| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
1770
Narrated ‘Amr ibn Dinaar that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Thoo al-Majaaz and `Ukaath were the markets of the people during the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When the people embraced Islam, they disliked to do bargaining there till the following ayaat were revealed: {There is no harm for you If you seek of the bounty of your Lord (during Hajj by trading, etc.)} (Quran 2:198)
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺdetailed all that which is lawful for the pilgrim during his Ihraam. Then, his honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Thoo Majaaz and ‘Ukaath were the two marketplaces for the people in the time of ignorance (i.e. before Islam).   Thoo Majaaz is a place located beside ‘Arafah, It has been said: it is in Minaa. As for ‘Ukaath, it is behind Qarn al-Manaazil, 44km away on the road to San’aa of Yemen. When Islam came, it seems that the Muslims disliked trading during the days of Hajj just like the polytheists and out of their fear of falling into the sin, for becoming busy on the days of the rites of pilgrimage with something else besides the worship, until the statement of Allah Almighty was revealed, {There is no blame on you for seeking the bounty of Your Lord [during Hajj]} [Al-Baqarah: 198], meaning: there is no sin at all in seeking the permissible sustenance by trading and so on during Hajj as grace and sustenance from Allah, the Sublime, and this is a generous bounty from Allah, the Sublime, on them.
A group of Arabs during the period of ignorance thought it was sinful to trade during the days of Hajj. When the ten days of Thoo al-Hijjah entered, they would withhold themselves from buying and selling. No market would be erected for them. They called those who left with them for trade as helpers. They would say: those are ad-Daajj and they are not Haajj.  Ad-Daajj: followers and helpers, and Haajj: pilgrims.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible for one in Ihraam to buy and sell, and that it is allowed to trade in the marketplaces that existed during the time of ignorance and of the polytheists.

1773
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic has made acts of obedience and all acts of goodness as expiations for the sins and elevators of ranks. Among the most majestic of acts of obedience and the highest of them in ranks are Hajj and ‘Umrah.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺinforms us of the virtue of the worship of Hajj and ‘Umrah. As for ‘Umrah, the Prophet ﷺhas spoken about it, “‘Umrah to ‘Umrah is an act of expiation for all the sins that have occurred between them,” meaning: one who performs two ‘Umrahs consecutively, these two ‘Umrahs become a means of expiation of the minor sins that have been committed between them and of not being taken to task by them on the Day of Judgement. ‘Umrah: is devotional worship to Allah Almighty by assuming the Ihraam from the Meeqaat and by performing the Tawaaf of the House, walking between the Safaa and Marwah and by exiting the Ihraam by shaving the head or by shortening the hair. As for the Hajj, it is the intention to visit the Sacred Monuments in order to perform the Hajj rites at a specific place and specific time for the devotional worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Then, the Prophet ﷺhighlighted that the reward of a “Mabroor” Hajj is nothing but Paradise.  Mabroor is that [righteous] act with which no sin has been intermixed or it is a pure and accepted act that is free from showing off and acquiring fame, while its pillars and its obligatory acts have been realised within it. The reward of this Hajj before Allah is only Paradise.
This hadeeth contains encouragement to perform ‘Umrah more often..

1774
Narrated Ibn Jurayj: `Ikrimah ibn Khaalid asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about performing `Umrah before Hajj. Ibn `Umar replied, "There is no harm in it." `Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Umar also said, 'The Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah before performing Hajj.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Sublime and High, has commanded us to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah. Allah states, {Complete the Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah.} [Al-Baqarah, 2: 196]
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Ikrimah ibn Khaalid ibn al-‘Aasee al-Makhzoomee asked the Companion, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the performance of ‘Umrah before performing the obligation of Hajj, while he does not intend thereby to perform Tamattu’. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) answered that there was nothing wrong in performing ‘Umrah before the Hajj. When a Muslim has not performed Hajj and is able to perform ‘Umrah [first], then there is no blame on him,” because the Prophet ﷺdid that; he performed ‘Umrah before performing Hajj. According to the hadeeth in Sunan Aboo Dawood, it reads, “Yes, of course. What stops you from doing that? The Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed all his ‘Umrahs before his Hajj and we too performed ‘Umrah.”
‘Umrah is different from Hajj. ‘Umrah: is a devotional act of worship for Allah which is done by performing the Tawaaf of the House, performing the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and exiting from it by shaving the head or having a haircut. It does not have a specified time in a year. As for Hajj, it entails intending to visit the Sacred Monuments to perform the rites at a specified place and time as a devotional act of worship for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
This hadeeth encourages us to hasten to perform the acts of obedience whenever it is easy for us to do it. .

1775
Narrated Mujaahid: ‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr and I entered the Mosque (of the Prophet) and saw `Abdullah ibn `Umar sitting near the dwelling place of ‘Aaishah and some people were offering the Duhaa prayer. We asked him about their prayer, and he replied that it was an innovation. He (‘Urwah) then asked him how many times the Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah. He replied, 'Four times; one of them was in the month of Rajab." We disliked to argue with him. Then, we heard `’Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, cleaning her teeth with Siwaak in the dwelling place. 'Urwah said, "O Mother! O Mother of the Believers! Don't you hear what Aboo `Abd al-Rahmaan is saying?" She said, "What does he say?" 'Urwah said, "He says that Allah's Messenger ﷺ performed four `Umrah and one of them was in the month of Rajab." `’Aaishah said, "May Allah be merciful to Aboo `Abd al-Rahmaan! The Prophet ﷺ did not perform any `Umrah except that he was with him, and he never performed any `Umrah in Rajab."
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Commentary : Muslims in the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would sometimes differ in some [secondary] issues, however, they maintained decorum in disagreements which the Prophet ﷺtaught them. They did not overstep the limits in clarifying the truth, presenting it, and refuting the error.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Mujaahid ibn Jabr reports that a disagreement ensued between the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the time of one ‘Umrah that the Prophet ﷺperformed. He explains that he entered with ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr the Prophet’s Mosque where they found ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sitting and reclining towards the wall of the room of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and found some people offering the forenoon prayer in the Mosque. They asked him about the ruling of this prayer, and he informed that gathering the Mosque to offer in this form is an innovation that contradicts the Sunnah, and not that the prayer per se is an innovation. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) only criticised praying it continuously, offering it in the Mosque, and its performance in congregation. He did not deny that offering the forenoon prayer is from the Sunnah. It is well established in the two Saheeh Books and in other Hadeeth books that the Prophet ﷺperformed the forenoon prayer (Duhaa Prayer) and also encouraged its performance. The original meaning of religious innovation is to introduce that which did not exist before , i.e. innovating something without having a previous example for it. With that said, if anything of that sort happens in religion that is against the Sunnah upon which the Muslims have approved, and it does not have a foundation in the Book [of Allah] and the Sunnah, then that is a dispraised innovation that is void of goodness and we are discouraged and prohibited from doing it. As this will entail bringing a new thing into religion after its perfection. However, anything of the innovation that does not contradict the principles of Islamic law and the Sunnah, is a good innovation. This understanding is applied to the statement of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the Taraaweeh prayer when he described it as an innovation.
Then, ‘Urwah asked about how many times the Prophet ﷺperformed ‘Umrah. To which, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he ﷺperformed it four times, and one of them he performed it in the month of Rajab. They both disliked arguing with him about it so, they handed over the task of responding to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
After that, Mujaahid mentioned that he and ‘Urwah heard the sound created by the movement of the teeth cleaning twig on the teeth of ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, coming from her apartment. Thereupon, ‘Urawah called his maternal aunt ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with a raised voice asking her about the statement of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the ‘Umrah of the Prophet ﷺand that one of them happened to be in Rajab. ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) responded to him by saying, “May Allah have mercy on Aboo ‘Abd al-Rahmaan.” The reason she addressed him with his nickname is to show reverence to him, and she supplicated for him as an inference that he had forgotten. Then, she remarked that the Messenger of Allah ﷺIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was present with the Prophet ﷺin all the ‘Umrahs he ﷺperformed. For this reason, she is surprised of hearing that he said one of them was in the month of Rajab. Her statement was made in order to intensify the emphasis on Ibn ‘Umar’s forgetfulness regarding this matter. She only objected to the part of his statement “that one of them was in Rajab.” In a different version of the hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Muslim, ‘Urwah commented by saying, “[She said that] while Ibn ‘Umar listening. However, he did not say, “yes,” nor “no,” rather he remained silent.” The fact that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not respond to her statement, confirms the authenticity of the statement of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and that definitely an error and forgetfulness had ensued from him.
The hadeeth shows that the one who is more knowledgeable about a subject matter should correct the mistake of others regarding the matter, even if the other person is a scholar.
It shows that even a benevolent, perfect, virtuous person may forget some of the Sunnah he has heard or witnessed.
It highlights the sound knowledge of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and her knowledge of the Sunnah and the conditions of the Prophet ﷺ..

