Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
When the people of Khaybar dislocated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar's hands and feet, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got up delivering a speech saying, "No doubt, Allah's Messengerﷺmade a contract with the Jews concerning their properties, and said to them, 'We allow you (to stay in your land) as long as Allah, Exalted is He, allows you.' Now ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar went to his land and was attacked at night, and his hands and feet were dislocated, and as we have no enemies there except those Jews, they are our enemies and the only people whom we suspect, I have made up my mind to exile them." When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to carry out his decision, a son of Abee Al-Huqayq came and addressed ‘Umar, "O Commander of the Believers, will you exile us although Muhammad ﷺ allowed us to stay at our places, and made a contract with us concerning our properties, and accepted the condition of our residence in our land?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you think that I have forgotten the statement of Allah's Messengerﷺ, i.e., ‘What will your condition be when you are expelled from Khaybar and your camel will be carrying you night after night?’ The Jew replied, "That was a joke made by Aboo Al-Qaasim." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O the enemy of Allah! You are telling a lie!" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then expelled them and paid them the price of their properties in the form of fruits, money, camel saddles, ropes …etc.”
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Commentary :
The Jews inside and outside Al-Madeenah continued to scheme against the Muslims and break their covenants with the Prophet ﷺ during his lifetime and with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) after his death. The Prophet ﷺ evacuated the Jews of Banee Al-Nadheer and Banee Qaynuqaa‘, then the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) evacuated the Jews of Khaybar, as stated in this hadeeth. Khaybar is a town located north of Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam, 95 miles (153 km) from Al-Madeenah.
The Prophet ﷺ made an agreement with the Jews of Khaybar concerning their properties, allowing them to keep them in return for paying the Jizyah (i.e., head tax on non-Muslim citizens living under the protection of Muslim rule). He ﷺ agreed for them to work in their farms in Al-Madeenah in return for a specified share of the yield. During the Caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the people of Khaybar insidiously attacked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)and dislocated his hands and feet when he went to them. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a speech and informed the people of what had happened to his son at the hands of some unknown people in Khaybar and underlined that they had no enemies there except those Jews, which made them the prime suspects. He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he (may Allah be pleased with him)had decided that exiling them from Al-Madeenah was the best solution. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to carry out his decision, a son of Abee Al-Huqayq, their chief and leader, came and addressed ‘Umar, "O Commander of the Believers, will you exile us although Muhammad ﷺ allowed us to stay at our places,” meaning made an agreement and covenant with us to stay in Al-Madeenah and take care of our properties, i.e., made a contract with us to stay and work in our farms. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you think that I have forgotten the statement of Allah's Messengerﷺ, i.e., ‘What will your condition be when you are expelled from Khaybar and your camel will be carrying you night after night?’ The Jew replied, "That was a joke made by Aboo Al-Qaasim." He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the Prophet ﷺ did not actually mean it and was merely joking. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O enemy of Allah! You are telling a lie." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then expelled them out of Al-Madeenah, and paid them the price of their properties in the form of fruits, money, camel saddles, ropes, etc.
It should be noted that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not request the Qisaas (i.e., retribution) from the Jews for what had befallen his son, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) was attacked at night while he was sleeping, and therefore was not able to identify the attackers.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to conduct a Musaaqaah (i.e., a share tenancy or partnership in the yield of trees) transaction, whereby the landowner hires a worker to water his land and take care of it in return for a fixed share of the produce..

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Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah and Marwaan (whose narrations attest each other) narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty), and when they proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem, so take the way on the right." By Allah, Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to inform Quraysh. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would go to them (i.e., the people of Quraysh). The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." Then he ﷺ said, "By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e., the polytheists of Quraysh) ask me anything which will involve horning the sanctity of Allah’s ordinances, I will grant it to them." The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a little water which people used in small amounts, and in a short while they used up all its water and complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued sprouting out till all people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. While they were still in that state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him and were from the people of Tihaamah. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform ‘Umrah. No doubt, the war has weakened Quraysh and they have suffered great losses, so if they wish, I will conclude a truce with them, during which they should refrain from interfering between me and people (i.e., the Arab disbelievers from other tribes), and if I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish; they will at least get strong enough to fight. But if they do not accept the truce, by Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I will fight them defending my cause till I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious." Budayl said, "I will inform them of what you have said." So, he set off till he reached Quraysh and said, "We have come from that man (i.e., Muhammadﷺ) whom we heard saying something which we will disclose to you if you should like." Some fools among Quraysh shouted that they were not in need of such information, but the wiser ones among them said, "Relate what you heard him saying." Budayl said, "I heard him saying such-and-such," relating what the Prophet ﷺ had told him. ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh for your help, and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Well, this man (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) has offered you a reasonable proposal, you should better accept it and allow me to meet him." They said, "You may meet him." So, he went to the Prophet ﷺand started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Then ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people? Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him and said, "Do you say that we would run and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted on you!" ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing his beard as he was talking while Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah), “Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." ‘Urwah said, "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" Before embracing Islam, Al-Mugheerah was in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and came (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said (to him, "As regards to your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken). ‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. By Allah, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ﷺordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would carry his orders immediately; if he ﷺperformed ablution, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence. ‘Urwah returned to his people and said, "O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and Al-Najaashee, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence." ‘Urwah added, "No doubt, he has presented to you a good reasonable offer, so please accept it." A man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Budn were brought before him and people (Muslims) received him while they were reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah." When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). I do not think it is advisable to prevent them from visiting the Ka‘bah." Another person called Mikraz ibn Hafs got up and sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Please conclude a peace treaty with us." So, the Prophet ﷺ called a scribe and said to him, "Write down: By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful." Suhayl said, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." Muslims said, "By Allah, we will not write except: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah.’" Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: "Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you, people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" (Al-Zuhree said, "The Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺhad already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it involves honoring the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by letting him and his Companions perform ‘Umrah and abstain from fighting.)" The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl said, "By Allah, we will not (allow you this year), so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that we have yielded to you, but we will allow you next year." So, the Prophet ﷺ got that written down. Then Suhayl said, "We also stipulate that you should return to us whoever comes to you from our people, even if he had embraced your religion." Muslims said, "Glorified be Allah! How will such person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim? While they were in this state Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, you will." He said, "I will not!” Mikraz said, "We allow you (to keep him)." Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh). ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him)said, "I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' I said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' I said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, 'O Aboo Bakr! Is not he truly Allah's Prophet?' He replied, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).' I said, 'Was he ﷺ not telling us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes, but did he ﷺ tell you that you would go to the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You will go to Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it." (Al-Zuhree said, "In this regard, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)said, 'I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them.'") When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." By Allah, none of them got up, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he ﷺ left them and went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and told her of people's attitudes towards him. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do you want your order to be carried out? Go out and do not say a word to anybody till you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call for your barber to shave your head." So, the Prophet ﷺ went out and did not talk to anyone of them till he did that, i.e., slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for his barber who shaved his head. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). Then some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10] ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then divorced two wives of his as they were disbelievers. Later on, Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other. When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who said (to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Abide by the promise you gave us." So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and said, "By Allah, it is very fine and I have tried it many times." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and
oined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group. By Allah, whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for (i.e., Aboo Baseer and his companions) promising that whoever (amongst them) came to the Prophet ﷺwould be secure. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing … When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26] Their prejudice and haughtiness were the reason they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah and refused to write: "In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,” and prevented them (i.e., Muslims) from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah)..

