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Takhrij Hadith 500: "My brother, take advantage of…"
Ma‘mar narrated from one of his companions that Abu al-Darda’ wrote to Salman:
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My brother, take advantage of your health and your free time before a trial befalls you that people are unable to avert. Take advantage of the supplication of the afflicted. My brother, let the mosque be your home, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘The mosque is the home of every God-fearing person, and Allah has guaranteed for those whose homes are the mosques spiritual comfort, mercy, and safe passage across the Sirat to the pleasure of Allah.’ “My brother, show mercy to the orphan. Bring him close to you, stroke his head, and feed him from your food. For I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man came to him complaining of the hardness of his heart. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: ‘Would you like your heart to become soft?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Then bring the orphan close to you, stroke his head, and feed him from your food, for that will soften your heart and help you attain your need.’ “My brother, do not accumulate what you are unable to give thanks for. For I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘On the Day of Resurrection, the person who possessed wealth in this world and obeyed Allah regarding it will be brought forward. His wealth will be behind him, and whenever the Sirat causes him to stumble, his wealth will say to him: “Proceed, for you fulfilled the rights that were due concerning me.” Another person will be brought who did not obey Allah regarding his wealth. His wealth will be upon his shoulders, causing him to stumble, and it will say: “Woe to you! Why did you not act in obedience to Allah concerning your wealth?” It will continue calling down woe and destruction upon him.’ “My brother, I have been informed that you purchased a servant. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘A servant remains close to Allah, and Allah remains close to him, so long as he is not served. But when he acquires servants, he becomes liable to account.’ Umm al-Darda’ once asked me for a servant when I was well-off, but I disliked that for her out of fear of accountability. “My brother, who can guarantee for me and for you that we will come on the Day of Resurrection without fearing reckoning? My brother, do not be deceived by our companionship with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for we have lived a long time after him, and Allah knows best what we have done since his passing.”
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