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Hadith
145
It was narrated from Wasi‘ ibn Habban from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, that he used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself, do not face towards the qiblah or towards Bayt al-Maqdis. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: I climbed up on the roof of a house of ours one day, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks to relieve himself, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis. He said: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs? I said: I do not know, by Allah. Malik said: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the etiquette, both words and deeds, of relieving oneself, and in his Sunnah he highlighted what should and should not be done.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Wasi‘ ibn Habban tells us that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself – and he referred to sitting because that is what is usually the case, otherwise there is no difference between sitting and standing – then do not face towards the Holy Kaaba, which is the qiblah, or towards Bayt al-Maqdis, which refers to al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]. He singled out Bayt al-Maqdis for mention because it was the first qiblah of the Muslims. What he meant by the people was those who used to say that the prohibition on facing towards the qiblah or turning one’s back towards it when relieving oneself was general in meaning and applied whether one was relieving oneself in the desert or in a structure. Those who said that included Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Abu Hurayrah, Ma‘qil al-Asadi and others (may Allah be pleased with them all).
Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one day he climbed up on the roof of a house; according to a report in al-Sahihayn, it was the roof of Hafsah’s house – she was his sister and the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as was stated clearly in a report narrated by Muslim. He saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks – which are rectangular or square moulded objects made of clay, used in construction – facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis when he was relieving himself. According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, he was facing towards al-Sham (Greater Syria) with his back towards the Kaaba. What Ibn ‘Umar saw was what was visible of the Prophet’s body, not what it is not permissible to look at, such as the ‘awrah and so on; he only saw the upper part of his body and what was clearly visible of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that Ibn ‘Umar did not deliberately look at the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that situation; rather he climbed up to the roof for some purpose, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari – I climbed up to the roof of Hafsah’s house for some purpose – and he turned by accident, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bayhaqi. When it so happened that he saw him in that situation without intending to, he did not want that to pass without learning something from it, so he learned this Islamic ruling. The hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explains that there is nothing wrong with relieving oneself in a place built for that purpose, whether one is facing towards the qiblah or has one’s back towards it. Rather the prohibition applies only when relieving oneself in places where it is possible to turn away from the direction of the qiblah, in the desert or the wilderness and the like.
Then Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Wasi‘ ibn Habban: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs?, meaning one of those who are unaware of the Sunnah when prostrating, which is to keep the belly away from the thighs. The narrator explained that in the hadith by saying: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground. This is by way of warning him not to pray in this manner, and criticizing those who do that. It also means: if you are one of those who are not unaware of that, then you would know the difference between relieving oneself in an open space or in an enclosed space, and the difference between facing towards the Kaaba and facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis.
This hadith indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) sometimes differed in their understanding of some Sunnahs, and that each of them understood and applied what he heard in general terms.
It also indicates that they would try to learn what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in all situations and they transmitted it, and that all of it is a source of Islamic rulings..

146
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature in al-Manasi‘, which was a vast open space. ‘Umar used to say to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Prevent your wives from going out, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do that. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out one night at ‘Isha’ time; she was a tall woman, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! – hoping that the command of hijab would be revealed, then Allah sent down the verse of hijab..

