Back to As-Sunnah

Benefits From the Prophetic Hadeeths In Aqeedah and Manhaj

Mudhakkirah al-Hadeeth an-Nabawee
by Rabee Bin Haadee Umayr al-Madkhalee
Trans. Abu Naasir Abid Zargar

The Right of Allaah upon the Slaves

From Mu'aadh ibn Jabal (radiallaahu anhu), who said:

"I was riding with the Prophet upon a donkey and he said to me: `Do you
know the right of Allaah upon the slaves and the right of the slave upon
Allaah?'

I said: `Allaah and His Messenger know best.'

He said: `The right of Allaah upon His slaves is that they should worship
Him alone and not associate anything with Him, and the right of the slaves
upon Allaah is that He will not punish the one who does not associate
anything with Him.'

I said: `O Messenger of Allaah should I not inform the people?' He said: `Do
not inform them for they will depend on it.'"

Reported by al-Bukhaari1, Muslim2, at-Tirmidhee3, Ibn Maajah4 and Ahmad5.

The Reporter of the Hadeeth

He is Mu'aadh bin Jabal bin Amr bin Aws al-Ansaari al-Khazrajee, Abu `Abdur
Rahmaan. He is a famous companion, who witnessed the battle of Badr and
those which occurred after it. He was of the foremost of the people in
knowledge, ahkaam (rulings and regulations) and the Qur'aan. He died in the
year 18A.H., in Shaam during the plague of Amwaas.


1 Kitaab ul Libaas no. 5967.
2 Kitaab ul Imaan no.'s 48-51, 53.
3 Kitaab ul Imaan no. 2643, vol. 5, p 26.
4 Kitaab uz Zuhd no. 4269, vol. 12, p 1435.
5 Volume 3, p. 260-261.
1
The Meaning of the Hadeeth

In this hadeeth the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) explained
the purpose for which Allaah created the creation which is to single out Allaah
Alone for worship and to have sincerity towards Him. Verily this is a great right
to be given only to Allaah, the Mighty Creator, the Bestower and the
Beneficent. Similarly, the noble Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)
explained the reward that the slaves would deserve from Allaah if they
established this great obligation (sincerity of worship), namely that He would
save them from the punishment of the Fire and admit them into the blessed
gardens of Paradise.

A believer is delighted by this matter and he rejoices due to it, this is why
Mu'aadh sought the permission of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam),
saying: "Should I not inform the people." However, the Messenger prohibited
him from doing that for the benefit of his ummah and from his love for them
to do good deeds and those things that bring them closer to Allaah, so that
they may compete in doing them and thus achieve a high rank with Allaah due
to this eagerness, struggle and mutual rivalry. As opposed to this, if they
refrained from doing good deeds and trusted upon the like of this promise,
then they would miss much good and miss a great reward.

The Benefits of the Hadeeth

1) The wisdom of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) in
teaching, since he began his teaching with a question so it would be
foremost in the mind and understood better by the one being taught.

2) The hadeeth shows the humility of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
alaihi wasallam) and his fine manners, since he was riding the donkey along
with his companion who rode on his mount behind him.

3) The hadeeth contains a clarification of the greatest of the rights of Allaah
upon His slaves which is to establish tawheed and to single Him out alone
for worship.

4) The hadeeth shows the grace of Allaah upon His slaves since He grants the
best of rewards to those who fulfil this right.

2
5) The hadeeth contains a recommendation of informing the Muslim with
that which pleases him.

6) The hadeeth contains fear of reliance upon the expansive Mercy of Allaah,
for this reliance harms many of those who are ignorant.

3
From SP