Hadith 12

(a)
1. This Hadith highlights the importance of the responsibilities of a Muslim ruler
2. Being the leader of the Muslim community is a huge responsibility and a great trust of
God with the ruler.
3. A Muslim ruler is required to consider himself the custodian of his people,
responsible for their prosperity and welfare:
4. “Leader of the community is indeed its servant” (Hadith)
5. “Your best rulers are those whom you love and they love you” (Hadith)
6. Such an attitude is based on a strong sense of accountability before the people as
well as the Supreme Lord.
7. True Muslim rulers try their best to win the hearts of their people by kindness and by
being very close to them, avoiding any degree of harshness.

(b)
1. The Prophet and his four successors set glorious traditions about how to act as rulers
2. They devoted their energies for the general welfare and collective prosperity of their
people
3. Muslim rulers need to follow these model rulers who ruled not only the state but also
the hearts of their subjects.
4. They should remove all barriers that separate them form their people and should
treat them in a kind and fatherly way so that people do not fear but respect them with
sincerity.
5. Caliph Ali remarked: “The state might survive with paganism but might not
survive with injustice”.
6. They should ensure justice and follow this instruction of the Prophet: “Make things
easy and don’t make them hard, and cheer up people and don’t repel them”.

Hadith 13
(a)
1. The conduct of the Muslims depends on the degree of their association with the
Quran because it is the basis of their lives.
2. The Prophet has linked this bond with the ownership of the tethered camels
3. As long as the camels are supervised and kept tethered, they remain under control.
4. Similarly, as long as a Muslim remains attached to the Quran by recitation, learning
and comprehending it, the Quran continues to benefit him; but if this relation is weakened,
the effect of the Quran gradually fades away.
5. The Prophet admired those devoted to learning and teaching of the Quran: “The
best among you is the one who has learned the Quran and teaches it”

(b)
1. The Muslims should encourage regular recitation and learning the Quran by heart so
that their ties with the Quran are strengthened”
2. “Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Quran for I swear by Him in whose
hand is my soul, that is the more liable to escape than camels which are tethered”
3. The Quran should be recited in the manner prescribed by the Quran itself: “And
recite the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones” (73:4)
4. Also, its message should be comprehended in order to shape our conduct according
to the Quranic command.

Hadith 14
(a)
1. Economic teachings of Islam stress on honesty and justice on one hand, while mercy
and lenience on the other.
2. Buyers and sellers should not have any intention of exploiting or cheating each
other:
3. “One who cheats is not among us” (Hadith)
4. Sellers should believe that honesty and generosity are liked by God.
5. Buyers similarly should not have any ill intention of exploiting any weakness of the
seller.
6. Creditors should believe that God alone enabled him to be a source of helping those
in need and so, he should develop spirit of magnanimity when some needy person
approaches him.

(b)
1. The Prophet conducted trade with full honesty and dedication
2. He would not hide defects of merchandise while selling any items.
3. Muslim traders should follow this and should not try to unduely maximize profits.
4. While buying anything, Muslims should observe some limit of bargaining so that the
seller does not feel uncomfortable.
5. A creditor should be generous enough to give any relief to the debtor because the
Prophet greatly admired such degree of kindness:
6. “Whoever has a claim on a brother which is payable and he allows respite to
the debtor in his payment, he will be given the reward of charity”.
7. Islam forbids any usury and instructs to extend “the beautiful loan” (Interest-free
loan).

Hadith 15
(a)
1. Among all attributes of God, mercy is very special because according to a Hadith-i-
Qudsi:“Truly My mercy overcomes My wrath”
2. God, therefore, loves those who show mercy to others, and He commands the
Muslims to seek His mercy and extend mercy on others.
3. The Holy Prophet is called “mercy for all creatures” in the Quran (21:107)
4. The Prophet encouraged his followers to keep alive the spirit of mercy and
compassion so that they get entitled to God’s mercy in the Hereafter.
5. None can be more ill-fated than the one who gets deprived of God’s mercy.

(b)
1. The Muslims are required to follow the footsteps of the Prophet who never cursed his
enemies and insultors in Makka, Taif and the battlefield.
2. In the battle of Uhud, when some companion asked him to curse the Makkans, his
reply was:
3. “I have not been sent to curse”
4. He kindly treated captives of Badr and forgave his fatal enemies on the conquest of
Makka.
5. Muslims today may imitate such noble conduct and generosity of heart.
6. They should not overburdon their employees and should have the moral courage of
forgiving the insultors because they will receive huge reward from their Lord:
7. “Be compassionate to those on earth and He, who is in the heavens, will be
compassionate to you”.

Hadith 16
(a)
1. Islam established the universal Muslim brotherhood when the Prophet migrated to
Madina:
2. “The believers are a single brotherhood” (49:10)
3. All Muslims regardless of social and geographical background were united as a
single community.
4. Since it is a divine arrangement, all Muslims are bound to observe it
5. They should develop a strong sense of belonging to the same community or family
so that if any of the fellows experiences discomfort, he too should feel it.
6. The Prophet also used another comparison :
7. “One believer to another is like the bricks of a building; each one is holding
and supporting the other”.

