Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Once, while we were sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ, a dead man was brought. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased. He said, "Did he owe any debts?" People replied in the negative. He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." So, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. Another dead man was brought and people said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, lead his funeral prayer." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Did he owe any debts?" They said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, ''Three Dinars." So, he ﷺ led the prayer. Then a third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer. He ﷺ said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." He ﷺ asked, "Did he owe any debts?" They said, ("Yes! He has to pay) three Diners.' Thereupon, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!Lead his funeral prayer, and I will pay his debt." So, he ﷺ led the prayer.
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Commentary :
Debts are the due rights of others (i.e., the creditors) that must be fulfilled. It is incumbent on a debtor to clear his liability for any debts that he owes. Given the gravity of incurring debts and dying before their repayment, the Prophet ﷺ did not lead the funeral prayer for anyone who owed debts and did not leave any wealth (inheritance) to repay such debts.
In this hadeeth, Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that they were once sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ when three dead men were brought on three different occasions. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased men. He ﷺ asked whether the first dead man owed any debts, and when people replied in the negative, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. When he ﷺ asked the same about the second dead man, people replied that he owed a debt, but left three Dinars, which could cover the due debt, and he ﷺ led the prayer. When the third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer, and he knew that the man owed three Dinars, but did not leave any wealth to repay the debt, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) offered to repay his debt, and then the Prophet ﷺ led his funeral prayer, because the debt was transferred to another person, and thus this dead man’s liability was cleared.
The hadeeth highlights the gravity of incurring debts, and that a debtor’s liability is not cleared by his death until it is repaid, by any given way.
The hadeeth underlines the Laws of Islam’s emphasis on preserving people’s financial rights..

2290

Muhammad ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee narrated that that his father Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them)said that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had sent him (i.e., Hamzah) to collect Sadaqah / Zakaah. A man had committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife’s slave girl. Hamzah took (personal) sureties for the adulterer till they came to ‘Umar, who lashed the adulterer one hundred lashes. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed their claim (i.e., that the adulterer had already been punished) and excused him because of his ignorance. Jareer Al-Ash‘ath said to Ibn Mas‘ood regarding renegades (i.e., apostates), "Let them repent and take (personal) sureties for them." They repented and their relatives stood sureties for them. According to Hammaad, if somebody stands surety for another person and that person dies, the person giving surety will be released from responsibility. According to Al-Hakam, his responsibilities continues..

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to implement the Hudood (i.e., plural of Hadd, the corporal punishment determined by the Islamic Laws of Islam) and complied with the divine provisions in all matters and at all times.A manifestation of such compliance was that they sought taking surety and guarantees to preserve people’s financial rights, and to ensure that the rights of Allah or those of people would not be violated.
In this hadeeth, the Companion Hamzah ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once sent him to levy Zakaah/Sadaqah, and it was brought to his attention that a man had committedillicit sexual intercourse (Fornication) with his wife’s slave girl. This hadeeth gives a brief account of the incident which was delineated by Al-Tahaawee in his two books Sharh Ma‘aanee Al-Aathaar and Sharh Mushkil Al-Aathaar. It reads, “‘Umar sent Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them) to collect Zakaah/Sadaqah. Some money was given to him, and he heard a man saying to his wife, ‘Pay the Zakaah on your freed slave!’ She replied, ‘You should pay the Zakaah on him; he is your son!’” Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them about their story and these statements. He was informed that this woman’s husband had committed Fornication with her slave-girl and she gave birth to a boy. The woman freed the son and then he inherited some wealth from his mother, and they said that such wealth was allocated to his son, whom he had with his wife’s slave girl unlawfully. Upon learning these facts, Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him), said: “I will stone you,” meaning to implement the Hadd of Rajm (i.e., stoning to death) on him, because he was a married adulterer. It was said that his act had been reported to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and he had already lashed him one hundred lashes and did not believe that he should have been stoned to death.This could be either because the man did not know that it was impermissible for him to have intercourse with his wife’s slave girl, or it is possible that he did not know it was her slave-girl (i.e., he mistaken her for one of his own slave girls). Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)may have excused himbased on ignorance of the relevant prohibition or on account of doubts.
Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) requested (personal) sureties for the adulterer, to act as his guarantee till he verified the matter with ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
They went to ‘Umar, and Hamzah asked him about it and it turned out that the man had been lashed one hundred lashes. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed their claim (that the adulterer had already been punished).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is valid to stand surety for someone by committing oneself to bring the guaranteed person either to fulfill people’s rights, or to appear before the judge. The surety or guarantee in this context is applicable in relation to the implementation of Hudood and Qisaas (i.e., retribution) on part of those who have the ability to bring the perpetrators or the ones who are required to fulfill these rights, such as the leaders and chiefs of tribes and the like..

2291

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “A man from the Children of Israel asked another one to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I demand a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and he lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender and then closed (i.e., sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said, 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that You are sufficient as a guarantee and surety and he accepted Your guarantee and surety. He then asked for a witness and I told him that You are sufficient as a witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could repay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country. One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to find a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to find one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered the money you sent in the piece of wood on your behalf. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.’”.

Commentary :
Whoever incurs a debt with the intention and resolve to repay it, and seeks the help of Allah, Exalted is He, in repaying it, He will bless him with the means to repay it, and satisfy his creditor on his behalf in the Hereafter if he was not able to repay it in this worldly life.
In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ related to us a wonderful story from which we can deduce great lessons. It is a story of two men from the Children of Israel, one of whom lent the other a thousand Dinars. The lender requested the borrower to bring witnesses testifying to the fact that he borrowed that money from him, but the borrower said: 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' When the lender requested a surety, to guarantee him and be legally responsible for repaying the debt if the borrower failed to repay it, the borrower replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The lender believed him and lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea to fulfil some of his needs. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might go back and reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood, made a hole in it, inserted one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender, and then sealed the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea, relying solely on Allah, Exalted is He, and trusting Him to deliver the money on his behalf. He implored Allah, Exalted is He, sincerely hoping that it would reach the creditor by His Power. The truthful man sincerely invoked Allah, Exalted is He, and He answered his invocation.
One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money. He waited for the borrower to come back and repay the debt as promised. Suddenly, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire, to keep his family warm and use it for cooking food. When he sawed it, he found his money and the message inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came back, apologizing for the delay and bringing one thousand Dinars to him. He explained to him the reason for the delayed repayment. The lender asked him: ‘Have you sent something to me?’ The debtor (borrower) replied, ‘I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.’ The lender asked him to go back and informed him that Allah, Exalted is He, delivered the money he had sent in the piece of wood on his behalf. He told him that the piece of wood found its way to him, and he asked him to keep the other one thousand Dinars that he had intended to pay.
This indicates the trustworthiness of both the creditor and debtor, and that each of them was sincere and truthful and honored their commitment, after the creditor accepted Allah, Exalted is He, as a guarantor and witness.
It also highlights that Allah, Exalted is He, rewards kind people who help those in need by preserving their wealth, in addition to the reward stored for them in the Hereafter, as He preserved the lender’s wealth by delivering it to him. These are great virtues granted to those who help those in need with their money (loans), place their trust in Allah, Exalted is He, and display keenness in returning the trusts.
The hadeeth also urges debtors to keenly repay their debts and spare no effort to fulfill people’s financial rights over them.
It also underlines the virtue of reliance on Allah, Exalted is He, and the abundant reward bestowed upon those who rely on Him as due..

2292

Narrated Sa’eed ibn Jubayr:
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives.} [Quran 4:33] In this ayah, the Arabic word Mawaaliyaa, means one's heirs. The ayah goes on: {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33] Ibn ‘Abbaas said, "When the emigrants came to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah, the emigrant would inherit his brother from the Ansaar while the latter's relatives would not inherit him because of the bond of brotherhood which the Prophet ﷺ established between them (i.e., the emigrants and the Ansaar). When the that reads (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives,} [Quran 4:33] the ruling was abrogated with the other part of the same ayah that reads (what means: {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33] It canceled the bond brotherhood regarding inheritance)." Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The ayah that reads (what means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share,} [Quran 4:33] remained valid regarding cooperation and mutual advice, while the matter of inheritance was excluded and it became permissible to make a bequest to the person who had the right of inheriting before.

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Commentary :
When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Al-Madeenah and the emigrants followed him, he ﷺ established the bond of brotherhood between the emigrants and Ansaar. A man of the Ansaar would make his emigrant brother a partner in his wealth, house, etc., and when he died, his emigrant brother would inherit him instead of his own (biological) relatives, because of the bond of brotherhood established by the Prophet ﷺ between them. This is the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33]. The Arabic word used in the ayah is ‘Aaqadat meaning those who give made a pledge to those whom you made a pledge, and this was one of the seven approved modes of recitation confirmed by Tawaatur (i.e., collectively contiguous narrations transmitted by a large group of trustworthy narrators on the authority of a large group of trustworthy narrators, generation after generation and so forth, and it is absolutely impossible for them to agree on a lie). According to another mode of recitation, the Arabic word used in the ayah is ‘Aqadat meaning those who made a covenant (i.e., alliances) with you. A man would make a covenant or alliance with another, saying: “My blood is your blood; your revenge is my revenge; your war is my war; I am bound to your peace treaties, and you will inherit me and I will inherit you.” Afterward, the following ayah was revealed; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives,} [Quran 4:33] meaning that Allah, Exalted is He, made for each of you relatives (heirs), including brothers and cousins on both the mother’s and father’s side who are entitled to inherit. This ayah abrogated the ayah that reads (which means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33]. Thereafter, only a dead person’s relatives were entitled to inherit him, and those with whom the dead person had made covenants and alliances were no longer entitled to inherit.But such covenants and alliances remained valid regarding support in what is right and permissible, meaning cooperation regarding worldly affairs, and sincerity in compliance withIslam, and this includes cooperating in adhering to the truth, and supporting the wronged people by preventing the oppressor from his acts of injustice. These were some of the due rights of one’s fellow Muslims.It also remained permissible for a Muslim to make a bequest to those who would have inherited him according to the bond of brotherhood, if he wished. As for the distribution of the inheritance after one’s death, only the heirs as per the laws of Islam may inherit him as delineated in the Quran. .

2294

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
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Commentary :
In essence, alliance means a contract or covenant made between people in the pre-Islamic era to support one another with regard to everything they did (i.e., irrespective of whether they were right or wrong). Islam canceled such practices, except for the alliances and covenants made to support the truth and prevent the oppressor from his aggression and injustice. It was narrated on the authority of Jubayr ibn Muti‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no alliance in Islam.” [Muslim]. This means that Islam disapproves the alliances that contravene the rules and laws of Islam, like what they used to make in the pre-Islamic era.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Aasim ibn Sulaymaan Al-Ahwal asked the Companion Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) about this hadeeth, and Anas replied that the Prophet ﷺ made an alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in his own house. This refers to the bond of brotherhood that he ﷺ established between the emigrants and Ansaar, which was a faith-based alliance that does not fall under the category of the forbidden alliances, because it did not contravene the fundamentals of the Islamic Laws of Islam. The forbidden alliances as per the laws of Islam are those according to which people in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance supported their allies in all cases, even if they were unjust oppressors, taking revenge againsta whole tribe for the killing of one person, and establishing inheritance rights based on such alliances, and the like. However, other alliances, which do not involve these Laws of Islam violations, are allowable in Islam, including supporting the oppressed, fulfilling the religious duties, and similar acts that are recommended by the Laws of Islam, such as fostering friendship, mutual affection, and honoring covenants..

2297

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
I do not remember my parents believing in any religion other than the religion of Allah (i.e., Islam). Not a single day passed but Allah's Messenger ﷺvisited us twice, in the morning and evening. When Muslims were persecuted, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he reached a place called Bark Al-Ghimaad, he met Ibn Al-Daghinnah, the chief of the Qaarah tribe, who asked Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "My people have forced me out of my land; I will wander on the earth and worship my Lord (freely)." Ibn Al-Daghinnah said, "A man like you should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it; you help the poor earn their living, uphold your ties of kinship, help the weak (and destitute), show hospitality to the guests, and help people at times of hardship. You are in my Jiwaar (i.e., protection); go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Al-Daghinnah went along with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and took him to the chiefs of Quraysh saying to them, "A man like Aboo Bakr should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn their living, upholds his ties of kinship, helps the weak (and destitute), shows hospitality to the guests, and helps the people at times of hardship?" So, Quraysh approved Ibn Al-Daghinnah's Jiwaar and told Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was secure, and said to Ibn Al-Daghinnah, "Advise Aboo Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read whatever he liked, but he should not harm us or do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Al-Daghinnah told Aboo Bakr of all their conditions. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Quran aloud except in his house. Later on, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had an idea of building a mosque (i.e., a prayer area) in the courtyard of his house. He did so and started praying and reciting Quran therein publicly. Crowds of women and children of the disbelievers started to gatheraround him and watch him astonishingly. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Quran. This horrified the disbelieving chiefs of Quraysh. They sent for Ibn Al-Daghinnah and when he came, they said, "We have given Aboo Bakr protection on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated that condition and has built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Quran in public. We are afraid lest he should mislead our women and children! So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him revoke your pledge of protection to him; we do not like to dishonor you by revoking your Jiwaar nor can we tolerate Aboo Bakr's public declaration of Islam (i.e., performing acts of worship in public). ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: Ibn Al-Daghinnah came to Aboo Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you should either abide by those conditions or revoke my Jiwaar, as I do not like to hear the Arabs saying that Ibn Al-Daghinnah gave Jiwaar to a person and his people did not honor it." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I revoke your Jiwaar and am satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's Messenger ﷺ was still in Makkah and he said to his Companions, "Your place of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with date-palms and is situated between two mountains which are the two Harrahs." So, when the Prophet ﷺ told it, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Al-Madeenah, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Al-Madeenah. When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared for emigration, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Messengerﷺreplied in the affirmative. So, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) postponed his departure in order to accompany Allah's Messenger ﷺand fed two camels which he had with the leaves of Samor trees for four months.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) led a hard life in Makkah, and the disbelievers made it rather harder by persecuting Muslims, confining the call to Islam, torturing Muslims, and using other means of abuse until Allah, Exalted is He, commanded His Messenger ﷺ to migrate to Al-Madeenah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) gave a glimpse of her experience during that period. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she could not remember her parents, Aboo Bakr and Umm Roomaan (may Allah be pleased with them), believing in any religion other than the religion of Allah (i.e., Islam) and that the Prophet ﷺ used to visit them twice every day, in the morning and in the evening. When Muslims were persecuted by the disbelievers and the Prophet ﷺ gave permission to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to migrate to Ethiopia, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant, to join his fellow Muslim brothers who had migrated there. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) reached a place called Bark Al-Ghimaad, a place at a five day's journey (140 km) from Makkah, he met Ibn Al-Daghinnah, the chief of the Qaarah tribe, which was a famous Arab tribe that belonged to Banee Al-Hoon. He asked Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "My people have forced me out of my land and I would wander on the earth and worship my Lord (freely)." Ibn Al-Daghinnah said, "A man like you should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it; you help the poor earn their living, uphold his ties of kinship, help the weak (and destitute),” meaning providing for the orphans and the helpless. He added: “… show hospitality to the guests,” by providing food and shelter to them, “and help people at times of hardship. You are in my Jiwaar (i.e., protection); go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Al-Daghinnah went along with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and took him to the chiefs of Quraysh, urging them not to drive someone like Aboo Bakr out of Makkah, given his great qualities and remarkable moral character as highlighted above. So, Quraysh approved Ibn Al-Daghinnah's Jiwaar (i.e., protection) and told Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was secure, and said to Ibn Al-Daghinnah, "Advise Aboo Bakr to worship his Lord in his house, and to pray and read whatever he likes, but he should not harm us,” referring to praying and reciting the Quran aloud, “or do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Al-Daghinnah told Aboo Bakr of all their conditions and he accepted them. He (may Allah be pleased with him) continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Quran aloud except inside his own house. Later on, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) thought about building a mosque (i.e., a prayer area) in the courtyard of his house. It can be fairly said that this was the first mosque ever built in Islam. He (may Allah be pleased with him) built it and started praying and reciting Quran therein publicly. Crowds of women and children from the disbelievers gathered around him and watched him astonishingly. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Quran. This horrified the chiefs of Quraysh, as they knew how tender the hearts of women and young people were, and how vulnerable they would be to incline to Islam. They sent for Ibn Al-Daghinnah and when he came, they said, "We have given Aboo Bakr protection on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated that condition, and has built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Quran in public. We are afraid lest he mislead our women and children! So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him you will revoke your pledge of protection to him; we do not like to dishonor you by revoking your Jiwaar, nor can we tolerate Aboo Bakr's public declaration of Islam, for fear of our women and children. Thereupon, Ibn Al-Daghinnah went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection (as approved by Quraysh), so you should either abide by these conditions or revoke my Jiwaar, as I do not like to hear the Arabs saying that Ibn Al-Daghinnah gave Jiwaar to a person and his people did not honor it." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I revoke your Jiwaar and am satisfied with Allah's protection." This reflects the strength of Aboo Bakr’s faith and certitude in Allah, Exalted is He.
At that time,the Prophet ﷺ was still in Makkah and he told his Companions that he had seen the land of their emigration in a vision, and the Prophet's visionsare part of the divine revelation to them. He ﷺ meant Al-Madeenah and mentioned some of its distinct descriptions, including being a salty land, where only few trees could grow, planted with date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two Harrahs, meaning lands with black stones. So, when the Prophet ﷺ told them of this vision, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Al-Madeenah, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia went to Al-Madeenah as well. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared for emigration, but Allah's Messengerﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Messengerﷺreplied in the affirmative. So, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) postponed his departure in order to accompany the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him)fed two camels which he had, with the leaves of Samor trees, meaning the leaves that trees shed, for four months, to be able to endure the journey. Such tree leaves were good fodder for animals.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and the striking similarity between his moral character and that of the Prophet ﷺ.
It also underlines the good qualities of the polytheist Arabs in the pre-Islamic era, like honoring covenants and the institution of Jiwaar.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to migrate from non-Muslim countries to another place were Muslims feel safe and are able to practice their religion freely and openly.
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2300

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was munificent and generous; he ﷺ openhandedly gave what Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed upon him to the poor and needy.
In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ gifted a group of poor Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) sheep and appointed him to distribute the sheep between them. He (may Allah be pleased with him)distributed to the companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). It was said that a young goat (kid) was one year old. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf.”
The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession to ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) to offer a kid as an animal sacrifice, just like he ﷺ did with Aboo Burdah ibn Nayyaar (may Allah be pleased with him) to offer an animal less than one year old as a sacrifice. These were two legal concessions granted to these two Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in particular and not to anyone else. This is based on the opinion suggesting that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth ‘Atood (kid) means a young goat. However, based on the opinion that the word means a one-year-old goat, Al-Udhiyah of the goats, according to Muslim scholars should be a Thaniyah (i.e., one full year-old and starting the second year).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible for a principal to appoint an agent to distribute gifts between specified recipients.
It is also inferred that it is permissible to accept gifts and offer gifted animalsas a sacrifice.
The hadeeth also highlights that an agent is required to consult with the principal regarding the disposal of the residue of the gifts to be distributed.
It is also deduced therefrom that a principal delegates the appointed agent to perform specified tasks.
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2301

‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I had an agreement with Umayyah ibn Khalaf that he would look after my property (or family) in Makkah and I would look after his in Al-Madeenah. When I wrote my name ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan' in the documents, Umayyah said, "I do not know ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan!' Write down to me your name, with which you called yourself in the pre-Islamic period." So, I wrote my name ‘Abdoo ‘Amr instead. On the day (of the battle) of Badr, when all people went to sleep, I went up the hill to protect him. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him (i.e., Umayyah) and went to a gathering of Ansaar and said, "(Here is) Umayyah ibn Khalaf! Woe to me if he escapes!" So, a group of men from the Ansaar went out with Bilaal to follow us (‘Abdul-Rahmaan and Umayyah). Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son for them to keep them busy, but the Ansaar killed the son and insisted on following us. Umayyah was a fat man, and when they approached us, I told him to kneel down, and he knelt, and I laid myself on him to protect him, but the Ansaar killed him by passing their swords underneath me, and one of them injured my foot with his sword. (The sub narrator said, "‘Abdul-Rahmaan used to show us the trace of the wound on the back of his foot.")
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Commentary :
Fulfillment of covenants is one of the becoming qualities of a true Muslim, and this applies to the covenants made with Muslims and non-Muslims alike. However, it is incumbent upon a Muslim to ensure that his covenants with non-Muslims do not contradict the teachings of Islam, to avoid potential conflict between the two obligations (i.e., honoring his covenants and abiding by the teachings of Islam).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) made a covenant with Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the leaders of the disbelievers in Makkah, to look after his property, family, or both, in Makkah and he would look after his in Al-Madeenah. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his name ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan' in the documents, Umayyah said, "I do not know ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan!' ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan literally means that slave of Al-Rahmaan, i.e., The Entirely Merciful. He did not acknowledge Al-Rahmaan (Allah) as his Lord and rather worshipped other deities. In fact, Umayyah’s attitude was motivated by (misguided) zeal for his false beliefs. He said to him: “Write down to me your name, with which you called yourself in the pre-Islamic period.” So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his name ‘Abdoo ‘Amr instead. It is noteworthy that ‘Abd Ar-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed to write his old name merely to realize the desired benefits of concluding this agreement, and it did not imply his approval or consent to be called the slave of other than Allah, Exalted is He. This was similar to the incident when the Prophet ﷺ approved to erase the Name of Allah ‘Al-Rahmaan’ when writing down the document of the Hudaybiyyah Treaty and wrote instead “In the Name of Allah.”
On the day (of the battle) of Badr, in 2 A.H., between the disbelievers in Makkah and Muslims in Madeenah, Umayyah joined the disbelievers’ army. After the battle ended with the decisive victory of the Muslims, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) went up the hill to protect Umayyah, who was neither among the casualties nor the prisoners of war. When all the people went to sleep, he (may Allah be pleased with him)hastened to protect his ally, but Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw Umayyah, who had severely tortured him in Makkah to force him to convert out of Islam. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) went to a gathering of the Ansaar and informed them of Umayyah ibn Khalaf’s presence, urging them to kill him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded them to chase him and make sure that he did not survive. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: “Woe to me if he escapes!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) earnestly sought killing Umayyah, being one of the leaders of Quraysh and the stubbornest disbelievers. Determined to risk his own life to kill him, Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) went after him and ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan in the company of a group of the Ansaar. ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son for them to keep them busy but the Ansaar killed the son and insisted on following us. Umayyah was a fat man,” indicating his slowness, “and when they approached us, I told him to kneel down, and he knelt.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) threw himself on him to protect him from their swords, to honor his covenant with him. However, Bilaal and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) killed him by passing their swords underneath ‘Abdul-Ramhaan (may Allah be pleased with him), and one of them injured his foot with his sword. ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) showed the addressees the trace of the wound on the back of his foot.
It was said that Bilaal and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) did not honor ‘Abdul-Rahmaan’s covenant and Jiwaar (i.e., protection) for Umayyah because the disbelievers were not allowed any protection on the Battle of Badr. It was also said that this ruling was abrogated with the other hadeeth recorded by Ibn Maajah reading: “The right of giving protection to non-Muslims is extended to the humblest of the believers (and it is incumbent on all Muslims to respect it and give him support).”, and the hadeeth about Umm Haani’ upon the Conquest of Makkah reading: “We have given protection to whom you have granted (protection).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim is required to honor and fulfill his covenants; ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was the friend of Umayyah ibn Khalaf back in Makkah, and he honored their covenant.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is becoming of a Muslim to reciprocate a disbeliever for any favors he might have done him, showing him kindness in return and striving to rescue him from death or dangers.
The hadeeth highlights the tit for tat principle and the enjoined equivalent retaliation against the offending party.
It is inferred that no retaliation is required in the event of getting injured while defending a wrongdoer who deserves punishment.
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2304

