Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)
by Imam Nawawi
7. Chapter: Certainty and Trust in Allah
Allah Almighty says, "When the Believers saw the Confederates, they said, 'This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us. Allah and His Messenger told us the truth.' It only increased them in faith and in submission." (33:22)
The Almighty says, "Those to whom people said: 'The people great army have gathered against you, so fear them.' But that merely increased their faith and they said: 'Allah is enough for us and the best of Guardians.' So they returned with blessings and bounty from Allah and no evil touched them. They pursued the pleasure of Allah. Allah's favour is indeed immense." (3:173-174)
The Almighty says, "Put your trust in the Living who does not, die" (25:58) and the Almighty says, "So let the believers put their trust in Allah," (W14:14; H14:11)
and the Almighty says, "Then when you have reached a firm decision, put your trust in Allah." (3:159) The verses commanding trust are numerous and well-known.
The Almighty says, "Whoever puts his trust in Prophet He will be enough for him." (65:3)
The Almighty says, "The believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith is increased when His Signs are mentioned to them, and who put their trust in their Lord." (8:2)
74. Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'All the nations were shown to me and I saw a Prophet with a small group, and a Prophet with one or two men, and a Prophet with no one at all. Then an enormous mass was shown to me and I thought that they were my community. I was told, "This is Musa and his community, but look to the furthest horizon," and there was an enormous mass. It was said to me, "This is your community. Among them are seventy thousand who will enter the Garden without reckoning or punishment."' Then he got up and entered his house and the people discussed concerning those who would enter the Garden without reckoning or punishment. Some of them said, 'Perhaps it is those who were with the Messenger of Allah,' while others said, 'Perhaps it is those who are born in Islam and do not associate anything with Allah,' and they mentioned various things. The Messenger of Allah came out to them and said, 'What are you discussing?' They told him and he said, 'They are those who do not make charms or ask others for charms, and do not seek omens. They trust in their Lord.' 'Ukkasha ibn Muhsin stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, 'You are one of them.' Then another man stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, "'Ukkasha beat you to it.'" [Agreed upon]
75. Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say, "O Allah, I submit to you and I believe in you and I have relied on you and I turn to you and I have argued by you. I seek refuge with Your might, there is no god other than You, from Your misguiding me. You are the Living who does not die while jinn and men will all die." [Agreed upon. This is the version in Muslim.]
76. Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Allah is enough for us and the best Guardian.' Ibrahim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said this when he was thrown into the Fire and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said it when they said, 'The people great army have gathered against you, so fear them.' But that merely increased their faith and they said: 'Allah is enough for us and the best of Guardians.' "'" (3:173) [al-Bukhari]
In one variant from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, he said, "The last words of Ibrahim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, before he was thrown into the Fire were, 'Allah is enough for me and the best Guardian.'"
77. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "People will enter the Garden whose hearts are like the hearts of birds." [Muslim]
It is said that this means trusting, and it is said that it means their hearts are tender.
78. Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that he went on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the direction of Najd. When the Messenger of Allah returned, he returned with him. Midday overtook them in a valley with a lot of large thorn-trees in it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, alighted and the people split up to seek the shade of the trees. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, alighted under a tree and hung his sword on it. We went to sleep and then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called out to us. There was a bedouin with him and he said, 'This one unsheathed my sword against me while I was asleep. I woke up and he had it unsheathed in his hand and he said, "Who will protect you from me?" I said, "Allah" three times.' He did not punish him, but sat up." [Agreed upon]
In one variant, Jabir said, "We were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at Dhat ar-Riqa'. Then we reached a shady tree and left it for the Messenger of Allah. One of the idolworshippers came while the sword of the Messenger of Allah was hanging from the tree and he unsheathed it and said, 'Do you fear me?' He said, 'No.' He said, 'Who will protect you from me?' He said, 'Allah.'"
In the version of Abu Bakr al-Isma'ili in his Sahih, "He said, 'Who will protect you from me?' He said, 'Allah.'" He said, "The sword fell from his hand and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took the sword and said, 'Who will protect you from me?' He said, 'Be the best seizer.' He said, 'Will you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'No, but I will make a pact with you that I will not fight you nor be with a people who fight you.' So he let him go on his way. He went to his companions and said, 'I have come to you from the best of people.'"
79. 'Umar said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full." [at-Tirmidhi]
80. Abu 'Umara al-Bara' ibn 'Azib reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O so-and-so! When you retire to your bed, say, 'O Allah, I submit myself to You and I have turned my face to You. I have entrusted my affair to You and taken shelter with You out of desire for You and fear of You. There is no shelter nor rescue from You except with You. I have believed in Your Book which You sent down and Your Prophet whom You sent.' If you die during the night, you will die in natural submission, and if you are still alive in the morning, your morning will be good." [Agreed upon]
In a variant in the two Sahih collections, al-Bara' said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'When you go to your bed, do wudu' as you would for the prayer and then lie on your right side and say..." He mentioned the same words and then said, "Make it the last thing you say."
81. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "When we were in the Cave and the idolaters were looking for us, I could see their feet and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, if one of them were to look under his feet, he would see us.' He said, 'Abu Bakr, what do you think of two people of whom Allah is the third?'" [Agreed upon]
82. Umm al-Mu'minin, Umm Salama, whose name was Hind bint Abi Umayya Hudhayfa al-Makhzumiyya reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say when he left his house, "In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from misguiding others or being misguided, or slipping or making others slip, or wronging others or being wronged, or being ignorant or being made ignorant.'" [Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and others. This is the version of Abu Dawud]
83. Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever says, i.e. when he leaves his house, 'In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah and there is no power nor strength except by Allah' will be told, 'You have been guided, spared and protected,' and Shaytan will be kept far from him." [Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and others]
Abu Dawud added, "He, i.e. Shaytan, says to another shaytan, 'How can you get at a man who has been guided, spared and protected?'"
84. Anas said, "There were two brothers in the time of the Prophet. One of them used to come to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the other one worked for a living. The one who worked complained about his brother to the Messenger of Allah and he said, 'It might well be that you have your provision on account of him." [Muslim]
