Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates).
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Commentary :
Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between the sellers and the buyers are among the objectives of theLaws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between the buyers and sellers.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling only the unpicked fruits or dates (rather than the fruits and trees altogether) before they appear fully ripe and ready for consumption, by becomingred or yellow or showing any other sign of ripeness. This is because when the fruits ripen, they become safe from potential loss or defects due to pests that may destroy or reduce the yield. In fact, the prohibition of such a sales transaction serves the best interests of both the buyer and seller. It benefits the seller, because the price paid for the unripe fruits is lower; he could sell them for a higher price if he waited until they are fully ripe. Therefore, hastening to sell the unripe crops may cause him to miss out on obtaining more earnings, and hastening to make small profits (rather than waiting to make big ones) implies a waste of wealth. Moreover, the unripe fruits may go bad and spoil before they ripen, and thus a seller would have unlawfully devoured the wealth of his Muslim brother. It also benefits the buyer, because when he buys the unripe fruits, he may lose his money if the quality of the purchased fruits turns out to be less than what was expected, and thus he would be risking the loss of his money. In addition, there is another benefit accruing to both parties, for the prohibition of this sale eliminates potential disputes and discord that may be caused between them were the sold fruits to go bad and spoil.
The Prophet ﷺ also forbade the sale of dates, after they appear ripe and ready for consumption, for dates. Rather, dates should be sold for Dinar, Dirham, or other trade goods, to avoid falling into Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity). It involves the sale of gold for gold, silver for silver, or food for food with excess, and it is deemed prohibited as per the laws of Islam with regard to six categories of commodity, as recorded in Saheeh Muslim. TheProphet ﷺ said: “Gold may be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt, like by like, provided that the payment is made hand to hand. If the exchanged commodities are dissimilar, sell as you wish as long as the payment is made on the spot.”
The Prophet ﷺ later deemed allowable one form of this sale, namely Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah or ‘Araayaa (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated measure of picked and ripe fruits on the ground based on dry measurement). It is a sale whereby the owner of an orchard grants a poor person, who has no palm trees of his own nor cash to buy fresh dates for his household consumption, the (fresh) dates of his palm tree in return for a payment of surplus dry dates. It is a barter of the owner’s fresh dates of one or two palm trees for instance, for an estimated weight of surplus dry dates provided by the poor person, to avail himself of fresh dates like those who could afford buying them. This transaction was deemed allowable because some people had no palm trees or money during the season of fresh dates and wished to feed their dependents therefrom. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ gave them that legal concession, to conduct the sale of ‘Arayah for an estimated weight of dry dates, provided that they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and the Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
The hadeeth highlights how Islam promotes ease and facilitation and eliminates inconvenience for people.

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2191

Sahl ibn Abee Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade the sale of fruits (fresh dates) for dry dates but allowed the sale of fruits on the ‘Ariyyah by estimation and their new owners might eat their fresh dates. Sufyaan (in another narration) said, "I told Yahyaa (a sub-narrator) when I was a mere boy, people of Makkah used to say that the Prophet ﷺ allowed them to conduct the sale of ‘Ariyyah by estimation.' Yahyaa asked, 'How did the people of Makkah know about it?' I replied, 'They narrated it (from the Prophet ﷺ) on the authority of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him).' On that, Yahyaa kept quiet." Sufyaan said, "I meant that Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) from the people of Al-Madeenah." Sufyaan was asked whether or not there was a reference in Jaabir's narration any prohibition of selling fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., they become fully ripen and free of any dangers of being spoilt or blighted). He replied that there was none..