Ibn Ka‘b ibn Maalik narrated on the authority of his father (may Allah be pleased with them):
We had some sheep which used to graze at Sala‘. One of our slave girls saw a sheep dying and she broke a stone and slaughtered the dying sheep with it. My father said to people, "Do not eat its meat till I ask the Prophet ﷺ about it (or till I send somebody to ask him)." So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ permitted them to eat it. ‘Ubaydullaah (a sub-narrator) said, "I admire that girl, for though she was a slave-girl, she boldly slaughtered the sheepherself!”
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Commentary :
Islam preserves people’s wealth and protects it against loss and destruction, and therefore it deems it allowable to slaughter a dying edible animal (i.e., whose consumption is permitted by the Laws of Islam) when sudden death approaches it, using any sharp object that cuts its throat and sheds its blood, to preserve wealth from loss.
In this hadeeth, Ka’b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) related that they had sheep grazing at Sala‘, a mountain in Al-Madeenah located 500 m or less to the west of the Prophet’s Mosque. The slave girl who was shepherding the sheep noticed that one was dying. She broke a stone and slaughtered the sheep with it. When Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him)learned of the incident, he commanded his family to refrain from eating its meat till he asked the Prophet ﷺ about it or sent somebody to ask him. So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ permitted them to eat it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that an appointed agent is urged to rectify what he believes to have gone wrong, strive to perform the required task, and do what serves the best interests of the principal.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to use a stone to slaughter animals provided that it is sharp, cuts the throat, and splashes out blood.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable to eat the meat of a dying edible animal if it was slaughtered while it was still alive..

2309

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
I was accompanying the Prophet ﷺ on a journey and was riding a slow camel that was lagging behind the others. The Prophet ﷺpassed by me and asked, "Who is this?" I replied, "Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah." He asked, "What is the matter, (why are you late)?" I replied, "I am riding a slow camel." He ﷺ asked, "Do you have a stick?" I replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ said, "Give it to me." When I gave it to him, he ﷺ beat the camel and rebuked it. Then that camel surpassed the others thenceforth. The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Sell it to me." I replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messengerﷺ.” He ﷺ said, "Sell it to me. I have bought it for four Dinars and you can keep on riding it till Al-Madeenah." When we approached Al-Madeenah, I started going (towards my house). The Prophet ﷺ said, "Where are you going?" I said, "I have married a widow." He ﷺ said, "Why have not you married a virgin with whom you could play?" I said, "My father died and left daughters, so I decided to marry a widow (, an experienced woman to look after them)." He ﷺ said, "Well done." When we reached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "O Bilaal, pay him (the price of the camel) and give him extra money." Bilaal gave me four Dinars and one Qiraat (i.e., a unit of measurement) extra. (A sub-narrator said): Jaabir added, "The extra Qiraat of Allah's Messengerﷺ never parted from me." The Qirat was always in Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah's purse.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was endowed with a great moral character,reflected in his gracious manners, one of which was that whenever he ﷺ travelled with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ used to pace himself with the slowest rider in his company, out of his kindness. He ﷺ also used to offer the weak a ride and urge those who were lagging behind to catch up.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) related that he was with the Prophet ﷺ once on a journey back to Al-Madeenah – it was said that this incident took place during the conquest of Makkah - and he was riding a slow camel. The Prophet ﷺ passed by him while he was in this condition. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Who is this?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah." He ﷺ asked, "What is the matter, (why are you late)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he was late due to his slow camel. He ﷺ asked, "Do you have a stick?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative, and he ﷺ asked him to give it to him. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) gave it to him, he ﷺ beat the slow camel and urged it to move faster. Then that camel surpassed the others, leading the way, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to sell him this camel, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” However, the Prophet ﷺ refused to take it as a gift and insisted on buying it. He ﷺ bought it for four (gold) Dinars provided that he (may Allah be pleased with him) may keep on riding it till they reached Al-Madeenah, and then the Prophet ﷺ would take it into his possession.
When they approached Al-Madeenah, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) hastened towards his house. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had married a widow, indicating that she was previously married. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Why have you not married a virgin with whom you could play?" The Prophet ﷺ was asking him about the reason for choosing to marry a previously married woman rather than a virgin, who would most likely be more emotionally attached to her first husband, urging her to strive in making him happy and the like of good qualities that warrants the preference of marrying a virgin. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he had sisters placed under his guardianship after his father’s death, and they needed someone to take care of them and tend to their needs, and a virgin would not be able to shoulder such a task. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to marry a widow, an experienced woman to look after them. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Well done,” commending his act. It is deduced from this hadeeth that a Muslim should carefully choose a good wife that would be good for him and his dependents.
When they reached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messenger ﷺ commanded Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) to pay him the price of the camel and give him extra money. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave him four Dinars and one Qirat extra. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) was responsible for managing the Prophet’s expenses. It was said that a Qirat equaled one-tenth of a Dinar or otherwise. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "The extra Qirat of Allah's Messenger ﷺ never parted from me." He (may Allah be pleased with him) kept that Qirat and did not dispose of it. ‘Attaa’ ibn Abee Rabaah said: “That Qirat was always in Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah's purse.”
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s gracious humbleness and kindness with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), checking on them and serving their best interests.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is better to marry a virgin rather than a previously married woman.
The hadeeth underlines the virtues of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), his compassion to his sisters, and putting their best interests first before his own.
It is also inferred that a woman should take care of her husband’s family and tend to the needs of his siblings (dependents).
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2311