Commentary : The wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are the mothers of the believers, and they are held in especially high esteem by people. Allah sent down some rulings that were specific to them, to protect them and raise their status. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature – meaning to relieve themselves by urinating or defecating – in al-Manasi‘, which refers to places on the edge of Madinah, near al-Baqi‘. This was a vast open space, in which there were no buildings. They used to go out to that place at night. In the beginning, they used to go out to that place because there were no outhouses or bathrooms in people’s houses, and that was a concession that was granted to them. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) started to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to prevent his wives from going out of their houses, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do what ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to do. That was because their going out was something that could not be avoided. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), went out one night at ‘Isha’ time, when it was dark, so that no one would notice her. But she was a tall woman, and was distinct for that reason, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! because he wanted the command of hijab to be revealed. Then Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) revealed the verse of hijab, in which He says: {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful} [al-Ahzab 33:59].
With regard to concealing themselves when going out to relieve themselves, the women went through three stages, the first of which was covering themselves with darkness, because they used to go out at night, not by day. ‘A’ishah said in the story of the slander (al-ifk): Umm Mistah went out with me towards al-Manasi‘, which was where we would go to answer the call of nature, and we only went out at night. Then the command of hijab was revealed, so they covered themselves with garments, but some of them might have a distinctive appearance, hence ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We recognize you, O Sawdah! This was the second stage. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, the women were prevented from going out of their houses except for a need or an essential reason. That was the third stage.
In this hadith, we see that one who is of lower standing may suggest something to one who is of higher standing with regard to an issue that he feels is important, and we see the virtue of this sort of discussion if the intention behind it is not to cause trouble, for by means of it some hidden issues of knowledge may become apparent.
It highlights the importance of being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger.
It indicates that women may go out to do errands if there is a need for that.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)..

147
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Permission has been given for you to go out to tend to your needs.” Hishaam said: That is, to answer the call of nature..

Commentary : This hadith has to do with the hijab of the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They used to go out to relieve themselves, but ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about their observing hijab and being prevented from going out of their houses. The reason for this hadith – as was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim – was that Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out to answer the call of nature after the hijab had been enjoined – and what is meant by hijab here is covering the head and face – and she was a woman of large build, so when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw her, he said: O Sawdah! By Allah, you cannot hide yourself from us, so think about how you go out. She went back and complained about that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was he was eating his supper. Revelation came to him, then he said: “Permission has been given to you to go out to relieve yourselves.” What is meant in this hadith, as was explained by Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, one of the narrators of the hadith, was answering the call of nature. At that time they used to go out to a spacious flat piece of land to answer the call of nature. Women are also allowed to go out if they have errands to do and valid reasons for going out, and their going out is not limited to relieving themselves, because Allah gave them permission to go out to answer the call of nature after the command of hijab had been sent down, and before people began to have outhouses and bathrooms in their houses. When permission was given to them for that, it was also given for them to go out for other purposes, or to uphold ties of kinship as Allah had enjoined upon them, and the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had also instructed the women to go out to the prayer on the two Eids, which indicates that what is meant is that women may go out for all kinds of needs..

153
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel, and if he goes to relieve himself, let him not touch his penis with his right hand or wipe himself with his right hand.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator. He taught his ummah everything that is beneficial for them, which includes his teaching them the etiquette of eating and drinking, and of relieving oneself, as in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade breathing into the vessel when drinking. If the individual wants to breathe whilst drinking, he should breathe outside the vessel, whilst holding it in his hand, lest that be off-putting to others who will then refuse to drink from the same vessel, and so that the smell of the vessel will not be changed by too many people breathing into it. That was also for the sake of cleanliness and the well-being of all, and to protect against contagion and so on. This is general in meaning and applies to all kinds of drinks, water and others.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also forbade wiping oneself with the right hand, which refers to cleaning oneself after relieving oneself. And he forbade touching the private part with the right hand. So the individual should not touch his penis with his right hand after urinating. That is because the right hand is to be used for good things, and should not be used to remove filth and dirt. Everything else should be done with the left hand.
This hadith highlights how Islam was the first to highlight proper etiquette when eating and drinking, and to promote personal and public hygiene, for the well-being and safety of all..

