Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "What a good Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk) is, and (what a good Maneehah) (the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening) is!"
Maalik narrated: Maneehah is a good act of charity.
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Commentary :
A Muslim should bear in mind that whatever he gives in charity is received by Allah, Exalted is He, and therefore he should carefully handpick what he gives in charity and refrain from donating only his worst or cheapest possessions, because what is spent in charity is in fact what would be preserved (and stored for him in the Hereafter), and whatever he spends of his wealth in this worldly life is lost.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated the benefits of the Maneehah, which is a milch she-camel which has recently given birth, and which gives profuse milk, and is given to people as a gift to avail themselves of its milk and then return it to the owner. The Prophet ﷺ said: “What a good Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk) is, and (what a good Maneehah) the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening.”
He ﷺ also lauded the sheep which gives profuse milk when given in charity. He ﷺ said: “(what a good Maneehah) the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening.” When such animals are given in charity, it is one of the best and most rewardable acts of charity, because the giver would be spending from the best and purest items of wealth in his possession, and Allah, Exalted is He, is Good and accepts only that which is good.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to exchange gifts..

2630

Ibn Shihaab Al-Zuhree narrated:
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "When the emigrants came Al-Madeenah, they had nothing whereas the Ansaar had land and property. The Ansaar gave them their land on condition that the emigrants would give them half the yearly yield, work on the land, and provide the necessaries for cultivation." His (i.e., Anaas's mother who was also the mother of ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Talhah, gave some date-palms to Allah's Messenger ﷺ who gave them to his freed slave-girl (Umm Ayman) who was also the mother of Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them). When the Prophet ﷺfinished from the fighting against the people of Khaybar and returned to Al-Madeenah, the emigrants returned to the Ansaar the fruit gifts which the Ansaar had given them. The Prophet ﷺ also returned to Anas's mother the date-palms. Allah's Messengerﷺ gave Umm Ayman other trees from his garden in lieu of the old gift.
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Commentary :
The Ansaar had great merits, for they supported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, defended Islam, and warmly welcomed their emigrant brothers, and their generosity and hospitality towards their fellow Muslim brothers were unmatched. Their merits and virtues cannot be missed.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) related that when the emigrants left Makkah, fleeing from religious persecution and leaving behind their families, homeland, and wealth, and reached Al-Madeenah, they had nothing and were destitute, whereas the Ansaar had land and property. The Ansaar graciously gave them half the yearly yield, they (the Ansaar) worked on the land and provided the necessaries for cultivation, because the emigrants did not know much about cultivation. This meaning is further supported by the report narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and complied in Sunan Al-Tirmithee reading: “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Al-Madeenah, the emigrants came to him and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! We have not seen people who are more willing to sacrifice when having a lot, nor more patient when having a little than the people whom we are staying amongst. Our provisions are so sufficient, and we share with them their produce such that we fear that all our reward is gone.” Anas's mother, Sahlah or Mulaykah bint Milhaan Al-Ansaariyyah, nicknamed Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her), who was also the mother of ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Talhah, Anas’s half-brother, gave some date-palms to Allah's Messenger ﷺ who gave them to his freed slave-girl and nursemaid Barakah Al-Habashiyyah, nicknamed Umm Ayman, who was also the mother of Usaamah ibn Zayd, the Prophet’s freed-slave (may Allah be pleased with them).
Ibn Shihaab Al-Zuhree narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet ﷺ conquered Khaybar, an area north of Al-Madeenah where the fortresses of the Jews were located, after Al-Hudaybiyyah on the 1st of Muharram, 7 A.H., Muslims gained wealth and fruits. When he ﷺ returned to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ returned to the Ansaar the fruit gifts which they had given to the emigrants as they had earned spoils of war during the battle of Khaybar. The Prophet ﷺ also returned to Anas's mother the date-palm she had given to him, and compensated Umm Ayman with other trees from his garden in lieu of the old gift. Another version of the hadeeth reads: “from his personal wealth,” referring to his garden.
The hadeeth highlights that the bond of faith-based brotherhood is one of the strongest bonds.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that one should recompense people’s favors whenever he can afford it.
It also underlines how the Prophet ﷺ honored his female slave, Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her). .

2631

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "There are forty virtuous deeds and the best of them is the Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel, sheep, or she-goat which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk gifted to others to avail themselves of their milk) of a she goat, and anyone who does one of these virtuous deeds aspiring to Allah's reward with firm confidence that he will get it, Allah, Exalted is He, will admit him to Paradise because of it.” Hassaan (a sub-narrator) said, "We tried to count those good deeds below the Maneehah; we mentioned replying to the sneezer, removing harmful objects from the road, etc., but we failed to count even fifteen.".

Commentary :
A manifestation of the divine grace is that Allah, Exalted is He, accepts small good deeds and handsomely rewards them with abundant reward out of His generosity and bounty.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ listed forty righteous deeds or qualities that are indicative of faith, righteousness, and kindness. Whoever adheres to such virtuous deeds and qualities is promised Paradise by Allah, Exalted is He, provided that he devotes them exclusively to Him and aspires to nothing but the reward of Allah, Exalted is He.
The best and foremost of these virtuous deeds is the Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel, sheep, or she-goat which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk gifted to others to avail themselves of its milk) of a she goat. This means that one offers the milk of a she-goat as a gift to someone or the milch she-goat itself as a gift to avail himself of it and its milk and then return it to the owner.
Hassaan ibn ‘Atiyyah Al-Shaamee, a sub-narrator of the hadeeth, said that he and other members of the audience tried to count those good deeds that were below the Maneehah in terms of reward such as: returning the greetings of peace, replying to the sneezer (i.e.,when a sneezer praises Allah, his Muslim brother should say to him, ‘Yarhamuka Allaah,’ meaning may Allah have mercy upon you), and removing harmful objects from the road. He stated that they failed to count even fifteen.
Other scholars listed forty virtuous deeds and qualities, and people may differ as to whether they were less than the Maneehah of a she-goat in terms of virtue and reward. Perhaps the best is not to mention them all, as the Prophet ﷺ did, fearing that specifying them would alienate people from other acts of righteousness and kindness, and because if this reward is designated for such an act (donating a she-goat in charity) and the less virtuous deeds and qualities, what about the reward designated for greater ones?! It was also said that wisdom entails that he ﷺ did not specify these virtuous deeds and qualities lest people should look down on other acts of righteousness, as insignificant as they may seem..

2633

Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about the emigration. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "May Allah be merciful to you. The matter of emigration is difficult. Have you got some camels?" He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Do you pay their Zakaah?" He replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ asked, "Do you lend them so that their milk may be utilized by others?" The Bedouin said, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Do you milk them on the day off watering them?" He replied, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do good deeds beyond the merchants (or the sea) and Allah, Exalted is He, will never disregard any of your deeds." (See Hadeeth No. 260, Vol. 5).

Commentary :
The migration to Al-Madeenah was obligatory on all Muslims in the early days of Islam, to escape religious persecution and depart the land of disbelief to support the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah. The best of the believers were those who migrated to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) related that a Bedouin, i.e., an Arab desert dweller, came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about the emigration, meaning to commit himself to migrate to Al-Madeenah. He was not living in Makkah and it was not incumbent on him to migrate to Al-Madeenah before the conquest of Makkah. This Bedouin asked the Prophet’s permission to move to Al-Madeenah with the Prophet ﷺ, leaving behind his family and land. The Prophet ﷺ feared that he would not be able to endure such estrangement and honor such a commitment. He ﷺ feared that he might not be able to fulfill the due rights of the emigration, and break his covenant. He ﷺ said to him, "May Allah be merciful to you.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which is used in reference to someone who encountered an undeserved adversity. He ﷺ added: “The matter of emigration is difficult,” and only few people are able to shoulder such a duty, and it seemed very difficult for the inquirer. This is why the Prophet ﷺ did not approve this Bedouin’s request and he asked him, “Have you got some camels?" He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Do you pay their Zakaah?" He replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ further asked, "Do you lend them so that their milk may be utilized by others?" The Bedouin said, "Yes." The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Maneehah, which means a milch she-camel or sheep gifted to someone to avail himself of its milk and then return it to the owner, who may also give the she-camel as a gift, not as a loan, without specifying returning it.
The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Do you milk them on the day off watering them?" This is because milking the milch she-camels on such day is better as it produces more milk and it is also more convenient for the poor and needy people, who used to go to the places of water to drink from the she-camels’ milk. The Bedouin replied, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do good deeds beyond the merchants (or the sea),” meaning in the villages and towns near your homeland, “and Allah, Exalted is He, will never disregard any of your deeds." The Prophet ﷺ meant that as long as he performed the religious obligations prescribed by Allah, Exalted is He, with regard to himself and his wealth, it did not matter where he lived, even if it was in the farthest place to Al-Madeenah; Allah, Exalted is He, would reward him for his good deeds and such rewards would not be diminished in the slightest.
It was said that this incident took place after the conquest of Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no emigration after the conquest of Makkah.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
It was also said that the emigration to Al-Madeenah was merely recommended for Muslims who did not live in Makkah, and was only obligatory on those Muslims in Makkah. It was also said that the emigration to Al-Madeenah was specifically incumbent on the town dwellers (urbanites) and not Bedouins and desert dwellers. Another opinion suggested that the emigration to Al-Madeenah was deemed obligatory on Muslims if only some residents of a given town or city embraced Islam, lest the Muslims residing therein should be subject to the provisions and rulings regarding the disbelievers. However, the dwellers of the cities and towns whose people embraced Islam were not enjoined to migrate to Al-Madeenah.
The hadeeth highlights the great virtues of the emigration and the merits of the emigrants.
It also underlines the virtue of paying the Zakaah on camels and hastening to perform good deeds..