Commentary :
The Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah was described as a conquest by Allah, Exalted is He, because it had very fruitful outcomes for Islam and Muslims, and many Laws of Islam provisions were prescribed during that period, fostering ease and facilitation for Muslims.
In this hadeeth, Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Marwaan ibn Al-Hakam narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty) in 6 A.H. When they had proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed,” who was then a disbeliever, “leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem,” a valley near Hijaaz between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, about (60 km) from Makkah, “so take the way on the right." Khaalid was leading the vanguard of Quraysh’s army to investigate the situation of their enemy (i.e., Muslims). The Prophet ﷺ commanded the Muslims to take the way on the right to distance themselves from the way taken by Khaalid and his soldiers. Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to warn Quraysh that the Prophet ﷺ was approaching Makkah. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would reach the people of Quraysh. It was said that the Thaniyah was an area located between Makkah and Al-Madeenah on the way of Al-Hudaybiyah and it was the customarily chosen path to reach Makkah. The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up and continue walking, but in vain. They said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" Meaning that the she-camel stubbornly refrained from walking. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." The Prophet ﷺ was referring to the elephant of Abrahah Al-Habashee when he came to demolish the Ka‘bah and Allah, Exalted is He, prevented him access to Makkah by causing his elephant to stop moving, and this was exactly what happened to the she-camel.
Afterward, he ﷺ swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that he ﷺ would agree to whatever the disbelievers of Quraysh should ask for to avoid fighting them out of reverence for Makkah and the Ka‘bah, considering the sacredness of the land and gravity of violating Allah’s Ordinances. The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way (i.e., instead of marching towards Makkah, and turned) till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a small quantity of water which the people used in small amounts.In a short while people used up all its water and then complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued flowing out till all the people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. This was one of the miracles performed by the Prophet ﷺ and the signs of his prophethood.
While people were in such a state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe, Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him.They also belonged to the people of Tihaamah, which referred to Makkah and the surrounding towns and cities. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Budayl made mention of these two names as reference to the disbelievers of Quraysh in general, because all the disbelievers of Quraysh in Makkah could be traced back to these two men. He meant that they camped near the well of Al-Hudaybiyah where there was a large quantity of water. He stated that the disbelievers of Quraysh brought along their milch she-camels or their women and children, indicating their readiness to deny the Prophet ﷺ access to Makkah even if they had to fight the Muslims. Allah's Messengerﷺ clarified to him that they had merely come to perform ‘Umrah and had no intention of fighting them, and urged Quraysh to get out of their way, especially since the war had weakened them and they had suffered great losses. He ﷺ proposed that Quraysh should conclude a truce with the Muslims, during which they should refrain from interfering between the Prophet ﷺ and the Arab disbelievers from other tribes. He ﷺ said, “If I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish;” meaning that if the Prophet ﷺ triumphed over the rest of the Arab disbelievers, Quraysh would be given the chance to follow him and embrace Islam like the others, or retain their peace treaty and truce with him, and in both cases, they would at least sparethemselves fighting and taste some relief. He ﷺ then swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that if they did not accept the truce, he ﷺ would fight them defending his cause till he ﷺ would be killed, and added, “… but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious,” and inevitably grant him triumph.
Budayl ibn Warqaa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he would inform Quraysh of what he ﷺ said and his offer. He set off till he reached Quraysh and informed them that he had a message from the Prophet ﷺ. He told them of the offer, but some fools among Quraysh shouted that they did not need to hear such an offer. However, the wise people among them asked him to relate what he had heard the Prophet ﷺ saying and he did. Thereupon, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He meant to highlight his care and compassion for them, and the sincerity of his advice for them, comparing it to that of a father’s advice for his own child.
He added, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh,” a marketplace near Makkah, “for your help,” meaning to fight in support of Quraysh, “and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?” He was trying to urge them to accept his request to meet with the Prophet ﷺ after he liked his (reasonable) proposal related by Budayl. They allowed him to meet the Prophet ﷺ and he started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Thereupon, ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people?” He was referring to the people of Quraysh. He added, “Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." He meant that were Quraysh to defeat the Muslims, they would inevitably flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone since they belonged to various tribes. Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him, in response to his offensive claim that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) should flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you say we would flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah recalled a favor that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had done for him, which he had not yet reciprocated. Therefore, he refrained from retorting and abusing him back. He said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted to you." ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing the Prophet's beard as he was talking, and this was customarily acceptable by Arabs as a non-verbal gesture indicative of endearment. Meanwhile, Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah, who could not recognize him), "Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." On that, ‘Urwah recalled his treacherous act, and said "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" ‘Urwah was his paternal uncle, and Al-Mugheerah, before embracing Islam, was once in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and went (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. His uncle continued to pay the compensation of his treacherous act to their people. The Prophet ﷺ said about Al-Mugheerah’s act, "As regards your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken).” He ﷺ meant that he accepted his Islam, but rejected such usurped property that was insidiously seized by him.
‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and observed how they treated him. He listed some of his observations about the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). For instance, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who would rub it on his face and skin. Whenever he ﷺ ordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them) would comply immediately and fulfill his needs. If he ﷺ performed ablution, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would vie with one another to take the leftover water. Whenever they spoke to the Prophet ﷺ, they would lower their voices and, out of reverence, would not stare at his face constantly.
