| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
2402
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "If anyone goes bankrupt, and a man finds his own property intact with him, he is more entitled to take it back than anyone else.”.

Commentary :
Islam pays significant care to preserving people's wealth, and keenly ensures that it should not be wasted. Therefore, it has enacted laws and laid down guidelines to preserve people’s wealth.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ regulated the conduct of a creditor who finds his property intact with a debtor who goes bankrupt. He ﷺ underlined that such a creditor is entitled to his own property only, and must not take anything more or less from the bankrupt debtor, because his wealth is exhausted and he cannot repay his debts. Such a creditor is more entitled to take back his property than other creditors. This means that if someone goes bankrupt, and he owed money to many creditors, his wealth (i.e., what is surplus of his needs) is to be divided among these creditors according to their debts, unless one finds his property intact and, in this case, he has more right to take it back than anyone else.
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2405
Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
When ‘Abdullah (my father) died, he left behind children and debts. I asked the creditors to reduce the debts, but they refused, so I went to the Prophet ﷺ to intercede with them, yet they refused. The Prophet ﷺ said (to me), "Classify your dates into their different kinds: ‘Idhq ibn Zayd, Lean and ‘Ajwah, each kind alone and call all the creditors and wait till I come to you." I did so and the Prophet ﷺ came and sat beside the dates and started measuring to each his due till he paid them fully, and the dates remained as they were before, as if he had not touched them. (On another occasion) I took part in one of Ghazawaat among with the Prophet ﷺand I was riding one of our camels. The camel got tired and was lagging behind the others. The Prophet ﷺhit it on its back. He ﷺ said, "Sell it to me, and you have the right to ride it till Al-Madeenah.'' When we approached Al-Madeenah, I took the permission from the Prophet ﷺ to go to my house, saying, "O Allah's MessengerﷺI have newly married." The Prophet ﷺasked, "Have you married a virgin or a previously married woman (i.e., a widow or divorcee)?" I said, "I have married a previously married woman; ‘Abdullah (my father) died and left behind young daughters, so I married a previously married woman who may teach them and bring them up to embody good manners." The Prophet ﷺthen said (to me), "Go to your family." When I went there and told my maternal uncle about the selling of the camel, he admonished me for it. On that I told him about its slowness and exhaustion and about what the Prophet ﷺ had done to the camel and his hitting it. When the Prophet ﷺ arrived, I went to him with the camel in the morning and he gave me its price, the camel itself, and my share from the spoils of war as he gave the other people.
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Commentary :
A Muslim is a brother of his fellow Muslim, and it is becoming of a Muslim to strive to fulfill the needs of his Muslim brothers, especially those who explicitly ask for his help. He should (hasten to their help and) stand by them until their need is fulfilled.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that his father, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away owing a debt to someone. He (may Allah be pleased with him) had been martyred during the Battle of Uhud in 3 A.H, leaving behind seven or nine young daughters. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the creditors to reduce the debts so that he would be able to repay them, but they refused and claimed the repayment of their debts in full. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ to help him and intercede with the creditors to reduce their debts so that he would be able to repay them, but they refused. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to go back to his orchard and arrange his dates in heaps according to their different kinds. The cluster of Ibn Zayd, which were low-quality dates that were named after someone called Ibn Zayd, should be arranged on one side, Lean, another kind, should be arranged on another side, and ‘Ajwah dates, which were the finest kind of dates in Al-Madeenah, should be arranged on a different side, and so on.
Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) did as he ﷺ commanded and then notified him. The Prophet ﷺ came and sat at the head or in the middle of the heaps and ordered Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to measure the dates for the creditors to repay his late father’s debts. He (may Allah be pleased with him) cut and measured for them till he repaid all the debts, and his dates remained as they were, as if nothing had been taken from them, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ.
