بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
What is the Hawd?
Shaykh Muhammad al-Uthaymîn said: “Hawd means a place where the water gathers, and what is intended here is the Hawd of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.” (Sharh al-Aqîdah al-Wâsitiyyah)
The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said :
يَغُتُّ فِيهِ مِيزَابَانِ يَمُدَّانِهِ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ أَحَدُهُمَا مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَالآخَرُ مِنْ وَرِق
Two channels of water will flow into it from Paradise. One of these channels will be of gold and the other one will be of silver. (Sahîh Muslim 2301)
He صلى الله عليه وسلم also said:
عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا إِذْ أَغْفَى إِغْفَاءَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مُتَبَسِّمًا فَقُلْنَا مَا أَضْحَكَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ” أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَىَّ آنِفًا سُورَةٌ ” . فَقَرَأَ ” بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ { إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ * فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ * إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الأَبْتَرُ} ” . ثُمَّ قَالَ ” أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْكَوْثَرُ ” . فَقُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ ” فَإِنَّهُ نَهْرٌ وَعَدَنِيهِ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْهِ خَيْرٌ كَثِيرٌ هُوَ حَوْضٌ تَرِدُ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Anas reported :One day the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) was sitting amongst us that he dozed off. He then raised his head smilingly. We said: What makes you smile. Messenger of Allâh? He said: A Sûrah has just been revealed to me, and then recited: In the name of Allâh, The Most-Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy. Verily We have given you al-Kawthar (The River of Abundance). Therefore turn to Your Lord for prayer and offer sacrifice, and surely the enemy is cut off (from all good). Then he (the Prophet) said: Do you know what al-Kawthar is? We said: Allâh and His Messenger know best. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: It is a river which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious has promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a Hawd to which my people would come to on the Day of Resurrection. (Sahîh Muslim 400)
Ibn Abî Al-‘Izz said: “It’s water will come from Al-Kawthar, mixed with the water of Paradise.” (Sharh al-‘Aqîdah At-Tahâwiyyah)
The Hawd exists now
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
وَاللَّهِ لأَنْظُرُ إِلَى حَوْضِي الآنَ
“and by Allâh, I am looking at my Hawd now…” (Sahîh Bukhârî 6590)
The location of the Hawd & its size
Ibn Abî Al-‘Izz said: “The Hawd will be on the plains of Resurrection, facing the Bridge (As-Sirât).” (Sharh al-Aqîdah At-Tahâwiyyah)
[This was also the opinion of Shaykh Muhammad al-Uthaymîn, Ibn Hajr, Al-Qurtubî and others].
He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
حَوْضِي مَسِيرَةُ شَهْرٍ
My Hawd is as wide as a months journey… (Sahîh Bukhârî 6579)
The water of the Hawd
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
مَاؤُهُ أَبْيَضُ مِنَ اللَّبَنِ، وَرِيحُهُ أَطْيَبُ مِنَ الْمِسْكِ
Its water is whiter than milk, and its smell is nicer than musk. (Sahîh Bukhârî 6579)
عَن حُذَيْفةَ، قالَ: حَوضُ النَّبيِّ أبيَضُ مثلُ اللَّبنِ، وأحلَى منَ العسَلِ، وأبرَدُ منَ الثَّلجِ، وأطيبُ ريحًا منَ المسكِ…
Hudhayfah narrated: “The Hawd of the prophet is whiter than milk, sweeter than honey, cooler than ice and better smelling than musk….” (As-Sunnah of Ibn Âbî al-‘Âsim 724. Declared Hasan by Al-Albânî)
The vessels of the Hawd
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لآنِيَتُهُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ عَدَدِ نُجُومِ السَّمَاءِ وَكَوَاكِبِهَا أَلاَ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الْمُظْلِمَةِ الْمُصْحِيَةِ آنِيَةُ الْجَنَّةِ
By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the vessels would outnumber the stars in the sky and its planets shining on a dark cloudless night. These would be the vessels of Paradise. (Sahîh Muslim 2300)
The effects of drinking from the Hawd
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
مَنْ وَرَدَ شَرِبَ وَمَنْ شَرِبَ لَمْ يَظْمَأْ أَبَدًا
He who comes would drink and he who drinks would never feel thirsty. (Sahîh Muslim 2290)
Those who will be prevented from drinking from the Hawd
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said :
لَيَرِدَنَّ عَلَىَّ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي الْحَوْضَ، حَتَّى عَرَفْتُهُمُ اخْتُلِجُوا دُونِي، فَأَقُولُ أَصْحَابِي. فَيَقُولُ لاَ تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثُوا بَعْدَكَ
Some of my companions will come to me at my Lake Fount, and after I recognise them, they will then be taken away from me, whereupon I will say, ‘My companions!’ Then it will be said, ‘You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you. (Sahîh Bukhârî 6582)
In another narration it will be said about them:
إِنَّهُمُ ارْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمُ الْقَهْقَرَى
… They turned apostate, disbelieving (in Islâm). (Sahîh Bukhârî 6586)
In another narration:
إِنَّهُمْ مِنِّي. فَيُقَالُ إِنَّكَ لاَ تَدْرِي مَا بَدَّلُوا بَعْدَكَ فَأَقُولُ سُحْقًا سُحْقًا لِمَنْ بَدَّلَ بَعْدِي
I will say those people are from me. It will be said, ‘You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.’ Then I will say, ‘Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the religion) after me!” (Sahîh Bukhârî 7051)
Every Prophet has a Hawd
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ حَوْضًا وَإِنَّهُمْ يَتَبَاهَوْنَ أَيُّهُمْ أَكْثَرُ وَارِدَةً وَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ وَارِدَةً
Indeed there is a Hawd for every Prophet, and indeed they compete to see which of them has the most (followers) arriving to it. Indeed I hope that mine will be the one with the most arrivals. (At-Tirmidhî 2443. Declared Sahîh by Al-Albânî)
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