine in this village.’ The angel asked, ‘Do you have some favour with him that you are nurturing?’ He said, ‘No, except that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted.’ The angel said, ‘Then I am Allah’s messenger to you: Allah has indeed loved you as you have loved him for His sake.’” Narrated by Muslim. It is said: “arsadahu” for such-and-such means: when he charged it with guarding him; and “al-madrajah” — with a fathah on the mīm and the rāʾ — means: the road; and the meaning of “tarubbuhā” is: you attend to it and strive for its wellbeing.

On his authority [Abū Hurayrah], who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever visits a sick person or visits a brother of his for the sake of Allah, a caller calls out to him: May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you take a dwelling place in Paradise.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good (hasan) hadīth,” and in some copies: “singular (gharīb).”

On the authority of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The likeness of a good companion and a bad companion is that of the bearer of musk and the one who blows the bellows. As for the bearer of musk: either he will give you some, or you will buy from him, or you will find a pleasant scent from him. And as for the one who blows the bellows: either he will burn your clothes, or you will find a foul smell from him.” Agreed upon. (“yuhdhīka” means: he gives you.)

On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, for her lineage, for her beauty, and for her religion. So win the one of religion — may your hands be rubbed with dust!” Agreed upon. Its meaning is: people customarily seek these four qualities in a woman, so you should be keen on the one of religion, win her, and be eager for her companionship.

On the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Prophet ﷺ said to Jibrīl: “What prevents you from visiting us more often than you visit us?” So there was revealed: “And we do not descend except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is between that” [Maryam: 64]. Narrated by al-Bukhārī.

On the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “Keep company with none but a believer, and let none but a God-fearing person eat your food.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī with an acceptable chain of transmission.

On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): the Prophet ﷺ said: “A man follows the religion of his close friend, so let each of you look at whom he befriends.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī with a sound chain of transmission, and al-Tirmidhī said: “A good (hasan) hadīth.”

On the authority of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (may Allah be pleased with him): the Prophet ﷺ said: “A person is with those whom he loves.” Agreed upon. In another narration: the Prophet ﷺ was asked: “A man loves a people but has not yet caught up with them [in deeds]?” He said: “A person is with those whom he loves.”

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a bedouin said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “When is the Hour?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “What have you prepared for it?” He said: “The love of Allah and His Messenger.” He said: “You will be with whom you love.” Agreed upon, and this is the wording of Muslim. In a narration of them both: “I have not prepared for it much fasting, nor prayer, nor charity, but I love Allah and His Messenger.”

Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about a man who loves a people but has not [yet] caught up with them [in deeds]?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A person is with those he loves.” Agreed upon.

Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “People are [like] mines, like mines of gold and silver. The best of them in the pre-Islamic era (Jāhiliyyah) are the best of them in Islam, if they gain [religious] understanding. Souls are conscripted troops: those of them that recognise one another come together in harmony, and those that do not recognise one another fall into discord.” Narrated by Muslim. Al-Bukhārī narrated his words “Souls…” etc. from the narration of ʿĀʼishah (may Allah be pleased with her).

From Usayr ibn ʿAmr — also said [to be] Ibn Jābir, and it [the name Usayr] is [pronounced] with a ḍammah on the hamzah and a fatḥah on the unpointed sīn — who said: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him), whenever the reinforcement-contingents of the people of Yemen came to him, would ask them: “Is there among you Uways ibn ʿĀmir?” until he came upon Uways (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: “Are you Uways ibn ʿĀmir?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “From [the tribe of] Murād, then from [the clan of] Qaran?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “You had leprosy (baraṣ), and you recovered from it except for the spot of a dirham?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “You have a mother [living]?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘There shall come to you Uways ibn ʿĀmir with the reinforcement-contingents of the people of Yemen, from Murād, then from Qaran. He had leprosy and recovered from it except for the spot of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is dutiful. Were he to swear an oath by Allah, He would fulfil it for him. So if you are able to have him seek forgiveness for you, then do so.’ So seek forgiveness for me.” So he sought forgiveness for him. ʿUmar said to him: “Where do you intend [to go]?” He said: “Kūfah.” He said: “Shall I write for you to its governor?” He said: “To be among the obscure of the people is more beloved to me.” When the following year came, a man of their nobles performed Hajj and met ʿUmar, who asked him about Uways. He said: “I left him with a shabby house and few possessions.” He [ʿUmar] said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘There shall come to you Uways ibn ʿĀmir with reinforcements of the people of Yemen, from Murād, then from Qaran. He had leprosy and recovered from it except for the spot of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is dutiful. Were he to swear an oath by Allah, He would fulfil it for him. So if you are able to have him seek forgiveness for you, then do so.’ ” So he came to Uways and said: “Seek forgiveness for me.” He said: “You are more recently returned from a righteous journey, so you seek forgiveness for me.” He said: “Did you meet ʿUmar?” He said: “Yes.” So he sought forgiveness for him. The people then realised [who he was], so he set off on his way. Narrated by Muslim. In another narration of Muslim, also from Usayr ibn Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him): that the people of Kūfah came as a delegation to ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), and among them was a man who used to mock Uways. ʿUmar said: “Is there here anyone from the Qaranīs?” So that man came, and ʿUmar said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said: ‘A man will come to you from Yemen called Uways. He leaves behind in Yemen none but a mother of his. He had a whiteness [on his skin], so he supplicated to Allah the Exalted, who removed it except for the spot of a dīnār or a dirham. So whoever of you meets him, let him seek forgiveness for you.’ ” In another narration from him: from ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “Indeed the best of the Successors (Tābiʿīn) is a man called Uways. He has a mother, and he had a whiteness [on his skin]. So command him to seek forgiveness for you.” His statement “ghabrāʼ al-nās” is [pronounced] with a fatḥah on the pointed ghayn, a sukūn on the bāʼ, and a long vowel: they are their poor, their destitute, and those whose individual identity is unknown among the mixed common folk. And “al-amdād” is the plural of madad: they are the helpers and supporters who used to reinforce the Muslims in jihad.

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I sought the Prophet’s ﷺ permission for the ʿumrah, and he permitted me and said: “Do not forget us, O my dear brother, in your supplication.” He said a word that I would not be gladdened to have the whole world in its place. In another narration: he said: “Include us, O my dear brother, in your supplication.” A sound hadith narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good, sound hadith.”

Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Prophet ﷺ used to visit Qubāʼ, riding and walking, and he would pray two rakʿahs in it. Agreed upon. In another narration: The Prophet ﷺ used to come to the mosque of Qubāʼ every Saturday, riding and walking, and Ibn ʿUmar used to do the same.