| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

2104

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ sent to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once a silken two-piece garment, and when he ﷺ saw ‘Umar wearing it, he ﷺ said to him, "I have not sent it to you to wear. It (silk) is worn by him who has no share in the Hereafter, and I have sent it to you so that you could avail yourself of it (i.e., sell it).”.

Commentary :
Islam has delineated the topics of beautification and theIslamic dress code in the Book of Allah, Exalted is He, and the Sunnah of his Prophet ﷺ. The Laws of Islamhas laid down general rules that should be taken into account pertaining to the Islamic dress code for men and women, one of which is the prohibition of wearing silk for men.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ once gifted ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) a ‘Hullah,’ a suit of two Yemeni garments (woven with red and black stripes, or red and green stripes). This one was made of pure silk or mixed with silk. He ﷺ may have sent him Hullah Siraa’, which was a Burdah (i.e., a striped cloak) that had strips of yellow or made of pure silk.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wore it and when the Prophet ﷺ saw him wearing it, he ﷺ forbade him and clarified that he ﷺhad not given it to him to wear it, but rather to avail himself of it (i.e., its price). He ﷺ underlined that the men who wear silk in the worldly life will not have any “share in the Hereafter”, as stated in the version complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reading: “Whoever wears silk in this worldly life will not wear it in the Hereafter.” This means that men who wear pure silk in the worldly life for no (Laws of Islam-approved) excuse, will be denied wearing it in the Hereafter, either by denying them access to Paradise if they had believed wearing it to be lawful, or by being admitted to Paradise, but denied wearing it therein. This places further emphasis on the prohibition of wearing silk for men. It is noteworthy that it is allowable for women to wear silk, as indicated by the authentic narrations in this regard.
Then, the Prophet ﷺ informed ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he ﷺ had sent him that garment to avail himself of it by selling it or giving it to one of his womenfolk or wives, as stated in the version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, which also included a narration stating that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the garment to a polytheist brother of his in Makkah..

2105

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, said:
I bought a cushion with images on it. When Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw it, he kept standing at the door and did not enter the house. I noticed the signs of abhorrence written all over his face, so I said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! I repent to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. (Please let me know) What sin have I committed?" Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "What about this cushion?" I replied, "I bought it for you to sit and recline on." Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The makers of these images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. It will be said to them, 'Put life in what you have created.'" The Prophet ﷺ added, "The angels do not enter a house where there are such images.".

Commentary :
Making images of animate beings is one of the serious prohibitions that must be forbidden and eliminated, and these image-makers imperil themselves to a severe punishment from Allah, Exalted is He.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she once bought a cushion, a small pillow, with images on it. It seems that she (may Allah be pleased with her) put it in a prominent place in the house. When the Prophet ﷺ saw it as he was about to enter the house, he ﷺ stopped and did not enter, as he ﷺ disliked what he saw. Seeing the signs of his disapproval, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) realized that he ﷺ disliked the new cushion. She (may Allah be pleased with her) hastened to proclaim her repentance before she even understood what sin she had committed, saying, “I repent to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. (Please let me know what sin have I committed?)” She (may Allah be pleased with her) inquired about her act and the reason why he ﷺ got angry. The Prophet ﷺ asked her about the cushion, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) replied that she had bought it for him to sit and recline on. He ﷺ informed her that the makers of such images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. The reference to images here means those featuring animate beings in particular rather than the images of inanimate objects or plants for example. On the Day of Judgment, Allah, Exalted is He, shall command such image-makers to bring back to life those animate beings in their images and statues that they had made in the worldly life, and such a command aims to mock their sinful act and expose their inability to do so. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ made mention of another punishment, namely that the angels do not enter a house where there are such images (of animate beings). The reference to the angels here means those other than the ones who record people’s deeds. It goes without saying that the recording angels are constant companions of human beings (throughout their earthly life).
This means that the house where there are images of animate beings are denied the blessings of having other angels enter it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim should not enter a place to which he is invited if there are prohibitions and what is deemed forbidden by Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ.
It is also inferred therefrom that the prohibition of image-making incorporates all images (of animate beings): three-dimensional, painted, engraved, carved, woven images, or otherwise.
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2115

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
We were accompanying the Prophet ﷺ on a journey and I was riding an unmanageable camel belonging to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), and I could not bring it under my control. So, it used to go ahead of the group and ‘Umar would check it and force it to retreat, and again it went ahead and again ‘Umar forced it to retreat. The Prophet ﷺ asked ‘Umar to sell that camel to him. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "It is for you, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!" Allah's Messenger ﷺ commanded ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to sell him that camel (not to give it as gift). So, ‘Umar sold it to Allah's Messenger ﷺ. Then the Prophet ﷺ said to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar "This camel is for you, O ‘Abdullah (as a gift) and you could do with it whatever you like.".

Commentary :
Among the distinct moral qualities of the Prophet ﷺ were his consideration and thoughtful regard for the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)and his keenness to bring joy to their hearts.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that they were once with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey, and ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) was riding an unmanageable camel that belonged to his father ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). It was unmanageable because it was young and untamed, and therefore, ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) could not control it. It used to go ahead of the group, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would check it and force it to retreat it and so on. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ asked ‘Umar to sell him that camel. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "It is for you (as a gift), O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!" However, Allah's Messenger ﷺ repeated his request, to indicate his wish to buy the camel rather than take it as a gift. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) complied and sold him the camel. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ gifted the camel to ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: "This camel is for you O ‘Abdullah (as a gift) and you can do with it whatever you like." It means, ‘You are entitled to dispose of it as you wish,’ by selling or gifting it. The Prophet ﷺ said so lest Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mistakenly assume that he must not dispose of a gift given to him by the Prophet ﷺ by sale, and it was an unmanageable camel and therefore retaining its ownership would have been inconvenient for him.
The Prophet ﷺ gifted it to ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) immediately upon buying it from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) before they left the contracting session, although it was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Both parties in a sales transaction have a right to annul it so long as they have not separated.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. To reconcile between the two hadeeths, it was said that if a seller does not object to the buyer’s disposal of the purchased commodity upon concluding the purchase before leaving the contracting session, this disentitles him to exercise his right to Khiyaar Al-Majlis (i.e., an option whereby the parties have right to unilaterally withdraw from a contract so long as the parties do not leave the session of contract). This is because his lack of objection to such a disposal serves as a tacit approval, and is held as equal to a verbal approval, as if he had said: “I hereby finalize this transaction.”
It was also said that the Prophet’s disposal of the purchased camel here indicates that the meaning of ‘separation’ or ‘leaving the contracting session,’ may mean physically leaving the contracting session or verbally finalizing the sales transaction.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to venerate the Prophet ﷺ by refraining from going ahead of him while walking or riding along with him.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that ownership is established by virtue of Hibah agreement (i.e., gift contract).
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2117

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
A person came to the Prophet ﷺ and told him that he was always cheated in sale transactions. The Prophet ﷺ told him to say at the time of the purchase, "There should be no cheating.".