155
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he went out to relieve himself, and he did not look around him. I came close to him, and he said: “Bring me some pebbles so that I can clean myself with them – or words to that effect – but do not bring me any bone or piece of [dried] dung.” I brought him some pebbles, carrying them in the edge of my garment, and put them next to him, then I walked away from him. When he had finished, he used the pebbles..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to follow the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stay close to him, in order to learn about their religion from him.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he walked behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), following him, when he was going out to relieve himself. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not usually look to his right and left when walking. Then Abu Hurayrah came close to him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) noticed that he was there, so he asked him to find him some clean pebbles with which to purify himself and remove the traces of impurity (najasah) that were left after urinating or defecating. Then he said to him: “But do not bring me any bone or piece of dung”; they cannot be used to clean oneself, because bones are the food of our brethren among the jinn, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari, so they should not be contaminated with impurities. The word translated here as dung refers to the dried droppings of animals and it is not pure (tahir).
So Abu Hurayrah collected the pebbles in the hem of his garment, then placed them beside the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he did not look at him in this situation. This highlights the etiquette of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he had learned from the Prophet’s teachings. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished relieving himself, he used those pebbles to remove the traces of impurity, until he was clean.
In this hadith, we see that one may use pebbles to clean oneself after relieving oneself (istinja’), and it is forbidden to use bones or dried dung.
It indicates that one may help the person who is relieving himself by looking for pebbles for him. The report indicates that one should respond to anyone who asks for help, if one is able to help.
It indicates that it is prescribed to follow prominent people and scholars, even if they do not instruct you to do that.
It indicates that a leader may give tasks to some of his followers. .

156
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to relieve himself, and he instructed me to bring him three pebbles. I found two pebbles, and I looked for a third but I could not find another, so I picked up a piece of dried dung and brought it to him. He took the two pebbles and threw away the dried dung, and said: “This is unclean.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the Sunnahs of purifying and cleansing ourselves from urine and stools when we relieve ourselves by using whatever is available of that which may be used to cleanse and purify.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him explains that it is acceptable to clean oneself with pebbles (istijmar) after relieving oneself. After he had relieved himself – and the word used originally refers to low-lying land, then was used to refer to relieving oneself because the one who relieves himself looks for low-lying land in which to conceal himself from the eyes of other people – he instructed Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to bring him three pebbles with which to clean himself. Ibn Mas‘ud brought him two pebbles, but he could not find a third, so he brought a piece of dried dung; it was said that the word used in the original Arabic refers specifically to the dung of horses, mules and donkeys. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rejected it and said: This is unclean. In other words, dried dung is impure, or it is not permissible to use it.
In this hadith, we see that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cleaned himself (instinja’) with two pebbles only. It was narrated by Muslim, from Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should clean himself with fewer than three pebbles.” We may reconcile between the reports by noting that using three is recommended in order to be on the safe side and ensure that cleaning oneself is done properly, and to use an odd number, because he said, “Whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number.” But if someone is unable to find three pebbles, then using two is sufficient..

157
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make things easy for his ummah, and explained to them what it was permissible to do when purifying oneself and doing wudu’, and what was sufficient in that regard.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once. This highlights the minimum extent that is required in wudu’, which is an obligation without which prayer is not acceptable.
This hadith indicates that wudu’ is acceptable if each part is washed once. It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also washed each part twice, as is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd that was narrated by al-Bukhari, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part twice. But the Sunnah when doing wudu’, and the most perfect way of doing it, is to wash each part three times, as mentioned in the hadith of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan that was narrated by al-Bukhari..

160
It was narrated from Humran that when ‘Uthman did wudu’, he said: Shall I not narrate to you a hadith which, were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you? I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “No man does wudu’ and does it well, and offers the prayer, but Allah will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer and the next prayer until he has prayed it.” ‘Urwah said: The verse is: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined doing wudu’ well, and explained the goodness that there is in it, and the reward that results from it, in many hadiths, including this one. In this hadith, he explains that whoever does wudu’ well, then offers the prayer for which he did wudu’, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer that he prayed and the following prayer, as is mentioned in other reports. So if a person does wudu’ well for the five daily prayers, he will be forgiven for the sins of that entire day. What is meant here is minor sins, as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say: “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiates whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”
The caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith after he did a complete wudu’, washing each part three times, then he narrated that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in this manner. Then ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you. In other words, were it not that Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined the one who acquired some knowledge to convey it, I would not have been keen to narrate this hadith to you. ‘Urwah said: The verse is the one in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. This highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to convey the Sunnah and teach it to people, and it indicates how a ruler should play a role in carrying out the duty to preserve and promote Islam..

