Hadith 23 & 24 — Spiritual Purification: The Path to Inner Cleanliness and Divine Mercy
[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
Today we continue our study of Imam Nawawi's collection with two powerful hadiths that address the foundations of our spiritual well-being. Hadith 23 speaks to the outward and inward purification that defines a believer, while Hadith 24 — one of the most profound hadith qudsi in our tradition — reveals the infinite mercy and perfect justice of our Lord.
Let us begin with Hadith 23, narrated by Abu Malik al-Harith bin Asim al-Ashari, may Allah be pleased with him. The Prophet said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"Purity is half of iman. 'Al-hamdu lillah' fills the scales, and 'Subhan-Allah' and 'Al-hamdu lillah' fill that which is between heaven and earth. Prayer is a light, charity is a proof, patience is illumination, and the Quran is a proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin."]
Subhan'Allah. In this single hadith, the Prophet has given us a comprehensive guide to spiritual excellence. Let us unpack each statement, for every phrase carries oceans of meaning.
First: "Purity is half of iman."
The Prophet begins by emphasizing tahara — purification. This includes both physical cleanliness and spiritual purity. Physical purification means wudu before prayer, ghusl when required, clean clothes, clean body. But why is this "half of iman"?
Because iman is about submission to Allah, and that submission begins with our bodies. When you wake up and make wudu, you are declaring with your actions that you are preparing to stand before your Lord. The water that touches your limbs is not just cleaning dirt — it is a physical manifestation of your desire for spiritual purity.
Allah says:
[Quran,5:6,"O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a state of full impurity, then take a full bath."]
But purification extends beyond the body. The scholars explain that true tahara includes purifying the heart from shirk, the tongue from lying and backbiting, the eyes from forbidden sights, the ears from gossip and obscenity. A person may have perfect wudu but a heart filled with hatred — where is the purity?
The Prophet said:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim,"Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body. If it is sound, the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. It is the heart."]
So purity is half of iman because it represents the outward and inward readiness to meet Allah. Clean body, clean heart, clean intentions — this is the foundation upon which all worship is built.
Second: "Al-hamdu lillah fills the scales, and Subhan-Allah and Al-hamdu lillah fill that which is between heaven and earth."
Here the Prophet teaches us about the weight and vastness of dhikr — remembrance of Allah. These simple phrases, which take only seconds to say, carry immense spiritual weight.
"Al-hamdu lillah" — All praise belongs to Allah. This phrase acknowledges that every blessing, every breath, every moment of existence is a gift from Him. When you say it with presence of heart, it fills the scales on the Day of Judgment. Not because of the words themselves, but because of what they represent: gratitude, recognition of the Source, submission to the Giver.
"Subhan-Allah" — Glory be to Allah, He is free from all imperfections. This phrase declares Allah's transcendence, His perfection, His incomparability. Paired with Al-hamdu lillah, these words fill the space between heaven and earth — a poetic way of saying their reward is vast beyond our comprehension.
Brothers, these are not magical formulas. They are expressions of aqeedah, creed, belief. When you say them, mean them. Reflect on them. Let them transform your heart. Do not let dhikr become mere repetition of sounds. Let it be remembrance that moves you.
Allah says:
[Quran,13:28,"Those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort."]
Third: "Prayer is a light."
The Prophet describes salah as nur — light. What does this mean? Prayer illuminates your heart, guides your steps, clarifies your purpose. A person who establishes prayer properly walks through life with light. His decisions are guided, his character is shaped, his soul is at peace.
Prayer is light in this world and light in the next. In this world, it lights the path when you face confusion. It lights your relationships, teaching you humility and patience. It lights your character, restraining you from evil. In the Hereafter, it will be literal light — the Prophet said prayer will be a light for the believers on the Day of Judgment.
But this light only comes from prayer performed properly. Rushing through salah, praying without focus, treating it as a burden — this is not the light-giving prayer. The light comes from prayer performed with presence of heart, humility, and consciousness of standing before Allah.
Allah tells us about the nature of true prayer:
[Quran,29:45,"Surely prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing. And the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows what you do."]
Fourth: "Charity is a proof."
Sadaqah — charity — is called a burhan, a proof. Proof of what? Proof of the sincerity of your faith. Anyone can claim to believe in Allah, to believe in the Hereafter, to believe in divine reward. But the one who gives from his wealth — especially when he needs it himself — has proven that his belief is real.