1778
Narrated Qataadah: I asked Anas how many times the Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah. He replied, "Four times. 1. `Umrah of Hudaybiyyah in Thoo al-Qa’dah when the polytheists hindered him; 2. `Umrah in the following year in Thoo al-Qa’dah after the peace treaty with them (the polytheists); 3. `Umrah from Al-Ja'rraanah where he distributed the war booty." I think he meant the booty (of the battle) of Hunayn. I asked, "How many times did he perform Hajj?" He (Anas) replied, "Once. "
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Commentary : Hajj and ‘Umrah are among the most rewarding acts of worship that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas keen on. He ﷺappreciated the ‘Umrah so much that he performed it multiple times.
In this hadeeth, the Taab’iee Qataadah ibn Di’aamah reports that he asked the Companion, Anas ibn Maalik, (may Allah be pleased with him) about the number of the ‘Umrahs of the Prophet ﷺ. ‘Umrah: is a devotional act of worship for the sake of Allah by entering into the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat, doing the Tawaaf around the House and the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and exiting it by shaving the head or cutting the hair short. It is an act of worship that does not have any limited time during the year.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) answered that he ﷺperformed four ‘Umrahs.   The first one was the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaibiyyah in Thoo al-Qa’dah in the sixth year of the Hijrah when the polytheists prevented him from performing it, thus he and his Companions could not reach the House. Hence, they exited their Ihraam and this was considered an ‘Umrah for them. It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas encircled. He shaved his head and had a sexual relationship with his wives, and he slaughtered his sacrificial animals until he performed the ‘Umrah in the following year. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]. Al-Hudaibiyyah is a big town closer to Makkah towards the side of Al-Madeenah. The place has been called after the name of the well there. Now, it is a valley at a distance of 22km from Makkah on the way to Jeddah. The name al-Hudaibiyyah became famous in the Sunnah for the treaty which was made between the Prophet and Quraysh.
The second one was ‘Umrah al-Qadaa, which was based upon the reconciliation and agreement the Prophet ﷺmade with the polytheists that he will head back from al-Hudaibiyyah and will return the following year. The return happened in Thoo al-Qa’dah in the seventh year of the Hijrah. It is also known as ‘Umrah al-Qadiyyah, and the reason why it was named as ‘Umrah al-Qadaa’ and al-Qadiyyah is that the Prophet ﷺmade a pact with Quraysh and not because it happened as a Qadaa’ (makeup) of the ‘Umrah which the Prophet was prevented from performing. Had that been the case, then both would have been classified as a single ‘Umrah.
The third ‘one was the ‘Umrah of al-Ji’irraanah, which happened in a place called al-Ji’irraanah, located between Makkah and at-Taaif, seven miles (11km) away from Makkah. The Prophet ﷺhalted at it when he was returning to Al-Madeenah from the battle of Hunayn wherein he distributed the spoils of Hunayn – that is a valley three miles away from Makkah. Then, he entered into the state of Ihraam from there and entered Makkah at night. He ﷺ performed the rites of ‘Umrah. Then, he returned to al-Ji’irraanah. Thus, he became a night-spender there. Hence, it was named as ‘Umrah al-Ji’irraanah. This happened in the eighth year of the Hijrah.
The fourth ‘one was dropped out from this narration; however, it was mentioned in another narration by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. This is the ‘Umrah that was done with his Hajj – the Farewell Hajj – in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He ﷺperformed Hajj al-Qiraan where ‘Umrah and Hajj were done with one Ihraam. It was said: the fourth ‘Umrah is indirectly mentioned in this hadeeth when he mentioned that he performed the Hajj only once, given that the Prophet ﷺwas a Qaarin (the performer of the Qiraan-kind of Hajj).
Qataadah happened to ask Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), “How many times did the Prophetﷺ perform the Hajj?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that the Prophet ﷺonly performed Hajj once and that was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. It is well-known as the Farewell Hajj..

1787
Narrated ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr: `Aaishah (raa) said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The people are returning after performing Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning with one only?" He said, "Wait till you become clean from your menses and then go to al-Tan`eem, assume Ihraam (and after performing `Umrah) join us at such-and-such a place. But it (i.e., the reward of `Umrah) is according to your expenses or the hardship (which you will undergo while performing it).
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺdemonstrated the rites of the Pilgrimage by his words and actions. The Companions (ras) have narrated them to us - so that we may be able to live, abide, and implement them on our own observance of Hajj.
In this hadeeth, The Mother of the Believers - ‘Aa’ishah (raa) - reports on some of what happened during the Farewell Pilgrimage. The text of this hadeeth is a part of a longer narration in which she (raa) had narrated about the time when they (i.e., the Companions) departed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺwithout any intention to do anything else, except for performing the Hajj. So, when they arrived at Makkah, he ﷺ ordered that whoever did not bring along a sacrificial offering from outside of Makkah and its Sacred Precinct to release themselves from the state of ihraam (which is the hallowed mode of being that a pilgrim enters when embarking on the Hajj or ‘Umrah) after: circumambulating the Ka‘bah, performing the ritual walk between al-Safaa and al-Marwah, and shaving or cutting their hair when performing an ‘Umrah (rather than only a Hajj) to the eighth of Thoo al-Hijjah which is the Day of Quenching Thirst (Tarwiyah). Thereafter, they entered into the state of Ihraam for Hajj. As for ‘Aa’ishah (raa), the onset of her menses which occurred at night while they were at Saraf - which is the name of an area situated about ten miles from Makkah - had prevented her from entering Makkah. She was in a state of ihraam for ‘Umrah, while also initially entering this state with the intention of performing the Hajj as well, thus becoming a pilgrim who performs the Holy Pilgrimage by combining the Hajj and ‘Umrah with a single intention and state of sanctity throughout the whole pilgrimage. Thus, she (raa) didn’t perform the circumambulations for ‘Umrah around the Ka‘bah, due to the onset of her menses which had prevented her from doing so. As for the Farewell Circumambulation, she performed it on the Day of Sacrifice [i.e. the 10th day of ThooHijjah]. So, she (raa) complained to The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and explained that the reason for her sadness was due to the people returning with the completion of two separate rites of worship - namely, Hajj and ‘Umrah - while evidently she was returning with only one. She (raa) highly desired for both, due to her desire to increase her actions of worship - as was the case for all of the Mothers of the Believers (raa) and other Companions (ras). Thereafter, The Prophet ﷺ said to her (raa): “Wait until you are ritually pure from your menses, then set out to al-Tan‘eem”, which is a place about three or four miles from Makkah and is the closest non-sacred area near the Holy Masjid of Makkah. It was called that because the mountain, Jabal Nu’aym, is to its right. And to its left is another mountain named Jabal Naa’im; and the valley’s name therein is Na‘maan. Then he ﷺsaid to her: “Assume the state of a pilgrim’s sanctity”, meaning: “Enter into the state of ihraam, recite the Talbiyah (a prayer that is uttered by the pilgrim as a statement that they are intending to perform the Holy Pilgrimage for Allah alone) and perform the ‘Umrah.” Then, The Prophet ﷺsent her (raa) with her brother, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakr (ra). Thereafter, he ﷺsaid to Lady ‘Aa’ishah (raa): ‘Then proceed and join us at such and such a place’; intending al-‘Abtah by this statement, which is the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺstayed after departing from Minaa; and set off, returning to al-Madeenah. It is called al-Muhassib, and it is an expansive place which spans between: Makkah, Minaa, and the Two Mountains; as well as to the cemeteries in the area. It was called this because of the gravel that collected there due to the strong torrents depositing them there. Now, it is called al-Ja‘fariyyah, and is a dependent region subsumed under the Jummayzah district. Then, The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “However, it is in proportion to your expenses, or hardship.” That is to say: that the reward regarding the performance of ‘Umrah is commensurate with the hardship, toil, fatigue, and struggles faced; along with the expenses incurred during it. So, the more money that is spent and effort expended; the greater the reward, which is then given from Allah, The Almighty. Some of the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the rewards for worship are multiplied by the exertion that one puts forth and expenses spent during it. And lastly, it shows the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj..

1791
Narrated `Abdullah bin Aboo Awfaa: "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed `Umrah and we too performed `Umrah along with him. When he entered Makkah, he performed the Tawaaf (round the Ka`bah) and we too performed it along with him, and then he came to As-Safaa and Al-Marwah (i.e., performed the rite of brisk walking) and we also did it along with him. We were shielding him from the people of Makkah lest they may hit him with an arrow." One of my friends asked him (i.e., `Abdullah bin Awfaa), "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) enter the Ka`bah (during that `Umrah)?" He replied in the negative. Then he said, "What did he (the Prophet ﷺ) say about Khadeejah (raa)?" He (Abdullah bin `Awfaa) said, "(He said) 'Give Khadeejah the good tidings that she will have a palace made of Qasab in Paradise and there will be neither noise nor any trouble in it."
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Commentary : The Companions (ras) loved the Messenger of Allah more than they loved themselves; so, they were eager to be near him at his home and during his ﷺtravels; and they (ras) were willing to offer their lives in sacrifice for him ﷺ. In this hadith, ‘Abd Allah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) reports that they were performing ‘Umrah with The Prophet ﷺ, and that was during the ‘Umrah that was made up when the polytheists had prevented The Prophet ﷺ from offering the ‘Umrah in the year when the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed during the sixth year after Hijrah, when he ﷺ made peace with them with the condition that he ﷺ and the Muslims could return to the city of Makkah for ‘Umrah the next year - which took place in the month of Thoo al-Qa‘dah in the seventh year after Hijrah. So, when The Messenger of Allah entered Makkah, he ﷺcircumambulated the Ka‘bah seven times. Likewise, the Companions (ras) did so with him ﷺ. Thereafter, he ﷺ performed the ritual walk between al-Safaa and Marwah, and they (ras) did so with him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺbegan the first lap of this rite by walking from the hill of Safaa to hill of Marwah, and the second round is opposite of that i.e., from Marwah to Safaa. The third round is similar to the first, and so forth until the rite of the ritual walk is completed on the seventh lap. The Companions (ras) used to gather around The Prophet ﷺ and shield him from the polytheistic people of Makkah during their circumambulation of the Ka‘bah and ritualistic walk; out of fear that they would throw something and injure The Prophet ﷺ. Then, a man asked the narrator of this hadeeth about whether or not The Messenger of Allah had entered the Ka‘bah on this ‘Umrah; to which he responded that he ﷺ didn’t enter it at that time. In this hadeeth, the man who had asked ‘Abd Allah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) then proceeded to inquire about what The Prophet ﷺ said about Khadeejah (raa). To this, Ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) reports that The Prophet ﷺ said: “Bear good tidings that Khadeejah (ra) will have a house in Paradise made of brilliant pearls.” That is to say: a palace in Paradise which is made out of hollowed pearls and sapphires. “and there will be no tumult, nor difficulty therein.” Meaning: There will be no crying from the people of this world in it, nor hardship befalling its occupant; because there is no house of this world in which its people come together; except that there is turmoil and uproar between them, and its amelioration and adjustment is only temporarily achieved through toil and hardship. So, he ﷺ related that Khadeejah’s (raa) - The Mother of the Believers - palaces in Paradise differ from what the aforementioned; there is no semblance of the ruin that afflicts the people of this world. Likewise, the rest of the houses of the people in Paradise will not have any manifestations of spiritual or physical hardship. The reason why these two qualities which mentioned in the portion of the hadeeth which states: “...and there will be no tumult, nor difficulty therein” are negated is that when The Prophet ﷺcalled for faith and belief in Allah, Lady Khadeejah (raa) responded willingly, and didn’t require him ﷺto raise a sound, nor was there any dispute or hardship in it. Rather, she (raa): removed every hardship for him ﷺ, kept him ﷺ company in every moment of loneliness, and made every difficulty easy for him ﷺ. So, it is suitable that her home which her Lord brought word of corresponds to the qualities equivalent to that. One of the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights the merit of The Mother of the Believers, Khadeejah (raa), and her glad tidings and place in Paradise..

