Fear Allah Wherever You Are: Hadith 18 of an-Nawawi

What do you do in the moment after you slip? Many of us either brush it off or sink into guilt. Hadith 18 of Imam an-Nawawi’s collection offers a better path in three short instructions: fear Allah wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good one to wipe it out, and treat people with good character. Here is the hadith, what it means, and how to live by it.

The hadith

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:

At-Tirmidhi called it hasan sahih in the text on Sunnah.com; Imam an-Nawawi notes that some copies say hasan. He placed it as Hadith 18 of his 40 Hadith, narrated from both Abu Dharr and Mu’adh ibn Jabal.

Three rights in one hadith

The Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths (HadeethEnc) explains that the hadith gathers three rights: the right of Allah, which is to fear Him; the right of yourself, which is to follow bad deeds with good ones; and the right of people, which is to treat them with good character.

Fear Allah wherever you are

HadeethEnc explains taqwa as fulfilling what Allah has made obligatory and avoiding what He has forbidden, in every place, time and condition: in private and in public, in good times and hard ones. The word “wherever” leaves nowhere out: at home, at work, online, and when no one is watching. This is close to ihsan as described in the Hadith of Jibril: worshipping Allah as though you see Him.

Follow a bad deed with a good deed

The hadith does not pretend we will never slip. It tells us what to do next. HadeethEnc gives examples of good deeds that erase a sin: prayer, charity, an act of kindness, keeping family ties, and repentance. Allah says:

When a man asked whether this verse was for him alone, the Prophet ﷺ said it is for all of his followers (Sahih al-Bukhari 526).

Simple acts of dhikr are among those good deeds, such as SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi 100 times.

Treat people with good character

HadeethEnc describes good character as smiling at people, being gentle and easy with them, doing good to them, and keeping harm away from them. The Prophet ﷺ placed it very high:

Reflection: this hadith holds the whole of a believer’s day in three lines. Fear Allah when you are alone, repair what you got wrong, and be good to the people around you. It is realistic about our mistakes and generous about the way back: no slip has to be the last word.

How to put it into practice

The hadith does not give a routine, so these are suggestions:

• Remember Allah sees you in private moments, online and offline.
• After a slip, act quickly: seek Allah’s forgiveness and do a good deed, such as a prayer, a charity or a kind word.
• Keep a small set of good deeds ready, like dhikr or a little charity, so the next step is easy.
• Smile and be gentle with the people you meet today, at home and at work.
• Keep harm away from others, including harsh words and gossip. See speak good or remain silent.

Key lessons

• Taqwa means obeying Allah and avoiding what He forbids, in private and in public.
• Good deeds wipe out bad deeds, by Allah’s mercy.
• Good character is among the heaviest things on the Scale.
• The hadith gathers the rights of Allah, of yourself and of people.

Questions people ask

One step for today: think of one thing you regret from this week, and answer it with a good deed before the day ends.

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