Commentary :
Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between the sellers and the buyers are among the objectives of the Laws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between buyers and sellers.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling only unpicked dates for an estimated equivalent weight of dry dates, known as the Muzaabanah sale (i.e., a sale that involves the exchange of fresh fruits for dry ones, where the quantity of the dry fruits is actually known, by precise measurement, but the quantity of the fresh fruits to be handed over in exchange is estimated while they are in their unpicked state on trees), but excluded one form of such a sale known as Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated amount of picked and ripe fruits on the ground based on dry measurement). It is a sale whereby a poor person buys the unpicked dates of palm trees, after they appear to be ripe and ready for consumption, to eat therefrom whenever he wishes, in return for an estimated payment of dry dates on the ground. This transaction was deemed allowable because some people had no palm trees of their own, or money during the season of fresh dates, and they wished to feed their dependents therefrom.The Prophet ﷺ gave them that legal concession out of his compassion to them. He ﷺ deemed it allowable to conduct this form of that sale for an estimation of their equal weight of dry dates, provided they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim.A Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
‘Alee ibn ‘Abdullah - one of the narrators of the hadeeth - told them that Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah narrated this hadeeth to them with two different wordings conveying the same meaning. Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah reported that he said to Yahyaa ibn Sa’eed Al-Ansaaree what had happened with him when he was a little boy, to indicate that he started seeking knowledge at a very young age, and that as a young seeker of knowledge used to debate and discuss with his teachers. Sufyaan said: “People of Makkah used to say that the Prophet ﷺ allowed for them the sale of ‘Arayaa (trees) by estimation.” Yahyaa asked about the supportive hadeeth text on which they relied in this regard, 'How did the people of Makkah know about it?' Sufyaan replied that they narrated such a hadeeth on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him). On that, Yahyaa kept quiet. In fact, Sufyaan made mention of the narrator of this hadeeth because he, i.e., Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), belonged to the people of Al-Madeenah. Thus, he underlined that the supportive hadeeth was narrated by the people of Al-Madeenah. The difference between the narration reported by Yahyaa ibn Sa’eed and that reported by the people of Makkah was that Yahyaa ibn Sa’eed limited the relevant legal concession in Bay‘ Al-‘Araayaa to estimation without weighing or measuring, and that the buyer must eat the dates fresh. As for the narration reported on the authority of Sufyaan from the people of Makkah, it did not specify such conditions, and indicated that Bay‘ Al-‘Araayaa was deemed allowable without any of these restrictions or conditions. Yahyaa could have said to Sufyaan that the people of Al-Madeenah held that such-and-such restrictions or conditions were stipulated; therefore,that which is general should be made subject to that which is restricted and specific i.e., applying a specific requirement on that which is general. The specification of the condition of estimation without weighing or measuring in the relevant narration is based on an addition made by a narrator, judged as Haafith (i.e., a title, lit. memorizer of hadeeth, awarded to a Hadeeth scholar after he had memorized thousands of hadeeths along with their chains of narration) by Hadeeth scholars, and therefore is essentially approved.Overall, the most likely correct opinion regarding the specification of being eaten fresh is that it is not a condition for the validity of this sale transaction but was rather mentioned to describe their actual situation.
Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah was asked whether or not there was any reference to the prohibition of selling fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., becoming fully ripe) in Jaabir's narration, and he replied that there was none, meaning that the hadeeth did not state the prohibition of selling fruits before they ripen and become ready for consumption, although this is true according to another version of that hadeeth reported by other narrators.
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2193

Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "During the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, people used to trade with fruits. When they cut their date-fruits and the purchasers came to receive their rights, a seller would say, 'My dates have gone bad and got rotten; they are blighted with diseases, or afflicted with Qushaam (i.e., a disease which causes the fruit to fall before ripening).' People used to go on complaining of defects in their purchases. Therefore, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Do not sell the fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., they appear to be fully ripe and free of any dangers of being spoilt or blighted), by way of advice, for they disputed too much." [Another version of the hadeeth reads: Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) used not to sell the fruits of his land till Pleiades appeared and one could distinguish the yellow (unripe) fruits from the red (fully ripe) ones..

Commentary : Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between buyers and sellers are among the objectives of the Laws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between the two parties.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that people during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ used to sell the unpicked fruits or dates before they were fully ripe and ready for consumption, as judged by showing signs of ripeness in terms of color or shape. When they cut their date-fruits and the purchasers came to receive their rights, the seller would say, 'My dates have gone rotten, they are blighted with such-and-such diseases; they are afflicted with Qushaam (i.e., a disease which causes the fruit to fall before ripening).' Therefore, when their disputes increased, Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade selling fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., they appear to be fully ripe, by means of color or shape or any other sign of ripeness. Then, the fruits would be safe from being spoilt or blighted with pests that may destroy or reduce the yield).
As for his saying, “Do not sell …,” it means that it is prohibited to sell the fruits except after these signs of ripeness are evident.
His saying, “by way of advice, for they disputed too much,” means that they were urged to refrain from buying any unpicked fruits until the whole yield was fully ripe, to avoid potential disputes. It was said that this was an interpretation made by some reporters of the hadeeth and was not part of the Prophet’s saying. This might have been the case in the beginning, and afterward the Prophet ﷺ decisively and explicitly forbade such sales. It was narrated on the authority of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of dates until they become fully ripe, as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim.
Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) used to act upon this prohibition; he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not sell the fruits of his palm trees till Pleiades appeared, marking the beginning of summer, when the wheatear became hot in Hijaaz and fruits became fully ripe. The Laws of Islam-approved criterion is the ripeness of the dates and the appearance of the Pleiades was a mere sign of the season of such ripeness.
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2198

