Explanation of the Comprehensive Book

Introduction

In Bulugh al-Maram, there is a section called Kitab al-Jami' (كتاب الجامع) - the Comprehensive Book, which appears towards the end of the book. This section is intended to cover a variety of general hadiths that do not necessarily fit into the strict legal categories found earlier in the book. These narrations often deal with ethical behavior, social manners, general guidance for living a righteous life, and other broad topics.

Here are some key characteristics of the Kitab al-Jami' section in Bulugh al-Maram:

General Guidance: The hadiths in this section provide general moral and ethical advice on how to conduct oneself in daily life, such as dealing with others, displaying good character, and being mindful of one's responsibilities.

Manners and Etiquette: It includes hadiths on good manners (adab), such as the proper way to interact with others, the importance of humility, generosity, and the value of maintaining good relationships with family, friends, and the community.

Supplications and Remembrance: Some of the hadiths in this section might also emphasize the importance of du'a (supplication) and dhikr (remembrance of Allah), including recommended phrases and acts of worship that are virtuous in various situations.

Miscellaneous Topics: As this section serves as a general collection, it may include hadiths that deal with a variety of topics, from advice on proper speech, gratitude, patience, and other personal virtues to reminders about the Hereafter and the final accountability before Allah.

The Kitab al-Jami' in Bulugh al-Maram functions as a concluding chapter, offering well-rounded guidance that applies across many aspects of life, beyond the specific legal rulings discussed in the earlier chapters. This makes the book not only a source of Islamic law but also a moral and spiritual guide.

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This book gathers six chapters on the manners of the human soul:

The first: Manners.

The second: Righteousness and maintaining ties.

The third: Asceticism and piety.

The fourth: Warning against bad morals.

The fifth: Encouragement towards noble character.

The sixth: Remembrance and supplication.

These chapters revolve around refining the soul, establishing proper conduct, and correcting one's approach. Each chapter will be explained in its place, if Allah the Exalted wills. The explanation is based on Shaykh Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Al Bassam's commentary and explanation, Sharh Bulughul Maram, which provides an in-depth explanation of these hadiths. He elucidates on the significance of each narration, contextualizes their applications, and highlights the virtues they promote. For instance, in discussing the hadith on the six rights of a Muslim over another, Al Bassam emphasizes the importance of fulfilling these obligations to foster a harmonious and just society.

Chapter of Manners

Manners: with the opening of the Hamza and Dal, is a verbal noun from aduba the man, with the Dal broken and sometimes pronounced with a damma (u), meaning: he became well-mannered in character or knowledge.

Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fath: Manners are the practice of what is praiseworthy in speech and action, and it is the embracing of noble character, which is the guidance with which Allah perfected His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when He said: And indeed, you are of a great moral character (Qalam: 4). Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) described him by saying: His character was the Qur'an [Narrated by Muslim (746)].

It is the path that the people of the heart, scholars of spiritual journeying, and those seeking closeness to Allah try to follow.

Al-Safarini said in Sharh Mandhumat Al-Adab: The manners of the people of faith regarding knowledge is to discipline the self, refine the limbs, polish one's nature, maintain boundaries, abandon desires, avoid doubtful matters, guard the heart, and make the inner state equal to the outward appearance.

Al-Ghazali said: Good character is the attribute of the Master of the Messengers, and bad character is the deadly poison and the disgraceful shame. Good character is the inner image of a person, and the soul cannot become purified except through striving. Whoever is dominated by idleness finds striving, discipline, and the work of purifying the soul and refining morals to be burdensome, claiming that morals cannot be changed.

We say to him: If morals were not capable of change, all advice and admonition would be invalid, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have said to Mu'adh bin Jabal: O Mu'adh, improve your character.

Acts of obedience are the polishers and healers of the heart, while sins are its impurities and diseases. The balance of morals is the health of the soul, and deviation from balance is illness and disease.

