Noor Garden“Removing Harm from the Road” – Hadith for Kids
Helping others · Ages 5–11
This hadith teaches children that faith has many parts, like branches of a tree. The greatest branch is saying "La ilaha illallah", and even a small action like moving a stone, glass or rubbish out of people's way is also a branch of faith. Helping keep paths safe is part of being a believer.
The hadith
الإِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَسَبْعُونَ أَوْ بِضْعٌ وَسِتُّونَ شُعْبَةً، فَأَفْضَلُهَا قَوْلُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَأَدْنَاهَا إِمَاطَةُ الأَذَى عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ
(part of a longer hadith)
Faith has more than seventy (or more than sixty) branches. The best is saying "La ilaha illallah", and the smallest is removing something harmful from the road.
Narrated by: Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Source: Sahih Muslim 35
Grade: Sahih
What it teaches
Even moving a stone or rubbish out of people's way is part of being a believer.
A little story to help understand it
This is an illustrative example we wrote to explain the meaning. It is not part of the hadith.
On the way to the masjid, Khalid and his father saw a broken bottle on the pavement. Khalid said, "Someone might cut their foot!" His father handed him a tissue, and together they carefully picked up the big pieces and threw them into a bin. Khalid asked, "Is this really part of iman?" His father explained that the Prophet ﷺ said removing harm from the road is a branch of faith. For the rest of the walk, Khalid kept his eyes open for anything that could hurt someone.
Try it today
Pick up something on the floor or path that someone could trip over.
Mini quiz
Removing a stone or rubbish from the path is…
- A branch of faith
- Someone else's job
- Not important
Show the answer
Answer: A branch of faith (A)
Questions parents ask
Is this hadith authentic?
Yes. It is recorded in Sahih Muslim 35. Grade: Sahih. It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). The words shown here are part of a longer hadith.
How can kids practice it?
Pick up something on the floor or path that someone could trip over. Go on a "helper walk": look for things on the floor at home or outside that someone could trip on, and move them safely (ask an adult for sharp things).
What does "branches of faith" mean?
It means faith is like a big tree with many branches: what we believe, what we say, and what we do. Saying La ilaha illallah is the highest branch, and kind actions like clearing the path are branches too.
More hadith to learn
Last reviewed: 2026-10-09 · Sources & Method