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺdeputed me to keep Zakaah (Al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Zakaah funds) stealthily. I took hold of him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messengerﷺasked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go." Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again." I believed that he would show up again as Allah's Messengerﷺ had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, "I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.He said, "Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again." I pitied him and let him go. In the morning, Allah's Messengerﷺ asked me, "What did your prisoner do?" I replied, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free." Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Verily, he told you a lie and he will return." I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺas it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah, Exalted is He, will benefit you." I asked, "What are they?" He replied, "Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) till you finish the whole ayah. (If you do so), Allah, Exalted is He, will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no devil will come near you till morning. " So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I replied, "He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go." Allah's Messenger ﷺasked, "What are they?" I replied, "He said to me, 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursee from the beginning to the end.' He further said to me, '(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you till morning.' (Aboo Hurayrah or another sub-narrator) added that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Aboo Hurayrah?" It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "No." He ﷺ said, "It was Satan."
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Commentary : Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) is one of the greatest ayaat of the Quran, and this hadeeth highlights some of its virtues. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ appointed him to keep and guard the Zakaat Al-Fitr funds. Zakaat Al-Fitr is due before ‘Eid Al-Fitr, and they used to pay it in the form of wheat, dates, and other foodstuff. A man came to him and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Zakaah) stealthily. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) seized him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." He (may Allah be pleased with him) released him, and in the morning, Allah's Messengerﷺasked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The Prophet ﷺ knew of what had happened through divine revelation. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the man complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so he pitied him and let him go. Allah's Messenger ﷺinformed him that he was lying and that he would be coming again. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that the Prophet ﷺ spoke the truth and believed him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that he would show up again as Allah's Messengerﷺ had told him that he would. So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) waited for him watchfully to guard the foodstuff. When he showed up and did the same, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) pitied him and let him go again. He informed Allah's Messengerﷺ of what had happened and again he ﷺ told him that the man would come back. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) watchfully waited for him for the third time, and he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff. He (may Allah be pleased with him) caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ,as this is the third time you promised not to return, yet you broke your promise and came." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah, Exalted is He, will benefit you." He then told him to recite Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) till he finished the whole ayah whenever he went to bed. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursee extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Quran 2:255]. In this ayah, Allah, Exalted is He, describes Himself as the only One worthy of worship; none but Him deserves to be worshiped. He is All-Living; to Him belongs the perfect life that was not preceded by non-existence, nor will it be followed with death. He is Self-Sufficient and stands in no need of anything or anyone, and He disposes of the affairs of all the creation, bestowing upon them their Rizq (provisions). All the creation stands in dire need of Allah, Exalted is He. His perfect Life and Self-Sufficiency entails that neither drowsiness nor sleep should overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. None can intercede with Him except by His permission. He knows all the affairs of the created beings, the past and future ones, and all but Him do not know anything unless He imparts knowledge to them by His will. Given His greatness and vast dominance, His Kursee (i.e., the place of His Feet) encompasses the heavens and the earth. Despite their vastness and greatness, their preservation does not tire Him; it is rather an effortless task for Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great, who is far Exalted above His creation. He is The Most High with His perfect Essence, dominion, and attributes. To Him belongs absolute and perfect grandeur in terms of Essence and Omnipotence.
Satan further said to him, '(If you do so), Allah, Exalted is He, will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no devil will come near you till morning. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ of it and he ﷺ said: "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar,” and this is a very beautiful conclusion, because when he (may Allah be pleased with him) affirmed his truthfulness in this regard, it gave an illusion of praise, and therefore he ﷺ corrected such an impression with a wording that indicates exaggerated untruthfulness, reflected in the Arabic intensive adjective Kadhoob (i.e., habitual liar).
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ clarified to Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that this prisoner to whom he was talking these three nights was Satan.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) and that it protects those who recite it from the devils.
It is also deduced therefrom that an appointed agent is only entitled to dispose of what is delegated property with the permission of the owner of the property (i.e., principal).
It is also inferred that the Jinn appear to people in human form and talk with them.
It is also deduced that the maximum number of pardonable mistakes is three.
It is also inferred that Satan harms whoever fails to recite Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) before sleep.
It is also deduced that whoever is appointed to preserve something is called Wakeel (i.e., trustee).
The hadeeth also underlines that the Jinn may steal and deceive.
It also highlights that it is allowable to seek knowledge from those who did not act on their knowledge..

2312

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once Bilaal brought Barni (i.e., a kind of dates) to the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺasked him, "From where have you brought these?" Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I had some inferior type of dates and exchanged two Saa‘s of it for one Saa‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat them." Thereupon the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Beware! Beware! This is definitely Ribaa! This is definitely Ribaa! Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money."
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Commentary :
Dealing with Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) is one of the gravest major sins, and the Laws of Islam has deemed unlawful every sale that is not free of all suspicions of Ribaa, and has deemed permitted all lawful sales that do not involve Ribaa. People in the Pre-Islamic era engaged in sales transactions that heavily involved Ribaa, but Islam rectified these sales and eliminated the traces of Ribaa.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) related that Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) once brought Barni, one of the finest kinds of date. The Prophet ﷺasked him about the source of these dates and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “I had some inferior dates and exchanged two Saa‘s of them for one Saa‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat them.” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Beware! Beware!” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Uwwah, a word used to indicate pain and sadness. The Prophet ﷺ used this word to indicate his pain upon hearing of such an act and that Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know that his act was sheer Ribaa. In fact, this kind of Ribaa is known as Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity). The Prophet ﷺ advised him about the way to avoid Ribaa in this transaction. He ﷺ said: “Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money.” This means that one should sell the poor-quality dates for money, and then buy with it the fine dates that he wants, to avoid charging excess in the event of a barter of homogenous commodities, and thus avoid Ribaa.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Ribaa Al-Fadhl is prohibited.
The hadeeth also highlights that the ruler or leader should assign care to people’s religious affairs, edify those who lack religious knowledge on their religion, and guide them to the way to avail themselves of that which is lawful. Moreover, a follower should also assign care to his leader.
It is inferred therefrom that any transaction that involves Ribaa is invalid.
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2313

‘Amr narrated:
Concerning the Waqf (i.e., endowment) of ‘Umar: It was not sinful of a trustee (of the Waqf) to eat or provide his friends from it, provided he had no intention of collecting fortune (for himself). Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the manager of the trust of ‘Umar and he used to give presents from it to those with whom he used to stay at Makkah.
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Commentary :
A trustee of someone’s property is enjoined to preserve it and forbidden from wasting and destroying it. The Laws of Islam clarified the permissible ways in which a trustee may avail himself of the (endowed) property entrusted to him.
In this report, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Amr ibn Dinaar stated regarding the Waqf endowed by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that that a trustee or administrator of the Waqf bears no sin for availing himself of the property under his care reasonably, and availing his friends of it, provided that he does not hold the intention of collecting a fortune for himself.
‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) managed the Waqf of his father and used to offer gifts from it to those with whom he used to stay at Makkah. It was said that they were the family of ‘Abdullah, Khaalid ibn Usayd ibn Abee Al-‘Aas. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) offered these gifts from the endowed property in compliance with the specified condition; he (may Allah be pleased with him) either availed his friends of it, which is allowable, or preserved his own share (i.e., fees) to gift it to his friends.
It is noteworthy that this is different from the case when one is entrusted with someone’s wealth, other than Waqf, and he disposes of it without the principal’s permission, which is impermissible.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when someone endows a property for the benefit of a specific category of beneficiaries and his own son happens to fit the profile, he is considered one of the specified beneficiaries (and may avail himself of it).
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2320

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
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Commentary :
A Muslim is rewarded for any beneficial action he performs.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ highlighted the virtue of planting and cultivating lands, and that whenever a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and a bird, person, animal, or any living creature that lives on land and in the water, eats therefrom,he would earn a reward for that. The hadeeth made mention of the Muslim in particular, as he would often hold the intention of providing his fellow Muslims with these plants and food to gain physical strength to worship Allah, Exalted is He, and because only a Muslim would earn rewards for such an act. A non-Muslim does not earn rewards for his good and charitable acts and the ultimate reward he may receive is being subjected to lesser punishments (on the Day of Resurrection). He may also receive his reward in the worldly life in the form of worldly gains.
The hadeeth underlines the merits of planting and cultivating lands.
It also urges Muslims to populate the earth, and to make it a better place for people to live, or for the benefit of the coming generations, for the service of whom he earns rewards.