The hadeeth highlights a miracle performed by the Prophet ﷺ and a sign indicating his prophethood.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to seek debt relief, if the debtor is unable to repay their dates in full, but the creditor has the choice either to accept or refuse such a request.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) also stated that he was once with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey back to Al-Madeenah after a battle. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding a slow camel used for carrying water. According to the version complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, “The camel got tired and lagged behind,” because of exhaustion. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) lagged behind and the Prophet ﷺ passed by him and beat the slow camel, urging it to move faster. According to the version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, the camel passed the others thenceforth, 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 with the allowance that Jaabir (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) sought the permission of the Prophet ﷺ to go (quickly) to (join) his family, because he was newly married. This highlights the virtues of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who partook in Jihaad shortly after his wedding. The Prophet ﷺ asked him whether he had married a virgin or a previously married woman. He ﷺ mentioned the ‘virgin’ first to indicate that it is better for a Muslim to marry a virgin. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had married a previously married woman, named Suhaylah bint Mas‘ood Al-Awsiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), because she would be more experienced and able to take care of his sisters,while a virgin would not be able to shoulder such a task. He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to the Prophet ﷺ that his father left behind seven or nine young daughters and therefore he decided to marry a previously married woman to look after them and raise them properly. In the event of a conflict of interests, priority should be given to what is more important. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) chose to put his sisters’ interests before his own, and the Prophet ﷺ approved his wise choice and supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to bless his marriage. According to the version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, he ﷺ said: “Go to your family,” meaning your wife. When Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived in Al-Madeenah, he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed his maternal uncle, and it was said that his name was Tha‘labah ibn Ghanamah ibn ‘Adiyy ibn Sinaan Al-Ansaaree Al-Khazrajiyy or ‘Amr ibn Ghanamah, that he had sold his camel to the Prophet ﷺ. His maternal uncle blamed him for it, perhaps because he (may Allah be pleased with him) needed it or because he (may Allah be pleased with him) had not offered it to the Prophet ﷺ as a gift. Narrated Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): “I told him about its slowness and exhaustion and about what the Prophet ﷺ had done to the camel and his hitting it.”
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Al-Madeenah, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) went to him with the camel in the morning and he ﷺgave him its price, the camel itself, and his share from the spoils of war as he ﷺ gave the other people. This reflects the generosity and munificence of the Prophet ﷺ with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
The hadeeth also underlines 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 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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2409
‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺsaying, "Every one of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is under his care. A ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a lady is a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it." I heard that from Allah's Messenger ﷺand I think that the Prophet ﷺ also said, "A man is a guardian of his father's property and is responsible for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and things under your care."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, does not charge a soul beyond its capacity. It is incumbent on a person not to take up a responsibility for which he is not qualified. However, whenever he is obliged to take up such a responsibility, it is incumbent on him to shoulder it duly, and he shall be held accountable for it before Allah, Exalted is He.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ advised every member of his nation to carry out his duties towards those whom Allah, Exalted is He, placed under his care. The Prophet ﷺ stated that each and every Muslim is entrusted with someone to look after, and shoulder his due responsibility towards him or her. He ﷺ said: “Every one of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is under his care.” Care here meanseffort made to preserve and look after a person or object, and a guardian refers to a person who is entrusted with preserving and tending to the needs of those under his care. Every guardian is required to maintain justice in caring for the people or things under his care, and to preserve their religious and worldly interests and belongings. If he duly shoulders his responsibilities towards the people or things under his care, he receives the abundant reward, otherwise those under his care would demand their rights over him (on the Day of Judgment) and Allah, Exalted is He, would hold him accountable for neglecting their rights.
Afterward, he ﷺ detailed his general sentence by saying: “A ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them,” meaning that he is responsible for the ruled and is required to tend to their needs, guard and defend their Laws of Islam rights, and implement the Hudood (i.e., pl. of Hadd; corporal punishment prescribed for crimes by the Laws of Islam), protect them against injustice and aggression, and ward off their enemies. A ruler is required to abide by the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ in carrying out his duties towards the ruled, and to aspire to no reward except from Allah, Exalted is He. He should know that he shall be held accountable for the subjects under his care (on the Day of Judgment).
A husband is a guardian of his family, including his wife and dependents, and is responsible for them. He is required to carry out his duties towards them by providing for them, living with them in kindness, and disciplining them, and should know that he shall be held accountable for those under his care (on the Day of Judgment).