‘Urwah returned to his people and reported to them his encounter with the Prophet ﷺ and their discussions. He started his talk by expressing his deep admiration and amazement at the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He even stated that the Companions’ reverence to the Prophet ﷺ was much greater that the reverence shown to the kings, Caesar, Khosrau, and Al-Najaashee that he had witnessed firsthand. He then underlined the difference he observed saying, “… yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions.” Afterward, he related to them some of his observations, emphasized that his proposal was reasonable, and urged Quraysh to accept it. After hearing ‘Urwah out, a man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Prophet ﷺ recognized the man and knew his tribe. It was said that this man was named Al-Hulays ibn ‘Alqamah Al-Haarithee. These people highly respected the sacrificial camels and cows and believed that it was unlawful to eat from their meat because they were offerings and gifts to the Sacred House. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to send these camels before them to prove to him that he ﷺ really intended to perform ‘Umrah and did not have any intention to fight. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) drove the Budn before him and the Muslims received him while reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah," meaning that no one should deny the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) access to the Ka‘bah to perform ‘Umrah. When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). This was customarily done to distinguish the camels offered as animal sacrifices from others.
Afterward, Mikraz ibn Hafs also sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached the Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl asked the Prophet ﷺ to conclude a peace treaty and truce with Quraysh. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ called for his scribe, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), and said to him, "Write down: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" Suhayl objected, saying, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." The Prophet ﷺ used to open his agreements with that phrase in the early days of Islam. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) objected, but the Prophet ﷺ approved it and asked his scribe to write down instead, “By Your Name, O Allah.’ Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl objected again and said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’” The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" In fact, the Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺ had already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it meant revering the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by avoiding fighting in the sanctuary). The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl agreed, but stipulated that they should return to Al-Madeenah and come back the following year so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that Quraysh had yielded to the Prophet ﷺ and were forced into it, and the Prophet ﷺ agreed. They also stipulated that the Prophet ﷺ should return to them whoever came to him from Quraysh to embrace Islam. The Muslims objected and said, “Glorified be Allah! How will such a person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim?” While they were in this state, Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Upon seeing him, Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ eventually accepted that term provided that they should exclude Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked Suhayl to exclude him, but he refused. They negotiated it and Mikraz, who attended the meeting, interfered and said, "We allow you (to keep him)." However, the following statement made by Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) indicated that Suhayl refused and that the Prophet ﷺ returned him. Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him)exclaimed, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh).
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed at the Prophet’s stance and such unfair terms that seemed against the interests of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) and said to him the same, and he replied, ‘Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged ‘Umar to comply with the Prophet’s command, for he ﷺ was acting incompliance with the divine revelation, and was aided by Allah, Exalted is He. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them,” meaning to atone for his inappropriate attitude towards the Prophet ﷺ in that incident.
When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." However, none of them complied, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. It seems that they delayed their compliance with the command, hoping that the divine revelation should come to annul this peace treaty so that they could perform the ‘Umrah.
When none of them got up, he ﷺ went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and complained to her of the Companions’ attitude towards him and their refusal to comply. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) advised the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to go out without saying a word to anybody till he had slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for the barber to shave his head. He ﷺ approved her opinion and acted upon her advice. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)followed his example,got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). They (may Allah be pleased with them) were very distressed that they were denied access to the Sacred House and prevented from performing ‘Umrah, and also because seeing the Prophet ﷺ doing so meant that the command was final, and that no divine revelation was revealed to annul the peace treaty and its unfair terms.Also, they had delayed their compliance with the Prophet’s command to slaughter their animal sacrifices and shave their heads earlier.
Afterward, some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, after the conclusion of the peace treaty. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10]. The ayah meant that Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the Prophet ﷺ to accept the women who should come to him (to embrace Islam) after testing them to ensure their sincere intentions, and that he ﷺ must not return the believing women to the disbelievers.The believers were also enjoined to divorce their disbelieving wives. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced two wives of his, for they were disbelievers. Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other.
When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who reminded the Prophet ﷺ of the agreement they had to return whoever went to join the Prophet ﷺ from Quraysh. So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah, where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) seized the opportunity and deceived them by saying to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and started praising it. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." Aboo Naseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said so thinking that the Prophet ﷺ would approve his act and allow him to stay, but he ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" He ﷺ exclaimed at his action and described him as a stirrer of war. When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore, on the route to Shaam. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and joined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group, which comprised more than forty men. Whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh incurred serious losses because of them, so much that they sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for Aboo Baseer and his group, commanding them to stop what they were doing, and promising security to whoever (amongst them) should come to him. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing. * They are the ones who disbelieved and obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram while the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And if not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know - that you might trample them and there would befall you because of them dishonor without [your] knowledge - [you would have been permitted to enter Makkah]. [This was so] that Allah might admit to His mercy whom He willed. If they had been apart [from them], We would have punished those who disbelieved among them with painful punishment. * When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26]. The ayah referred to the ‘chauvinism’ of Quraysh, meaning their prejudice and haughtiness reflected in the fact that they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah, refused to write: ‘In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,’ and prevented Muslims from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Allah, Exalted is He, supports His religion and grants Muslims victory in ways that may seem indicative of defeat (at first glance) and that patience begets relief.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that obedience to Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger is obligatory regardless of knowing or investigating the wisdom behind the command or the prohibition.
It is also deduced therefrom that some (clear) matters may be missed by those endowed with intelligence and insight.
It is also inferred that Islam is founded on absolute submission to the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ..

