Supplications and Deeds
Acting Upon Two Qualities Leads to Paradise
Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: There are two habits; whoever adheres to them with sincerity and consistency will enter Paradise. Listen carefully, both are easy, but few people act upon them. After every prayer, one should say ten times the glorification of Allah Almighty (say: Subhanallah), ten times praise (say: Alhamdulillah), and ten times exaltation (say: Allahu Akbar).
Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) counting them on his fingers. He said: “They are one hundred and fifty by the tongue, but in the scale, they will be one thousand five hundred.” (That is the first habit.)
(The second habit is:) When you go to bed to sleep, say one hundred times Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar, and Alhamdulillah. They are one hundred by the tongue, but in the scale, they are one thousand.
(Now tell me,) who among you commits two and a half thousand sins in a day and night?
The people said: We will not be able to do this regularly and consistently. The Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: “This is because when one of you stands to pray, Satan comes to him and says: Remember such and such, think about this or that, until he distracts him from his main task, so that he does not do it. Similarly, when a person lies in his bed, Satan comes and lulls him to sleep until he falls asleep without reciting these glorifications.”
Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) counting them on his fingers. He said: “They are one hundred and fifty by the tongue, but in the scale, they will be one thousand five hundred.” (That is the first habit.)
(The second habit is:) When you go to bed to sleep, say one hundred times Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar, and Alhamdulillah. They are one hundred by the tongue, but in the scale, they are one thousand.
(Now tell me,) who among you commits two and a half thousand sins in a day and night?
The people said: We will not be able to do this regularly and consistently. The Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: “This is because when one of you stands to pray, Satan comes to him and says: Remember such and such, think about this or that, until he distracts him from his main task, so that he does not do it. Similarly, when a person lies in his bed, Satan comes and lulls him to sleep until he falls asleep without reciting these glorifications.”
Dust Coming Over the Heart
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الْعَتَكِيُّ جَمِيعًا عَنْ حَمَّادٍ قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ عَنْ الْأَغَرِّ الْمُزَنِيِّ وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنِّي لَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي الْيَوْمِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
6858 – Sahih Muslim
Thabit narrated from Abu Burdah, who narrated from Al-Aghar al-Muzani (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him), who had the honor of the Prophet’s companionship, that the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: “A covering (like a mist or dust) sometimes comes over my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty one hundred times a day (to remove it).”
A Few Words of Great Virtue
حدثنا إبراهيم بن المنذر الحزامي , حدثنا صدقة بن بشير مولى العمريين , قال: سمعت قدامة بن إبراهيم الجمحي يحدث , انه كان يختلف إلى عبد الله بن عمر بن الخطاب , وهو غلام وعليه ثوبان معصفران , قال: فحدثناعبد الله بن عمر , ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم , حدثهم:" ان عبدا من عباد الله , قال: يا رب , لك الحمد كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك , ولعظيم سلطانك , فَعَضَّلَتْ بِالْمَلَكَيْنِ , فلم يدريا كيف يكتبانها , فصعدا إلى السماء , وقالا: يا ربنا , إن عبدك قد قال مقالة , لا ندري كيف نكتبها , قال الله عز وجل: وهو اعلم بما قال عبده , ماذا قال: عبدي؟ قالا: يا رب , إنه قال: يا رب , لك الحمد كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك , وعظيم سلطانك , فقال الله عز وجل لهما: اكتباها كما قال عبدي , حتى يلقاني , فاجزيه بها".
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Manners, Chapter: The Virtue of Those Who Praise Allah Almighty, Hadith No. 3801)
Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah Almighty be pleased with them both) narrated that the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) told him: Among the servants of Allah Almighty, there was a servant who said:
يا رب , لك الحمد كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك , وعظيم سلطانك
(O my Lord! All praise is due to You as befits the majesty of Your Face and the greatness of Your Authority).
These words became difficult for the two angels (the noble scribes) to record; they did not know how to write them. Finally, both ascended to the heavens and said: “Our Lord! Your servant has uttered a phrase which we do not know how to record.” Allah Almighty the Almighty, who knows best what His servant said, asked: “What did My servant say?” They replied: “He said: O my Lord, all praise is due to You as befits the majesty of Your Face and the greatness of Your Authority.”
Allah Almighty the Almighty said: “Write it down as My servant said it, and leave it until he meets Me, and then I will reward him for it.”