Commentary :
Islam has regulated the contracts when conducting business transactions between people, to preserve their wealth and their interests and spare them potential Gharar (i.e., risk and uncertainty in transactions) and deceit that may be exercised by some people.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)said that a man told the Prophet ﷺ that he was not very good in sales transactionsand was cheated often because of his weak-mindedness. This man was named Hibbaan ibn Munqidh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), as narrated in Al-Mustadrak by Al-Haakim, or his father Munqidh, as narrated in Sunan Ibn Maahjah, and he had a serious head injury that impaired his mental abilities and speech, but his mental faculties werestill fully eligible to exercise his legal rights as per the laws of Islam. It was narrated by Aboo Daawood on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that his family had asked the Prophet ﷺ to declare him legally incompetent to conduct sales and business transactions, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade him from conducting sales, but he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I cannot refrain from conducting (my own) sales transactions!’ The Prophet ﷺ allowed him to conduct sales, but wanted to protect him from potential deception. Therefore, he ﷺ ordered him to say at the time of the purchase, "There should be no cheating”, to the other party of the business transaction, to remind him of the enjoined truthfulness, honesty, and sincerity. It means, ‘Do not cheat me; Islam forbids cheating, and it is unbecoming of a Muslim cheat others. The Prophet ﷺ established his right to annul sales after three days, as recorded in Sunan Ibn Maajah.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prohibited to cheat others in sales transactions or do whatever may harm the interests of Muslims..

2118

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "An army will invade the Ka‘bah and when the invaders reach a Baidaa’ (i.e., a desert), all the ground will sink and swallow the whole army." I said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! How will they sink into the ground while amongst them would be their marketplaces (i.e., people who worked in business) and those who had nothing to do with them?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "All of those people will sink but they will be resurrected and judged according to their intentions.".

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, assigned to Makkah and Al-Madeenah a superior status to other places and lands, and hastened the punishment for those who wish ill and seek to harm their people.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that at the end of time, a great army shall march towards Makkah with the aim of demolishing the Ka‘bah. As they reach a Baydaa’, which is an empty open land with a smooth surface, meaning a desert between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, Allah, Exalted is He, will command the ground to sink and swallow the whole army. The version complied in Saheeh Muslim reads: “… until there is no one left of them except a fugitive who will tell of what happened to them.” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wondered how such a punishment would be afflicted on all people in Makkah, while there shall be people who would have nothing to do with those invaders and would be trading in their marketplaces but happened to be there at the time when such punishment befell. Such people would have no intention to invade Makkah nor demolish the Ka‘bah. She (may Allah be pleased with her) could not understand how the punishment should befall those who would not be involved in such fighting, and the Prophet ﷺ clarified to her that the earth will swallow them all, and then Allah, Exalted is He, shall resurrect them on the Day of Judgment, and each will be held accountable according to his intention. If they intended good, they will reap the fruits of such good intentions, otherwise they shall face the consequences of their actions.
The hadeeth highlights the importance of the intention and its impact on (the fate of) a servant of Allah.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that Allah, Exalted is He, protects the Sacred House.
It is also inferred therefrom that whoever joins a people, shall be subjected to the same Laws of Islam rulings that apply to them as far as the outward worldly punishments are concerned.
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2119

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "A congregational prayer performed by anyone amongst you is more than twenty (five or twenty-seven) times in reward than his prayer (performed individually) in the marketplace or in his house, for if he performs ablution perfectly and then goes to the mosque with the sole intention of performing the prayer, and nothing urges him to go to the mosque except the prayer, then, on every step which he takes towards the mosque, he will be raised one degree or one of his sins will be forgiven. The angels will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness and blessings for every one of you so long as he keeps sitting at his praying place. The angels will say, 'O Allah, bless him! O Allah, be merciful to him,' as long as he does not do Hadath (i.e., state of ritual impurity, invalidating his ablution by passing urine, stool, or wind) or gives trouble to others." The Prophet ﷺ further said, "One is regarded in prayer so long as one is waiting for it.".

Commentary : The congregational prayer is one of the best acts of worship by which a servant of Allah draws closer to his Lord, who multiplies its reward many times.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us of the virtue of congregational prayer, and that it is better and more rewardable than praying individually at work or home, by twenty-few times. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is (Bidh‘) which means a number between three to nine. The version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “… twenty-seven times,” and another version reads: “… two and fifty times.” The difference in the numbers used in these narrations is due to the different situations of the worshippers; some may be awarded twenty-five times the reward and others would be awarded twenty-seven times, according to the perfection of their prayers, observing its acts and obligations, adhering to Khushoo‘ (i.e., state of the heart when it stands before its Lord in full submission, humbleness, and absolute concentration), the number of the worshippers in the congregational prayer, their virtues, and the sacredness of the place where the prayer is being performed. Then the Prophet ﷺ explained the reason for the superiority of the congregational prayer, as he ﷺ said: “… for if he performs ablution perfectly and then goes to the mosque with the sole intention of performing the prayer, and nothing urges him to go to the mosque except the prayer,” and this serves as an emphasis on his sole intention to go to the mosque to perform the prayer and not for any other purpose. Whoever does so, will earn the designated reward: “… on every step which he takes towards the mosque,” Allah, Exalted is He, will raise him “one degree or one of his sins will be forgiven,” by Allah, Exalted is He.
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ stated that the angels shall continue to seek Allah’s forgiveness for him and supplicate in his favor during his stay in the place where he performs the prayer at the mosque, meaning, as long as he stays in the mosque waiting for the prayer. The angels shall say: “O Allah, bless him! O Allah, be merciful to him.’ The meaning of the Arabic word ‘Salaah’ with respect to Allah, Exalted is He, is to praise His servant in the assembly of the angels, and it has also been said that it means to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on His servant, or that it means both. The angels continue to do so, “as long as he does not do Hadath,” meaning as long as he does not invalidate his ablution and becomes in a state of ritual impurity, and it was also said to mean as long as he does not commit a sin such as gossip or backbiting, “or give trouble to others,” meaningas long as he does not do what harms other people or angels.
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ underlined that a worshiper continues to receive the reward of prayer as long as he is in his mosque waiting for the prayer.
The hadeeth highlights the great virtues and merits of congregational prayer and its abundant reward.
It also underlines the virtues and merits of ablution at home before going to the mosque..

2122

Aboo Hurayrah Al-Dawasee (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Once the Prophet ﷺ went out during the day. Neither of us talked to the other till he ﷺ reached the marketplace of Banee Qaynuqaa‘ and then he ﷺ sat in the courtyard of Faatimah's house and asked about the small boy (i.e., his grandson Al-Hasan), but Faatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) kept the boy in for a while. I thought she was either putting a necklace on him or giving him a bath. After a while the boy came out running and the Prophet ﷺ embraced and kissed him and then said, 'O Allah! Love him, and love whoever loves him.'.

Commentary :
It is incumbent on every Muslim to show love, affection, reverence, and respect for the family of the Prophet ﷺ.
This hadeeth highlights the virtues of the Prophet’s grandson, Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them), as narrated by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he once went with the Prophet ﷺ sometime during the day, and they did not speak during their walk, perhaps because the Prophet ﷺ was thinking about something regarding the divine revelation or otherwise, and Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not speak out of respect for the Prophet ﷺ. This was the practice of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them); they used to leave the Prophet ﷺ unbothered whenever they found himpreoccupied.
When the Prophet ﷺreached the marketplace of Banee Qaynuqaa‘, i.e., a Jewish tribe in Al-Madeenah that inhabited it prior to the Prophet’s migration and built a marketplace inside their fortress named after them. Then he ﷺ left, as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and went to the courtyard of his daughter Faatimah's house and sat there.
He ﷺ then called upon them saying, “Is the little chap (i.e., Al-Hasan) there? Is the little one here?” (i.e., Is there anyone home?) The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Luka‘, and one of its meanings is a very young child, referring to Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him).
Afterward, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that Faatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) kept his grandson Al-Hasan in for a while. He (may Allah be pleased with him) thought that she was either putting a necklace on him or giving him a bath. The Arabic word for necklace that was used in the hadeeth is Sikhaab, which was a necklace made of cloves, musk, oud and the like of pleasant perfumes, made in the shape of a rosary necklace for young boys and servants, or it was a string of beads called Sikhaabaa because it produced a sound when its beads moved, and the name Sikhaab linguistically denotes mixed sounds.
After a while the boy came out running, upon hearing the Prophet ﷺcalling for him. The Prophet ﷺaffectionately embraced and kissed him, mirroring the mutual love between him and his grandchildren. He ﷺ then supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, in his favor saying, 'O Allah! Love him, and love whoever loves him.' This means that the reward for loving the Prophet’s family will be earning the love of Allah, Exalted is He.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that young boys should be cleaned and dressed properly, especially when meeting adults.
The hadeeth also urges adults to play with young children and treat them kindly to foster mutual love and affection.
The hadeeth also underlines the virtues and merits of Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him).
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2123

Naafi‘ narrated: Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told us that people used to buy foodstuff from the trading caravans during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, and he used to forbid them to resell the purchased goods at the very place where they had purchased them (but they were rather required to wait) till they carried the purchased goods to the marketplace where foodstuff was customarily sold. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'The Prophet ﷺ also forbade the reselling of foodstuff by somebody who had just bought it unless he had received it with exact full measure.'.

Commentary :
The Laws of Islam regulates people’s dealings and interactions when conducting sales and business transactions. It has laid down rules and principles clarifying the essential matters to avoid disputes among people and help them conduct lawful and smooth business transactions that are free of disputes and Laws of Islam violations.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) related that they used to buy foodstuff from the trading caravans, meaning the traveling traders who used to carry and sell their goods in different towns, during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ used to send someone to forbid them from reselling the purchased foodstuff in the place where they had bought them from the trading caravans until they had carriedit first to the marketplace where people customarily bought foodstuff. This is because Taqaabudh (i.e., immediate and reciprocal exchange and taking possession of the purchased commodity and its monetary equivalent by the buyer and seller respectively in the contracting session) is a condition for the validity of the sale, and this condition is met by carrying the purchased goods to the marketplace.
Another version of the hadeeth reads: “The Prophet ﷺ forbade reselling the purchased foodstuff except after taking possession of it first,” meaning, they must not dispose of the purchased foodstuff by means of sale except after taking it into their possession, and then they may resell it as they wish.
The Prophet ﷺ explained the reason behind the prohibition of reselling the purchased foodstuff from the trading caravans before taking possession of it, as being more convenient and beneficial for people. Therefore, it was reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that it was prohibited to go out to meet the trading caravans before they arrived at the marketplaces, because this involves harming others. Therefore, he ﷺ commanded the buyers to transfer the purchased foodstuff to the marketplaces (before reselling their purchased goods) to avoid inconvenience for other traders, and to protect them from selling their goods before knowing their values and prices at the marketplaces.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness to preserve the worldly interests of people.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is prohibited to use any method of sale and purchase that may lead to monopolies and price spikes..

2125

‘Ataa’ ibn Yasaar narrated:
I met ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them) and asked him, "Tell me about the description of the Prophet ﷺ that was mentioned in Torah (i.e., Old Testament.") He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, 'Yes. By Allah, he ﷺ was described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Quran as follows: (Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner,} [Quran 33:45] and a protection for the unlettered. You are My servant and Messenger. I have called you Al-Mutawakkil" (i.e., the one who duly relies upon Allah). You are neither discourteous, harsh, nor noisemaker in the marketplaces. You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you rather deal with them with forgiveness and kindness. Allah, Exalted is He, will not cause him to die until He has made the crooked community straight so that they should proclaim, "None is worthy of worship save Allah,” and by it they will open blind eyes, deaf ears, and enveloped hearts.'".

Commentary :
The name and description of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were mentioned in the heavenly books revealed to the previous nations, the Torah and the Gospel.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Ataa’ ibn Yasaar stated that he met ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them) and asked him about the description of the Prophet ﷺ in the Torah, because ‘Abdullah was quite familiar with it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that the Prophet ﷺ was described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Quran. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner,} [Quran 33:45] meaning as a witness for your believing nation, testifying to their belief in you, your prophethood, and the implications of the divine message with which you were sent, and a witness for the disbelievers as well, testifying to their disbelief. It could also mean a witness for the previous Messengers of Allah, testifying that they had communicated the divine message to their people. Another quality was ‘a bearer of glad tidings,’ meaning that he ﷺdelivered good news to the believers, and ‘a warner’ for the disbelievers, communicating to them the warnings of a feared fate, urging them to avoid it and take proper precautions. It could also mean that the Prophet ﷺ was a bearer of glad tidings for the believers that they shall enter Paradise, and a warner for the disbelievers that they shall be thrown into Hellfire. He ﷺ was also described as ‘a protection for the unlettered,’ meaning Arabs. They shielded themselves with him against Satan or the dominion and power of non-Arabs. It is noteworthy that Arabs were described as ‘unlettered’ because most of them did not read or write. The description goes on, “You are My servant and Messenger. I have called you Al-Mutawakkil,” because he ﷺ duly relied on Allah, Exalted is He, and was content with his little share of worldly Rizq (i.e., provision), aspired to none but Allah for victory, adhered to patience while waiting for His relief, embodied noble morals, and fully trusted the promise of Allah, Exalted is He. He ﷺ was “neither discourteous,” meaning ill-mannered and rude, “harsh,” meaning coldhearted, “nor noisemaker in the marketplaces,” meaning that he ﷺ did not raise his voice in the marketplace as indicative of having a bad moral character, and he ﷺdid not shout at others. Rather, he ﷺ was lenient and kind towards people. The description goes on, “You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you rather deal with them with forgiveness and kindness,” unless the ordinances of Allah are violated. Allah, Exalted is He, will not cause him to die until He has made the crooked community straight”, the crooked community here is a reference to the disbelievers, and making them straight means guiding them to Islam. It was also said that the hadeeth refers to the divine religion revealed to Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and people who lived during the Fatrah (i.e., a period of time when no Messenger was sent to people), who went astray and therefore either added or omitted parts of the religion, and then Islam was revealed to put things in order and lead people back to the straight path by proclaiming that "None is worthy of worship save Allah.” It can be fairly said that the advent of Islam marks the divine command to such people to give up Shirk (i.e., polytheism) and usher people back to Tawheed (i.e., Islamic monotheism). By means of Islam, Allah, Exalted is He, “will open blind eyes,” to see the truth, “deaf ears,” to hear the call to goodness, “and enveloped hearts,” that have been veiled by the darkness of Shirk. The Prophet ﷺ was a reason for people’s guidance to Islam and edifying them on the religion of Allah, Exalted is He.
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2127

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam died owing debts to others. I asked the Prophet ﷺ to intercede with his creditors for some reduction of the debts (i.e., to be able to afford repayment). The Prophet ﷺasked them (to reduce the debts) but they refused. The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "Go and put your dates (in heaps) according to their different kinds. The ‘Ajwah dates on one side, the cluster of Ibn Zayd on another side, etc., and then call me." I did that and called the Prophet ﷺ came and sat at the head or in the middle of the heaps and ordered me to measure (the dates) for the people (i.e., creditors). I measured for them till I repaid all the debts. My dates remained as they were; as if nothing had been taken from them!
Another narration reads, "He (i.e., ‘Abdullah) continued measuring for them till he repaid all the debts." The Prophet ﷺ said (to ‘Abdullah), "Cut (clusters) for him (i.e., one of the creditors) and measure for him fully.".

Commentary :
A Muslim is a brother of his fellow Muslim, and it is becoming of a Muslim to strive to fulfill the needs of his Muslim brothers, especially those who explicitly ask for his help. He should (hasten to their help and) stand by them until their need is fulfilled.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that his father, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away owing a debt to someone. He (may Allah be pleased with him) had been martyred during the Battle of Uhud. He asked the Prophet ﷺ to help him convince the creditors to reduce their debts so that he would be able to repay them. The Prophet ﷺ interceded for him with the creditors, who were Jews, but they refused. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to go back to his orchard and arrange his dates in heaps according to their different kinds. The ‘Ajwah dates, which were the finest kind of dates in Al-Madeenah, on one side, the cluster of Ibn Zayd, which were low-quality dates, on another side, and so on. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) did as he ﷺ commanded and then notified him. The Prophet ﷺ came and sat at the head or in the middle of the heaps and ordered Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to measure the dates for the creditors to repay his late father’s debts. He ﷺ said: "Cut for him,” meaning ‘cut the clusters of dates for one of the creditors, “and measure for him fully,” meaning to repay the debt in full. He (may Allah be pleased with him) measured for them till he repaid all the debts, and his dates remained as they were; as if nothing had been taken from them, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ.
The hadeeth highlights a miracle exercised by the Prophet ﷺ and a sign indicating his prophethood.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to seek debt relief or remittance ofpart of it, if the debtor is unable to repay it in full; but the creditor has the choice either to accept or refuse such request..

2128

Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma‘dee Karib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Measure your foodstuff and you will be blessed.".

Commentary :
The divine blessing is one of the bounties bestowed by Allah, Exalted is He, to increase what is little, preserve it, and prevent its loss. The Prophet ﷺ guided us to a number of means to receive the blessing of Allah, Exalted is He.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined one of such means, namely, the use of measures for foodstuff, including: wheat, barley, dates, raisins, and others, when buying or selling, or when paying their due Zakaah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “…you will be blessed,” meaning that Allah, Exalted is He, will enable you to better avail yourselves of its blessing, good, and great benefits, and both the sellers and buyers get to taste such benefits. It is also possible that the hadeeth refers to what a person spends on his dependents, and thus it would mean, “When you allocate foodstuff for your family and dependents, use measures to estimatethe exact amount that would suffice you for a specified period of time.” They did not use measures and therefore would eat to excess.
It is noteworthy that this hadeeth does not contradict the one narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reading: “…I hada small quantity of barley I had on a shelf and from which I kept eating for a long time. Then when I measured what was left of it, it soon finished.” To reconcile between the two hadeeths, scholars underlined that it is recommended to use measures when conducting sales transactions because it preserves the rights of the contracting parties. However, it is disliked to use measures for foodstuff given in charity, because it is motivated by miserliness.
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2129

‘Abdullah ibn Zayd narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Prophet Ibraaheem declared Makkah a (sacred) sanctuary, and asked for Allah's blessing to be bestowed upon it. Likewise, I declared Al-Madeenah a (sacred) sanctuary as Ibraaheem declared Makkah a (sacred) sanctuary and I asked for Allah's Blessing to be bestowed upon its measures the Mudd and the Saa‘ as Ibraaheem did for Makkah.”.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, assigned to Makkah and Al-Madeenah a superior status to other places and lands.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that Prophet Ibraaheem declared Makkah a sanctuary and supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, in its favor, as stated in the ayah that reads (what means): {And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day."} [Quran 2:126]. Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ declared Al-Madeenah a sanctuary, as Prophet Ibraaheem declared Makkah one, and he ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to bless its measures as Prophet Ibraaheem supplicated Him to bless Makkah.
The Saa‘ and Mudd were dry measures used for agricultural produce by the Arabs, and their exact measures differed according to the different towns and lands where they were used. The Saa‘ was the larger measure, and it equals four Mudds.
The sacredness of Al-Madeenah is manifested in the fact that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable (as per the laws of Islam). No animal may be hunted, and no tree may not be cut down, except those planted by people; it is permissible to cut down and eat from such trees only. Moreover, no religious innovation, offence, act of injustice, or violation of the Laws of Islam warranting the application of Hadd (i.e., a corporal punishment prescribed by the Laws of Islam for certain crimes) may be committed therein. The Prophet ﷺ underlined that in his statement after the conquest of Makkah, narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), and recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, reading: “Makkah was declared sacred by Allah, Exalted is He, the day He created the heavens and the Earth. Fighting therein was not permitted for any one before me or after me, rather it was permitted for me for a short part of a day. At this moment it is a sanctuary that is sacred by the decree of Allah until the Day of Resurrection. Its green grass may not be uprooted or cut, its trees may not be cut down, and its animals may not be chased (or hunted)… . It is not permissible to pick up its lost property (Luqtah) except by one who will announce it publicly (i.e., toreturn it to the owner).”
Furthermore, it was recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from such-and-such place to such-and-such place. Its trees may not be cut down and no religious innovation nor sin may be committed therein, and whoever introduces a religious innovation or commits sins (and evil deeds) therein, will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people.”
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2134

It was narrated on the authority of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "A barter of gold for gold is Ribaa (i.e., interest), except if they are exchanged hand to hand (i.e., on the spot) and are equal in amount, and wheat grain for wheat grain is Ribaa except if they are exchanged hand to hand and are equal in amount, and dates for dates is Ribaa except if they are exchanged hand to hand and are equal in amount, and barley for barley is Ribaa except if they are exchanged hand to hand and are equal in amount.".

Commentary :
Dealing with Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) is one of the major sins, and Allah, Exalted is He, threatened those who deal with it of a war [against them] from Him and His Messenger ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺclarified the rules and principles governing business transactions in Islam, and underlined the different forms of Ribaa so that the Muslims should not fall into it, and he ﷺ also clarified the different forms of lawful sale transactions.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explained how barters of two similar commodities should be conducted. He ﷺ said: “A barter of gold for gold is Ribaa, except if they are exchanged hand to hand (i.e., on the spot) and are equal in amount,” and the meaning is that the two commodities must be exchanged hand to hand before leaving the contracting session. Selling gold for gold is an unlawful transaction that involves Ribaa in all cases, except when the two commodities are exchanged on the spot, fulfilling the Taqaabudh requirement (i.e., immediate exchange and reciprocal taking possession of the purchased commodity and its monetary equivalent by the buyer and seller respectively in the contracting session). The reference to the Taqaabudh requirement in the hadeeth was given by the words ‘exchanged hand to hand.’ Likewise, the ruling applies to wheat and barley. If the seller and buyer want to conclude such transactions, the commodities must be exchanged hand to hand on the spot, before leaving the contracting session.
A second requirement for the validity of a barter of similar commodities is that the exchanged commodities must be of equal amounts.
It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudhri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, stating the requirement of being of the same amount: “Do not sell gold for gold or silver for silver unless both are of equal weight.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
The version recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “Gold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt, like by like, provided that payments are made hand to hand (i.e., immediate exchange on the spot). He who made an excess, or asked for an excess, in fact dealt with Ribaa. The receiver and the giver are equally guilty.”
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2135

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the selling of foodstuff before receiving it (i.e., taking possession of it). I believe that all sale transactions should be done in the same way..

2136

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "A buyer of foodstuff may not resell it before it has been measured for him." Ismsa‘eel narrated instead, "He may not resell it before receiving it.".

382

Anas ibn Malek narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to attack (enemies) when it was dawn. He used to wait for the prayer call. If he heard the prayer call, he stopped, otherwise he attacked. One day, he heard a man saying, 'Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,' so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, '(He is) following the human instinct.' Then, he heard him saying, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'You came out of Hell.' When they looked (at him), they found him a goat herd.".

Commentary : Allah, out of His wisdom, legislated that people call for the five daily prayers at their times. It is one of the apparent Islamic rites that indicates that the people who live in this place are Muslims and perform prayer, an Islamic pillar. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malek narrated that the Prophet ﷺ did not invade his enemies except after it was dawn. He used to defer invading them till the time of dawn prayer’s call. If he heard it, he would stop, for it was a sign that they were Muslims or had a reconciliation with him to let Muslims of that village perform rites of Islam. If he did not hear it, it would be a sign that they were disbelievers so he decided to invade them. One time, when reaching a village to invade it, he heard a man saying the prayer’s call, “Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “(He is) following the human instinct.” Islam is the human instinct and the straight religion on which all babies are born. Then, the caller said twice, “I testify that there is no god but Allah.” He proved Allah’s oneness and negated all types of polytheism that Allah did not deserve. Allah's oneness is the core of Islam that comes over all of its rites. It means that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah. The Prophet ﷺ commented, “You came out of Hell.” i.e. due to this statement of monotheism. When the companions looked at the man, they found him a goat herd that called for prayer in the desert when its time began. It was narrated in Sahih Bukhari that Abu Saeed Al-Khudry said to Abdullah ibn Abderrahman ibn Abi Sa’sa’ah, “I see you are fond of sheep and the desert, so when you want to say the prayer call, raise your voice, for whoever hears the range of the caller’s voice, a human, a Jinn, or anything else, will bear witness to him on the Day of Resurrection.” This hadith shows the legitimacy of saying the prayer call by a person who prays alone..

384

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas narrated that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, “When you hear the caller to prayer, repeat what he is saying, then ask Allah to exalt my mention, for whoever asks Allah to exalt my mention Allah will exalt his mention tenfold. Then, ask Allah to give me the wasila, which is a rank in Paradise that only one of Allah's servants will attain. I hope I will be that one. If anyone asks (Allah to grant me) the Wasila, he will be assured of my intercession.”.

Commentary : This hadith shows the virtue of exalting the Prophet's mention after the call to prayer. He urged us to repeat what the caller said, except his saying, "Come to prayer, come to success," the listener said, “There is no power nor strength except in Allah," as in Sahih Muslim. Afterward, the Prophet (ﷺ) showed that whoever exalted his mention Allah would praise him with his angels tenfold. He urged us to ask Allah to grant him the prestige of Wasilah, which was a status in Paradise that only one would attain. The Prophet (ﷺ) hoped he would attain this prestige. As a result, it is recommended to say, as in Bukhari, after the call for prayer, "O Allah, God of this perfect call and established prayer. Grant Muhammad (ﷺ) the intercession and favor, and raise him to the honored station You have promised him." Whoever asks Allah, after every call for prayer, to grant this status to the Prophet (ﷺ) will be assured of his intercession. His intercession will be for: (1) Sinful Muslims to enter Paradise without accountability, (2) Raising some People's status in Paradise, and (3) Getting some Muslims out of Hell after they deserve it..

385

Omar ibn Al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When the caller to prayer says, 'Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,’ and one of you responds, 'Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,’ then the caller says, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah,’ and one of you responds, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah,’ then the caller says, 'I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ and one of you responds, 'I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ then the caller says, 'Come to prayer,' one of you responds, 'There is neither might nor power except with Allah,' then the caller says, 'Come to salvation,' and one of you responds, 'There is neither might nor power except with Allah,’ then the caller says, 'Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,' and one of you responds, 'Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,' then the caller says, 'There is no god but Allah,' and one of you heartedly responds, 'There is no god but Allah,' he will enter Paradise.'".

Commentary : The aim of azan (call to prayer) is to inform people about its exact time. The call words are comprehensive for the Islamic doctrine of faith. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) commands Muslims to repeat what the caller is saying. Despite its being short, the sentence, “Allah is the greatest" refers to His perfection and negates any meaning that may contradict so. It may mean that He 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. After these two sentences, the listener should say, “There is neither might nor power except with Allah.” It is as if a Muslim confirmed his weakness that he had no help with prayer or success except through Allah's support. In the end, the Prophet (ﷺ) confirms that whoever repeats, with his tongue and heart, what the call says will enter Paradise, for repeating these words confirms the oneness of Allah along with glorifying, obeying, surrendering, praising, trusting, and seeking His help. Finally, this hadith urges Muslims to sincerity and encourages them to repeat the words of the call to prayer..

386

Saad ibn Abi Waqqas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If anyone says when hearing the caller to prayer, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah alone Who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, Muhammad as a Messenger, and Islam as a religion, his sins will be forgiven.'" In another narration, "And I testify ...".

Commentary : Allah preferred some times to others and made supplications on them subject to be responded by Him. In addition, he determined specific supplications for specific times such as those said by a Muslim after the prayer call. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that if a Muslim says after a prayer call, "I testify that there is no god but Allah alone Who has no partner," which means I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah alone, with no partner in his kingdom or worship. He added, “and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger," in which he was described as a servant, for he reached the ultimate level of humility and submission to Allah and was the most pious of all creation, so none has ever reached his level of humility and submission to his Lord but him. Moreover, he was linguistically added to His Lord in the same context out of honor. Also, he added, “I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord," which means I am satisfied with His lordship and decrees. He added, “and Muhammad as a Messenger," which means to believe in all laws with which he was sent. Also, he said, “and Islam as a religion," which means all of its rules, commands, and prohibitions. Finally, he concluded, “… his sins will be forgiven," which means that his minor sins will be forgiven. In Sahih Ibn Khuzeima and Sahih ibn Hibban, he said, “All of his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

387

Mu'aweya ibn Abu Sufian said that he heard the Prophet ﷺ said, "The callers to prayer will have the longest necks of all people on the Day of Resurrection.".

Commentary : Calling to prayer is a venerable Islamic rite for which Allah honored and favored the callers to it with great rewards, which the issue that made the Companions look forward to this favor. In this hadith, the Prophet clarified the virtues of the callers that they would have the longest necks of all people on the Day of Resurrection. This means one of the following meanings: (1) They will be the most yearning people for Allah's mercy, for the one yearning for something is trying to lengthen his neck toward what he is looking forward to, (2) When people are covered with their sweat on the Day of Resurrection, the callers’ necks will lengthen to avoid this distress, or (3) They are the leaders of all people, for the Arabs used to describe gentlemen with long necks. Finally, this hadith shows the virtues of the callers to prayer over all people on the Day of Resurrection..

388

Jaber narrated, "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "When the devil hears the call to prayer, he goes away till he gets Ar-Rauha’.” Suleiman said, "I asked him about Ar-Rauha' so he answered, "It is thirty-six miles from Medina.".

Commentary : Satan's goal is to seduce people and turn them away from Allah's path and monotheism. As a result, it is so difficult for him to hear the call to prayer, for it includes calling for monotheism and declaring the slogan of Islam. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) confirms that when the call to prayer is announced, Satan goes far away to a distant place called, "Ar-Rauha'" which is a valley about 80 kilometers from Medina and about 25 kilometers in length between Medina and Mecca. This means Satan goes far away from the praying person as the distance between Medina and Ar-Rawha’. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to rest there during traveling to perform pilgrimage or umrah and returning from a battle. This hadith confirms that Satan moves far away from the place where the call to prayer is delivered as shown in another narration of this hadith in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When the call to prayer is finished, he comes back, and when the Iqama is delivered, he goes far away again, and when the Iqama is finished, he comes back again." Finally, this hadith shows the virtue and effects of the call to prayer on escaping Satan and keeping his whisperings away from the praying person..

395

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If anyone performs a prayer in which he does not recite Umm Al-Quran (Al-Fatihah), it is deficient [thrice] and incomplete." Someone asked Abu Hurairah, "What if we pray behind an imam?" He said, "Recite it in a quiet voice, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "Allah, the Most-High, said, "I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant and My servant will receive what he asks. When the servant recites, "All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds," Allah, the Most-High, says, "My servant has praised Me." When he recites, "The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," Allah, the Most-High, says, "My servant has lauded Me." When he recites, "Master of the Day of Judgment," Allah says, "My servant has glorified Me" or "My servant entrusted (his affairs) to Me." When he recites, "You alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help," Allah says, "This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks." When he recites, "Guide us to the Straight path. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray," Allah says, "This is for my servant and he will receive what he asks.".

Commentary : Prayer is worship that can be only learned from the Islamic texts. Thus, the Prophet (ﷺ) verbally and practically taught Muslims its pillars and rules. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone performs a prayer in which he does not recite Umm Al-Quran (Al-Fatihah), it is deficient [thrice] and incomplete." He repeated it thrice as a confirmation of its importance. Reciting Surat Al-Fatihah is for the imam and a Muslim who prays alone is one of the pillars of prayer. Someone asked Abu Hurairah about what they should recite behind an imam, so he answered that they have to recite it in a quiet voice, for this Prophetic hadith. Allah called Surat Al-Fatihah prayer, for it is one of its obligatory prerequisites. Allah mentioned that the prayer becomes two halves, for its first half is to praise Allah while the other is to supplicate Him who responds to his servant. It is likely that Allah told this conversation to his angels. His saying, "My servant has praised me" confirms that Allah accepted the servant's praise. His saying, "My servant has lauded me" means that the servant acknowledges Allah's grants to his creatures. His saying, "My servant has glorified me" refers that glory is the supreme honor which is better than just praising. His saying, "This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks" after his saying, "You alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help," shows that the first half is to acknowledge Allah's divinity while worshipping him but the other half is to ask Allah for help. His saying, "Guide us to the Straight path. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray," and his answer, "This is for my servant and he will receive what he asks" refers to a deep supplication from the servant and a response from Allah. The most likely opinion is that it is not obligatory for a person in a loud congregational prayer to recite Al-Fatihah, so he has to listen to his imam's recitation after Al-Fatihah, for Allah's saying, "So, when the Qur’ān is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy." (Al-A’raf: 204). In Sunan An-Nasa'i, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said, "The imam is appointed only to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say it also and when he recites, listen silently.” Finally, this hadith proves Allah's attribute of speech in the manner that befits Him, Glory be to Him..

398

Imran ibn Husain narrated that while the Prophet ﷺ was praying Zuhr prayer, a person recited, "Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most-High." behind him. When he concluded the prayer, he said, "Who amongst you were reciting or who amongst you was the reciter?" A person said, "It was me." The Prophet replied, "I thought as if someone amongst you was disputing with me (in what I was reciting).".

Commentary : Prayer is worship that can be only learned from the Islamic texts. Thus, the Prophet (ﷺ) verbally and practically taught Muslims its pillars and rules. In this hadith, Imran ibn Husein narrated that when the prophet (ﷺ) once led Muslims in Dhuhr prayer and a man behind was loudly reciting Surat Al-A'la, the Prophet (ﷺ) declined his way and asked, after finishing his prayer, about who was reciting behind. A man answered, "It was me." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "I thought as if someone amongst you was disputing with me (in what I was reciting)." He was confused by this man’s recitation, so he denounced his loud recitation, not his absolute recitation. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) A Muslim can recite a Quranic sura after Surat Al-Fatihah in silent prayers, and (2) It warns a praying Muslim against reciting the Quran loudly behind his imam in silent and audible prayers..

399

Abda narrated that Umar ibn Al-Khattab used to loudly say these words, "Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabaraka esmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuka" (Glory be to You, O Allah and Yours is the praise! Blessed is Your Name! Exalted is Your Majesty! No god but You).

Commentary : Prayer is the most important Islamic pillar. It should be completely and perfectly performed as Allah commanded. The Prophet's Companions were keen to learn and teach people its rules. In this hadith, Omar used to loudly say the opening supplication in prayer to instruct people behind. The supplication "Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi hamdika" means that we glorify Allah while praising Him. Some scholars said that glorifying Allah came before praising Him, for glorifying is to exalt Him above all deficiencies while praising is to commend Him for his perfect attributes. As a rule, praising someone for his noble attributes should be preceded by making sure to avoid falsely describing him with unrealistic attributes. The supplication "tabaraka esmuka" means that blessed is Your Name. The supplication "ta'ala jadduka" means exalted is Your Majesty. In the Four Books of Sunan, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said the same supplication, but without saying them loudly. Omar may have loudly said it to instruct people behind, as narrated in Abderrazzaaq's Musannaf (hadith collection) that "Omar used to teach people that after a Muslim begins praying, he should say, ‘Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabaraka esmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuka.’” (Glory be to You, O Allah and Yours is the praise! Blessed is Your Name! Exalted is Your Majesty! No god but You).

399

Anas narrated, "I performed prayer behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, but never heard any one of them reciting, ‘Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim’ (loudly).".

Commentary : Prayer is worship that can be only learned from the Islamic texts so the Prophet's companions in detail learned it from the Prophet (ﷺ) then transmitted it to the nation just as they performed it with him. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik confirmed that he prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, Omar, and Uthman, but never heard anyone of them reciting, "Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim" (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) whether before Surat Al-Fatihah or the surahs afterward. This may refer that they recited it quietly so none of the praying ones behind could hear it. It may also refer that they did not recite it but directly started reciting Surat Al-Fatihah. The preferred opinion is that a Muslim should secretly recite it before Surat Al-Fatihah and every sura afterward. In another narration in Sahih Muslim, Anas ibn Malek narrated, "They used to begin with 'All praise is due to Allah' and did not recite, 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' neither before the first recitation nor the second one.” It was narrated that some Companions thought that loudly reciting "Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim" was better, including Abu Hurairah, Ibn Omar, Ibn Abbas, and Ibn Al-Zubayr..

400

Anas ibn Malek narrated, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dozed for a short while (in a narration, “in the mosque”) and raised his head smiling. We said, 'What made you laugh O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?’ He said, ‘A surah has just been revealed to me.’ He then recited, ‘In the name of Allah, the Most merciful, the Entirely Merciful. Verily, We have granted you Al‑Kauthar. Therefore, turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only). For he who hates you, he will be cut off.’ (Al-Kawthar: 1-3) Then he asked, ‘Do you know what al-Kawthar is?’ We replied, ‘Allah and His Prophet (ﷺ) know it better.’ He said, ‘It is a river that my God promised me (in a narration, ‘in Paradise’) with lots of goodness upon it. There will be a pool that my nation will come to on the Day of Resurrection. Their vessels are as numerous as stars. A servant will be taken from them. Thereupon, I will say, ‘My God, he is from my nation.’ He said, ‘You do not know what heresies it (in a narration, ‘he’) innovated after you.’”.

Commentary : Al-Kawthar is a river in Paradise that Allah granted to his Prophet (ﷺ), out of honoring him and his nation. It is connected to the basin from which the believers will drink water on the Day of Resurrection and never be thirsty afterward. It is called Al-Kawthar for its abundant water and vessels and a great blessing and goodness. In the hadith, Anas ibn Malek narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) dozed for a short while among them in the mosque, which was his state while receiving revelation. When he raised his head smiling, his Companions asked him about the reason. He clarified that Surat Al-Kawthar had just been revealed to him. The surah means: We gave you, O Messenger, a lot of goodness, including Al-Kawthar which is a river in Paradise. So give thanks to God for this blessing by praying and slaughtering to him alone. The one who hates you is the one who is cut off from all goodness, the forgotten one, and who, if mentioned, is mentioned with evil. While the Prophet and the faithful are drinking from it, a man will be expelled and taken away. At that moment, the Prophet will ask Allah to bring him back but he will be answered that he does not know the heresies his nation invented after his death. They disobeyed Allah's orders and committed forbidden acts. May Allah grant us steadfastness in Islam and Prophetic tradition! These mentioned people may: (1) Have left Islam so they deserved the Prophet's renunciation, (2) Have committed major sins or dangerous heresies. He may turn away from them and decide not to intercede for them in fulfilling Allah's command, so they will be punished for their crimes. He may later intercede for them as he will do regarding the believing people who committed major sins and will be later brought out of Hell. This is a severe threat to everyone who introduces something into Islam that he may be expelled from the Prophet's basin. Some of these groups are those opposing Muslim nation like Kharijites, the Shiites, people of forbidden desires, and the oppressors trying to conceal the truth and publically commit major sins. All should be afraid to be included in this hadith. Finally, this hadith confirms the permissibility to sleep in mosques and a Muslim's sleeping in the presence of his friends..

401

Wa'el ibn Hujr narrated that he saw the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands, beginning the prayer, then saying takbir. Then, the Prophet ﷺ wrapped his garment with his hands and placed his right hand over his left one. When he wanted to bow, he got his hands out of his garment, lifted them, said takbir, then bowed. Afterward, when he said (after standing), "Allah hears whoever praises Him," he lifted his hands. When he prostrated, he put his head between his two palms..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that can be only learned from the Islamic texts so the Prophet's companions in detail learned and transmitted it to the nation just as they performed it with him. In this hadith, the Prophet's companion, Wa'el ibn Hujr, described the Prophet's prayer as he saw. The Prophet (ﷺ) his praying by pronouncing the first takbeer while raising his hands next to his ears. Afterward, he wrapped his garment and covered his chest and hands, due to the extreme coldness or so. He placed his right palm on his left one, for it is closer to submissiveness behind Allah. Afterward, he lifted his hands, said takbeer, and bowed. When he stood, he said, "Allah hears whoever praises Him." It is a supplication that means, "O Allah! Answer the supplication of who praises You." It has two possibilities. Either it is a supplication from an imam for those praying behind him or it is to express Allah's grace. As for those praying behind an imam, they either answer him by saying, "O Lord! For you is the all praise," as in the hadith narrated by Anas in the Two Sahihs or they say the two sentences as the solitary praying one. When the Prophet wanted to prostrate, he put his head between his two palms. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) Prayer is not invalid due to simple moves such as moving garments, and (2) It explains some hand's moves during prayer..

403

Ibn Abbas narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us at-Tashahhud just as he used to teach us a chapter of the Quran. He used to say, 'All blessed services and good prayers are due to Allah. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah are upon you, O Prophet ﷺ. Peace be upon us and upon the upright servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger.’ In another narration, Ibn Abbas said, “... just as he used to teach us the Quran.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam, so the Prophet ﷺ taught us the way to perform it and its supplications, including the words of at-tashahhud. In this hadith, Abdullah bin Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ was keen to teach and encouraged his companions to memorize at-Tashahhud, as he did with the Quran. Its first sentence is to say, “All blessed services” which means dominion and greatness. “Prayers” is the supplication, the five daily prayers, or mercy. “The good deeds” are the righteous deeds that a servant dedicates to Allah only or those words he says to praise Him. “Greeting (peace), mercy, and blessings of Allah are upon you, O Prophet ﷺ. Greeting (peace) is upon us and upon the upright servants of Allah” means to greet the Prophet ﷺ and all righteous servants. By the way, Peace is one of Allah’s names which has two meanings: (1) Seeking Allah’s refuge and protection and (2) Negating any defects that people may attribute to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ taught them to particularly greet him, out of honor and high prestige, great themselves, and generally greet all the righteous. The righteous are those fulfilling Allah’s and his servants’ rights. Then, he completed the at-tashahhud by saying, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,” and added, as narrated by Ibn Omar in Sunan Abu Daoud, “alone without a partner of Him.” It means that a Muslim acknowledges and approves that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the Almighty. His saying, “And I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger,” means that a Muslim believes that Muhammad is the Messenger that Allah sent. He is not a liar, magician, or fortune teller, as the infidels say. Thus, a Muslim approves the Prophet’s message in every prayer. The other part of at-tashahhud is to exalt the Prophet’s mention. In the Two Sahihs, Ka’b ibn ‘Ujra narrated that the companions asked the Prophet ﷺ, “O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, we learned how to greet you, so how we exalt your mention?” He said, “Say, ‘O Allah, exalt Muhammad’s mention and the family of Muhammad as You exalted the mention of Ibrahim’s family. You are the Praiseworthy and the Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad ﷺ and the family of Muhammad ﷺ as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. You are the Praiseworthy and the Glorious..

404

Hettan ibn Abdullah Ar-Raqashy narrated, “I once prayed behind Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary. When he was in the last setting, one of the praying men said, ‘The prayer was associated with goodness and Zakat.’ When ending his prayer, Abu Musa said, ‘Who amongst you said such and such a thing?’ A hush fell over the people. He repeated, ‘Who amongst you said such and such a thing?’ Once again, a hush fell over the people. He said, ‘O Hettan, perhaps you said it?’ I answered, ‘No. I did not say it. I was afraid that you may have blamed me on account of it.’ A man amongst the people said, ‘I said it and intended nothing but good.’ Abu Musa said, ‘Do not you know what you should say during your prayers? Verily, the Prophet ﷺ once addressed and explained to us how to observe prayer. He said, ‘When you want to pray, make your rows straight and let one of you lead you. When he (the imam) says takbir, you say takbir. When he recites, ‘Not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.’ (Al-Fatihah: 7), you say, ‘Ameen’ and Allah will respond to you. When he says takbir and bows, you say takbir and bow, for he bows and then raises himself before you. This makes up for that. When he says, ‘Allah listens to whom praises Him,’ you should say, ‘O Allah, our Lord, to you is the praise.’ Allah will listen to you. Allah, the Almighty, said as his Prophet ﷺ narrated, ‘Allah listens to whom praises Him.’ When he (the Imam) says takbir and prostrates, you say takbir and prostrate, for he prostrates and then raises himself before you. This makes up for that. When he sits (to say at-tashahhud), you should say, ‘All good services and prayers are due to Allah. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah are upon you, O Prophet ﷺ. Peace be upon us and upon the upright servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.’ In another narration, he said, “Allah, the Almighty, commanded it through his Prophet’s tongue, ‘Allah listens to whom praises Him.’”.

Commentary : 1605
Prayer is the pillar of Islam, so the Prophet ﷺ taught us how to perform it and say its supplications. After his death, his companions were keen to teach people all acts of worship. In this hadith, Hettan ibn Abdullah Ar-Raqashy related that he once prayed behind the Prophet’s companion Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary. When he was in the last setting, one of the praying men said, “The prayer was associated with goodness and Zakat.” He meant that it was associated with the in the Quran as obligatory acts. Once Abu Musa ended his prayer, he asked about that person but none answered then he repeated his question but also none answered. Abu Musa thought that Hettan was that person but the latter hastened to negate that to avoid Abu Musa’s blaming. Abu Musa thought it was Hettan, for the similarity of voices or that Hettan was a close friend to Abu Musa, so he could say that. Afterward, one of the praying men confirmed that he himself said that sentence and intended nothing but good. Abu Musa was surprised that he did not know what was allowed or disallowed in prayer. As a result, Abu Musa told the attendants that the Prophet ﷺ once addressed his companions to explain to them prayer along with some Islamic rites. The Prophet ﷺ commanded them to stand on prayer rows straightly, complete the first line then the second and so on, and let one of them lead them. He (the imam) should be the most in jurisprudence and memorizing the Qur’an, as the Prophetic narrations showed. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that if the imam said “Allahu Akbar” at the beginning of prayer, people said “Allahu Akbar” afterward. If he recited Surat Al-Fatihah entirely, people said, “Amen” which meant, “O Allah, Respond.” If they did that, Allah would answer their supplication. If he bowed, people bowed afterward. It is forbidden to precede him in any move. The moment he precedes people in bowing will be got when he raised himself and says “Allahu Akbar” then they follow him. So, all spend the same time in bowing. If the imam said, “Same’a Allahu leman hamedahu (it means may Allah listen to whom praises Him,’ people said, “O Allah, our Lord, to you is the praise.” It may be a supplication from the imam for the people behind him or he informs them about Allah’s grace. Both the imam and a person who prays alone should say the two sentences but the one behind the imam says the second sentence only. It was said that the latter said the two sentences as well. If they, the praying ones, said that, Allah listened to their supplication and their words. The Prophet ﷺ also clarified how to prostrate as he did for bowing. He also taught his companions the words of at-tashahhud before ending prayer. It means that Allah is deserved all kind words of greatness, praise, glorification, and sovereignty. He is deserved that people direct to him in their righteous deeds of worship and prayers. Then, the praying one is guided to send his greeting (peace) to the Prophet ﷺ along with asking Allah’s mercy and blessings to him as well due to his honor and high right. He also greets himself and all righteous slaves of Allah. Peace is one of Allah’s names. It means seeking refuge in Him or being safe from any defect and corruption. Also, the praying one should declare the testimony of monotheism, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ added, “Alone without a partner” as in ibn Omar’s narration in Sunan Abu Daoud. It means that I acknowledge that there is no truly worshiped god except Allah. He also says, “And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” It means that I believe that Muhammad is a messenger sent from Allah. He was neither a liar nor a magician as polytheists claimed. This is the first half of at-tashahhud. In the other half, a person exalts the Prophet’s mention. In the Two Sahihs, Ka'b ibn 'Ojra narrated, "The Prophet ﷺ came to us and we asked him, 'O Messenger of Allah, we knew how to greet you, but how should we supplicate for you?' He said, 'Say, 'Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin, wa 'ala 'ali Muhammadin, kama sallaita 'ala 'ali Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barek 'ala Muhammadin, wa 'ala 'ali Muhammadin, kama barakta 'ala 'ali Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid.'" It means, "O Allah, exalt the mention of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as you exalted the family of Ibrahim. You are Praised and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. You are Praised and Glorious.” This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It commands us to straighten prayer rows, (2) It is recommended to say “Amen” after the imam recites Surat Al-Fatihah, (3) The praying ones have to immediately following their imam in bowing and prostrating, and (4) It clarifies the words of At-tashahhud..

408

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If anyone exalts my mention once, Allah will exalt his mention ten times.”.

Commentary : Due to Allah’s honor of his Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, He made the testimony of proving His oneness is linked to the testimony of proving the Prophet’s message. It is Allah’s mercy and grace that he gives double reward to those exalting his Prophet’s mention. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ clarifies that if a person exalts the Prophet’s mentions one time, Allah will similarly have mercy, reward, honor, and exalt his mention in the highest assembly ten times. It is said that the meaning is that Allah approaches his servants with compassion and brings them out of darkness into light as He says, “He it is Who sends Ṣalāt (His blessings) on you, and His angels too (ask Allah to bless and forgive you), that He may bring you out from darkness into light.” (Al-Ahzab: 43) This is like Allah’s saying in the sacred hadith in Bukhari, “I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly.” Thus, a Muslim’s exalting the Prophet’s mentions is better than supplicating for himself. In Sunan An-Nasa’i, Anas ibn Malek narrated that the Prophet ﷺ says, “Whoever exalts my mention one time, Allah will exalt his mention ten times, forgive ten sins, and raise him ten degrees.” Finally, this hadith urges to frequently exalt the Prophet’s mention..

Book of Hadith