Allah says:
[Quran,2:261,"The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies the reward even more to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing."]
Here, in this environment, your opportunities for financial charity may be limited. But charity is not only money. The Prophet said:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim,"Every act of goodness is charity. Even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity."]
Give from what you have. A kind word is charity. Teaching someone Quran is charity. Helping a fellow inmate is charity. Removing harm from the path is charity. All of these prove that your iman is real, that you are willing to sacrifice comfort, time, and effort for the sake of Allah.
Fifth: "Patience is illumination."
Sabr — patience — is described as diya, illumination or brightness. This is profound. Patience does not just get you through difficulty; it illuminates the difficulty, showing you its meaning, its purpose, its hidden blessings.
When you face a trial with impatience, all you see is darkness. But when you face it with sabr, suddenly you see clearly: this is a test from Allah, an opportunity to earn reward, a means of purification from sin, a reminder to return to Him.
Allah says:
[Quran,2:155-157,"We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine, and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently persevere — who, when faced with a disaster, say, 'Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will return.' They are the ones who will receive Allah's blessings and mercy. And it is they who are rightly guided."]
For those of us in this place, sabr is not optional. You are separated from family. You have lost freedom. You face daily challenges that test your resolve. But if you meet these challenges with patience — not passive resignation, but active, faithful endurance — then this very place becomes a source of illumination. You see what others cannot see: that Allah is with those who are patient, that difficulty is temporary but reward is eternal.
Sixth: "The Quran is a proof either for you or against you."
This is one of the most sobering statements in the hadith. The Quran will testify about you on the Day of Judgment. If you read it, acted upon it, lived by its guidance, it will be a witness FOR you. But if you neglected it, ignored its commands, or read it without applying it, it will be a witness AGAINST you.
Allah says:
[Quran,17:82,"We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers, but it only increases the wrongdoers in loss."]
The same Quran that elevates a believer condemns a disbeliever. The same Book that guides one person misguides another — not because the Book changes, but because people's relationship with it differs. Do you read it? Do you understand it? Do you implement it? Or is it just sitting on your shelf, or stored in your memory without affecting your actions?
Seventh: "Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin."
The hadith concludes with this powerful imagery. You are a trader, and your soul is your merchandise. Every day you make transactions. Every choice, every action, every word — these are sales. Will you sell your soul cheaply to desires and sins? Or will you use your day to free your soul, investing in actions that lead to Allah's pleasure?
This is especially relevant here. Every day in this place is a day you can invest in your freedom — not physical freedom, but the freedom of your soul from the Fire. Use these days wisely. Every moment is an opportunity to purify yourself, to remember Allah, to pray with presence, to give charity through kind words and helpful actions, to be patient with your trials, and to engage with the Quran.
Part Two
Now let us turn to Hadith 24, one of the greatest hadith qudsi in our religion. A hadith qudsi is one where the Prophet narrates words directly from Allah, though not part of the Quran. This hadith is narrated by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him. The Prophet said that Allah said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim (Hadith Qudsi),"O My servants! I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not increase My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is decreased of the ocean when a needle is dipped into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself."]
Subhan'Allah. This hadith contains profound theological truths about Allah's attributes, His relationship with creation, and our accountability. Let us reflect on its key themes.
First: Allah's prohibition of oppression.
Allah begins by declaring that He has forbidden oppression for Himself. This does not mean Allah could be oppressive — He is perfect and all His actions are just. Rather, it means injustice is impossible from Allah. Everything He decrees is wisdom and justice, even when we do not understand it.
Then He makes oppression forbidden among us. Do not oppress one another. Do not take what is not yours. Do not harm the innocent. Do not abuse your power over those weaker than you. Every act of oppression will be answered for.
The Prophet said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"Beware of oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection."]
In this environment, oppression can take many forms. The strong oppressing the weak. The influential spreading lies about others. Those with resources taking advantage of those without. All of this is forbidden. Allah is watching, and He will establish justice even if it takes until the Day of Judgment.
Second: Complete dependence on Allah for guidance, provision, and clothing.
Allah declares that we are all astray except those He guides, all hungry except those He feeds, all naked except those He clothes. What does this teach us? Total dependence on Him for everything — not just provision, but guidance itself.