١٢٤٩ - عَنْ أبِي هُرَيْرَةَ -رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم-:حَقُّ المُسْلِمِ عَلَى المُسْلِمِ سِتٌّ: إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِذَا دَعَاكَ فَأَجِبْهُ، وَإِذَا اسْتَنْصَحَكَ فَانْصَحْهُ، وَإِذَا عَطَسَ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ فَشَمِّتْهُ، وَإذَا مَرِضَ فَعُدْهُ، وَإِذَا مَاتَ فَاتَّبِعْهُ رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

1249 - From Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"The rights of a Muslim over another Muslim are six:

When you meet him, greet him with peace;

When he invites you, respond to him;

When he seeks your advice, advise him;

When he sneezes and praises Allah, say to him 'May Allah have mercy on you';

When he falls ill, visit him;

And when he dies, follow his funeral."

Narrated by Muslim (Muslim (2162).).

Vocabulary of the Hadith:

●  If he invites you, respond to him: The verb ajaba means to respond to a call, and its noun form is ijaba, which is equivalent to obedience. You say: He responded to him and answered his question. The word istijaba also means to respond. Its original form is ajabahu ijwaban, but the letter waw is dropped and replaced with ta, because it belongs to the category of hollow verbs (verbs with a weak root letter, in this case, waw).

●  If he sneezes and praises Allah, say to him 'May Allah have mercy on you': Sneezing refers to the violent expulsion of air from the nose due to a trigger. The word shammit is with the letter shin (with a dot above it) followed by a doubled mim, from the word tashmit. The taf'il pattern indicates removal, and in this context, it refers to removing the enemies' gloating by praying for good, especially by saying May Allah have mercy on you. It can also be pronounced with the letter sin instead of shin, but the pronunciation with shin is more eloquent.

●  If he is ill, visit him: The verb aada (to visit the sick) is used to mean visiting someone in their illness and asking about their condition. The original form of iyaada (visiting the sick) is iwada, but the waw is replaced by a ya for ease of pronunciation.

●  What is taken from the hadith:

Islam is a religion of love, affection, and brotherhood. It encourages and promotes these values. Therefore, it has legislated means to achieve these noble goals. Among the most important of these means are fulfilling social obligations among Muslims, such as spreading peace (greetings), responding to invitations, giving sincere advice in consultation, saying may Allah have mercy on you to someone who sneezes, visiting the sick, and attending funerals.

This hadith emphasizes these rights, and we will discuss them one by one, God willing:

First: Peace (greeting of peace); Allah the Exalted says:

{O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants} [An-Nur: 27], and He also says: {But when you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good} [An-Nur: 61], and He says: {And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with something better than it or return it [in a like manner]} [An-Nisa: 86].

It is reported in Sahih Muslim (54) from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something that if you do, you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves.

Thus, this blessed and good greeting was made by Allah as a bond of affection, love, and brotherhood between Muslims, and between hearts.

It is therefore recommended to offer its complete words and meanings, which are: Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings.

It is mentioned in the book Al-Iqna: Initiating the greeting of peace is Sunnah, and from a group, it is a collective Sunnah (sufficient if done by one person). If a person greets another and then meets him again shortly after, it is recommended to greet him again, and even a third time or more. One should not omit the greeting if he suspects the Muslim will not respond.

Responding to the greeting of peace is an individual obligation for a single person, and a collective obligation for a group.

And the 'waw' (letter 'و') is added in responding to the greeting as an obligation. It is disliked to greet a non-mahram woman unless she is elderly or prominent. It is disliked to greet someone who is reciting (Quran), remembering (Allah), making Talbiyah (during Hajj), talking, delivering a sermon, or admonishing, as well as those listening to them. The prohibited estrangement ends with the greeting. It is recommended to greet when departing, upon entering one's house, an empty house, or an empty mosque, saying: 'Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah.' 'As-salāmu 'alaikum' suffices, and in response: 'Wa 'alaikum as-salām.' Its full form is: 'As-salāmu 'alaikum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuhu,' and the answer is the same. It is not permissible to shake hands with a young non-mahram woman. It is recommended for a man to shake hands with another man and a woman with another woman. One should not withdraw their hand from a handshake until the other person does, except for a need. There is no harm in embracing, kissing the head, or hand for scholars, religious people, and others like them.