A woman is also a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it. She is required to manage his household sensibly, raise his children, and serve his guests, and she shall be held accountable for that before Allah, Exalted is He (on the Day of Judgment).
Moreover, a servant, meaning a slave or a hired worker in general, is a guardian of his master's or employer’s property, and is responsible for preserving his property, carrying out his duties and serving him, and he shall be held accountable for his responsibility before Allah, Exalted is He (on the Day of Judgment).
In addition, a man is a guardian of his father's property and is responsible for serving his best interests and shall be held accountable for it.
Each person is a guardian and responsible for the people and things under his care. The Prophet ﷺ made a general statement in the beginning and then detailed it in the following sentences, referring to a husband, woman, and so on, and then confirmed the meaning by another general statement to finally stress the religious ruling.
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2410
‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I heard a man reciting a ayah (of the Holy Quran) but I had heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting it differently. So, I caught hold of the man by the hand and took him to Allah's Messengerﷺwho said, "Both of you are right." Shu‘bah, the sub-narrator said, "I think he ﷺ said to them, "Do not differ, for the nations before you differed and perished (i.e., because of their differences). "
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, revealed different modes of recitations of the Noble Quran to make it easier for all Arabs (who spoke different dialects) to read it and miraculously challenge their command of their own language.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he heard a man reciting a ayah from Al-Ahqaaf chapter (no.46) with a different recitation that what he (may Allah be pleased with him) had heard from the Prophet ﷺ. Each of them informed the other that he had heard it from the Prophet ﷺ as he was reciting it, as narrated in Musnad Ahmad. ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) took the man, went to the Prophet ﷺ, and each of them recited the ayah differently. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Both of you are right," meaning that both modes of recitation were correct. He ﷺ added: “Do not differ, for the nations before you differed and perished (i.e., because of their differences).” This means that they had incurred their own destruction, because their differences led them to distort and change their Scripture, following their whims, and this fueled disputes and incurred the punishment of Allah, Exalted is He. In addition, the Islamic Laws of Islam promotes affinity among Muslims and warns against disunity and dissension within the Muslim community. He ﷺ meant that Muslims should recite the Quran, adhere to unity and agreement, and if there should be any doubts that call for disagreement and disunity, give them up, and rather adhere to the established facts of Islam that promote affinity, and beware of falling into blameworthy disagreement and disunity like the previous nations, incurring their own destruction.
Moreover, it is impermissible to disagree about the correct modes of recitation, because since it is allowable to recite the Quran with any of the correct modes of recitation as per the laws of Islam, if someone denied any of these modes of recitation, he would be denying the Quran. It is also impermissible to speak of the Quran based on one’s personal opinions, because the recitation of the Quran is an act of Sunnah, and Muslims must adhere to the reported Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in this regard. Rather, the disputing people should consult a more knowledgeable person about the disagreed-upon matter.
The hadeeth forbids disunity and disagreement.
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2411
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, "By Him Who gave Muhammad ﷺ superiority over all people! The Jew said, "By Him Who gave Moosaa superiority over all people!" At that, the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not give me superiority over Moosaa; on the Day of Resurrection, all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them, but I will be the first to gain consciousness, and will see Moosaa standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether Moosaa has also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke."
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Commentary :
Giving preference to any of the Prophets of Allah over the others is exclusive to Allah, Exalted is He. No human being should give preference to any of the Prophets over the others without knowledge, or following his personal whims. Rather, the only allowable preference in this context is what is stated in the Quran and clarified in the Prophet’s sayings. For instance, Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree.} [Quran 2:253].
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that a Muslim man and a Jewish one quarreled and verbally abused one another. The Muslim man said, "By Him Who favored Muhammad ﷺ and gave him superiority over all people!” The Jewish man said, "By Him Who favored Moosaa and gave him superiority over all people!" At that, the Muslim slapped the Jew on the face, for his lie, based on his understanding of the general indication of the word ‘people’ to include Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as well (i.e., he understood that the Jewish man’s statement meant that Moosaa was given superiority over the Prophet ﷺ). It is established for a Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ is the best of all the Prophets of Allah!