162
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you does wudu’, let him put water in his nose then blow it out, and whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number. When one of you wakes up from his sleep, let him wash his hand before putting it into his vessel of wudu’ water, for one of you does not know where his hand spent the night.”.

Commentary : This hadith highlights some points of Islamic etiquette and teachings. In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: When one if you does wudu’, meaning that when he wants to do wudu’ and starts to do it, then let him put water in his nose by sniffing it up until it gets into his nose, then let him push it out with a forceful exhalation, so as to clean out any dirt that may be inside the nose. And whoever cleans himself with pebbles, meaning that he wants to wipe his front or back passage after relieving himself by using pebbles, let him use an odd number, so let him use three or five pebbles, and so on, so that the place will be thoroughly cleansed of dirt. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the one who wakes up from his sleep to wash his hand and purify it with water before he puts it into the vessel containing the water with which he will do wudu’. That is because the sleeper does not know where his hand spent the night whilst he was sleeping, and he cannot be certain that it did not become unclean by touching some impurity on the body. This is a precaution so that the water will not become contaminated with something that may have got stuck to his hand whilst he was sleeping.
This hadith encourages us to take precautions and be careful in the case of doubt and uncertainty, and to take measures to protect and maintain the original state of water, which is originally clean and pure.
It indicates that one may use ambiguous words when it is not appropriate to be blunt or explicit. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “One of you does not know where his hand spent the night,” instead of saying something explicit..

164
It was narrated from Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, that he saw ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan call for water for wudu’. Then he poured some of the water onto his hands from the vessel and washed them three times. Then he put his right hand into the water then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water up into his nose and blew it out. Then he washed his face three times, and his arms up to the elbows three times. Then he wiped his head, then he washed each foot three times. Then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, and he said: “Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, Allah will forgive him his previous sins.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to transmit the Sunnah and teach it to those who came after them, so that they could spread the true religion and the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, narrates that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), during his time as caliph of the Muslims, called for a vessel containing water for wudu’. He poured some water from the vessel onto his hands and washed them three times, before putting his hands into the vessel, so as to cleanse and purify them. Then he put his right hand into the  water and took out a handful of water, then rinsed his mouth by putting the water into his mouth and moving it around, then spitting it out, so as to wash his mouth thoroughly. Then he spat out the water from his mouth. Then he sniffed water up to make it reach the top of his nose, then he blew it out, so as to cleanse his nose of any dirt that might be in it. Then he washed his face three times. The definition of the face is from the hairline to the bottom of the chin, and from one earlobe to the other, right and left. What is meant is that he made the water reach every part of the face. Then he washed each arm up to the elbow three times. Then he wiped his head, and wiping is less than washing. What is meant by the head here is where the hair grows. Then he washed each foot up to the ankle, as is mentioned in the reports. In all of that, he gave each part its fair share of water and washing.
Then after finishing his wudu’, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine. Thus he stated that his wudu’ was a precise imitation of the wudu’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was done to teach those around him of the Tabi‘in and those who wanted to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, so that he does those two rak‘ahs with sincerity and proper focus, in an unhurried manner, Allah will forgive him his previous minor sins, because in the case of major sins, repentance is essential. So major sins are excluded from the general meaning of the statement, based on the report narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiate whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.” It is also stipulated that the one who repents should put right any wrongs that he did, and fulfil other conditions of repentance.
This hadith highlights the virtue of wudu’ and praying with sincerity, without showing off.
It indicates that teaching by demonstrating actions is more effective than teaching by words alone.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to teach people about matters of faith even when he was caliph. .

166
It was narrated from ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj that he said to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar: O Abu ‘Abdul Rahman, I saw you doing four things that I have not seen any of your companions doing. He said: What are they, O Ibn Jurayj? He said: I saw that you do not touch any corners [of the Kaaba] except the two Yemeni corners; I saw that you wear sandals made of tanned leather; I saw that you use wars [memecylon tinctorium] as a dye; and I saw that when you were in Makkah, the people entered ihram when they saw the new moon, but you did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah. ‘Abdullah said: As for the corners, I never saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touch any but the two Yemeni corners. As for the sandals of tanned leather, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there were no hairs, and doing wudu’ in them, so I like to wear them. As for using wars as a dye, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using it as a dye, so I like to use it as a dye. As for entering ihram, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entering ihram until he set out on his mount [on the day of al-tarwiyah]..