2634

Taawoos narrated that he was told by the most learned one amongst them (i.e., Ibn ‘Abbaas) that the Prophet ﷺ went towards some land which was flourishing with vegetation and asked to whom it belonged. He ﷺ was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It would have been better (for the owner) if he had given it to him gratis rather than charging him a fixed rent.”
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Commentary : All good lies in whatever benefits a person in the Hereafter, and worldly pleasures and gains will ultimately come to cease to exist when this worldly life should end. It is becoming of Muslims to hasten to perform good deeds and aspire to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He, to prepare the needed provisions for the abode of eternal bliss.
In this hadeeth, the Companion ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a farm which was flourishing with vegetation, indicating its large produce.
He ﷺ asked to whom it belonged and was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet ﷺ advised its owner with what was better and more rewardable for him, namely to offer it as a gift for the farmer and earn the rewards of Allah, Exalted is He, in the Hereafter. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Al-Maneehah, which referred to a gift or what is offered to someone for free, but not as charity.
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2640

‘Abdullah ibn Abee Mulaykah narrated on the authority of ‘Uqbah ibn Al-Haarith that ‘Uqbah married the daughter of Aboo Ihaab ibn ‘Azeez (may Allah be pleased with them), and then a woman came and said, "I suckled ‘Uqbah and his wife." ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her, "I do not know that you have suckled me, and you did not inform me!" He then sent someone to the house of Aboo Ihaab to inquire about that but they did not know that she had suckled their daughter. Then ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah and asked him about it. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "How (can you keep your wife) after it has been said (that both of you were suckled by the same woman)?" So, he divorced her and she got married to another man.
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Commentary : Islam decreed that breastfeeding should create a bond (i.e., milk kinship) similar to blood relationships and forbids exactly the same which is forbidden due to blood kinship. Breastfeeding establishes milk kinship, and accordingly the prohibition of marriage is established, just like the case with blood kinship. Hence, it is forbidden for a man to marry his sisters through nursing or his nurse-mother, or his maternal or paternal aunts through nursing, and so on.
In this hadeeth, the Companion ‘Uqbah ibn Al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he married the daughter of Aboo Ihaab ibn ‘Azeez ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with them), whose name was Ghunayyah and was also known as Umm Yahyaa, and then a woman came and said, "I suckled both ‘Uqbah and his wife." This woman informed ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) that she had nursed him and the woman he had married. The breastfeeding that establishes establish a milk-mother relationship as per the laws of Islam is feeding a woman’s milk to an infant under two years of age.
‘Uqbah said to her, "I do not know that you have suckled me, and you did not inform me!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed that he did not know of that, and that this woman had not even told him that she nursed him before that day!
Thereupon, ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) sent someone to the house of Aboo Ihaab to ask his in-laws about that, but they did not know that she had nursed their daughter.
‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah and asked him about it. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "How (can you keep your wife) after it has been said (that both of you were suckled by the same woman)?" Meaning, ‘How could you retain such marriage and continue to have sexual relations with her despite being informed that she was your sister through nursing.” So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced her to avoid doubts or due to the fact that such a marriage contract was defective. ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced her and she got married to another man.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to avoid doubtful matters.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is permissible to travel in pursuit of knowledge.
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2641

‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “People were (sometimes) judged by the revealing of a Divine Revelation during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, but now there is no longer new revelation (i.e., the divine revelation ended by the Prophet’s death). Now we judge you by the deeds you practice publicly, so we will trust and favor the one who performs good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret, for Allah, Exalted is He, will judge him (and hold him accountable) for that, but we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us with an evil deed even if he claims that his intentions were good.
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Commentary : A person should be held accountable for his outward deeds in this worldly life, and only Allah, Exalted is He, knows of his inward intentions, and He will hold him accountable for them before Him. He did not command us to investigate people’s inner thoughts and intentions harbored in their hearts and judge them accordingly.
In this hadeeth, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that sometimes the Prophet ﷺ received the divine revelation to disclose the inner characters and intentions held by some Muslims, because some were hypocrites who manifested good (faith) and concealed evil (disbelief). However, Allah, Exalted is He, exposed them by means of the divine revelation. After the Prophet’s death, the divine revelation ceased, and Muslims could only judge one another based on their outwardly good or evil deeds. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We will trust and favor the one who performs good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret,” meaning that we should judge people based on their outward deeds; if they are outwardly good, they should be trusted and declared as trustworthy and should be honored accordingly, and we should not hold him accountable for his inner thoughts and intentions. Rather, Allah, Exalted is He, will judge him (and hold him accountable) for that. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added that whoever is judged as outwardly evil, by committing a grave sin or an offence warranting a Hadd (i.e., a corporal punishment prescribed by the Laws of Islam for certain crimes), or did what entailed punishment, because none is safe from falling into sin, such a person is no longer trusted nor declared trustworthy and accordingly will not be believed, even if he claims to hold good intentions. Such a statement is not to be believed since we judge him merely based on his outward character and deeds, not his inward intentions.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the basic principle is that a Muslim is trustworthy unless proven otherwise based on what contradicts it.
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2645

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother."
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2647

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
Once the Prophet ﷺcame to me while a man was in my house. He said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Who is this (man)?" I replied, "My milk-brother!" He said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Be sure about your milk brothers, as milk kinship is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (i.e., before two years of age).”
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Commentary : Islam decreed that breastfeeding should create a bond (i.e., milk kinship) similar to blood relationships and forbids exactly the same which is forbidden due to blood kinship. This is provided that the relevant conditions of nursing are fulfilled, one of which is that the nursed infant is under two years of age.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that once the Prophet ﷺcame to her house to find a man was therein. His name was not mentioned by the narrators, but it is possible that he was the son of Aboo Al-Qu‘s. He ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Who is this (man)?" She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied that he was her milk-brother. Thereupon, he ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Be sure about your milk brothers, as milk kinship is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (i.e., before two years of age).” This means that one should carefully ensure that the due conditions for the validity of milk kinship are met, one of which is nursing the infant before two years of age, because it is one of the conditions for the validity of nursing, without which the milk kinship is not established as per the laws of Islam.
Not all the infants one’s mother nurses become his or her milk-siblings; milk kinship is only established when the nursed infant is below the age of two. Breastfeeding is only valid (i.e., establishes milk kinship) when the infant’s only food is milk, i.e., under the age of two, otherwise it is invalid. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period].} [Quran 2:233]. This is the condition for the validity of the breastfeeding that establishes milk kinship; the nursed infant must be below the age of two, when the infant’s only food is milk. After the child is weaned, breastfeeding no longer establishes milk kinship.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable for a milk-brother to visit his milk-sister and stay alone with her..

2649

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year.
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Commentary :
Fornication(i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) is one of the gravest evils, and it contravenes the (higher objectives of the Laws of Islam including the) preservation of lineage, guarding of chastity (i.e., guarding one’s private parts from unlawful acts), and the mindfulness of the sacred ordinances of Allah, Exalted is He. It also leads to sowing the seeds of the worst enmity and hatred among people, and it is one of the serious crimes for which Allah, Exalted is He, prescribed a fixed punishment.
In this hadeeth, Allah's Messengerﷺ underlined that Allah, Exalted is He, prescribed a specific punishment for Fornication, stated in the Quran and specified in the Sunnah. If a perpetrator of Fornication is married or was previously married, the Hadd (i.e., corporal punishment prescribed by the Laws of Islam for certain crimes) prescribed for such a crime is stoning to death, as defined in the Sunnah. If a perpetrator of Fornication is unmarried, the Hadd is one hundred lashes. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes.} [Quran 24:2]. The Sunnah prescribed an additional punishment besides the lashing, namely, exile for one year. This means that the unmarried perpetrator of Fornicationmust be subjected to 100 lashes and exiled from the town or city where he committed his crime for one year, as a disciplinary punishment. The exile aims to take the perpetrator out of his familiar environment and old life of sin. The place of the exile is left to be determined by the ruler as he deems fit, as long as the perpetrator is being banished from his own country, city, or town to any given distant place.
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2655

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺheard a man (reciting the Quran) in the Mosque, and he ﷺ said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such ayaat of such-and-such chapter which I dropped (from my memory).” ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ performed the Tahajjud prayer (i.e., late night prayer) in my house, and then he ﷺ heard the voice of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him) who was praying in the Mosque, and said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Is this ‘Abbad's voice?" I said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to ‘Abbaad!”
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Commentary :
The Quran is the sacred Speech of Allah, Exalted is He, and He commanded us to preserve it in our hearts and minds and to keep on revising what we have memorized of it, lest we should forget it.
In this hadeeth, ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺheard a man reciting the Quran in the Mosque, and said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such ayaat of such-and-such chapter which I dropped (from my memory),” meaning that he ﷺ forgot such ayaat and remembered them upon hearing them from him.
In another version of the hadeeth, ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ performed the Tahajjud prayer (i.e., late night prayer) in her house, and heard the voice of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him) who was praying in the Mosque. He ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Is this ‘Abbad's voice?" He ﷺ wanted to verify that it was the voice of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to ‘Abbaad!”
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is conceivable that the Prophet ﷺ might forget some of that which he ﷺ had already conveyed to the Ummah.
It is also inferred therefrom that one should supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, in favor of the one who does him a favor, even if this favor is unintended.
The hadeeth underlines the merits of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is also inferred that one should supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, in favor of his fellow Muslim brothers in their absence.
It is also deduced therefrom that it is allowable to recite the Quran aloud and raise one’s voice at night in the mosque, and this is not disliked as long as it does not disturb and harm others, nor imperil the doer to falling into Riyaa’ (i.e., showing off and seeking to impress others to win their praise) and arrogance..

