Mu'adh Ibn jabal (May Allaah be pleased with him) narrated:
"I was a companion rider of the prophet on a donkey. The prophet asked,'O Mu'adh! Do you know Allaah's right on His servants and the rights of His servants on Him.' I replied, 'Allaah and His messenger know best.' He said, 'Allaah's right on His servant is that they must worship Him (only) and must not worship any besides Him. And the servant's right on Allaah is that He must not punish whoever worships none besides Him.' I said, 'O Allaah's messenger! Should I not inform the people of this good news?' He said, 'Do not inform them of it, lest they should depend on it (absolutely)'"
(Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (the Narrator)
The full name of Mu'adh is Mu'adh ibn jabal ibn 'Amr ibn aws ibn ka'b ibn 'amr al-khazraji al-ansari. He was one of the venerable renowned figures of the honorable companions. He was well-versed in Islamic sciences, law and interpretation of the Noble Qur'an. Muadh (May Allaah be pleased with him) witnessed the battle of badr and the rest of the prophet's battles. On the day of conquest of Mecca, the prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) appointed him as his viceroy in Mecca to teach people the basics of religious ordinances. Afterwards, the prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) dispatched him to Yemen as a judge and instructor. He died in 18 A.H. at the age of thirty-eight.
Keywords and Phrases:
Allaah's right on His servants: What Allaah deserves from His servants and make incumbent upon them.
The right of servants on Allaah: It refers to Allaah's promise to reward His obedient servants out of His bounty and benevolence.
Absolute dependence: Excessive trust in Allaah's mercy, which may lead people to abandon competing in doing good and righteous deeds.
General Meaning of the Hadith:
According to the hadith, the prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) emphasizes (gives special importance to) the incumbency of monotheism and moreover clarifies its virtues by raising a question, so that he may grasp the attention of his audience. After the prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) had informed him of the virtue of monotheism, Mu'adh asked the prophet's permission to inform people of that glad tiding. However, the prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) forbade him to convey such news to people lest they should slacken in offering good deeds.
Relevance of the Hadith to the chapter:
The aforementioned hadith defines monotheism as the devotion of all acts of worship to Allaah alone, without associating any partner with Him.
Lessons drawn from the hadith:
>> Unlike the behavior of arrogant people, the prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) showed modesty when mounting the donkey and accompanying Mu'adh behind him.
>> The permissibility of accompanying another person on a beast unless it is overburdened.
>> Raising questions to invoke answers is an effective method of teaching.
>> Whoever is questioned about what he does not know should say, 'Allaah knows best.'
>> Stressing the right of Allaah on His servants; namely, to worship Him alone and associate nothing with Him.
>> If the Muslim commits any act of polytheism, his worship is held invalid, even though he apparently performs all acts of worship.
>> The virtue of monotheism and those who adhere to it.
>> Monotheism is defined as worshiping Allaah alone and avoiding all acts and forms of polytheism.
>> The desirability of conveying glad tidings to a Muslim.
>>The permissibility of keeping knowledge secret for the sake of securing a greater interest.
>> The exhortation of showing reverence (deep respect) for tutors.
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