Radiant Teachings of Islam
The Prophet’s Wisdom for Improving Society
Mawlana Rashid Ali Attari Madani
In the Monthly Magazine of October, we discussed how the transformational teachings of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم impart valuable principles and deep wisdom to improve society and better our lives. So far, 47 narrations containing these principles have been presented in the previous instalments of this series. Here are a further 20 regarding this topic.
Principle 48: Pay wages on time!
اَعْطُوا الْاَجِيرَ اَجْرَهٗ قَبْلَ اَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهٗ Pay the labourer his wages before his sweat dries.[1]
Principle 49: Perfect what you do!
اَنَّ اﷲ عَزَّوَجَلَّ يُحِبُّ اِذَا عَمِلَ اَحَدُكُم عَمَلًا اَن يُّتقِنَهٗ Allah Almighty likes ˹for you to˺ skilfully perfect whatever you do.[2]
Principle 50: Take care of others, not just yourself!
لَا يُؤْمِنُ اَحَدُكُمْ حَتّٰى يُحِبَّ لِاَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهٖ None of you will truly believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.[3]
Principle 51: Help others!
اَحَبُّ النَّاسِ اِلَى اﷲ اَنْفَعُھُمْ لِلنَّاسِ The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most useful to others.[4]
Principle 52: Support the needy!
مَنْ يَسَّرَ عَلَى مُعْسِرٍ يَسَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ Allah Almighty will make matters easy on the Day of Judgement for the person who brings about ease for the needy ˹in this world˺.[5]
Principle 53: Help others during difficulty!
وَاَحَبُّ الْاَعْمَالِ اِلَى اﷲ عَزَّوَجَلَّ سُرُورٌ تُدْ خِلُهٗ عَلٰی مُسْلِمٍ اَوْ تَکْشِفُ عَنْهُ کُرْبَةاَوْ تَقْضِي عَنْهُ دَيْنًا اَوْ تطْردُ عَنْهُ جُوعًا The most beloved acts in the court of Allah are to make a Muslim happy, alleviate his difficulty, pay his debts, or satisfy his hunger.[6]
Principle 54: Fulfil the need of a fellow Muslim!
مَن مَشٰى مَعَ اَخِيهِ فِى حَاجَةٍ حَتَّى اَثْبَتَهَا لَهُ اَثبَتَ اللَّهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ قَدَمَهٗ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ يَوْمَ تَزِلُّ فِيهِ الْاَقْدَامُ Whoever travels with his brother ˹in faith˺ to fulfil his need such that it becomes fulfilled, Allah Almighty will keep him firm upon the Bridge on the day in which people’s feet will be wavering.[7]
Principle 55: Avoid immorality!
الخُلُقُ السّوءُ يُفسِدُ العَمَلَ كَمَا يُفسِدُ الخَلُّ العَسَلَ Immorality spoils good actions just as vinegar spoils honey.[8]
Principle 56: Do not oppress!
اِتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَاِنَّهٗ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ اللهِ حِجَابٌ Beware of the supplication of the oppressed as there is no barrier between him and Allah.[9]
Principle 57: Be compassionate to animals!
عُذِّبَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فِي هِرَّةٍ سَجَنَتْهَا حَتّٰى مَاتَتْ فَدَخَلَتْ فِيهَا النَّارَ لَا هِيَ اَطْعَمَتْهَا وَلَا سَقَتْهَا اِذْ حَبَسَتْهَا وَلَا هِيَ تَرَكَتْهَا تَاْكُلُ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الْاَرْضِ A lady was punished ˹by Allah˺ because of a cat she had imprisoned till it died. She entered Hell because of it, for she neither gave it food nor water while she had imprisoned it, nor set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth.[10]
Principle 58: Be good to all living things!
فِي كُلِّ ذَاتِ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ اَجْرٌ There is reward in serving any living being.[11]
Principle 59: Be thankful to those who are good to you!
لَا يَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ مَنْ لَّا يَشْكُرُ النَّاسَ The one who does not thank people is not thankful to Allah.[12]
Principle 60: Do not ruin your household by accepting the words of astrologers and soothsayers!
مَنْ اَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَاَلَهٗ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلَاةٌ اَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً Whoever visits a soothsayer and asks him about anything, his Salah will not be accepted for forty nights.[13]
Principle 61: Be modest!
الْاِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَّسَبْعُونَ شُعْبَةً وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الْاِيمَانِ Faith has over 70 branches, and modesty is a branch of faith.[14]
Principle 62: Trust is essential!
لَا اِیمَانَ لِمَنْ لَّا اَمَانَةَ لَهٗ A person who is not trustworthy has no faith.[15]
Principle 63: Honour your contracts and promises!
لَا دِينَ لِمَنْ لَّا عَهْدَ لَهٗ The one who does not fulfil his promise has no faith.[16]
Principle 64: Stop and eradicate evil!
مَنْ رَاَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهٖ فَاِنْ لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهٖ فَاِنْ لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهٖ وَذٰلِكَ اَضْعَفُ الْاِيمَان If you see something abominable, prevent it with your hand. If you are unable to do that, prevent it with your tongue. If you are unable to do that, abhor it in your heart. This is the weakest of faith.[17]
Principle 65: Do not sever ties!
لَا يَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِمٍ اَنْ يَهْجُرَ اَخَاهُ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ It is not permissible for a Muslim to break ties with his brother for more than three days.[18]
Principle 66: Do not focus on the wealth of others!
ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُحِبُّكَ اللَّهُ وَازْهَدْ فِيمَا فِي اَيْدِي النَّاسِ يُحِبُّوكَ Be indifferent towards this world, and Allah will love you. Be indifferent to what is in people’s hands, and they will love you.[19]
Principle 67: Do not deceive!
مَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا The one who deceives us (the believers) is not of us.[20]
[1] Sunan Ibn Mājah, vol. 3, p. 162, hadith 2,443
[2] Al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ, vol. 1, p. 260, hadith 897
[3] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri, vol. 1, p. 16, hadith 13
[4] Al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ, vol. 4, p. 293, hadith 6,026
[5] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 1110, hadith 6853
[6] Al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ, vol. 4, p. 293, hadith 6,026
[7] Al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ, vol. 4, p. 293, hadith 6,026
[8] Al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ, vol. 1, p. 247, hadith 850
[9] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 39, hadith 121
[10] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri, vol. 2, p. 470 , hadith 3,482
[11] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri, vol. 2, p. 133, hadith 2,466
[12] Sunan Abī Dāwūd, vol. 4, p. 335, hadith 4,811
[13] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 943, hadith 5,821
[14] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 45, hadith 35
[15] Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Ḥibbān, vol. 1, p. 208, hadith 194
[16] Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4, p. 271, hadith 12,386
[17] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 48, hadith 177
[18] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri, vol. 4, p. 167, hadith 6,237
[19] Sunan Ibn Mājah, vol. 4, p. 422, hadith 4,102
[20] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 64, hadith 283
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