The Jew went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim person. The Prophet ﷺ sent for the Muslim and asked him about it, and he informed the Prophet ﷺ of the event. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not give me superiority over Moosaa;” meaning do not favor me over Moosaa in a way that leads to undermining his lofty status or leads to disputes and dissension. The Prophet ﷺ disliked favoring him over other Prophets of Allah out of his humbleness and to avoid potential disputes that would pave the way for Satan to sow seeds of discord among people. Thereafter, he ﷺ underlined the lofty status of Prophet Moosaa and stated that all people, including himself, will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, with the first blow of the Trumpet. He ﷺ will be the first to be resurrected with the second blow, and will see Prophet Moosaa standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah) with his hand. He ﷺ added: “I will not know whether Moosaa has also fallen unconscious and got up before me,” and this would be one of the evident merits of Prophet Moosaa, “or Allah has exempted him from that stroke.” Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills.} [Quran 39:68]. This would mean that Prophet Moosaa will be exempted from losing consciousness in that incident and it would be another virtue.
The Throne of Allah, Exalted is He, is Allah's (First and) Greatest Creation; it has pillars and is carried by angels. Allah, Exalted is He, Rose above the Throne (in a manner that befits Him); He Says (what means): {The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.} [Quran 20:5]. It is noteworthy that the attributes of ʻUluww (highness) of Allah as well as His Istiwaa' (establishment) over the Throne are among the Attributes of His Actions, which relate to the Will of Allah and whose instances recur according to His will. None but Him knows how these attributes are (i.e., the manner in which Allah’s Attributes take form and their essence are only known to Him). Whatever occurs to one’s mind with regard to His Attributes, Allah, Exalted is He, isentirely different and far above it.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Prophet Mossaa..

2435
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "An animal should not be milked without the permission of its owner. Does any of you like that somebody comes to his store and breaks his container and takes away his food? The udders of the animals are the stores of their owners where their provision is kept, so nobody should milk the animals of somebody else, without the permission of their owner."
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Commentary :
Islam urges Muslims to preserve people's wealth and forbids devouring it unlawfully.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade milking someone’s animal, i.e., domesticated animals reared by people such as sheep and camels, without his permission. The hadeeth forbade milking these cattle in the pastures or barns except with the permission of their owners. He ﷺ confirmed his prohibition by saying: “Does any of you like that somebody comes to his store and breaks his container and takes away his food?”  The container here refers to a cupboard where the landlord stores his food and provisions, and breaking it means breaking it open and stealing his food. Similarly, one must not milk another person’s cattle without his permission. He ﷺ explained: “The udders of the animals are the stores of their owners where their provision is kept,” he ﷺ likened their udders where their milk is stored, to the cupboard where food and belongings are stored. Since no one would approve that someone should break his cupboard open and steal his food, similarly no one should milk these animals without the owner’s permission.
He ﷺ furthered emphasized the prohibition in this regard by saying: “… so nobody should milk the animals of somebody else, without the permission of their owner.”
Other versions of the hadeeth, like the one recorded in Sunan Ibn Maajah, referred to permissibility of milking others’ animals and drinking their milk. The meaning of such narrations is interpreted as to refer exclusively to the wayfarers, the destitute, and people at a time of famine, or when it is known that the owner of such an animal would authorize such disposal of his property, or that people in that place customarily pardon such disposal, provided that the person should limit himself to drinking only what suffices him and nothing more, and must not store any of the milk.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is forbidden for a Muslim to take anything from others without their permission, and the hadeeth made mention of milk in particular because people may be negligent in this regard (i.e., perceive it as insignificant), and therefore he ﷺ pointed it out to emphasize the need to preserve people’s other significant items of wealth.