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade the sale of fruits till they are almost ripe. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked what is meant by 'are almost ripe.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Till they become red." Allah's Messenger ﷺ further said, "If Allah caused the fruits to go bad and spoil, what right would one have to take the money of his fellow Muslim brother (i.e., the buyer)?"
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2201

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree and Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ appointed somebody as a governor of Khaybar. That governor brought to him an excellent kind of dates (from Khaybar). The Prophet ﷺasked, "Are all the dates of Khaybar like this (i.e., in terms of quality)?" He replied, "By Allah, no, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! But we barter one Saa‘ of this (type of dates) for two Saa‘s of dates of ours and two Saa‘s of it for three of ours." Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not do so (as that is a kind of Ribaa) but sell the mixed dates (of inferior quality) for money, and then buy fine (high-quality) dates with that money."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has permitted for His servants to earn their living by trade, but deemed Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) prohibited. Hence, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some commercial transactions lest Muslims should fall into Ribaa, directly or indirectly.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree and Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ appointed Sawaad ibn Ghaziyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) as the governor for Khaybar, a northern area of Al-Madeenah where the fortresses of the Jews were located, and it was conquered after the Pact of Al-Hudaybiyyah on the first of Muharram 7 A.H. Sawaad (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet ﷺ with “Janeeb dates”, high-quality dates, and it was also said that the hadeeth rather referred to Sulb dates. The Prophet ﷺ asked him: "Are all the dates of Khaybar like this (i.e., in terms of quality)?" The man said: “No, Allah, O Messenger of Allah, but we barter one Saa‘ of Janeeb dates for two Saa‘s of dates of ours and two Saa‘s of Janeeb dates for three of ours,” meaning that they exchanged one Saa‘of Janeeb dates for two Saa‘s of low-quality dates, and two Saa‘s of Janeeb dates for three Saa‘s of low-quality dates. The Prophet ﷺ forbade him from doing so and commanded him instead to sell the low-quality dates for Dirhams, and then buy with his money the Janeeb dates, to be done in two separate sale transactions, to avoid falling into Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity).
It was deemed prohibited as per the laws of Islam with regard to six categories of commodity, as recorded in Saheeh Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Gold may be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt, like by like, provided that the payment is made hand to hand. If the exchanged commodities are dissimilar, sell as you wish as long as the payment is made on the spot.”
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prohibited to take excess of weight or measure in an exchange of a homogenous commodity of a different quality or quantity.
It also highlights that when the Prophet ﷺ forbade something that had lawful alternatives, he ﷺ used to refer to such alternatives.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that ignorance of a prohibition warrants pardon until one obtains knowledge of it.
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2207

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺforbade Muhaaqalah (i.e., a sale in which grains in ears are sold for dry (processed) grain), Mukhaadharah (i.e., the sale of the unripe crops), Mulaamasah (i.e., a sale which become binding on seller if he just touches the object), Munaabadhah (i.e., a sale which is considered complete if one party just throw his garment to another party), and Muzaabanah (i.e., a sale of fresh fruit for an estimated equivalent weight of dried fruit)..

