Hadith 10 — Purity of Provisions and Acceptance of Deeds

[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.]

Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.

Part One: The Foundation of Accepted Worship

Dear brothers,

Today we examine the tenth hadith from Imam Nawawi's collection—a hadith that reveals why our prayers, fasting, charity, and supplications may not be accepted by Allah.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Muslim 1015,"Allah the Almighty is Good and accepts only that which is good. And verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers. So the Almighty has said: 'O messengers! Eat from what is good and lawful, and act righteously. Indeed, I fully know what you do' [23:51]. And the Almighty has said: 'O believers! Eat from the good things We have provided for you' [2:172]. Then he ﷺ mentioned the case of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying, 'O Lord! O Lord!' while his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished with haram, so how can his supplication be answered?"]

The Divine Nature of Purity

Brothers, when the Prophet ﷺ says "Allah is Good and accepts only that which is good," he's teaching us about Allah's perfect nature. The Arabic word is "Tayyib"—pure, wholesome, clean, lawful. Allah's perfection means He only accepts what is pure. You cannot approach the King of Kings with filth. Would you wear dirty clothes to an important meeting? Then how can we think Allah would accept worship tainted by haram sustenance?

Allah tells us in Surat al-Maidah:

[Quran,5:27,"And recite to them the true story of Adam's two sons ˹Cain and Abel˺ when each offered a sacrifice: Adam's sacrifice was accepted from one of them but not from the other."]

From the beginning of human history, Allah showed us that not all offerings are accepted. The difference is in the purity of intention and lawfulness of what is offered.

The Connection Between Prophets and Believers

The Prophet ﷺ quotes two verses. First addressing the Messengers:

[Quran,23:51,"O messengers! Eat from what is good and lawful, and act righteously. Indeed, I fully know what you do."]

Notice—eating from the halal comes BEFORE acting righteously. The foundation of righteous action is pure sustenance. Your body is the vehicle for your worship. If you fuel it with haram, how can it produce acts pleasing to Allah?

Then:

[Quran,2:172,"O believers! Eat from the good things We have provided for you. And give thanks to Allah if you ˹truly˺ worship Him ˹alone˺."]

By connecting these verses, the Prophet ﷺ tells us that what was commanded to the Prophets is commanded to us. The same purity required of Prophets is required of every believer.

The Tragic Example of Rejection

The Prophet ﷺ paints a heartbreaking scene: A man who has traveled far, disheveled and dusty, raises his hands to the sky calling "Ya Rabbi! Ya Rabbi!" Everything about his external state suggests his dua should be answered. Yet the Prophet ﷺ asks: "So how can his supplication be answered?"

Why? Four barriers:

His food is haram
His drink is haram
His clothing is haram
He was nourished with haram

The Prophet ﷺ once said:

[Hadith,Tabarani,"When a morsel of haram enters the stomach of a servant, his deeds are not accepted for forty days."]

Forty days from a single morsel! Imagine someone whose entire diet and lifestyle is funded by haram.

Understanding Halal and Haram

Brothers, when it comes to income and consumption, we must distinguish between halal and haram. Allah says in Surat al-Baqarah about the most destructive form of haram income:

[Quran,2:275,"Those who consume interest will stand ˹on Judgment Day˺ like those driven to madness by Satan's touch. That is because they say, 'Trade is no different than interest.' But Allah has permitted trading and forbidden interest."]

The main sources of haram income include:

Riba (Interest) - The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Muslim 1598,"Allah has cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who gives it, the one who records it, and the two witnesses to it."]

Theft and Deception - Including lying about qualifications, claiming false benefits, cheating in business. Allah warns:

[Quran,83:1-3,"Woe to the defrauders! Those who take full measure ˹when buying˺ from people, but give less when they measure or weigh for buyers."]

Selling Haram Products - Alcohol, drugs, gambling. The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Abu Dawud 3488,"When Allah prohibits something, He also prohibits its price."]

Bribery and Corruption - The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Ahmad,"Allah's curse is upon the one who gives a bribe, the one who takes it, and the mediator between them."]

The Gray Area

Between clear halal and clear haram lies a gray area—the doubtful matters. The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Bukhari 52,"The halal is clear and the haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters that many people do not know about. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters will protect his religion and his honor."]

Part Two: Living This Reality

Brothers,

Now let me show you through real examples how seriously our predecessors took this matter.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq once ate food brought by his servant. After eating, the servant mentioned he'd bought it with money from fortune-telling he'd done before Islam. Upon hearing this, Abu Bakr immediately put his fingers down his throat and forced himself to vomit everything. People said, "May Allah have mercy on you! All this over one bite?" Abu Bakr replied, "If this bite would only come out with my soul leaving, I would still do it. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'Every body nourished by the haram, the Fire is more worthy of it.'"