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2437
Suwayyd ibn Ghafalah narrated:
While I as in the company of Salmaaan ibn Rabi‘ah and Zayd ibn Suwhaan, in one of the battles, I found a whip. One of them told me to drop it but I refused to do so and said that I would give it to its owner if I found him, otherwise I would utilize it. On our return we performed Hajj and on passing by Al-Madeenah, I asked Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) about it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ and took it to the Prophet ﷺ who said to me, 'Make public announcement about it for one year.' So, I announced it for one year and went to the Prophet ﷺwho said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' So, I announced it for another year. I went to him again and he ﷺ said, "Announce for another year." So, I announced for still another year. I went to the Prophet ﷺ for the fourth time, and he ﷺ said, 'Remember the amount of money, the (detailed) description of its container and the string it is tied with, and if the owner comes (and claims it), give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.’”.

Commentary :
Islam pays significant care to preserving people's wealth, and keenly ensurs that it should not be wasted. Therefore, it has enacted laws and laid down guidelines to preserve people’s wealth.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined what a Muslim should do when he finds a lost item of wealth and he does not know its owner. The Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Suwayyd ibn Ghafalah narrated that he found a whip thrown on the floor and took it. He was in the company of the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Salmaaan ibn Rabi‘ah, and it was also said that the Taabi‘ee Zayd ibn Suwhaan was with them during a battle. One of them told him to drop it, but he refused to do so and said that he would give it to its owner if he found him, otherwise he would utilize it.
On their return, they performed Hajj and passed by Al-Madeenah where Suwayyd ibn Ghafalah saw Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about the religious ruling on picking up such a whip. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ and took it to the Prophet ﷺ who said to me, 'Make a public announcement about it for one year,' meaning to publicly announce it to people at marketplaces, gatherings, and mosques, and the places where he most likely believed that he might find its owner. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was commanded to announce it for one year and keep it with him (as a trust) until its owner showed up to claim it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) announced it for one year, but its owner did not show up, and therefore he (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺwho said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) did the same for a second year, but no one showed up to claim it. Again, the Prophet ﷺ commanded him to announce it for a third year.  After the end of the third year, he (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ for the fourth time, and he ﷺ said, 'Remember the amount of money, the (detailed) description of its container and the string it is tied with,’ to be able to verify the truthfulness of whoever claims it, ‘and if the owner comes (and claims it), give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.’”
Shu‘bah ibn Al-Hajjaaj (one of the narrators) said: “I met him (i.e., Salamah ibn Kuhayl) in Makkah and he said: ‘I do not know whether he said three years or one year.’”
To reconcile between the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) and the one narrated by Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him), recorded in Shaheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, stating that the lost item of wealth should be publicly announced for one year only, it can be said that the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) is interpreted as to urge Muslims to adhere to the becoming mindfulness of Allah and graciously refrain from disposing of the Luqtah (i.e., lost and found item of wealth) and to deem oneself above availing of it, and the one narrated by Zayd ibn Kaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) stated the original ruling.
The hadeeth highlights how Islam assigns care and attention to all worldly affairs that are of concern to people, and become part of their lives directly or indirectly.
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2440
Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "When the believers pass safely over the Siraat (i.e., the bridge across Hellfire), they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hellfire and Paradise where they will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the worldly life, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is, everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this worldly life."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, deemed injustice forbidden for Himself, declared it forbidden for His servants, and promised the unjust people Qisaas (i.e., retribution) and severe punishments. If the unjust wrongdoer escaped the due Qisaas in the worldly life, there is no escaping on the Day of Resurrection, nor there shall be a refuge from Allah, Exalted is He. There, neither wealth nor offspring will be of any avail.
The hadeeth depicts a horrific scene from the Day of Resurrection, where the believers will be stopped at a bridge between Hellfire and Paradise after passing safely over the Siraat (i.e., the bridge across Hellfire) and being saved from Hellfire by the grace and mercy of Allah, Exalted is He. The Angels will stop them at a bridge between Hellfire and Paradise where they will retaliate against each other for the injustices committed against one another in the worldly life. It is noteworthy that such retaliation will be specifically for those whose acts of injustice and grievances against him do not exhaust all their rewards, otherwise they would have been thrown into Hellfire and it would not have been true to say that they had been delivered from it.Whoever had wronged his fellow Muslim brother more (i.e., had committed moreacts of injustice) in the worldly life, his rewards will be deducted, and then they will enter Paradise. They shall share the places therein in proportion to the remaining rewards left for each of them, and this is why they will retaliate against one another by means of their rewards after being delivered from Hellfire, and Allah knows best. This is because no one will enter Paradise before his liability is cleared from any grievance and injustice against anyone.