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2321

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
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Commentary :
It is unbecoming of a Muslim to so preoccupy himself with his worldly affairs that he neglects his religious duties. His keenness to secure worldly gains must not surpass his keenness to prepare himself for the Hereafter. When Aboo Umamaah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a plowshare, a tool used for cultivation, and some agricultural equipment, he (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ had said: “There is no house in which such equipment enters except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it.” This means that when such equipment enters a house, preoccupying its people from preparing themselves for the Hereafter and driving them to neglect their religious duties, including partaking in Jihaad, prayer, and Dhikr, Allah, Exalted is He, would afflict them with humiliation.
It is noteworthy that there is contradiction between this hadeeth and the hadeeths reported about the merits of plowing and cultivating. This hadeeth is interpreted as to refer to the one who preoccupies himself with cultivation, causing him to neglect his religious duties and obligations that he is enjoined to observe! Whoever devotes himself entirely to plowing and cultivating lands, neglecting his other loftier pursuits, will be afflicted with humiliation.
The reference to humiliation here means their commitments to pay the taxes charged by the governors for their land. In the beginning, only Ahl Al-Dhimmah (i.e., free non-Muslim subjects living under Muslim rule) worked in cultivation and agriculture, and therefore the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) disliked to take this line of career. It was also said that this hadeeth urges Muslims to aspire to loftier pursuits, and seek other superior means to earn a living.
The apparent meaning of the hadeeth’s wording seemingly indicates that working in cultivation and agriculture begets humiliation, and this is not true. Rather, engaging in cultivation, agriculture, and tending to one’s property are all recommended and rewardable acts, being of benefit topeople, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said this hadeeth to warn the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) against preoccupying themselves with professions from partaking in Jihaad. Had they given up Jihaad, the disbelievers would have overpowered them, and this would have been the ultimate humiliation that may befall Muslims, to be overpowered by the disbelievers and lose their wealth, womenfolk, and children to them, and ultimately their lives!
It was also said that the hadeeth referred to those settled near enemy borders in particular. If these Muslims preoccupied themselves with cultivation rather than chivalry and horse-riding (i.e., military preparations for Jihaad), their enemies would belittle their strength and dominatethem. Therefore, it is becoming of such people to keenly master chivalry and horse-riding (in preparation for Jihaad),and they should be aided with the needed supplies and equipment by their fellow Muslims.
The hadeeth warns against preoccupying oneself with worldly pursuits from preparing oneself for the Hereafter.

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413

Jaber narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ill so we prayed behind him while he was sitting and Abu Bakr was conveying his takbir to people. When he turned and saw us standing, he gestured for us to sit down so we prayed sitting behind him. After uttering salutation, he said, 'You just like did what Persians and Romans did. They used to stand before their sitting kings. Do not do it but follow your prayer leaders. If they pray standing, then pray standing and if they pray sitting, then pray sitting.'".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ taught us the rules and etiquette of congregational prayer, including following and listening to the prayer leader's recitation while maintaining humility and regular rows. In this hadith, Jabir ibn Abdullah related that when the Prophet ﷺ was ill, he led them in prayer while sitting. At the same time, Abu Bakr was conveying his takbir (saying, 'Allahu Akbar) to people so they could follow his moves in prayer, due to the Prophet's weak voice during illness. While praying, he noticed that they were praying standing behind him. He gestured for them to sit and they did. After finishing, he showed them that it was the Persians and Romans' habit with their kings. They used to stand before their sitting kings. His statement indicated that it was similar to the acts of the polytheists and the People of the Book. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited them from doing so and instead guided them to follow their imam's case whether they were praying standing or sitting. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms the necessity of acting, unlike the non-Muslims' acts in all cases, (2) The Prophet ﷺ experienced what other people did such as illnesses, the issue that did not decrease his status. On the contrary, this increased his dignity and status, and (3) The imam can pray sitting when being unable to stand, and the people should follow his case and pray behind him while sitting as well..

426

Anas narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day led us in prayer. Upon completing the prayer, he turned his face towards us and said, ‘O People, I am your prayer leader, so neither precede me in bowing and prostration nor in standing and leaving, for I see you in front and behind me.’ Then, he said, ‘By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, if you had seen what I saw, you would have laughed little and wept much.’ They said, ‘What did you see, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ He replied, ‘I saw Paradise and Hell.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ commanded Muslims to follow the prayer leader (imam) in all of his moves and prohibited them from preceding him. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malek narrated that one day the Prophet ﷺ guided them - after ending the congregational prayer - to avoid preceding him in bowing and prostration nor standing and leaving and showed that he saw them in front and behind him. He may have meant that Allah granted him this exceptional privilege or that Allah revealed to him their moves in prayer, for vision may have expressed knowledge. Then, he swore by Allah that if his companions had seen what I saw, they would have laughed little and wept much for the horrible matters Allah revealed to him. When they asked him about the reason, he answered them that he had seen Paradise and Hell. He wanted to tell them that if they had seen what he saw of Paradise’s bliss for the obedient ones and Hell’s torment for the disobedient ones, they would have been overwhelmed by worry and distress, for they would have hoped to get Paradise’s bliss and avoid Hell’s torment. They would have laughed a little and wept much, for none could know his fate. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It encourages Muslims to be submissive in prayer and complete its pillars, (2) The imam should teach people the conditions of prayer, especially if he sees something contradicts them, and (3) It clarifies the Prophet’s miracle that he can see in front and behind him alike..

429

Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer. Otherwise, their sight will be taken away.".

Commentary : Prayer can be only learned from the Islamic texts whether it is obligatory or supererogatory. All Muslims have to perfectly perform its aspects, including humility, looking at the place of prostration, and avoiding turning around. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) says, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer..." This is an explicit prohibition of raising one's gaze to the sky when supplicating in prayer. It is the same if one does that at the beginning of a prayer or after standing up from bowing, for it means turning away from the prayer direction, neglecting the form of prayer, and having bad etiquette with Allah. All of these attributes contradict tranquility and humility in prayer. If one's heart is modest, his limbs will be tranquil. His saying, "Otherwise, their sight will be taken away," is the terrible result that Allah will suddenly and quickly take their sight. Finally, this hadith has the following benefits: (1) It is forbidden to intentionally raise one's gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer, and (2) One of advice's etiquette in public is to not mean or direct it to a specific person, for this definitely will lead to be refused due to provocation..

430

Jaber ibn Samura narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us and said, ‘Why I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? Be calm in prayer.’ He again came and saw us (sitting) in circles so he said, ‘Why I see you (setting) in separate groups?’ The, he again came to us and said, ‘Why do not you pray in rows as the angels stand in the presence of their God?’ We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how do the angels stand in rows in the presence of their God?’ He answered, ‘They complete the first rows and keep close together in the row.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was the best teacher and educator for his companions. He used to observe their situations and guided them to what was best for them. In this hadith, Jaber narrated that one day the Prophet ﷺ observed that his companions were raising their hands when ending the prayer, so he prohibited them from lifting their hands like the tails of headstrong horses in prayer, for the horses sometimes move their tails and legs out of unrest. This is not commensurate with prayer’s prestige and the praying one’s solemnity, so he commanded them to be tranquil in prayer. In another narration of Imam Muslim, he said, “When the praying one wants to end his prayer, he should only turn his face towards his companion without gesturing with his hand.” He means that the praying one turns his face to his right and his left saying, “May Allah’s peace and mercy be upon you” without gesturing with his hand, which is prohibited. In another situation, the Prophet ﷺ saw his companions sitting in circles, so he guided them to gather and avoid sitting in separate circles. In another situation, he taught them to pray in rows as the angels stand in Allah’s presence. He showed that the angel stood in rows completing one by one. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows how the Prophet ﷺ was keen to teach and guide his companions, which is the issue that Muslim scholars should follow, (2) A Muslim should be submissive in prayer without imitating animals, (3) Muslims should gather and avoid disunity in assemblies, and (4) It commands Muslims to complete and straighten prayer’s rows..

432

Abdullah ibn Masoud said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Let people of understanding and reason be near to me in prayer, then those after them (thrice) and beware of the commotion of markets.”.

