GREAT REWARDS FOR SIX SIMPLE ACTIONS

Submitted by Mohammed Gilani on

عَن أَوس بن أَوْسِ الثَّقَفِيَ رَضِي الله عَنْهُ قَالَ سَمِعت رَسُول الله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وسلم يَقُول من غسل يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَة واغتسل وبكر وابتكر ومشى ولم يركب ودنا من الإمام فاستمع ولم يلغ كَانَ لَهُ بِكُل خطوة عمل سنة أجرصيامها وقيامها رَوَاهُ أَحْمَد وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَالتَّرْمِذِيَ وَقَالَ حَدِيث حسن وَالنَّسَائِي وَابْن مَاجَه وَابْنِ خُزَيْمَةٌ وَابْنِ حَبَانِ فِي صَحِيحَيْهِمَا وَالْحَاكِمِ وَصَححه وَرَوَاهُ الطَّبَرَانِي فِي الْأَوْسَط مِن حَدِيثَ ابْنِ  عَبَّاسٍ

Sayyiduna Aws ibn Aws Radiyallahu anhu narrates that he heard Rasulullaah sallAllahu alayhi wasallam saying, “Whoever takes a bath on Friday and washes his  hair as well , leaves early for the salaah and reaches the masjid early, walks and does not mount a conveyance, sits close to the imaam, listens attentively and keeps quiet, then for every step, he gains the reward of one year’s fasting and standing in salaah the whole night.”

Note: Six actions have been mentioned in this hadith for one to get such great rewards: 1.) Taking a complete bath 2.) Leaving early for Jumuah salaah 3.) Walking for Jumuah 4.) Sitting as close as possible to the imaam 5.) Listening attentively and keeping quiet 6.) Not doing any futile action.
Mulla Ali Qaari Rahimahullah says, “Some imaams have stated, “We have not heard in the shariah of any saheeh hadeeth which includes rewards of this nature. So it is necessary to practise on these actions so that one’s hopes (of rewards) can be realized.” 

This is one translation. This means that one should have a complete bath as he does for the bath when one is impure (janaabat). A reason for this is that the Arabs generally kept long hair. Thus, they are encouraged to wash it at least on Jumuah. Another translation is, “Whoever has relations with his wife causing her to take a bath, and has a bath himself……” This meaning is supported by the following narration of Abu Hurayrah Radiyallahu anhu in which Rasulullaah SallAllahu alayhi wasallam said, “Are any of you unable to have relations with his wife every Jumuah, since there are two rewards for this? One reward is for your ghusl and the other is for your wife’s ghusl.” (Bayhaqi in Shuabul-Imaan) 

Another meaning of بكر is to give charity, as is stated in another hadith, “Hasten with charity, because calamities do not surpass it.” (Tabraani in Awsat, Bayhaqi in Shuabul-Imaan and Sunanul-Kubraa)