After they retaliate against each other for the injustices committed against one another in the worldly life, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ swore by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, that everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this worldly life. They will be able to recognize their dwellings in Paradise easily because they would be shown to them repeatedly every morning and evening in their graves. It was reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “When one of you dies, his abode among the inhabitants of Paradise will be shown to him, morning and evening, if he is to be one of them; but if he is to be one of the inhabitants of Hellfire, his abode among them will be shown him. He will be told that this is his abode to which Allah will finally raise him on the day of resurrection.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
The hadeeth warns against committing injustice against others, and emphasizes the fact that people will inevitably retaliate against each other for the injustices they had committed against one another in the worldly life on the Day of Judgment, and each will get his rights back.
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2441
Safwaan ibn Muhriz Al-Maazinee narrated:
While I was walking with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once holding his hand, a man came in front of us and asked, "What have you heard from Allah's Messengerﷺ about An-Najwaa (i.e., private conversation between Allah and His obedient servants)?" Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard Allah's Messengerﷺ saying, 'Allah, Exalted is He, will bring a believer near Him and shelter him with His Screen and ask him: ‘Did you commit such-and-such sins?’ He will say: ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Allah will keep on asking him till he will confess all his sins and will think that he is ruined. Allah will say: 'I did screen your sins in the world and I forgive them for you today', and then he will be given the book of his good deeds. Regarding infidels and hypocrites (their evil acts will be exposed publicly) and the witnesses will say, as Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {These are the ones who lied against their Lord." Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Quran 11:18]”
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Commentary :
The mercy of Allah, Exalted is He, encompasses everything, and His mercy in the Hereafter shall be greater than the divine mercy manifested in the worldly life, and it shall be exclusively bestowed upon His believing servants. It will have many manifestations, including His screen concealing the believers during the reckoning.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Safwaan ibn Mihriz Al-Maazinee stated that he was walking once with ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) while holding his hand, when a man showed up and asked him about Al-Najwaa (i.e., private conversation between Allah and His obedient servants). Linguistically, the Arabic word Najwaa means whisper and private conversation with someone. It here refers to the private conversation between Allah, Exalted is He, and the believers during the reckoning. It is a manifestation of the grace of Allah, Exalted is He, to remind the believer of his sins in secret. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet ﷺstated that Allah, Exalted is He, will bring the believer near Him and shelter him with His screen. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Kanaf, which linguistically means concealment and protection. He will conceal him from the rest of the creation so as not to disgrace him by exposing his sins before them. He will speak to him secretly and ask him to confirm his sins: “Do you know such-and-such sin?” He would respond: “O my Lord, I know; O my Lord, I know.” Allah, Exalted is He, will continue to kindly and secretly remind him of his sins and he would acknowledge them all, and would believe with certainty that he would be thrown into Hellfire accordingly, unless Allah, Exalted is He, confers upon him His mercy and pardon. Allah, Exalted is He, would say to him: “I did screen your sins in the worldly life, and I will forgive them for you today.”
As for the disbelievers and hypocrites who were insincere with regard to their beliefs, their evil acts will be exposed publicly and the witnesses, i.e., the Angels, Prophets, Jinn, and mankind, will say (what means): {These are the ones who lied against their Lord}, by disbelieving and attributing to Allah, Exalted is He, what was not befitting Him including: partners, a son, a wife, and the like of these falsehoods, {Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Quran 11:18]. This means that the wrath of Allah will be poured onto them, and these disbelievers, who had devoted worship to other than Him, shall be expelled from His mercy.
