Chapter 6

Riyadh as-Salihin of Imam Nawawi
Translated from the Arabic by Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
Gardens of Righteous

The salutation to the Holy Prophet in the words ‘upon whom be peace and blessings of Allah’ after his name, and the invocation ‘may Allah be pleased with him’ after the names of his companions are expressly set out in the manuscript but are omitted in print in order to accomodate the text to the modern reader. They should, nevertheless, be understood as repeated in each case.

In this translation the form ibn has been used in both initial and medial positions in the names of persons, in order to conform with current usage, although bin occurs medially in the originally text.

Allah, the Exalted, has said:

21. O ye who believe, be mindful of your duty to Allah in all respects (3.103).
22. Be mindful of your duty to Allah as best you can (64.17).
23. O ye who believe, be mindful of your duty to Allah and say the straightforward thing (33.71).
24. Allah will prepare a way out of his difficulties for him who is mindful of his duty to Him and will provide for him whence he expects not (65.3-4).
25. If you are mindful of your duty to Allah, He will bestow upon you a mark of distinction, and will remove from you your ills, and will forgive you. Allah is Lord of great bounty (8.30).

Ahadith

69. Abu Hurairah relates: The Holy Prophet was asked: Who is the most honoured of men? He said: He who is most righteous. The questioners said: That is not what we meant. He said: Then, Joseph, Prophet of Allah, son of a Prophet of Allah, son of a Prophet of Allah, son of Abraham, Friend of Allah. They said: This too is not what we meant. The Holy Prophet said: Then do you ask me concerning the Arab hierarchy? Those who were worthy of honour before Islam are worthy of honour in Islam once they are fully instructed in it (Bokhari and Muslim).
70. Abu Sa’id Khudri relates that the Holy Prophet said: The world is green and pleasant. Allah made you His vicegerents in it, so that He might show you how to react to it. So beware of the beguilement of the world and the women. The first trial of the Bani Israel was through women (Muslim).
71. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud relates that the Holy Prophet used to supplicate: Allah, I beg of Thee guidance, and righteousness and chastity and self-sufficience (Muslim).
72. ‘Adi ibn Hatim relates: I heard the Holy Prophet say: If a person takes an oath to do a certain thing and then discovers something that is closer to righteousness than the first, he should do the second (Muslim).
73. Abu Umamah Bahili relates that he heard the address of the Holy Prophet on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage in the course of which he said: Be mindful of your duty to Allah, observe the five Prayers and the fast of Ramadhan, pay the Zakat duly and obey those in authority among you; you will enter the Garden of your Lord (Tirmidhi).