النَّبِيُّthe Prophetﷺ(may peace be upon him)أَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaidمَنْwhoجَهَّزَpreparedغَازِيًاa raiderفَقَدْthen surelyغَزَاhe has raidedوَمَنْand whoخَلَّفَهُleft him behindفِيinأَهْلِهِhis familyبِخَيْرٍwith goodnessفَقَدْthen surelyغَزَاhe has raided
The Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prepares a raider has raided, and whoever leaves him behind in his family with goodness has also raided."
وَقَالَAnd he saidمَنْwhoeverدَلَّguidesعَلَىtoخَيْرٍgoodnessفَلَهُthen for himمِثْلُthe like ofأَجْرِrewardفَاعِلِهِof the doer
And he said: "Whoever guides to goodness will have a reward like that of the doer."
وَقَالَAnd he saidمَنْwhoeverفَطَرَbreaks the fast ofصَائِمٍa fasting personفَلَهُthen for himمِثْلُthe like ofأَجْرِهِhis reward
And he said: "Whoever breaks the fast of a fasting person will have a reward like his."
وَقَدْAnd indeedرُوِيَit was narratedالتُّرْمِذِيُّby Al-Tirmidhiمِنْthat whoeverعَزَّىconsolesمُصَابًاa bereaved personفَلَهُthen for himمِثْلُthe like ofأَجْرِهِhis reward
And it was narrated by Al-Tirmidhi that whoever consoles a bereaved person will have a reward like his.
وَهَذَاAnd thisوَغَيْرُهُand others like itمِمَّاfrom that whichيُبَيِّنُclarifiesأَنَّthatالشَّخْصَيْنِthe two personsقَدْmayيَتَمَاثَلَانِparallelفِيinالأَعْمَالِthe deeds الظَّاهِرَةِthe apparentبَلْbutيَتَفَاضَلَانِthey may excelوَيَكُونَand it may beالمَفْضُولُthe lesser goodفِيْهَاin itأَفْضَلَbetterعِندَin the sight ofاللّهِAllahمِنَthanالآخَرِthe other
And this and others like it clarify that the two persons may parallel in the apparent deeds, but they may excel, and the lesser good in it may be better in the sight of Allah than the other.
لأَنَّهُBecause it isأَفْضَلُbetterفِيinالإِيمَانِfaithالَّذِيthat whichفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heartوَأَمَّاAnd as forإِذَاifتَفَاضَلَاthey excelفِيinإِيمَانِfaithالْقُلُوبِthe heartsفَلَاthen surely notيَكُونَit will beالمَفْضُولُthe lesser goodفِيْهَاin itأَفْضَلَbetterعِندَin the sight ofاللّهِAllahالْبَتَّةَat all
Because it is better in faith that is in the heart, and as for if they excel in the faith of the hearts, then the lesser good in it will not be better in the sight of Allah at all.
وَإِنْAnd ifكَانَit wasالمَفْضُولُthe lesser goodلَمْdid notيَهَبْgrant himاللَّهُAllahمِنَfromالإِيمَانِfaithمَاthat whichوَهَبَهُHe grantedلِلْفَاضِلِto the better oneوَلَاnorأَعْطَىgrantedقَلْبَهُhis heartمِنَfromالأَسْبَابِthe meansالَّتِيthe whichبِهَاwith whichيَنَالُhe gainsذَلِكَthatالإِيمَانَfaithالْفَاضِلَthe better
And if the lesser good was not granted from Allah what He granted to the better one, nor was his heart given from the means by which he gains that better faith.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for thisفَضَّلَpreferenceاللَّهُAllahبَعْضَsomeالنَّبِيِّينَof the Prophetsعَلَىoverبَعْضٍsomeوَإِنْand indeedكَانَwasالْفَاضِلُthe betterأَقَلَّlessعَمَلًاin workمِنَthanالمَفْضُولِthe lesser goodكَمَاjust asفَضَّلَpreferredاللَّهُAllahنَبِيَّنَاour Prophetﷺ(may peace be upon him)وَمُدَّةَand the duration ofنُبُوَّتِهِhis ProphethoodبِضْعَtwentyوَعِشْرِينَtwentyسَنَةًyearsعَلَىoverنُوحٍNoahوَقَدْand indeedلَبِثَremainedفِيamongقَوْمِهِhis peopleأَلْفَa thousandسَنَةٍyearsإِلَّاexceptخَمْسِينِfiftyعَامًاyears
And for this Allah preferred some of the Prophets over others, and indeed, the better one may have done less work than the lesser good, just as Allah preferred our Prophet (may peace be upon him) - whose duration of Prophethood was twenty years - over Noah, who remained among his people for a thousand years minus fifty.
وَفَضَّلَAnd preferredأُمَّةَthe nationمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadوَقَدْand indeedعَمَلُواthey workedمِنَfromصَلَاةِthe prayerالْعَصْرِof AsrإِلَىtoالْمَغْرِبِMaghribعَلَىoverمَنْhe whoعَمَلَworkedمِنَfromأَوَّلِthe firstالنَّهَارِof the dayإِلَىtoصَلَاةِthe prayerالظُّهْرِof Dhuhrوَعَلَىand onمَنْwhoعَمَلَworkedمِنَfromصَلَاةِthe prayerالظُّهْرِof DhuhrإِلَىtoالْعَصْرِAsr
And preferred the nation of Muhammad, and indeed they worked from the prayer of Asr to Maghrib over he who worked from the beginning of the day to the prayer of Dhuhr, and over he who worked from the prayer of Dhuhr to Asr.