Commentary : Congregational prayer in mosques is of great importance and great reward. Thus, Islamic law cares about regulating its rows behind the imam so that people can feel psychological and physical discipline. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded people of understanding and reason to directly stand behind him in prayer for the following reasons: (1) They have the priority to pray behind him, (2) They are the best people to convey his acts of prayer to others, (3) Their ability to remind him of something he may forget regarding Quranic verses or prayer moves, or (4) They are the best people to represent him if something happens to him during prayer. The rest of the people pray next to and behind this type of people. Then, women pray behind men's rows. As for the imams (leaders in prayer), this is the order: (1) Those who are best in the Quran memorization and have more knowledge, (2) Those who are best in Quran memorization, know the prayer's rules, and the adults, (3) Those who are less in knowledge. This does not mean confining the front rows to them, but this Prophetic command is to urge them to hasten to perform congregation prayer, directly learn how he prays, and convey his guidance to those behind them. Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) warned, "Beware of the commotion of markets.” He meant loud voices, noise, disputes, and trials in markets. As a result, we have to avoid these behaviors in prayers and mosques, as happens in markets..

434

Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.'".

Commentary : Submissiveness is the spirit of prayer, through which a Muslim gets tranquility in prayer to be closer to Allah, the Almighty. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach Muslims prayer etiquette so they could perform it as it should be. In this hadith, he commanded his companions to complete prayer rows. This is done by making it even without leaving any space in between. He added, "..., for I can see you behind my back." His seeing them from behind is either: (1) A miracle that Allah granted to him which was one of his characteristics, which neither a reason nor legislation may negate. As a result, a Muslim should believe in it, or (2) Due to Allah's revelation to him of his companions’ actions during prayer. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It urges Muslims to stick to submissiveness and complete the prayer pillars, (2) The prayer leader has to alert and correct people’s mistakes in prayer, and (3) It shows the Prophetic miracle that he can see his companions from behind..

438

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perceived a tendency among his companions to go to the back (in lines of prayer). He said to them, "Come forward and follow me in prayer. Let those coming after you follow you in prayer. People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back." In another narration, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw people at the back in his mosque ...".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was the best teacher and educator, so he used to precisely observe his companions’ conditions to guide them in worship, dealings, etc. In this hadith, he taught them and the entire nation to be keen on supreme issues and avoid causes of laziness. This hadith clarified that he perceived that some of his companions were not keen to early go to the mosque or some did not care for completing lines to the extent that some prayed in rear lines. As a result, he said to them, "Come forward and follow me in prayer. Let those coming after you follow you in prayer." This is because those praying behind the first line may not see how he is praying. Afterward, he warned, "People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back." He may mean that people continue praying in the rear lines until Allah keeps them back in the rear ranks of Paradise, or they continue leaving the first line in prayer until Allah deprives them of his great bounties. Finally, this hadith reminds that continuous negligence in acts of worship leads to staying away from Allah and getting His wrath..

440

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of the men's rows (in prayer) is the first row and the worst is the last. And the best of the women's row is the last and the worst is the first.".

Commentary : Islam calls its followers, men and women, to stick to virtues, avoid shortcomings, and hasten to acts of worship, based on the Islamic rules. Whoever performs righteous deeds based on their rules is better than whoever performs them without adhering to those rules although he can stick to them. This hadith clarifies that women have their special rules during attending prayers in mosques. These rules as staying away from men and cases of suspicion. The Prophet ﷺ shows that the best of the men's rows in prayer are the first rows behind the prayer leader (imam), for they are the farthest rows from the women. He adds, “The worst is the last,” for they do not hasten to the acts of worship and are close to women’s rows. On the contrary, Allah commands women to wear veils and stay away from men. As a result, the Prophet ﷺ confirms that the best of the women's rows are the last ones, for they are far from men’s rows and temptation. He adds, “And the worst is the first,” for they are close to men’s rows and temptation. This rule is applied when both genders attend the prayer in the mosque, but if it is a prayer that is only attended by women, the original rule of the virtue of the first rows is applied as in the case of men. The Prophetic word, “the worst” means the least rewarded and virtuous and the farthest from the Islamic rules. His word, “the best” means the opposite of the above-mentioned meaning. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The perfection of the acts of worship is linked to performing them based on the Islamic rules, (2) Islam urges men to hasten to the acts of worship and the first virtuous rows in prayers, (3) Islam urges women to pray in the rare virtuous rows away from men, (4) It explains the order of prayer rows in terms of virtue and reward, (5) It clarifies how Islam is keen to urge people to stay away from cases of temptation. It commands women to stay away from men to avoid any possibility of committing forbidden acts, (6) It shows the superiority of men over women, for they have priority in important matters like rows of prayer, fighting, etc..

443

Zainab Ath-Thaqafeyya used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If any one of you (women) wants to attend Isha prayer, she should not perfume herself that night.".

Commentary : Islam established ground rules on women's going out to attend congregational prayers in mosques. These rules related to clothes, manners, decency, adornment, and staying away from places of suspicion. Performing righteous acts while sticking to Islamic rules is better than doing these acts while neglecting those rules in spite of one's ability to abide by them. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed Muslim women to abide by Islamic rules when they wanted to attend Isha (evening) prayer in the mosque. He confirmed that a woman was allowed to take care of her cleanliness, but not allowed to wear perfume before going out to prayer. Wearing perfume is a means to evoke men's whims and draw their attention. This prohibition is applied to all prayers and the Prophet (ﷺ) may have referred to Isha prayer for the following reasons: (1) Women may be subject to harassment at night more, or (2) Women used to put on perfume for their husbands at night. Muslim scholars mentioned some similar cases that may go under this prohibition such as: (1) Adorned clothes, (2) Wearing jewelry, and (3) All means that may arouse men’s whims. Thus, Islamic law placed restrictions that guarantee the safety and security of both women and societies while preserving her right to go to mosques to pray. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The perfection of worship is linked to performing it in accordance with Islamic rules, and (2) It is forbidden for women to wear perfume when going out to pray..

450

Aamer narrated, "I asked Alqama, 'Was Ibn Masoud present the night of the Jinn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Alqama answered, 'I asked Ibn Masoud, 'Were anyone of you present the night of the Jinn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Ibn Masoud answered, 'No, we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ but we could not find him so we were searching for him in valleys and hills and said, 'He is either taken away (by Jinn) or secretly killed.' We spent the worst night that people could ever spend. In the morning, he came from the side of Hira' so we said to him, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we missed you so were searching for you but could not find you. We spent the worst night that people could ever spend.' The Prophet ﷺ answered, 'An inviter on behalf of the Jinn came to me so I went with him to recite the Quran to them.' The Prophet ﷺ went with us to show us the traces of them and their embers. The Jinn asked him about their provision so he said, 'Every bone on which the name of Allah is mentioned is yours. Once it falls in your hand, it will be thickly covered with flesh. Every dung (of the camels) is fodder for your animals.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us, 'So do not use any of them in removing your impurities, for they are the food of your brothers (the Jinn).'".

Commentary : Jinn is a creation of Allah, the Almighty. They are commanded to worship Him alone so they will be held accountable as mankind. Some believe in Allah while others disbelieve. In this hadith, Aamer Al-Sha’by asked Alqamah ibn Qais An-Nakh’i, one of the most famous students of Ibn Masoud, if Ibn Masoud was present the night of the Jinn with the Prophet ﷺ. Alqama told him that he asked Ibn Masoud the same question. Ibn Masoud said, "No" In the narration of Muslim, Ibn Masoud said, "I wished I had been with him" to see the miracles that the Prophet ﷺ told them about. Ibn Masoud narrated that they one day were with the Prophet ﷺ who stood to go somewhere but he did not come back. They were searching for him in valleys and hills. All our efforts were in vain. They thought he was taken by Jinn or secretly killed. It was the worst night they ever spent, out of sadness and sorrow. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ came from the direction of Hira Cave, five kilometers away from the Sacred Mosque, where the Prophet ﷺ used to worship Allah before his mission. Upon informing him about what happened to them, he related to them his story with the Jinn. One of them asked him to come to recite the Quran to them. The Prophet ﷺ went with his companions to show them the Jinn's tracks and their fire's traces. The Jinn asked the Prophet ﷺ to specify foods for them, so he allowed them to eat every bone on which Allah’s name was mentioned. He promised them that once they held it, it would be thickly covered with meat. Moreover, he specified dung as fodders for their animals. Thus, he prohibited his companions from using bones for removing impurities like urine or feces, for they were the food of their brothers of Jinn, out of respect. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The Prophet ﷺ was sent to both the Jinn and mankind, (2) It shows Allah’s mercy to mankind in choosing their foods, and (3) It clarifies the companions’ deep friendship with the Prophet ﷺ..

