Al-Adab al-Mufrad with Full Commentary: A Perfect Code of Manners and Morality

by Imam Bukhari (Compiler)

Overview

Al-Adab al-Mufrad , an anthology of 1329 hadiths, is a treasured work in Muslim history by one of its most respected scholars, Imam Bukhari.

In preparing this selection of hadiths Imam Bukhari aimed to set out a model to follow for successful relations within the Muslim community as well as interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims based on the Prophetic example, and that of Muhammad's closest companions. All of the hadiths are directly related to the standards of manners and morality Islam wants to prevail, and Muslims throughout the world have been guided by it since its preparation over a millenia ago.

What distinguishes the present work is that it includes a contemporary commentary, clearly emphasising the relevance of the Prophet's teachings in our modern and complex societies. This pioneering addition marks it out as perhaps the first English work commenting on and explaining a full anthology of hadiths.

The translator and author of the commentaries, Adil Salahi, has a long history of research in the Seerah and Hadith, and he wrote extensively on both. This work puts together the best of his writings on the Prophet's teachings in the area of morality and private and social manners.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780860376149
Publisher:	Kube Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	05/29/2018
Pages:	1024
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Adil Salahi's writings include the acclaimed Muhammad: Man and Prophet and Pioneers of Islamic Scholarship , and the English translation of the 18-volume In the Shade of the Qur'an . His main career has been in radio and print journalism, and for over 30 years he was editor of 'Islam in Perspective', a twice-weekly full-page column in the Arab News , a Saudi daily newspaper.

Read an Excerpt

Dutifulness to Parents

All people agree that to be kind and dutiful to one's parents is the proper attitude. All societies, including those where family ties have become very loose, agree that sons and daughters must always be kind to their parents. Parents sacrifice a great deal to bring up their children. They take pains to provide the happiest life they can for them. Yet, it cannot be denied that not all parents provide their children with the same standards of care and love. Some children are more fortunate than others in this respect. In most cases, however, parents do care for their children and look after them well. In doing so, they have to work hard and sacrifice much of their time, effort, money as well as physical and mental rest.

From time to time we hear about parents who are cruel to their children. Cases are reported of parents who kill their children, or cause them to die. These cases are exceptions that do not invalidate the rule. When we examine any such scenario, we find that the perpetrators are far from normal people. The healthier and more virtuous a society is, the less frequent and more far between such cases of perversion become. The closer a society moves towards Islamic life, the more likely such instances disappear and become largely non-existent.

Because parents sacrifice much to bring up their children, all religions tend to emphasize the virtue of kindness to parents. Islam makes such kindness to parents a personal duty of every son and daughter, allowing no exception whatsoever. A number of Qur'anic verses make dutifulness to parents a universal requirement, second only to believing in God's oneness. God says in the Qur'an: "Say: Come, let me tell you what your Lord has forbidden to you: Do not associate partners with Him; [do not offend against but, rather,] be kind to your parents; do not kill your children because of your poverty. We provide for you and for them; do not commit any shameful deed, whether open or secret; do not take any human being's life, which God has made sacred, except in the course of justice. This He has enjoined upon you so that you may use your reason". (6: 151)

We also have a large number of hadiths that encourage in all manners of emphasis treating parents with a devoted kindness, and which further stress the importance of overlooking their faults. Al-Bukhari opens this book with a section on dutifulness to parents, showing it to be the most important of Islamic moral values. Each section comprises a number of chapters, with a small number of hadiths in each and which is given a significant heading. The first chapter in this section is headed with a Qur'anic verse that says: "We have enjoined man to be kind to his parents". (29: 8)

1. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reports: I asked God's Messenger: "Which action does God love best?" He answered: "Prayer at its proper time". I asked: "What comes next?" He said: "Dutifulness to parents". I asked: "What comes next?" He said: "Next comes jihad for God's cause".

Ibn Mas'ud adds: "He told me of these, but he would have added more, had I asked him to do so". Many people may be surprised at this order of priority. Were we to ask people where they would place jihad, i.e. striving for God's cause, in the list of deeds earning great reward from God, most of them would give it first priority. Jihad requires a person to believe that Islam is the religion of the truth, accept it, hold firmly to it and present it to others. In doing so, a person may have to sacrifice his wealth and his life. Jihad means willingly accepting such risks. Although most people understand jihad to mean fighting the enemies of Islam so that it may achieve supremacy over all other religions, creeds and philosophies, its significance is much wider than its erroneous translation as "holy war". Indeed, there is no such concept as a "holy war" in Islam. War is either legitimate, when it is for a just cause, or else it is unacceptable aggression. Every action that serves the dual purpose of establishing Islam firmly in its own land and delivering its message to others so that they can make their own choice about it is part of jihad.

However, the Prophet places as our first priority a simple act of worship; this also falls within the ambit of one's personal relationship with God. Prayer at its proper time is the action God loves best. It is followed by a deed that concerns family relations. Both come ahead of jihad which has more to do with public life and with the common welfare of the Muslim community. Needless to say, prayer and dutifulness to parents require much less effort and sacrifice than jihad.

This hadith shows that the Prophet had a keen insight into what motivates people to work and to sacrifice. We know that prayer is the most important Islamic duty, but it does not impose a heavy burden on the individual. It is an easy and pleasant duty which makes man constantly aware of what God requires of him and which keeps him on guard against falling into sin. It is only logical that the fulfilment of the top and most frequent duty should earn the greatest reward from God. What the hadith tells us is that prayer should be offered on time in order to earn its great reward and be most pleasing to God. In other words, punctuality is of the essence for prayer to be highly rewarded.