Nawawi (631 – 676 A.H / 1234 – 1278 A.D.), was a brilliant Muslim scholar and one of the things he is remembered for is his famous collection of traditions called the “Forty Hadiths” (althought his compilation contains forty-two). There are thousands of hadith and al-Nawawi was not the first to compile a list of 40 hadith. This practice goes back to evidence (weak) that Muhammad encouraged this practice,
Whosoever commits to memory for my ummah (religious community) forty traditions concerning religion will be resurrected by God in the company of the jurists and the learned.
In other versions of this tradition, it is said that Muhammad would be “an intercessor and witness” for such people who commit to memory forty traditions; they will be allowed to enter Paradise from any gate they wish; “they shall be recorded amongst the ranks of the jurists and resurrected in the company of the martyrs” (taken from “Forty Hadith On Divine Mercy”; The Royal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Though, Jordan, 2009).
To help gain a Muslim perspective on al-Nawawi, I’ve been watching and learning from the Muslim scholar, Ali Gomaa. The twenty-fourth tradition related by al-Nawawi
عن أبي ذر الغفاري رضي الله عنه ، عن النبي صلي الله علية وسلم ، فيما يرويه عن ربه تبارك وتعالى ، أنه قال : ( يا عبادي : إني حرمت الظلم على نفسي ، وجعـلته بيـنكم محرما ؛ فلا تـظـالـمـوا. يا عبادي ! كلكم ضال إلا من هديته ، فاستهدوني أهدكم . يا عبادي ! كلكم جائع إلا من أطعمته ، فاستطعموني أطعمكم. يا عبادي ! كلكم عار إلا من كسوته ، فاستكسوني أكسكم . يا عبادي ! إنكم تخطئون بالليل والنهار ، وأنا أغفر الذنوب جميعا فأستغفروني أغفر لكم . يا عبادي ! إنكم لن تبلغوا ضري فتضروني ، ولن تبلغوا نفعي فتنفعوني . يا عبادي ! لو أن أولكمم وآخركم وإنسكم وجنكم كانوا على أتقي قلب رجل واحد منكم ، ما زاد ذلك في ملكي شيئًا . يا عبادي ! لو أن أولكم وأخركم وإنسكم وجنكم كانوا علي أفجر قلب رجل واحد منكم ، ما نقص ذلك من ملكي شيئًا . يا عبادي ! لو أن أولكم وأخركم وإنسكم وجنكم قاموا في صعيد واحد ، فسألوني ، فأعطيت كل واحد مسألته ، ما نقص ذلك مما عندي إلا كما ينقص المخيط إذا أدخل البحر . يا عبادي ! إنما هي أعمالكم أحصيها لكم ، ثم أوفيكم إياها ؛ فمن وجد خيرًا فليحمد الله ، ومن وجد غير ذلك فلا يلومن إلا نفسه ). رواه مسلم [ رقم : 2577
This hadith was recorded by “Sahih Muslim.” Muslims believe Sahih Muslim’s work is a collection of revelation so important that there is a saying, ”Whoever embarks upon it achieves salvation and whoever rejects it is drowned.”
On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree (radi allahu ‘anhu 1Arabic to English translation, May Allah be pleased with him.) from the Prophet 2Arabic to English translation meaning, May Allah bless him and grant him peace. Often abbreviated SAWS. This Arabic phrase is used after references to Muhammad and his titles. from his Lord (‘azza wa jall) that He said :
O My servants! I have forbidden dhulm (oppression) for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of of you are hungry except those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you.
O My servants, you commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm me, and you will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the Jinn of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not increase My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any indivdual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.
It was related by Muslim (صحيح مسلم).
Listen to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa teach about the 24th hadith. My notes follow.
Ali Gomaa discusses Qudsi hadiths
There are two types of hadiths (1) al-Hadith an-Nabawi and (2) al-Hadith al-Qudsi ([القدسي] also spelled Qudsee’).
This hadith is the latter, Hadith Qudsi’ (or Sacred Hadith). In this type of hadith, Muhammad is relating what Allah allegedly spoke. Does this make Hadith Qudsi equal with the Quran? No. According to as-Sayyid ash-Sharif al-Jurjani, the Hadith Qudsi differ from the Qur’an in that the former were revealed in a dream or through revelation and are “expressed in Muhammad’s words“, whereas the latter are the “direct words of God“.
0:33-1:56
“Narration here is called Qudsi hadith. It differs from the Qur’an, for it is not allowed to read it in prayers, unlike the Qur’an. It also differs from the Prophetic hadith, because the noble Prophetic hadith, is the exact words and statement of the Messenger (SAWS) 3Abbreviation for the Arabic phrase transliterated, Sallallahu Aayhi Wa Sallam. This Arabic phrase is used after references to Muhammad and his titles. It means May Allah bless him and grant him peace., but Qudsi hadith is based on Allah’s commands and is transmitted from Him. It is the words of Allah, but not like Qur’an.”
