Explanation of the Hadeeth: May you be honeyed by Allaah!

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

HADEETH #1:

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝When Allaah wills good for His slave, he is honeyed by Him.❞ They asked: “What does honeying mean?” He ﷺ said: ❝Allaah opens for him (the door towards) righteous deeds before his death, then He (تعالى) takes (his soul) whilst he is in that state.❞

📚 [Musnad Ahmad (17784) and graded as “Saheeh as per the condition of Imaam Muslim” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (1114). Also graded as “Saheeh” by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak]

 

Another translation of the above Hadeeth:

❝When Allaah wills good for His slave, He (تعالى) sweetens him.❞ They asked: “What is this sweetening?” He ﷺ said: ❝Allaah opens for him (the door towards) righteous deeds before his death, then He (تعالى) takes (his soul) whilst he is in that state.❞

 

HADEETH #2:

Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝When Allaah wants good for a slave, He uses him.❞ It was said: “How does He use him?” He ﷺ said: ❝He (تعالى) guides him to do good deeds before his death.❞

📚 [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2142) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. Also reported in Musnad Ahmad (12036, 13408)]

 

HADEETH #3:

Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝You should not be amazed at (the actions of) someone until you see what his last action was. Perhaps a person may do (good) deeds for a very long part of his life, or maybe he did good deeds only for a short period, if he were to die upon that, he would enter Paradise, but his state is overturned, and he starts doing evil deeds. And perhaps a person does evil deeds only for a short period, if he were to die upon that, he would enter the Hellfire, but his state is overturned, and he starts doing good deeds. And when Allaah wants good for a slave, He uses him.❞ It was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah! How does He use him?” He ﷺ said: ❝He (تعالى) guides him to do good deeds and then He (تعالى) takes (his soul) whilst he is in that state.❞

📚 [Musnad Ahmad (12214) and it is “Saheeh as per the condition of Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim”]

 

HADEETH #4:

In another narration, from the Hadeeth of `Amr Ibn al-Hamiq رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Allaah opens for him (the door towards) righteous deeds before his death until those around him are pleased with him.❞

📚 [Musnad Ahmad (21949) and it is “Saheeh as per the condition of Imaam Muslim”]

📑 Explanation:

The statement of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ: ❝When Allaah wills good for His slave❞, it is an honor and a great favor from Allaah تعالى when he inspires His slaves to do more righteous deeds, increases their piety, strengthens their Imaan (Faith), prevents them from doing evil deeds, and makes them seek forgiveness before their death. And this is a sign of a good end. And this is the meaning of the Hadeeth.

Having a good end is a success that only Allaah can grant. And when a slave is guided towards righteous deeds before his death, it is like receiving glad tidings, it is a sign that Allaah loves him and wants good for him. A person is guided towards and is granted success to do more righteous deeds, which will be a source of salvation for him in the Hereafter.

Its opposite is also true, when the people are evil - like Fir`aoun, Haamaan, Qaaroon, Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, etc. - and Allaah تعالى does not intent any good for them, then He تعالى makes the evil deeds alluring to them. As Allaah تعالى said:

قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالًا ‎*‏ الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا

{Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): “Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!}

📚 [Surah al-Kahf (18): 103-104]

Allaah تعالى also said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ زَيَّنَّا لَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ‎*‏ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ وَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْأَخْسَرُونَ

{Verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their (evil) deeds fair-seeming to them, so they wander about blindly. They are those for whom there will be an evil torment (in this world). And in the Hereafter, they will be the greatest losers.}

📚 [Surah al-Naml (27): 4-5]

Meaning: The reality is twisted for them so that they are made to see the falsehood as righteousness and righteousness as falsehood.