2661

Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"Whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ intended to go on a journey, he ﷺ would draw lots amongst his wives and would take with him the one upon whom the lot fell. During a one of the battles, he ﷺ drew lots amongst us and the lot fell upon me, and I proceeded with him after Allah, Exalted is He, had decreed the obligation of wearing Hijaab for women. I was carried in a Hawdaj (i.e., camel's litter for women) and dismounted while still in it. When Allah's Messengerﷺwas through with his battle and returned home, and we approached Al-Madeenah, he ﷺordered us to proceed at night. When the order of setting off was given, I walked till I was past the army to answer the call of nature. After finishing, I returned (to the camp) to depart (with the others) and suddenly realized that my necklace over my chest was missing. So, I returned to look for it and was delayed because of that. Those who were carrying me on the camel, came to my Hawdaj and put it on the back of the camel, thinking that I was in it, as, at that time, women were light in weight, thin and lean, and did not eat much. So, those people did not feel the difference in the heaviness of the Hawdaj while lifting it, and they put it over the camel. At that time, I was a young lady. They set the camel moving and proceeded on. I found my necklace after the army had gone, and came to their camp to find nobody! So, I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that they would discover my absence and come back in my search. While in that state, I felt drowsy and slept. Safwaan ibn Mu‘attal Al-Sulamee Al-Dhakwaanee was behind the army and reached my abode in the morning. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a sleeping person, he came to me, and he had seen me before the obligation of the Hijaab. So, I got up when I heard him saying, "Inna lillaah wa innaa ilayhi raaji‘oon (i.e., Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return)." He (may Allah be pleased with him) made his camel knell down, got down from his camel, and put his leg on the front legs of the camel and then I rode and sat over it. Safwaan (may Allah be pleased with him) set out walking, leading the camel by the rope till we reached the army who had halted to take rest at midday. Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell into destruction, (i.e., therumor-mongers who circulated such false accusations) and the leader of the false accusers was ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool. After that we returned to Al-Madeenah, and I fell ill for one month while people were spreading the forged statements of the false accusers. I was feeling during my ailment as if I were not receiving the usual kindness from the Prophet ﷺwhich I used to receive from him when I got sick. But he ﷺ would come, greet me and say, 'How is that (girl)?' I did not know anything of what was going on till I recovered from my ailment and went out with Umm Mistah to the Manaasi‘ (i.e., a vast open place near Baqee‘ at Al-Madeenah), where we used to answer the call of nature, and we used not to go to answer the call of nature except from night to night and that was before we had lavatories near our houses. This habit of ours was similar to the habit of the old Arabs (who used to relieve themselves) in the open country (or away from houses). So, I and Umm Mistah bint Ruhm went out walking. Umm Mistah stumbled because of her long dress and on that she said, 'Let Mistah be ruined.' I said, ‘What a harsh word you have said! Why would you abuse a man who took part in (the battle of) Badr?' She said, 'O dear girl, you did not you hear what they said?' Then she told me the rumors of the false accusers. My sickness was aggravated, and when I returned home, Allah's Messengerﷺ came to me, and after greeting he ﷺ said, 'How is that (girl)?' I asked him to allow me to go to my parents. I wanted then to be sure of the news through them; I Allah's Messengerﷺ allowed me, and I went to my parents and asked my mother, 'What are people talking about?' She said, 'O my daughter! Do not worry much about this matter. By Allah, never is there a charming woman loved by her husband who has other wives, but women would forge false news about her.' I said, 'Glorified be Allah! Are people really talking about this matter?' That night I kept on weeping and could not sleep till morning. In the morning, Allah's Messenger ﷺcalled ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib and Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them) when he ﷺ saw the divine revelation delayed, to consul them about divorcing his wife (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah). Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said what he knew of the good reputation of the Prophet’s wives and added, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Keep you wife, for, by Allah, we know nothing about her but good.' ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Allah, Exalted is He, has no imposed restrictions on you, and there are many other women, yet you may ask her female servant who will tell you the truth.' On that, Allah's Messengerﷺcalled Bareerah and said, 'O Bareerah. Did you ever see anything which roused your suspicions about her?' Bareerah said, 'No, by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty except that she is a girl of immature age, who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough for the (domestic) goats to eat.' On that day, Allah's Messengerﷺ ascended the pulpit and requested that somebody support him in punishing ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool. Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Who will support me to punish that person (‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool) who has hurt me by slandering my family (i.e., wife)? By Allah, I know nothing about my family (i.e., wife) but good, and they have accused a person about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house except in my company.' Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and said, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!By Allah, I will relieve you of him. If that man is from the Aws tribe, then we will chop his head off, and if he is from our brothers, i.e., the Khazraj tribe, then order us, and we will carry out your order.' On that Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, the chief of the Khazraj tribe - who has been a pious man before this incident, but was motivated by his blameworthy zeal for his tribe – got up and said, 'By Allah, you have told a lie; you cannot kill him, and you will never be able to kill him.' On that Usayd ibn Hudhayr got up and said (to Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah) (may Allah be pleased with them), 'By Allah! you are a liar. By Allah, we will kill him; and you are a hypocrite, defending the hypocrites!' Thereupon, the two tribes: the Aws and Khazraj got so agitated and were about to fight each other, while Allah's Messenger ﷺwas standing on the pulpit. He ﷺ got down and quieted them till they became silent and he kept quiet. On that day, I kept on weeping so much so that neither did my tears stop, nor could I sleep. In the morning, my parents were with me and I had wept for two nights and a day, till I thought my liver would burst from weeping. While they were sitting with me and I was weeping, a woman from the Ansaar asked my permission to enter, and I allowed her to come in. She sat down and started weeping with me. While we were in that state, Allah's Messengerﷺ came and sat down and he had never sat with me since the day they forged the accusation. No divine revelation regarding my situation came to him for a month. He ﷺ recited Tashah-hud (i.e., the two testimonies of faith: none is worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) and then said, 'O ‘Aa’ishah! I have been informed such-and-such about you; if you are innocent, then Allah, Exalted is He, will soon reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin, then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, He accepts his repentance.' When Allah's Messengerﷺ finished his speech, my tears ceased completely and there remained not even a single drop of it. I requested my father to reply to Allah's Messengerﷺ on my behalf. My father (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messenger ﷺ!” I said to my mother, 'Talk to Allah's Messengerﷺ on my behalf.' She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.’ I was a young girl and did not have much knowledge of the Quran. I said, 'I know, by Allah, that you have listened to what people are saying and that has been planted in your minds and you have taken it as a truth. Now, if I told you that I am innocent and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would not believe me and if I falsely confessed to you that I am guilty, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would believe me. By Allah, I only compare my situation with you except to the situation of Yoosuf’s father (i.e., Prophet Ya‘qoob) who said (what means): {…so patience is most fitting. And Allah (Alone) is the one sought for help against that which you describe.} [Quran 12:18] Then I turned to the other side of my bed hoping that Allah, Exalted is He, would prove my innocence. By Allah I never thought that He would send divine revelation concerning my situation, as I considered myself too inferior to be talked about in the Holy Quran. I had hoped that Allah's Messengerﷺ might have a dream in which Allah, Exalted is He, would prove my innocence. By Allah, The Prophet ﷺ had not got up and nobody had left the house before the divine revelation came to him. So, there overtook him the same state which used to overtake him, (when he ﷺ used to have, when receiving the divine revelation). He ﷺ was sweating so much so that the drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls though it was a (cold) wintry day. When that state of Allah's Messengerﷺ was over, he was smiling and the first word he said, ‘Aa’ishah! Thank Allah, for Allah has declared your innocence.' My mother told me to go to Allah's Messenger ﷺ!I replied, 'By Allah, I will not go to him and will not thank anyone but Allah, Exalted is He.' So, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you.} [Quran 24:11] When Allah, Exalted is He, gave the declaration of my innocence, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who used to provide for Mistah ibn Uthaathah (may Allah be pleased with him), for he was his relative, said, 'By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah because of what he said about ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).' But Allah, Exalted is He, later revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah , and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 24:22] Thereupon, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes! By Allah! I like that Allah should forgive me,' and resumed helping Mistah whom he used to help before. Allah's Messengerﷺ also asked Zaynab bint Jahsh (i.e., the Prophet's wife about me saying, 'What do you know and what did you see?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I do not claim hearing or seeing what I have not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except good about ‘Aa’ishah." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further added, "Zaynab was competing with me (with her beauty and the Prophet's love for her), yet Allah, Exalted is He, protected her (from being malicious), for she was endowed with piety and mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He.”
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Commentary :
The incident of Ifk (i.e., false allegation against ‘Aa’ishah) is when the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was slandered and falsely accused of committing Fornication. It was one of the most serious incidents that served as a real test for the sincerity of the faith of many Muslims. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed in the Quran a clear statement of her innocence, out of His grace conferred upon her, the Prophet ﷺ, and the whole Muslim community.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ intended to go on a journey, he ﷺ would draw lots amongst his wives, and would take with him, the one upon whom the lot fell. He ﷺ drew lots amongst his wives for one of his battles, namely, the Battle of Banee Al-Mustaliq (also known as Al-Muraysee‘) in 5 A.H., and the lot fell on her. This took place after Allah, Exalted is He, had revealed the ayahabout the obligation of Hijaab (i.e., head veil) for women. She (may Allah be pleased with her) set out with him, and was carried down in a Hawdaj (i.e., camel's litter for women) while still inside it (when they came to a halt). On the way back from that Ghazwah (i.e., a battle led by the Prophet ﷺ), as they approached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messenger ﷺannounced at night that it was time for departure. When they announced the news of departure, she (may Allah be pleased with her) got up and went away from the army camp to answer the call of nature before the departure. She (may Allah be pleased with her) walked till she was past the army to answer the call of nature. After finishing, she (may Allah be pleased with her) returned (to the camp) to depart (with the others) and suddenly realized that her necklace was missing. It was a necklace made of Dhafaar beads (i.e., Yemenite beads partly black and partly white). Therefore, she (may Allah be pleased with her) returned to look for it in the place where she had relieved herself, and was delayed because of that. Meanwhile, people who used to carry her on her camel came and lifted the Hawdaj onto the back of the camel, thinking that she was inside of it. In those days, women were light in weight for they did not get fat, and flesh did not cover their bodies in abundance, as they used to eat only little amounts of food that satisfied their hunger.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) waited in the place where she used to stay, thinking that they would eventually discover her absence and come back in search of her. While she (may Allah be pleased with her) was sitting there, she was overtaken by sleep. Safwaan ibn Al-Muʻattal Al-Sulamee Al-Dhakwaanee (may Allah be pleased with him) was behind the army to pick up what might have fallen or been forgotten by the Muslim army. He (may Allah be pleased with him) found her sleeping, and he had seen her before the obligation of the Hijaab was decreed. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said aloud, "Inna lillaah wa innaa ilayhi raaji‘oon (i.e., Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return)," to wake her up. She woke up, veiled her face, and they did not speak a single word afterward. She (may Allah be pleased with her) rode his camel and he (may Allah be pleased with him) led it till they reached the army while they were taking a rest.
Her saying, ‘Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell into destruction,” referred to the rumor-mongers who slandered her and circulated such false allegations against her, led by ‘Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salool, the chief of the hypocrites, and they incurred their own destruction accordingly. Some Companions also circulated these false allegations including: Hassaan ibn Thaabit, Mistah ibn Uthaathah, and Hamnah bint Jahsh, Zaynab bint Jahsh’s sister (may Allah be pleased with them).
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added that after they returned to Al-Madeenah, she fell ill for one month while people were circulating and spreading the forged statements of the false accusers. She (may Allah be pleased with her) was unaware of what people were saying about her, but she had some doubts since she (may Allah be pleased with her) sensed that she was not receiving the usual kindness and compassion from the Prophet ﷺwhich she (may Allah be pleased with her)used to receive from him when she got sick. Rather, he ﷺ would enter her room, greet her saying, 'How is that (girl)?' He ﷺ would ask, with half a heart, how she was, without informing her of what was being said about her. She (may Allah be pleased with her) did not know anything of what was going on till she recovered from her ailment and went out with Umm Mistah bint Abee Ruhm (may Allah be pleased with her) to the Manaasi‘ (i.e., a vast open place near Baqee‘ at Al-Madeenah), where people used to answer the call of nature. Women did not use to go to answer the call of nature except at night to spare themselves any inconvenience and unwanted gazes, and that was before people had lavatories near their houses. As customary among Arabs, people used to relieve themselves in vast open areas in specified spots in the desert (away from houses, for they disliked to have lavatories near their houses). So, she and Umm Mistah bint Ruhm (may Allah be pleased with them) went out walking. Umm Mistah stumbled because of her long dress and on that she said, 'Let Mistah be ruined!' ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, ‘What a harsh word you have said! Why would you abuse a man who took part in (the battle of) Badr?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) informed ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) of the false allegations and rumors the slanderers had circulated about her. Her sickness and pain were aggravated.