The hadeeth also affirms the Attribute of Speech with respect to Allah, Exalted is He, in a manner that befits Majesty.

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2442
 ‘Abdullah Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah, Exalted is He, will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah, Exalted is He, will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection.”
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Commentary :
Islam built Muslim society on a solid foundation of brotherhood and solidarity among them. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {The believers are but brothers.} [Quran 49:10].
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us of the mutual duties Muslims have towards one another. He ﷺ stated that a Muslim, whether he is a free man or slave, an adult or minor, is a brother to his fellow Muslims. This brotherhood entails that a Muslim must not wrong his fellow Muslims; Allah, Exalted is He, deemed injustice forbidden, no matter how insignificant it may seem. At the same time, a Muslim is also required to rescue his fellow Muslims from any injustice or oppression, and must not to leave them subjected to it without providing them with help, and he should also not leave them to those who harm them without protection,to the best of his ability.
He ﷺ also stated that whoever strives to fulfill the needs of his fellow Muslim brother, Allah, Exalted is He, will help him and make things easy for him to fulfill his own needs. Moreover, whoever helps a fellow Muslim when a worldly calamity befalls him, i.e., distress or adversity pertaining to his worldly affairs, until his grief and calamity are relieved, Allah, Exalted is He, will relieve him of a calamity and terror on the Day of Resurrection. In addition, whoever sees one of his fellow brother’s faults or flaws and conceals it, Allah, Exalted is He, will conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection. It is noteworthy that this does not mean that he should turn a blind eye and remain silent when he sees his fellow Muslim brother commit a sin. Rather, it is incumbent to advise and forbid him from it, using the prescribed means of forbidding sin until he refrains (from committing that sin). This is a manifestation of the enjoined sincerity towards one’s fellow Muslim brothers.
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2449
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his honor or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, deemed injustice forbidden for Himself, declared it forbidden for His slaves, and promised the unjust people Qisaas (i.e., retribution) and severe punishments. If the unjust wrongdoer escaped Qisaas in the worldly life, there is no escaping from it on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall there be refuge from Allah, Exalted is He. There, neither wealth nor offspring will be of any avail.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commands any Muslim who had done his fellow Muslims wrong and committed against them acts of injustice with regard to honor, e.g., defamation and slander, or with regard to wealth (withholding or infringing upon their financial rights), or physical injury and the like, to seek his pardon in this worldly life before the Day of Resurrection should come, when there shall be neither Dinar of gold nor Dirham of silver which he may pay to compensate the wronged person and redeem himself. Retribution between people on the Day of Resurrection will be with their good and evil deeds. A wronged person will take from the good deeds of the one who had wronged him on the Day of Judgment in proportion to his act of injustice, and if such a person’s good deeds fall short of clearing the account, then some of the sins from the people whom he had wronged will be added to his record of evil deeds.
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2454
Saalim's father, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection."
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Commentary :
No one performs a good deed or commits a sin in this worldly life, except that he will be rewarded or punished for it on the Day of Resurrection accordingly. Since injustice and aggression are among the gravest sins and the most heinous misdeeds about which stern warnings were reported, the punishments designated for them are among the most severe.
This hadeeth underlines the punishment of the one who takes part of someone’s land unjustly and transgressively, be it a small or large area of land. Whoever commits this sin, Allah, Exalted is He, will cause him to sink down seven earths on the Day of Resurrection; they will swallow him up.
It was narrated on the authority of Sa’eed ibn Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If anyone usurps a span of land unjustly, Allah, Exalted is He, will strangle him with it from seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that he will be caused to sink down into the earth until it becomes like a necklace around his neck, which Allah will cause it to be long (i.e., he will be strangled with it). It could also mean that these different punishments are designated for the perpetrators of this sin and they shall vary according to the gravity of the evil committed by them. Some of them will be subjected to one punishment and the others will be subjected to the other.
The hadeeth emphasizes the prohibition of injustice and usurping others’ lands, and highlights the severe punishment designated for that sin.
