Ahadith 6-10

Hadith 6: Whosoever of you sees an evil action let him change it with his hand,
and if he is unable to do so then with his tongue, and if he is unable to do so
then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.

(a): The main teaching of this hadith is that Muslims must “never allow evil
to take place” in any circumstance and if they see it happening they must do
all that is in their power to stop it. If they are unable to do so for whatever
reasons, they must speak out against it but never condone it and always
deem it as an injustice.

 The Hadith very clearly clarifies the moral obligation that Muslims have
to promote good and forbid evil as the Holy Quran says, “Help one
another in matters of goodness and piety but do not help one
another in matters of sins and transgression”.
 Once a person declares they are a Muslim they have to verify their faith
through actions. i.e. do good and forbid the wrong.

 b) Muslims must resist/fight evil however they can, with their hands, wealth,
voice or thoughts. e.g: If sufficient resources are available, then the Muslim
state may permit physical Jihad:

 “Believers……….. strive hard in God’s way with their possessions and their
own selves” (49:15)

 Similarly, we should condemn backbiting and lying etc to prove that we are
true Muslims. Such acts will promote modesty and purity in the society.

 Evil may be suppressed through speech or writings, and in case an

individual believer is unable to utilize either resource, he is required to
shun evil internally.

 The best way of doing this might be to seek God’s refuge: “Say I seek
refuge with the Lord of day-break. From the evil of the things created” (al-
Falaq)
  Hadith 7 It was said: O Messenger of Allah, who is the most excellent of
men? The Messenger of Allah (May Allah blesses him and gives him
peace) said: ‘The believer who strives hard in the way of Allah with his
person and his property’.

Main Theme:

 (a): The main teaching of this hadith is “Jihad or struggle in the way of God”
is an act of worship and shows genuineness of faith.

 Jihad is aimed at suppressing evil, stopping aggression and

transgression but within the limits prescribed by the code of conduct of
war in Islam.

 Muslims believe that all their physical and financial resources are
granted by God, and so, they develop the spirit of placing them at God’s
disposal.

 Therefore, according to their belief, those who sacrifice their lives

during Jhad, are not dead:

 “Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their

Lord.” (3:169)

b) Sacrificing one’s time, money and, if need be, one’s life in the way of God is
one way of putting the teaching of this hadith into action. E.g A true
believer rises before Fajr to offer Tahajjud prayers, or sits in itikaf in the
month of Ramadan or finances the Hajj of a less fortunate Muslim, they
are all performing jihad. However, A Muslim must firstly fulfill the pillars
of Islam sincerely first.
 Muslims are required to use his wealth to establish a just society based
on good principles e.g The Holy prophet (PBUH) and his companions
were always ready to strive for Islam like the companions generously
contributed at the time of Tabuk expedition.
\

Hadith No 8 The Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and give him
peace) said: ‘Whom do you count to be a martyr among you?’ They said:
‘O Messenger of Allah, whoever is killed in the way of Allah is a martyr.’
He said: ‘In that case the martyrs of my community will be very few! He
who is killed in the way of Allah is a martyr, he who dies a natural death
in the way of Allah is a martyr, he who dies in the plague in the way of
Allah is a martyr, he who dies of cholera in the way of Allah is a martyr.’

 The Hadith clarifies the concept of “martyrdom”. A martyr is the one

who voluntarily gives his life for the sake of Allah while fighting on the
battlefield.

 The Hadith however mentions more categories of martyrs who will be

rewarded on the day of judgment. These categories include one who
dies naturally in the cause of Allah. All those who live righteous lives
and spend their lives in the way of God will be regarded as martyrs
(spiritual or mental jihad).

b) A Muslim who wants to attain the status of a martyr must always be

busy in doing things that will please God.

 They must be true believers and practicing Muslims i.e they live their
lives following the teachings of Islam e.g prayer, zakat, fasting etc and
by fulfilling the rights of fellow beings like parents, neighbours,
strangers etc.

 In such a case if death approaches them, whether natural or accidental ,

they will be rewarded as martyrs.

 The Hadith also includes persons who die as a result of a serious disease
or those who meet a sudden death due to a catastrophe.
  They should be ready to sacrifice their lives while fighting on God’s
command as well as while suffering any physical ailment with this
Quranic instruction:

“…….but give glad tidings to those who patiently preserve. Who say,
when afflicted with calamity: To God we belong, and to Him is our
return” (2:155-156)

 This way, serious ailments and sudden trials will not shake their faith.

Hadith 9 No one eats better food than that which he eats out of the
work of his hand.

a) Earning honestly and lawfully is the teaching of this simple Hadith.

Lawful earnings, no matter how meagre, have a high position in Islam.
Muslims are encouraged to earn their daily wage honestly and through
their own efforts.

 Beggary, reliance on others and earning unlawfully are condemned in

Islam. Muslims must take responsibility for earning their own
livelihood.

 Prophets also earned their living through their own work. The Holy
Prophet (PBUH) appreciated the hard work by saying “One who earns
his living by the sweat of his brow is a friend of Allah”.

(b) A Muslim should support himself and his family through his own hard
work.

 It is better for a Muslim to live within his means, even if it is humbly,

than to earn unlawfully e.g we should not indulge in taking bribes etc.
Even modest jobs like salesmen and waiters are preferred than other
unlawful jobs.
  Beggary is increasing in our society; we should condemn and discourage
it.

 Self-sufficiency must be promoted which is good for an individual and

community as well.

Hadith No 10 One who manages the affairs of the widow and the poor
man is like the one who exerts himself in the way of Allah, or the one
who stands for prayer in the night or fasts in the day.

a) This Hadith teaches “ Rights of Vulnerable”

 Islam strongly encourages its followers to care for the needs of others
especially the vulnerable in society.

 Although, only the words ‘widow’ and ‘poor’ have been mentioned, they
cover the whole range of needy people in the community.

 Efforts for their care and welfare have been regarded equivalent to
Jihad.

 It clarifies that worship in not restricted to prayers and fasting, but it

covers every good deed. The Holy Quran orders believers to look after
the weak and vulnerable “ Therefore, treat not the orphan with
oppression and repulse not the beggar”.

 (b): The Muslims should follow the example of the Prophet who
married the widow and often gave away his share of meal to those in
need:

 “ Nor repulse the petitioner unheard” (al-Duha, 93)

 They should support those in need by regular charity and almsgiving in

a way that the honor of the needy is not hurt: “There is a man who gives
charity and conceals it so much that his left hand does not know what
his right hand spends” (Hadith)
 This means there should be no showing off.

 The best way of supporting a widow is her remarriage with her consent
as it is the Sunnah of the Prophet.

 The weak in the society should be supported and taken care of, just like
the Prophet himself did in Makka and Madina.