2736

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadeeth No. 419, Vol. 8)
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His Names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.} [Quran 7:180].
The Prophet ﷺ taught Muslims these Divine Names and ensured that they should clearly understand their meanings (and implications).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺstated that Allah, Exalted is He, has ninety-nine Names, and whoever knows them will enter Paradise. The Arabic verb used in the hadeeth is Ahsaa (lit., to enumerate), meaning to memorize these Names and comprehend their meanings or invoke Allah, Exalted is He, by them; He Says (what means): {… so invoke Him by them.} [Quran 7:180]. This means that we are enjoined to implore Allah, Exalted is He, by these Divine Names, saying, for example, ‘Yaa Dhaa Al-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam (i.e., O Possessor of majesty and honor)’ or ‘Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom (i.e., O Ever-Living and Sustainer of [all] existence),’ and the like. It was also said that it means acting upon their meanings and worshiping Allah, Exalted is He, in light of their implications. This means that when a servant of Allah learns the Divine Name Al-Raheem (i.e., The Especially Merciful), such knowledge should urge him to seek His Mercy and work towards earning such a bestowal. Similarly, when one learns the Divine Name Al-Ghafoor (i.e., All-Forgiving), such knowledge should urge him to seek His forgiveness and work towards earning such a bestowal. In the same vein, when one learns the Divine Name Al-Samee‘ (i.e., All-Hearing), such knowledge should urge him to be mindful of what may incur His wrath. Also, when a servant of Allah learns the Divine Name ‘Al-Baseer (i.e., All-Seeing)’, such knowledge should urge him to avoid whatever displeases Him.
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2737

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) got some land in Khaybar and he went to the Prophet ﷺ to consult him about it saying, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, I got some land in Khaybar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you wish, you can give the land as endowment and give its fruits in charity." Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) endowed it on the condition that it would not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but its yield would be given in charity to the poor people, to his relatives, to fund the emancipation of slaves, to be spent in Allah's Cause, to (be given to) the wayfarers and guests; and that there would be no harm if the guardian (i.e., administrator) of the endowment ate from it according to his need with good intention, and fed others as well, without storing it for the future (i.e., as personal fortune).”.

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to spend in charity and generously make charitable contributions to help others, and they consulted the Prophet ﷺ in this regard.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that his father, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained land in Khaybar, a village 95 miles (153 km) from Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam. Khaybar was inhabited by Jews, and after the Prophet ﷺ conquered it in 7 A.H., he ﷺ divided some parts of the land among Muslims and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained some of it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ to consult him about what he (may Allah be pleased with him) should do with his land. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet ﷺ, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, I got some land in Khaybar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) liked this land very much because it was the best land he had ever owned. The Prophet ﷺ advised him to donate it as an endowment and give its fruits in charity. Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) endowed it on the condition that it must not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but that its yield should be given in charity for the following beneficiaries: the poor people, his relatives, the slaves who seek Mukaatabah (i.e., a contract of manumission between a master and a slave whereby the slave is required to pay a certain sum of money during a specific time period in exchange for freedom), i.e., giving them the needed money to buy their freedom, and to be spent in Allah's Cause, meaning for the pilgrims and those who partake in Jihaad who have no wealth to complete their pursuits (i.e., perform Hajj or partake in Jihaad), giving them the needed money to complete their pursuits and return home. Other specified beneficiaries included: the wayfarers, i.e., travelers who have no money to return to their lands, and guests. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also stipulated that there would be no harm if the administrator of the endowment should reasonably avail himself of the revenue generated by the endowed property, according to his need with good intention, and he may also benefit others without storing it for the future (i.e., as a personal fortune).
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is allowable to donate property as an endowment.
It is also deuced that Muslims are urged to uphold ties of kinship and are allowed to specify them as beneficiaries of the endowment.
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2738

