Avoid the Unlawful and You Will Be the Most Worshipping among the People

05/05/2025| IslamWeb

It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger () said: "Who will take these statements from me, so that he may act upon them, or teach one who will act upon them?" So Abu Hurayrah said: "I said: 'I shall O Messenger of Allah!' So he () took my hand and enumerated five (things), he said: "Be on guard against the unlawful and you shall be the most worshiping among the people; be satisfied with what Allah has allotted for you and you shall be the richest of the people; be kind to your neighbor and you shall be a believer; love for the people what you love for yourself and you shall be a Muslim. And do not laugh too much, for indeed increased laughter kills the heart." (Narrated by Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi and graded as Hasan (good) by Al-Albani)

Commentary

Abu Hurayrah kept close company with the Prophet (). He accompanied him during his travel and residence (wherever he went). Therefore, he transmitted many of the great and important Hadiths of the Prophet, which contained notable instructions and commandments.

In the Hadith under discussion, the Prophet () was in a gathering with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) when he said, "Who will take these statements from me, so that he may act upon them, or teach the one who will act upon them?" Abu Hurayrah said: "I said: ‘I shall O Messenger of Allah!’ So he () took my hand,” as a sign of interest and to highlight the importance of the advice that will follow; “and enumerated five things,” which will be elaborated on below.

First advice: avoid unlawful things

“Be on guard against the unlawful and you shall be the most worshiping among the people;” the unlawful, includes all prohibited matters like doing forbidden things or missing the commandments that are mentioned in the Book of Allah, the Almighty, and in the Sunnah of His Prophet (), such as Shirk, murder, theft, fornication, gossip, lying, betrayal, perjury, taking usury, undutifulness to parents, severing ties of kinship, drinking alcohol, sorcery, and others. Perhaps the expression “be on guard against” indicates the importance of prevention as the old proverb goes ‘prevention is better than cure.’

If a person avoids all that Allah has forbidden, he will be elevated to the highest ranks of servitude, due to struggling against himself to shun forbidden things. Explaining this meaning, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Whoever would be happy to outrun the hard-working one who exerts himself, then let him restrain himself from sins.” Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “Worshippers do not worship with anything better than abandoning that which Allah forbids them.” However, it should be noted that the outward meaning is that what is intended by the superiority of abandoning those things which are prohibited over doing acts of obedience only applies to voluntary extra acts of obedience. Otherwise, the essence of doing obligatory actions is better than the essence of abandoning forbidden actions, since acts (of obedience) are intended for themselves, while the avoidance of forbidden things is required in principle. Therefore, abandoning them does not need an intention, in contrast to actions of obedience, as explained by Imam Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him).

Second advice: Contentment with what Allah has given

“Be satisfied with what Allah has allotted for you and you shall be the richest of the people.” The truly happy person is the one who is content with what Allah has destined for him, and has patience with regard to predestination, both good and bad. Contentment is like a shield that protects the Muslim from the vicissitudes of time or an orchard with shades in which the believer retreats from the stresses of life. It is the true richness; as many rich people have a fortune in this world, but they suffer from poverty in their souls and neediness in their hearts. Greed has blinded their hearts towards the source of happiness and the true wealth, which is the richness of the heart, self-contentment, and peace of mind. Allah, the Almighty, said, “The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children. But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” [Quran 26: 88-89]. The sound heart is the reassured heart that is satisfied with what Allah has given, and is assured by the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [Quran 13: 28]

Regarding the true meaning of richness, a poet says:

Richness of souls is what is sufficient (for a living), but if they refuse,

All that is in the earth will not be sufficient for them

To conclude, a person who is content with what has been destined for him, and does not covet what is in the possession of other people will be self-sufficient. Contentment is richness and being endued honor by Allah, and its opposite is poverty and humiliation before others. Someone who is never content is never satisfied. In contentment, there are honor, richness, and freedom, and in its absence, there are humiliation and subjugation to others.

Third advice: kindness to neighbors

“Be kind to your neighbor and you shall be a believer.” The Prophet () made kindness to one’s neighbor a sign of faith. Kindness to the neighbor is achieved in many ways, including answering his greetings, accepting his invitation, refraining from harming him, enduring his harm, keeping in touch with him, fulfilling his needs, covering up his faults, protecting his honor, and advising him.

There are three types of neighbors: (i) neighbors who are both Muslims and relatives, they have rights based on being neighbors, brothers/sisters in religion and kin; (ii) Muslim neighbors, who have rights as neighbors and brothers/sisters in religion, and (iii) non-Muslim neighbors, who only have rights as neighbors, but if they are relatives, they have rights of kin relationship. According to a narration, Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) kept recommending the Prophet () towards the good treatment of the neighbor, until the Prophet () thought that a revelation would enact the right of the neighbor to inheritance. Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah () said, "Jibril kept on recommending that I treat my neighbors well until I thought that he would order me to treat them as my heirs.” (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Fourth advice: love for others what you love for yourself

“Love for the people what you love for yourself and you shall be a Muslim.” A sign of your perfect and lofty faith is that you love for people what you love for yourself. This philanthropic feeling is a genuine Islamic moral that every Muslim should adopt. It was not stated (in the Hadith) that he should hate for his brother what he hates for himself, because loving something requires hating its opposite.

Fifth advice: avoid excessive laughter

“Do not laugh too much, for indeed increased laughter kills the heart.” Laughter is a human characteristic, as animals do not laugh. Laughter is caused by a kind of understanding and knowledge of a saying one hears, or a situation he sees and laughs at. Excessive laughter causes darkness in the heart and eventually leads to its death.

As a religion akin to natural disposition, Islam cannot be imagined to censure the innate inclination of man to laughter and cheerfulness. On the contrary, it welcomes everything that makes life nice and cheerful. A Muslim is recommended to have a happy optimistic personality. A depressed pessimistic personality, that always has a gloomy outlook on people and life, is utterly rejected.

In this respect, the role model of Muslims is the Messenger of Allah (), who was, despite his many and varied concerns, joking but only saying the truth. He led a normal life with his Companions, sharing their laughter, playing, and joking, as well as sharing their pain, sorrows, and misfortunes.

Therefore, what is forbidden in this Hadith is not mere laughter, but rather its excess; for laughter is not forbidden for its own sake, but for its potential results and morals that are not acceptable in Islam. It is rightly said, “More than enough is too much.”