When she (may Allah be pleased with her) returned home, Allah's Messengerﷺ halfheartedly asked her, 'How is that (girl)?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him to allow her to go to her parents, and he ﷺ gave her permission to do so. She (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to verify the news by asking them. Her mother said, 'O my daughter! Do not worry much about this matter.” Trying to make her feel better, she (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “By Allah, never is there a charming woman loved by her husband who has other wives, but the women would forge false news about her.' She meant that a woman in her position would not be safe from being a target of people’s gossip and rumors; people and other co-wives would usually spread rumors about a beautiful wife loved by her husband. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'Glorified be Allah! Are people really talking about this matter?' She meant that such lies and slander were common products of jealousy harbored by co-wives and other people. That night ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) kept on weeping and could not sleep till morning, indicating her deep distress and sadness.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) added that the Prophet ﷺconsulted with ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib and Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them) about divorcing her when the divine revelation was delayed. Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said what he knew of the good reputation and righteousness of the Prophet’s wives and added, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Keep you wife, for, by Allah, we know nothing about her but good.' On the other hand, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, comforting the Prophet ﷺ, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Allah, Exalted is He, has not imposed restrictions on you, and there are many other women,” suggesting divorce to relieve the Prophet’s distress and anxiety. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also suggested that the Prophet ﷺ should ask her female servant, since servants usually have a closer look into the private life of their masters. On that, Allah's Messengerﷺcalled Bareerah and said, 'O Bareerah. Did you ever see anything which roused your suspicions about her?' Bareerah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'No, by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty except that she is a girl of immature age, who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough for the (domestic) goats to eat,' out of her innocence. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “By Allah, I know about her as does a jeweler know about the pure piece of gold!” She acquitted ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) of the lies that the hypocrites had fabricated against her.
It is noteworthy that scholars held different opinions as to whether or not the Prophet ﷺ knew of ‘Aa’ishah’s innocence before the divine revelation acquitted her, but they all agreed that he ﷺ did not believe such rumors.
Some held that he ﷺ knew of her innocence, and so did ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), but he ﷺ had to wait for the divine revelation since people had circulated such false accusations. This is because the wives of the Prophets of Allah would never commit Fornication, because it would involve disgracing the Prophets of Allah with what is unbecoming of their refined status.
Others maintained that he ﷺ had some doubts, but her innocence seemed more likely to him, and when the divine revelation acquitted her, he ﷺ knew it with certainty. This is evidenced by the fact that he ﷺ consulted ‘Alee and Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with them) about divorcing her and asked Bareerah (may Allah be pleased with her), indicating his doubts. They also argued that he ﷺ would have continued to have some doubts if the divine revelation had not acquitted her, although there were no proofs to support such false claims. There is a difference between the absence of proofs to substantiate the slanderer's claims warranting the execution of the prescribed Hadd, and the innocence revealed by Allah, Exalted is He.
Others believed that Allah, Exalted is He, wanted to highlight the refined status of His Messenger and his family. Therefore, He took the Prophet ﷺ out of the equation, defended him, acquitted his wife, and refuted his enemies’ claims Himself. Allah, Exalted is He, wanted to rebuke the slanderers Himself rather than letting the Prophet ﷺ answer to them and exonerate his wife. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ was the actual target of such harm, but they threw such false accusations against his wife. It was inappropriate for the Prophet ﷺ to testify of her innocence, although he ﷺ was certain of it, or believed that she (may Allah be pleased with her) most likely did not commit such sin. He ﷺ did not believe that she (may Allah be pleased with her) could ever commit such sin, Allah forbids! This is why he ﷺ said: “Who will support me to punish that person (‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool) who has hurt me by slandering the reputation of my family (i.e., wife)? By Allah, I know nothing about my family (i.e., wife) but good, and they have accused a person about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house except in my company.”
He ﷺ had enough reasons to believe that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was innocent more than any of the believers, but given his perfect patience, steadfastness, kindness, good faith in his Lord and his trust in Him, he ﷺ chose to adhere to patience, steadfastness, and good faith in Allah, Exalted is He, until the divine revelation should absolve her from such accusations. The divine revelation proved her innocence, bringing joy to his heart, emphasizing his refined status, and proving to all Muslims that Allah, Exalted is He, held him in such high regard, honored him, and defended him Himself!
The Prophet ﷺ ascended the pulpit and requested that somebody support him in punishing ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool, one of the chiefs of the Khazraj tribe, who had slandered his wife, as he was the leader of such accusers and slanderers. He ﷺ said, 'Who will support me to punish that person (‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool) who has hurt me by slandering my family (i.e., wife)? By Allah, I know nothing about my family (i.e., wife) but good, and they have accused a person about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house except in my company.' This indicated the good moral character of Safwaan (may Allah be pleased with him), and that he was a trustworthy and pious man who was known for good conduct, as acknowledged by the Prophet ﷺ and all people.
The Ansaar were divided into two major tribes: the Aws and Khazraj. Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him), the chief of the Aws tribe, got up and said, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!By Allah, I will relieve you of him. If that man is from the tribe of the Aws, then we will chop his head off, and if he is from our brothers, i.e., the Khazraj tribe, then order us, and we will carry out your order.' This indicated Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh’s good manners and his knowledge of the limits of his chiefdom; he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not explicitly declare killing a person who belonged to the Khazraj tribe like he did with a man from his own tribe, and left the ruling to be decided by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, pledging to execute the punishment that would be pleasing to him. On hearing that, Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, the chief of the Khazraj tribe, who was a senior and pious Companion (may Allah be pleased with him), got up, motivated by his prejudice and blameworthy zeal for his tribe and said, 'By Allah, you have told a lie,” meaning, ‘You are wrong,’ as Arabs used to refer to mistakes as lies, “you cannot kill him, and you will never be able to kill him.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said so because he believed that Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him)had crossed the line and should not have interfered in the private affairs of the Khazraj tribe. On that, Usayd ibn Hudhayr, one of the chiefs of the Aws tribe, got up and said (to Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah), 'By Allah! you are a liar. By Allah, we will kill him; and you are a hypocrite, defending the hypocrites!' These statements were made only because they were quarreling, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mean to accuse him of hypocrisy, but was rather exaggerating in rebuking him. Moreover, such insults are worthless and have no weight, because they were said in a state of anger.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “Thereupon, the two tribes of Aws and Khazraj got so agitated and were about to fight each other, while Allah's Messenger ﷺwas standing on the pulpit. He ﷺ got down and quieted them till they became silent and he kept quiet.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) kept on weeping so much so that neither did her tears stop, nor could she sleep. She (may Allah be pleased with her) continued to weep for two nights and a day, so much so that she thought that her liver would burst from weeping. This is because grief is especially harmful to the liver more than any other body organ. A woman from the Ansaar visited her, sat down and started weeping with her, to give her consolation. While they were in this state, Allah's Messengerﷺ came and sat down, and he had never sat with her since the day they forged those accusations. No divine revelation regarding her situation came to him for a month, to clear her name and inform the Prophet ﷺ of the truth, but he ﷺ received the divine revelation regarding other matters during that period.
He ﷺ recited Tashah-hud (i.e., the two testimonies of faith: none is worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) and then said, 'O ‘Aa’ishah! I have been informed such-and-such about you; if you are innocent, then Allah, Exalted is He, will soon reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin,” meaning if you happened to fall into sin, which was unlike you, “then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, He accepts his repentance.' When Allah's Messengerﷺ finished his speech, her tears ceased completely and there remained not even a single drop; she (may Allah be pleased with her) was in awe of what he ﷺhad said! She (may Allah be pleased with her) requested her father and mother (may Allah be pleased with them) to reply to Allah's Messengerﷺ on her behalf and defend her, but they both said: “By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messengerﷺ!” They were in a tough spot, considering the lofty status of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on one hand, and their own daughter who was falsely accused of such a heinous and immoral act on the other hand!
Therefore, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied herself, although she was a young girl then and did not have much knowledge of the Quran. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said so to explain the reason for her forgetting the name of Prophet Ya‘qoob, when she compared her situation to his situation and the harm afflicted by his sons on him and Prophet Yoosuf. She (may Allah be pleased with her) then related to him the accusations made against her and Safwaan (may Allah be pleased with them), and underlined that these rumors and false claims dwelled in people’s minds so much that they accepted such (slanderous) speech as truth. If she told them that she was innocent, and Allah knew that she was, they would not believe her, and if she falsely confessed that she was guilty, and Allah knew that she was not, they would have believed her! She (may Allah be pleased with her) added that she could not do anything but to adhere to patience and aspire to relief and acquittal from Allah, Exalted is He, as Prophet Ya‘qoob said (what means): {…so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe.} [Quran 12:18]. Only Allah, Exalted is He, would clear her name, prove her innocence, and defend her! She (may Allah be pleased with her) turned to the other side of her bed hoping that Allah, Exalted is He, would prove her innocence. She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “By Allah, I never thought that He would send divine revelation concerning my situation, as I considered myself too inferior to be talked about in the Holy Quran.” She (may Allah be pleased with her) only hoped that Allah's Messengerﷺ might have a dream in which Allah, Exalted is He, would prove her innocence. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “By Allah, he ﷺ had not got up and nobody had left the house before the divine revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ, who was overtaken by the same state which used to overtake him, (when he ﷺ received divine revelation). He ﷺ was sweating so much that the drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls, though it was a (cold) wintry day. “When that state of Allah's Messengerﷺ was over,” and the revelation ended, “he ﷺwas smiling and the first word he ﷺ said was asking Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to thank Allah, Exalted is He, for declaring her innocence. Her mother told her to go to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, to thank him for such glad tidings, but she (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'By Allah, I will not go to him and will not thank but Allah,’ because He declared her innocence. On this occasion, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. * Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"? * Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allah, who are the liars. * And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment. * When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous. * And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander"? * Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.} [Quran 24:11-17]. In these ayaat, Allah, Exalted is He, referred to their false claims as lies. The Arabic word used was “Ifk,” meaning false allegations. Allah, Exalted is He, stated that these slanderers fabricated lies against her and underlined their promised punishment in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to provide for Mistah ibn Uthaathah, for he was his relative; the mother of Mistah was named Salmaa, who was the maternal cousin of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). Mastah (may Allah be pleased with him) circulated such allegations and this angered Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said, 'By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah because of what he said about ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).' On that occasion, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 24:22]. The ayah means, ‘those who swore not to provide for their (poor) relatives because they have wronged them!’ Thereupon, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes! By Allah! I like that Allah should forgive me,' and resumed helping Mistah whom he used to help before, and expiated for breaking his oath.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) also added: “Allah's Messengerﷺ also asked Zaynab bint Jahsh (i.e., the Prophet's wife) about me saying, 'What do you know and what did you see?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I do not claim hearing or seeing what I have not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except good about ‘Aa’ishah.’" ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further added, "Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) was competing with me (with her beauty and the Prophet's love for her),” meaning that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was also beautiful and used to boast about her beauty and the Prophet’s love for her, “yet Allah, Exalted is He, protected her (from being malicious), for she (may Allah be pleased with her) was endowed with piety and mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He,” and she did not fall into sin by circulating such rumors like those who did.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to draw lots between one’s wives to choose one to accompany him when traveling.
The hadeeth highlights the merits of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and her conclusive acquittal from the false accusations made against her by the explicit divine revelation and a ayah in the Quran which shall be recited unto the Day of Judgment.
It is inferred therefrom that one should recite Istirjaa‘ (i.e., saying ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return,’ a Dhikr that Muslims are instructed to say when afflicted by any sort of calamity) at times of adversity befalling one or any of his loved ones regarding his or their worldly or religious affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a man should be considerate and kind towards his wife.
It is also deduced that one should check upon the sick person.
The hadeeth also underlines the merits of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who partook in the Battle of Badr and defends them.
It is also inferred therefrom that one should consult with his close family members and friends about his personal affairs and problems.
It is deduced that a ruler should address the ruled when adversities should befall them.
The hadeeth also highlights the virtues of Safwaan ibn Al-Mu‘attil (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is also inferred therefrom that one should hasten to block the ways that could lead to Fitnah (i.e., dissension) and disputes.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a sinner’s repentance is acceptable; he should be urged to repent, for sincere repentance to Allah, Exalted is He, is a reason for having one’s sins forgiven.
It is also inferred that one should hasten to give glad tidings to the one upon whom a clear blessing is conferred or who is relieved of an adversity.
The hadeeth also urges the forgiveness and pardon of a wrongdoer.
It also encourages Muslims to spend in charity and help the less fortunate.
The hadeeth also highlights the merits of the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her).
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2662

‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakrah narrated on the authority of his father that he (may Allah be pleased with him)said: “A man praised another man in front of the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Woe to you, you have cut off your companion's neck; you have cut off your companion's neck," repeating it several times and then added, "Whoever amongst you has to praise his brother should say, 'I think that he is such-and-such, and Allah knows exactly the truth, and I do not confirm anybody's good conduct before Allah, but I think him to such-and-such,' if he really knows what he says about him."
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Commentary :
Praising or dispraising people is a very serious matter, and Islam has set certain guidelines for crediting or discrediting people. It stipulated having a good knowledge of the praised or dispraised person, and also warned against ascribing false attributes to any person.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Bakrah Nafee‘ ibn Al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man praised another in front of the Prophet ﷺ.Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Woe to you,” the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which literally means ‘woe to you,’ indicating rebuke, and it is used in reference to someone who has made a serious mistake incurring an undeserved adversity. He ﷺ added, “… you have cut off your companion's neck, you have cut off your companion's neck," meaning that you have seriously harmed your friend. This is because such praise may drive him to fall into conceit and arrogance. He ﷺ repeated it several times, to warn against such an act and indicate its gravity. He ﷺ then clarified that if someone has to praise another person, in a situation where such praise is required by the Laws of Islam, e.g., for a witness, or for any Laws of Islam-approved benefit, one should say, “…'I think that he is such-and-such, and Allah knows exactly the truth, and I do not confirm anybody's good conduct before Allah, but I think him to be such-and-such,' if he really knows what he says about him." In such situations, one should settle for mentioning the good qualities of the praised person and phrase it as explained in the hadeeth, saying, ‘I think that so-and-so is trustworthy, righteous, or honest,’ for example, rather than decisively stating that this person will have a good or bad fate in the Hereafter, because only Allah, Exalted is He, knows his true inner character, and He shall reward or punish him accordingly. Therefore, one must not decisively state that a given person is good or righteous nor evil or wicked.
The hadeeth warns against attributing qualities to a given person of which the speaker has no knowledge.
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2664

Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ called me to present myself in front of him on the eve of the Battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age, and he ﷺ did not allow me to take part in that battle, but he ﷺ called me in front of him on the eve of the battle of the Trench when I was fifteen years old, and he ﷺ allowed me (to join the battle)." Naafi‘ said, "I went to ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Azeez, who was the Caliph at that time, and related the above narration to him, and he said, "This age (fifteen) is the limit between childhood and manhood," and wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who have reached the age of fifteen..

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam decreed that reaching puberty should be the criterion for a person’s competence for religious assignments. When a male person reaches puberty, he becomes competent for religious assignments and obligations as per the laws of Islam, and would be held accountable for all his actions (and sayings), and the same goes for girls when they start experiencing menstruation.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺ called young men to decide whether or not they were fit to take part in the battles yet, and this was before the battle of Uhud, in 3 A.H. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was fourteen years of age at that time, and he ﷺ did not allow him to take part in that battle, for he ﷺ believed that he was still young and unfit to partake in the battles. In 5 A.H., he ﷺ called him again before the battle of the Trench, when he was fifteen years old, and he ﷺ allowed him (to join the battle).
Some scholars objected, saying that since the Battle of the Trench took place in 5 A.H., Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) should have been sixteen years old and not fifteen. In response, it was said that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that he had just turned fourteen before the Battle of Uhud, and had already turned fifteen by the Battle of the Trench, and this was(linguistically) correct and commonly acceptable in the Arabic language.
Naafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and the narrator of the hadeeth, said, "I went to ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Azeez, who was the Caliph at that time, and related the above narration to him, and he deduced from it that the age limit between childhood and manhood is fifteen, and accordingly wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who have reached the age of fifteen should they partake in the battles.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that a ruler should keenly do what serves the best interests of the ruled, including specifying the age limit for partaking in battles and joining the Muslim army..

2674

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first.
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Commentary :
The Laws of Islam of Islam clearly outlined the proper way to settle legal disputes, especially in the absence of clear evidence that warrants judging in favor of one litigant, namely, by oath-taking. Stern warnings have been reported about making false oaths, and many Laws of Islam texts warned against the severe punishment for such an act in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that two people (litigants) referred their dispute to the Prophet ﷺ, and none of them had evidence conclusively substantiating his right, or such evidence was false and inadmissible. The Prophet ﷺ offered them to take an oath; each litigant would be requested to take an oath while the other remained silent, out of reverence for the oath. When he ﷺ saw each of them hastening to take the oath first, he ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn to choose the one who should take an oath first, and accordingly would be declared entitled to the disputed property or right.
It was said that the Prophet ﷺ only commanded that lots should be drawn to choose the one who should take an oath first after he ﷺ saw them both hastening to take the oath, lest they should take two oaths at the same time and thus the litigant who had the right to the disputed property would lose his right to it. Rather, each litigant is entitled to take an oath independently. When the litigants are equally entitled to a disputed right or property, none of them should be given the chance to take the oath first to claim the right or refute the accusations made against him (and accordingly become legally entitled to the disputed right or property) except after employing the method of lot-casting.
It is an act of Sunnah to opt for casting lots in such situations, and it is prescribed and applicable when both litigants are equally entitled to a disputed right or property (and unable to provide conclusive or admissible evidencesubstantiating their rights).
The hadeeth highlights the seriousness (and solemnity) of oath-taking in Islam.
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344

Yazid in Abdullah ibn Ash-Shekhir said, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to abrogate some of his sayings by others, just as the Quran abrogates its verses by others.".

Commentary : Islamic legislation is always in harmony with the nation, especially those who lived and grew up during the pre-Islam period. Out of establishing the principle of graduation, it sometimes abrogates some established rules. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Ash-Shekhir, one of Basra scholars, confirmed this principle with relating to the Prophet's Sunnah. It was legislated at the beginning that ablution was sufficient for a Muslim who had intercourse with his wife without ejaculation, as in the two Sahihs that Ubayy ibn Ka’b said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about a man who had intercourse with his wife but left her before orgasm. He said, 'He should wash what he had (on his body) from his wife (her discharge), perform ablution, and offer prayer.'" Later, it was abrogated and established that bathing is obligatory after intercourse, whether or not, a person ejaculates. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If he sits between her four limbs, bathing is obligatory.” (Bukhari & Muslim) As for the Quran, it was, at the beginning, established that a woman is confined to her home as a punishment if she commits adultery. Allah, the Almighty, says, "And those of your women who commit illegal sexual intercourse, take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them (i.e. women) to houses until death comes to them or Allah ordains for them some (other) way." (An-Nisa) It was later abrogated by the verse, "The fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes." (An-Nur: 2) Also, the Prophet (ﷺ) clarified this rule and said, "Learn from me. Allah has ordained for them another way. A virgin is punished with one hundred lashes and exiled for one year. A Thayyib (divorcee or widow) is punished with one hundred lashes and stoning.” (Narrated by Muslim) Finally, this hadith shows the interest of the Companions' students to study the Prophetic Sunnah, including the cases of abrogation..

349

Abu Musa said, “Some of Al-Ansar (Helpers) and some of Muhajeroun (Immigrants) had different opinions about bathing after intercourse. The Ansar said, ‘It was only obligatory due to ejaculation,’ but the Muhajeroun said, ‘It was obligatory after intercourse (whether or not he ejaculated).’” Abu Musa said to them, “I will provide you with the solution. I got up and asked Aisha to come in and I was given permission. I said to her, ‘O Mother, or Mother of the Believers, I want to ask you about something but I feel shy.’ She said, ‘Do not feel shy of asking me about something which you can ask your mother who gave you birth, for I am too your mother.’ I asked her, ‘What makes bathing obligatory?’ She replied, ‘You have asked the well-informed one! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘If he sits between her four limbs (the woman) and the circumcision touches the circumcision, bathing is obligatory.’”.

Commentary : In this hadith, Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary said that some of Al-Ansar and some of Muhajeroun discussed the matter of bathing after intercourse. The Ansar confirmed that it was only obligatory due to ejaculation while the Muhajeroun confirmed that it was obligatory after intercourse, whether or not, he ejaculated. Abu Musa promised to provide them with the right solution. He went to Aisha, the Mother of the believers, passionately addressed her by her nickname of maternity, and modestly asked her about her opinion. She answered, "Do not feel shy of asking me about something which you can ask your mother who gave you birth, for I am too your mother," for Allah said in the Quran, "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their (believers’) mothers.” (Al-Ahzab: 6). When he asked her about what made bathing obligatory, she answered, "You have asked the well-informed one." She narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If he sits between her four limbs (the woman) and the circumcision touches the circumcision, bathing is obligatory." He means that if a man sits between his wife's hands and legs and his penis penetrates her vagina, bathing is obligatory for both, whether or not, he ejaculates, as in Sahih Muslim that Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) added, "Even if he does not ejaculate.” Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies how the Companions are keen on discussing and learning to get the truth, (2) It shows their morals and appreciation of Aisha’s position and knowledge, for they were keen on learning from her, and (3) It confirms the obligation of bathing when a man's and woman's circumcisions touch..

350

Aisha, the Prophet's wife, narrated, "A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about one who has sexual intercourse with his wife but does not ejaculate due to listlessness. Is bathing obligatory for him?" He answered while Aisha was sitting by him, "I and she do it and then take a bath.".

Commentary : Purity is believers' symbol so the Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach his companions the rules of purification and they used to ask him about anything they did not understand. In this hadith, Aisha narrated that a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the Islamic point of view if a man had intercourse with his wife but he did not ejaculate due to listlessness. The Prophet (ﷺ) answered him while his wife Aisha was sitting, “I and she are doing so then we take a bath." He wanted to clarify that bathing was obligatory after intercourse even if there was no ejaculation. In the two Sahihs, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If he sits between her four limbs and the circumcision touches the circumcision, bathing is obligatory.” In Muslim's narration, he added, "Even if he does not ejaculate.".

