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Hadith 38 · 5 fragments

Drawing near to Allah

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, hadith No.38

The fragments are a technical division for precise citation, not a canonical numbering of parts of the hadith. The wording inside each fragment is unchanged.

Arabic edition text

1

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَة رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ:

Narrator

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Verily Allah ta’ala has said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, then I have declared war against him.

Word by word
عَنْ
ʿan
from
أَبِي
abī
Abu
هُرَيْرَة
hurayrata
Hurayrah
رَضِيَ
raḍiya
may be pleased
اللهُ
l-lahu
Allah
عَنْهُ
ʿanhu
with him
قَالَ
qāla
he said
2

قَالَ رَسُول اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم إنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقْد آذَنْتهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْت سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ .

Matn

And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him.

Word by word
قَالَ
qāla
said
رَسُول
rasūlu
the Messenger
اللَّهِ
l-lahi
of Allah
صلى
ṣallā
blessed
الله
l-lahu
Allah
عليه
ʿalayhi
upon him
و
wa
and
سلم
sallama
granted peace
إنَّ
inna
verily
اللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
تَعَالَى
taʿālā
the Exalted
قَالَ
qāla
said
مَنْ
man
whoever
عَادَى
ʿādā
shows enmity
لِي
of Mine
وَلِيًّا
waliyyan
a friend (wali)
فَقْد
faqad
then indeed
آذَنْتهُ
ādhantuhu
I declared to him
بِالْحَرْبِ
bil-ḥarbi
war
وَمَا
wamā
and not
تَقَرَّبَ
taqarraba
draws near
إلَيَّ
ilayya
to Me
عَبْدِي
ʿabdī
My servant
بِشَيْءٍ
bishay'in
with anything
أَحَبَّ
aḥabba
more beloved
إلَيَّ
ilayya
to Me
مِمَّا
mimmā
than what
افْتَرَضْتُهُ
if'taraḍtuhu
I have obligated
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
upon him
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَزَالُ
yazālu
ceases
عَبْدِي
ʿabdī
My servant
يَتَقَرَّبُ
yataqarrabu
drawing near
إلَيَّ
ilayya
to Me
بِالنَّوَافِلِ
bil-nawāfili
with supererogatory deeds
حَتَّى
ḥattā
until
أُحِبَّهُ
uḥibbahu
I love him
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
and when
أَحْبَبْتُهُ
aḥbabtuhu
I love him
كُنْت
kuntu
I am
سَمْعَهُ
samʿahu
his hearing
الَّذِي
alladhī
with which
يَسْمَعُ
yasmaʿu
he hears
بِهِ
bihi
with it
وَبَصَرَهُ
wabaṣarahu
and his sight
الَّذِي
alladhī
with which
يُبْصِرُ
yub'ṣiru
he sees
بِهِ
bihi
with it
وَيَدَهُ
wayadahu
and his hand
الَّتِي
allatī
with which
يَبْطِشُ
yabṭishu
he strikes
بِهَا
bihā
with it
وَرِجْلَهُ
warij'lahu
and his foot
الَّتِي
allatī
with which
يَمْشِي
yamshī
he walks
بِهَا
bihā
with it
وَلَئِنْ
wala-in
and if
سَأَلَنِي
sa-alanī
he asks Me
لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ
la-uʿṭiyannahu
I will surely give him
وَلَئِنْ
wala-in
and if
اسْتَعَاذَنِي
is'taʿādhanī
he seeks My refuge
لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ
la-uʿīdhannahu
I will surely grant him refuge
3

[رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ]

Matn

And My servant continues to draw near to me with nafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him.

Word by word
رَوَاهُ
rawāhu
narrated it
الْبُخَارِيُّ
l-bukhāriyyu
al-Bukhari
4

Matn

When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks.

5

Matn

Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.’ ” [Al-Bukhari]

Lesson

One draws near to Allah first by the obligatory, and then by the voluntary worship — thus the servant attains His love.

Text within an-Nawawi's collection: the Arabic source edition and the Ukrainian translation by the “Nur” project (by meaning).