452

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite 30 verses in each of the first two rak'as of the noon prayer. In the last two ones, he used to recite 15 verses (or he said, "... half of the first two ones). He used to recite 15 verses in each of the first two rak'as of afternoon prayer. In the last two ones, he used to recite half of these verses.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught it to his companions verbally and practically. His Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry showed how they observed his recitation in the silent prayers. As for his recitation in the noon prayer, he showed that he used to recite Surat al-Fatihah and about thirty verses in each of the first two rak'as. He used to recite half of these verses in each of the last two ones. As for the afternoon prayer, he used to recite Surat Al-Fatihah and fifteen verses in each of the first two rak'as. He used to recite half of these verses in each of the last two ones, i.e. seven or eight verses. In a hadith narrated by An-Nasa'i and others, he used to recite surats like At-Taraq, Al-Burouj, and alike in each of the first two rak'as in the noon and afternoon prayers. Some scholars conclude that the wisdom in lengthening the noon prayer is that it is the time to take a nap, so it is suitable to lengthen it to enable people to get it. Thus, this hadith shows the number of verses a Muslim should recite in silent prayers..

452

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry said, “We used to estimate how long the Messenger ﷺ stood at the noon and the afternoon prayers. At the noon prayer, we estimated that he stood in each of the first two rak'as as if he recited "Alef Lam Meem. Tanzil," i.e. Surat As-Sajda and stood half of that time in the last two ones. As for the afternoon prayer, we estimated that he stood in each of the first two rak'as as he did in the last two ones of noon prayer and stood half of that time in the last two ones.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught it to his companions verbally and practically. His Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry showed that they used to estimate how long he stood at the noon and the afternoon prayers. As for the noon prayer, he stood in the first two rak'as as if he recited Surat As-Sajda (thirty verses) and stood half of that time in the last two ones, i.e. fifteen verses. As for the afternoon prayer, they estimated that he stood in the first two rak'as as he did in the last two rak'as of the noon prayer (fifteen verses) and stood half of that time in the last two ones (seven or eight verses). Some scholars conclude that the wisdom in lengthening the noon prayer is that it is the time to take a nap, so it is suitable to lengthen it to enable people to get it. Finally, this hadith recommends lengthening the first and second rak'as and shortening the third and fourth ones in both noon and afternoon prayers..

454

Qaz’a ibn Yahya narrated, “I came to Abu Saeed Al-Khudry while he was surrounded by people. When the people left him, I said, ‘I do not want to ask you what these people asked you. I want to ask you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ Abu Saeed said, ‘There is no good for you in this.’” Qaz'a repeated his question. Abu Saeed said, “When the noon prayer started, one of us went to Baqi' to relieve himself, came to his home to perform ablution, and then went to the mosque to find the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the first rak'a.”.

Commentary : The companions’ students were keen to know everything about the Prophet ﷺ from his companions so they used to ask them about his deeds, especially his prayer. In this hadith, Qaza’a ibn Yahya narrated that he came to Abu Saeed Al-Khudry while the latter was being surrounded by people. When they left him, Qaza’a told him that he wanted to ask him about the Prophet’s prayer. Abu Saeed told him that knowing his prayer would benefit him none due to its length and perfection, for it would be difficult for him to imitate the Prophet’s prayer. Qaza’a repeated his request so Abu Saeed told him that when the Prophet ﷺ began the noon prayer, a person could go to Baqi' - cemeteries in Medina to the east of the Prophet’s Mosque where people used to relieve themselves in nearby places -, came to his home to perform ablution, and found the Prophet ﷺ in the first rak'a. This indicated the Prophet ﷺ used to lengthen the first rak’a of the noon prayer. One may say that there are some hadiths that the Prophet ﷺ used to shorten his prayer. To answer this opinion, it should be clarified that the Prophet ﷺ lengthened and shortened his prayers according to the people’s circumstances behind him. He sometimes wanted to lengthen the prayer then decided to shorten it after having a reasonable issue such as hearing a kid’s crying during the congregational prayer. Some scholars said that he sometimes lengthened it, which is the least, to clarify the permissibility, and sometimes shortened it, which is the most, to confirm its privilege..

455

Abd Allah ibn As-Sa'eb narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Fajr (Dawn) prayer at Mecca. He began to recite Surat Al-Mu'minun. When he recited the verses about Prophets Moses and Aaron - or Prophet Jesus -, the prophet started to cough then bowed and Abd Allah ibn As-Sa'eb was present." In another narration, "He cut (his recitation) then bowed.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn As-Sa'eb narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) led his companions in Fajr (Dawn) prayer in the eighth year after Hijra (the year of conquering Mecca). He was reciting Surat Al-Mu’minoun until he recited the verse (no. 45) that mentioned Prophets Musa and Haroun in which Allah said, "Then, We sent Musa (Moses) and his brother Haroun (Aaron), with Our proofs and manifest authority," or the verse (no. 50) that mentioned Prophet Jesus in which Allah says, "And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother as a sign, and We gave them refuge on high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams." This doubt is from Muhammad ibn Abbad or others of this hadith narrators. At that time, the Prophet (ﷺ) was coughing and then bowed without completing the surah. In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) "stopped reciting then bowed." Finally, this hadith confirms that a Muslim would bow without completing his recitation in prayer if something happened to him while reciting the Quran..

456

Amr ibn Huraith narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting at Fajr (Dawn) prayer, “And by the night as it closes in." (At-Takwir: 17).

Commentary : The Prophet's companions used to observe and learn from all of his acts to follow his guidance, especially in the acts of worship. They also used to transmit all of his details to all people. In this hadith, Amr ibn Huraith said that the Prophet once recited short Quranic suras in Fajr prayer (Dawn prayer). Amr reported that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite Surah At-Takwir during Fajr prayer. It is the sura that contains this verse, “And by the night as it closes in.” (Al-Takwir: 17) This was explained by An-Nasa’i’s narration in which Amr reported, “I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite in Fajr prayer, "When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]." All of the hadiths that clarified the Prophet's recitation in Fajr prayer showed that he may have recited long, short, or medium suras..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
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‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
.

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
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Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
.

Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer. Otherwise, their sight will be taken away.".

Abdullah ibn Masoud said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Let people of understanding and reason be near to me in prayer, then those after them (thrice) and beware of the commotion of markets.”.

Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.'".

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of the men's rows (in prayer) is the first row and the worst is the last. And the best of the women's row is the last and the worst is the first.".

Zainab Ath-Thaqafeyya used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If any one of you (women) wants to attend Isha prayer, she should not perfume herself that night.".

Amr ibn Huraith narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting at Fajr (Dawn) prayer, “And by the night as it closes in." (At-Takwir: 17).

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

‘Aasim narrated: I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house." .

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf." .

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated: Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him." .

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it." .

Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer. Otherwise, their sight will be taken away.".

Abdullah ibn Masoud said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Let people of understanding and reason be near to me in prayer, then those after them (thrice) and beware of the commotion of markets.”.

Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.'".

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of the men's rows (in prayer) is the first row and the worst is the last. And the best of the women's row is the last and the worst is the first.".

Zainab Ath-Thaqafeyya used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If any one of you (women) wants to attend Isha prayer, she should not perfume herself that night.".

Amr ibn Huraith narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting at Fajr (Dawn) prayer, “And by the night as it closes in." (At-Takwir: 17).

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
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‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
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Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
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Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
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