Authentic Hadith Inspirations

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: One day, I was riding behind the Prophet (PBUH) when he said, O boy! I will instruct you in some matters. Be watchful of Allah (Commandments of Allah), He will preserve you. Safeguard His Rights, He will be ever with you. If you beg, beg of Him Alone; and if you need assistance, supplicate to Allah Alone for help. And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had foreordained (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had pre-destined against you. The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up.

[Riyad us Saaliheen - Hadith No. 62]

Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Muʿādh رضي الله عنه was one of the most noble companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the great chief of Banū al-Aws, and one of the foremost leaders of the Anṣār. He belonged to the clan of Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal from the tribe of al-Aws in Medina.

Before Islam, Saʿd ibn Muʿādh was already a respected leader among his people. He was known for his strength, honor, courage, and influence among the tribes of Yathrib. When Islam reached Medina through the efforts of Sayyidunā Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr رضي الله عنه, Saʿd initially approached him with anger, but after hearing the Qurʾān and the message of Islam, Allah opened his heart.

He embraced Islam and then returned to his people, calling them to the religion of Allah. Due to his high rank and leadership among Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal, his entire clan accepted Islam that same day. This was one of the most significant moments in the early spread of Islam in Medina.

Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Muʿādh became one of the strongest supporters of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after the Hijrah. He was among the leaders of the Anṣār who gave shelter, support, and protection to the Prophet ﷺ and the Muhājirūn when they migrated from Mecca to Medina.

Saʿd ibn Muʿādh رضي الله عنه participated in the major events of the prophetic mission and remained firm in his loyalty to Islam. He was known for his courage, sacrifice, sincerity, and deep love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

He had been described him as the Ṣiddīq of the Anṣār, just as Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه was the Ṣiddīq of the Muhājirīn.

Saʿd ibn Muʿādh رضي الله عنه also had an old relationship with Umayyah ibn Khalaf of Quraysh. Before Islam, when Saʿd would travel to Mecca, he would stay with Umayyah, and when Umayyah would travel to Medina, he would stay with Saʿd.

After Saʿd embraced Islam, he once went to Mecca to perform ʿUmrah and stayed with Umayyah. While he was making ṭawāf around the Kaʿbah, Abū Jahl confronted him and said that he was safely performing ṭawāf in Mecca despite giving refuge to Muhammad ﷺ and his companions.

Saʿd responded firmly and warned Abū Jahl that if Quraysh prevented him from the Kaʿbah, he would prevent them from their trade route to Syria. This incident showed his courage, his loyalty to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and his willingness to stand openly against Quraysh despite their power in Mecca.

During the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ consulted the companions before facing the Quraysh. Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Muʿādh spoke on behalf of the Anṣār and expressed their complete loyalty to the Prophet ﷺ. He declared that if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were to lead them into the sea, they would follow him. His words brought great joy and reassurance to the Prophet ﷺ.

Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Muʿādh also stood firm during the Battle of Uḥud. When many people were shaken by the chaos of the battle, he was among those who remained steadfast beside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and defended him with loyalty and courage.

During the Battle of the Trench, Sayyidunā Saʿd was struck by an arrow that wounded him severely. He supplicated to Allah that if any fighting remained against Quraysh, Allah should keep him alive for it, but if the war with Quraysh was over, then he asked Allah to allow him to die as a martyr after seeing the matter of Banū Qurayẓah settled.

After the Battle of the Trench, the case of Banū Qurayẓah was brought before the Muslims. Since they had been allies of al-Aws, the Prophet ﷺ appointed Saʿd ibn Muʿādh to judge concerning them. Despite his wound, Saʿd was brought forward, and he gave his judgment. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ affirmed that his judgment agreed with the judgment of Allah.

Soon after this, his wound reopened, and Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Muʿādh رضي الله عنه passed away as a martyr. His death caused great sorrow among the Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ honored him greatly and informed the companions of his immense rank. It is reported that the Throne of the Most Merciful shook at the death of Saʿd ibn Muʿādh. The Prophet ﷺ also mentioned the presence of angels at his funeral, showing the tremendous honor Allah granted him.

Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Muʿādh رضي الله عنه died young, around the age of thirty-seven, yet his life was filled with faith, leadership, courage, sacrifice, and service to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He was buried in Jannat al-Baqīʿ in Medina.

He is remembered as the noble chief of Banū al-Aws, the Ṣiddīq of the Anṣār, a defender of the Prophet ﷺ, and a companion whose sincerity and sacrifice earned him an extraordinary rank with Allah. May Allah, Most High, be pleased with him.

Abu Dharr and Mu'adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones, the former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people.
[At-Tirmidhi]

Commentary:
Virtue obliterates vice means that virtue becomes an atonement for sin. But this applies to minor sins only because major ones will not be forgiven without sincere repentance. Similar is the case of encroachment on public rights which will not be forgiven without their compensation.

[Riyad us Saaliheen - Hadith No. 61]

'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
"Once we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when there appeared a man dressed in very white clothes and having extraordinary black hair. No signs of fatigue of journey appeared on him and he was known to none of us. He sat down facing the Prophet (PBUH) leaning his knees against the knees of the Prophet (PBUH) and placing both of his palms over his two thighs and said, O Muhammad (PBUH)! Tell me about Islam. He (PBUH)replied, Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah; that you observe Salat (prayers), pay Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) of Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) of the House, provided you have resources of making journey to it. He replied: You have spoken the truth. We were surprised to see that he had asked him and confirmed the correctness of the answers. He then enquired: Tell me about Iman. He (PBUH) said. It is to believe in Allah, and His Books, and His Messengers and the Last Day and that you believe in foreordainment, its bad and good consequences. He said, You have spoken the truth. He then enquired: Tell me about Ihsan. He (PBUH) said, It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you. He enquired: Inform me about the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection). He (PBUH) replied, I have no more knowledge thereof than you. He said, Inform me about some of its signs. He (PBUH) said, They are - that a bondswoman gives birth to her own master, and that you will find the barefooted, naked, poor shepherds competing one another in the construction of higher buildings. Then he departed. The Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while then he said to me, O 'Umar! Do you know who the questioner was? I replied, Allah and His Messenger know better. The Prophet (PBUH) said, He was Jibril (Gabriel); he came to you to teach you your religion."

[Muslim]
[Riyad us Saaliheen - Hadith No. 60]

Hakim bin Hizam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Both parties in a business transaction have a right to annul it so long as they have not separated; and if they tell the truth and make everything clear to each other (i.e., the seller and the buyer speak the truth, the seller with regard to what is purchased, and the buyer with regard to the money) they will be blessed in their transaction, but if they conceal anything and lie, the blessing on their transaction will be eliminated.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary:
Here, the two persons engaged in business are seller and buyer. The word 'right' here means that so far both of them are present at the spot where business is being transacted they have a right to cancel their bargain. In other words, even after the mutual acceptance of the terms of the bargain so long as they are present at the spot they are entitled to cancel the deal until the time they separate from each other. Generally, people do not think it permissible to cancel the bargain after it has been settled even though both parties are present there, but this is not correct. Their view is contradicted by the Hadith.Truthfulness is a means of blessings in the business while falsehood and hiding of any defect of the merchandise detract from its blessings.

[Riyad us Saaliheen - Hadith No. 59]