352

Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Qarez narrated that he found Abu Hurairah performing ablution above the mosque and saying, "I am performing ablution, for I ate pieces of cheese. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire.'".

Commentary : Islam legislates rules that suit the Muslim nation so it may gradually legislate some rules or even abrogate them later. The above-mentioned concept is one of the goals of abrogation in Islam. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah said that he once performed ablution because he ate pieces of cheese that were cooked by fire, for he heard the Prophet saying, “Perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire." The Prophetic command to perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire was later abrogated. Imam Abu Daoud reported that Jaber ibn Abdullah said, “The last of the two matters that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do was to leave off ablution due to eating something cooked by fire." In the two Sahihs, Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) ate meat and then prayed without performing ablution or touching water. Finally, this hadith confirms that a scholar should explain the reason for his actions if he thinks that people may blame him..

353

Saeed ibn Khaled ibn Amr ibn Uthman reported that he asked Urwa ibn Az-Zubeir about performing ablution due to eating what was cooked by fire. Urwa answered, "I heard Aisha, the Prophet's wife, said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Perform ablution due to eating what is cooked by fire.'".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was keen to teach his companions the invalidators of ablution, especially things that may have produced unpleasant smell such as foods cooked by fire. It may be fragrant or rich. As a result, a Muslim may need to perform ablution accordingly. In this hadith, Saeed ibn Khaled ibn Amr ibn Uthman asked Urwa ibn Az-Zubeir about performing ablution due to eating what was cooked by fire. Urwa answered, "I heard Aisha, the Prophet's wife, said, 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Perform ablution due to eating what is cooked by fire.'" This hadith may mean either: (1) To perform Ablution after eating something cooked by fire, or (2) To wash our mouths and hands after eating something cooked by fire. There are other Prophetic hadiths that confirmed that there was no need to perform ablution after eating something cooked by fire. In the two Sahih books, Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) ate a sheep's shoulder then prayed without repeating his ablution. In Sunan Abu Dawud and Sunan An-Nasa'i, Jaber said, "The last of the two matters that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do was to leave off ablution due to eating something cooked by fire." Additionally, it was authentically narrated that the Prophet's command was abrogated and his last teaching before his death in this case was to leave off ablution due to eating something cooked by fire..

357

Abu Rafe', the Prophet's servant, said, "I testify that I used to roast the goat's abdomen for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then he prayed without repeating his ablutions.".

Commentary : The Islamic legislation is always in harmony with the Islamic nation. To establish this principle, Islamic law was graduating in some aspects till it confirmed the last legislations. As a result, some Islamic established aspects were abrogated by either Quranic verses or Prophetic statements. In this hadith, Abu Rafe', the Prophet's servant, narrated that he used to roast the goat's abdomen, including liver, spleen, heart, and Intestines for the Prophet (ﷺ) then the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed without repeating his ablution. This confirmed that a Muslim is not required to perform or repeat his ablution after eating something cooked by fire. As for the other hadith that commanded Muslims to perform or repeat ablution after eating something cooked by fire, it was abrogated by this hadith narrated by Abu Rafe'. In Sunan Abu Daoud and Sunan An-Nasa’i, Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated, "The last of the two matters that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do was to leave off ablution due to eating something cooked by fire." Finally, this hadith refers that Islamic law always makes it easy for people about the aspect of performing ablution after eating..

359

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dressed and went out for prayer. Afterward, he was given bread and meat as a gift. He took three morsels then led people in prayer, without touching water." In another narration, Abdullah ibn Abbas saw Prophet did that and said, "... then pray" not "led people in prayer.".

Commentary : Purity is believers’ symbol that Islam encourages. As a result, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach his companions the rules of purification, especially when ablution is obligatory, recommended, or even unnecessary. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that one day the Prophet (ﷺ) dressed and then went out to pray in his mosque. Afterward, he was given bread and meat as a gift, which were cooked by fire. He took three morsels and then led people in prayer, without touching water. This indicates that it is not obligatory to perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire. This hadith and others abrogate the hadiths that mentioned the command to perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire. Abu Daoud and An-Nasa'i reported that Jaber ibn Abdullah said, "The last of the two matters that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do was to leave off ablution due to eating something cooked by fire.” The hadith of Abdullah ibn Abbas contains the following benefits: (1) The Prophet's acceptance of gifts to make its owner happy, and (2) Islamic law's ease of the matters of purification after eating..

360

Jaber ibn Samura reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Should I perform ablution due to eating sheep's flesh?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ answered, "Perform ablution if you wish, and if you wish, do not perform it." The man asked, "Should I perform ablution due to eating camel's flesh?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ answered, "Yes, perform ablution due to eating camel's flesh." He (again) asked, "May I pray in the sheepfolds?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ answered, "Yes." Then he asked, "May I pray where camels lie down?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ answered, "No.".

Commentary : Purity and prayer are believers' symbols, so Islam encourages Muslims to perform acts of worship in appropriate places and times, which the Prophet used to teach his companions. In this hadith, Jaber ibn Samura narrated that a man asked the Prophet about: (1) Performing ablution due to eating sheep’s meat, and (2) Praying in sheepfolds. The Prophet answered that it is optional to perform ablution and confirmed that it is permissible to pray in sheep's shelters. Imam Abu Daoud narrated in his Sunan that the Prophet "was asked about praying in sheepfolds, so he answered, 'Pray in them, for it has a blessing.'" Sheep are calm animals with kindness and little movements. The same man also asked the Prophet about: (1) Performing ablution due to eating its meat, and (2) Praying in camel's folds. The Prophet replied that it was necessary for a Muslim to perform ablution due to eating camel's meat. Also, he forbade us from praying in their folds. As for the cause of this prohibition, scholars mentioned the following potential reasons: (1) A camel sometimes has a sudden strong behavior so it may hurt, confuse, or interrupt the praying one, so he is being afraid that it may trample and kill him, and (2) Camels' folds are full of filths and contain deeply terrible smell. Imam Abu Daoud narrated in his Sunan that the Prophet said, "Do not pray in camels' folds, for they are the places of devils." So, devils are whispering to the praying ones in these folds. Anyway, a Muslim should avoid praying in these folds whether or not he knows the reason for this prohibition..

366

Abulkhair said, "I saw Ibn Wa'la As-Saba'i wearing fur and touched it. He said, 'Why did you touch it? I asked Ibn 'Abbas, 'We live in the western regions with Berbers and Magus who bring with them rams they slaughtered, but we do not eat what they slaughtered. Also, they bring waterskin full of fat.' Thereupon Ibn 'Abbas said, 'We asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about that so he said, 'Tanning makes it pure.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Almighty, forbade Muslims to eat dead animals, but He allowed to use their skins if they were purified by tanning. In this hadith, AbulKhair Marthad ibn Abdullah Al-Yazany saw Abderrhman ibn Wa`la As-Saba'i wearing fur, which is like a robe padded with animal skin, so he touched and wondered about it. He thought it was forbidden. Ibn Wa`la got the point and told him that he related the whole story to Abdullah ibn Abbas. He said that he lived in the western regions with Barbarians, who were like Bedouins in cruelty and harshness, and Magus, Fire worshippers. They brought rams they slaughtered in a way that contradicted the Islamic way, but Abderrahman did not eat them, for they were not among the People of the Book whose sacrifices were permissible in Islam. They also brought waterskin full of fat and melted tallow. They were vessels made of skins of the slaughtered animals. He wanted to ask Abdullah ibn Abbas about the Islamic perspective on: (1) The skins made of dead animals, (2) The skin on which the name of Allah was not mentioned, or (3) The skin whose animal was slaughtered by someone who did not mention the name of Allah upon it. He wanted to ask him if it was permissible to use it for drinking or putting meat fat. Ibn Abbas confirmed that the Companions asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about that who told them that the skin of a dead animal was purified by tanning. Tanning is to remove anything after the skinning process so it does not contradict salt or preservatives. Afterward, it is permissible to eat, drink, and use it in all allowable ways. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms the permissibility to use the skin of a dead animal, and (2) It clarifies how the Islamic legislation makes it easier for people to benefit from their properties..

370

Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that a man passed by and greeted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was urinating, but the Prophet ﷺ did not respond to his salutation.".

Commentary : Since returning one’s greeting involves mentioning Allah, this mentioning has to be voided while answering the call of nature. Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that a man passed by and greeted the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was urinating, but the Prophet (ﷺ) did not return his greeting. It was as if he disliked mentioning Allah in that state of exposed private parts and lack of purity. In Sunan Abu Daoud, Al-Muhajer ibn Qunfudh narrated, "He came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was urinating. He greeted him but the Prophet did not return his greeting until he performed ablution. He then apologized to him and said, "I disliked mentioning Allah, the Almighty, except in the state of purification." This is evidence that the word "salam" (peace) that people use in greeting one another is one of Allah's names. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It urges Muslims to maintain their purity while mentioning Allah which has a high virtue, and (2) It confirms that it is better to refrain from mentioning Allah while being in inappropriate states like urinating and the like..