Commentary :
Islam came to eradicate the evil traces of the pre-Islamic era and forbid the sales that contravened the Laws of Islam, involved injustice, and yielded no benefits.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) underlined that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the Muhaaqalah sale, which was the sale of wheat while still in its ear in return for a certain known measure of wheat.
He ﷺ also forbade Mukhaadarah, which referred to the sale of crops before they become ripe and ready for consumption.
He ﷺ also forbade Mulaamasah, which referred to a way of selling practiced before Islam whereby a buyer purchased clothes or otherwise without seeing it properly with the condition that he was disentitled to annul the sale after properly seeing the purchased commodity; whenever he touched it, the sale became binding.
He ﷺalso forbade Munaabadhah, which is an Arabic word derived from the root ‘Na-ba-dha’, denoting throwing. It refers to a way of selling practiced before Islam, whereby a buyer said to a seller, ‘I shall buy whatever garment you throw at me for such-and-such a price”.Thus, throwing the commodity at the buyer became the seller’s consent to conclude the purchase, and the buyer became obliged to buy it.
He ﷺ also forbade Muzaabanah, which is a transaction whereby an owner of fruit trees sold his fruit for an estimated equivalent weight of the dried fruit, such as palm fruit for dates or grapes for raisins. The Prophet ﷺ deemed such transactions forbidden, but excluded one form known as Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated weight of picked and ripe fruit on the ground based on dry measurement).
It was reported that Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession in case of the ‘Ariyyah sale, selling dry dates for fresh ones after measuring them out.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
This refers to a sale whereby the owner of an orchard grants a poor person, who has no palm trees of his own nor cash to buy fresh dates for his household consumption, the (fresh) dates of his palm tree in return for a payment of surplus dry dates made by the poor person. It is a barter of the owner’s fresh dates of one or two palm trees, for instance, for an estimated weight of surplus dates that the poor person had left, to avail himself of the fresh dates like those who could afford to buy them. The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession to conduct the sale of ‘Arayah for an estimated weight of dry dates, provided that they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and the Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
The hadeeth forbade a number of sales and financial transactions that involved Gharar (i.e., risk and uncertainty) and ambiguity.
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2212

Hishaam ibn ‘Urwah narrated on the authority of his father, who heard ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) saying, "Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable.} [Quran 4:6] This ayah was revealed concerning the guardian of the orphans who looks after them and favorably manages their financial affairs. If such guardian is poor, he may avail himself of the orphan’s wealth within what is just and reasonable, (according to his work).
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Commentary : Since an (underage) orphan is unable to manage his own financial affairs, it is prescribed to appoint a guardian to shoulder that task on his behalf, to dispose of his financial (and legal) affairs and preserve his wealth. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the guardian of the orphan to preserve the orphan’s wealth. The Laws of Islam also forbade the guardian from substituting (his) worthless items of wealth for the good and superior items of wealth owned by the orphan under his guardianship.
In this hadeeth,the Mother of Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable.} [Quran 4:6].She (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that it was revealed regarding the orphan's guardian who is entrusted with taking care of him, tending to his needs, and preserving and managing his wealth. The ayah means that if a guardian of an orphan, whose father died before he reached puberty, has personal wealth to fulfill his own needs and dispense with the orphan’s wealth, i.e., not taking fees in return for managing the orphan’s financial affairs on his behalf, he should do so and graciously refrain from taking fees. However, if the guardian is poor, it is allowable for him to avail himself of the orphan’s wealth reasonably, i.e., taking only the fees that he needs without transgressing the proper limits, leading to the loss of the orphan's wealth.
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2213

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption.
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Commentary : The Islamic Laws of Islam fosters whatever preserves people’s interests and perpetuates their mutual amiability, especially partners. Therefore, the Laws of Islam grants the right of Shuf‘ah or pre-emption to a partner and co-owner of a joint property, if the other partner or co-owner wishes to sell his share, according to specific rules and conditions.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah underlined that the Prophet ﷺ affirmed the right of Shuf‘ah or pre-emption in any jointly owned property that is dividable, such as: real estate, land, and the like, but was not divided. The term Shuf‘ah refers to the right of purchasing before others the share of one’s partner and co-owner. If a co-owner is selling his share in a jointly owned house or land for example, the other co-owner has more right to buy this share for the same price. The right of pre-emption is established for any property, be it real estate or land, which is not divided up, but each share is well-defined. If the shares are well-defined and each co-owner knows his share, and ‘the boundaries of the joint property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed,’ the right of pre-emption is not established for any of them, and each is entitled to sell his share to whomever he wishes.
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2217