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) written and kept ready with him."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, legislated the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) out of His kindness and mercy for His servants, allowing them to allocate a share of their wealth as a bequest to be offered in charity benefiting others and generating rewards for him or her.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ urged Muslims to hasten to write a Wasiyyah before death should befall them abruptly. He ﷺ clarified that it is becoming of any Muslim, man or woman, who has wealth to write his Wasiyyah to clarify with regard to his dependents, the due financial rights he owes to others, and those owed by others to him, including: (unpaid) debts, expiation, and Zakaah that he had neglected. The Hadeeth underlines that it is unbecoming of a Muslim to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah written and kept ready with him. In execution of such a Wasiyyah, the unpaid debts specified therein must be deducted from the estate (before the division of inheritance among the eligible heirs), and any bequest made to be spent in charity should be within one-third of the estate only.
The fact that the Prophet ﷺ specifically stated that this was unbecoming of a ‘Muslim’ aims to urge all Muslims to hasten to comply, since the apparent indication of the hadeeth’s wording is that whoever fails to do so would not be qualified to be a (true) Muslim. It is also possible that it means that this is the most likely case.
Al-Daaramee and Al-Daaraqutnee narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “People used to write their Wasiyyah as follows:
This is what so-and-so, the son of so-and-so (i.e., the deceased’s name) had willed. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and He has no partner, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger; that the Last Hour shall undoubtedly come, and that Allah, Exalted is He, shall resurrect the dead from their graves. I also urge my family and dependents to be mindful of Allah, Exalted is He, reconcile their disputes, and obey Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ, if they are true believers. I also advise them with what Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ya‘qoob (Jacob) advised their children as narrated in the ayah reading (what means): {And Ibraaheem (Abraham) instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Ya‘qoob (Jacob), [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."} [Quran 2:132]. I hereby will that such-and-such should be done after my death…”
The hadeeth urges Muslims to write their Wasiyyah.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that important matters should be documented and written, since it is better and more prudent than relying on memory.
It also urges Muslims to prepare themselves for death, and get ready before it abruptly befalls them, and then it would be too late; a person does not know when death shall befall him or her.
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2740

Talhah ibn Musaarrif said: I asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him), "Did the Prophet ﷺwrite a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the writing of a Wasiyyah has been enjoined on people?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet’s Wassiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran).”
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Commentary :
This hadeeth refutes the false claims of the Shiites that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him)as his successor. In this hadeeth, Talhah ibn Musaarrif stated that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) as to whether or not the Prophet ﷺwrote a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) regarding the division of his wealth or nominating his successor, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the negative, because the Prophet ﷺdid not leave behind considerable wealth entailing writing a Wasiyyah, and also because he ﷺ stated in another hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Al-Buhkaaree and Saheeh Muslim, that whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave after his death should be given in charity. Thereupon, Talhah ibn Musaarrif inquired about the reason that the Prophet ﷺ did not write a Wasiyyah, despite the fact that Muslims are enjoined to do so; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a Wasiyyah for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.} [Quran 2:180].
‘Abdullah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “The Prophet’s Wasiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran),” meaning that his Wasiyyah for the Muslims was to adhere to the Quran and act upon it, because the Quran is the most important and fundamental asset for Muslims, and it was revealed as clarification for all things, such things being clarified either by explicit statement or through inference. Were Muslims to adhere to the Quran, this would entail compliance with the Prophet’s commands, for Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from.} [Quran 59:7].
Numerous and varied texts and narrations have been reported stating the Prophet’s commandments; some were regarding his household, the rights of the Ansaar and emigrants in particular, and others were regarding all Muslims, like this hadeeth.
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2741

Al-Aswad narrated:
In the presence of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), some people mentioned that the Prophet ﷺhad appointed ‘Alee (as his successor) in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "When did he appoint him in his Wasiyyah? Verily, when he ﷺ died, he was resting against my chest (or said: in my lap) and he ﷺ only asked for a wash-basin and then collapsed while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he ﷺ had died, so when did he ﷺ appoint him in his Wasiyyah?”
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Commentary :
The Shiites were known for fabricating hadeeths and inauthentic reports that support their false claims, and an example of this was fabricating hadeeths suggesting that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Aboo Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor in his Wasiyyah. A group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and some scholars from the following generations as well refuted such claims.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Al-Aswad ibn Yazeed narrated that it was brought to the attention of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people mentioned that the Prophet ﷺhad appointed ‘Alee (as his successor) in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament). The Arabic term Wasiyyah denotes connecting the testator’s earthly life with the afterlife (i.e., by willing what should be done after his death). She (may Allah be pleased with her) exclaimed, "When did he appoint him in his Wasiyyah?” She (may Allah be pleased with her) was shocked at their claim that he ﷺ willed that ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) should be his successor or anything else regarding his private affairs or the public affairs of Muslims. She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “Verily, when he ﷺ died, he was resting against my chest (or she said: ‘in my lap’) and he ﷺ only asked for a wash-basin and then collapsed while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he ﷺ had died.” This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was with him in his last moments and he ﷺ did not will that anything in particular should be done after his death at his deathbed.
It is noteworthy that she (may Allah be pleased with her) did not mean that he ﷺ generally did not will that anything in particular should be done after his death. Rather, it was authentically reported that he ﷺ willed that the polytheists should be expelled from the Arabian Peninsula, that the delegations and deputations should be (respected and) rewarded (as he ﷺ used to do), and that the Muslim army under the leadership of Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) should be dispatched. Rather, she (may Allah be pleased with her) merely denied that he ﷺ willed (during his fatal illness) that ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) should be his successor. Her testimony in this regard is valid because she (may Allah be pleased with her) was with the Prophet ﷺ during his final days, did not leave his sight, and was present during that specified time. Moreover, were the Prophet ﷺ to nominate a successor after his death, such serious news would have been widely circulated, and such a Wasiyyah would have been proclaimed by people. The fact that it was not proclaimed and circulated proves that he ﷺ did not actually appoint ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor as claimed.
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2742

Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet ﷺcame visiting me while I was (sick) in Makkah, (‘Aamir, the sub-narrator said, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked to die in his homeland, since he had already migrated). He (i.e., the Prophet) said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on Ibn ‘Afraa’ (i.e., Sa‘d ibn Khawlah)’ I said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! May I will all my property to be given in charity?" He ﷺ said, "No." I said, "Then, may I will half of it?" He ﷺ said, "No". I said, "One third?" He ﷺ said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much. It is better for you to leave your inheritors wealthy than to leave them poor begging others, and whatever you spend for Allah's sake will be considered a charitable deed even the handful of food you put in your wife's mouth. May Allah bless your lifespan so that some people may benefit from you, and some others may be harmed by you." At that time, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had only one daughter.
.

