Gardens of the Righteous — Page 97
i. RIYADH AS-SALIHIN 97 the Holy Prophet. At that time Allah revealed the following verse: Observe. Prayer at the two ends of the day, and in the hours of the night in the proximity of the day. Surely good wipes out evil (11. 115). The man asked:. Messenger of Allah, is this for me? He answered: For all my people, everyone of them (Bokhari and Muslim). 438. Anas relates: A man came to the Holy Prophet and said:. Messenger of Allah, I have committed a punishable offence. Please impose the penalty on me. At the same time the Prayer service was held and the man joined in it. When the service was over he again urged the Holy Prophet:. Messenger of Allah, I have offended; please impose the penalty. The Holy. Prophet asked him: Were you present in the salat with us?. He answered: Yes. The Holy Prophet said: Then you have been forgiven (Bokhari and Muslim). 439. Anas relates that the Holy Prophet said: Allah is pleased with His servant who eats a morsel and praises Allah for it and drinks a mouthful and praises Allah for it (Muslim). 440. This hadith is the same as No. 16. 441. Abu Naji Amr ibn Abasah relates: In the days of Ignorance I used to think that people were astray and did not adhere to any truth. They worshipped idols. Then I heard of a man in Mecca that he puts forth new ideas. So I mounted my camel and went to him. I found that the Holy Prophet kept out of sight and was persecuted by his people. Through polite inquiries I found my way to him in Mecca. I asked him: What are you? He said: I am a. Prophet. I asked: What is a Prophet? He said: Allah has sent me. I asked:. With what has He sent you? He said: He has sent me to strengthen the ties of kinship, to break up idols and to establish that God is One and naught may be associated with Him. I asked: Who is with you in this? He said: A freeman and a slave. (At that time only Abu Bakr and Bilal were with him). I said: I shall follow you. He said: You are not able to do it just now. Do you not see my situation and the attitude of the people? Return to your people and when you hear about me that my cause has triumphed, then come to me. I went back to my people, and while I was with my people the Holy Prophet migrated to Medina. I continued to ask people about him till some of my people visited. Medina. On their return I asked them: How goes it with the man who has arrived in Medina? They said: People are hastening to him. His own people had designed to kill him but did not succeed. Then I proceeded to Medina and came to him and said: Messenger of Allah, do you recognise me? He said: Yes, you are the one who met me in Mecca. I said: Messenger of Allah, tell me of that which Allah has taught you and which I do not know. Tell me of salat. He said: Say the morning Prayer and then refrain from Prayer till the sun has risen the length of a spear, for it rises between the two horns of Satan and at that time the pagans prostrate themselves before it. You may pray then, for salat is attended and testified to by angels, till the shadow of a spear equals the length of a spear. Restrain yourself from Prayer then, for hell is stoked up