Chapter 7

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:

26. When the true believers saw the Confederate hosts, they said: Here is that which Allah and His Messenger had promised us: Allah and His Messenger have been proved right. It only added to their faith and submission (33.23).
27. Those who were told: People have mustered against you, so fear them; but this only added to their faith and they affirmed: Sufficient for us is Allah and an excellent Guardian is He. So they returned with a mighty favour from Allah and a great bounty, having suffered no harm; they followed the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the Lord of great bounty (3.174-175).
28. Put thy trust in the One Who is Ever Living and is the Source of Life, Who dies not (25.59).
29. In Allah alone should the believers put their trust (14.12).
30. Then when thou has made up thy mind concerning a matter, put thy trust in Allah (3.160).
31. Allah is sufficient for him who puts his trust in him (65.4).
32. Believers are only those whose hearts are smitten with awe when Allah’s name is mentioned and whose faith is strengthened when His Signs are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord (8.3-5).

Ahadith

74. Ibn Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet said: I was shown many peoples. I saw a Prophet who had only a small party with him, some Prophets had only one or two persons with them and some did not even have one. Then suddenly I sighted a huge assemblage and I imagined that they were my people, but I was told: This is Moses and his people, but lift your eyes to the horizon. I looked and beheld a great multitude. Then I was told: Now look to the other horizon; and there was a great multitude. I was told: These are your people and of them there are seventy thousand who shall enter Paradise without any accounting or suffering. Then the Holy Prophet stood up and went into his chamber and the company began to speculate about those who would enter Paradise without any accounting or suffering. Some said: It may be they are the ones who kept company with the Holy Prophet; others said: It may be they are the ones who have been born Muslims and have never associated anyone with Allah; and so forth. Then the Holy Prophet came out and asked: What are you discussing? So they told him. He said: They are those who do not make charms or amulets nor seek them, nor seek omens but trust in their Lord. On this Ukasha ibn Muhsin stood up and begged: Supplicate Allah that He makes me one of them. The Holy Prophet said: You are one of them. Then another stood up and begged the same. The Holy Prophet answered: Ukasha forestalled you (Bukhari and Muslim).
75. Ibn Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet used to supplicate: Allah, to Thee I have submitted, in Thee do I believe and in Thee I put my trust, to Thee do I turn and from Thee do I seek judgment. Allah, I seek refuge with Thee through Thy honour, there being no one worthy of worship save Thee alone, that Thou safeguard me against going astray. Thou art the Ever-Living Who dies not, whereas men, high and low, will all die (Bokhari and Muslim).
76. Ibn Abbas relates that when Abraham was thrown into the fire his last words were: Sufficient for me is Allah and an excellent Guardian is He. So did the Holy Prophet when he was told: People have mustered against you, so fear them; this only added to the faith of the Muslims and he and the Muslims said: Sufficient for us is Allah and an excellent Guardian is He (Bokhari).
77. Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: Many people will enter Paradise whose hearts will be like the hearts of the birds (Muslim).
78. Jabir relates that he accompanied the Holy Prophet in a campaign towards Nejd and returned with him. At noontime the party reached a valley of thorny trees where the Holy Prophet made a halt and his companions scattered in search of shade. We also took a siesta and suddenly we heard the Holy Prophet calling us. We hastened to him and saw that a desert Arab was sitting near him. The Holy Prophet said to us: This one drew my sword against me while I was asleep. I woke up and saw that he had the drawn sword in his hand. He said to me: Who will deliver you from me? I told him: Allah; and repeated it three times. The Holy Prophet sat up and imposed no penalty on the man (Bokhari and Muslim).

    Another version runs: We were with the Holy Prophet in the campaign of Dhat-ir-Riqu’a. We came to a shady tree and we left it for him to rest under. A pagan came and seeing the sword of the Holy Prophet which was hanging from tree, drew it, and said to him: Do you fear me? He answered: No. Then the man asked: Now who will deliver you from me? The Holy Prophet answered: Allah. Abu Bakr Ismaili has added in his book that thereupon the sword fell from the man’s hand and the Holy Prophet having secured it asked him: Who will now deliver you from me? The man said: Be a good captor. The Holy Prophet asked him: Will you affirm that there is no one worthy of worship save Allah and that I am His Messenger? The man said: No. But I promise you that I will not fight against you, nor will I join those who do so. The Holy Prophet let him go free. He went back to his people and told them: I have come back to you from one who is the best of mankind.

79. Umar relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say: Were you to put your complete trust in Allah, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They issue forth hungry in the morning and return filled in the evening (Tirmidhi).
80. Bra’a ibn ‘Ahili relates: The Holy Prophet said to me: When you lie down at night you should supplicate: Allah, I submit myself to Thee, and concentrate my mind on Thee, and commit my affairs to Thee, and make Thee my support out of love and fear of Thee. There is no escape from Thee, nor security against Thee save in Thyself. I believe in the Book that Thou hast sent down and in the Prophet Thou hast raised. Then if you die that night you will die in purity and if you survive you will encounter more good (Bokhari and Muslim). Another version has it: The Holy Prophet said to me: When you are ready for bed wash as you would wash for salat, then lie down on your right side and supplicate (as above) and let these be your last words.
81. Abu Bakr Siddique relates: When the Holy Prophet and I were in the cave and we were tracked by the Meccans I saw their feet above us right outside the cave and I said: Messenger of Allah, if one of them were to look down below his feet he would see us. He said: Abu Bakr, what would you think of two with whom Allah is the third? (Bokhari and Muslim).
82. Umm Salamah (mother of the faithful) relates that when the Holy Prophet went out of the house he supplicated: I issue forth in the name of Allah, putting my trust in Him. Allah, I seek Thy protection against going astray or being led astray, or against slipping or being caused to slip, or against trespassing or being trespassed against, or behaving ill towards any or that anyone should behave ill towards me (Abu Daud and Tirmidhi).
83. Anas relates that the Holy Prophet said: He who on emerging from his house supplicates: I issue forth in the name of Allah, putting my trust in Him; there is no strength to resist evil and no power to do good save through Him; is greeted with: He is guided, is sufficed and saved, and Satan withdraws from him (Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, and Nisai). Abu Daud adds: One Satan says to another: How can you subdue one who is guided, is sufficed and is saved?
84. Anas relates that there were two brothers one of whom used to attend upon the Holy Prophet and the other used to occupy himself with his profession. On one occasion the latter complained to the Holy Prophet against the former that he paid no attention to earning his keep, who made answer: It may be that you are being provided because of him (Tirmidhi).