Counsel in Sevens

 

Abu Hurayrah (radyAllahu`anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Seven [types of] people are shaded by Allah in the shade of His Throne, on the Day when there will be no shade but His Shade [i.e. on the Day of Judgement] –

[1] a just ruler, a young man who grew up in the worship of Allah, [2] a person whose heart is attached to the mosque [and longs to return to it] from the moment he leaves it until he returns to it, [3] two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah, [4] meet for His sake and depart from each other for His sake, [5] a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up with tears, [6] a man whom an extremely beautiful and rich woman seduces, but he [rejecting her seduction] says, ‘I fear Allah’; and [7] a person who gives charity and conceals it [to such an extent] that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.”

Narrated by Abu Hurairah & collected in Sahih al-Bukhari (english trans.) vol.1, p.356, no.629 & Sahih Muslim english trans.) vol.2, p.493, no.2248

 

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The miser will not escape one of seven things –

[1] either he will die and the one who will inherit his wealth will spend it in that which Allah the Exalted has forbidden, or [2] Allah will empower over him a tyrant ruler who will take his wealth from him after humiliating him, or [3] He will inflame in him a desire that will cause him to loose his wealth, or [4] he will have the idea of constructing a building in an unsuitable piece of land and will thus waste his wealth, or [5] one of the calamities of the dunya such as drowning, burning, theft or similar things will befall it, or [6] he will be afflicted with permanent illness and he will spend all his wealth seeking a cure, or [7] he will bury the wealth in a place which he will forget and thus will never find it again.”

 

`Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“[1] The one who laughs a lot will lose his respect; [2]the one who makes mockery of people will be mocked by others; [3] the one who is excessive in something will become known for it; [4] the one who speaks a lot will make many blunders; [5] the one who makes many blunders will lose his sense of shame; [6] the one who loses his sense of shame will lose his God-consciousness; and [7] the one who loses his God-consciousness will cause his heart to die.”

`Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said when discussing the saying of Allah the Exalted, “And beneath it was a treasure for them, and their father was righteous man”, “the treasure is a gold tablet and on it were written seven lines:

‘[1] I am amazed at the one who knows death is coming yet laughs; [2] I am amazed at the one who knows that all things are predestined yet becomes distressed over what he has missed; [3] I am amazed at the one who knows about accountability and yet gathers wealth; [4] I am amazed at the one who knows about the Hellfire yet sins; [5] I am amazed at the one who believes in Allah with certainty yet remembers others beside Him; [6] I am amazed at the one who believes in Paradise with certainty yet is at ease in the dunya; and [7] I am amazed at the one who knows Satan is an enemy yet obeys him.”

 

`Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) was asked,

“What is heavier than the sky? What is wider than the earth? What is richer than the sea? What is harder than rock? What is hotter than fire? What is colder than ice? What is more bitter then poison?

 

He replied, “[1] Accusing the innocent is heavier than the sky; [2] the Truth is wider than the earth; [3] a content heart is richer than the sea; [4] the heart of a hypocrite is harder than a rock; [5] a tyrant ruler is hotter than fire; [6] being in need of help from a scoundrel is colder than ice; and [7] backbiting is more bitter than poison).”

 

Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“It is a duty on an intelligent person to choose seven things over seven others – [1] poverty over wealth, [2] lowliness over honour, [3] humility over arrogance, [4] hunger over satiety, [5] sadness over happiness, [6] inferiority over superiority, and [7] death over life.”

 

[Preparing For The Day Of Judgement By: Imaam Ibn Hajar Al‘ Asqalani, page 33-35]