Commentary : ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to follow the Prophet’s Sunnah in every aspect of his life and in his acts of worship. He would do some things that others did not do, because of this great keenness of his to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
This hadith highlights some of those things, as the Tabi‘i ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about four things that he had not seen any of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing. It may be that what he meant was that no one else did all four of those deeds, although some might do one or two of them. The first of these four things was: he saw that he did not touch any of the corners of the Kaaba when circumambulating it (tawaf) except the two Yemeni corners which are on the southern side of the Kaaba. What is meant is the “black corner” [where the Black Stone is], which is the corner of the Kaaba that is next to the door, on the eastern side, and the one that is parallel to it, opposite al-Safa. As for the other two corners on the northern side, he did not touch them; Hijr Isma‘il is on that side. Perhaps he used to do that because the two Yemeni corners are built on the foundations of Ibrahim, and the corner where the Black Stone is has two characteristics: it was built on the foundations of Ibrahim and it contains the Black Stone.
The second action was wearing sandals made of tanned leather, on which there was no hair. It was said that they were made from the tanned hide of a cow. It was said that he only objected to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) doing that because that was the footwear of people of luxury, and ordinary people used to wear sandals made of hides that still had hair and was not tanned.
The third action was dying his hair with wars, which is a plant similar to saffron and may be mixed with it.
The fourth action was that when he was staying in Makkah, he did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah, which is the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah. It is so called because on that day they used to prepare water (yatarawwawna), preparing it and carrying it so that they could use it in ‘Arafah for drinking and other purposes. His companions used to enter ihram when they saw the new moon of Dhul Hijjah. The word translated here as entering ihram refers to raising the voice in reciting the Talbiyah with the intention of entering ihram for Hajj or ‘umrah.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) responded that he did these things as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done them. He never saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touching any of the corners of the Kaaba except the two Yemeni corners. He saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there was no hair and doing wudu’ in them, so he liked to do what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did. He saw him using wars as a dye, and this may refer to dyeing his garment, because of the report in Sunan Abi Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using wars as a dye, and nothing was dearer to him than that. He used to dye all of his garments with it, even his turban. Most of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in used to dye their hair and beards with wars. It was also suggested that perhaps he used to perfume himself with it, not that he used it as a dye.
And he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) not entering ihram until he set out on his mount; that is, when his camel stood up fully with him in the saddle, setting out on his way. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only entered ihram when he began to do the actions of Hajj and started moving [towards Mina]. Hence Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delayed entering ihram until the time when he began to do the actions of Hajj and headed towards Mina, which is the day of al-tarwiyah. At that time they would set out from Makkah towards Mina. Thus Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower, not an innovator. May Allah be pleased with all the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights the fact that it is valid to do wudu’ wearing sandals.
It indicates that goodness is in following the Sunnah, and in striving to reach conclusions (ijtihad) and make analogies (qiyas) on the basis thereof, for those who are qualified to do that.
It indicates that the learner may ask the knowledgeable person about what he sees him doing, and does not know or understand the basis for that, and the knowledgeable person may explain that to the one who asks..

168
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right when putting on his shoes, combing his hair, purifying himself and in all things..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did and listen to his words, so that they could acquire knowledge from him, act upon it and convey it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right. In addition to starting on the right, the Arabic term also includes taking and giving with the right hand, by way of seeking blessing (barakah). It was pleasing and comfortable for him to start on the right in all his actions; that was because he liked optimistic attitudes, for the companions of the right are the people of Paradise. In one report, al-Bukhari added the words “as much as he could.” Here the hadith points out that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would maintain this habit so long as there was no reason that would make it impossible. One aspect of that is that he would start on the right when putting on his sandals or shoes, so he would put the shoe on the right foot before the left foot. When combing his hair, he would start on the right, and when doing wudu’ or ghusl to cleanse himself of impurity, he would start on the right before the left. He would also do that in other actions. As for dirty or off-putting matters, he would use his left hand and would start on the left, such as when cleaning himself after relieving himself, or entering the outhouse.
It was said that it is as by mentioning putting on shoes, which has to do with the feet, and combing the hair, which has to do with the head, and purification, which is the key to different acts of worship, he was referring to all parts of the body, as he would start on the right in all of these cases, when doing noble actions concerning them..

