IV. Looking after girls
41. Someone who looks after three or two daughters
76. ‘Uqba ibn ‘Amir reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, say, “If someone has three daughters and is patient with them and clothes them from his wealth,
they will be a shield against the Fire for him.”
77. Ibn ‘Abbas reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, say, “There is no Muslim who has two daughters and takes good care of them but that he will
enter the Garden.”
78. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, “Anyone who has three daughters and provides for them, clothes them and shows mercy
to them will definitely enter the Garden.” A man from the people said, “And two daughters,
Messenger of Allah?” He said, “And two.”
42. Someone who looks after three sisters
79. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, “No one has three daughters or three sisters and is good to them but that he will enter the
Garden.”
43. The excellence of someone who looks after his daughter after she has been sent
back home
80. Musa ibn ‘Ali reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Shall I
show you the greatest sadaqa (or one of the greatest forms of sadaqa)?” He replied, “Yes, indeed,
Messenger of Allah!” He went on, “To provide for your daughter when she is returned to you and you
are her sole source of provision.”
81. Suraqa ibn Ju’shum reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said the like of previous hadith.
82. Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, say, “What you feed yourself is sadaqa for you. What you feed your child is sadaqa for you.
What you feed your wife is sadaqa is for you. What you feed your servant is sadaqa for you.”
44. Disliking for someone to hope for the death of daughters
83. It is reported that there was a man who had daughters who was with Ibn ‘Umar when he wished
that his daughters were dead. Ibn ‘Umar became angry and said, “While you are providing for them!”
V. Looking after children
45. A child is a source of both honour and cowardice
84. ‘A’isha said, “Abu Bakr said, ‘By Allah, there is no man on the face of the earth that I love better
than ‘Umar.’ Then he went out and came back and said, ‘How did I swear, daughter?’ I told him what
he had said. Then he said, ‘He is dearer to me although one’s child is closer (to one’s heart).'”
85. Ibn Abi Nu’m said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar when a man asked him about the blood of gnats. He
asked, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘From the people of Iraq,’ he replied. He said, ‘Look at this man! He asks
about the blood of gnats when they murdered the grandson of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace! I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘They are my
sweet basil in this world.'”
46. Carrying a child on one’s shoulders
86. Al–Bara’ said, “I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when al–Hasan was
on his shoulder. He was saying, ‘O Allah, I love him, so love him.'”
47. A child is a source of joy
87. Jubayr ibn Nufayr said, “One day we were sitting when al–Miqdad ibn al–Aswad when a man
passed us. The man said, ‘Blessing be to those two eyes which saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace. By Allah, I wish that I had seen what you have seen and witnessed
what you have witnessed!’ This angered al–Miqdad and that surprised me as the man had said nothing
but good things. Then he turned to them and said, ‘What made the man desire to summon back what
Allah has taken away? Does he not realise what his situation would be if he had seen him? By Allah,
if certain people had been with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
Allah would have thrown them on their faces into Hellfire since they would neither have answered nor
confirmed him? Do you not praise Allah Almighty since He brought you forth and you only know
your Lord and confirm what your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought? You
see enough affliction in other people. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, was sent in the harshest state in which any Prophet was ever sent – in a gap (in the
line of prophethood) and the time of Ignorance. They did not believe that the deen was better than
worshipping idols. He brought the Discrimination by which it is possible to discriminate between the
true and false, and which can part a father from his child. Then a man will think of his father, child or
brother as an unbeliever. Allah has loosened the locks of his heart by faith and he knows that the other
person will be destroyed in the Fire. Therefore his eye is not cool since he knows that the one he loves
will be in the Fire. It is what Allah says, “Those who say, ‘Our Lord, give us joy in our wives and
children.” (25:74)'”
48. A person who makes supplication that his friend will have a lot of money and
many children
88. Anas said, “One day I visited the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and there was
only myself, my mother and my aunt, Umm Hiram. When he came to us, he asked us, ‘Shall I pray
with you?’ It was not the time of an obligatory prayer.” One of those listening to the person relating
this asked, “Where did he put in Anas in relation to him?” The reply was, “He put him to his right.”
The report from Anas continues, “Then he prayed with us and made supplication for us, the people of
the house, that we would have the best of the blessings of this world and the Next. My mother said,
‘Messenger of Allah, make supplication to Allah for your little servant,’ and he asked Allah to grant
me every blessing. At the end of his supplication, he said, ‘O Allah, grant him a lot of money and
many children and bless him!'”
49. Mothers are merciful
89. Anas ibn Malik said, “A woman came to ‘A’isha and ‘A’isha gave her three dates. She gave each of
her two children a date and kept one date for herself. The children ate the two dates and then looked at
their mother. She took her date and split in it two and gave each child half of it. The Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and ‘A’isha told him about it. He said, ‘Are you surprised at
that? Allah will show her mercy because of her mercy towards her child.'”
50. Kissing Children
90. ‘A’isha said, “A bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and
asked, “Do you kiss your children? We do not kiss them.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘Can I put mercy in your hearts after Allah has removed it from them?'”
