The Ark of Salvation - Part 04

The Ethics and Etiquette of the 40 Hadith

Right now we're going to go over the ahadith about ethics and etiquette in the 40 hadiths, starting with hadith number five which is the hadith of Ummul Mu'mineen Aisha radiyallahu ta'ala anha:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2697; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1718)

"Whoever innovates within our faith something that is not from it, then it is rejected." And in another narration: "Whoever does something that is not upon our way, then it is rejected."

Preservation of Religious Integrity

This shows us that the preservation of religious integrity is an ethical duty. Our ethics are those things that we believe in and we do because we believe them to be right. And so the preservation of our faith and the integrity of our faith is found in our commitment to the book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and not attributing anything to Allah and his Messenger that they did not attribute to themselves.

This is a collective responsibility for us as Muslims to want to do that which is pleasing to Allah and his Messenger. And the only way we can do what is pleasing to Allah and his Messenger is by following and knowing what is in the Quran and what is in the sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

It also shows that we have to exercise a certain level of discernment about religious matters. That being faithful is not simply whatever we think it is, but it is what is most pleasing to Allah and his Messenger.

There are also ethical boundaries to religious innovation. Innovations in Islam are rejected because as we mentioned earlier from Salman: "There is not a bird flapping its wings in the sky - if we needed to know about it, except the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam would have told us about it."

"On this day I have completed your faith for you and perfected my favor over you, and I'm pleased with Islam for you as a faith."

And Imam Malik said: مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ دِينًا يَوْمَئِذٍ فَلَيْسَ دِينًا الْيَوْمَ - "Whatever was not the deen on that day is not deen today."

So we have sufficiency in the guidance of Allah and his Messenger. There's also a certain sense of unity in religious practice. We all know that we are praying to the same Qibla, going through the same motions. And we mentioned that there are certain variances that are acceptable, and that flexibility allows for flexibility in the ummah. But that flexibility does not go outside of what is sanctioned or is probable from the texts.

Hadith Six: Clear Boundaries

Hadith number six is the hadith of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir that we referred to earlier that establishes clear boundaries about the distinction between permissible and impermissible things. One thing that we can add to our discussion that we mentioned earlier about the legal boundaries is the Prophet ﷺ said in this hadith:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 52; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1599)

"Between these two - the halal and the haram - are ambiguous matters. Not many people know them." What does that mean? What's the inverse? The Prophet ﷺ says not many people know them. What does that mean? Most people won't, but some people will.

Which is why Allah tells us: "Ask the people of expertise if you don't know." لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ - "It would be known by those who derive the rulings from the book of Allah and the sunnah of his messenger."

So not everyone will know, but there will be some who know - which means there's an imperative to ask when the clear-cut parameters are not as clear for us.

The Role of the Heart

There's also this use of metaphor for driving home the idea of ethical transgressions and a very important principle in this hadith is the central role of the heart in determining overall ethical state. So the Prophet ﷺ said: "Is there not a morsel of flesh? When it is wholesome, the body is wholesome; when it is corrupt, the body is corrupt. Is it not the heart?"

This means our actions have an effect on our heart and what's in our heart has an effect on our actions. The Arabs they say: "Every vessel pours out what is in it." So if all you're pouring into your heart is Top 40 hits from the radio, is it a surprise when you can't remember the surah that you wanted to recite in salah? No, every vessel is going to pour out what is in it.

So we have to be very protective of our hearts and what we put into it, because that will have an effect on our body as well. Ibn al-Qayyim in his book - the malady and the cure - mentions that many people are sick spiritually and this causes them physical illness. Some people are physically ill and it causes them spiritual illness.

So the believer has to have a certain equilibrium, understanding themselves, understanding what their lord wants from them, which is why it's reported or attributed to al-Imam al-Ghazali that he said: "Whoever knows himself knows his lord" - not that you are your own lord, but the more that you understand your position as one of Allah's creation, the greater you know your creator is for all the blessings that he is giving you.

Hadith Nine: Obedience and Moderation

Hadith number nine emphasizes for us the importance of obedience in divine prohibition. That as believers we try to do the best in fulfilling obligations that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given us, and that moderation is called for and extremism is discouraged. The Prophet said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7288; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1337)

"Whatever I forbid you from, stay away from it, and whatever I order you to do, do of it as much as you can."

