عربي
Home


Articles

Articles

The Value of Glad Tidings (Bushārah)
Author : Dr. Fadi Rabab`ah
Date Added : 09-06-2026

The Value of Glad Tidings (Bushārah)

Among the values of Islam and the methods of the Islamic sharīʿah in calling people to Allah the Almighty is the giving of glad tidings and the bearing of good news. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them )." (Reported by al-Bukhārī.) The word bushārah (glad tidings) and its derivatives appear extensively throughout the Holy Qurʾān and the pure Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, as in the words of Allah the Almighty {which mean}: "And give glad tidings to the believers" [Al-Baqarah/ 223], and His words: "So give good tidings to My servants" [Al-Zumar/ 17].

The Islamic sharīʿah and its call to Allah are not confined in their approach to warning, threatening, and frightening people with the punishment of the Fire. Rather, they equally embrace the giving of glad tidings — tidings of Allah's pleasure, of joy, and of a happy life in both this world and the next. It is for this very reason that Allah sent His messengers as both bearers of good news and warners, as He says: "And We do not send messengers except as bearers of glad tidings and as warners." [Al-Anʿām/ 48]

Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that a Bedouin once urinated in the mosque, and the people rushed toward him to rebuke him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them: "Leave him, and pour a bucket of water over where he urinated — for you have been sent to make things easy, not to make them difficult." (Reported by al-Bukhari & Muslim)

The value of glad tidings carries profound educational and psychological significance for the human soul. It sharpens resolve and builds confidence; it eases pain and fills the heart with tranquillity; it stirs enthusiasm and the will to act, to bear hardship, and to face difficulty head-on. It gives a person the determination to persevere, to rise after falling, and never to surrender to despair or hopelessness.

The instances of glad tidings in the Holy Qurʾān and the pure Sunnah are many and varied. Among them is the glad tiding brought by the Prophet of Allah, ʿĪsā (Jesus), peace be upon him — the announcement of the coming of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ — as Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: 'O Children of Israel, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing glad tidings of a messenger to come after me whose name is Aḥmad.' But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: 'This is plain magic.'" [Al-Ṣaff/ 6]

Among them also is the glad tiding for those who are patient in the face of hardship. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits — but give glad tidings to the patient." [Al-Baqarah/ 155]

The angels brought glad tidings to the Prophet of Allah, Zakariyyā (Zechariah), peace be upon him, of the birth of Yaḥyā (John), while he stood in prayer in the sanctuary: "So the angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in the sanctuary: 'Allah gives you glad tidings of Yaḥyā, who will confirm a word from Allah, and will be a master, chaste, and a prophet from among the righteous.'" [Āl ʿImrān/ 39]

And the angels brought glad tidings to Maryam (Mary) of ʿĪsā, peace be upon them both: "When the angels said: 'O Mary, indeed Allah gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary — distinguished in this world and the next, and among those brought near to Allah.'" [Āl ʿImrān/ 45]

They likewise brought glad tidings to Ibrāhīm (Abraham), peace be upon him, and his wife, of the births of Is-ḥāq (Isaac) and Yaʿqūb (Jacob), peace be upon them: "And his wife was standing, and she laughed. Then We gave her glad tidings of Isaac and, after Isaac, of Jacob." [Hūd/ 71]

There is also the glad tiding for those who have fallen into sin — the glad tiding of repentance and its acceptance: "Say: 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.'" [Al-Zumar/ 53]

And there is the glad tiding of the Prophet ﷺ for the people of tawḥīd (pure monotheism). Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: "The Prophet ﷺ was riding with Muʿādh ibn Jabal behind him on the mount. He said: 'O Muʿādh!' Muʿādh replied: 'At your service, O Messenger of Allah!' He called again: 'O Muʿādh!' And again Muʿādh replied: 'At your service, O Messenger of Allah!' He said this three times, then the Prophet ﷺ said: 'There is no servant who bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger, except that Allah has made him forbidden to the Fire.' Muʿādh said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I not tell the people so that they may rejoice?' He replied: 'If you do, they will rely upon it alone.' So Muʿādh disclosed it at the time of his death, considering it a sin to withhold it." (Reported by al-Bukhārī.)