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Prophet ﷺ Ibraaheem (Abraham) migrated with Sarah and entered a village\townwhere there was a king or a tyrant. (The king) was told that Ibraaheem had entered (the village\town) accompanied by a woman who was one of the most charming women. So, the king sent for Ibraaheem and asked, 'O Ibraaheem! Who is this lady accompanying you?' He replied, 'She is my sister, meaning his sister in faith.' Then Ibraaheem returned to her and said, 'Do not contradict my statement, for I have informed them that you are my sister. By Allah, there are no true believers on this land except you and I.' Then Ibraaheem sent her to the king. When the king tries to approach her, she got up, performed ablution, prayed and said, 'O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messengerand have guarded my private parts from everybody except my husband, then please do not let this pagan overpower me.' On that, the king had a seizure and started moving his legs violently. Seeing the king’s condition, Sarah said, 'O Allah! If he should die, people will say that I have killed him.' The king regained his powerand proceeded towards her but she got up again and performed ablution, prayed and said, 'O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger and have guarded my private parts from all men except my husband, then please do not let this pagan overpower me.' The king again had a seizure and started moving his legs violently. On seeing that state of the king, Sarah said, 'O Allah! If he should die, people will say that I have killed him.' The king got either two or three seizures, and after recovering from the last one he said, 'By Allah! You have sent a devil to me! Take her to Ibraaheem and give her a slave-girl.' So, she came back to Ibraaheem and said, 'Allah humiliated the pagan and gave us a slave-girl for service."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, defends those who believe in Him, and supports them by His grace and kindness, granting them victory over their enemies if they duly relied on Him and declared their utter weakness, powerlessness, and need for His help, support, and strength. Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and his wife Sarah duly relied on Allah, Exalted is He.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ related the story of Ibraaheem Al-Khaleel (i.e., the close friend of Allah) when he travelled with his wife Sarah, who was a charming woman endowed with a remarkable beauty, to a town ruled by a tyrant king. Upon hearing of her beauty, the king summoned Prophet Ibraaheem and asked him about Sarah. Prophet Ibraaheem said: “She is my sister,” meaning his sister in faith. Prophet Ibraaheem did not tell him that she was his wife because he realized that this tyrant wanted Sarah for his own evil intentions. Knowing his reputation, Prophet Ibraaheem knew that he would be reluctant to harm a man’s sister, but would not hesitate to harm his wife! It was also said that he knew that the king would have killed him, taken her away from him, or forced him to divorce her. Afterward, Ibraaheem said to her: “Do not contradict my statement,’ meaning ‘if this king asked you about me, do not say that I am your husband.’ He clarified to her that he was truthful, because she was essentially his sister in faith. He made an oath that there were no true believers in that land except him and her. His intention was to opt for Tawriyyah (i.e., indirect speech; when a speaker says something that has an apparent meaning that the listener would understand, and another hidden meaning that the speaker intends) to spare himself and his wife the evil of this tyrant had he known that she was his wife. His saying “There are no true believers in this land except you and I,” does not contradict the ayah that reads (what means): {And Lut believed him.} [Quran 29:26]. This is because Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) meant that there were no true believers in that town except them, and Prophet Lut was not there with them.
Then, Ibraaheem sent her to the king. The version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “… Ibraaheem stood in prayer,” meaning that he hastened to stand before his Lord in prayer (to seek His help and protection for his wife). When the king approached her, she got up, performed ablution, prayed and said, ‘O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger,’ meaning Prophet Ibraaheem. In fact, she was not doubtful of her belief in him, but mentioned it as an assumption to humble herself. She added: “… and have guarded my private parts from everybody’, meaning guarded herself against sin, ‘and enjoyed that which is lawful with my husband, … do not let this pagan overpower me.’ On that, the king had a seizure,’ meaning he suffered from shortness of breath, was nearly suffocated, his snorting could be heard, ‘and started moving his legs violently,’ out of pain. Seeing the condition of the king, Sarah said, 'O Allah! If he should die, people will say that I have killed him.' Allah, Exalted is He, relieved him of the pain, but after regaining his power, he approached her again! She got up again, performed ablution, recited the same supplication, and he again had a seizure. On seeing that state of the king, Sarah supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to save him lest people would accuse her of killing him, and He relieved him. The king got either two or three seizures, and after recovering from the last one he said, 'By Allah! You have sent a devil to me!’Before Islam, people venerated the Jinn, and attributed to them all supernatural events and actions, and such seizures, which were similar to an epileptic seizure, fit the profile.
He added, ‘Take her to Ibraaheem and give her a slave-girl,’ meaning Hajar, the mother of Prophet Ismaa’eel (Ishmael).
So, she came back to Ibraaheem and said, 'Allah humiliated the pagan and gave us a slave-girl for service.’
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to opt for Tawriyyah and that indirect speech is a safe way to avoid lies.
It is also inferred therefrom the permissibility of beseeching Allah, Exalted is He, by means of one’s good deeds, the greatest of which is one’s faith in Him.
The hadeeth also underlines the protection and help of Allah, Exalted is He, for whoever implores Him sincerely, and that He answers sincere supplications with miracles to foster the supplicant’s faith, and reinforce his belief, submission, and reliance on Allah, Exalted is He.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a gift given by a disbeliever is valid, and that it is permissible to accept it.
It is also inferred that it is allowable to accept a gift offered by unjust kings.
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2219

Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that his father said: ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf said to Suhayb, 'Fear Allah and do not ascribe yourself to somebody other than your father.' Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, 'I would not like to say it even if I were given a great fortune, but I say I was kidnapped in my childhood.’”
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Commentary : Islam assigned a special care and attention to lineages, commanded their preservation and protection, and prescribed laws and legislations to protect them from potential mixing of progeny. One of these laws and legislationsis the prohibition of affiliating oneself to other than his biological father.
In this hadeeth, the Companion ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf warned Suhayb Al-Roomee (may Allah be pleased with them) against attributing himself to other than his biological father, after reminding him to fear Allah, Exalted is He. Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) used to attribute himself to Sinaan ibn Maalik ibn ‘Abd ‘Amr ibn ‘Aqeel, affiliating himself all the way to Al-Nimr ibn Qaasit, and saying that his mother belonged to the Banee Tameem tribe. In fact, he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a non-Arab because he (was captured by the Romans in his early childhood, and) grew up among the Romans, and learned their language.
‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf forbade Suyahb (may Allah be pleased with them) from doing so, assuming that he was attributing himself to other than his real father, being a violation of the Laws of Islam. However, Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to him that he was not attributing himself to other than his real father and said, ‘I would not like to say it even if I were given a great fortune, but I say I was kidnapped in my childhood.’ His father worked for the Persian king Khosrau, who appointed him as a governor of Al-Ubullah (Apologou), located in present-day Mosul in Iraq. The Romans raided the city and captured Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him). He was captured by the Romans in his early childhood and learned their language. He was then bought and brought to Makkah by a man from Kalb tribe, and was then bought and freed by ʻAbdullah ibn Judʻaan.
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2223

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): It was once brought to the attention of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that a certain man sold Khamr (i.e., intoxicants). Furiously, ‘Umar said, "May Allah curse so-and-so! Does not he know that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, 'May Allah curse the Jews; Allah, Exalted is He, had forbidden them from eating the fat of animals but they melted it and sold it."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, deemed Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) forbidden, and the Prophet ﷺ made it clear that the prohibition of Khamr included the prohibition of selling, buying, and carrying it, and the same goes for cunning circumventions of the Laws of Islam ruling, by changing its name and the like.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas stated that it was brought to the attention of the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) that a man sold Khamr, and the man was Samrah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), as recorded in Saheeh Muslim. There are three different opinions regarding how Samrah (may Allah be pleased with him) sold Khamr. First, it was said that he (may Allah be pleased with him) took it from some people who belonged to the People of the Book (i.e., Jews and Christians) as Jizyah, or obtained it as part of his share in the spoils of war or the like, and he sold it to them, believing that it was permissible. Second, it is possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) sold (grape) juice to someone who used to make Khamr for people. Grape juice or grapes may be referred to as Khamr, for they are used to manufacture it. Third, it is also possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) made grape vinegar and sold it, mistakenly believing it to be permissible. Upon knowing that, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was furious and said, "May Allah curse so-and-so,’ meaning ‘may Allah destroy him.’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) did not intend to actually invoke the curse of Allah on him, but this expression was commonly used by the Arabs for reproach. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: ‘Does not he know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'May Allah curse the Jews; Allah, Exalted is He, had forbidden them from eating the fat of animals,’ meaning dead animals or cows and sheep; Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {and of the cattle and the sheep We prohibited to them their fat,} [Quran 6:146],“but they melted it and sold it.” They melted their fat and sold it to cunningly circumvent the divine command. Accordingly, they incurred the curse of Allah, Exalted is He. This is because Allah, Exalted is He, deemed Khamr ritually impure and unlawful. Therefore, it is impermissible to sell, buy, or avail oneself of its price, just like other ritually impure and unlawful objects, such as: dead animals, blood, stool, and urine. This is why the hadeeth likened the one who sells Khamr and avails himself of its price to the Jews who sold the forbidden fat and availed themselves of its price, even though it was prohibited for them to consume such fat and it was deemed ritually impure, just like Khamr and dead animals as per the laws of Islam. Therefore, those who sell Khamr and avail themselves of its price are likened to the Jews who sold fat and availed themselves of its price.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the means and ways leading to what is deemed unlawful as per the laws of Islam are declared unlawful as well.
It is also inferred therefrom the that it is permissible to draw analogies between similar situations.
It is also deduced that when the Laws of Islam deems something unlawful, the same ruling applies to its price.
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2225