The second: 'If he invites you, respond.' Allah the Exalted said: {But if you are invited, then enter, and when you have eaten, disperse} [Al-Ahzab: 53]. It is narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood (3741) from Ibn Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever is invited and does not respond, has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.' In Muslim: 'If one of you invites his brother, let him respond,' and in another version: 'If one of you is invited to a wedding banquet, let him respond.' It is mentioned in Al-Iqna': Responding to a wedding banquet is obligatory if a Muslim invites him, whose boycott is prohibited, and whose earnings are lawful, on the first day. This is the right of the inviter, and the obligation falls by their pardon. If the invitee is sick, caring for the sick, busy safeguarding wealth, or if there is extreme heat, cold, or rain soaking the clothes, or if he is a hired worker and hasn't sought permission from the employer, then the response is not obligatory.

"And responding to a wedding invitation is obligatory—as previously mentioned—and for other permissible invitations, it is recommended.

The third: 'If he asks you for advice, give him advice.' Allah, the Exalted, said: {The believers are but brothers} [Al-Hujurat: 10], and regarding the character of the prophets, peace be upon them, He said: {I am to you a sincere advisor} [Al-A'raf: 68]. It is narrated in Al-Bukhari (57) and Muslim (56) from the hadith of Jarir bin Abdullah, who said: 'I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to establish prayer, give zakat, and offer sincere advice to every Muslim.' It is also narrated in Al-Bukhari (13) and Muslim (45) from Anas, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.' And Muslim narrated in his Sahih (55) from the hadith of Tamim al-Dari that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Religion is sincere advice.' We said: 'To whom, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims, and their general public.'

So, sincere advice is the foundation and structure of the religion. Sincere advice to the general Muslims is to guide them towards what benefits them in their hereafter and worldly life, help them achieve that, cover their faults, fulfill their needs, avert harm from them, bring benefits to them, enjoin what is good, forbid what is evil with kindness and sincerity, show compassion to them, respect the elderly, show mercy to the young, advise them with good counsel, avoid cheating and envying them, and love for them what you love for yourself of good and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself of harm. Giving sincere advice is a communal obligation; if some fulfill it, others are relieved from it. It is obligatory according to one's ability. The meaning of the hadith is that if someone asks you for advice, it becomes obligatory to give it. Without being asked, it is not obligatory, but offering advice is among the virtuous manners of Islam, as the one who guides to good is like the one who performs it.

The fourth: 'If he sneezes and praises Allah, then respond to him.' The manner of this is as narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari (6224) from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'If one of you sneezes, let him say, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), and let his brother respond by saying, Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you). And let him say: Yahdikum Allah wa yuslih balakum (May Allah guide you and rectify your condition).' Al-Nawawi said that it is agreed upon that this is recommended. It is mentioned in Al-Iqna': 'When someone sneezes, he should cover his face, avoid turning away, and praise Allah.' Responding to him is a communal obligation, and it is disliked to respond to someone who does not praise Allah, but one should teach the young to praise Allah, as well as someone who has recently embraced Islam or someone similar.

A man should respond to another man and to an elderly or prominent woman, but he should not respond to a young woman, nor should she respond to him. If someone sneezes a second or third time, respond to him, and if a fourth, pray for his well-being.

The fifth: 'If he falls ill, visit him.' It is narrated in Jami' Al-Tirmidhi (969) from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: No Muslim visits a Muslim in the morning except that seventy thousand angels pray for him until the evening, and if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the morning, and he will have a garden in paradise. This is a Hasan (good) hadith. Sheikh Taqi al-Din said: 'The text implies that visiting the sick is obligatory,' and Al-Bukhari affirmed this. However, the majority of jurists view it as recommended, and Al-Nawawi reported consensus on the lack of obligation. The understanding of the hadith is that visiting the sick is the right of a Muslim, but the Prophet, peace be upon him, visited a Jewish person, as mentioned in Al-Bukhari, and he also visited his uncle, Abu Talib, as found in the two Sahihs."