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: "Be mindful of Allah to your utmost ability." So we have to put in effort; when we put in the effort and we can't make it the rest of the way, Allah is merciful.

Also, there's an idea here that's indicated in this hadith about simplicity in faith. One of the main attractive characteristics of Islam as a faith is its inherent simplicity. And one of the signs of innovation and the signs of deviation from what Allah wants is the complications that people have.

You can go and speak to people who are not Muslim about Islam and they say: "What is Islam?" "Islam is worshiping God and following the Prophet Muhammad as the one who brings the message from God. Be a good person and do those basic things." "No, it can't be that easy. No, it has to... That's not possible." No, it really is.

Because they've become so used to religion being complicated, being perplexed, being impossible to understand. "Hold on, you mean I just have to be a good person, say God is one, and do a few basic things?" Yeah. "I'm not sure I can even handle that," because psychologically when you become so used to following your desires, your desires is what's free and easy and your faith is what's hard and difficult. But your faith is easy as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ - "Allah wants ease for you."

Also, this obstinate behavior towards prophets and religious leaders can lead to downfall: "Those before you perished merely for their excessive questioning and their discord with their prophets."

Hadith from al-Hassan ibn Ali

This is from al-Hassan ibn Ali radhi Allah ta'ala anhu, which you see in the translation here. He did a good job - he translated: "He said the grandson of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and his blossom," which is nice. سِبْطُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرَيْحَانَتُهُ. He said the grandson of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and his blossom. So it's actually his sprig of basil, which is a cute way of referring to your grandchild - his grandson and his little sweet sprig of basil.

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2518)

"Leave what makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt."

What's impressive about this hadith is that it's narrated from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam's grandson who was very young when his grandfather passed away, which means that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was teaching children the rules of Islam even though they were not old enough or responsible enough to apply them at that time, so that they inculcate in themselves a responsibility to doing the best even before it becomes an obligation to them.

Being ethical, doing what is right, means actively choosing the more certain path when you have more than one alternative. I can do this and it's permissible, I can do that and it's permissible. But let me look at what the outcomes will be and then follow that.

And the key here is that this principle allows you to not be trapped, slavishly trapped into your choices. You make a choice, you can always make a different choice. Your life is a series of A/B tests. You do this - I chose A, not working out. Now I've got A and B again. I choose B, not working out - A and B again. You're not bound by your decisions; you can always make a different decision.

This also encourages the idea of personal responsibility when you're making moral decisions and not relying solely on external guidance. This is very similar to the hadith of Wabisa who came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to ask him a question, and the Prophet alayhi salatu wasallam said to him: "Do you want to ask me your question or should I tell you what your question is?" He said: "You tell me what my question is." He said: "You came to ask me about righteousness." He said: "That's right, I did." He said: "Righteousness is good character, and sinfulness is what shakes around in your chest and you're afraid of people finding out about."

So we have the ability to determine right and wrong that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave us innately. So when we feel shy about something, when we're fearful about something, when we're doubtful about something, those are all red flags that should make us concerned.

Hadith 12: Perfection of Islam

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2317)

"From the perfection of one's Islam is that he leaves off that which does not concern him."

We should focus our energy and our attention on matters that are directly relevant to ourselves. Spiritual perfection means letting go of irrelevant things. How many things do we involve ourselves in that are complete wastes of time? To benefit us in no way directly or indirectly.

And if you think about it, all of the social prohibitions in Islam are related back to this. We're prohibited from riba (backbiting), we're prohibited from namima (tail carrying), we're prohibited from false witness - saying things happened and they didn't. All these things go back to us being concerned with something that's not even part of our life.

So if we want to perfect our Islam: leave off that which doesn't concern us. It also shows the respect for people's privacy and understanding boundaries. There's lots of talk in mental health spaces about boundaries and setting boundaries and knowing boundaries. This hadith sets for us boundaries - if it doesn't concern you, then leave it off.

Hadith 15-16: Good Speech and Neighborliness

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6018; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 47)

"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say good or remain silent, let him honor his neighbor, let him honor his guest."