Sa’eed ibn Abee Al-Hasan said: “While I was with Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) a man came and said, "O father of ‘Abbaas! I earn my living by making these images." Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "I will tell you only what I heard from Allah's Messenger ﷺ.I heard him saying, 'Whoever makes an image will be punished by Allah till he brings it back to life, and he will never be able to do so!’ Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said to him, "What a pity! If you insist on taking image-making as a profession, I advise you to make images of trees and any other unanimated objects.”
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Commentary : A Muslim is urged to consume only lawful earnings and keenly seek lawful means of earning a living; a body that has been nourished with what is unlawful deserves to be thrown into Hellfire, as the Prophet ﷺ said.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Sa’eed ibn Abee Al-Hassan related that a man went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), asking him about the lawfulness of his profession through which he earned a living, and he used to make statues and images. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) told him that he would only answer him with what he had heard from the Prophet ﷺ, 'Whoever makes an image will be punished by Allah till he brings it back to life, and he will never be able to do so!’ Allah, Exalted is He, will command the makers of statues and images, to bring back to life the animated beings in their images and statues. These image makers will be punished until they do as commanded, and obviously, they would never be able to bring them back to life! Thus, they would continue to receive such punishment endlessly. Upon hearing that, the man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale, out of fear of such severe punishment. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said to him, ‘What a pity!’ The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which literally means ‘Woe to you’, and may be translated as ‘What a pity’ or ‘May Allah be Merciful to you.’ It was commonly used to remark on a situation of a person who inadvertently incurs a disaster. He (may Allah be pleased with them) added: “If you insist on taking image-making as a profession, I advise you to make images of trees and any other unanimated objects,” for making such images is permissible.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prohibited to make images of animated things and take it as a profession to earn a living.
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2227

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah says, 'I shall be the opponent of three persons on the Day of Resurrection: -1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but proves treacherous. -2. One who sells a free person (as a slave) and consumes the price, -3. And one who employs a laborer and gets the full work done by him but does not pay him his wages.' "
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Commentary : Islam regulates the interactions and transactions between people to preserve their rights, and establish justice in the Muslim community. It sternly warns against unlawful interactions and transactions, urges Muslims to avoid them, and underlines their evil consequences.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that Allah, Exalted is He, said that there are three categories of people who commit evil deeds warranting His wrath on the Day of Resurrection, and this is a stern warning, because whoever has Allah, Exalted is He, as his opponent will inevitably incur utter loss.
The first category is those who make a covenant or swear an oath by the Name of Allah, and then break it. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded Muslims to honor and fulfill their covenants and oaths; He Says (what means): {And fulfill [every] covenant. Indeed, the covenant is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.} [Quran 17:34]. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Every perfidious one will have a standard on the day of resurrection by which he will be recognized.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
The second category includes those who knowingly sell a free Muslim man as a slave, and consume the earnings, meaning availing oneself of such money. The hadeeth made reference to ‘consumption’ in particular because this is the most fundamental way of availing oneself of the earnings, and the need to satisfy one’s hunger may force a person to commitprohibitions and violations of the Laws of Islam. The sin is grave when a Muslim man knowingly sells a free Muslim man as a slave, because all Muslims are held on an equal standing in terms of inviolability and sanctity, and a Muslim has rights over his fellow Muslims: to support him, refrain from doing injustice to him, be sincere to him, and abstain from handing him over to an oppressor. The worst act of injustice to be done to a fellow Muslim is to enslave him or imperil him to such a fate. Whoever sells a free Muslim as a slave, has deprived him of his right to dispose of what Allah, Exalted is He, has deemed lawful to him and forced him into a life of humiliation and slavery; this is why it is a serious sin.
The third category comprises the employers who hire workers to perform certain tasks, and after the work is done, they refuse to pay them the due wages, because such workers had trusted the employers’ honesty. If the employer betrays his trust, Allah, Exalted is He, punishes him Himself, and because the employer availed himself of the worker’s service in return for no compensation; he has unlawfully devoured his wealth. This is one of the worst and most grievous acts of injustice.
It is noteworthy that mentioning the three categories in this hadeeth does not mean that Allah, Exalted is He, will not be the opponent of all wrongdoers, but He wanted to lay a special emphasis on these three categories, given the fact that they all share the heinous trait of treachery, being one of the worst, immoral qualities.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Islam declares selling a free person a serious crime and major sin, because such stern warnings are only associated with major sins.
It is also inferred therefrom that boldly swearing false oaths, breaking covenants and oaths, and denying a hired worker’s wages are grave sins.
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2234

