(58) “I shall tell you what kept me from coming out to you this morning. I rose, performed wuduʾ (ablution), and prayed what had been decreed for me; then I became drowsy in my prayer until deep sleep overcame me. Suddenly I beheld my Lord, Exalted is He, in the most beautiful form. He said: ‘O Muhammad!’ I replied, ‘Here I am, my Lord.’ He asked, ‘About what are the Highest Company disputing?’ I answered, ‘I do not know’—and He repeated this three times. Then I saw Him place His palm between my shoulders; I felt the coolness of His fingertips upon my chest and everything became clear to me and I understood. He said, ‘O Muhammad!’ I replied, ‘Here I am.’ He asked, ‘About what are the Highest Company disputing?’ I said, ‘About the expiations.’ He said, ‘And what are they?’ I answered, ‘Walking with one’s feet to the prayers, remaining in the mosques after the prayers, and performing wuduʾ thoroughly when it is disagreeable.’ He said, ‘And about what else?’ I replied, ‘About feeding the needy, gentle speech, and praying by night while people are asleep.’ He then said, ‘Ask.’ I said, ‘O Allah, I ask You to enable me to do good deeds, to abstain from evil deeds, to love the poor; forgive me and have mercy on me. If You intend to afflict a people, then take me to You untried. I ask You for Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of every deed that brings me near to Your love.’ The Prophet concluded: ‘It is true, so study it and learn it.’ Reported by al-Tirmidhī and others; graded weak in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 1233, but see Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ 59, Hidāyat al-Ruwāt 693, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb 408, and al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3169.

(59) “Three supplications are never rejected: the fasting person until he breaks his fast, the just ruler, and the supplication of the oppressed.” Al-Kalim al-Ṭayyib (3rd ed.). Al-Tirmidhī said, “A ḥasan hadith.” The Shaykh remarked that al-Ḥāfiẓ held the same view, yet he himself considered the chain problematic because it revolves around Abū Mudillah, whom al-Dhahabī declared unknown. In Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3598 the Shaykh judged it weak, though he authenticated the first half with the wording “the traveller” in place of “the just ruler.” Another narration has “the parent.” See also Ibn Mājah 1752, al-Kalim al-Ṭayyib (al-Maʿārif) p. 163, and al-Ṣaḥīḥah 596.

(60) “He led the dawn prayer (Fajr) with Sūrah al-Rūm.” Tamām al-Minna, p. 180: the Shaykh said, “This is not established,” although it was reported by al-Nasāʾī 947 and Aḥmad. In Ṣifat Ṣalāt al-Nabī (al-Maʿārif) p. 110 he later wrote, “It was narrated by al-Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, and al-Bazzār with a good chain,” and this is his final view, contrary to what he recorded in Tamām al-Minna and elsewhere. See also Mishkāt 295.

(61) “Whoever boycotts his brother for a full year, it is as though he has spilled his blood.” Mishkāt 5036: the Shaykh first said its chain was weak; in Hidāyat al-Ruwāt 4963 he later concluded that its chain is sound, and he confirmed that in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 928.

(62) “Whoever from my community sends one prayer upon me, sincerely from his heart, Allah will send ten prayers upon him, raise him ten degrees, record for him ten good deeds, and erase ten sins.” Al-Ḍaʿīfah 5141; see al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3360 and Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb 1659.

(63) A man was sitting with the Prophet when his young son came; he kissed him and seated him on his lap. Then his daughter came and he seated her at his side. The Prophet said, “You have not been fair to them,” meaning in the kiss. The Shaykh classed the report as fabricated, yet it appears in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3098 with the wording, “Why did you not treat them equally?” See also al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2883 and 2994.

(64) “He has repented a repentance which, had the collector of unlawful taxes repented with it, it would have been accepted from him.” Listed as weak in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 4703 and referred to al-Ḍaʿīfah 4315. Under hadith 4314 of al-Ḍaʿīfah the publisher notes that the Shaykh wrote in his own hand above the text, “After this comes the hadith ‘He has repented a repentance…’,” and he transferred it to al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3238, where it now appears.

(65) “Name him with the dearest of names to me: Ḥamzah.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 3284; al-Ḍaʿīfah 3707; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2878.

(66) “Those who live in satiety in this world will be the hungriest in the Hereafter.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 1836; al-Ḍaʿīfah 316. The Shaykh wrote in the preface to al-Ḍaʿīfah, vol. 1, p. 5 (al-Maʿārif), that he raised two hadiths from that volume to al-Ṣaḥīḥah, mentioning this one among them. It is found in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 343 with the wording, “Spare us your belching, for those who are fullest in this life will be hungriest on the Day of Resurrection.”

(67) When the Messenger of Allah conquered Mecca, Iblīs let out a scream and his troops gathered around him. He said, “Despair of ever getting the ummah of Muhammad to return to polytheism after this day of yours, but try them in their religion and spread wailing among them.” Al-Ḍaʿīfah 5004; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3467 and al-Targhīb 3526. It is stated there that it occurs in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3417, but in fact it is under number 3467.

(68) “How pure you are and how pleasant is your fragrance! How great you are and how great is your sanctity”—meaning the Kaʿbah—“yet, by Him in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul, the sanctity of a believer is greater before Allah than yours: his wealth, his blood, and that we think of him only good.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 5006; Ibn Mājah 3933; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3420.

(69) “The prize of gatherings devoted to remembrance is Paradise.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 3919; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3335 and Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb 1507.

(70) “Which of creation possesses the most astonishing faith?” They said, “The angels.” He replied, “How could the angels not believe?” They said, “The prophets.” He said, “The prophets receive revelation—how could they not believe?” They said, “The Companions.” He said, “The Companions are with the prophets—how could they not believe? Rather, the most astonishing people in faith are a folk who will come after you. They will find a book of revelation, believe in it, and follow it; they are the most astonishing of people in faith.” Al-Ḍaʿīfah 647; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3215.