This is Abu Bakr—the best of this Ummah after the Prophet ﷺ. Yet look at his fear of even a morsel of doubtful food!

Our Situation in Prison

Brothers, I understand our situation here presents unique challenges. While the chaplain works to provide religiously appropriate meals, we still face questions about food sources and preparation.

The scholars give guidance based on necessity:

Make your best effort with available options
Avoid the clearly haram
Use the religious diet options provided
Make istighfar for what you cannot control
Intend to eat only pure halal when free

Allah says:

[Quran,2:173,"He has only forbidden you ˹to eat˺ carrion, blood, swine, and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—they will not be sinful. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful."]

For prison work, apply these principles:

Choose jobs that don't directly involve haram
If forced to work with haram under compulsion, your income is not haram
Use earnings for good purposes
Plan for halal employment upon release

The Power of Sincere Repentance

For those who have consumed haram in the past:

[Quran,39:53,"Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ 'O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah's mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'"]

The conditions for repentance:

Stop immediately
Feel genuine remorse
Seek forgiveness constantly
Resolve never to return
Return rights or seek forgiveness if you took unjustly

The Sweetness of Halal

When you eat halal:

Your dua is more likely to be answered
Your worship has more weight
Your heart becomes softer
Your children are blessed
Barakah enters your life

The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Tirmidhi 2389,"No one gives charity from pure earnings—and Allah only accepts what is pure—except that the Most Merciful takes it with His right hand, even if it is a date. Then it grows in the hand of the Most Merciful until it becomes larger than a mountain."]

You Cannot Plant Evil and Harvest Good

Brothers, you cannot plant corn and harvest wheat. You cannot plant poison and expect medicine. This law applies to our spiritual lives. Every haram dollar you earned, every haram morsel you ate—these were seeds. Now you're harvesting the crop.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Bukhari 6491,"Actions are but by their endings."]

You cannot live a life of disobedience and expect the death of the righteous. You cannot walk the path of Shaytan and expect to arrive at the destination of the prophets.

How many of us try to serve two masters? We want barakah of halal while keeping one foot in haram. We want prayers answered while our income is cursed. Brothers, this is delusion!

The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Ibn Majah 4244,"When a servant commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents, it is polished away. But if he continues, it increases until it covers his entire heart."]

Practical Steps Forward

1. Audit Your Current Situation

Examine your income sources
Identify any haram or doubtful elements
Make a plan to eliminate them

2. Plan for Your Release

Think now about halal employment
Learn skills for halal work
Connect with brothers who can help

3. Make Constant Dua

The Prophet ﷺ taught us:

[Hadith,Tirmidhi 3563,"O Allah, suffice me with what You have made halal so that I may not need what is haram, and make me independent of all besides You."]

"Allahumma akfini bi-halalika 'an haramika wa aghnini bi-fadlika 'amman siwaka"

A Warning About Judgment Day

On the Day of Judgment, every penny will be questioned:

[Quran,102:8,"Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about ˹your worldly˺ pleasures."]

The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Tirmidhi 2417,"The feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is questioned about five things: about his life and how he spent it, about his youth and how he utilized it, about his wealth and how he earned it and where he spent it, and about what he did with his knowledge."]

Two of the five questions are about wealth: how you earned it AND how you spent it.

The Ultimate Success

Allah tells us in Surat al-Mu'minun:

[Quran,23:1-11,"Successful indeed are the believers: those who humble themselves in prayer; those who avoid idle talk; those who pay alms-tax; those who guard their chastity except with their spouses or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame, but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors; ˹the believers are also˺ those who are true to their trusts and covenants; and those who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers. These are the ones who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will be there forever."]

Notice—being "true to their trusts" includes financial trusts, earning honestly, consuming only what is rightfully yours. Every aspect of their lives is pure.

Brothers, you cannot plant seeds of darkness and expect to harvest light. The time to change your planting is now, while you still have time, while the soil of your heart can still receive good seeds.

O Allah, we seek refuge in You from the Fire that is fueled by those who consume haram.

O Allah, provide us with halal sustenance and make it sufficient for us.

O Allah, bless us in what You have given us and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

O Allah, make us among those whose provisions are pure, whose deeds are accepted, and whose duas are answered.

O Allah, forgive us for what we have consumed unknowingly from haram, and protect us from consuming it knowingly.

O Allah, help us plant seeds of righteousness in every aspect of our lives—our earnings, our consumption, our relationships, our worship.

O Allah, purify our hearts from the darkness that haram creates, and fill them with the light of Your guidance.

O Allah, when we leave this place, guide us to employment that is pleasing to You and income that is blessed by You.

O Allah, make us examples for our families in seeking halal and avoiding haram.

O Allah, do not let us die except in a state that is pleasing to You, with pure provisions and accepted deeds.

We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us.

Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.

I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.]