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "If a slave-girl of yours commits Fornication and her sin is proved, she should be lashed, and after that nobody should blame her, and if she commits Fornication the second time, she should be lashed and nobody should blame her after that, and if she commits the offense for the third time and her sin is proved, she should be sold even for a hair rope (i.e., for a very cheap price). "
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Commentary : The Hadd (i.e., the corporal punishment determined by the Islamic Laws of Islam) for Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) prescribed for a slave woman is half of the Hadd prescribed for a free woman. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {But once they are sheltered in marriage (i.e., married), if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women.} [Quran 4:25].
A perpetrator of Fornication is subjected to the prescribed Hadd each time (s)he commits Fornication.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commands the owner of a slave-girl, who commits Fornication and her sin is verified by means of evidence, pregnancy, or confession, to subject her to the prescribed Hadd, i.e., 50 lashes, and she should not be rebuked or blamed afterward for her sin from which she had repented, because the application of the Hadd expiates her sin. If she commits Fornication again, she should be subjected to the Hadd again, and should not be rebuked or blamed for her sin afterward as well. If she commits Fornication for a third time, her master is urged to sell her even for a hair rope (i.e., for a very cheap price), after subjecting her to the Hadd ofFornication. It was not mentioned in the third time because it is understood from the previous references. He is urged to sell her for any price, no matter how low it is. This is meant as to stress that he is strongly advised to sell her and indicate that is not considered a waste of money, because she has become dissolute and rectifying her conduct would be a difficult task. Moreover, a pious Muslim is urged to refrain from keeping the company of dissolute sinners and to keep away from them. Therefore, he is urged to sell such a slave-girl so she would (have a chance for a new beginning in which she would) adhere to chastity with her new master or she would be deterred by his status, kindness, or generosity towards her, or he may marry her off to someone or the like.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a master is entitled to subject his slave to the prescribed Hadd.
It is also inferred therefrom that a sinner must not be blamed or rebuked for his sin, especially if he was subjected to the prescribed Hadd.
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2236

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard Allah's Messengerﷺ in the year of the Conquest of Makkah, saying, "Allah and His Messenger made unlawful the trade of Khamr, dead animals, pigs and idols." People asked, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! What about the fat of dead animals, for it was used for greasing boats and varnishing hides; and people use it for lights?" He ﷺ said, "No, it is lawful." Allah's Messengerﷺ further said, "May Allah curse the Jews, for Allah deemed the fat (of animals) unlawful to them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and consumed its price."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, deemed lawful that which is good, and deemed unlawful that which is evil, with regards to food, beverages, earnings, trade, and so on.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) informed us that in 8 A.H., during which Makkah was conquered, the Prophet ﷺ prohibited the sale of intoxicants in all its forms, dead animals,some birds, pigs, and idols, i.e., three-dimensional statues, because they are a means leading to Shirk (i.e., associating partners to Allah in worship), whether by imitating Him in creation or worshipping such idols like people did in the pre-Islamic era. People informed the Prophet ﷺ that the fat of dead animals was used for greasing boats and varnishing hides; people would use it for lights. The Prophet ﷺ informed them that this was strictly prohibited because Allah, Exalted is He, deemed dead animals unlawful in His Book. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ said: “May Allah curse the Jews,” meaning, may Allah destroy and curse them, “for Allah deemed the fat (of animals) unlawful to them,’ meaning the fat of dead animals or that of cattle and sheep; Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {and of the cattle and the sheep We prohibited to them their fat,} [Quran 6:146]. “Yet they melted the fat and sold it and consumed its price,” to cunningly circumvent their divine law. Therefore, they incurred the curse of Allah, Exalted is He. This serves as a warning against circumventing the prohibitions like the Children of Israel did.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the means leading to what is prohibited are declared prohibited as well.
It is also inferred therefrom that when something is deemed unlawful as per the laws of Islam, its price is deemed unlawful accordingly.
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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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates).
.

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption.
.

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.".

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.".

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.".

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..

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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates). .

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption. .

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.".

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.".

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.".

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..

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..

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates).
.

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption.
.