So this shows us that silence is preferable to non-beneficial speech, and beneficial speech is preferable to both. Being a good neighbor is a sign of your faith, a sign that you are treating others fairly. Hospitality and honoring your guests is the same, and all of this is connected to the idea of being responsible for one's actions - not only for what's haram, not only for what's halal, but also for what is the best thing to do in the situation that you're in.

Which is why the Prophet used to encourage us to do certain things. He used to encourage us, for example, that if we made soup or broth, that we add extra water so that we can share the broth with our neighbors.

One of my teachers when I was in Riyadh - I used to visit him at his home and he was one of the few families that's actually from Riyadh, like their families generationally from Riyadh - and he used to say that when refrigerators first came to the kingdom, his grandmother hated the refrigerator. And they used to say: "Grandma, we're going to get something from the refrigerator," and she said: "Don't call it a freezer, call it 'stingy'. Call it stingy."

"Why are you going to call the freezer or the refrigerator stingy?" She said: "Because before we had this decrepit device, we had food left over, we shared it with our neighbors. We went and found the poor, we gave sadaqa, we didn't waste anything. Now we're stingy - we put the food in the refrigerator, we wait until it rots and then we throw it away. None of the animals want to eat it."

So there's something to be said about making sure that you're doing the best with the resources that you have. So sustainable living is something that's very important, minimizing waste in our own households very important.

Hadith 16: Controlling Anger

Hadith 16: A man came to the Prophet alayhi salatu wasallam. He said: "Give me advice." He said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6116)

"Do not become angry." The man then said several times: "Give me advice," and the Prophet simply repeated: "Do not become angry."

Part and parcel of our good character is controlling our anger. And this shows us that emotional intelligence is key to our faith and key to making good decisions. We cannot make good decisions if we are always upset about everything. If everything is a problem, everything is making us angry, if it's always somebody else's fault - very difficult to make clear-headed decisions when that's the case.

So having internal peace, internal harmony, emotional regulation is very important. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam's advice was focused on what is practical and actionable, not just abstract concepts.

Hadith 18: The Comprehensive Advice

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1987)

"Be conscious of Allah wherever you are, follow your sin with a good deed - it will erase it, and treat people with good manners."

This hadith is an amazing hadith. It's narrated from two of the companions: from Mu'adh ibn Jabal and from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari.

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari became Muslim in the very early days of Islam. He was a person who worshipped Allah alone before Islam. His uncle went to Mecca on business, and as he came back he was having dinner with his mother and his brother and his uncle. And he said: "Uncle, what news do you have from Mecca? What's going on in Mecca?" He said: "Oh, you'd be impressed. There's a guy that worships Allah just like you do. There's a guy there who says that he only worships Allah, and you only worship Allah. I think you would like to meet him."

So he set out to Mecca to meet the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And when he went, he showed up in Mecca - he's from the tribe of Ghafar out in the middle of the desert, they're very open people - shows up: "Hey, where's Muhammad?" They said: "He's a renegade, get out!" and they pounced on him. They beat him with camel bones and rocks, beat him to a pulp.

And then he took refuge with Zamzam in the Zamzam well. Nowadays no one sees the Zamzam well, but if you recall, back in the early 2000s, you could actually walk down to the Zamzam well because it was at a lower gradient than the Kaaba. So he went and he hid next to the Zamzam well. He stayed there for 30 days drinking the water till his belly became flabby.

And then he got the courage to come out one night and he saw two people walking in the distance and he said: "I think this is the guy." And as he walked towards them, one of them took off and one of them stayed. The one who stayed was Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr said: "Come with me, I'll take you to whom you want."

So he took him back to his home and the Prophet alayhi salatu wasallam arrived sometime after. He asked him: "How did you survive for 30 days?" He said: "I just stayed there drinking the Zamzam water." He said: إِنَّهَا طَعَامُ طُعْمٍ وَشِفَاءُ سُقْمٍ - "This water is food for the hungry and healing for the sick."

Then he said: "Oh messenger of Allah, I want to follow you, so allow me to move here to Mecca." The Prophet said: "No, now is not the time. But I want you to go back to your people and tell them about Islam." "What do I tell them?" This hadith: four things - be mindful of Allah wherever you are, follow up a bad deed with a good one - it will wipe it out, and treat people with good character.