“O My Servants!” “These words are pronounced by Allah (SWT) to a Messenger. So, it is a revelation from Allah, but not like Qur’an. “I have forbidden Myself to oppress and have forbidden it amongst you, so do not oppress one another.” The Prophet (SAWS) says, “Oppression is darkness on the Day of Judgment.” He also says, “Nothing hinders answering the prayers of an oppressed one even if he is a disbeliever.”
1:57-6:38
“O My servants, you are all astray except for those I have guided, so seek My guidance and I shall guide you. O My servants, you are all hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, yo uare all naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek My forgiveness and I shall forgive you.”
“And the Prophet says, “Ask none but Allah and seek support from none except Allah.” The Prophet also says, “All children of Adam sin and the best of those who sin are those who repent.” The Prophet says, “When my heart is preoccupied, I seek Allah’s forgiveness a hundred times in a day.” The Prophet also informs us that “Allah descends in the last third of the night to the lowest heaven and says, Who is supplicating so that I may answer him? Who is asking forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” It is mentioned this way in Bukhari. “O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me.”
“Allah alone is capable of harming and benefiting. He is so Merciful to His servants. No harm or benefit can reach Him from us. “O My servants, if you first, last, humans, and jinn, were as pious as the most pious of you, this would not increase My sovereignty.” Ali Gomaa says, “None of our piety benefits Allah (SWT). Assume that all humans and jinn are pious, what would this add or reduce to the sovereignty of Allah (SWT)? Nothing. It only benefits us.”
“O My servants, if your first, last, humans, and jinn, were as wicked as the most wicked of you, this would not decrease My sovereignty. O My servants, if your first, last, humans, and jinn rose up at once and requested something of Me,” Ali Gomaa says, “If all creatures, humans and jinn, lined up in a row to supplicate their Lord, “and were I to give everyone what he requested, this would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it.”
Ali Gomaa says, “If we dip a needle into the sea, what would it take away from it? It just gets wet. The same if Allah (SWT) answered the requests of all His creatures. If everyone asks Him to grant him the kingdom of earth. ‘O Allah! Give me tenfolds the earth! O Allah! Give me what you gave the first and last ones!’ And were He to answer all this, nothing would decrease His sovereignty, like this needle dipped into the sea.”
“O My servants, it is but your deeds that I add up for you.” So, the issue is what benefits us. “Then I reward you. He, who finds good, let him praise Allah. He, who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.” Because Allah gave us intellect, freedom of choice. He commanded, prohibited, guided, and had mercy upon us. After this, if we become negligent, we should blame none but ourselves.”
My Christian comments about Qudsi hadiths and the Word of God
The distinctions Muslims make concerning the transmission of “God’s Word” is very important for their understanding of Christian Scripture. Christians believe God can speak through others with these words still being the “Word of God.” Muslims believe that for something to be Allah’s Word it must come directly from Allah.
Many Muslims, when they read the Christian Scripures, look at the Bible not as the “direct Words of God” but something along the lines of Hadith Qudsi’ –expressions of God’s Word in the words of men.
I recommend this book to learn more about Christianity’s view of “Gods Word.”
The Muslim view about “God’s Word” is problematic for at least two reasons:
1. According to Muslim accounts, the Qur’an was revealed by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad who then recited it to men. Muslims use a double standard when they say the Bible is not the “Word of God” because it is not all the “direct words of God“. The Qur’an is not the “direct words of God.” At best, the Qur’an is the “Word of Gabriel”.
2. Some believe there are places in the Qur’an where the speaker seems to be somebody other than Allah,
“The orthodox view of the dramatic form of the Kur’an is that God is the speaker throughout, Muhammad is the recipient, and Gabriel is the intermediary agent of revelation—regardless of who may appear to be the speaker and addressee. An analysis of the text shows that the situation is considerably more complex than this. In what appear to be the oldest parts of the Kur’an, the speaker and the source of the revelation are not indicated. In some passages (XCI, 1-10, CI, CII, CIII, etc.) there is not even any indication that the message is from a deity, and in some (LXXXI, 15-21, LXXXIV, 16-19, XCII, 14-21, etc.) Muhammad seems to be the speaker” (Pearson, J.D. “Al-Kur’an”, in The Encyclopaedia of Islam, E. J. Brill, Leiden, CD-ROM version).
Muhammad’s need of forgiveness
Ali Gomaa made reference to Muhammad’s sin, “All children of Adam sin” and “I seek Allah’s forgiveness a hundred times in a day.” Reference to Muhammad’s need for forgiveness can be found in,
Al-Agharr al-Muzani who was from amongst the Companions of Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) reported that Ibn ‘Umar stated to him that Allah’s Messenger (may peace ‘be upon him) said: O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day.
Arabic to English translation meaning, May Allah bless him and grant him peace. Often abbreviated SAWS. This Arabic phrase is used after references to Muhammad and his titles.
Abbreviation for the Arabic phrase transliterated, Sallallahu Aayhi Wa Sallam. This Arabic phrase is used after references to Muhammad and his titles. It means May Allah bless him and grant him peace.
fantastic hadith