An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 29

A deed that brings you to Jannah

العمل الذي يدخل الجنة

The deeds that bring one to Jannah, the doors of good, and the danger of the tongue.

Sahih

The hadith

عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قُلْت يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ وَيُبَاعِدْنِي مِنْ النَّارِ، قَالَ: "لَقَدْ سَأَلْت عَنْ عَظِيمٍ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ: تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْتَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أَدُلُّك عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ؟ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ، وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ، وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ تَلَا: " تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ " حَتَّى بَلَغَ "يَعْمَلُونَ"،[ 32 سورة السجدة / الأيتان : 16 و 17 ] ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُك بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذُرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ؟ قُلْت: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ: رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذُرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُك بِمَلَاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ؟ فقُلْت: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ! فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَقَالَ: كُفَّ عَلَيْك هَذَا. قُلْت: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: ثَكِلَتْك أُمُّك وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ -أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ- إلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ؟!" . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:2616] وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

On the authority of Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy: worship Allah, without associating any partners with Him; establish the prayer; pay the zakat; fast in Ramadhan; and make the pilgrimage to the House.” Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not guide you towards the means of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; and the praying of a man in the depths of the night.” Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited: “[Those] who forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah’s cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” [as-Sajdah, 16-17] Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its peak is jihad.” Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” So he took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I said, “O Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say with it?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Muadh! Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces — or: on their noses — except the harvests of their tongues?” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth

Reported by
at-Tirmidhi

Lessons

The way to Jannah is made easy for whoever turns to Allah (92:5-7): worship Him without partners, pray, pay zakah, fast and make Hajj. Then come the gates of good: fasting is a shield, charity puts out sin as water puts out fire, and the night prayer (32:16-17). Islam is the head of the matter, prayer its pillar and jihad its peak; and guarding the tongue holds it all together. At-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih.

In practice: keep the obligations, add voluntary fasts, charity and night prayer, and control your tongue.

Evidence

Sahih

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 29

Grades
GraderVerdict
Full narration

عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قُلْت يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ وَيُبَاعِدْنِي مِنْ النَّارِ، قَالَ: "لَقَدْ سَأَلْت عَنْ عَظِيمٍ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ: تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْتَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أَدُلُّك عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ؟ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ، وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ، وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ تَلَا: " تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ " حَتَّى بَلَغَ "يَعْمَلُونَ"،[ 32 سورة السجدة / الأيتان : 16 و 17 ] ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُك بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذُرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ؟ قُلْت: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ: رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذُرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُك بِمَلَاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ؟ فقُلْت: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ! فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَقَالَ: كُفَّ عَلَيْك هَذَا. قُلْت: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: ثَكِلَتْك أُمُّك وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ -أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ- إلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ؟!" . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:2616] وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

On the authority of Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy: worship Allah, without associating any partners with Him; establish the prayer; pay the zakat; fast in Ramadhan; and make the pilgrimage to the House.” Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not guide you towards the means of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; and the praying of a man in the depths of the night.” Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited: “[Those] who forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah’s cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” [as-Sajdah, 16-17] Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its peak is jihad.” Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” So he took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I said, “O Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say with it?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Muadh! Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces — or: on their noses — except the harvests of their tongues?” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth

Graded through the collections it is cited from below.

Sahih

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2616

Grades
GraderVerdict
Ahmad Muhammad ShakirSahih (Sahih)
Al-AlbaniSahih (Sahih)
Bashar Awad MaaroufHasan Sahih (Hasan)
Zubair Ali ZaiHasan (Hasan)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ أَبِي النَّجُودِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي سَفَرٍ فَأَصْبَحْتُ يَوْمًا قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ وَنَحْنُ نَسِيرُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ وَيُبَاعِدُنِي مِنَ النَّارِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ عَظِيمٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ ثُمَّ تَلاََ‏:‏ ‏(‏ تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ ‏)‏ حَتَّى بَلَغَ‏:‏ ‏(‏يَعْمَلُونَ‏)‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ رَأْسُ الأَمْرِ الإِسْلاَمُ وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلاَةُ وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلاَكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا مُعَاذُ وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ أَوْ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ إِلاَّ حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal:"I accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey. One day I was near him while we were moving so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Inform me about an action by which I will be admitted into Paradise, and which will keep me far from the Fire.' He said: 'You have asked me about something great, but it is easy for whomever Allah makes it easy: Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him, establish the Salat, give the Zakat, fast Ramadan and perform Hajj to the HOuse.' Then he said: 'Shall I not guide you to the doors of good? Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire - and a man's praying in depths of the night.'" He said: "Then he recited: 'Their sides forsake their beds to call upon their Lord.' Until he reached: 'What they used to do.' [32:16-17] Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you about the head of the entire matter, and its pillar, and its hump?' I said: 'Of course O Messenger of Allah! He said: 'The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat, and its hump is Jihad.' Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you about what governs all of that?' I said: 'Of course O Messenger of Allah!'" He (ﷺ) said: "So he grabbed his tongue. He said 'Restrain this.' I said: 'O Prophet of Allah! Will we be taken to account for what we say?' He said: 'May your mother grieve your loss O Mu'adh! Are the people tossed into the Fire upon their faces, or upon their noses, except because of what their tongues have wrought

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