(36) “O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and all they shade, Lord of the seven earths and all they bear, Lord of the devils and all they lead astray, Lord of the winds and all they scatter: I ask You for the good of this town, the good of its people, and the good that is in it, and I seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil of its people, and the evil that is in it.” al-Kalim al-Tayyib 178, p. 98, 3rd ed., 1397 AH; recorded by al-Nasaʾi and others. The Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—said: “Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim both declared it authentic and al-Dhahabī agreed, yet there is a reservation, for the chain revolves around Abū Marwān, the father of ʿAṭāʾ.” Al-Dhahabī included him in al-Mīzān, quoting al-Nasaʾi: “He is unknown,” and so forth. In the Maʿārif edition, p. 147, the Shaykh added, “I later found another route through Suhayb with a sound chain, which I have cited in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2759.”
(37) “Your deeds are presented to your deceased relatives and clansmen: if they are good they rejoice, and if they are otherwise they say, ‘O Allah, do not let them die until You guide them just as You guided us.’” al-Ḍaʿīfah 863 and 864; Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 1396; later authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2758.
(38) “Spread peace, give food, and feel shy before Allah just as you would feel shy before a dignified man of your tribe; let your character be good, and whenever you do wrong, do good, for good deeds erase bad ones.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 993; included in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3559 with the wording: “Spread peace, give food, be shy before Allah as you are shy before one of your own household; whenever you do wrong, do good, and make your character excellent as best you can.”
(39) “A child is a cause of cowardice, miserliness, and grief.” al-Ḍaʿīfah 4764; Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 6165; authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ 7160. The Shaykh remarked that the phrase “the fruit of the heart” is not established; it should therefore be omitted.
(40) “There are six qualities: no Muslim dies having any one of them except that he is under a guarantee from Allah to enter Paradise. A man who goes out striving in Allah’s cause—if he dies on his way, he is under Allah’s guarantee; a man who follows a funeral—if he dies on his way, he is under Allah’s guarantee; a man who visits a sick person—if he dies on his way, he is under Allah’s guarantee; a man who performs ablution well and leaves for the mosque to pray—if he dies on his way, he is under Allah’s guarantee; a man who goes to an imam only to honour and support him—if he dies on his way, he is under Allah’s guarantee; and a man who stays in his house, neither backbiting a Muslim nor drawing upon himself anger or liability—if he dies in that state, he is under Allah’s guarantee.” Graded weak in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 2829; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3384.
(41) “I sense the breath of the Most Merciful coming from the direction of Yemen.” From Abū Hurayrah: al-Ḍaʿīfah 1097. It is in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3367 with the wording, “I indeed find the breath of the Most Merciful from here,” pointing toward Yemen. The Shaykh added: “Some chains contain the extra phrase, ‘The stronghold of the believers is in Syria.’ I treated that in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1935, vol. 4. This narration from Salamah ibn Nufayl is a strong corroboration, rendering the hadith sound—praise be to Allah for His grace, and I ask Him for more of His favour.”
(42) “Travel and you will stay healthy; fight in jihad and you will become self-sufficient”—in another wording, “and you will earn booty.” al-Ḍaʿīfah 254 and 255; Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 3212; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3352.
(43) “Charity extinguishes the heat of the graves for its givers, and the believer will be shaded on the Day of Resurrection in the shade of his charity.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 1488; al-Ḍaʿīfah 3021; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3484.
(44) “Whoever steps over people’s necks on Friday makes himself a bridge to Hell.” Mishkāt 1392; al-Tirmidhī recorded it and said, “This hadith is gharīb.” It is also in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 5516 and Ḍaʿīf al-Targhīb (Maʿārif) 437. In al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3122 it appears with the fuller wording: “Do not eat while reclining, nor from a sieve; do not make the mosque your exclusive place of prayer; and do not step over people’s necks on Friday, lest Allah make you a bridge for them on the Day of Resurrection.” The Shaykh said: “Most clauses have supporting narrations confirming their authenticity,” and, concerning the Friday clause, he cited the marfūʿ report of Muʿādh ibn Anas: “Whoever steps over people’s necks…” recorded by al-Tirmidhī and others. Though previously ruled weak, this support raises it to the rank of ḥasan, Allah willing. I (Muḥammad) note that it is also in Hidāyat al-Ruāt 1337.
(45) “Name yourselves after the prophets. The most beloved names to Allah are ʿAbdullāh and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān; the truest names are Ḥārith and Hammām; and the worst names are Ḥarb and Murrah.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 2435; Irwāʾ 1178; al-Kalim al-Tayyib 217; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1040. See also al-Ṣaḥīḥah 904; al-Kalim al-Tayyib (Maʿārif) 218; and the introduction to al-Kalim al-Tayyib (Maʿārif), p. 5.
(46) “He forbade urinating in the direction of the qiblah of the mosque.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 6005. It appears in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ 6813-1 with the wording, “He forbade urinating at the doors of mosques.” See the introduction to Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ, p. 31. Authenticated with both wordings in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2723.
(47) “Swords are the keys to Paradise.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 3376; al-Ḍaʿīfah 3740, vol. 8, p. 217; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2672; see also Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb, vol. 2, p. 141, note 4.