Riyad al-Salihin - Al-Nawawi - (1/253)

Riyad al-SalihinAl-Nawawi

upon you.” Agreed upon.

555 – ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, “Which aspect of Islam is best?” He replied, “To provide food and to offer the greeting of peace to those you know and those you do not know.” Agreed upon.

556 – The same Companion narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There are forty virtuous deeds, the highest of them is the lending of a she-goat for milk (1). Whoever performs any one of them, seeking its reward and believing in the promise attached to it, Allah Most High will, because of it, admit him to Paradise.” Reported by al-Bukhārī. The explanation of this ḥadīth has already been given in the chapter entitled “The Abundance of the Paths to Good.”

557 – Abū Umāmah Ṣudayy ibn ʿAjlān (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “O son of Adam, to give away what is surplus (2) is better for you, and to withhold it is worse for you. You will not be blamed for keeping what suffices (3). Begin with those whom you support, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand.” Reported by Muslim.

558 – Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never asked for anything for the sake of Islam without granting it. On one occasion a man came to him, and he gave him sheep that filled the valley between two mountains. The man returned to his people and said, ‘My people, embrace Islam, for Muhammad gives with no fear of poverty!’ A man would sometimes enter Islam seeking nothing but worldly gain, yet it would not be long (4) before Islam became dearer to him than the world and all it contains.” Reported by Muslim.

(1) Lending a she-goat so that someone may benefit from its milk and then return it.
(2) al-faḍl: whatever is beyond one’s basic needs.
(3) al-kafāf: keeping only what is sufficient for necessities.
(4) i.e., only a short time passes before this transformation occurs.

(1) This refers to a man giving his companion a sheep or a she-camel to benefit from its milk and then returning it. (2) "Surplus" denotes whatever exceeds a person’s own essential needs and those of his dependents. (3) That is, it concerns retaining only what satisfies those necessities. (4) Meaning: he remains (stays).

عَلَيْكَ » متفق عليه . ٥٥٥ - وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ رسول الله ﷺ : أَيُّ الإِسْلاَمِ خَيْرٌ ؟ قَالَ : « تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ ، وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ » متفق عليه . ٥٥٦ - وعنه قال : قال رسول الله ﷺ : « أَرْبَعُونَ خَصْلَةً أَعْلاَهَا مَنِيحَةُ الْعَنْزِ (١) ، مَا مِنْ عَامِلٍ يَعْمَلُ بِخَصْلَةٍ مِنْهَا رَجَاءَ ثَوَابِهَا وَتَصْدِيقَ مَوْعُودِهَا إِلاَّ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهَا الْجَنَّةَ » رواه البخاري . وقد سبق بيان هذا الحديث في باب بيان كثرة طرق الخير . ٥٥٧ - وعن أبي أُمَامَةَ صُدَيِّ بن عَجْلاَنَ رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله ﷺ : « يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَبْذُلَ الْفَضْلَ (٢) خَيْرٌ لَكَ ، وَأَنْ تُمْسِكَهُ شَرٌّ لَكَ ، وَلاَ تُلاَمُ عَلَى كَفَافٍ (٣) ، وَأَبْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ ، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى » رواه مسلم . ٥٥٨ - وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال : مَا سُئِلَ رسول الله ﷺ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ أَعْطَاهُ ، وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ ، فَأَعْطَاهُ غَنَمًا بَيْنَ جَبَلَيْنِ ، فَرَجَعَ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ : يَا قَوْمِ أَسْلِمُوا فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يُعْطِي مَنْ لاَ يَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ لَيُسْلِمُ مَا يُرِيدُ إِلاَّ الدُّنْيَا ، فَمَا يَلْبَثُ (٤) إِلاَّ يَسِيرًا حَتَّى يَكُونَ الإِسْلاَمُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَلَيْهَا . رواه مسلم .

(١) هي : أن يعطي الرجل صاحبه شاة أو ناقة ينتفع بحلبها ثم يردها . (٢) الفضل : ما زاد على ما تدعو إليه حاجة الإنسان لنفسه ولمن يمونه . (٣) أي : على إمساك ما تكف به الحاجة . (٤) أي : يمكث .