He said in Al-Iqna': He asks him about his condition, gives him comfort with words that please his soul, does not prolong his sitting, and comes back from time to time.

It is mentioned in Al-Bukhari (5743) and Muslim (2191), from Aisha: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite supplications for some of his family members, wiping his right hand over them, and saying: 'O Allah, Lord of the people, remove the harm, heal, for You are the Healer; there is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.'

The sixth: If he dies, follow him. It is mentioned in Al-Bukhari (1325) and Muslim (945) from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is offered, he will have a qirat (reward), and whoever attends it until burial, he will have two qirats.' It was said: 'What are the two qirats?' He said: 'Like two great mountains.'"

He said in Al-Iqna': Following the funeral is a Sunnah (commendable act), and it is the right of the deceased and his family. Al-Ajurri said: It is good to follow the funeral to fulfill the right of one's Muslim brother.

It is disliked to raise one's voice or cry aloud when the funeral is lifted, even with recitation or remembrance. It is recommended to be humble, reflective of one's condition, and to take heed of death and what the deceased is facing. Smiling is disliked, laughing is even worse, and talking about worldly matters is also discouraged.

١٢٥٠ - وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ -رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم-: انْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ، وَلاَ تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكُمْ؛ فَهُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ لاَ تَزْدَرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ (١).

1250 - From Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Look at those who are below you and do not look at those who are above you; for that is more likely to prevent you from belittling the blessings of Allah upon you. Agreed upon (1).

(1) Al-Bukhari (6490), Muslim (2963).

Vocabulary of the Hadith:

●  A-jdar: Derived from jadr, which is the root of the tree; it is as if it is firmly established, meaning: more deserving and proper, so that you do not belittle the blessings of Allah upon you.

●  Tazdaru: It is said: Izdarahu izdi-ra'an, meaning: he despised and belittled him.

What is derived from the Hadith:

Inner contentment is only attained through good perspective and satisfaction with what Allah has allocated to the servant. When one satisfies their soul and fills their mind with awareness of Allah’s blessings upon them, they achieve psychological comfort, inner peace, and acceptance of what Allah has apportioned for them. Thus, they do not aspire to worldly matters beyond those who are above them, nor do their eyes reach toward those above them in this regard. By doing so, their heart finds ease, their soul becomes content, and they enjoy a peaceful life. Otherwise, no matter how much they accumulate in terms of worldly gains, they will always find someone with more, leading to heartache, mental strain, physical exhaustion, distraction, and heedlessness in preparing for their eternal life and lasting happiness.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) guided his Ummah (community) toward the path of contentment and showed them the way of satisfaction. He instructed them to look, in matters of this world, at those who are lower than them and less fortunate in worldly terms. For no matter how poor someone may be, they will find someone poorer, and no matter how sick they may be, they will find someone in a worse condition. Even if they have a disability, they will find someone with a greater disability or a more severe trial. When they reflect deeply, they will realize that Allah has favored them over many of His creation. This wise perspective will bring peace to their heart, happiness to their soul, increase their faith in their Lord, make them more grateful for His blessings, and more patient with His tests, seeking what is with Allah.

As for looking at acts of worship and acts of obedience, one should look at those who are above them and consider themselves among the deficient. They should admire those who have surpassed them and strive diligently to catch up with them. Allah says: {And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous} [Aal ‘Imran 133], and He says: {They hasten to good deeds, and they are foremost in them} [Al-Mu’minun 61], and He says: {So for this, let the competitors compete} [Al-Mutaffifin 26].

In Sahih Muslim (5664), from the hadith of Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though there is good in both. Strive for that which benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be helpless.

In Al-Bukhari (6122) and Muslim (2823), from Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Hellfire is surrounded by desires, and Paradise is surrounded by hardships.

١٢٥١ - وَعَنِ النَّوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ -رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ- قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- عَنِ البِرِّ وَالإِثْمِ؟ فَقَالَ: البِرُّ حُسْنُ الخُلُقِ، وَالإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ، وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ (١).

1251 - From An-Nawwas bin Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about righteousness and sin. He said: Righteousness is good character, and sin is what causes uneasiness in your heart and you dislike that people become aware of it. Narrated by Muslim (1).