Commentary :
Islam delineated the provisions of the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) and bequests and clarified what is permissible and impermissible in this regard.
In this hadeeth, Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺvisited him when he was (sick) in Makkah in 10 A.H., during the Farewell Hajj, according to the version of the hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked to die in Makkah, his homeland, since he had already migrated from it. This was explicitly stated in the version recorded in Saheeh Muslim reading: “I am afraid I may die in the land from where I migrated (as Sa‘d ibn Khawlah had died).” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on Ibn ‘Afraa’ (i.e., Sa‘d ibn Khawlah),” who had died in Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ disliked that any of the emigrants should return to Makkah or reside therein any longer after performing Hajj or ‘Umrah.
Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Allah's Messengerﷺ, “May I will all my property to be given in charity?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to bequest all his wealth to be given in charity after his death, but the Prophet ﷺ forbade him from doing so. He (may Allah be pleased with him) further asked whether it was allowable for him to bequest half of his wealth to be given in charity, but the Prophet ﷺ also forbade him from doing so. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked whether he might bequest one-third of his wealth, and the Prophet ﷺ said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much.” The Prophet ﷺ was urging Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to bequest less than the third of his wealth to be given in charity after his death, and then clarified for him that it was better to leave his inheritors rich, by leaving them wealth to inherit, rather than leaving them poor, begging others for money. He ﷺ also informed Sa‘d that were he to survive his illness, what he (may Allah be pleased with him)has spent for the Sake of Allah (i.e., his bequest) would count as an act of charity; he (may Allah be pleased with him) would earn the designated reward whether he lived or died. He ﷺ then explained that a person earns a reward for even the handful of food he puts in his wife's mouth. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to highlight the diversity and numerosity of the acts of charity for which the giver earns rewards, because one’s wife is his closest companion and the lawful outlet for his sexual and emotional desires.
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, in his favor, saying: “May Allah bless your lifespan so that some people may benefit from you,” meaning benefit from the spoils of war that Muslims would gain thanks to his effort in Jihaad and conquering non-Muslim lands, “and some others may be harmed by you,” meaning the disbelievers who shall be killed at his hand on the battlefield.
The narrator underlined that during that time, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had only one daughter. This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was his only child or female member of his family entitled to inherit him, for Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had paternal relatives who were entitled to inherit him, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) belonged to Banee Zahrah that was a large clan. It was also said that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was the only heir who was entitled to a fixed share of his estate as per the laws of Islam, or that he named her in particular because she was the only heir from his dependents for whom he would have feared loss and poverty. It may also mean that he thought that she would inherit his whole estate, or believed that half of his wealth was too much for her alone.
The reference in the hadeeth to Ibn ‘Afraa’(may Allah be pleased with him)was a mistake by one of the narrators and should have been ‘Ibn Khawlah’ instead. It was also said that Ibn ‘Afraa’ was a nickname or another name for his mother.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the heirs are more entitled and deserving of the deceased’s wealth than all other people.
It is also inferred that spending on one’s family counts as a good deed.
It is also deduced therefrom that when permissible acts are performed merely for the Sake of Allah, Exalted is He, they count as rewardable acts of worship.
The hadeeth also highlights a sign of his prophethood; he ﷺ foretold what happened to Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him). According to the Prophet’s prophecy, he (may Allah be pleased with him) lived for years after the Farewell Hajj, some people benefited from him, and others were harmed by him.
The hadeeth also urges checking upon the sick people.
It also underlines the Companions’ keenness to perform good deeds.
It encourages Muslims to hasten to write their Wasiyyah upon noticing the signs of death, such as sickness and the like.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that one may only make a bequest of a third of one’s wealth or less.
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2747

Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
The custom (in old days) was that the property of the deceased person would be inherited by his children; as for the parents (of the deceased), they would inherit according to the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), meaning by means of bequest. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated and cancelled from that custom whatever He wished and fixed for the male double the share inherited by the female, and for each parent a sixth (of the whole estate) and for the wife an eighth or a fourth and for the husband a half or a fourth.
.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He,clarified the Laws of Islam provisions pertaining to the division of inheritance, Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), and bequests in the Quran, and the Prophet ﷺ delineated them in the Sunnah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said thatthe custom (in earlier days), i.e., before the ayaat about the division of the inheritance were revealed, was that the property of a deceased person would be inherited by his children, and the parents (of the deceased) would inherit according to the Wasiyyah, meaning by means of bequest. The deceased would make a bequest in favor of one or both of the parents. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated and cancelled whatever He wished of such customary practices and approved what He willed for His servants, by revealing the ayaat about the division of the inheritance. For instance, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed (what means): {Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females.} [Quran 4:11]. According to these ayaat, Allah, Exalted is He, decreed that a male child inherits double the share of the female, and fixed for each parent a sixth (of the whole estate), as stated in the ayah that reads (what means): {And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children…} [Quran 4:11]. Allah, Exalted is He, also prescribed for the wife an eighth of the estate if the husband had children (with her or with another wife) or otherwise a fourth. Similarly, a husband is entitled to half of his wife’s estate if she had no children (with him or with another husband), or a fourth if she had children (with him or with another husband). Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave …} [Quran 4:12]..