Imaam Al-Awzaa`ee رحمه الله said: ❝When Allaah تعالى intents evil for a people, He تعالى opens for them the door of argument (and quarrel), and distracts them from (doing righteous) deeds.❞

📚 [Taareekh Damishq of Ibn `Asaakir, Siyar A`laam al-Nubalaa' of al-Dhahabee]

❝`Asalah❞ (عسله): being honeyed or sweetened. It is a term used when honey is added to a thing. When honey is poured over food, it sweetens it. Similarly, when a person does righteous deeds, Allaah is pleased with him and He تعالى makes the people be pleased with him. Like how the honeybee only consumes from the good, and what comes out of its belly, the honey, is good and pure. Similarly, a Muslim is obliged to do good, so that only purity and piety remains in him, and the impurities and sins are removed from him by Allaah’s Will.

The righteous deeds have been compared with honey because honey is a pure food, and it sweetens the food and drink to which it is added.

When Allaah تعالى intends good for a slave, He تعالى not only shows him the right from the wrong, but He تعالى also helps and makes it easy for him to do good deeds before his death. A person may do good deeds and his soul is captured while he is in that state or in other cases his soul is taken after he has completed the act. The acts can be Salaah (prayers), Siyaam (Fasting), Sadaqah (charity), or any other good deed.

If a person had fallen into acts of sin and disobedience, Allaah تعالى guides him towards repentance, as Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said: ❝If Allaah wants good for His slave, He تعالى opens for him the doors of repentance, remorse, abasement, humility, dependence (upon Allaah for the needs), seeking help from Him; the doors of perpetual humility, supplication, and seeking nearness to Him by means of whatever good works he can manage - so that his wrong may become a means towards Allaah’s mercy.❞

📚 [al-Waabil al-Sayyib (1/6)]

The saying of the Prophet ﷺ: ❝then He (تعالى) takes (his soul) whilst he is in that state.❞, the last actions of a person are very important because in many cases, they determine the whole outcome. Did he die upon Tawheed or Shirk? Did he do actions for the sake of Allaah or for worldly fame? Did he repent sincerely before his death? If a person were to die upon Shirk, all his life long’s worth of good deeds will be of no benefit for him. One action or statement can ruin everything for him.

And from the Hadeeth of Sahl Ibn Sa`d رضي الله عنه that the Prophet said ﷺ said: ❝A person may do deeds that seem to the people as the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact, he is from the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire: and similarly a person may do deeds that seem to the people as the deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire while in fact, he is from the dwellers of Paradise. Verily, the (reward of) the deeds done, are decided by the last actions (deeds).❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6493, 6607)]

In the Hadeeth reported by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh, the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Every slave would be raised (in the same very state) in which he dies.❞

📚 [Saheeh Muslim (2878)]

All these Ahaadeeth are an inspiration and encouragement to not only live upon Islaam but also to die upon it. One should not rely on his past deeds. One should keep performing righteous deeds till his death. As this is also mentioned in the Qur’aan as well. As Allaah تعالى said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

{O you who have believed, fear Allaah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]}

📚 [Surah aal-`Imraan (3): 102]

And Allaah تعالى also:

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

{And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (i.e., death).}

📚 [Surah al-Hijr (15): 99]

The saying of the Prophet ﷺ: ❝He uses him❞. One has to know, O slaves of Allaah, if he is working for Allaah or working for other than Allaah. The people are divided into two categories: A group which Allaah uses for righteous deeds, and a group which Allaah replaces. So, check which category you belong to? When people persist in evil, Allaah تعالى replaces them. So, if you want to know your place with Allaah then see in what He تعالى uses you. When Allaah loves a slave, He تعالى uses him in righteousness, and makes people inclined towards him, and opens for him the doors of good deeds and repentance.

And the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: ❝…until those around him are pleased with him.❞, meaning: from his family, neighbors, his friends, and those who know him. They will praise him, fulfill his unfilled obligations, and Allaah تعالى will accept their testimony for him.

Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ❝If Allaah loves a person, He calls (Angel) Jibreel, saying: {Allaah loves so and so, O Jibreel (you too) love him}. So Jibreel would love him and then would make an announcement in the Heavens: “Allaah has loved so and-so therefore you should love him also.” So, all the dwellers of the Heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3209, 6040, 7485) and Saheeh Muslim (2637)]

A group of people may pass away but their honor remains…

…while a group would be alive, but they are like the dead among the living.