1796
Narrated `Abdullah the slave of Asma bint Aboo Bakr: I used to hear Asmaa', whenever she passed by Al-Hajoon, saying, "May the prayers of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad. Once we dismounted here with him, and at that time we were traveling with light luggage; we had a few riding animals and a little food ration. I, my sister, `Aaishah, Al-Zubayr and such and such persons performed `Umrah, and when we had passed our hands over the Ka`bah, (i.e., performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah) we finished our Ihraam. Later on, and we assumed Ihraam for Hajj the same evening.".

Commentary : The Companions (ras) accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Farewell Pilgrimage; so, they learned from him the rites, and conveyed them to the rest so that we could have an insight into one of the ordinances of our religion.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Kaysaan, the freed slave of ‘Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (ras) reports that whenever she (i.e. ‘Asmaa’) passed by al-Hajoon, she would say: “May the prayers of Allah be upon His Messenger, Muhammad - here is where we dismounted and stopped for a rest.”  That was during the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah. al-Hajoon is a place near Makkah and is a mountain overlooking al-Muhassab and is about a mile and a half away from The Sacred House of Allah.
Then, she (raa) recalled their condition on the day that they dismounted and stopped with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; and that the mounts which they were riding were few in number, the luggage they were carrying was light, and the food which they took along as provisions amounted to little. This was intended to be a comparison to the poverty and dire straits they were in at the time of her recollection.
After, she (raa) relates that she had performed ‘Umrah with her sister, The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, her husband al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwaam, and some others (ras). It is as if she mentioned the names of the individuals who did not bring along a sacrificial offering with them; since it has been established that the Prophet ﷺhad ordered those who did not carry along a sacrificial animal to rescind the Hajj for an ‘Umrah, then to prepare themselves and begin and enter into a new state of Ihraam for the Pilgrimage.
Once they performed Tawaaf round the Ka‘bah, they released themselves from their ‘Umrah. The meaning of her statement: “When we passed our hands over the Ka‘bah, we released ourselves from the state of Ihraam we had for our pilgrimage” refers to ‘passing our hands over its (i.e., The Ka‘bah) corner, which is The Black Stone.  ‘Asmaa’ (raa) withheld anything in this narration related to the circumambulations around the Ka‘bah, and also did not mention the ritualistic walk performed between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and cutting the hair for the sake of brevity. Or, because these are widely known rites that are performed during an ‘Umrah. Then, they entered the state of Ihraam for Hajj after that, on the Day of Quenching Thirst, which is the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah.  By doing so, they offered the ‘Umrah in conjunction with the Hajj; however, the ‘Umrah was offered just before the commencement of Hajj. The Arabic word al-‘ashiyy (i.e., the evening) mentioned in the hadeeth refers to the end of the day, or from sunset to dawn. It has also been said by others: that it could also mean until the sun sets. 
It has been established that Lady, ‘Aa’ishah (raa) did not perform Tawaaf round the Ka‘bah because she was on her menses that day; as is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, in a hadeeth narrated by her - where she relates: “I was one of those people who was performing ‘Umrah; however, I got my menses before entering Makkah, and had menstruated until the Day of ‘Arafah. Then, I complained about this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to which he ﷺ replied: ‘Discontinue your ‘Umrah, undo the hair on your head and comb it. Then, prepare yourself and enter into the state of Ihraam for Hajj.” ‘Asmaa’ (raa) did not exclude her [i.e., ‘Aa’ishah (raa)] in the hadeeth either due to the fact that the story regarding her menses was well-known or she had forgotten to exclude her in the narration..

1798
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Makkah, some boys of the tribe of Banee `Abd al-Muttalib went to receive him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) made one of them ride in front of him and the other behind him.
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Commentary : All of the hearts of all of the Companions, both young and old, were attached to the Messenger of Allah ﷺdue to his most excellent disposition, nobility and utmost kindness, and what Allah bestowed upon him. He, The Most Exalted, guided the hearts of the worshippers to him ﷺ. This hadeeth demonstrates some of his character towards them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that when the Prophet ﷺarrived at Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, which was in the eighth year after Hijrah, a group of young boys set out to receive him ﷺ. These young boys were from Banee ‘Abd al-Muttalib, whom was the Prophet’s grandfather. Then, he ﷺ placed one of them in front of him, and the others behind him upon the back of the riding animal. This is an indication to their delight and joy for seeing the Prophet ﷺ; and likewise, it highlights his ﷺ pleasure and happiness with them. This was due to his ﷺ modesty and beautiful fidelity.
This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of receiving those arriving from Hajj, battle, or lawful travel as a means to honour and respect them and reacquaint themselves with them.
And lastly, it shows that two or more people can ride on an animal; if the riding animal is capable and it is humane to do so..

1800
Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) never entered upon his family from a journey at night. He used to return either in the morning or in the afternoon.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexhibited the most pious examples of excellent comportment, and good relations between a man and his wife.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺwould never return to his family if he arrived from a journey at night. Rather, he ﷺwould come in the morning - which is from when the Dawn Prayer enters to sunrise - and the afternoon, which is from noon when sun reaches its zenith in the sky - i.e., the time when the Midday Prayer enters - to when it sets.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺdid that because a man’s arrival at night oftentimes comes as a surprise to his wife, and she may not be ready to receive and welcome her husband, as he had been away from her for a while.  So, it is fitting that he ﷺ didn’t come to her suddenly at night. The Prophet ﷺ - as attested in Saheeh Muslim in a hadeeth narrated by Jaabir (ra) - had prohibited a man from: coming to his family at night, suspecting their treachery, or seek out their misgivings. That is to say: to believe that they are traitors, reveal their faults, and unveils whether or not they have been disloyal. Thus, it is strongly disliked for the one who travels away from his home for a long period of time to come to his wife suddenly in the depths of night. As for the one whose journey is nearby, and his wife expects his arrival; it should be fine for him to return home at night..

1802
Narrated Anas (ra: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of al-Madeenah, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster."
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Commentary : The enlightened city of al-Madeenah was one of the most beloved cities to the Prophet ﷺ; as it is the place he ﷺ emigrated to, and the site from which he ﷺreceived aid and support, in which he established an Islamic sovereignty that, from it, spread to all of the surrounding Arab and non-Arab lands.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) expounds on some of the manifestations of the Prophet’s love for this city.  He (ra) reports that whenever the Prophet ﷺ arrived from his travels and saw the steps of al-Madeenah - which are its elevated paths which lead to the city- he ﷺ would make his she-camel hasten its pace along its way. If he was mounted on a riding animal other than a she-camel, even then he ﷺ would urge it to hasten its pace; so that he would arrive at al-Madeenah quickly; it was out of his fervent love anddesirefor being in the city, because it is his home, and therein reside his family and children who are the most beloved of people to him ﷺ. Allah has formed the souls of man to love and long for their homelands. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did that, and in doing so proved to be the most noble exemplar and ordered his community to hasten in their return to their families at the end of their travels.
This hadeeth highlights the merit of the enlightened city of al-Madeenah and its denizens and exemplifies the love and longing the Prophet ﷺhad for it..

1803
Narrated Aboo Is-haaq: I heard al-Baraa' saying, "This ayah was revealed regarding us, for the Ansaar on returning from Hajj never entered their houses through the proper doors but from behind. One of the Ansaar came and entered through the door, and he was taunted for it. Therefore, the following was revealed: -- {It is not righteousness that you enter the houses from the back, But the righteous man is He who fears Allah, Obeys His order and keeps away from What He has forbidden So, enter houses through the proper doors.} (Quran 2:189)
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Commentary : One of the wisdoms of Allah, The Almighty is that He didn’t reveal The Noble Qur’aan all at once. Rather, He sent it down gradually, according to the progression in what Allah intended of it in building up and educating the Muslim community.  He, The Most Exalted, revealed it as a treatment for sinful habits, and a resolution for problems that have occurred, and events which may come about in the future.
In this hadith, al-Baraa‘ ibn ‘Aazib (ra) relates that when the Ansaar, before Islam, had returned from performing the Hajj or ‘Umrah, they wouldn’t enter their homes through their front doors.  But rather, they would enter them from the backs of their homes - as this was what many Arabs used to do. So, they would scale the walls of their homes from behind, or create an opening along the wall and enter it that way. They used to view that violating or omitting this practice as a major disgrace, and saw their own action as one of righteousness and piety. So, when Islam came to their (i.e. The Ansaar’s) lands, a man from amongst them entered through the front door of his house instead; for which the Ansaar censured him for that. Then, Allah The Almighty, revealed through His Words the following ayah: “Enter your preferred English translation for Q2:189 here.” Thus, Allah, The Almighty, had informed them that this act which they believed to be pious, was in actuality void of any good. Rather, actual piety is when the servant is fully aware of His Mighty and Majestic Lord; by complying with His commands, abstaining from what He has prohibited, and not devoting themself to anything which Allah, The Most High, did not legislate. Therefore, He ordered for them to arrive and enter their houses through the main doors, just as what is the norm today, and which would eventually become customary for them, as there is no evidence prohibiting that during the time when one is in a state of sanctity for Hajj or ‘Umrah. So, the people abandoned this practice, and began to enter their homes through their doors instead.
This hadeeth highlights that the customs of people do not make what is unlawful permissible. And that when Allah, The Almighty, prohibits anything, He opens for His servants something which is permissible to take its place; for when He disallowed them from coming to their homes and entering them from behind, He made it abundantly clear as to what action should take its place.

