Allah Almighty says: {and those who say, “Our Lord, let our spouses and children be a source of joy for us, and make us good examples for the righteous.”} [Surat al-Furqān: 74] Allah Almighty also says: {And We made them leaders, guiding people by Our command} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 73]
1) A servant of Allah should hasten and compete to do good deeds and acts of worship, and to be an example for others to follow in all ways of doing good. This is indeed the best of graces bestowed by Allah Almighty upon His servant.
2) Leadership in religion must be accompanied by patience for what the person would face of tiredness, trouble, and lusts. He must have certitude, which is firm knowledge, so that he becomes steadfast in the face of doubts. Indeed, by patience and certitude leadership in religion is attained.
171/1- Abu ‘Amr, Jarīr ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) shortly after dawn when there came to him some people wearing striped woolen rags, or covered with sleeveless blankets; with swords hanging down from their necks. Most of them, rather all of them, belonged to the Mudar tribe. The Prophet’s face changed when he saw them in such a state of poverty. Then he went into his house and came out; then he commanded Bilāl to proclaim the Adhān. So he proclaimed the Adhān and recited Iqāmah and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer. Then he delivered a sermon, saying: “{O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul...} until the end of the verse: {for Allah is Ever Watchful over you.} And (he then recited) the other verse at the end of Surat al-Hashr: {O you who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul consider what it has sent forth for tomorrow} A man donated a dinar, another a dirham, still another clothes, another donated a Sā‘ (measure) of wheat, some a Sā‘ of dates till the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Bring even if it is half a date.” Then a man from the Ansār came with a money bag which his hands could hardly lift; in fact, they could not lift it. Then the people followed continuously, till I saw two heaps of eatables and clothes and I saw the face of the Messenger of Allah glistening like gold (on account of joy). The Messenger of Allah, (may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him) then said: “Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam, he will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him without anything being diminished from their rewards. And whoever introduces an evil practice in Islam, he will bear its sin and the sins of all those who will act upon it, without diminishing anything of their burden.” [Narrated by Muslim]
-- Wearing striped woolen rags: the verb used in the Hadīth means that they are wearing them after making a hole from which their heads appear.
The root of that verb is jawb, which means to cut, as used in the words of Allah Almighty: {and Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the Valley} i.e. they carved and cut the rock. -- -- --
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1) The Prophet’s care and compassion for his Ummah and his concern for their conditions.
2) The rulers should check the conditions of their subjects and take care of their interests.
3) The excellence of charity; a person has to give in charity abundantly as it brings benefit to himself and others.
4) Muslims are encouraged to practice the abandoned acts of Sunnah because doing so means reviving of the Sunnah itself.
5) Warning people against evil practices, because whosoever introduces an evil practice will bear its sin and the sins of all those who will follow him in practicing it.
Some of those who wish to do good deeds and earn more rewards took this Hadīth as evidence on the permissibility of doing some religious innovations saying, “They are good innovations by evidence of the Hadīth that says: ‘Whosoever introduces a good practice in Islam...” This is incorrect understanding because the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) made an inclusive statement: “Every innovation in religion is misguidance.” He did not make any exception. They are all considered misguidance and evil deeds.
Rather, the intended meaning of the Hadīth is to urge people to compete in doing good deeds and to hasten to do them. This is apparent from the context of the Hadīth. A good practice has an origin in Islamic legislation, but it sometimes becomes unknown or abandoned. When someone revives it and spreads it among people, he is then introducing a good practice. As for a religious innovation, it has no origin in the Islamic legislation. How nice the words of Imām Ash-Shāfi‘i are when he said, “He who practices Istihsān (juristic preference) has legislated.” Another statement was made by the Imām of Dār al-Hijrah (Madinah), Mālik ibn Anas (may Allah have mercy upon him), “Whatever was not part of the religion then, it will not be so today.”
172/2- Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No soul gets killed wrongfully without the first son of Adam bearing guilt for its blood because he was the first to introduce the practice of murder.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
The first son of Adam is Qābīl (Cain), as he killed his brother Hābīl (Abel).
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1) Whoever introduces an evil practice will bear its sin and the sins of all those who will practice it till the Day of Resurrection.
2) One of the aspects of punishment for a sin is that it drags its doer into committing more sins, unless he repents.
3) Killing without a just cause is one of the major sins with which Allah Almighty has been disobeyed.