فَأَعْطَىThus He grantedاللَّهُAllahأُمَّةَthe nationمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadأَجْرَيْنِtwo rewardsوَأَعْطَىand grantedكُلًّاeachمِنَfromأُولَـئِكَthoseأَجْرًاa rewardأَجْرًاa rewardلِأَنَّbecauseالإِيمَانَthe faithالَّذِيthat whichفِيinقُلُوبِهِمtheir heartsكَانَwasأَكْمَلَmore completeوَأَفْضَلَand betterوَكَانَand they wereأُولَـئِكَthoseأَكْثَرَmoreعَمَلًاworkوَهَذَانِكَand theseأَعْظَمُgreaterأَجْرًاrewardوَهُوَand HeفَضْلُهُHis preferenceيُؤْتِيَHe gives itمَنْto whomيَشَاءُHe willsبِالْأَسْبَابِthrough the meansالَّتِيthat whichتَفَضَّلَHe bestowedبِهَاupon themوَخَصَّهُمْand favored themبِهَاwith it
Thus Allah granted the nation of Muhammad two rewards and granted each of those a reward, because the faith that was in their hearts was more complete and better, and those were more in work, and these were greater in reward, and He gives His preference to whom He wills through the means that He bestowed upon them and favored them with.
وَهَكَذَاAnd thusسَائِرُothersمِمَّنْofيُظِلُّهُwho He prefersاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىThe ExaltedفَإِنَّهُHe indeedيُفَضِّلُهُprefers himبِالْأَسْبَابِthrough the meansالَّتِيthat whichيَسْتَحِقُّis deservingبِهَاwith whichالتَّفْضِيلَto preferبِالْجُزْءِin partsكَمَاjust asيُخَصِّصُHe specifiesأَحَدَoneالشَّخْصَيْنِof the two personsبِقُوَّةٍwith strengthيَنَالُobtainsبِهَاasالعِلْمِknowledgeوَبِقُوَّةٍand with strengthيَنَالُobtainsبِهَاasالْيَقِينِcertaintyوَالصَّبْرِand patienceوَالتَّوَكُّلِand relianceوَالإِخْلَاصِand sincerityوَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَand other than thatمِمَّاof that whichيُفَضِّلُهُHe prefers himاللَّهُAllahبِهِwith it
And thus is the case for all whom Allah, The Exalted, prefers, for He indeed prefers them through the means by which they are deserving for preference in parts, just as He specifies one of the two persons with strength by which he obtains knowledge, and with strength by which he obtains certainty, patience, reliance, sincerity, and other than that which Allah prefers them with.
وَإِنَّمَاAnd indeedفَضْلُهُHis preferenceفِيinالْجَزَاءِthe rewardبِمَاby whatفَضَّلَHe preferredبِهِthem withمِنْfromالإِيمَانِfaithكَمَاjust asقَالَHe saidتَعَالَىThe Exalted﴿وَقَالَتْAnd saidطَائِفَةٌa groupمِّنْofأَهْلِthe people ofالكِتَابِthe Bookوَامِنُواand believeبِالَّذِيin that whichأُنزِلَwas revealedعَلَىuponالَّذِينَthose whoءَامَنُواbelievedوَاجْهَand in the morningالنَّهَارِthe dayوَاكْفُرُواand disbelieveوَاخِرَمُand holdلَعَلَّهُمْperhaps theyيَرْجِعُونَmay return(١)هَذِهِTheseالأَحَادِيثُHadithsصَحِيحَةٌare authentic[اُنظُرْseeصَحيحٌAuthenticالْجَامِعُthe Compendiumالصَّغِيرُthe Small»٦١٩٣6193.
And indeed, His preference in the reward is by what He preferred them with from faith, just as He said, The Exalted: "And a group of the people of the Book said, 'Believe in what was revealed to those who believed at the beginning of the day, and disbelieve at the end of it, perhaps they may return.'" (1) These Hadiths are authentic [see Authentic Compendium, 6193].
(٢)هَذِهِTheseالأَحَادِيثُHadithsصَحِيحَةٌare authentic[اُنظُرْseeصَحيحٌAuthenticالْجَامِعُthe Compendiumالصَّغِيرَةُthe Small.٦٢٣٩6239وand٦٤١٤6414.
(2) These Hadiths are authentic [see Authentic Compendium, 6239 and 6414].
(٣)إِسْنَادُهُIts chain of narrationضَعِيفٌis weak[اُنظُرْseeضَعِيفٌWeakسُنَنُthe Sunnahsالتُّرْمِذِيِّof Al-Tirmidhi،١٨١181.
(3) Its chain of narration is weak [see Weak Sunnahs of Al-Tirmidhi, 181].