2756

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the mother of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah (may Allah be pleased with them) died in his absence. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ, my mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqah (i.e., charity) on her behalf?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al-Mikhraaf in charity on her behalf."
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Commentary :
A manifestation of Allah’s divine mercy and grace bestowed upon His servants is that He decreed that there should be many ways to raise their levels in Paradise and have their sins forgiven, one of which is decreeing that giving charity on behalf of the deceased should generate reward for the deceased, and benefit him or her after death.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him)that the mother of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, ‘Amrah bint Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with them) died in his absence. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) came back, he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ of it and asked, “Will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqah (i.e., charity) on her behalf?” The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," meaning that the rewards for such charity would benefit her and be added to her record of good deeds. Upon learning that, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al-Mikhraaf in charity on her behalf." The name Al-Mikhraaf was either the name of the garden or a description of it, indicating fruitfulness and abundant produce. It means that he (may Allah be pleased with him) offered this garden in charity on behalf of his late mother so that she would earn the rewards, endowing it for the public benefit of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) did not specify certain beneficiaries for the endowment, and the Prophet ﷺ did not forbid such an act.
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2759

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
Some people claim that the order in that ayah was abrogated, and, by Allah, it is not abrogated, but people have stopped acting on it! There are two kinds of guardians (i.e., who are in charge of the division of the inheritance): one who inherits; such person should give (of what he inherits to the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.), the other is the one who does not inherit (e.g. the guardian of the orphans): such person should speak kindly and say (to those who are present at the time of division of the inheritance), "I cannot give it to you (as the wealth belongs to the orphans).
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Commentary :
The wisdom of Allah, Exalted is He, entailed that some ayaat of the Quran may be abrogated. In Islamic terminology, Naskh (i.e., abrogation) in the Quran means to cancel and abrogate some fixed Laws of Islam rulings in the Quran and replace them with new rulings and orders revealed in ayaat afterward. Scholars held different opinions regarding the abrogation of some ayaat based on their knowledge of the dates of revelation (of the abrogated and abrogating ayaat), and the understanding of each scholar (of the relevant ayaat) as well.
In this hadeeth, the well-ayahd scholar Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), who was known as “Turjumaan Al-Quraan” (i.e., the ayahd interpreter of the Quran), related that some people claim that the order in that ayah was abrogated, referring to the ayah that reads (what means): {And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8]. They claimed that this ayah was abrogated by the ayaat about the division of the inheritance, and accordingly none but the specified heirs are entitled to any share of the deceased’s estate, i.e., the heirs mentioned in the relevant ayaat. However, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) believed that the ayah was not abrogated, and that its indication does not contradict that of the ayaat about the division of the inheritance (that were revealed afterward). He (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that it was not abrogated, but people have stopped acting on it! He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that it means that if the one dividing the estate is an heir, he or she is enjoined to give (of what he or she inherits) to these beneficiaries (i.e., the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.) specified in the ayah. If he or she is not an heir, e.g., an orphan’s legal guardian, he or she is enjoined to refrain from giving them and should considerately apologize to those who are present at that time of the division, as enjoined by Allah, Exalted is He. He Says (what means): {…and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8].
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2766

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Avoid the seven destructive sins." People enquired, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, what are they?" He ﷺ said, 1) To associate partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship, 2) to practice sorcery, 3) to kill a person whose life Allah has deemed inviolable except for a just cause (i.e., according to the Islamic Laws of Islam), 4) to consume Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury), 5) to devour an orphan's wealth, 6) to flee from the battlefield at the time of fighting, 7) and to slander chaste women, who are good believers and never even think of anything undermining their chastity.”.

Commentary :
These sins are described as ‘destructive’ because they incur the doer’s destruction with the consequences of their designated punishment in this worldly life, and being thrown into Hellfire and deserving its torment in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ warned Muslims against the seven destructive sins, and commanded them to avoid them. When people inquired about them, he ﷺ said, “1) To associate partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship,” and there are two categories of Shirk (i.e., associating partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship). First, associating partners with Him in worship, including: stones, trees, and the like (of false objects of worship). Second, minor Shirk (also known as hidden Shirk) means Riyaa’ (i.e., showing off and seeking to impress others to win their praise). Riyaa’ is an act of the heart and inward character trait that none knows except the One who knows the unseen.
The second destructive sin is to practice sorcery, and it may be divided into two categories: first, sorcery by means of written spells and charms such as incantations and talismans, by which the sorcerer uses the devils to harm the affected person, but Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.} [Quran 2:102]. Second, sorcery by means of medicine and drugs that affect the person’s body and mind, and influence his will and inclination, urging him to be inclined towards somethings and developing an aversion towards others.
The third destructive sin is killing a person whose life was deemed inviolable by Allah, Exalted is He, except for a just cause (i.e., according to the Islamic Laws of Islam), and this applies to those people whose lives are declared inviolable due to being Muslims or being granted protection (e.g. the non-Muslims living under the Muslim rule), or a covenant of safety or security. His saying, ‘except for a just cause,’ means as per the laws of Islam provisions, such as killing someone in implementation of Qisaas (i.e., retribution), Hadd (i.e., a corporal punishment prescribed by the Sharee`ah), or for apostasy.
The fourth destructive sin is the consumption of Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury), which means excess charged in the event of a barter of homogenous commodities without being matched by an increase of compensation in return. Ribaa involves committing an act of injustice against the other party, unlawfully devouring his wealth, and waging war against Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger, as stated in the Quran. The reference to ‘consumption’ (the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Akl, lit., eating)in this context is due to the fact that eating is one of the fundamental ways of availing oneself of one’s money.
The fifth destructive sin is devouring the orphan’s wealth, which means wasting his or her wealth. The Arabic verb used in the Hadeeth is Akala, lit. to eat, and the reference to eating here is because buying sustenance is the often purpose of spending one’s money.
The sixth destructive sin is fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting against the disbelievers or (Muslim) aggressors, except when such a combatant flees merely for the purpose of maneuvering for battle [as a strategy or a stratagem of war] to relaunch another attack or deceive the enemy; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {…unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company…} [Quran 8:16].
The seventh destructive sin is slandering chaste women, who are good believers and so innocent that they would never even think of anything undermining their chastity. Slander means accusing someone of Fornication.