1804
Narrated AbooHurayrah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Traveling is a kind of torture as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping properly. So, when one's needs are fulfilled, one should return quickly to one's family."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ did not omit a single good, whether it be something upright in religion or of this world; except that he ﷺ would always direct others to it and urge them towards it. He ﷺ never left any evil which would harm the believer in his religious or temporal affairs; except that he ﷺ warned them to take heed against it.
In this hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺmentioned that traveling to another land other than the one which he resides in is a type of hardship. What is intended by this reference is a worldly suffering. Then, he ﷺ explained this further with his ﷺ statement: “as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping,” namely, the completion of the aforementioned, along with the pleasure that comes from it; due to some of the struggles one can face in their travels, such as: the heat, the cold, fear, the separation from family and friends, and the harshness of life. So, the traveller delays his eating and sleeping from their usual and prescribed time - and oftentimes does not receive a sufficient amount or derive the usual pleasure which comes from these necessities of life.
Then, the Prophet ﷺadvised the traveller who has fulfilled the need for which he is journeying for and has finished with it; that it is incumbent upon them to hasten and return to their homeland and family; for the sake of curtailing these hardships which will continue on his journey, and to make up for the suffering that afflicted him in the interim - and then obtain, repose, and gentleness with his family thereafter. This was expressed with an avidity, which is the rhetorical purpose that was intended behind it; implying by a mode of expression that traveling for a worldly purpose is akin to a trade-off; leaving aside, however, obligatory travelling, such as the Hajj or a military expedition.
The notion that travelling is a form of torment does not prevent it from being beneficial and therapeutic for the vast majority of people; because movement and physical exercise are beneficial, especially for the people of ease and luxury. It's like a bitter medicine that remedies one’s health, even if taking it is disliked.
This hadeeth highlights that it is strongly disliked to go abroad away from his family without a need. It urges the traveller to hasten in returning from their travels to their family, especially those who are feared to pass away during his absence.
It shows that living with one’s family is an aiding comfort in upholding the interests both in religion and worldly affairs.
And lastly, it encourages one to stay where they are; so that their social circles and other groups of people do not miss him, and that the obligatory rights due to their family and close relatives are observed..

1809
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from performing (`Umrah) Therefore, he shaved his head, had sexual relations with his wives, slaughtered his Hady, and performed ‘Umrah in the following year.
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Commentary : Obstruction with reference to the Hajj and ‘Umrah refers to being prevented and impeded from approaching the Sacred Mosque in Makkah by an enemy, illness, or something else. If a Muslim intended to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah; and then is detained from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah; then he is a muhsar, which is a technical term used for someone facing a situation similar to what has been aforementioned and is obstructed from completing their pilgrimage.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad been prevented from performing the ‘Umrah that he came to offer in the year of Hudaybiyah, which was in the sixth year after Hijrah, when the polytheists inhibited him ﷺfrom entering Makkah that year. So, when The Prophet ﷺ was obstructed, and prevented from completing his ‘Umrah, he ﷺ released himself from it at the place where he was prevented from carrying on at Hudaybiyyah - which is a large village near Makkah, that borders the city. It was named after a well that was there before, and now there is a valley between it and Makkah about twenty-two kilometres on the way to Jeddah - So after leaving his ﷺ ‘Umrah, he slaughtered his Hady - which is a name for the sacrificial animal - whether it be: a camel, cow, sheep, or goat - that is offered and slaughtered in the Sacred Precinct. Thereafter, “he shaved his head,” and this is another one of the last rites of ‘Umrah and it requires one to release themselves from the state of Ihraam. Then, he ﷺ had intimate relations with his wives i.e., that their sexual intercourse was lawful for him, or that he ﷺinitiated the act. The narrator only mentioned this to confirm that he ﷺhad released himself from the state of Ihraam one enters for the pilgrimage.
Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺreturned to perform ‘Umrah the next year, which occurred in the seventh year after Hijrah, while it was known as the Make Up ‘Umrah and it has also been called the ‘Umrah of the Judgment. It has been called the Make Up ‘Umrah and The ‘Umrah of the Judgment because he ﷺbecause he ﷺforced Quraysh to accept the terms of the treaty that was signed there, and not because it had been performed as a make-up for the ‘Umrah which was prevented in the previous year..

1810
Narrated Saalim: Ibn`Umar (ra) used to say, "Is not (the following of) the tradition of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sufficient for you? If anyone of you is prevented from performing Hajj, he should perform the Tawaaf of the Ka`bah and the brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and then exit the Ihraam as then everything will become legal for him which was illegal for him (during the state of Ihraam), and he can perform Hajj in a following year and he should slaughter a Hady or fast in case he cannot afford the Hady."
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Commentary : Obstruction with reference to the Hajj and ‘Umrah refers to being prevented and impeded from approaching The Holy Mosque in Makkah by an enemy, illness, or something else. If a Muslim intended to perform the Holy Pilgrimage or ‘Umrah; and then is detained from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah; then he is a muhsar, which is a technical term used for someone facing a situation similar to what has been aforementioned, and is obstructed from completing their pilgrimage.
In this hadeeth, Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reports that his father, ‘Adullagh ibn ‘Umar (ra) used to say: “Is not what came from the traditions and practices of your Prophet ﷺsufficient for you? If anyone of you have been obstructed, and prevented from performing one of Hajj’s most essential integrals - which is standing at ‘Arafah - due to one of the legitimate excuses; but somehow managed to enter Makkah; then it is incumbent upon him to abandon his ‘Umrah, and then perform the circumambulation round the Ka‘bah, perform the ritual walk between al-Safaa and al-Marwah if he is able to do that, shaves or cuts his hair, and then takes off the garments one wears while in the state of Ihraam required for Hajj.  Thereafter, everything that is normally licit for him becomes permissible, even intercourse with his wife. He may continue to be released from his Ihraam for Hajj until he performs his Hajj the following year. It is incumbent upon the one who is prevented from completing the pilgrimage (i.e. a muhsar) to slaughter a hady - which is a camel, cow, sheep, or goat - that is offered and slaughtered as a sacrifice in the Sacred Precinct. And if he is not able to find a sacrificial animal, he must fast for ten days; three days on the Hajj, and seven when he returns.
Ibn ‘Umar (ra) made the legal ruling in regard to obstruction during the Hajj and ‘Umrah the same; because The Prophet ﷺ wasn’t ever prevented from performing the Holy Pilgrimage; but he was impeded on the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaybiyah in the sixth year after Hijrah. So, Ibn ‘Umar drew a legal analogy by comparing the Hajj to the ‘Umrah. And this analogy is based on the time when one releases himself from the consecrated state of Hajj, which hasn’t been stipulated when one was prevented from completing it. Yet, if it was stipulated, it is still permissible, and nothing additional would be obligatory upon him; due to what has been narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, in a report narrated by The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (raa), who relates that: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to see Dubaa‘ah bint al-Zubayr and said to her: ‘Perhaps you wish to perform the Hajj?’ She replied: ‘By Allah, I am not well, and am often in constant agony.’ So, he ﷺsaid to her: “Perform the Holy Pilgrimage, but condition it first it by saying: ‘O Allah, I shall release myself from the consecrated state of Hajj (i.e.ihraam) wherever you detain me.”
One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it presents a proof of legal analogy since this method of reasoning was utilised by the Companions (ras)..

656
‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi ‘Amrah reported: ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān entered the mosque after the Maghrib prayer and sat alone. I sat in front of him, and he said: "O son of my brother, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever performs the ‘Ishā’ prayer in congregation, it is as if he has prayed for half the night, and whoever performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, it is as if he has prayed for the whole night.'".

Commentary : Allah Almighty multiplied the reward for the congregation prayer until it surpassed the prayer offered individually by twenty-seven degrees, and its merit increases if it is offered during the night, given its closeness to sincerity to Allah Almighty. Indeed, it is one of the greatest acts aimed at getting close to Allah.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i (the generation after the Companions) ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi ‘Amrah relates that ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the mosque after the Maghrib prayer and sat alone waiting for the time of ‘Ishā’ prayer to come so that he would offer it in congregation. ‘Abdur-Rahmān said: "I sat in front of him." It is as if he sat to learn from him and ask him about the reason for his sitting and waiting. So, ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "O son of my brother." He meant the brotherhood of Islam, not that of blood. "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever performs the ‘Ishā’ prayer in congregation, it is as if he has prayed for half the night." In other words, he will obtain a reward like one who engages in worship from the early part of the night to its middle and spends this time in prayer and dhikr (remembrance of Allah). "And whoever performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, it is as if he has prayed for the whole night." He will obtain a reward like one who engages in worship all night long and spends this time in prayer and dhikr. So, the reward for offering the Fajr prayer in congregation is double the reward for offering the ‘Ishā’ prayer in congregation, which indicates that getting up for the Fajr prayer is more meritorious than getting up for the ‘Ishā’ prayer. This is because the Fajr prayer is harder and more difficult for the performer and more tough for the devil. Indeed, he who goes to sleep and then gets up finds it harder than one who wants to sleep. Or it means that each of them equals half of the night, and together they amount to one night. So, whoever offers the ‘Ishā’ and Fajr prayers in congregation, it is as if he has prayed for all the night, as related in a version by Abu Dāwūd and At-Tirmidhi: "Whoever attends the ‘Ishā’ prayer in congregation obtains the reward of praying for half the night, and whoever offers the ‘Ishā’ and Fajr prayers in congregation obtains the reward of praying for one night." In any case, this urges and encourages the regular observance of the Fajr and ‘Ishā’ prayers in congregation. This particular merit afforded to them may be because of the hardship involved in attending the mosques to pray them, like the darkness and the fact that in those times people usually take rest, most likely sleep, or spend private time with their families.
The Hadīth indicates that some prayers are characterized by a certain merit not shared with other prayers..