91. Abu Hurayra said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissed
Hasan ibn ‘Ali while al-Aqra’ ibn Habis at-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra’ observed, ‘I have
ten children and I have kissed any of them.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, looked at him and said, ‘Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.'”
51. The parent teaching adab and his duty towards his child
92. Numayr ibn Aws said, “They used to say, ‘Correct action is a gift from Allah, but adab comes from
the parents.”
93. An-Nu’man ibn Bashir said that his father had carried him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace. He said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I testify to you that I have given anNu’man such-and-such. (It was a slave). The Prophet asked, “Have you given each of your children
the same”?” “No,” he replied. He said, “Then testify to someone other than me.” Then the Prophet
asked, “Do you not want to show equal kindness to all of them?” “Indeed I do,” he replied. He said,
“Then do not do it.”
52. The dutifulness of a father to his child
94. Ibn ‘Umar said, “Allah has called them the ‘dutiful’ (al-Abrar) because they are dutiful (birr) to
their parents and children. Just as you have a duty which you owe your parent, so you have a duty
which you owe your child.”
53. Someone who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy
95. Abu Sa’id that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Someone who does
not show mercy will not be shown mercy.”
96. Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘Allah will not show mercy to someone who does not show mercy to people.”
97. Same as 97.
98. ‘A’isha said, “Some bedouins came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. One
of their men said to him, ‘Messenger of Allah, do you kiss children? By Allah, we do not kiss them.’
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Can I put mercy in your
hearts after Allah has removed it from them?'”
99. Abu ‘Uthman reported that ‘Umar wanted to appoint a man as governor. The governor said, “I have
such-and-such a number of children and I have never kissed any of them.” ‘Umar said, “Allah
Almighty will only show mercy to the kindest of His slaves.”
54. Mercy consists of a hundred parts
100. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, “Allah Almighty has divided mercy into one hundred parts. He kept ninety-nine parts and sent
down one part to earth. Because of that one single part, creatures are merciful to one another so that
even the mare will lift its hooves away from its foal so that it does not trample on it.”
VI. Neighbours
55. The recommendation to be kind to neighbours
101. ‘A’isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Jibril, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, kept on recommending that I treat neighbours well until I
thought that he would order me to treat them as my heirs.”
102. Abu Shurayh al-Khuza’i reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, “Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should be good to his neighbours. Anyone who
believes in Allah and the Last Day should be generous to his guest. Anyone who believes in Allah and
the Last Day should be say what is good or be silent.”
56. The neighbour’s due
103. Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, asked his Companions about fornication and they said, “It is unlawful. Allah and His
Messenger have made it unlawful.” He said, “It is less serious for a man to fornicate with ten women
than for him to fornicate with his neighbour’s wife.” Then he asked them about stealing. They replied,
“It is unlawful. Allah and His Messenger have made it unlawful.” He said, “It is less serious for a man
to steal from ten houses than it is for him to steal from his neighbour’s house.”
57. Begin with the neighbour
104. Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Jibril kept on recommending that I treat my neighbours well until I thought that he would order me to
treat them as my heirs.”
105. Mujahid reported that a sheep was slaughtered for ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr. He asked his slave, ‘Have
you given any to our Jewish neighbour? Have you given any to our Jewish neighbour? I heard the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘Jibril kept on recommending that
I treat my neighbours well until I thought that he would order me to treat them as my heirs.'”
106. Same as 101.
58. You give to the neighbour whose door is the nearest to you
107. ‘A’isha said, “I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I have two neighbours. To whom should I give my
gifts?’ He replied, ‘To the one whose door is nearer to you.'”
108. same as 108 with a different isnad.
59. The nearest and then next nearest neighbour
109. Al-Hasan was asked about the neighbour and said, “The term ‘neighbour’ includes the forty
houses in front a person, the forty houses behind him, the forty houses on his right and the forty
houses on his left.”
110. Abu Hurayra said, “Do not begin with your more distant neighbours before the closer ones.
Rather begin with your nearest neighbours before the most distant ones.”
60. The person who shuts his door against his neighbour
111. Ibn ‘Umar said, “There was a time when no one was more entitled to a person’s money than his
Muslim brother. Now people love their dirhams and dinars more than their Muslim brother. I heard
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘How many a neighbour will be brought
together with his neighbour on the Day of Rising! He will say, “Lord, this man closed his door to me
and refused to show me common kindness!”‘”
61. A person should not eat his fill without seeing to his neighbour
112. Ibn ‘Abbas told Ibn az-Zubayr, “I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
say, ‘A man is not a believer who fills his stomach while his neighbour is hungry.'”
62. When there is a lot of stew, it is divided between the neighbours
113. It is reported that Abu Dharr said, “My dear friend, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
enjoined three things on me: ‘Hear and obey, even if the ruler is a slave with his limbs amputated.
When you cook a stew, put a lot of water in it and then go and see the people of a neighbouring house
and give them a reasonable amount of it. Pray the prayers at their proper prayers. Then if you find that
the imam has already prayed, you have guarded your prayer (by already having performed it). If not, it
is a supererogatory prayer (since you have done it again).”
114. Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Abu
Dharr! If you cook some stew, make a lot of it and fulfil your duty to your neighbours (or divide it
among your neighbours).”
63. The best neighbour
115. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, “The best of companions in the sight of Allah Almighty is the best of them
towards his companion, and the best of neighbours in the sight of Allah is the best of them towards his
neighbour.”
64. The righteous neighbour
116. Nafi’ ibn ‘Abdu’l-Harith reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Part of the happiness of the Muslim man includes a spacious dwelling, righteous neighbour and a
good mount”
65. The bad neighbour
117. Abu Hurayra said, “Part of the supplication of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, was, “Oh Allah, I seek refuge with you from an evil neighbour in the Eternal World. A
neighbour in this world can be changed.
118. Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“The Final Hour will not come until a man kills his neighbour, his brother and his father.”
66. A person should not injure his neighbour
119. Abu Hurayra said, “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked,
‘Messenger of Allah! A certain woman prays in the night, fasts in the day, acts and gives sadaqa, but
injures her neighbours with her tongue.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘There is no good in her. She is one of the people of the Fire.’ They said, ‘Another woman
prays the prescribed prayers and gives bits of curd as sadaqa and does not injure anyone.’ The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘She is one of the people of the
Garden.'”
120. ‘Umara ibn Ghurab reported that an aunt of his told him that she asked ‘A’isha, Umm alMu’minin, “If a woman’s husband desires her and she refuses to give herself to him either because she
is angry or not eager, is there anything wrong in that?” “Yes,” she replied. “Part of his right over you
is that if he desires you when you are on a saddle, you must not refuse him.” She said, “I also asked
her, ‘If one of us is menstruating and she and her husband only have a single cover, what should she
do?’ She replied, ‘She should wrap her wrapper around her and sleep with him. He can have what is
above it. I will tell you what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did on one of his
nights with me. I had cooked some barley and made loaf for him. He came in, stopped at the door, and
then went into the mosque. When he wanted to sleep, he closed the door, tied up the waterskin, turned
the cup over and put out the light. I waited for him and he ate the loaf. He did not go until I fell asleep.
Later he felt the cold and came and got me up. “Warm me! Warm me!” he said. I said, “I am
menstruating.” He said, “Then uncover your thighs,” so I uncovered my thighs and he put his cheek
and head on my thighs until he was warm. Then a pet sheep belonging to our neighbour came in. I
went and took the load away. I disturbed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and
he woke up, so I chased the sheep to the door. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, “Take what you got of your loaf and do not injure your neighbour’s sheep.”‘”
121. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, “A person whose neighbours are not safe from his evil will not enter the Garden.”
67. A woman should not disdain anything which her female neighbour gives her,
even if it is only the hooves of a sheep
122. ‘Amr ibn Mu’adh al-Ashhali reported that his grandmother said, “The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Believing women! Do not let any of you women disdain
her female neighbour’s gift, even if it is only a burnt sheep’s hoof.'”
123. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, “Muslim women! Muslim women! A woman should not disdain her female neighbour’s gift,
even if it is only a sheep’s hoof.”
68. The neighbour’s complaint
124. Abu Hurayra said, “A man said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I have a neighbour who does me harm.’ He
said, ‘Go and take your things out into the road.’ He took his things out into the road. People gathered
around him and asked, ‘What’s the matter?’ He replied, ‘A neighbour of mine injures me and I
mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He told me, “Take
your things out into the road.”‘ They began to say, ‘O Allah, curse him! O Allah, disgrace him!’ When
the man heard that, he came out to him and said, ‘Go back to your home. By Allah, I will not harm
you.'”
125. Abu Juhayfa said, “A man complained to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
about his neighbour. The Prophet said, ‘Take your bags and put them in the road and whoever passes
them will curse him.’ Everyone who passed him began to curse that neighbour. Then he went to the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘How many people I met!’ He said, ‘The
curse of Allah is on top of their curse!’ Then he told the one who had complained, ‘You have enough,’
or words to that effect.”
126. Jabir said, “A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to complain to
him about the enmity of his neighbour. While he was sitting between the Corner and the Maqam, the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, approached with a man who was wearing a white
garment. They went to the Maqam where they were praying for the dead. He went up to the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘May my mother and my father be your ransom,
Messenger of Allah! Who is this man I see with you wearing the white garment?’ ‘You saw him?’ he
asked. ‘Yes,’ the man replied. He said, ‘Then you have seen much good. That was Jibril, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, the Messenger of my Lord. He kept on recommending that I treat my
neighbours well until I thought that he would order me to make them my heirs.'”
69. Someone who harms his neighbour until he forces him to leave
127. Thawban said, “When two men cut each other off for more than three days and one of them dies,
then they both die while relations between them are severed and both of them are destroyed. There is
no man who wrongs his neighbour to the extent that he forces him until he makes him leave his home
who is not destroy