Striving (Mujahada)

(Continue to) worship your Lord until what is certain (death) comes to you. (al-Hijr 15:99)

 

59. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in what he reported from his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. He said, “When the servant comes towards Me a hand-span, I go an arm-length towards him. When he comes towards Me an arm-length, I go a fathom towards him. When he comes towards Me walking, I go towards him running.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Tawhid, 50).

61. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray at night until his feet became cracked. “I said to him, ‘Why do you do this. O Messenger of Allah, when Allah has forgiven you all your past and future wrong actions?’ He said, ‘Do I not want to be a grateful servant?’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Tahajjud, 6; Sahih Muslim, Sifatu’l-Munafiqin, 81).

65. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Three things follow a dead person: his family, his property and his actions. Two of them return and one remains with him. His family and property return and his actions remain.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Riqaq, 42; Sahih Muslim, Zuhd, 5).

67. Abu Firas Rabi’a ibn Ka’b al-Aslami, may Allah be pleased with him, the servant of the Messenger of Allah and one of the People of the Suffa, said, “I used to spend the night with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and I would bring him his wudu (minor ablution) water and whatever he needed. He said, ‘Ask of me.’ I said, ‘I ask you for your friendship in Paradise.’ He said, ‘Something else as well?’ I said, ‘I only want that.’ He said, ‘Help me against your carnal soul by means of a lot of prostration.’” (Sahih Muslim, Salah, 226).

 

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014