The Book of Virtue; Good Manners and Joining of the Ties of Relationship

Abu Huraira reported that a person came to Allah, 's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Who among the people is most deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he said: Then it is your father. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Qutalba, there is no mention of the word" the people".

Abu Huraira reported that a person said: Allah's Messenger, who amongst the people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your mother, again your mother, then your father, then your nearest relatives according to the order (of nearness).

Abu Huraira reported: A person came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). The rest of the hadith is the same as transmitted by jarir but with this addition: By your father, you would get the information.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shubruma with the same chain of transmitters and the hadith transmitted on the authority of Wuhaib there is a slight variation of wording. Same is the case with the hadith transmitted on the authority of Muhammad b. Talha (and the words are): " Who amongst the people deserves the best treatment from me".

Abdullah b. 'Amr reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and sought permission (to participate) in Jihad, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Are your parents living? He said: Yes. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: You should put in your best efforts (in their) service.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Habib with the same chain of transmitters.

Yazid b. Abu Habib reported that Na'im, the freed slave of Umm Salama, reported to him that 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. 'As said: There came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) a person and said: I owe allegiance to you for migration and Jihad seeking reward only from Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is one from amongst your parents living? He said: Yes, of course, both are living. He further asked: Do you want to seek reward from Allah? He said: Yes. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Go back to your parents and accord them benevolent treatment.

Abu Huraira reported that Juraij was one who was devoted to (prayer) in the temple. His mother came to him. Humaid said that Abu Rafi' demonstrated before us like the demonstration made by abu Huraira to whom Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had demonstrated as his mother called him placing her palms upon the eyebrows and lifting her head for calling him and said: Juraij, it is your mother, so talk to her. She found him at that time absorbed in prayer, so he said (to himself): O Lord, my mother (is calling me) (whereas I am absorbed) in my prayer. He opted for prayer. She (his mother) went back, then came again for the second time and said: O Juraij, it is your mother (calling you), so talk to me. He said: O Allah. there is my mother also and my prayer, and he opted for prayer. She said: O Allah, this Juraij is my son. I pray to talk to him but he refuses to talk to me. O Allah, don't bring death to him unless he has seen the prostitutes, and had she invoked the curse upon him (from the heart of her heart) he would have been involved in some turmoil. There was a shepherd living near by his temple (the temple where Juraij was engaged in prayer). It so happened that a woman of that village came there and that shepherd committed fornication with her and she became pregnant and gave birth to a child. It was said to her: Whose child is this? She said: He is the child of one who is living in this temple. So there came persons with hatchets and spades. They called Juraij. He was absorbed in prayer and he did not talk to them and they were about to demolish that temple that he saw them and then came to them and they said: Ask her (this woman) what she says. He smiled and then touched the head of the child and said: Who is your father? He (the child) said: My father is the shepherd of the sheep, and when they heard this, they said: We are prepared to rebuild with gold and silver what we have demolished from your temple. He said: No, rebuild it with clay as it had been before. He then went up (to his room and absorbed himself in prayer).

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: None spoke in the cradle but only three (persons), Christ son of Mary, the second one the companion of Juraij. Juraij had got constructed a temple and confined himself in that. His mother came to him as he was busy in prayer and she said: Juraij. He said: My Lord, my mother (is calling me while I am engaged in) my prayer. He continued with the prayer. She returned and she came on the next day and he was busy in prayer, and she said: Juraij. And he said: My Lord, my mother (is calling me while I am engaged) in prayer, and he continued with the prayer and she went back, and then on the next day she again came and he was busy in prayer and she said: Juraij. And he said: My Lord, my mother (is calling me while I am engaged in my prayer, and he continued with the prayer, and she said: My Lord, don't give him death unless he has seen the fate of the prostitutes. The story of Juraij and that of his meditation and prayer gained currency amongst Bani Isra'il. There was a prostitute who had been a beauty incarnate. She said (to the people): If you like I can allure him to evil. She presented herself to him but he paid no heed (to her). She came to a shepherd who lived near the temple and she offered herself to him and he had a sexual intercourse with her and so she became pregnant arid when she gave birth to a child she said: This is from Juraij. So they came and asked him to get down and demolished the temple and began to beat him. He said: What is the matter? They said: You have committed fornication with this prostitute and she has given birth to a child from your loins. He said: Where is the child? They brought him (the child) and he said: just leave me so that I should observe prayer. And he observed prayer and when he finished, he came to the child. He struck his stomach and said: O boy, who is your father? lie said: He is such shepherd. So they turned towards Juraij, kissed him and touched him (for seeking blessing) and said: We are prepared to construct your temple with gold. He said. No, just rebuild it with mud as it had been, and they did that. Then there was a babe who was sucking his mother that a person dressed in fine garment came riding upon a beast. His mother said: O Allah, make my child like this one. He (the babe) left sucking and began to see towards him, and said: O Allah, don't make me like him. He then returned to the chest and began to suck the milk of his mother. He (Abu Huraira) said: I perceived as if I am seeing Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as he is explaining the scene of his sucking milk with his forefinger in his mouth and sucking that. He (Abu Huraira) further reported Allah's Apostle (may be peace upon him) as saying: There happened to pass by him a girl who was being beaten and they were saying: You have committed adultery and you have committed theft and she was saying: Allah is enough for me and He is my good Protector, and his mother said: O Allah, don't make my child like her and he left sucking the milk, and looked towards her and said: O Allah, make me like her, and there was a talk between them. She said: O with shaven head, a good-looking person happened to pass by and I said: O Allah, make my child like him, and you said: O Allah, don't make me like him, and they passed by a girl while they were beating her and saying: You committed fornication and you committed theft, and I said: O Allah, don't make my child like her, and you said: O Allah, make me like her. Thereupon he said: That person was a tyrant, and I said: O Allah, don't make me like him, and they were saying about her: You committed fornication whereas in fact she had not committed that and they were saying: You have committed theft whereas she had not committed theft, so I said: O Allah, make me like her.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Let him be humbled into dust; let him be humbled into dust. It was said: Allah's Messenger, who is he? He said: He who sees either of his parents during their old age or he sees both of them, but he does not enter Paradise.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Let him be humbled, let him be humbled. It was said: Allah's Messenger, who is he? He said. He who finds his parents in old age, either one or both of them, and does not enter Paradise.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Let him be humbled thrice, and the rest of the hadith is the same.

Ibn Dinar reported that a desert Arab met Abdullah b. 'Umar on the way to Mecca. 'Abdullah greeted him and mounted him upon the donkey on which he had been riding and gave him the turban that he had on his head. Ibn Dinar (further) reported: We said to him ('Abdullah b. 'Umar): May Allah do good to you, these are desert Arabs and they are satisfied even with meagre (things). Thereupon Abdullah said: His father was loved dearly by 'Umar b. Khattib and I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The finest act of goodness on the part of a son is to treat kindly the loved ones of his father.

'Abdullah b. Umar reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: The finest act of goodness is that a person should treat kindly the loved ones of his father.

Abdullah b. Dinar reported that when 'Abdullah b. 'Umar set out to Mecea, 'he kept a donkey with him which he used as a diversion from the tedium of journey on the camel's back and had a turban which he tied round his head. One day, as he was riding the donkey a desert Arab happened to pass by him. He ('Abdullah b. 'Umar) said: Arn't you so and so? He said: Yes He gave him his donkey and said: Ride it, and tie the turban round your head. Some of his companions said: May Allah pardon you, you gave to this desert Arab the donkey on which you enjoyed ride for diversion and the turban which you tied round your. head. Thereupon he said: Verily I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The finest act of goodness is the kind treatment of a person to the loved ones of his father after his death and the father of this person was a friend of 'Umar.

Nawwas b. Sam'an al-Ansari reported: I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) about virtue and vice. He said: Virtue is a kind disposition and vice is what rankles in your heart and that you disapprove that people should come to know of it.

Nawwas b. Sam'an reported: I stayed with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) for one year. What obstructed me to migrate was (nothing) but (persistent) inquiries from him (about Islam). (It was a common observation) that when anyone of us migrated (to Medina) he ceased to ask (too many questions) from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). So I asked him about virtue and vice. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Virtue is a kind disposition and vice is what rankles in your mind and that you disapprove of its being known to the people.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Verily Allah created the universe and when He had finished that, ties of relationship came forward and said This is the place for him who seeks refuge from severing (of blood-relationship). He said: Yes. Are you not satisfied that I should keep relationship with one who joins your ties of relationship and sever it with one who severs your (ties of relationship)? They (the ties of blood) said: Certainly so. Thereupon He said: Well, that is how things are for you. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) then said: Recite if you like:" But if you turn away you are sure to make mischief in the land and cut off the ties of kinship. Those it is whom Allah has cursed, so He has made them deaf and blinded their eyes. Do they not reflect on the Qur'an? Or, are there locks on their hearts?".

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The tie of kinship is suspended to the Throne and says: He who unites me Allah would unite him and he who severed me Allah would sever him.

Jubair b. Mut'im reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: The severer would not enter Paradise. Ibn Umar said that Sufyan (explained it as): One who severs the tie of kinship would not enter Paradise.

Jubair b. Mutlim reported that his father narrated to him that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: The severer of the tie of kinship would not get into Paradise.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

Anas b. Malik reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who is desirous that his means of sustenance should be expanded for him or his age may be lengthened, should join the tie of relationship.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who likes that his sustenance should be expanded and his age may be lengthened should join the tie of kinship.

Abu Huraira reported that a person said: Allah's Messenger, I have relatives with whom I try, to have close relationship, but they sever (this relation). I treat them well, but they treat me ill. I am sweet to them but they are harsh towards me. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: If it is so as you say, then you in fact throw hot ashes (upon their faces) and there would always remain with you on behalf of Allah (an Angel to support you) who would keep you dominant over them so long as you adhere to this (path of righteousness).

Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Neither nurse mutual hatred, nor jealousy, nor enmity, and become as fellow brothers and servants of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim that he should keep his relations estranged with his brother beyond three days.

Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying like this. This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters with the addition of Ibn Uyaina (and the words are): " Do not cut off (mutual relations)."