These three things - half of his tribe became Muslim. The other half said: "We want to meet this guy first." And they became Muslim after they migrated to Medina.

So this hadith encourages us that ethical behavior and being a good person is a constant process of self-improvement and correction. You will make mistakes, you will be unconscious of Allah at times. But when you do that, there's a way to rectify that. Having good manners with people is your responsibility to man. Having good deeds that wipe out your bad deeds is your responsibility to yourself. And being conscious of Allah is your responsibility to Allah. So you have rights of Allah, rights of yourself, and rights of people.

Hadith 20: The Role of Shame

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3484)

"Amongst that which the people obtained from the sayings of the earliest prophethood is: if you feel no shame, then do as you wish."

Shame or modesty or bashfulness - feeling reluctant to do certain things because of how they appear to other people - is something that has to be taken into consideration in our faith.

Now there are two ways to think about this. Number one is that social norms for modesty will change based upon culture and context. So for example, if I'm sitting like this and I have my foot up like this - I'm sitting cross-legged with my ankle over my knee - is this acceptable in every setting? No, it's considered rude in some settings. Why? Because my foot is facing the person next to me.

If you're with a bunch of Americans, is it really rude? No, right? So this is something where if you don't feel shy because it's a social norm, you're not wrong for doing it. But if I was in a setting where this is not acceptable, I shouldn't do it. I should be conscious of the people that I'm around and that which is acceptable or unacceptable customarily.

Also, it means that if I allow myself to not be conscious of my own actions, that I will end up doing whatever - I will end up being immoral and immodest and doing things that are not only offensive to the people around me but offensive to Allah. So I have to have an inner sense of morality informed by revelation and a conscious sense of morality informed by my surroundings.

Hadith 21: Islam as Action

Hadith 21: A man came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He said: "Tell me something about Islam I can ask of no one except for you." He said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 38)

"Say 'I believe in Allah', then be upright."

Islam is a religion of action. You believe in Allah and then you do - believe in Allah. It's not just hopes and aspirations, but actionable items as well.

Hadith 25: Every Good Deed is Charity

This hadith enumerates for us a number of different actions that are considered acts of charity. It promotes equality and spiritual rewards. Why? Because there were some people who came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and complained. They said: "The people of wealth, they've made off with all of the rewards. They pray, they fast, and they give charity."

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: "Do you not find what you can give charity with? Saying subhanAllah is charity, saying alhamdulillah is charity, removing things harmful from the path is charity" - to the end of the hadith.

So it encourages us to remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and to remember that all of our actions is a form of charity. Yes, even intimate relations with your spouse can be an act of charity when you have the proper intention. They said: "Oh messenger of Allah, would one of us fulfill his desires and be rewarded for that?" He said: "Yes, if he were to fulfill it through the haram, would he not be sinful? Likewise, if he were to fulfill it through the halal, he would be rewarded."

So every time you abstain from something haram with the intention that "I know it's haram, I'm not going to do this," or you do the opposite of that, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will reward you.

Hadith 27: Righteousness and Sin

We mentioned this hadith earlier as the hadith of Wabisa, so the first narration is from al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an and then a similar narration from Wabisa ibn Ma'bad. So the idea of character:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2553)

"Righteousness is good character, and sin is what shakes around in your chest and you are fearful of people finding out about."

True morality is free of public opinion. You try to be moral and upright regardless of what people will think about it.

Hadith 28: Obedience and Religious Integrity

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2676; Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4607)

The hadith of [narrator] radhi Allah anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: "I advise you to be conscious of Allah and to listen and obey even if you are ruled by a slave. Whoever will live long amongst you will see much discord, so stick to my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Clench on to them with your teeth and beware of innovated matters, for every innovation is a misguidance."

This goes back and hearkens back to a number of the ahadith that we covered earlier - talks about social cohesion, about religious integrity with regards to rejecting innovation, and to sticking to the guidance of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and the guidance of his rightly guided khalifa after him, which would be Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.

Hadith 29: Controlling the Tongue

It's the hadith of Mu'adh ibn Jabal radhi Allah anhu. He said: "Oh messenger of Allah, tell me of an act I can do that will admit me into paradise and distance me from the hellfire." He said: "You have inquired about a grave matter, and it is easy for whoever Allah makes it easy for." He then mentioned to him the outward acts of Islam.