657
Jundub ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever performs the Fajr prayer is under the protection of Allah; so, let Allah not call you to account regarding anything of His protection; and so, He will seize him and throw him upon his face in Hellfire.".

Commentary : One of the best signs of faith is the strict observance of the obligatory prayers. Allah Almighty affords great merit to those who persistently observe these prayers.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that whoever performs the Fajr prayer in congregation - as reported in the version by Abu Nu‘aym in Al-Mustakhraj - "is under the protection of Allah," i.e., under His safety and guarantee. He singled out the Fajr prayer from all the other prayers due to the hardship involved in its performance and because only those with sincere faith can perform it persistently; they, therefore, deserve to be under the protection, safety, and guarantee of Allah Almighty.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So let Allah not call you to account regarding anything of His protection, or else He will seize him and throw him upon his face in Hellfire." The prohibition here pertains to what entails accountability for violating Allah's guarantee and protection. The Prophet's words here have one of two possible meanings: First: Whoever performs the Fajr prayer obtains a guarantee from Allah. So, no one should harm or oppress him. Whoever oppresses or harms him, Allah will call him to account regarding His protection. Second: Do not abandon the Fajr prayer, lest the guarantee between you and your Lord will be violated, and so He will call you to account regarding it. Whoever does so, Allah will seize him and throw him upon his face in Hellfire.
In the Hadīth: Urging the performance of the Fajr prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the great bounty of Allah and His vast mercy towards this Ummah, as He prescribed an immense reward for the Fajr prayer
And in it: Clarifying Allah's revenge against those who harm His pious servants
And in it: Demonstrating that nothing on the earth or in heaven escapes the power of Allah, and if He wants to exact revenge upon anyone, he cannot escape Him.

660
Anas reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited us, and there was no one other than me, my mother, and my maternal aunt ’Umm Harām. He said: "Stand up so that I will lead you in prayer." It was not a time of prayer, he proceeded to lead us in prayer. A man said to Thābit: "Where did he make Anas stand with him?" He said: "He made him stand to his right." Then, he supplicated for us, the members of the household, with all goodness in this world and the Hereafter. My mother said: "O Messenger of Allah, here is your little servant; supplicate Allah for him." He said: He supplicated for me with all goodness, and the last of his supplication for me was: "O Allah, increase his wealth and children and bless them for him.".

Commentary : One of the things urged and encouraged by Islam is to accept invitations, for this displays brotherliness and cordiality among the Muslims. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) built a good relationship with his Companions, and he used to visit them in their houses so as to teach them and supplicate for them.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) paid a visit to them in their house, and there was none but he and his mother - ’Umm Sulaym - and his maternal aunt ’Umm Harām. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Stand up so that I will lead you in prayer." This was not a time for an obligatory prayer. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would like the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to pray for them in their houses, in pursuit of blessing. So, he led them in a two-Rak‘ah voluntary prayer. Thereupon, a man asked Thābit al-Bunāni, who narrated from Anas: Where did Anas stand while he was praying with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and on which side did he make him stand? He told him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made him stand on his right side, for when one person prays behind an Imām, he should stand to his right; whereas the women stand in a row behind both of them.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for the family of Anas with all goodness in this world and the Hereafter. The mother of Anas said: "O Messenger of Allah, here is your little servant" i.e., your boy who serves you. She said "your little servant" by way of gentleness and appeasement, not belittlement. Hence, she said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "supplicate Allah for him." She probably made this request so that his supplication for him would be compensation for him in return for his kindness to you by extending service for a long time. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) granted her request and supplicated for him with all goodness, and the last supplication he made was: "O Allah, increase his wealth and children and bless them for him." Anas found the blessing of the Prophet's supplication in his wealth and children. He was the wealthiest person among the Ansār, and he saw lots of children descending from him. In a Hadīth narrated by Al-Bukhāri, he said: "Indeed, I am one of the richest among the Ansār and my daughter ’Umaynah told me that when Al-Hajjāj came to Basra, more than 120 of my offspring had been buried." In a version by Muslim: "and my children and grandchildren are more than one hundred today."
The Hadīth contains supplication for the increase of wealth and children.
It comprises supplication for goodness in this world and the Hereafter, for all this lies in the Hand of Allah Almighty.
And it includes preferring one's child over oneself; and making requests in a gentle manner..

663
’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: There was a man from the Ansār whose house was the farthest house in Madīnah, and he would not miss the prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: We felt bad for him, and I said to him: "O so and so, if you buy a donkey, it will shield you from the heat of the scorching sand and shield you from the vermin of the earth." He said: "By Allah, I do not like that my house be close to the house of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." He said: I was troubled by that and came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and told him. He said: He sent for him, and he said the same to him and mentioned that he hoped for a reward for his steps. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You will have what you hoped for.".

Commentary : The Companions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) were the most keen among people on doing good, and they would constantly look for deeds that increased their rewards with Allah Almighty.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that there was a man from the Prophet's Companions from the Ansār - the people of Madīnah - and it is mentioned in Musnad that he was the cousin of ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with both of them), whose house was the farthest house from the Prophet's Mosque. Despite the remoteness of his house, he would not miss the prayer in the mosque with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) felt pity for him for the hardship and tiredness he would go through while coming and going back. So, they said to him: If you buy a donkey, it will shield you from the heat of the scorching sand; and it will shield you from the vermin of the earth. Vermin is a term that refers to creatures with lethal poison, like serpents, and it may also refer to creatures that are not to be killed, such as insects.
He swore by Allah to them that he would not like his house to be adjacent to the Prophet's house; rather, he liked that it be far away from it, so that his reward would increase with the increase of steps he would take from his house to the mosque. He did not intend to negate his love for being close to the house of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) out of hatred for him, but in the hope of a greater reward with the increase of those steps. ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed by his statement that he meant hatred for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I was troubled by that" i.e., I found that to be grave and was distressed by it, given the repugnance and horridness of what he said and its evil connotation, namely that he hated the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In a version by Ahmed, he said: "I have not heard a statement about him more hateful to me than it." ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) interpreted his statement wrongly and thought ill of it because Madīnah abounded with hypocrites at the time, and they were keen to live away from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b came to the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about what this man said. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent for him, and he said the same to him as he said to ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, and he mentioned to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that what made him say so was that he hoped for and pursued reward and recompense from Allah for his walking. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You will have what you hoped for", i.e., Allah Almighty will give you the reward for your steps which you took for the sake of Allah, Exalted be He, and kept in store with Him. Hoping for reward means that one performs a deed for the sake of Allah and thereby seeks recompense and reward from Allah.
The Hadīth points out the merit of walking to the mosques..

664
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: Our houses were situated far away from the mosque. So, we wanted to sell our houses and move near the mosque. But the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us, saying: "With every step there is a degree for you.".

Commentary : Taking many steps to the mosque is one of the greatest means of reward. The more distant the mosque and the more steps are taken to it, the greater the reward.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that their houses were situated far from the mosque, as they lived on the outskirts of Madīnah. These are the dwellings of Banu Salamah, a group of the Ansār. They wanted to sell these dwellings, given their remoteness, and buy dwellings close to the mosque, seeking to be the neighbors of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). But, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from that and explained to them the reward of which they didn't know. He said to them: "With every step there is a degree for you." When your house is more distant from the mosque, every step you take brings a high rank in Paradise, and the more steps you take, the greater the reward. Thus, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged them to stay in their houses and not leave them. As related in a Hadīth reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and narrated by Al-Bukhāri: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) disliked that Madīnah be vacated", i.e., that parts of Madīnah become empty of people and houses. So, by staying in their places, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted the areas of Madīnah to be inhabited, so that the Muslims would seem large in number in the eyes of the hypocrites and polytheists, frightening them and showing toughness towards them. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not explicitly say it to them; he only mentioned to them the clear benefit, which would encourage them to agree and prompt them to stay at their houses.
The Hadīth shows the Prophet's concern about his Ummah and his keenness to direct them to what is good and to make the best use of it..

665
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: The area around the mosque became empty. So, Banu Salimah wanted to move near the mosque. News of this reached the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to them: "I was told that you want to move near the mosque." They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, we want to." Thereupon, he said: "O Banu Salimah, your houses, your footsteps are recorded; your houses, your footsteps are recorded.".