373

Aisha, Mother of the Believers, said, "The Prophet ﷺ used to remember Allah in all of his affairs.".

Commentary : Allah said, "O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance." (Al-Ahzab: 41) Remembering Allah may be with one's heart or tongue. The Prophet (ﷺ) had an abundant share of these two types. He used to frequently remember Allah more than anyone else. In this hadith, Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to remember Allah in all his affairs, except during cases in which a Muslim was forbidden from remembering Him as during intercourse, answering the call of nature, etc. He was deeply keen to remember, glorify, and praise Allah. He taught us the best formulas that had great rewards whether or not they were confined to specific times or numbers. Her words, "in all of his affairs" confirmed that remembering Allah was not confined to a specific form as in prayer, circumambulation, or reciting the Quran, for which a Muslim should perform ablution ahead. She meant that he used to remember Allah, the Almighty, whether or not he performed ablution or bathing after intercourse, whether he was standing, sitting, lying down, or walking..

374

Ibn Abbas narrated, "We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he had come out of the privy (answering the call of nature). Food was presented to him. It was said to him (by the Companions around him), 'Will not you perform ablution?' Upon this, he said, 'Why? Will I pray so I have to perform ablution?.

Commentary : Ablution is a prerequisite to the validity of prayer. A prayer is not accepted without ablution. However, performing ablution after relieving oneself is recommended. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach his nation the obligatory and recommended acts and did not always command them to perform recommended acts, but he may have sometimes abandoned them to confirm that it is legitimate to abandon them. In the past, people originally used to call the safe and spacious place in deserts in which they relieved themselves "gha'et." Afterward, they used this word to refer to excrement, for they hated to call it by its real name. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that when the Prophet (ﷺ) began to eat from a food provided to him after he came back from privy, his companions reminded him that he did not perform ablution after relieving himself. He answered in denial, “Why? Will I pray so I have to perform ablution?" He confirmed that it was not obligatory for a person to perform ablution after answering the call of nature. Finally, this hadith shows that it is only Islamic law that clarifies the cases in which the ablution is invalid or obligatory..

376

Anas ibn Malek said, "The Prophet's companions used to doze off then offer prayer without repeating ablutions.".

Commentary : Ablution is a prerequisite to prayer, so it is not accepted without ablution. Therefore, Islamic law detailed the matters invalidating ablution. This hadith indicates the lawfulness of sleeping before prayer as long as one keeps his state of ablution. Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet's companions (ﷺ) used to doze off then offer prayer without repeating ablution." They used to do so in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) who did not decline their behavior. In a narration of Abu Daoud, Anas said, "until their heads lowered down." This means that their heads lowered down due to dozing while they were waiting for prayer. His saying, "... without repeating ablution." is a confirmation that they did not repeat their ablution, for while they were dozing, they were aware of what was around them. They did not sleep deeply, which invalidates ablution, unlike the heavy sleeping that, of course, invalidates ablution due to the lack of awareness..

379

Abu Mahthourah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ taught him this call to prayer, "Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Then, he should repeat, "I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to the prayer (twice). Come to success (twice)." Ishaq added, "Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah.".

Commentary : The azan is to inform people about prayer time. Its words combine the Islamic doctrine of monotheism. In this hadith, Abu Mahthura narrated the words of the call to prayer as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught him when being appointed as a governor of Mecca in the eighth year after the Battle of Hunein. Although being concise, “Allah is the greatest" refers to His perfection and negates any meaning that may contradict so. It may mean that Allah is too great that we can realize His greatness. The testimony of faith has two parts. The first one is to prove monotheism, mean that no god worthy of worship except Allah, and negate its opposite of having any partnership. It is the testimony that has precedence and priority over any other issue in Islam. The other part is to declare and prove the message of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), which directly comes after the testimony of Allah’s oneness. Afterward, the caller urges Muslims twice to come to perform prayer, which mentioned after proving the Prophet's message, for we know the obligation of prayer from the Prophet’s teachings, not due to human realization. Then, the caller commands Muslims twice to come to success, victory, and permanent bliss, which reminds them of the events of the hereafter like resurrection and reckoning. In Abu Daoud's narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If it is Dawn (Fajr) prayer, you should say, 'Prayer is better than sleeping, prayer is better than sleeping.'" At the end, he concluded the call with, "Allah is the Greatest" twice then said, "There is no god but Allah." In narrations in Sunan Abu Daoud and An-Nasa'i, he mentioned "Allah is the Greatest" four times in the beginning. The words of the call to prayer are repeated more than once to make sure that lots of people know about the prayer time. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies some of prayer call's formula, and (2) The virtue of the companion Abu Mahthura, for the Prophet (ﷺ) taught him the call words himself..

381

Aisha narrated, "Ibn Um Maktoum used to pronounce adhan at the Messenger's behest ﷺ while he was blind.".

Commentary : The job of a caller to prayer is to raise his voice loudly with the words of the prayer call to inform people about the prayer time. A blind person can do so if he has someone telling him about the its time. In this hadith, Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, narrated that Abdullah ibn Umm Maktoum, his name is Abdullah ibn Qais ibn Za'ida Al-Qurashi and he is the cousin of Khadija, the Mother of the Believers, was a blind man whose job was to call people to prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) assigned Bilal ibn Rabah to call to prayer along with Abdullah for the following cause. When the Companions secluded and prayed at night in Ramadan in the Prophetic mosque, they were surprised by the call to Fajr (Dawn) prayer before taking a rest and having suhour meal as a preparation to fast. Some may have dozed off before bathing due to intercourse. As a result, the Prophet (ﷺ) decided that Bilal called to Fajr prayer before its time to alert those praying or sleeping. At Fajr time, Bilal descended from the place of call then Abdullah ascended to call to prayer so that people refrained from eating suhour and prepared themselves for Fajr prayer. This is explained by the narration of the two Sahihs in which Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Bilal calls to prayer at night, so you can keep eating (suhour) and drinking until Ibn Um Maktoum calls." Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) A blind man’s call to prayer is valid on condition that he has someone telling him about its time, (2) It confirms the legitimacy of a man’s lineage to his mother as long as it becomes famous and there is a need for it, (3) It refers to the legitimacy of describing a person with a flaw for the purpose of definition or other benefits, not to belittle him, and (4) It shows the legitimacy of appointing two callers to prayer in one mosque..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother."
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Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year.
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It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first.
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Yazid in Abdullah ibn Ash-Shekhir said, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to abrogate some of his sayings by others, just as the Quran abrogates its verses by others.".

Aisha, the Prophet's wife, narrated, "A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about one who has sexual intercourse with his wife but does not ejaculate due to listlessness. Is bathing obligatory for him?" He answered while Aisha was sitting by him, "I and she do it and then take a bath.".

Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Qarez narrated that he found Abu Hurairah performing ablution above the mosque and saying, "I am performing ablution, for I ate pieces of cheese. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire.'".

Saeed ibn Khaled ibn Amr ibn Uthman reported that he asked Urwa ibn Az-Zubeir about performing ablution due to eating what was cooked by fire. Urwa answered, "I heard Aisha, the Prophet's wife, said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Perform ablution due to eating what is cooked by fire.'".

Abu Rafe', the Prophet's servant, said, "I testify that I used to roast the goat's abdomen for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then he prayed without repeating his ablutions.".

Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that a man passed by and greeted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was urinating, but the Prophet ﷺ did not respond to his salutation.".

Aisha, Mother of the Believers, said, "The Prophet ﷺ used to remember Allah in all of his affairs.".

Anas ibn Malek said, "The Prophet's companions used to doze off then offer prayer without repeating ablutions.".

Aisha narrated, "Ibn Um Maktoum used to pronounce adhan at the Messenger's behest ﷺ while he was blind.".

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother." .

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year. .

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first. .

Yazid in Abdullah ibn Ash-Shekhir said, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to abrogate some of his sayings by others, just as the Quran abrogates its verses by others.".

Aisha, the Prophet's wife, narrated, "A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about one who has sexual intercourse with his wife but does not ejaculate due to listlessness. Is bathing obligatory for him?" He answered while Aisha was sitting by him, "I and she do it and then take a bath.".

Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Qarez narrated that he found Abu Hurairah performing ablution above the mosque and saying, "I am performing ablution, for I ate pieces of cheese. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Perform ablution due to eating something cooked by fire.'".

Saeed ibn Khaled ibn Amr ibn Uthman reported that he asked Urwa ibn Az-Zubeir about performing ablution due to eating what was cooked by fire. Urwa answered, "I heard Aisha, the Prophet's wife, said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Perform ablution due to eating what is cooked by fire.'".

Abu Rafe', the Prophet's servant, said, "I testify that I used to roast the goat's abdomen for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then he prayed without repeating his ablutions.".

Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that a man passed by and greeted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was urinating, but the Prophet ﷺ did not respond to his salutation.".

Aisha, Mother of the Believers, said, "The Prophet ﷺ used to remember Allah in all of his affairs.".

Anas ibn Malek said, "The Prophet's companions used to doze off then offer prayer without repeating ablutions.".

Aisha narrated, "Ibn Um Maktoum used to pronounce adhan at the Messenger's behest ﷺ while he was blind.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother."
.

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year.
.

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first.
.