Listing these seven destructive sins in this hadeeth does not mean that they are the only grave sins. Rather, other textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnahhave made mention of other grave sins including false speech, committing Fornication with a neighbor’s wife, undutifulness towards parents, false oaths, violating the sanctity of the House of Allah, Exalted is He, and other grave sins that were mentioned in the texts of the Sunnah.

The fact that the Prophet ﷺ stated that there are seven destructive sins does not essentially mean that there are no other destructive sins other than those mentioned in the hadeeth. He ﷺ may have listed those seven sins on that occasion, and received the divine revelation about other ones afterward, or it may be that these seven sins in particular were the most appropriate on that specific occasion.

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2767

Naafi‘ said:
"Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never refused to be appointed as a legal guardian." The most beloved thing to Ibn Sireen concerning an orphan's wealth was that the orphan's advisors and guardians would assemble to decide what is best for him. When Taawoos was asked about something concerning an orphan's affairs, he would recite the ayah that reads (what means): {And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender.} [Quran 2:220] ‘Attaa’ said concerning some orphans, "The guardian is to provide for the young and old orphans according to their needs from their shares.".

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned special care to the rights of orphans, given their weakness and helplessness. The Quran and Sunnah stipulated the preservation of these rights.
In this report, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Naafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated that ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never refused to be appointed as a legal guardian for orphans, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not refuse to assume guardianship of orphans whenever one appointed him to be their guardian in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), aspiring to the abundant reward for such an act. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I will be like this in Jannah with the person who takes care of an orphan.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.” [Al-Bukhaaree].
The most beloved thing to the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Ibn Sireen concerning an orphan's wealth was that the orphan's advisors and guardians would assemble to decide what is best for him.
Moreover, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Taawoos ibn Kaysaan used to remind the guardians of the gravity of dishonest disposal of the orphan’s wealth under their care; he would recite the ayah that reads (what means): {And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender.} [Quran 2:220]. In the same vein, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Attaa’ said that a guardian is required to provide for the orphan under his care, from his or her wealth, according to this orphan’s social (and financial) status. .

2768

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah's Messenger ﷺcame to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ did not have any servant. Aboo Talhah (Anas' stepfather) (may Allah be pleased with him) took me to Allah's Messenger ﷺand said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Anas is a wise boy, so let him serve you." So, I served him at home and on journeys. If I did anything, he ﷺ never asked me why I did it, and if I refrained from doing anything, he ﷺ never asked me why I refrained from doing it.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ gave us the optimal example of good treatment of one’s freed slaves and servants.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ came to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ did not have any servant. Therefore, Aboo Talhah Al-Ansaaree (Anas' stepfather) (may Allah be pleased with him) took Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Anas is a wise boy,” meaning smart, “so let him serve you." The Prophet ﷺ accepted the generous offer and took Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) as his servant.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he served the Prophet ﷺ during residence and travel. If he (may Allah be pleased with him) did anything, the Prophet ﷺ never asked him why he did it, and if he refrained from doing anything, he ﷺ never asked him why he refrained from doing it. He ﷺ never rebuked him for anything he (may Allah be pleased with him) did or did not do. The version of the hadeeth recorded in Muslim reads: “He ﷺ never said 'Uff' (i.e., an expression of disapproval or irritation) to me.” This reflected the Prophet’s ﷺgood moral character, compassion, patience, and kindness towards his servants.

The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s ﷺgood moral character, compassion, and kindness towards his servant. He ﷺwas the epitome of compassion and mercy, edifying the whole world on these moral values.

It is deduced from the hadeeth that one should refrain from rebuking his servants regarding worldly affairs.
It is also inferred therefrom that a Muslim is urged to treat those who are inferior to him with consideration and kindness.
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2778

Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan narrated that when ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was circled (by the rebels), he (may Allah be pleased with him) looked upon them from above and said, "I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure nobody but the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ; do not you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Rumah will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it? Do not you know that he ﷺ said. 'Whoever equip the army of ‘Usrah (i.e., the Battle of Tabook) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it?" They attested whatever he (may Allah be pleased with him) said. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) founded his endowment he said, "Its administrator can eat from it." The management of the endowment can be taken over by the founder himself or any other person, for both cases are permissible..

Commentary :
When some Muslims rebelled against the Caliph ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him), they laid siege to his house in Al-Madeenah for a long period of time. He (may Allah be pleased with him) looked from the top of his house and reminded them of his merits and virtues that were particular to him, and of his giving and contributions in support of Islam and for the benefit of Muslims, aspiring only to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He. He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were present at that time to attest to his words, saying: “I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure nobody but the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ; do you not know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Rumah will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) bought this well and donated it as an endowment for the benefit of Muslims when the emigrants settled in Al-Madeenah and Muslims needed more water, and its previous owner used to sell them its water. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Do you not know that he ﷺ said. 'Whoever equips the army of ‘Usrah (i.e., the Battle of Tabook) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded them that he (may Allah be pleased with him)had funded the Muslim army that marched to fight the Romans during the Battle of Tabook in 9 A.H. It was known as the army of ‘Usrah, meaning ‘hardship’. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) attested whatever he (may Allah be pleased with him) said. Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were present then were ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, Talhah, Al-Zubayr, and Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with them).
It should be noted that his statements aimed to refute the rebels’ false accusations against him regarding the neglect of his duties as a Caliph and nepotism towards his relatives (i.e., appointing his relatives and people from his clan in positions of power).

.

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

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadeeth No. 419, Vol. 8)
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‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) written and kept ready with him."
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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

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadeeth No. 419, Vol. 8) .

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) written and kept ready with him." .

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..

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadeeth No. 419, Vol. 8)
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‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) written and kept ready with him."
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