Aḥādīth Mutawātirah: Widely Known Prophetic Narrations

The following  ahadith are from the collection of widely known prophetic sayings (mutawātirah) as categorized by the 14th century scholar Imam Jalalludin al-Suyuti. There is no consensus on the criteria for mutawātir, but in theory they constitute what scholarly communities today would consider common knowledge and need no further evidence. Mutawātira are exceedingly rare, and according to many scholars non-existent. The two types are lafẓī and ma’nāwī: verbatim and semantic, or in meaning only.

Imam al-Suyuti created the following sections of his book entitled The Culling of Scattered Flowers in the Widely Known Narrations. He includes 111 narrations each with their many textual sources.

Book of Knowledge

  1. Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him prepare his abode made from the Fire.
  2. God helps a man who hears something I’ve said, embodies it, and passes it on to someone who hasn’t heard it, so that perhaps he’ll carry knowledge in the absence of someone knowledgeable, or perhaps he’ll carry knowledge to someone who understands better.

Book of Faith

  1. Anyone who witnesses that there is no deity but God, Paradise is owed to him.
  2. I am commanded to fight man until they say “no god but God”.
  3. The submitter is someone whose tongue and hand the submitters are safe from.
  4. The fornicator in the moment he fornicates is not faithful.
  5. Modesty is from Faith.
  6. The question of Gabriel is about Faith, Surrender, and Beneficence.
  7. Faith is among Yemenis.
  8. The most completely faithful are the most beneficent in character.

Book of Purification

  1. He was asked about the sea and he said: Its water is pure and its meat lawful.
  2. God does not accept impure Salah nor ill-gotten charity.
  3.  Wiping the socks: al-Hasan al-Basry said “Seventy companions of the messenger of God reported to me that he used to wipe his socks”.
  4. There is no ritual washing for one who does not mention the name of God on it.
  5. He used to run his fingers through his beard (during ritual washing).
  6. Woe unto the heels from the Fire (during ritual washing).
  7. Anyone who touches his private parts should perform ritual washing.
  8. Ritually wash from whatever touches the Fire.
  9. Water (of ritual washing) is on account of water (of sexual emission).
  10. Had I not deemed it too difficult for my nation, I’d have ordered them to brush their teeth with every Salah, and the utterance with every ritual washing.

Book of Salah

  1. Those who call the prayer have the longest necks on the Day of Resurrection.
  2. The one who calls the prayer is forgiven per the range of his voice.
  3. Gabriel performed the Salah with the prophet…the Hadith in discerning the times of Salah.
  4. When the heat is stifling, cool off with Salah. The strength of the heat is from the rage (or the foot messenger) of Jahannam.
  5. Rise early for the morning prayer; it is greater in reward.
  6. His (pbuh) sleep after the morning Salah was long.
  7. There is no Salah after the morning Salah until the sun reaches ascension, nor is there Salah after the mid-afternoon Salah until the sun sets.
  8.  Whoever builds a mosque for God, he has a house a house in paradise.
  9. Give good tidings of perfect light on the Day of Resurrection to those who walk to the mosques in the dark.
  10. Anyone who eats garlic or onion should keep apart from us (in the mosque).
  11. The key to Salah is purity, saying Allahu akbar is how you initiate it and al-salām ‘alaykum is how you conclude it.
  12. He uttered bismillah aloud.
  13. He raised his hands in the Salah.
  14. He uttered the shahādah.
  15. They said: He taught us how to pray for peace upon you, so how do we pray for extolment upon you?

…to be continued.

Leave a comment