Commentary : Taking many steps to the mosque is one of the greatest means of reward. The more distant the mosque and the more steps are taken to it, the greater the reward.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the area around the Prophet's Mosque became empty; "so, Banu Salimah wanted" [some of it]. Banu Salimah was a group of the Ansār, and their houses were far away from the Prophet's Mosque, located behind Mount Sal’, west of Madīnah. They wanted to move and stay close to the Prophet's Mosque, thus becoming neighbors to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was told about that. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "I was told." In other words, your news reached me "that you want" and desire "to move near the mosque." They replied: Yes, we desire to do that, O Messenger of Allah. "We want to." So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "O Banu Salimah, your houses." That is: Stay at your houses and remain therein and do not move from there. "Your footsteps are recorded." That is: Your steps to the mosque are recorded. You gain a reward for the steps you take to the mosque. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his statement once again: "Your houses, your footsteps are recorded." This was to urge and encourage them to obey his command and stay in their houses and not leave them. As related in another Hadīth reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and narrated by Al-Bukhāri: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) disliked that Madīnah be vacated." In other words, parts of Madīnah become vacated. So, by staying in their places, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted the areas of Madīnah to be inhabited, so that the Muslims would seem large in number in the eyes of the hypocrites and polytheists, thus frightening them and showing toughness towards them. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not explicitly say it to them; he only mentioned to them the clear benefit, which would encourage them to agree and prompt them to stay at their houses.
The Hadīth highlights the merit of walking to the mosques..

671
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The places that are dearest to Allah are the mosques, and the places that are most hateful to Allah are the markets.".

Commentary : Places vary in terms of goodness and evilness. The mosques are places where Allah's mercy and grace descend. By contrast, markets are the places of the devil's acts of greed and heedlessness.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentions that the mosques are the dearest places to Allah Almighty, for they are houses of worship and dhikr and are founded on fear from Allah Almighty. In them, the Qur’an is recited, knowledge is disseminated, the believers get together, the rituals of the religion are displayed, and the angels attend. Also, Allah attributed them to Himself, by way of honor and extolment, saying: {The mosques are for Allah alone.} [Surat al-Jinn: 18]
He also said that the markets are the most hateful places to Allah Almighty, for they witness a lot of false swearing, cheating and deception, heedlessness from the remembrance of Allah Almighty, breaking promises, and impolite treatment, as well as other similar things. Love for the mosques means love for the pious acts that take place therein and hate for the markets means hate for the sins and misdeeds committed therein.
Love and hate are two of Allah's attributes that are established for Him by the Qur’an and the Sunnah in their apparent meanings and in the way that befits the majesty of Allah Almighty, as He established them for Himself without comparison or denial.
The Hadīth urges us to go to the mosques and frequent them in pursuit of Allah's love and pleasure, and to go to the markets less frequently and only when it is needed, so that we can keep away from Allah's dislike and avoid the means leading to His hatred and punishment..

672
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If there are three persons, let one of them be their Imām, and the worthiest among them for being Imām is their best reciter.".

Commentary : Prayer is a Tawqīfi act of worship, which we must perform as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught it to us. He clarified to us its obligations, Sunnahs, and its etiquette, including the one who is more worthy of leading the prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) tells us that if there are three or more people, they should choose one of them to lead the prayer. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined that so that no difference, conflict, or dispute should happen among them. Imām here refers to the leader in prayer, as demonstrated by the last part of the Hadīth, as he said: "and the most entitled among them to be the Imām is their best reciter" who is most among them in memorizing the Qur'an and the best in understanding it. In another version by Muslim: "The one who should lead the people in prayer is the best reciter of them in the Book of Allah." So, if there are a group of people qualified to lead the prayer, the best reciter of the Qur'an among them is the worthiest of being the Imām, by virtue of this merit in him. Hence, if they memorize the entire Qur'an, the one of them who recites it in the most perfect, accurate, and measured manner should be given precedence, for he is the best reciter compared to them. And it is preferred that he should be the best reciter of the Book of Allah among them and the most knowledgeable about the Sunnah and its rulings.
It may be understood from the apparent meaning of the Hadīth that the group concerning the prayer should not be less than three persons. But, what is indicated by the Sunnah is that the group can also consist of two persons, with one of them being the Imām for the other.
The Hadīth shows the merit of he who is the best in reciting the Qur'an, for he is the worthiest of leading the prayer..

673
Abu Mas‘ūd al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who should lead the people in prayer is the best reciter of the Book of Allah among them. If they are equal in terms of the recitation, then the one most knowledgeable about the Sunnah among them; if they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one among them to have emigrated; if they are equal in terms of emigration, then the earliest one among them to have embraced Islam. No man should lead another man in prayer where the latter has authority or sit in his special place in his house without his permission.” [In another version] "age" is reported in place of "embracing Islam"..

Commentary : Congregational prayer in mosques occupies a high status and brings a great reward. The Shariah regulated this prayer and arranged the rows behind the Imām (prayer leader), so that the worshipers can be in orderliness and mental and physical discipline during the prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directs the Muslims on how to choose a prayer leader if they are a group of people, stating that the one who should lead the people in prayer is the best reciter of the Book of Allah among them. There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning intended by "the best reciter". It was said: It means the best of them in recitation and the most knowledgeable about its rulings, even if he is the least among them in terms of memorization. Another view says: It means the best memorizer of the Qur’an among them, for he regarded recitation as the basis for leading people in prayer and gave it precedence over all the other characteristics mentioned along with it. And another view says: It means the most knowledgeable, for if you consider the conditions of the Companions, you will find that the most knowledgeable among them is the best reciter among them. Thus, the Prophet's words, "the best reciter of the Book of Allah among them," mean: the most knowledgeable among them.
If they are equal in terms of the acceptable level of recitation, memorization, and mastery, then it's the most knowledgeable of the Sunnah among them; that is: the one who possesses the best understanding of it and the most knowledgeable about the rulings related to the prayer and the Prophet's Sunnah concerning it. If the Imām is ignorant of the prayer's rulings and what may arise during its performance, like forgetfulness and addition or omission, he will spoil it.
If they are equal in all the foregoing, the earliest one to have emigrated should be given precedence. Emigration means leaving the land of disbelief to the land of Islam. Thus, the one who moves from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam earlier is worthier in leading the prayer than the one who does so later. It was said: He is given precedence either because being earlier in emigration is an honor that entails precedence, or because he who emigrates earlier is usually more knowledgeable than the one who emigrates later. It was said: The emigration associated with the precedence in prayer leadership is not intended to particularly refer to the Hijrah during the Prophet's lifetime, but it is the emigration that does not cease until the Day of Judgment, which is mentioned in a Hadīth narrated by An-Nasā’i: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hijrah will not cease so long as the disbelievers are being fought." That is, it is enduring until the Day of Judgment.
If they are equal in terms of emigration, then the earliest one among them to have embraced Islam takes precedence. In another version, "age" is reported in place of "accepting Islam". In other words, if they are equal in all the foregoing - in knowledge, recitation, and emigration - and one of them excels the others by virtue of embracing Islam earlier or being older in age, he is given precedence because this is a merit that affords precedence.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No man should lead another man in prayer where the latter has authority." This is his place where he alone assumes authority, a place he owns, or a place where he gives judgment. So, the owner of a place is worthier. He can step forward, if he wills, or choose someone else to lead, if he wills. This is his dominion, and he can dispose as he wishes in it. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that a man should sit in another man's house in his special place - which is reserved for him and intended to honor him, like a mat and so on - unless he is granted permission. This prohibition pertains to sitting in the special place of a man in his house. This is because the place where the head of a household sits is usually the location for certain things not liked to be seen by others, or that it overlooks his entire house or the parts he wants to see; thus, he can follow the conditions of the members of his household and tell them whatever he wants. So, if he gives permission to someone to sit in that place, this indicates that the place is free in terms of all these aspects.
The Hadīth demonstrates the order to be observed in stepping forward to lead people in prayer.
It also indicates that prayer leadership is one of the important things in the religion. Hence, the lawgiver enjoined that it should be undertaken by the most proficient person.
It also states that the head of a household is worthier than others in leading the prayer therein.
It also states that no one should sit in the place reserved for the head of the house without his permission.
It also highlights the superiority of immigrants over others..

679
Khufāf ibn Īmā’ reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed in Rukū‘ and then raised his head and said: "May Allah forgive Ghifār; may Allah make Aslam peaceful; ‘Usayyah disobeyed Allah and His Messenger; O Allah, curse Banu Lihyān and curse Ri‘l and Dhakwān." Then, he fell prostrating. Khufāf said: Invoking a curse upon the disbelievers was permitted because of that..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to draw close to Allah by supplication under every condition. This includes the supplication of Qunūt which he would make during the prayer.
In this Hadīth, Khufāf ibn Īmā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed in Rukū‘ during his prayer, and when he raised his head from Rukū‘ in the last Rak‘ah - as related in the version by Ahmad - and before he went down for prostration, he stood for supplication. Part of what he said in his supplication was to supplicate for the tribe of Ghifār and the tribe of Aslam, two of the Arab tribes. He said about Ghifār: "may Allah forgive Ghifār". He supplicated so that Allah forgives Ghifār for their heinous acts during Jāhiliyyah. About Aslam, he said: "may Allah make Aslam peaceful". He supplicated so that Allah Almighty makes peace with Aslam and does not command war be waged against them. This may also be information that Allah Almighty forgave the tribe of Ghifār and made peace with Aslam and prevented war against them.
About the tribe of ‘Usayyah, he said that they "disobeyed Allah and His Messenger", as they entered a treaty with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This gives the sense of complaining about them and it entails supplication against them to be disgraced for their disobedience, not supplication for them to disobey.
Then, he supplicated against some neighborhoods in the tribe of Banu Sulaym, saying: "O Allah, curse Banu Lihyān and curse Ri‘l and Dhakwān." This is because they disobeyed Allah Almighty and His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and acted treacherously towards his noble Companions, killing the reciters whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to them to teach them their religion. Then, when he finished his supplication, he fell prostrating.
Thereafter, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stopped supplicating against them when Allah Almighty revealed the verse that reads: {It is not for you [O Prophet] to decide} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 128] as related in the Two Sahīh Collections. This noble verse was a sign to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that Allah Almighty might guide those people to Islam.
It was not the habit of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to supplicate against the polytheists in every situation. Rather, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was most merciful and compassionate towards them. But, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes supplicate against them when their violence and harm increased and grew and at other times he would supplicate for them when no trouble was feared from them and it was hoped they could win their hearts and embrace Islam.
Khufāf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Invoking curse upon the disbelievers was permitted because of that," i.e., supplication against the disbelievers was adopted and became legitimate because of this act by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his invocation of a curse upon those disbelieving tribes. So, if they attack the Muslims, they should be supplicated against, in line with the Prophet's example.
The Hadīth demonstrates a merit and good characteristic for both Aslam and Ghifār..