170
It was narrated that Ibn Sirin said: I said to ‘Abidah: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which we obtained from Anas or from the family of Anas. He said: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it..

Commentary : The Sahabah and Tabi‘in were the people who had the greatest love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and were the keenest to seek his relics.
In this hadith, Muhammad ibn Sirin, one of the Tabi‘in, narrates that he said to ‘Abidah – who was ibn ‘Amr al-Salmani, one of the senior Tabi‘in: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in our possession; it was given to us by Anas ibn Malik, the servant of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or by his family. It is as if he was saying that they sought blessing (barakah) from this hair, and held it in high esteem. Anas ibn Malik was the son of the wife of Abu Talhah; she was known as Umm Sulaym. Abu Talhah acquired some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when his head was shaved during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it remained until it was inherited by his heirs and his freed slaves. Sirin, the father of Muhammad, was a freed slave of Anas ibn Malik, and he obtained some of this hair.
‘Abidah said to Ibn Sirin: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it. Thus ‘Abidah wished that he could have one hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is indicative of the high esteem in which they held the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as his worth in their view was far greater than this world and everything in it. That was because of their great love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It was proven that some of the Sahabah used to take the sweat of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and add it to their perfume. Others would seek where he had put his fingers in the food, and eat from that place. Yet others would drink his leftover water and other drinks. This is in addition to their keenness to follow his Sunnah and teachings, out of love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and seeking blessing from his relics. This applies only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also highlights the great love that the Tabi‘in had for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

171
It was narrated from Anas that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head, Abu Talhah was the first one to take some of his hair..

Commentary : The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to race to take his relics, seeking blessing from them; this is applicable only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself. In this hadith, we see one example of that. Anas ibn Maalik narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH, he shared out his shaved hair among the people, and Abu Talhah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), the husband of Umm Sulaym, who was the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), was the first one to take some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Muslim narrated that when [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] had stoned the Jamrah and offered his sacrifice, he turned the right side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, then he called Abu Talhah and gave the hair to him, then he turned the left side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, and he gave that hair to Abu Talhah too, and said to him: “Share it out among the people.” According to a report narrated by Ahmad, Abu Talhah gave it to Umm Sulaym to put it in her perfume.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also indicates that one may seek blessing from the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and it is permissible to keep it..

172
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If a dog drinks from the vessel of one of you, let him wash it seven times.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to explain issues pertaining to purification, and to explain to them which substances were impure, and how to remove their traces and purify an item that had been contaminated with them. An example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined washing a vessel seven times if a dog drinks from it. The procedure that is sufficient to purify the vessel from which a dog has drunk is to wash it seven times, one of which should be with dust or soil, as was narrated by al-Nasa’i: “… one of which should be with dust.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “The first of which should be with dust”; according to another report narrated by Muslim, “and the eighth time rub it with dust.” The dog is singled out for mention in this regard, because of what is known about how impure (najis) the dog is, and how it may carry many diseases in its saliva. There is wisdom behind cleaning the vessel this number of times in this manner, which is known to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). It was said that using dust or soil to wash the vessel is to be done because dust or soil has the ability to kill the diseases that are usually caused by the dog and may attach themselves to the vessel, which water alone cannot remove. Repeatedly washing the vessel with water will ensure that it is clean.
There is no difference between different types of dogs in this regard, and whether they are the types of dogs that it is permissible to keep, such as hunting dogs, or they are types that it is not permissible to keep..

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..