(b)
1. The believers may follow this Hadith in a variety of ways.
2. The Ansar of Madina accommodated the Muhajireen of Makka by sharing all their
assets with them.
3. During congregational prayers and the pilgrimage to Makka, Muslims come closer to
each other and this trains them to share joys and sorrows.
4. They should care for fellow Muslims in hour of need and trials
5. The Prophet linked true belief with a sense of brotherhood: “you cannot be true
believers unless there is reciprocal love among you”.
6. They can also promote unity by collectively following the Quranic guidance :
7. “And hold fast all together the Rope of God and do not be divided” (3:103)

Hadith 17
(a)
1. Moral teachings of Islam are intimately linked with modesty
2. Modesty is the barrier, like piety, against all indecencies and evils and is thus a
source of strengthening faith and submission before divine commands.
3. The Prophet said: “Modesty and faith are companions; when one is taken away,
the other follows it”
4. So, modesty strengthens and accompanies faith, and faith, in turn, promotes mental
piety.
5. Mental piety reflects a believer’s obedience to God and is a means of earning God’s
favor.
6. Modesty is antidote to evil acts and disobedience to God.

(b)
1. Islam teaches ways of observing modesty both towards God and the fellow
members of the community.
2. Regular prayer effectively wards off evil thoughts and actions :
3. “for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds” (29:45)
4. This way, a believer’s conduct is shaped according to the divine commands and
guidance.
5. Another way of observing modesty is to put interests of fellows before one’s own
interests:
6. “None of you truly believes unless he desires for his brother that what he
desires for himself.” (Hadith)
7. Such an attitude surely eliminates evils and social problems so that a balanced
society develops.

Hadith 18
(a)
1. According to Muslim belief, true faith alone guarantees a believer’s salvation from
the fire of Hell and entry to Paradise.
2. Faith promotes the spirit of submission before the will of God and thus negates
pride.
3. Pride symbolises disobedience as is evident from Satan’s refusal to obey God:
4. “We said to angels: “Bow down to Adam”, and they all bowed down except for
Iblis; he refused and was haughty” (2:34)
5. A believer with the slightest degree of faith will eventually be freed from Hell and a
person with the slightest amount of pride will be denied Paradise and driven to Hell: “Is
there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty” (39:60)
(b)
1. Muslims should promote humbleness and submission before God so that they earn
His blessing.
2. The Quran mentions the ways of being humble towards God and reward of such
attitude:
3. “The believers must eventually win through. Those who humble themselves in
their prayers” (23:1, 2)
4. By strengthening a sense of humility, pride can be effectively resisted and
controlled.
5. This ensures pleasure of God:
6. “for God does not love the arrogant” (4:36)
7. Following the divine guidance is the best means of promoting humility and resisting
pride.

Hadith 19
(a)
1. God is the Creator of this world and the Hereafter.
2. He created charms in this world to test His obedient servants.
3. A believer is trained by Islamic teachings to consider this world a prison where he is
not free to live a life of his choice and so, can’t get attached to it just as a prisoner can’t
develop a lasting association with the prison.
4. A true believer gradually develops an approach to the worldly life that the Quran
mentions as:
5. “What is the life of this world but play and amusement? But best is the home
in the Hereafter.” (6:32)
6. He strongly believes in the eternal joys of the Hereafter whereas a non-believer is
fully enticed by the temporary glow of this world and thus, denies the Hereafter.
(b)
1. A staunch belief in the temporariness of this world and eternity of the life after death
is demonstrated by a believer’s submission to God’s will:
2. “Say ‘I believe in God and then act uprightly.” (Hadith)
3. He lives in this world just as a prisoner or a stranger in the light of this instruction of
the Prophet:
4. “Live in this world as if you were a stranger or a wayfarer” Unlike the non-
believers who are totally absorbed in the world, a believer considers his life as a testing
phase or a cultivating ground the fruits of which will be awarded in the Hereafter:
5. “This world is a seedbed for the Hereafter” (Hadith)

Hadith 20
(a)
1. This Hadith categorically declares the criterion by which God judges actions and
conduct.
2. God does not consider outward appearance or worldly gains made by a person.
3. He simply considers a person’s conduct and the intentions behind it because the
Prophet clearly stated in another Hadith: “Actions are judged by intentions”
4. However good appearance we may carry and whatever success we get, God is so
supreme and high that everything is worthless before Him because He is “Lord of all the
worlds” and “He knows secrets of hearts.”
5. So, a true believer strives to act according to the Quran and Sunnah and with
sincerity of intention.
(b)
1. Muslims should struggle to live a righteous life instead of focusing on material gains
only.
2. They should follow the Quran and Sunnah since this alone can guarantee success in
the Hereafter. They should reject any form or degree of hypocrisy or showing off and
develop sincerity of faith and intention, keeping in mind:
3. “Whether you hide whatever is in your hearts or reveal it, God knows it
all.” (3:29)
4. They should do all noble deeds with the pure intention of earning God’s pleasure,
however ordinary these deeds might seem to others.