The prayer and what your right hands possess
Authenticعَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضيَ اللهُ عنه قَالَ: كَانَتْ عَامَّةُ وَصِيَّةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ: «الصَّلَاةَ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ، الصَّلَاةَ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ»، حَتَّى جَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُغَرْغِرُ بِهَا صَدْرُهُ، وَمَا يَكَادُ يُفِيضُ بِهَا لِسَانُهُ.
Anas (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reported: The main advice of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when death approached him was: "The prayer and what your right hands possess, the prayer and what your right hands possess." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued to repeat it until his chest was gurgling with it, and his tongue could barely utter it.
Explanation
The Prophet's main advice to his Ummah while he was in the throes of death was: Adhere to the prayer, observe it, and do not neglect it. Likewise, fulfill the rights of those whom your right hands possess, including slaves and bondmaids, and treat them kindly. He kept repeating this until his throat gurgled with it, and his tongue could barely articulate it.
Benefits
- The significance of the prayer and the rights of those in one's possession, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave advice about them in his final advice.
- Prayer is among the greatest rights of Allah upon His slaves, and fulfilling the rights of the people—especially the weak and those under one's care who are not from one's offspring—is among the greatest rights owed to the people.
Source · Narrated by An-Nasā’i in Al-Kubra and by Ibn Mājah
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).