You cannot guide yourself to truth. You need Allah to open your heart. You cannot sustain yourself. You need Allah to provide. You cannot clothe yourself with dignity and protection. You need Allah to grant it.
This is liberating. When you recognize that everything comes from Allah, you stop placing your hope in creation. You stop being disappointed when people let you down. You stop being arrogant when you succeed. You recognize the Source of all good and turn to Him in all your needs.
Allah says:
[Quran,35:15,"O humanity! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah alone is the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy."]
Third: The vastness of Allah's forgiveness.
"You commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you."
Brothers, this is one of the most hope-inspiring statements in our religion. You sin day and night — Allah knows this. He knows your weaknesses, your struggles, your repeated failures. And He says: I forgive ALL sins. Not some. Not the small ones. ALL sins. The condition? Seek forgiveness.
Do not ever think a sin is too great for Allah to forgive. Do not ever think you have gone too far to return. Allah's mercy is infinite. His forgiveness is complete. The one who truly seeks it will find it.
Allah says:
[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.'"]
Many of you carry the weight of your past. You remember what you did before this place, or even in this place. You think: how can Allah forgive me? The answer is in this hadith: He CAN and He WILL, if you sincerely seek His forgiveness.
True tawbah — repentance — requires four things: recognize the sin, feel remorse, stop doing it, and resolve never to return to it. If your repentance meets these conditions, Allah will forgive you. He promises this. And Allah does not break His promise.
Fourth: Allah's complete independence from creation.
Allah declares that our sins do not harm Him and our worship does not benefit Him. If all of humanity and jinn became perfectly righteous, it would not add to His kingdom. If all became perfectly wicked, it would not decrease His kingdom. He is utterly independent, completely self-sufficient.
This is crucial to understand. When you worship Allah, you are not doing Him a favor. When you sin, you are not hurting Him. Everything returns to you. Your worship benefits YOU. Your sin harms YOU. Allah gains nothing and loses nothing.
This should increase your sense of Allah's mercy. He does not NEED your worship, yet He commands it for YOUR benefit. He does not gain from your obedience, yet He rewards it abundantly. This is pure grace.
Fifth: The infinity of Allah's generosity.
"If all of creation stood in one place and asked of Me, and I gave everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is decreased of the ocean when a needle is dipped into it."
Allah's treasures are infinite. His ability to provide is unlimited. Do not limit your du'a because you think you are asking too much. Do not hesitate to turn to Him because you think your needs are too great. Ask Him for everything — guidance, provision, forgiveness, Paradise — and know that giving all of this to you does not decrease His kingdom in the slightest.
The Prophet said:
[Hadith,Sunan al-Tirmidhi,"Ask Allah for everything, even if it is only a shoelace. For if Allah does not facilitate it, it will not be facilitated."]
Sixth: Complete accountability for our deeds.
The hadith concludes with this reality: "It is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for."
You will be judged by your actions. Not by your intentions alone, not by your lineage, not by your claims — by your deeds. And those deeds will be weighed with perfect justice. Whoever finds good on that Day should praise Allah, for all good comes from Him. Whoever finds other than good should blame only himself.
This is both sobering and empowering. Sobering because you cannot escape accountability. Every deed is recorded. Every word is witnessed. Every intention is known. But empowering because the matter is in your hands. Starting today, you can fill your scale with good deeds. You can seek forgiveness for past sins. You can change your trajectory.
Allah says:
[Quran,99:7-8,"So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it."]
Brothers, these two hadiths together paint a complete picture of our faith. Hadith 23 gives us the tools: purification, dhikr, prayer, charity, patience, Quran. Hadith 24 gives us the foundation: Allah's justice, His mercy, His independence, our complete dependence on Him, and our accountability.
Live by these principles. Purify yourself inwardly and outwardly. Remember Allah constantly. Establish your prayers. Give from what you have. Be patient with your trials. Hold fast to the Quran. And know that Allah is watching over you with perfect knowledge, infinite mercy, and complete justice.
O Allah, purify our hearts as You purify our bodies with water.
O Allah, make our tongues moist with Your remembrance.
O Allah, make our prayers a light for us in this world and the next.
O Allah, grant us patience that illuminates our difficulties.
O Allah, make the Quran a proof for us and not against us.
O Allah, forgive our sins by day and by night, for You are the All-Forgiving.
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.]