40 Ahadith An-Nawwawi: Know Your Religion (Hadith Two)

This is quite deep as it covers pretty much every aspect of your belief that you need to know. So sit back and relax as this is going to take a while. 

Also on the authority of 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said:

"While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.

He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly."

We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly."

Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, " It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off.

I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.""

[Muslim]

This hadith is also known as the hadith of Jibreel otherwise known as Umm As Sunnah  - its the most important hadith. 

So to break it down:

PART 1: The 5 Pillars (Imaan)

1) In order to seek knowledge you should be sitting down. This lowers your energy levels because it makes you focussed.

2) The way the student should dress should be a garment that is pure and clean. 

3) The significance of the black hair is that knowledge should be sought whilst you are young.

4) We know that Umar (RA) and the others did not know Jibreel because they had not seen him pray in Jama'a and this is how they could differentiate between the believers and the hypocrites whether they came to pray Fajr and Ishaa in the Masajid.

5) A student should sit close to the teacher and make eye contact with him to increase communication.

6) Resting the knees - showing that you should also sit in a dignified manner when seeking knowledge.

7) Inform me about Islam: Ibn Taymiyyah said: " The best of the angels is asking the best of creation the best of questions" Islam is built on 5 codes - Kitaab - ul - Imaan. These are the 5 pillars of Islam

8) Covering the 1st Pillar there is a deeper meaning to the Shahadah and its not just the physical aspect by saying the words but it should be said with conviction and with the 7 conditions attached to it. They are:

1. Knowledge - 'Ilm
2. Certainty - Yakeen
3. Acceptance - Kabool
4. Truthfulness - As-Sidq
5. Compliance - Al-Inqiyaad
6. Sincerity - Ikhlaas
7. Love - Mohabbah

La Ilaha IllAllah is the key to Jannah and the ridges on the key are the 7 levels of Shahadah. 

9) Establishment of the Salah. How to gain Khushoo?

1. Increase your knowledge of the Arabic language
2. Get out of the force of habit by changing the du'a and adhkaar within the salah. This was a Sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. It takes a concious effort to make the change
3. Changing the frame of mind that you approach the salah with. When you are in a state of haste then you cannot feel the emotion.
4. Visualise before the salah. The sahabahs used to imagine that Jannah was in front of them and Jahannum was behind them. 

10) Establishing Zakah

The biggest problem is knowledge of zakah and what to pay it on. In Islam any item that is considered merchandise you have to pay zakah on. The worst thing to do is to be ignorant of it. 

**GEM** - Protect your wealth by looking after the orphans, giving out of interest free loans and distance yourself from the boundaries of prohibition. 

11) Fasting.

That which is done communally is easier than if you were to do it individually. So muslims will find it easier to pray during Ramadhan then the nawaafil fasts outside of Ramadhan. 

The nawaafil fasting include:

- 13/14/15 of every Islamic Month

- Mondays and Thursdays

- Muharram

- Shaabaan

- Fasting every second day

12) Hajj

The most difficult factor in this pillar is the commitment factor

PART 2: System of Belief

Inform me about Imaan

1) Belief in Allah 

There are 3 primary beliefs:

1. Belief in Allah and that He is One and not to prescribe partners with Him. Otherwise known as Tawheed Ar-Roobibiyyah (including the alternation of day and night)
2. Tawheed Uloohiyya meaning the sole right to be worshipped belongs to Allah Alone. Worship includes the physical aspect which is defined as Ibaadah in Islam that includes all things that are pleasing to Allah from statements and actions and that which is open and concealed. There is also a spiritual aspect that Ibaadah is the completion of Love with submission and humility. 
3. Asmaa As-Siffat - the names and attributes of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala. There is no limit to Allah's names.

**GEM** The more that you educate yourself, the more your Imaan becomes compulsory upon you.

2) Belief in the Angels

The angels are made up of light and their quantity is known. We know at least 2 angels are with every human on this earth to track their good and bad deeds. 

Of the angels we know of they are:

Jibreel (AS) - angel of revelation

Maalikul Mawt - angel of death

Munkar and Nakir - angels in the grave

Angels were created without free will and their sole purpose is to obey Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala. On the other hand Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala gave humans free will to choose between right and wrong. 

So who are closer to Allah?

Well, before Qiyaamah it will be the angels because they are unable to disobey Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala but after Qiyaama it will be the humans or the believers. This is because even with free will they chose to obey Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala. 

3) Belief in the Books

This not only includes the Qur'an but includes the other holy scriptures that were sent down before the Qur'an was revealed. They are: Qur'an, Zabur (sent to Dawud AS), Torah (sent to Musa AS) and the Injeel (sent to 'Isa AS)

There is a weak hadith which pertains to another holy scripture revealed to Daniyaal (AS) which is mentioned in the Torah and the book revealed details about Yaumal Qiyaamah. However, its authenticity is dubious. 

4) Belief in the Messengers

This includes the Prophets and the Messengers. There are 3 opinions with regards to differentiating between the two:

1. Opinion 1: There is no difference
2. Opinion 2: A Messenger is someone who was given revelation and his people turned away from him and a Prophet is someone who was given revelation but his people did not turn away from him.
3. Opinion 3: A Prophet was given a revelation but not a scripture and a Messenger was given both. 

The most strongest opinion is Opinion 2. 

In terms of the number of Prophets and Messengers - this quantity is unknown and there is no definitive number. 

5) Belief in the Last Day

The minimum requirement for this is to believe in the last day and that it will come. The specific requirements of its belief include that the trumpet will be blown twice. The first time all of creation will fall dead and on the second blow all of creation will be resurrected.

Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam will be the first to be resurrected and he will see Musa (AS) hanging from the Arsh of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala. However this has lead to speculation around whether Musa (AS) will be the first to be resurrected. 

Through the Du'a and Supplication of Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam will Yaumal Qiyaamah begin. The greatest intercession will be from Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and he will go into Sujood before Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala and will be a taught a du'a not taught to anyone before.

The mizaan (scales) of accounting will be placed in front of the people. 

Crossing the Siraat (bridge) will be the scariest aspect of Yaumal Qiyaamah. Its as thin as an eye lash and as sharp as a sword. There will be absolute darkness except for the believers who established salah will have light radiating from them to enable them to see and will be able to cross the siraat easily. 

6) Belief in Qadr - the good of it and the bad of it

There are 4 necessary components within this category:

1. Belief that Allah knows everything (past/present/future)
2. Allah wrote Qadr 50,000 years before the creation of the heaven and the earth
3. Nothing can happen without the will of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala
4. Everything is created besides Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala

All good is attributed to Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala and there is no Evil attributed to Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala as in Islam pure evil does not exist. Evil was created by the means of ones self.

PART 3: System of Purification and Belief - Ihsaan

1) Ihsaan can be described as someone who works hard regardless of who is watching them and to do that act well.

Every action that you do has a level of Ihsaan attached to it. Know that Allah is watching you all the time, so keep good company with those who remind you of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala.

2) Inform me about the hour

Even Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam did not have knowledge about this and whatever knowledge he did have it was limited. Therefore we should always be ready for Yaumal Qiyaamah. 

3) Of the Signs

One of the signs of the last day will be when then slave-girl will give birth to her mistress. This indicates how the relationship between parent and child will reciprocate and change. 

Another interpretation of this is from Hafidh ibn Rajab who stated: "towards the end of time, slavery will come back and many battles will take place between muslims and non-muslims."

So this one single Ahadith has basically encompassed everything that a Muslim believes in! SubhanAllah.