Hadith 21 & 22 — Faith in Action: Following the Prophet and Trusting Divine Wisdom
[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
We continue our journey through Imam Nawawi's forty hadiths with two profound teachings that cut to the heart of what it means to be Muslim. Today we explore Hadith 21 and Hadith 22 — two statements from the Prophet ﷺ that are brief in words but vast in meaning, simple in expression but deep in implication.
Let us begin with Hadith 21, narrated by Sufyan bin Abdullah ath-Thaqafee, may Allah be pleased with him. He said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"'O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam which I can ask of no one but you.' He said: 'Say: I believe in Allah—then be steadfast.'"]
Subhan'Allah. Look at this companion's question. He did not ask for complicated formulas or lengthy explanations. He asked for something comprehensive, something he could hold onto for the rest of his life. And the Prophet ﷺ gave him exactly that: belief and steadfastness. Faith and consistency. Conviction and perseverance.
Brothers, this is the religion in two commands: Believe in Allah, then remain steadfast upon that belief.
Allah promises in Surah Fussilat:
[Quran,41:30,"Surely those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them, ˹saying,˺ 'Do not fear, nor grieve. Rather, rejoice in the good news of Paradise, which you have been promised."]
Notice the structure: those who SAY our Lord is Allah, AND THEN remain steadfast. It is not enough to make a declaration. The declaration must be followed by istiqamah — steadfastness, consistency, uprightness.
What does it mean to say "I believe in Allah"? It means more than moving your tongue. It means your heart testifies to His Oneness, your mind accepts His Commands, your limbs submit to His Will. To say "I believe in Allah" is to recognize that He alone is your Creator, your Sustainer, your Master, your Judge. That His Word is Truth, His Promise is certain, His Decree is just.
But the hadith does not stop there. After belief comes the crucial second part: "then be steadfast." This is where many stumble. Many of us can feel iman in a moment of ease, in the atmosphere of Ramadan, in the congregation of Jumu'ah. But can we maintain that iman when we return to our cells? When we face difficulty? When temptation calls? When others mock?
Steadfastness — istiqamah — means consistency. It means worshipping Allah in secret as you do in public. It means obeying Him when you are alone as you do when others watch. It means holding to the truth when it is easy and when it is hard, when it benefits you and when it costs you.
Allah teaches us in Surah al-Ahqaf:
[Quran,46:13-14,"Surely those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then remain steadfast—there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. It is they who will be the residents of Paradise, staying there forever, as a reward for what they used to do."]
Look at what Allah promises to those who combine belief with steadfastness: no fear, no grief, eternal Paradise. This is not because of perfection — none of us is perfect. It is because of consistency in striving, persistence in returning to Allah after every stumble.
The scholars say istiqamah means to remain upright upon the Straight Path. What is the Straight Path? It is the path of following the Quran and Sunnah, the path of the righteous before us. To be steadfast is to wake for Fajr when your body wants sleep. To be steadfast is to lower your gaze when temptation appears. To be steadfast is to speak truth when lying would be easier. To be steadfast is to forgive when your ego wants revenge.
Here, in this place, steadfastness takes on particular weight. Every day presents tests. The environment presses upon you. Your past calls to you. Your desires pull at you. Other inmates may mock your commitment. The routine may wear down your spirit. This is precisely where istiqamah is proven.
Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked about the meaning of this hadith.
[Quote,"Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam (Ibn Rajab, Hadith 21)","Do not associate anything with Allah, and do not abandon the obligations which Allah has made binding upon you."]
This is practical istiqamah: Maintain pure tawheed, and fulfill your religious duties consistently. Pray your five prayers. Fast Ramadan. Avoid major sins. Treat people with ihsan. Control your tongue. Guard your heart.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if they are small."]
You do not need to perform extraordinary acts of worship. You need consistency in the basics. Better to pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer every night for a year than to pray all night once and then never again. Better to read one page of Quran daily without fail than to finish a juz one day and abandon the mushaf for weeks.
Allah describes the believers:
[Quran,23:1-2,"Successful indeed are the believers: those who humble themselves in prayer."]
The success is not in praying once with intense emotion. It is in maintaining humility in every prayer, day after day, year after year, until you meet Allah. This is istiqamah.
But let us be honest, brothers. We all struggle with consistency. Our iman has peaks and valleys. Some days we feel close to Allah, other days distant. Some days worship feels easy, other days it feels like a burden. This is normal — it is part of being human.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"For every deed there is a period of enthusiasm, and for every period of enthusiasm there is a period of rest. Whoever's period of rest is in accordance with my Sunnah has succeeded, but whoever's period of rest deviates from my Sunnah has failed."]
