Some Sayings of Mu`aadh ibn Jabal

Some Sayings of Mu`aadh ibn Jabal

Narrated in Hilyat ul Awliyaa of Abu Nu`aim

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said about Mu`aadh ibn Jabal: "Verily, when the people of knowledge will be present before their Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, Mu`aadh will be one step ahead of them." [Saheeh, Ibn Sa`d, Aboo Nu`aim, at-Tabaraanee]

Ibn Ma`ood said, "Mu`aadh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, was indeed an excellent model for the believers, he was devoutly obedient to his Lord, and a sincere and righteous believer."

Mu`aadh ibn Jabal once said to his son, "My dear son, when you stand up in prayers, do so as a departing person bidding farewell to this world, and do not assume that you will have another chance to thus pray again. My dear son, understand that a believer dies ranking in-between two deeds, one he offers for his present day, wherein he will immediately garner its blessings, and the second deed he offers towards the Day of Resurrection, and that is when he will reap its ultimate benefits.

Mu`aadh ibn Jabal said, "Learn whatever knowledge you wish to acquire, and Allah will not reward you unless you act upon what you have learned."

Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrated that a man asked Mu`aadh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him: "Teach me something." Mu`aadh replied: "Would you obey me?" The man humbly replied: "I am most eager to obey you." Mu`aadh then instructed the man, "Fast and pray regularly, earn your livelihood in a lawful way, and do not err in that regard. Strive not to die except in Islam, and beware not to become liable before the divine justice regarding the grievance of someone with whom you have dealt unjustly."

Al-Aswad bin Hilal said, "We were walking with Mu`aadh, may Allah be pleased with him, when he suddenly turned to us and said, 'Let us sit here for an hour and reconfirm our faith.'"