| 2 Hadiths


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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