You will have moments of high motivation and moments of low energy. The question is: do you maintain the minimum even in your low periods? When your enthusiasm drops, do you abandon the prayer, or do you still pray even if with less presence of heart? When your spiritual state weakens, do you stop reading Quran, or do you continue even if just a few verses?
This is the meaning of the Prophet's command: be steadfast. Not perfect. Steadfast. Returning to the path when you stray. Repenting when you sin. Renewing your commitment when it weakens.
Allah commands in Surah Hud:
[Quran,11:112,"So be steadfast as you have been commanded, along with those who have turned ˹to Allah˺ with you. And do not transgress, for He is All-Seeing of what you do."]
Allah commands even His Prophet to be steadfast. The Prophet ﷺ said this verse made his hair turn white because of the weight of its command. If the best of creation felt the weight of this command, how much more should we?
Yet notice Allah's mercy in the verse: "along with those who have turned to Allah with you." Istiqamah is easier in good company. This is why you must surround yourself with brothers who remind you of Allah, who encourage you in good, who hold you accountable. In this environment, choose your companions carefully. Sit with those who make you think of the Hereafter, whose presence increases your iman.
The second part of being steadfast is avoiding transgression. Allah says: "and do not transgress." You cannot claim to be on the Straight Path while deliberately disobeying Allah. You cannot say "I believe in Allah" while knowingly engaging in what He has forbidden. Yes, we all sin — but there is a difference between falling into sin and falling in love with sin, between stumbling and setting up residence in disobedience.
Steadfastness requires vigilance. It requires self-examination. It requires constant renewal of intention. Every day, recommit yourself to Allah. Every prayer, remind yourself why you are standing before your Lord. Every time you stumble, return to Him in repentance.
The beauty of this hadith is its simplicity and its completeness. In two phrases, the Prophet ﷺ gave us the formula for success: Believe in Allah, and be steadfast. Everything else in Islam flows from these two principles. All the commands, all the prohibitions, all the acts of worship — they are simply expressions of these two realities.
Part Two
Now let us turn to Hadith 22, which complements and clarifies what we have just discussed. This hadith is narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"A man questioned the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramadan, treat as lawful that which is halal, and treat as forbidden that which is haram, and do not increase upon that in voluntary good deeds, then I shall enter Paradise?' He said: 'Yes.'"]
Subhan'Allah. What a powerful confirmation. The man asked a direct question, and the Prophet ﷺ gave a direct answer: Yes, you will enter Paradise.
But let us unpack what this means, because misunderstanding this hadith can lead people astray. Some hear this and think: "I only need to do the minimum. I can neglect voluntary worship, avoid extra good deeds, and still enter Paradise." This is a dangerous misreading.
First, notice what the man included in his question. He mentioned four things:
- Performing the obligatory prayers
- Fasting Ramadan
- Treating halal as halal
- Treating haram as haram
Let us examine each one, because fulfilling these "basics" is more demanding than it appears.
First: Performing the obligatory prayers. This does not mean simply moving through the motions five times a day. It means establishing the prayer with its conditions and pillars, praying with humility and presence of heart, maintaining it consistently throughout your life. Allah tells us in Surah al-Ankabut:
[Quran,29:45,"Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and establish prayer. Surely prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing. And the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows what you do."]
True performance of prayer transforms the one who prays. It restrains him from evil and brings him constantly back to remembrance of Allah. How many of us can honestly say our prayers have this effect? If they do not, then we must question whether we are truly "performing" them as Allah commanded.
Second: Fasting Ramadan. This means more than abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours. The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari,"Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need for him to give up his food and drink."]
True fasting includes restraining the tongue from lying, backbiting, and obscenity. It includes restraining the eyes from looking at what is forbidden. It includes restraining the heart from hatred, envy, and malice. To fast Ramadan properly is to undergo a complete spiritual training for thirty days.
Third: Treating halal as halal. This means accepting what Allah has permitted without adding restrictions that He did not impose. It means being grateful for the permissible blessings He has provided. It means not making the religion harder than Allah made it.
Fourth: Treating haram as haram. This is crucial. It means recognizing and avoiding what Allah has forbidden — not just in action, but in conviction. You do not just refrain from zina while believing it should be permissible. You do not just avoid alcohol while thinking the prohibition is outdated. You submit your mind and heart to Allah's wisdom in declaring certain things forbidden.
Allah warns in Surah al-Baqarah:
[Quran,2:168,"O humanity! Eat from what is lawful and good on the earth, and do not follow Satan's footsteps. He is truly your sworn enemy."]
And He clarifies in Surah al-A'raf:
[Quran,7:33,"Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ 'My Lord has only forbidden open and secret indecencies, sinfulness, unjust aggression, associating ˹others˺ with Allah ˹in worship˺—a practice He has never authorized—and saying about Allah what you do not know.'"]
