Would you like to be Allah’s Neighbor?
إن الله لينادي يوم القيامة : أين جيراني ، أين جيراني ؟ قال : فتقول
الملائكة : ربنا ! و من ينبغي أن يجاورك ؟ فيقول : أين عمار المساجد ؟
Anas(Radi Allahu Anhu) narrated the Prophet(SallAllahu alayhi wa salam) said: On the Day of Judgment Allah will call out ” Where are My neighbors, Where are My neighbors . The Angels will say: Our Lord! Who deserves to be your neighbor? He will reply: Where are the people who maintain the Masjids?”
Colleced by Al-Harith ibn Abi Usamah in his Musnad(1/16) graded as being Sahih by Shaykh Al-Albani in Silsilah (2728)
Benefits for this topic:
The definition for maintainers of Masajid:
Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali[1] said there are two meanings for maintainers of masajid
- Evident Meaning: The Muslim who build masjids, and helps uphold them through maintenance and carries out repairs.
- Spiritual abstract meaning: Praying inside masajid, remembering Allah, reciting Quran,and conveying Islamic knowledge (inside the masjid).
The scholars have used both meanings to explain the meaning for maintainers of masjids; and the 2nd meaning is most specific of the two[2].
Allah praises the people who maintain the Masjids:
( إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ (التوبة: 18
“The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat and fear none but Allah. [ At-Tawbah :18]
{ فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ ..{النور:36}.
In houses (mosques), which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honored), in them His Name is glorified in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings [ An-Nur : 36]
How to treat the maintainers of Masjids in this life:
One of the salaf said: If you see a man who maintains the masjid, then have good suspicions about him.[3]
**A famous hadith mentioned by the common folk.**
إذا رأيتم الرجل يتعاهد المسجد فاشهدوا له بالإيمان
If you see a man frequently coming to the masjd, then bear witness that he has faith[4]
This is a famous hadith mentioned on peoples’ tongues around the world today. However it is not authentic. In its isnad is Daraaj ibn Sama’an and he is unreliable in his narrations. Al-‘Uqaylee and Al-Albani both mentioned this narrator as a reason for the weakness of this hadith.[5]
Translated and compiled by:
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle Sr.
Doha, Qatar- The Blessed Arabian Gulf ©
!435/8/15
[1] Abdur Rahman ibn Ahmed ibn Rajab (730-795H) He was scholar of Hadith, its sciences. He didn’t use to mix a lot with people. He wrote numerous books and among the famous ones are; Explanation of Jami’ At-Tirmithi, Explanation of An-Nawawi’s 40 hadith, and explanation of Bukhari. He died in Ramadhan.(Inbaul Ghumar by Ibn Hajr)
[2] Tafsir ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali, compile by Tariq ibn Awdillah vol1/ 490, 1st edition (Darul As-Samah 1422/2001)
[3] Tafsir ibn Attiyah Vol 4/ 277 printed by The Ministry of religious affairs and endowment of Qatar 2nd edition,1428/2007)
[4] At-Tirmithi 2617
[5] Hidiyatur Ruwiyah ila Takreejah Ahadeeth Musaabeeh wa Mishkah, by Ibn Hajr and Takreej By Al-Albani, 1st edition, Vol1/pg 338 Printed by Daru Ibn Al-Qayyim 1422H/2001)