He then mentioned - and this is the culmination of the hadith: "Shall I not inform you of the embodiment of all of these good things that are mentioned in the hadith?" He said: "Oh yes, oh messenger of Allah." He then took hold of his tongue and he said:

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2616)

"Refrain this - hold back your tongue."

Those things that we speak, many times lead us down very perilous paths. So our road to spiritual purification starts by controlling our tongues - not having an opinion, not having to speak out, not having to express what we have no knowledge of. By doing so we learn self-control, and when we learn self-control we're able to redirect that energy into other forms of worship that are more beneficial for us and to others. So restraint in communication is crucial for overall moral conduct.

Hadith 32: No Harm Principle

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 2341)

This is one of the great principles of Islam: "There shall be no harm nor reciprocating harm."

Which means anything that I do, I should not be trying to harm myself nor harm others. There's no victim-less crime - even if "it's not harming anybody but me," even if it's harming yourself, it's not allowed. And this principle of harm is one of the greatest principles of Islam. In fact, some scholars of Islam said everything in Islam goes back to the idea of preventing harm, spiritually or physically.

Hadith 34: Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 49)

"Whoever sees something objectionable must change it with his hand. If he's unable, then with his tongue. And if he's unable, then with his heart, and that is the lowest form of faith."

This means in ordering good and forbidding evil we have to have active engagement with society. It is not enough to just say that we believe and then leave society to go astray, to leave society to its ills and its evils. But we have to have an active role in trying to minimize harm and maximize benefit, minimize evil and maximize good.

Which means if we have the ability to stop that evil on our own, we do so. If we don't have the ability because we do not have authority, then what do we do? We say something about it. And if we're prevented from actions and statements, then the least we can do is not normalize it in our heart, because the moment it becomes normalized in your heart is the moment that trouble starts for your heart being purely for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Hadith 35: Brotherhood in Islam

The hadith of Abu Hurayrah about brotherhood in Islam. This promotes brotherhood and unity amongst Muslims. It emphasizes mutual respect and support. Part of that mutual respect and support is abstaining from the evils and the negative actions that bring about disputes. Envy, animosity, shunning others should all be rejected.

Internal piety has to have an outward effect. Outward piety should be the catalyst for internal change. The Prophet at the end spoke of the inviolability of a Muslim's life, property and reputation - shows us the sanctity of human rights in Islam.

Hadith 40: Living as a Stranger

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6416)

This will be the last hadith that we'll read: "Be in this life as if you are a stranger or a traveler on a path."

Ibn Umar used to say: "If you enter the night, don't wait until the morning. And if you enter the morning, don't await until the evening. Dedicate a portion of your time while you are healthy to serve you when you fall ill. Dedicate a portion of your life to serve you after your death."

So we talked before about alignment with the will of Allah, attachment to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and to his messenger, detachment from worldly affairs, and generally having a balanced perspective about our engagement with our material life.

Think about it as if you were going on a trip. The very first time somebody travels internationally, what do they do? Like five different bags and "I gotta pack batteries and a flashlight and snacks and all this kind of stuff." When you travel a lot, what happens? You're like: "Oh, I have like a knapsack and like a change of undershirt and pants" - who washes pants, at least for men - and then you cut down on everything greatly, right?

It's stated that somebody came over to his house, they noticed that he didn't have many furnishings in his house. He said: "You know, you should spruce up your place a little bit, make it a little bit better." He said: "Honestly, I have a long journey ahead of me and I don't want anything to bog me down." He was looking at his whole life as a journey towards Allah.

So being prepared, having foresight for what your future is, means you're taking consideration now for the hardships that could come. You're taking consideration of your health now because you might be ill later. You're doing the good that you can now because you won't be able to do any deeds after you die.

Having humility and mindfulness by comparing yourself to a traveler or to a stranger means that you won't have high expectations of others, but you will prepare yourself for the ultimate journey back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us from amongst those that reach him with a pure heart.

And with that we've read all of the ahadith, wasalam. And each of you all should have a copy of this, and if you have placed your name there in the front, then I will be happy to sign it for you inshallah, according to our study of this today. And with you receiving this copy of the book - if you didn't receive it, you can get it on Amazon if you want extra copies.