To truly treat haram as haram means to hate it in your heart as Allah hates it, to avoid it completely, and to repent sincerely if you fall into it.
Now, with this understanding, we see that what the man described as "not increasing upon that" is actually a complete, comprehensive Islam. If you truly establish these four matters, you have fulfilled the essence of the religion.
But here is the key point, brothers: can you maintain these obligations consistently without voluntary acts of worship? The scholars explain that while voluntary deeds are not obligatory, they serve essential functions:
First, they make up for deficiencies in your obligatory deeds. The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sunan Abu Dawud,"The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best: 'Look at my servant's prayer, is it complete or deficient?' If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete. If it is deficient, He will say: 'See whether My servant has any voluntary prayers.' If he has voluntary prayers, He will say: 'Complete the obligatory prayer with his voluntary prayers.' Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in a similar manner."]
Your voluntary prayers cover the gaps in your obligatory prayers. Your voluntary charity compensates for shortcomings in your zakat. This is Allah's mercy.
Second, voluntary acts strengthen your ability to maintain the obligatory acts. A person who only prays the five daily prayers and no more will find those five difficult to maintain. But a person who adds regular voluntary prayers will find the obligatory prayers easier, more beloved, more spiritually nourishing.
Think of it like physical strength. A person who only walks the minimum required distance each day will find even that minimum difficult over time. But a person who exercises beyond the minimum will find the required walking easy and enjoyable. Voluntary worship exercises your spiritual muscles.
Third, voluntary acts are expressions of love for Allah, not just duty. Yes, Allah will admit to Paradise the one who fulfills the obligations. But do you not want more than the minimum in your relationship with your Lord? When you love someone, you do not calculate the minimum required interaction. You seek opportunities to draw closer.
Allah says in a hadith qudsi:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari,"My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts of worship until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks."]
The path to becoming beloved to Allah begins with obligations, but it is traveled through voluntary devotion.
Now, let us connect these two hadiths. Hadith 21 tells us: Say I believe in Allah and be steadfast. Hadith 22 tells us what that steadfastness looks like in practice: consistent fulfillment of the five prayers, Ramadan fasting, and adherence to halal and haram.
Together, they give us a complete picture. Faith in the heart, expressed through steadfast action in the limbs. Belief in Allah, manifested through the obligations He has made binding upon us.
For those of us in this environment, these hadiths are particularly relevant. You may feel that your circumstances limit what you can do for the religion. You cannot build a masjid. You cannot go for dawah campaigns. You cannot participate in many of the activities that free Muslims take for granted.
But these hadiths tell you: you have everything you need right here. You can pray your five daily prayers. You can fast Ramadan. You can know the difference between halal and haram and commit to that difference in your heart and actions. You can say "I believe in Allah" and then be steadfast in proving that belief through your daily choices.
Do not underestimate the weight of these "simple" acts. In the sight of Allah, the prayer you establish in your cell with sincerity and consistency may be more beloved to Him than elaborate worship performed for show. The Ramadan you fast here, with all its challenges, may carry greater reward than easy fasting in comfort.
Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. He asks you for what you can give, where you are, with what you have. Five prayers. Ramadan fasts. Halal and haram. And istiqamah — steadfastness — in maintaining these foundations.
The Prophet ﷺ was asked: "What deed is most beloved to Allah?" He said:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari,"To pray at its proper time."]
Not to pray the most rak'ahs. Not to pray with the longest recitation. To pray at its proper time. Consistency. Steadfastness. Showing up for your appointment with Allah, day after day, year after year.
This is within your reach, brothers. This is what Allah asks of you. And if you give Him this, He promises you Paradise. Not as a favor, but as His promise, and Allah does not break His promise.
So our action items are clear: Commit yourself firmly to establishing the five daily prayers at their proper times, with focus and humility. Prepare yourself now for the next Ramadan — spiritually, mentally, emotionally — so that when it comes, you fast it as it deserves to be fasted. Study the halal and haram so that you know what Allah has permitted and prohibited, and then align your life accordingly. And through all of this, maintain istiqamah — consistency, steadfastness, persistence in obedience.
You may stumble. You will stumble. But when you do, return immediately. Do not let one missed prayer become two. Do not let one sin become a habit. Say "Astaghfirullah," renew your commitment, and continue forward on the Straight Path.
O Allah, make us mindful of You in all our affairs.
O Allah, protect us as we strive to protect Your boundaries.
O Allah, make us among those who ask only You and seek help only from You.
O Allah, bless us with haya that protects us from sin.
O Allah, protect our hearts from hardness and our souls from shamelessness.
O Allah, make us among those who guard their gaze, tongue, and character.
O Allah, let these two hadiths guide our lives until we meet You.
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.]