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2455
Jabalah said:
"We were in Al-Madeenah with some of Iraqi people, and we were struck with famine and Ibn Al- Zubayr used to give us dates. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pass by and say, "The Prophet ﷺ forbade us to eat two dates at a time, unless one takes the permission of one's companions.”
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Commentary :
Islam instills the values of self-contentment and altruism within its followers, teaches them the etiquette of eating, for a person eating alone, and when someone else joins him for the meal.
In this hadeeth, Jablah ibn Suhaym related that they were in Al-Madeenah with some people from Iraq, and they were afflicted with high prices and famine, so ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to offer them dates. ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would pass by them while they were eating these dates and tell them that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade eating more than one date at a time, putting another date in one’s mouth before finishing the other, when one is eating with a group of people and there is not much food. The one who eats two dates at a time is trying to have a bigger share than the others, and this constitutes injustice against them, in addition to greed that reflects such a person’s bad moral character. The Prophet ﷺ forbade such an act unless the doer seeks the permission of his companions, for being in a hurry and wanting to leave for example, and they give him permission, because it is his companions’ right and they are entitled to give up their rights. This prohibition aims to teach such a person to recognize others’ rights to the shared food as well.
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2457
‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome one."
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Commentary :
Islam urges Muslims to embody good morals in their interactions and dealings with people, and therefore it encourages them to be kind and courteous with others.
The hadeeth states a stern warning against the quarrelsome person and underlines that such person is the most hated to Allah, Exalted is He! A quarrelsome person is the one who is given to quarrels, disputes, and arguments. Allah, Exalted is He, hates such a person the most, and this entails falling into sin and incurring His punishment accordingly. Such a quarrelsome person engages in arguments and disputes without any knowledge, and this leads to wasting people’s rights, which constitutes injustice against them and support of falsehood. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents.} [Quran 2:204].
The hadeeth also warns against exceeding the proper limits with opponents and against behaving in an impudent and insulting manner when claiming rights, using abusive language, or arguing without knowledge (i.e., for the sake of argument).
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2461
 ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We said to the Prophet ﷺ, "You send us out and it happens that we have to stay with people who do not entertain us. What do you think about it?” He ﷺ said to us, "If you stay with some people and they entertain you as they should for a guest, accept their hospitality, but if they do not, take the right of the guest from them."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to pay a special care and attention to the affairs of the Muslims, and instruct them to embody noble morals and good manners, including showing hospitality to their guests. It is one of the manifestations of noble moral character, part of the Islamic etiquette, and one of the manners of the Prophets of Allah and the righteous.
In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ that when he delegated them to people, some of them refrained from showing them the enjoined hospitality. The Prophet ﷺ informed them that when their host offered them the enjoined hospitality, they should accept it, and if he were to refrain, they were entitled to take from his wealth what would compensate for such hospitality, because a host is enjoined as per the laws of Islam to entertain and show hospitality to his guests, and this is a religious obligation that must be observed.
This hadeeth is interpreted to mean that when the guests are in need of it, the enjoined hospitality may be taken from the reluctant host’s wealth (since he withholds their due rights). It is also possible that this was the ruling in the early days of Islam when solidarity was obligatory, and when Muslims conquered many lands (and earned spoils of war), and that this ruling was abrogated with the words of the Prophet ﷺ narrated on the authority of Aboo Shurayh Al-‘Adawee (may Allah be pleased with him) reading: “Whoever (truly) believes in Allah, Exalted is He, and the Last Day, let him entertain his guest generously by giving him his reward, which is (to be entertained generously for) a day and a night…” [Al-Bukhaaree]. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Jaa’izah (reward) and this indicates that such hospitality is recommended rather than obligatory. It is also possible that the hadeeth refers to the workers or envoys sent by a ruler to carry out certain tasks, as indicated by their words, ‘You send us out.’ Therefore, the people to whom the Prophet ﷺ sent them were obliged to provide food, riding mounts, and accommodation for these workers or envoys in return for the task they performed, because they cannot perform their tasks without the fulfillment of such rights.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that whoever could take his right from the one withholding it has the right to take it as long as it does not incur a graver evil..

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..