Clearing a Path for a Muslim

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “A man while walking along a path saw the branches of a tree lying there. He thought, ‘By Allah, I shall remove these from this road, so that they may not harm the Muslims, and he was admitted to Jannah.” [Sahih Muslim]

The first lesson we learn from this hadith is that the teachings of Islam are not limited to acts of prayer. Islam is not the name of a few customary forms of worship, but is a way of spending one’s life.

The second lesson we learn from this hadith is that to try to protect a Muslim from inconvenience and wish well for him is a conduct that entitles one to enter Jannah. A Muslim is a well-wisher of another Muslim and tries his best to save him from difficulty and hardship. This is what Islam teaches and this is what is called Islam.

Thirdly, it is the right of the road that pedestrians and road-users are not inconvenienced. Some of the things people do on the road that trouble others are: blocking people’s driveways and entrances to Masjids by parking cars there, throwing rubbish on roads, spitting and ejecting chewed beetle-nut juice here and there, draining house-hold waste on streets, and so on. It is not even proper to stop on the road and converse if that causes inconvenience to others.

If Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) forgives a man and admits him to Jannah for removing obstacles from the road, then will He not punish those who throw rubbish on roads and inconvenience passersby in other ways?