Kindly help with the meaning of ‘Ad Dinun Nasihah’.
Answer
The full Hadith in question is as follows:
Sayyiduna Tamim Ad Dari (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Din is to well wish. We asked, ‘For whom’? [Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam] replied, ‘For Allah, His Book, His Messenger and for the leaders and the common Muslims”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 55)
The word ‘nasihah‘ cannot be accurately translated. It is a broad concept which includes sincerity, well wishing and seeking good fortune and the best possible outcome for everyone. The type of ‘nasihah’ will differ for each of the aforementioned categories.
Nasihah for Allah involves:
Believing in Allah and not ascribing any partners to him, describing Him with His perfect qualities, declaring His pureness from all types of defect, submitting yourself before Allah, aspiring to carry out those deeds that will please Him, abstaining from actions that displease Allah, loving for His sake, hating for His sake and striving in His path.
Nasihah for The Quran involves:
Firmly believing that this is the word of Allah, learning it, teaching it, understanding the meaning, practicing on it, taking heed from the warnings mentioned therein and defending it from distortion or misinterpretation.
Nasihah for His Messenger involves:
Believing in his Prophethood,honouring him, assisting him, defending him, learning and teaching his ways, following his mannerisms, understanding his Shari’ah, abstaining from discussing any issue of his Shari’ah without knowledge, loving him and loving his companions.
Nasihah for the leaders (which also includes the Scholars) involves:
Assisting them in carrying out their duties, gently reminding them if they forget or err, advising them and assisting them to stop oppression, not to renegade or rebel against them, encouraging people to obey the leader, going out in Jihad with them, spreading their knowledge and thinking good of them.
Nasihah for the masses involves:
Showing kindness to them, striving to benefit them, teaching them what is beneficial, repelling harm from them, liking and disliking for them what you like and dislike for yourself, concealing their faults, honouring the elderly, being compassionate on the young, protecting their wealth, life and honour
The ‘Ulama have stated this Hadith is one of the four most important and fundamental Hadiths. In fact ‘Allamah Nawawi states that this Hadith encompasses all of Din and it is therefore the most fundamental Hadith. The entire Din is encapsulated in this short concise Hadith which conveys such a profound meaning.
(Refer: Sahih Muslim with Al Minhaj, Hadith: 194 and Fathul Bari, before Hadith: 57)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar