| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
2501
‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam narrated that his mother Zaynab bint Humayd took him to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Take the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) from him." But he ﷺ said, "He is still too young (for it)," and passed his hand on his (i.e., ‘Abdullah's) head and invoked for Allah's blessing for him. Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad stated that he used to go with his grandfather, ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam, to the marketplace to buy foodstuff. Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them) would meet him and say to him, "Make us your partners, as the Prophet ﷺinvoked Allah to bless you." So, he would be their partner, and very often he would win a camel's load and send it home.
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Commentary :
The Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) given to the Prophet ﷺ meant an agreement to adhere to Islam and a pledge or covenant to abide by its rulings, and the one given to the Muslim rulers (after the Prophet’s death) meant a contract and covenant (between the ruler and ruled) whereby the ruled commit themselves to obey the ruler provided that it does not constitute disobedience to Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ and adhere to such obedience.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he met the Prophet ﷺ in his early childhood. It was said that he (may Allah be pleased with him) met the Prophet ﷺ six years before his death. His mother, Zaynab bint Humayd (may Allah be pleased with her) took him (as a newly born infant), went to the Prophet ﷺ, and said to him, “Take the Bay‘ah from him!” The Prophet ﷺ said: “He is still too young,” meaning that he was not an adult and the Bay‘ah is only valid when given by an adult person who knows its relevant religious provisions and implications. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺpassed his hand on ‘Abdullah's head and invoked for Allah's blessing for him. For this reason, whenever ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr met ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam (may Allah be pleased with them) in the marketplaces after he had bought foodstuff, they would say to him: “Make us your partners, as the Prophet ﷺinvoked Allah to bless you.” He would make them partners (may Allah be pleased with them) and would often win a camel's load, as profit, and send it home. This means that he often earned a camel’s load as profits from his sale transactions, by the blessing of the Prophet’s supplication in his favor.
The hadeeth highlights one of the signs of hisﷺ prophethood.
It also underlines the merits of ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) worked in the marketplaces to earn a living, and that they keenly sought blessings wherever they were to be found..

2503
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whenever one manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative on him to manumit the slave completely if he has sufficient money to pay the rest of his or her price which is to be estimated justly. He should pay his partners their shares and release him or her (i.e., the freed slave).”
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, created all people free, and hated that some people should be enslaved to others. Islam was revealed while the system of slavery was in place (and deeply entrenched into people’s financial and social systems), and therefore the Islamic Laws of Islam keenly assigned special care to the emancipation of slaves, and facilitated its means (to free people from their condition of slavery).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that whoever wanted to manumit his share of a jointly owned male or female slave, should completely manumit him or her if can afford the price, paying the other co-owners the monetary values of their shares, based on the adequate price of the slave. Such a co-owner is required to pay his other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, if he can afford it, to manumit the slave completely to become a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he cannot afford it, then the slave will be partially manumitted.
In the same vein, it was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative on him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.

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2505
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ (along with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) reached Makkah in the morning of the fourth of Thoo al-Hijjah assuming Ihraam (i.e., ritual state of consecration) for Hajj only. So, when we ﷺ arrived at Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ ordered us to change our intentions of the Ihraam for ‘Umrah and that we could end our Ihraam after performing the ‘Umrah and could go to our wives (for sexual intercourse). People began talking about that. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said surprisingly, "Shall we go to Minaa while semen is dribbling from our male organs?" Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) moved his hand while saying so (i.e., used hand gesture to emphasize his astonishment). When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ,he delivered a sermon and said, "I have been informed that some people were saying such-and-such; By Allah, I fear Allah, Exalted is He, more than you do, and I am more obedient to Him than you. If I had known what I know now, I would not have brought the Hadiy (i.e., animal sacrifice in Hajj) with me and had the Hadiy not been with me, I would have ended my Ihraam." At that Suraaqah ibn Maalik stood up and asked "O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Is this permission for us only or is it forever?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "It is forever." In the meantime, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen and was saying ‘Labbayka’ for what the Prophet ﷺhas intended. According to another man, ‘Alee was saying ‘Labbayka’ for Hajj similar to Allah's Messenger’s. The Prophet ﷺtold him to retain his Ihraam and let him share the Hadiy with him.
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Commentary : Hajj Al-Tamatu‘ means that a pilgrim assumes Ihraam (i.e., ritual state of consecration) for ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj (i.e., Shawwaal, Dhul-Qi‘dah and Thoo al-Hijjah), ends his Ihraam, and then reassumes it to perform Hajj on the same year. This means that he reaches Makkah during the months of Hajj, assumes Ihraam, performs ‘Umrah, ends his Ihraam, and he would be no longer bound by the restrictions that apply to the one in a state of Ihraam until the beginning of Hajj rituals. (On the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah, he reassumes Ihraam for Hajj and carries out all of its obligations).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that the Prophet ﷺ, along with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), reached Makkah in 10 A.H., and assumed Ihraam for Hajj, i.e., that which came to be known later as Farewell Hajj. They entered Makkah on the morning of the fourth of Thoo al-Hijjah, intending to perform Hajj only, and did not intend on performing ‘Umrah as well. However, the Prophet ﷺ ordered his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who hadnot brought along the Hadiy, i.e., sacrificial animals: camels, cows, sheep, or goats, slaughtered in thesanctuary during Hajj, to change their intentions to Ihraam for ‘Umrah and end their Ihraam after performing Tawaaf (i.e.,circumambulation around the Ka‘bah) and Sa‘y (i.e., going back and forth between Mounts Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah) by shaving or cutting their hair. Afterward, they would be no longer in a state of Ihraam and it would be lawful to them to go to their wives (for sexual intercourse) until the time of Hajj. People began talking about this, perceiving it as very odd. The version recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “It was something inconceivable for them”, because people in the pre-Islamic era believed that it was invalid to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, and even perceived it as a heinous misdeed. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed, "Shall we go to Minaa while semen is dribbling from our male organs?" His question indicated that he (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked performing Hajj Al-Tamatu‘ because it involved engaging in sexual intercourse (after ending the state of Ihraam) until the time of Hajj. Minaa is a valley located near Al-Haram in Makkah where pilgrims stay during the Day of Tarwiyyah (i.e.,the 8th day of Thoo al-Hijjah) and Days of Tashreeq (i.e.,the 11th, 12th and 13th days of Thoo al-Hijjah) to throw the pebbles.
Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) further emphasized his disapproval of it by a hand gesture to indicate the semen dribbling from the male organs. When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ,he delivered a sermon stating that he ﷺ feared Allah, Exalted is He, more than those who perceived the performance of ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj as a heinous misdeed, but he ﷺ commanded them to do so, knowing that there was no sin involved in this act. He ﷺ added: “If I had known what I know now, I would not have brought the Hadiy (i.e., animal sacrifice in Hajj) with me,” meaning that if he ﷺ had known the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah during the Hajj months, he would not have brought along the Hadiy to Makkah, and would have intended to perform Hajj Al-Tamatu‘, to act contrary to the belief and practice of the people in the pre-Islamic era. He ﷺ added: “… and had the Hadiy not been with me, I would have ended my Ihraam,” meaning to end his state of Ihraam, because retaining the Ihraam impedes the change of intention from performing Hajj to ‘Umrah and then ending the state of Ihraam after performing it. What the Prophet ﷺ came to know referred to his knowledge of the hardship and inconvenience faced by his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) for changing their intention from performing Hajj to ‘Umrah on their own while he ﷺ did not, so much that they hesitated to do so, and even argued with him about it first! At that, Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju‘sham (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and asked the Prophet ﷺ, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Is this permission for us only or is it forever?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ whether it was a special command for them in that particular incident, or a general ruling that applied to all Muslims henceforth. The Prophet ﷺ replied that Hajj Al-Tamatu‘ has been prescribed for all Muslims henceforward unto the Day of Judgment.
Afterward, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen, since the Prophet ﷺ had sent him as a judge and Zakaah collector before the Farewell Hajj. He (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Makkah and assumed the state of Ihraam. The Prophet ﷺ asked him whether he (may Allah be pleased with him) had intended to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he had held the same intention as the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ had intended to perform Hajj Al-Qiraan (i.e.,a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for both ‘Umrah and Hajj, or he assumes Ihraam first for ‘Umrah, then makes his intention for Hajj before his Tawaaf for Hajj). The Prophet ﷺ commanded him to retain his Ihraam and let him share the Hadiy with him.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to assume Ihraam without specifying the type of Hajj a pilgrim is intending to perform, and that he may specify his intention later to perform Hajj only, Hajj Al-Tamatu‘, or Hajj Al-Qiraan.
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2512
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A mortgaged animal can be used for riding as long as it is fed and the milk of the milch animal can be drunk according to what one spends on it. The one who rides the animal or drinks its milk should provide the expenditures."
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Commentary :
Islam regulates the contracts and financial transactions between people to ensure that their wealth and interests are well-preserved, so that they should not wrong one another.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺoutlined the Laws of Islam ruling on mortgaged animals. A mortgage is a loan with a property guarantee or security. For example, a creditor takes a mortgaged property as a guarantee or security for a loan. If the debtor fails to repay the debt, the creditor takes back his loan from the mortgaged property. The Prophet ﷺunderlined that when an animal is mortgaged, its owner is allowed to use it for riding, but he must payfees for it. Moreover, he may drink from the milk of the mortgaged animal in exchange for feeding it and providing its needs during the period it is kept by him.
His saying, “The one who rides the animal or drinks its milk should provide the expenditures,” means that the mortgagee or anyone else keeping it with him as a trust, is allowed to ride and milk it as long as he provides the expenditures for its needs.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a mortgagee is allowed to avail himself of the mortgaged property in return for providing the needed expenditures.
It is also inferred therefrom that a mortgagee may avail himself of the mortgaged property that does not need expenditure, such as clothes and lands..

2514
Ibn Abee Mulaykah narrated:
I wrote a letter to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) and he wrote to me that the Prophet ﷺhad given the verdict that the defendant had to take an oath.
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Commentary :
Islam has laid out foundations and rules that govern the litigation process to ensure that people would not wrong one another.
This hadeeth highlights a fundamental principle in the litigation process, namely that an oath is required of a defendant, whereas the provision of evidence is required of the plaintiff (i.e., the onus of proof is upon a claimant, and taking an oath is incumbent on those who deny). This means that when two parties dispute, and one of them claims that the other owes him money, the claimant (plaintiff) is obligated to bring forth evidence substantiating his claim. If he fails to bring forth evidence to prove it, the defendant is only required to take an oath to deny what the plaintiff claimed against him.
The wisdom behind requesting the plaintiff to support his claim with evidence, and the defendant to deny it by an oath is that the plaintiff’s stance is weak, because his claim is contrary to the outward appearance, and therefore he is requested to provide a strong argument, namely, a proof to substantiate his claim. On the other hand, the defendant’s stance is stronger, because the basic principle is that his liability is cleared from any given accusations (unless proven otherwise with supportive evidence). Therefore, a defendant is only required to present a weak argument, namely, an oath, because an oath-taker brings benefit for himself and wards off harm, and this reflects the great wisdom of the Laws of Islam in this regard..

2515
Aboo Wa’il narrated:
‘Abdullah (ibn Mas‘ood) said, "Whoever took a false oath in order to (unlawfully) take someone else's property will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is angry with him." Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah to confirm it; it reads (which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]
Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays came to us and asked as to what Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan (i.e. Ibn Mas‘ood) was telling you." We related the story to him. On that, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "He has told the truth. This ayah was revealed about me. I had some dispute with another man regarding a well and we took the case before Allah's Messengerﷺ and he said (to me), "Produce two witnesses (to support your claim); otherwise, the defendant has the right to take an oath (to refute your claim).' I said, 'The defendant would not mind to take a false oath." Allah's Messengerﷺ then said, 'Whoever took a false oath in order to (unlawfully) take someone else's property will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is angry with him.' On that occasion, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah to confirm that (which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77] Al-Ash‘ath then recited the ayah.
 (See Hadeeth No. 546)
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Commentary :
Inflicting harm on people is a reprehensible act in this worldly life, and it incurs on the doer loss and ruin in the Hereafter.
In this narration, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) made such a statement; the apparent indication of the narration suggests that it is a Mawqoof report (i.e., stopped at the level of the Companion), meaning Ibn Mas‘ood’s statement. However, it has also been narrated as a Marfoo‘ hadeeth (i.e., directly attributed to the Prophet ﷺ), recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. This is further supported by the narration reported by Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) that whoever swears a false oath to (unlawfully) take someone’s wealth, will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is Angry with him. The Anger of Allah, Exalted is He, is not similar to the anger of His creation in the slightest. He Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42:11].To confirm this meaning, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {Those who exchange}, because the two parties of a sales transaction exchange a commodity for money, {the covenant of Allah},meaning the covenant they made to believe in the Prophet ﷺ and fulfill the trusts, {and their [own] oaths for a small price}, meaning their false oaths that they take to affirm desired statements or actions. The intended meaning is that they trade their covenants with Allah and oaths for the fleeing worldly gains and desires such as money, benefits, and other worldly gains. The price was described here as being ‘small’, to indicate its insignificance, for it was traded for breaching the covenant with Allah and taking a false oath. Therefore, it is fundamentally insignificant, no matter how significant it seemed from a worldly perspective, compared to winning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, and fulfilling one’s covenants with Him. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, stated the punishment designated for the one who commits such a major sin. He Says (what means): {…will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]. It means, ‘They shall have no share in the bliss that shall be tasted by the believers in the Hereafter and Allah, Exalted is He, will not speak to them about what would please them, but would rather say to them what will cause distress and disappointment to them. The ayah goes on, {or look at them on the Day of Resurrection}, meaning that He will not mercifully look at them, {nor will He purify them}, from sins and misdeeds by conferring upon them His forgiveness, nor shall He commend them like His righteous servants. Rather, He shall be angry with them and punish them for breaching their covenant with Him, {and they will have a painful punishment}, because of what they had committed.
Afterward, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Aboo Waa’il Shaqeeq ibn Salamah said that Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him)came to them and asked as to what Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan (i.e. Ibn Mas‘ood) (may Allah be pleased with him) was telling them. They related the story to him. On that, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "He has told the truth. This ayah was revealed about me. I had some dispute with another man,” named Ma‘daan ibn Al-Aswad ibn Ma‘dee Karib Al-Kindee, regarding the ownership of a well. They brought the case before Allah's Messengerﷺ and he said to Al-Ash‘ath (may Allah be pleased with him), "Produce two witnesses (to support your claim),” because he (may Allah be pleased with him) was the one who claimed the ownership of the well and it was in the possession of and under the disposal of the other man. He ﷺ added: “… otherwise, the defendant has the right to take an oath (to refute your claim).”' Al-Ash‘ath (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'The defendant would not mind to take a false oath.’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the defendant may indifferently take a false oath, and this indicates that Al-Ash‘ath had no evidence to support his claim. Afterward, he (may Allah be pleased with him) related the same hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him). It was recorded by Aboo Daawood that Al-Kindee, i.e., the defendant, was about to take the oath, when Allah's Messengerﷺ then said, 'Whoever took a false oath in order to (unlawfully) take someone else's property will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is Angry with him.' On that, he said: “It is his property.”
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the litigants may talk to each other.
It is also inferred therefrom that the burden of proof is upon the claimant (plaintiff), and an oath is obligated upon the defendant if he denies.
It also highlights the prohibition of unlawfully taking people’s wealth.
Furthermore, it underlines the reason of revelation for the ayaat on oaths in Aal ‘Imraan (chapter no. 3).
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2517
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah, Exalted is He, will save all the parts of his body from the Hellfire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave." Sa’eed ibn Marjanah said that he narrated that Hadeeth to ‘Alee ibn Al-Husayn and he freed his slave for whom ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far had offered him ten thousand Dirhams or one-thousand Dinars.
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam lauds and strongly encourages the manumission of slaves. Therefore, many rulings were prescribed to facilitate and encourage the manumission of slaves.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined some virtues of the manumission of slaves. He ﷺ stated that whoever freed a Muslim male or female slave owned by him or others by paying its price and manumitting him or her, Allah, Exalted is He, would deliver him from Hellfire after deserving it; Allah would save all the parts of his body from the Hellfire, one by one, as he had freed the body-parts of the slave (and released him from slavery).
The hadeeth urges Muslims to free their Muslim slaves, and underlines the great reward of such an act..

2518
Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked the Prophet ﷺ, "What is the best deed?" He ﷺ replied, "To believe in Allah, Exalted is He, and to fight for His Cause." I then asked, "What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)?" He ﷺ replied, "The manumission of the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master." I said, "If I cannot afford to do that, what should I do?" He ﷺ said, "Help an artisan or do good for an unskilled laborer." I said, "If I cannot do that, what should I do?" He ﷺ said, "Refrain from harming others for this will be regarded as a charitable deed for your own good."
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Commentary :
Given the keenness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) on performing acts of obedience and what brought them closer to earning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, they (may Allah be pleased with them) often asked the Prophet ﷺ about the best good deeds that would bring them closer to Allah, Exalted is He. The answers of the Prophet ﷺ differed according to the different characters and situations of the inquirers, and what was more beneficial to them.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah Al-Ghifaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What is the best deed?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) was asking about the most rewardable and beneficial good deeds, and the Prophet ﷺ replied with the most fundamental of all good deeds, namely, the belief in Allah, Exalted is He. Such belief means the decisive affirmation, absolute recognition, and full confession of the existence of Allah, Exalted is He, His Lordship, Divinity, Names and Attributes, and the fact that none but Him is worthy of worship, and the acceptance of all that the Prophet ﷺ told about his Lord, and the religion of Islam. Such belief is the best of all good deeds, and the greatest in the sight of Allah, Exalted is He, in terms of reward, because it is a precondition for the validity of all acts of worship, including: prayer, Zakaah, fasting, and others. He ﷺ then made mention of Jihaad, which is striving and fighting in the Cause of Allah to uphold His word, only for His sake rather than any other purpose. Jihaad is the best good deed, second to the belief in Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ because it involves sacrificing one’s life for the sake of Allah, Exalted is He.
Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) then asked, "What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to know the best (most rewardable) manumission of slaves, and he ﷺ replied, "The manumission of the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master," meaning the slaves whose prices are the highest and who are the most valuable and beloved to their owners.
Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If I cannot afford to do that, what should I do?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ about any other ways to earn such great rewards if he could not afford the manumission of slaves. He ﷺ replied, "Help an artisan or do good for an unskilled laborer,” meaning to help an artisan do his work or do good for an unskilled laborer who has not mastered his craft.
AbooDharr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "If I cannot do that, what should I do?" He ﷺ informed him of a simple act of which no one is incapable, namely to refrain from harming others. The least thing a Muslim is required to do is to abstain from harming others, to ensure his own safety and that of others. He ﷺ said, "Refrain from harming others, for this will be regarded as a charitable deed for your own good.”
The hadeeth highlights the diversity and abundance of good deeds that a Muslim may perform.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that the best (and most rewardable) good deed ever is having a sound belief in Allah, Exalted is He.
It is inferred therefrom that the reward of an action is related to its benefit..

2521
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever manumits a slave owned by two masters, should manumit him completely (not partially) if he is rich after having its price evaluated."
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islamhas assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, urged Muslims to free their slaves, and facilitated its means (to ultimately free people from their condition of slavery). Therefore, it prescribes many laws and regulations encouraging and facilitating the manumission of slaves.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ enjoins whoever wanted to manumit his share of a jointly owned slave, to completely manumit him or her if he can afford the price of the other shares, based on the adequate price of the slave. Such a co-owner of the jointly owned male or female slave is obliged to pay the other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, if he can afford it, tomanumit the slave completely and so that he becomes a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he is financially able to do so, he is enjoined to fairly assess the price of the slave and pay the other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, tomanumit the slave completely.
If he cannot afford it, then the slave will be partially manumitted.
In the same vein, it was narrated that on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “(Whoever manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price), and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.
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2525
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
That he used to give his verdict regarding the male or female slaves owned by more than one master, one of whom may manumit his share of the slave. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say in such a case, "The manumitter should manumit the slave completely if he has sufficient money to pay the rest of the price of that slave (which is to be justly estimated) and the other shareholders are to take the price of their shares and the slave is freed (released from slavery)." Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) this verdict on the authority of the Prophet.ﷺ
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, urged Muslims to free their slaves and facilitated its means (to ultimately free people from their condition of slavery). Therefore, it prescribes many laws and regulations encouraging and facilitating the manumission of slaves.
In this hadeeth, Naafi‘, the freed slave of ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to issue his Fatwaa (i.e., give a scholarly opinion), narrating it on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, regarding jointly owned male or female slaves when one of the co-owners wants to manumit his share. Regardless of having a big or small share, it is obligatory on the co-owner to completely manumit him or her if can afford the price of the other shares. Such a master of the jointly owned male or female slave is enjoined to pay the other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, if he can afford it, tomanumit the slave completely so that he becomes a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he is financially able to do so, he is required to fairly assess the price of the slave and pay the other masters the monetary value of their shares, tomanumit the slave completely and release him from slavery.
In the same vein, it was narrated that on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “(Whoever manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price), and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.
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2528
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah, Exalted is He, has accepted my invocation to forgive what whispers in the hearts of my followers, unless they put it to action or verbalize it." (See hadeeth No. 657 Vol. 8)
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed His abundant grace on Muslims, as reflected in the provisions of the Laws of Islam that promote ease and facilitation, the multiplication of their rewards, the forgiveness of sins, and pardoning the mistakes and faults of Muslims on many occasions, out of His grace and mercy.
This hadeeth highlights a manifestation of the divine mercy conferred on this nation, as the Prophet ﷺ stated that Allah, Exalted is He, pardoned Muslims and relieved them of the accountability and punishment regarding their sinful inner thoughts. They shall not be held accountable for sinful inner thoughts as long as they do not verbalize them or act upon them. This is a manifestation of the divine grace conferred on Muslims.

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2531
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
On my way to the Prophet ﷺ, I was reciting a poetic verse (which means): 'What a long tedious tiresome night! Nevertheless, it has saved us from the land of Kufr (disbelief).' I had a slave who ran away from me on the way. When I went to the Prophet ﷺ and gave the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) for embracing Islam, the slave showed up while I was still with the Prophet ﷺ who remarked, "O Aboo Hurayrah! Here is your slave!" I said, "I manumit him for Allah's Sake," and so I freed him.
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Commentary : The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, facilitated its causes, and lauded those who took the initiative to free their slaves, promising them  abundant reward. This is why the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and the righteous people in all times and places hastened to emancipate their slaves.
In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he went to the Prophet ﷺ from Yemen to Al-Madeenah, to proclaim his Islam, and this took place in 7 A.H., he (may Allah be pleased with him) recited the following poetic verse (which means): 'What a long tedious tiresome night! Nevertheless, it has saved us from the land of Kufr (disbelief).'
In this poetic verse, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) described the toil and hardship that he had endured during his long night journey, but it paid off as it saved him from disbelief by proclaiming his Islam to the Prophet ﷺ.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “I had a slave who ran away from me on the way. When I went to the Prophet ﷺ and gave the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) for embracing Islam, the slave showed up while I was still with the Prophet ﷺ. The Bay‘ah here indicated the proclamation of one’s commitment to adhere to Islam and comply with its rulings and provisions.
After he (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the Bay‘ah to the Prophet ﷺ, his slave showed up. The Prophet ﷺ remarked, "O Aboo Hurayrah! Here is your slave!" It is possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) had described him to the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ recognized him or that such information was imparted to him through divine revelation. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "I manumit him for Allah's Sake," and so he freed him.
Another version recorded by Al-Bukhaaree reads: “He is for the Sake of Allah (i.e., free).” It is deduced from this hadeeth that when a master says about his slave, “He is for the sake of Allah,” or “He is free,” or any other statement that indicates his manumission, without explicitly saying that he was releasing him from slavery, while holding the intention of manumission, the slave is declared free as per the laws of Islam.
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2535
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade the selling or donating the Walaa’ (lit., loyalty, meaning to maintain a relationship of patronage without pondage with one’s manumitter) of a freed slave.
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Commentary :
The bond of Walaa’ (lit., loyalty, meaning to maintain a relationship of patronage without bondage with one’s manumitter)between a freed slave and his or her manumitter has been recognized by the Laws of Islam,and considered a strong relationship and bond like that of blood.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbadeselling or donating (the rights resulting from) the bond of Walaa’. The due rights established by theWalaa’ bond are established by the manumission of the slave. In the pre-Islamic era, people used to transfer (the rights that are established by virtue of) the Walaa’ bond by means of sale or otherwise, but the Islamic Laws of Islam forbade it. When someone manumitted a slave, the freed slave maintained a relationship of patronage without bondage with his or her manumitter, and certain financial rights were established by virtue of this bond, the most important of which was the right of inheritance. Whenever the freed slave died, leaving behind no eligible heirs, his or her manumitter inherited him by virtue of their Walaa’ relationship, which was held similar to that of a blood bond in terms of the relevant financial rights. This is why the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling such rights for a payment or donating it to other than the actual manumitter, because the bond of Walaa’ was held similar to the blood bond;it may not be sold or donated. Moreover, another reason is that freedom (manumission) is one of the greatest favors; a manumitter offers the freed slave the greatest favor by releasing him or her from slavery, and earns the rights of Walaa’ in return, because it is associated with his favor for the freed slave, and it cannot be transferred to anyone other than the manumitter.
The hadeeth highlights that Islam preaches compassion and mercy for slaves; the Laws of Islam exclusively grants the manumitter the rights of Walaa’ and forbids transferring them to anyone else by means of sale or otherwise.
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2537
Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Some men of the Ansaar asked for the permission of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said, "Allow us to give up the ransom from our nephew Al-‘Abbaas. The Prophet ﷺ said (to them), "Do not leave (even) a Dirham (of his ransom).”.

Commentary :
Al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd Al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him), the maternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, partook in the Battle of Badr with the polytheists of Quraysh and was taken prisoner by the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ demanded ransom for the release of the prisoners of war, and Al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) paid the ransom for himself.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that some men from the Ansaar wanted to return the ransom paid by Al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) out of reverence for the Prophet ﷺ. They said to the Prophet ﷺ, “Allow us to give up the ransom from our nephew Al-‘Abbaas.” They referred to him as their ‘nephew’ because they were the maternal relatives of his father ‘Abd Al-Muttalib, because the mother of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib was Salmaa bint ‘Amr ibn Uhayhah who belonged to Banee Al-Najjaar. They did not wish to say, ‘Allow us to give up the ransom for your maternal uncle,’ and rather referred to him as their nephew, to indicate that they were asking the Prophet ﷺ for a favor rather than doing him a favor!
However, the Prophet ﷺ refused and rather said (to them), "Do not leave (even) a Dirham (of his ransom).” He ﷺ did not allow them to give up any part of his ransom lest there should be favoritism in Islam, and Al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) was rich. The ransom was taken from him and distributed to the eligible recipients of the spoils of war.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness on serving the best interests of Muslims and his love for them.

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2541
Ibn ‘Awn narrated:
I wrote a letter to Naafi‘ and he wrote in reply to my letter that the Prophet ﷺ had attacked Banee Mustaliq without a prior warning while they were heedless and their cattle were being watered at the places of water. Their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives; the Prophet ﷺ got Juwayriyah on that day. Naafi‘ said that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had told him the above narration and that Ibn ‘Umar was in that army.
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He,has prescribed Jihaad to support His religion, and this religious obligation shall remain binding until the Day of Resurrection, and nothing will abrogate it. A group of the believers shall continue to adhere to the truth (i.e., by upholding the obligation of Jihaad) and will be supported by Allah, Exalted is He, to strive for what is right, and will be granted triumph.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad attacked Banee Mustaliq, a branch of Khuzaa‘ah tribe, in 5 A.H., and the battle came to be known as Banee Al-Mustaliq or Al-Muraysee‘, the name of the well where the battle took place.
Upon hearing that they were preparing to attack Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ proactively attacked them without prior warning while they were heedless, although the basic principle is that Muslims must warn enemies before attacking them, but since the call of Islam had become widespread at that point and people were well-informed of Islam, this sufficed and there was no need for a prior warning. Being heedless to the Muslims’ attack, their cattle were being watered at the places of water; they did not take any precautions. The Prophet ﷺ fought them; their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives. The Prophet ﷺ got Juwayriyah bint Al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with her) on that day and married her. Her father was the chief of his people. It was said that she was among the share of Thaabit ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) and she bought her freedom through Mukaatabah (i.e., a contract of manumission between a master and a slave whereby the slave is required to pay a certain sum of money during a specific time period in exchange for freedom). The Prophet ﷺ approved her Mukaatabah and married her. Out of courtesy to the Prophet ﷺ, Muslims freed the captives from her people, the Prophet’s in-laws. There was no woman whose blessing shined on her people like her (i.e., they regained their freedom because of her).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to attack enemy fighters without prior warning.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable to take Arab captives as prisoners of war and retain ownership of them,as is the case with non-Arab captives.
It is also deuced that only the adult enemy fighters may be killed during battles, and that women and children may not be killed, and may be only seized as prisoners of war.
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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..