(1) Muslim (2553).

Vocabulary of the Hadith:

- Al-Birr: With a kasrah on the 'ba', it means extensive goodness; it is a comprehensive term for all good deeds, including earning rewards, avoiding sins, and performing sincere, continuous actions.

- Good character: Ibn Daqiq al-‘Eid said: It means fairness in dealings, gentleness in discussions, justice in judgments, generosity, and kindness, among other qualities of the believers.

- Al-Ithm: Refers to sins and wrongdoings, either against Allah or His creation. Ibn Daqiq al-‘Eid explained that ithm is something that causes unease in the heart, which serves as a foundation to identify sin.

- Haaka: It refers to something that causes hesitation and stirs thoughts in your chest, and you fear it might be a sin.

What is derived from the Hadith:

The Hadith includes the explanation of two terms: Birr (righteousness) and Ithm (sin), and this is their meaning:

- Righteousness: Ibn Rajab said that righteousness includes all internal acts of obedience, such as faith in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, as well as external acts of obedience, such as spending wealth in ways Allah loves, establishing prayer, giving zakat, fulfilling covenants, and being patient with trials, such as illness and poverty, and with acts of worship, such as patience in facing the enemy. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) answer in An-Nawwas' hadith may encompass all these qualities.

Because good character may refer to adopting the manners of the Shariah and behaving according to the etiquette with which Allah has taught His servants in His Book. As Allah said to His Messenger (peace be upon him): {And indeed, you are of great moral character} [Al-Qalam: 4].

Aisha said: His character was the Qur'an, meaning he adhered to its etiquettes, acted upon its commands, and avoided its prohibitions, so his conduct became naturally aligned with the Qur'an, like an inherent trait, inseparable from him. This is the best, noblest, and most beautiful character. It has been said: The whole of religion is character.

Ibn Daqiq al-‘Eid said: Righteousness is good character. The meaning of good character is fairness in dealings, gentleness in discussions, justice in judgments, generosity, and kindness—qualities of the believers described by Allah, who said: {The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble} [Al-Anfal: 2], and His statement: {The repentant, the worshippers} [At-Tawbah: 112], and His statement: {Certainly will the believers have succeeded} [Al-Mu’minun: 1], and His statement: {And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth humbly} [Al-Furqan: 63].

Whoever is uncertain about their state should compare themselves to these verses. The presence of all these traits is a sign of good character; their absence is a sign of bad character; and having some but not all of them indicates a lack of completeness. One should focus on preserving what they have found and acquiring what they lack.

No one should think that good character is simply being mild and avoiding foul acts. Instead, good character includes the qualities we mentioned, which belong to the believers, as well as enduring harm with patience.

Sheikh Ahmed Hegazy explained in his commentary on the Forty Hadiths: Righteousness refers to what is required by the Shariah in terms of obligation and recommendation. It is essentially kindness, which includes three things: a cheerful face, refraining from harm, and giving generously, as well as loving for others what one loves for themselves. It also includes fairness in dealings, gentleness in discussions, justice in judgments, secret kindness, selflessness in hardship, good companionship, a gentle demeanor, enduring harm, performing obligatory duties, and avoiding prohibitions.

Sin is what affects the heart and causes discomfort and restlessness, so the chest does not feel at ease with it. Along with this, it is something that people would find objectionable if they knew about it. This is the highest level of recognizing sin when in doubt—it is what people disapprove of, whether they commit it or not.

This is similar to what Ibn Mas‘ud said: What the believers see as good is good in the sight of Allah, and what they see as evil is evil in the sight of Allah.

In summary: What is explicitly stated in the text leaves no room for the believer except to obey Allah and His Messenger, as Allah said: {It is not for a believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have any choice in their affair} [Al-Ahzab: 36]. This should be accepted with an open heart and contentment, for what Allah and His Messenger have legislated must be believed in, accepted, and submitted to, as Allah said: {But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you judge in what is in dispute between them} [An-Nisa: 65].

As for matters for which there is no clear text from Allah and His Messenger