680
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We stopped for rest along with the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and did not awake till the sun rose. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Each man should take hold of his mount's head, for this is a place where the devil has visited us." He said: We did accordingly. Then, he asked for water and performed ablution and then offered two prostrations - [In a version] Then, he prayed two prostrations - Then, the Iqāmah for prayer was pronounced and he performed the morning prayer..

Commentary : Prayer is the greatest among the practical pillars of Islam, and it enjoys particular significance in the Shariah. Allah Almighty appointed specific times for its performance, and whoever misses the appointed time should make up for the missed prayer and not leave it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that they were on a journey with the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they stopped at a place in the latter part of the night for rest and sleep and did not wake up till the rise of the sun, whose heat awakened them; as in a Hadīth reported by ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) and narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim. Consequently, they missed the Fajr prayer. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) woke up, he said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "Each man should take hold of his mount's head" i.e., hold the bridle of his mount and get out of this place; "for this is a place where the devil has visited us." And he caused them to be heedless of the time of prayer in this place, and it is as if he was still around them with this heedlessness. So, by their departure from this place, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to turn away from the devil. They complied with the Prophet's command and got out of their place, and then they proceeded on the way for a while. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked for water, performed ablution, "and then offered two prostrations". And in a version: "Then, he prayed two prostrations" i.e., he performed two Rak‘ahs, in return for the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer. Then, the Iqāmah was pronounced for the obligatory prayer. "and he performed the morning prayer", which is the Fajr prayer.
The Hadīth mentions making up for the regular supererogatory prayer.
It indicates that the Fajr prayer is also known as the morning prayer.
It also urges avoidance of the places where the devil is present..

681
Abu Qatādah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and said: "You will proceed with your journey in the evening and night. Then, you will come to a place of water, Allah Willing, tomorrow." So, the people proceeded without paying any heed to one another. Abu Qatādah said: "As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) traveled until it was midnight, and I was by his side, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) dozed off and leaned (to one side) of his camel. I went to him and lent him support without waking him up until he sat upright on his riding mount. He went on traveling until a major part of the night was over and he leaned (to one side) of his camel. I supported him without waking him up until he sat upright on his mount. Then, he traveled until it was near dawn. Then, he leaned, but far more than the two earlier leanings, and he was about to fall. So, I went to him and supported him, and he lifted his head and said: 'Who is this?' I said: 'It is Abu Qātadah.' He said: 'How long have you been traveling along with me like this?' I said: 'I have been traveling in this very state since the night.' He said: 'May Allah guard you as you have guarded His Prophet.' Then, he said: 'Do you see that we are out of the sight of the people?' Then, he said: 'Do you see anyone?' I said: 'Here is a rider.' I again said: 'Here is another rider, until we gathered together, and we were seven riders.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stepped aside off the road and placed his head and then said: 'Guard our prayers for us.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the first to wake up, and the rays of the sun were falling on his back. We got up startled. He said: 'Ride on.' So, we rode on until the sun had risen. He then dismounted and called for a jug of water which I had with me. There was a little water in it. He performed ablution which was less thorough than his usual ablutions, and some water was left. Then, he said to Abu Qatādah: 'Keep for us your jug of water; it will have a word.' Thereafter, Bilāl made the Adhān (call for prayer), and then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) observed two Rak‘ahs and then observed the Fajr prayer as he did every day. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rode on and we rode along with him, and some of us whispered to the others saying: 'What is the expiation for the negligence we committed in our prayers?' Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Is there not in me a role model for you? There is no negligence in sleeping. Negligence is not observing the prayer until the time of the next prayer comes. So, whoever does this should observe the prayer when he becomes aware of it, and on the next day, he should observe the prayer at its prescribed time.' Then, he said: 'What do you think the people would do (at this hour) when they would not find their Prophet with them in the morning. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is behind you, and he does not leave you behind.’ Other people said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is ahead of you.’ So, if they obey Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they will follow the right path.' We proceeded on until we came up to the people (from whom we had lagged behind), and the sun had considerably risen, and everything became hot, and they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are dying, we are thirsty.' Whereupon, he said: 'You will not die (of thirst).' And he then said: 'Bring that small cup of mine.' Then, he asked for the jug of water to be brought to him. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) poured water, and Abu Qatādah gave them water to drink. When the people saw that there was water in the jug, they gathered in crowds around it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Behave well in your gathering; you will drink to your fill.' They complied. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would fill (the cup), and I would serve them until no one was left except me and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He then filled (the cup) with water and said to me: 'Drink it.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I will not drink until you drink.' He said: 'The server of the people is the last among them to drink.' So, I drank, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) also drank, and the people came to the place of water quite happy and satiated." ‘Abdullāh ibn Rabāh said: "As I was narrating this Hadīth in the grand mosque, ‘Imrān ibn Husayn said: 'Consider, O young man, how you narrate, for I was one of the riders in that night.' I said: 'So, you must know this Hadīth well.' He said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'I am one of the Ansār.' Thereupon, he said: 'You narrate, for you know your Hadīths better.' I, therefore, narrated it to the people. Then, ‘Imrān said: 'I was also present that night, but I do not know anyone who memorized it the way I memorized it.'".

