عن أبي سروعة -بكسر السين المهملة وفتحها- عقبة ابن الحارث رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ صليت وراء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بالمدينة العصر، فسلم ثم قام مسرعاً فتخطى رقاب الناس إلى بعض حجر نسائه، ففزع الناس من سرعته، فخرج عليهم، فرأى أنهم قد عجبوا من سرعته، قال ‏ “‏ذكرت شيئاً من تبر عندنا فكرهت أن يحبسنى، فأمرت بقسمته‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه البخاري‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

وفي رواية للبخاري ‏:‏ ‏ ‏كنت خلفت في البيت تبراً من الصدقة، فكرهت أن أبيته‏ ‏‏.‏ ‏(‏‏(‏التبر‏)‏‏)‏ قطع ذهب أو فضة

‘Uqbah bin Al-Harith RA said: Once I performed the ‘Asr prayer in Al-Madinah behind the Prophet ﷺ. He (ﷺ) got up quickly after finishing the prayer with Taslim, and stepping over the people, went to one of the rooms of his wives. The people were startled at his haste, and when he came out and saw their astonishment at his urgency he said, “I recalled that there was left with me some gold which was meant for charity; I did not like to keep it any longer, so I gave orders that it should be distributed”. [Bukhari]

In another narration, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I had left some gold for Sadaqah in the house, and did not wish to keep it overnight”.

This ḥadith highlights the theme of the chapter – to hasten in doing good deeds.

The reason why the Ṣaḥabah RA were astonished was that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ walked through the rows hastily while they were seated, whereas his normal habit was to walk at a moderate pace.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ hastened to give away the gold nuggets in charity because he did not want the adornments of the world to distract him in his worship and relationship with Allah. His example is worthy of emulation. One who ponders and reflects over worldly affairs while engaged in worship destroys its essence and beauty.

EASY GOOD DEED – Adhan: Calling to Prayer

Calling to prayer, i.e. adhan is a custom of Islam and Prophetic sayings attribute many merits to the act.

أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يَقُولُ كَانَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ حِينَ قَدِمُوا الْمَدِينَةَ يَجْتَمِعُونَ فَيَتَحَيَّنُونَ الصَّلاَةَ، لَيْسَ يُنَادَى لَهَا، فَتَكَلَّمُوا يَوْمًا فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ اتَّخِذُوا نَاقُوسًا مِثْلَ نَاقُوسِ النَّصَارَى‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَلْ بُوقًا مِثْلَ قَرْنِ الْيَهُودِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ أَوَلاَ تَبْعَثُونَ رَجُلاً يُنَادِي بِالصَّلاَةِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا بِلاَلُ قُمْ فَنَادِ بِالصَّلاَةِ

Narrated Ibn `Umar RA: When the Muslims arrived at Medina, they used to assemble for the prayer, and used to guess the time for it. During those days, the practice of Adhan for the prayers had not been introduced yet. Once they discussed this problem regarding the call for prayer. Some people suggested the use of a bell like the Christians, others proposed a trumpet like the horn used by the Jews, but `Umar was the first to suggest that a man should call (the people) for the prayer; so Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered Bilal RA to get up and pronounce the Adhan for prayers. [Bukhari]

According to a hadith, our Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that if people knew the real reward and merit of calling to prayer, everyone would try to give the call and lots would have to be drawn.

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي النِّدَاءِ وَالصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ لاَسْتَهَمُوا عَلَيْهِ ‏

The Prophet ﷺ said: “If the people knew what (reward) is in the call (Adhan) and the first row, and they found no other way to get that except drawing lots, then they would draw lots.” [Tirmidhi]

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ أَذَّنَ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ وَكُتِبَ لَهُ بِتَأْذِينِهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سِتُّونَ حَسَنَةً وَلِكُلِّ إِقَامَة ثَلَاثُونَ حَسَنَة

Ibn ‘Umar RA reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying, “If anyone calls the adhan for twelve years, paradise is guaranteed to him; sixty blessings will be recorded for him for every day’s calling of the adhan and thirty blessings for every iqama.” [Ibn Majah]

The Messenger of Allah is also reported to have said:

عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحُوَيْرِثِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ‏ إِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَأَذِّنَا وَأَقِيمَا، ثُمَّ لِيَؤُمَّكُمَا أَكْبَرُكُمَا

Narrated Malik bin Huwairith RA: The Prophet of Allah ﷺ said (to two persons), “Whenever the prayer time becomes due, you should pronounce Adhan and then Iqama and the older of you should lead the prayer.” [Bukhari]

Nowadays muezzins are appointed in Masjids to give the call to prayer, but if one prays at a place other than the Masjid, where the sound of the call has not reached, he should observe this great Sunnah by giving the call to prayer and earn the merit thereof.

أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ قَالَ لَهُ ‏ “‏ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ تُحِبُّ الْغَنَمَ وَالْبَادِيَةَ، فَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِي غَنَمِكَ أَوْ بَادِيَتِكَ فَأَذَّنْتَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَارْفَعْ صَوْتَكَ بِالنِّدَاءِ، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَسْمَعُ مَدَى صَوْتِ الْمُؤَذِّنِ جِنٌّ وَلاَ إِنْسٌ وَلاَ شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ شَهِدَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Narrated `Abdur-Rahman: Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri RA told my father, “I see you have a liking for sheep and the wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep or in the wilderness and you want to pronounce Adhan for the prayer raise your voice in doing so, for whoever hears the Adhan, whether a human being, a jinn or any other creature, will be a witness for you on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhari]

It is very sad to see today that people are very shy and even lazy when it comes to calling out the Adhan, whereas this is such a meritorious act that can earn us huge rewards.