Among the greatest glad tidings in Islam is the glad tiding of Paradise for those who believed in Allah and His prophets, peace be upon them all, and did righteous deeds. Allah, blessed and exalted, says {what means}: "And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with fruit from it as provision, they will say: 'This is what we were provided with before.' And it will be brought to them in resemblance. And they will have purified spouses therein, and they will abide therein forever." [Al-Baqarah/ 25]

It is therefore incumbent upon callers to Islam, reformers, and those responsible for educational curricula to cultivate and reinforce the value of glad tidings in their approach to calling people to Allah and in their educational methods — following in the footsteps of the Holy Qurʾān and the noble guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, and being, in truth, bearers of good news.

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to eat from an Udhiyah slaughtered on behalf of a deceased person?

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon our Master the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to eat from the sacrifice (uḍḥiyyah) that is offered on behalf of a deceased person. This is the madhhab (school of thought) of the Hanbalis. In this case, the heirs take the place of the deceased as if he were alive, with the same rights to eat from it, give it in charity, and offer it as a gift.
 
It is stated in Maṭālib Uli al-Nuhā (Vol.2/P.472): "Offering a sacrifice on behalf of a deceased person is better than offering one on behalf of a living person, because the deceased is unable (to perform deeds) and is in need of reward. It is to be treated like a sacrifice on behalf of a living person in terms of eating, giving charity, and giving gifts." And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on eating or drinking during the circumambulation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is disliked (makrūh) to eat or drink during the circumambulation (ṭawāf).
Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī states in al-Majmūʿ: "It is disliked to eat or drink during ṭawāf, and the dislikedness of drinking is lighter. Neither of them, nor both together, invalidates the ṭawāf. Al-Shāfiʿī said: 'There is no objection to drinking water during ṭawāf, and I do not consider it sinful; however, I prefer that it be avoided, as refraining from it is more befitting in terms of proper conduct.' Among those who explicitly stated the dislikedness of eating and drinking, and that drinking is the lesser of the two, is the author of al-Ḥāwī."
If, however, a person is in genuine need of drinking, then there is no dislikedness in doing so. In any case, the ṭawāf itself remains valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What does (Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeking reward) mean?

This phrase is part of a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah, their past sins will be forgiven." [Agreed upon]
The meaning is:
● They fast Ramadan with firm belief that Allah has made it obligatory.
● They fast out of obedience to Allah, knowing they will meet Him.
● They hope for reward from Allah and fast purely out of their faith while seeking His reward.

What is the ruling on the follower`s prayer if the Imam stands for a fifth rak`ah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If the Imam stands up for an extra unit (rak‘ah) of prayer out of forgetfulness, he must return to the sitting position as soon as he remembers, and he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness (Sujud al-Sahw). It is the duty of the congregants (Ma’mumin) behind him to remind him. However, if the Imam is in a state of doubt regarding the extra unit (and not certainty), it is not permissible for him to return.
 
As for the congregants: anyone who is certain that the Imam has stood for an extra unit is forbidden from following him. In this case, the follower has two choices: either intend to separate from the Imam (Mufaraqah) and finish the prayer alone, or wait for the Imam in the sitting position and perform the final salams with him—the latter being the preferred option. If a follower knowingly follows the Imam into an extra unit, their prayer becomes invalid. However, if a follower is in doubt and not certain of the mistake, they must continue following the Imam, as the Imam was appointed to be followed.
 
It is stated in Al-Majmu’ (Vol.4/P.145): 'If [the Imam] stands for a fifth rak‘ah, the follower should not follow him, even if it is assumed that the Imam might have omitted a pillar from a previous unit; because if the reality is known, following him is impermissible since the follower has certainly completed their own prayer. Even if the follower had missed a previous unit (Masbuq) or was in doubt about performing a pillar like the Fatihah, and the Imam stood for the fifth, it is not permissible for the latecomer to follow him in it. This is because we know that this unit is not counted for the Imam and that he is mistaken in performing it.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.

See More