Commentary : Prayer is the greatest among the practical pillars of Islam, and it enjoys particular significance in Shariah. Allah Almighty appointed specific times for its performance, and whoever misses the appointed time should make up for the missed prayer and not leave it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Qatādah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the army which he led, saying: "You will proceed with your journey in the evening." This extends from midday to sunset, the latter part of the daytime, (and night), which means: You will go out on the path of your journey in the evening and proceed with your journey throughout the night. "Then, you will come to a place of water, Allah Willing, tomorrow," i.e., they would reach the water in the morning. His words, Allah Willing, point to the Prophet's compliance with this command of Allah Almighty: {And never say about anything: "I will surely do this tomorrow," without adding: "if Allah wills."} [Surat al-Kahf: 23-24] So, he would say "Allah Willing" in any future matter. When the people heard his words, they proceeded fast with their travel without paying any heed to one another. In other words, they did not pay attention or turn toward one another. Rather, each person was walking alone and not paying heed to the company, caring for himself in pursuing and reaching the water. "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) traveled until it was midnight," i.e., it was the middle of the night and darkness accumulated; or a major part of the night did pass and one-third of it was remaining. Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) was by his side. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started dozing off
- the beginning of sleep - as he moved. He began to lean and almost fell off his mount. Meanwhile, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) would support him to help him sit upright and not fall. He did all that without awakening the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did that a number of times, and this happened when a major part of the night was over. Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) kept supporting him so that he would not fall off his riding animal." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went on traveling, and when it was near dawn, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leaned so heavily that he almost fell. So, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him and lent him support, like a bolster under him. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up from his sleep, raised his head, and asked: Who is this one who is helping me? Abu Qatādah replied that it was him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: Since when? Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he kept guarding and supporting him from the first time he slept during that night. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated that may Allah guard him as he guarded His Messenger. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Do you see that we are out of the sight of the people?" In other words, have we delayed and lagged behind them? This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), due to his drowsiness, was not aware of how much he lagged behind the army. This also indicates that no one was with him except Abu Qatādah. It was the Prophet's habit to travel at the rear of the army to show leniency towards the army, carry the weak, and prod those who lag behind. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Do you see anyone?" Based on that, he wanted to determine whether to move faster with his mount or at the same pace. Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Here is a rider, and here is another rider. This means that they were catching up with the army personnel, one after another. They gathered together until they became seven in number. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from the road - lest they may be harmed by any vermin moving therein - and headed, along with those with him, for sleep, and he placed his head. The version narrated by Al-Bukhāri pointed out that the Prophet's (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stepping aside was at the request of some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "I fear you may oversleep and fail to perform the prayer." Bilāl said: "I will wake you all up. So, lie down."
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Guard our prayers for us," i.e., its time. This refers to the Fajr prayer. Do not fail to perform it due to sleep. They felt sleepy and lay down. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) fell into a deep sleep, and they did not wake up for the Fajr prayer. "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the first to wake up, while the rays of the sun were falling on his back." This indirectly indicates that it was the heat of the sun that awakened him. Abu Qatādah said: "We got up startled." They were startled because they missed the Fajr prayer due to sleep. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to ride their mounts before making up for the Fajr prayer. He mentioned in a version narrated by Muslim and reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the reason behind their departure from the place before praying is that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is a place where the devil visited us." They proceeded until they went out of that place and kept moving until the sun had risen. In another version narrated by Muslim and reported by ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him): "until the sun shone brightly", i.e., it went high, and its yellowness or redness disappeared. The intended meaning: The extent to which the sun goes high with which prayer after sunrise ceases to be disliked. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) dismounted and called for a jug of water, which was with Abu Qatādah and contained a little water. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used its water for performing ablution which was less thorough than his usual ablutions, i.e., a moderate ablution, given the shortage of water. He did not perform ablution thoroughly as usual. Or that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) adopted the one-time approach in its performance and did not pour a lot of water, for he wanted to keep some of it so that his blessing and his miraculous act would appear therein. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Qatādah: "Keep for us your jug of water" and the water it contains. "It will have a word." i.e., momentous news or a miracle in the future - the blessing that would come to the people.
Then, Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) made the Adhān for the missed prayer. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) first performed the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer and then the obligatory Fajr prayer as a missed prayer. His prayer was the same as the prayers he would perform every day at their appointed times, with no difference between his performance of prayer at the appointed time and his performance of it as a missed prayer. After the prayer was over, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rode his mount, and so did the people, and they went out traveling on their way. But they began to whisper to one another in a low voice, saying: "What is the expiation for our negligence towards our prayers?" They feared the sin and the penalty for that. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard their words, seeking to comfort them amid their grief over missing the Fajr prayer, he said: "Is there not in me a role model for you?" In other words, an example to imitate and follow. This seems to indicate that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted them to understand that their performance of the prayer as a missed prayer is an expiation for missing it. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no negligence in sleeping," and no neglect in missing the prayer because a sleeping person has no choice. Rather, neglect and sin are upon a wakeful person who fails to perform a prayer - intentionally and out of neglect and lethargy - until the time of the next prayer comes. "So, whoever does this" - i.e., he oversleeps and fails to perform a prayer until its time elapses - "should observe the prayer when he becomes aware of it" - i.e., after he wakes up - "and in the next day, he should observe the prayer at its prescribed time." In other words, he should not delay the prayer beyond its usual time. This does not mean that he should perform the missed prayer twice, one time at that moment and another time the next day.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked those present with him: "'What do you think the people have done?" He meant the front part of the army and those who went ahead of them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was inquiring about their condition since the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) unusually lagged behind them. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) answered his question and informed those with him that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) are saying to the people: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is behind you;" i.e., he is after you and lagging behind you and has not come yet, for he would not "leave you behind, i.e., he would not go ahead of you and leave you behind. They meant to ask the people to wait for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until he could catch up with them. Some others said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went ahead of us. Thus, they were asking the people to proceed. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So, if they obey Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they will follow the right path" because they are right and correct, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was in the state Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) talked about.
Thereafter, Abu Qatādah informed that they reached the front of the army in which Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) were, as "the sun had considerably risen" - i.e., the sun went high - "and everything became hot;" i.e., the heat became severe. Everyone was suffering from exhaustion and hardship, saying: "O Messenger of Allah, we are dying" - i.e., from the hot weather - "and thirsty" due to the lack of water. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reassured them that they will not die. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bring that small cup of mine," i.e., untie my luggage, take my small cup out of it, and bring it to me. And he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked for the jug of water which was with Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began to pour water into the jug, while Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) was giving them water to drink. When the people saw that a lot of water was coming out of the jug, they gathered in crowds around it to drink and store water from it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Behave well;" that is, be good in manners and dealing with one another as you drink. He gave them good news that they would all quench their thirst and drink from that water. So, do not act badly by jostling and pushing. They complied with the Prophet's command. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued to pour water and Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) was giving them the water to drink. This continued until none remained but Abu Qatādah and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) poured water and said to Abu Qatādah: 'Drink.' Out of politeness, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, I will not drink until you drink." So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who serves water to people is the last of them to drink." So, Abu Qatādah drank, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the last to drink among the people. This is one of the etiquettes to be observed in drinking water. After that, the people reached the place of water which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told them about when he addressed them on the first day - "quite happy", i.e., restful and in good condition, and "satiated", i.e., having drunk water to their fill.
The Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Rabāh mentioned that he was narrating this Hadīth in the grand mosque, i.e. in Basra. So, ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Consider, O young man, how you narrate;" i.e., what Hadīth you are narrating; or about what condition you are narrating, "for I was one of the riders in that night." In other words, pay attention, O young man, and narrate in an accurate way, for I am one of those who witnessed this incident, and I will check what you narrate against what I witnessed. He replied to him: "So, you must know this Hadīth better," since you were one of the riders and witnessed this incident. ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Who are you?" He replied: "I am one of the Ansār," the dwellers of Madīnah. Thereupon, ‘Imrān (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to narrate, as he praised the Ansār, saying: "You know your Hadīths better." When ‘Abdullāh narrated the Hadīth and finished its narration and it was consistent with ‘Imrān's account, ‘Imrān (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "I was present that night, but I do not know anyone who has committed it to memory as good as I have done." Thus, he praised him for memorizing the Hadīth so accurately and was amazed at how well he memorized it, even though he did not witness the incident.
In the Hadīth: The one who serves water to people is the last among them to drink.
And in it: Whoever oversleeps and fails to perform a prayer has to make up for the missed prayer.
And in it: The Prophet's miracle in foretelling things of the Unseen, which Allah revealed to him, and in the blessing and increase of the little water.
And in it: Serving virtuous people, especially during travel.
And in it: Demonstrating some of the etiquettes related to taking rest during travel, namely, to avoid the road.
And in it: Supplicating for the one who offers good service, as a reward for his doing good.
And in it: Feeling sad and regretful over missed virtuous deeds, even if no negligence is involved.
And in it: Making up for the missed supererogatory prayer.
And in it: Urging the improvement of manners among people, particularly in situations involving crowdedness and annoyance..

683
Abu Qatādah reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alighted at night during a journey, he would lie down on his right side, and when he alighted before dawn, he would erect his forearm and place his head on his palm..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to devote attention to the Prophet's guidance in his deeds, words, and approvals, to follow his example and learn from him. In this Hadīth, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went on a journey, he would alight in the first part of the night for sleep and rest, sleep on his right side, and place his head on a pillow or the like, thus giving himself the due share of sleep. And when he wanted to sleep at the latter part of the night, shortly before dawn, he would erect his right 'forearm' and "place his head on his palm," fearing he might be overtaken by sleep and thus fail to perform the Fajr prayer at its earliest time. The right side is favored regarding sleep given the honor of tayāmun (using the right side or starting with it) and its general merit in everything. It was the Prophet's habit to favor the right side, except in repulsive things, in which he would use the left side.
This also indicates that a person should give himself the due share of rest and not forget the worship of his Lord. In the first part of the night, he can get sufficient sleep before dawn and then get up. Yet in the latter part of the night, he should sleep lightly, rather than deeply, lest he may miss the Fajr prayer.
In the Hadīth: Alighting for rest during travel in case of tiredness, while being cautious not to miss the prayer
And in it: Using alarms and the like to alert one to the times of prayers.

686
Ya‘la ibn Umayyah reported: I said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb: "{There is no blame on you to shorten the prayer, if you fear that the disbelievers may harm you} [Surat an-Nisā’: 101]. And people have become secure!" He said: "I wondered about the same thing you wondered about, and I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about that, and he said: 'It is a charity that Allah has given you; so accept His charity.'".

Commentary : Travel is a piece of torment, and it is most likely to involve tiredness and hardship. Hence, Allah Almighty alleviates things for travelers and facilitates the Shar‘i rulings for them, especially those related to prayer and fasting.
In this Hadīth, Ya‘la ibn Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he asked ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) about the verse that reads: {When you are traveling through the land, there is no blame on you to shorten the prayer, if you fear that the disbelievers may harm you.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 101] It means: If you travel in the land, there is no sin on you in shortening the four-Rak‘ah prayers (the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’ prayers) to two Rak‘ahs - if you fear harm from the disbelievers.
"And people have become secure" now, and their fear, which was the reason behind prescribing the shortening of prayer, is no longer there. So, why do they shorten the prayer? Or what is the objective of shortening if its reason is no longer there? In response, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had the same thought as Ya‘la ibn Umayyah and so he asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about shortening the prayer in the absence of its reason - namely the fear from the enemy - and the existence of security, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that shortening the prayer is a favor from Allah Almighty which He bestowed upon the Muslim Ummah and honored them with; it is a charity Allah has given them, by way of facilitation and mercy. "So, accept His charity," i.e., whether there is fear or not; shortening the prayer is established in case of security as well. Allah's words: That the disbelievers may harm you} refers to what is most likely, for most of the journeys of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were not fear-free, given the multitude of fighting enemies at the time.
This indicates that the shortening of prayer during travel was prescribed to make things lenient and easy for people, and it does not have the sense of order or obligation for the traveler. Indeed, the Ummah unanimously agreed that a person to whom charity is offered is not obligated to accept it.
In the Hadīth: Shortening the prayer during travel with or without fear
And in it: Demonstrating the mercy of Allah Almighty and His complete favor upon His servants, as He prescribed for Muslims to shorten the prayer during travel given the hardship they suffer..

687
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: "Allah has prescribed the prayer by the tongue of your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as four Rak‘ahs when resident, two when traveling, and one in case of fear..

Commentary : Making things easy and light is one of the merits of the tolerant Islamic Shariah. Allah Almighty laid down dispensations for the Muslims therein so that they will not suffer hardship that causes them harm or burdens them with unbearable things. These dispensations include shortening the prayer during travel and at the time of war.
In this Hadīth, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "Allah has prescribed the prayer by the tongue of your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)" by revelation from Allah Almighty. So, it is "four Rak‘ahs when resident," i.e., the four-Rak‘ah prayers: Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’- "two when traveling;" the four-Rak‘ah prayer is shortened to two Rak‘ahs only during travel. And He prescribed "one in case of fear." The prayer of fear is when the time for obligatory prayer becomes due while Muslims are fighting an enemy, guarding borders, and the like. The Hadīth apparently indicates that the prayer of fear consists of one Rak‘ah in case of severe fear and war. It was said: What is meant by one Rak‘ah is that he offers one Rak‘ah with the Imām and one Rak‘ah alone. This is because most reports about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) state that the prayer of fear consists of two Rak‘ahs, to be performed in different ways depending on the condition of the enemy in terms of nearness and remoteness. There is no effect for the severe fear, but they should perform two Rak‘ahs, according to their ability, in whatever direction they turn to, while walking and riding, nodding with their heads..