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Hadith
174
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: Dogs used to urinate and come and go in the mosque, at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they did not sprinkle water on any of that..

Commentary : The urine of a dog must be purified if it gets onto the ground, or onto one’s garments and the like, just as it is enjoined to wash a vessel if a dog drinks from it. This hadith may be understood as referring to the opposite of that, because Ibn ‘Umar narrates that dogs used to urinate and come and go in the mosque at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) did not sprinkle water on any of that. What may be understood from the hadith is that they used to urinate outside the mosque, in the places that they frequented, and they would come and go in the mosque, passing through. It is not permissible for dogs to be allowed to remain in the mosque to the point that they play about and urinate in the building. Rather they used to come and go at some times, and there were no doors or gates on the mosque to prevent the dogs from passing through. When the dogs entered the mosque, it was possible that their saliva might drop on the floor of the mosque, but it was not something definite, and it was not known where it would be. Hence the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not sprinkle water on any of that, because certainty cannot be dispelled on the basis of doubt; they were certain that the mosque was clean and pure, but they were not certain as to whether any of the dogs’ saliva was on the ground, or where it was if that had happened. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ordered that water be sprinkled over the urine of the Bedouin when he was certain that he had urinated and he knew where it was, and the urine of a dog is no less objectionable or impure (najis) than the urine of that Bedouin..

179
It was narrated from Zayd ibn Khalid that he asked ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him): What do you think of someone who has intercourse but does not ejaculate? ‘Uthman said: He should do wudu’ as for prayer and wash his penis. ‘Uthman said: I heard that from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then I asked ‘Ali, al-Zubayr, Talhah, and Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with them) about that, and they all enjoined the same thing..

Commentary : Janabah (impurity following sexual activity) is major impurity and results either from intercourse or the emission of maniy (semen), which exhausts the entire body. Islamic teachings enjoin doing ghusl in that case, to energize and cleanse the body, and to purify it. In this hadith, it says that Zayd ibn Khaalid, who was one of the Tabi‘in, asked ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him): Is there ghusl for one who has intercourse with his wife then gets up and leaves her without ejaculating? ‘Uthman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He should do wudu’ as for prayer and wash his penis, which may be understood as meaning that he does not have to do ghusl. Then ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) affirmed that he heard that from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Zayd also asked ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah, and Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with them) about a man having intercourse with his wife without ejaculating, and they instructed him to do the same as ‘Uthman had instructed him, which was to do wudu’ without doing ghusl.
However, the ruling that is mentioned in this hadith was the ruling at the beginning of Islam, then it was abrogated by what is reported in al-Sahihayn, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a man sits between the four parts (arms and legs) of his wife and has intercourse with her, then ghusl is obligatory.” Ghusl is required of everyone who has intercourse with his wife, whether or not he ejaculates. This is the final ruling concerning this issue, as was determined at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and afterwards, and it was proven from all of the Sahabah mentioned here that they issued fatwas requiring ghusl, not wudu’, to the extent that there is consensus in the ummah that ghusl is required of the one whose penis enters the vagina, even if he does not ejaculate..

180
It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent for a man of the Ansar, who came with his head dripping with water. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Perhaps we made you hasten?” And he said yes. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you were made to hasten, then you should have done wudu’.” Wahb followed that by saying: Shu‘bah told us: Abu ‘Abdillah said: Ghundar and Yahya did not narrate any mention of wudu’ from Shu‘bah..

Commentary : The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to hasten to respond to his call, so they attained the highest level of obedience and submission. This hadith proves that, as Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent for a man of the Ansar – whose name was ‘Itban ibn Malik, or someone else – and he came rushing with his head dripping with water. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) realized that he had been having intercourse with his wife, so he said to him: “Perhaps we made you hasten?” In other words, perhaps you hastened to stop having intercourse before you ejaculated. The man said yes, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him that if a man hastens to stop having intercourse, and does not ejaculate, then he does not have to do ghusl and wash his entire body; rather it is sufficient to do wudu’. However, this was the ruling at the beginning of Islam, then it was abrogated by what is reported in al-Sahihayn, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a man sits between the four parts (arms and legs) of his wife and has intercourse with her, then ghusl is obligatory.” It is not stipulated that ejaculation should occur in order for ghusl to be necessary. The final ruling is that intercourse necessitates ghusl, regardless of whether the man ejaculates or not..

183
It was narrated from Kurayb, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas told him that he spent the night in the house of Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who was his maternal aunt. [He said:] I lay along the width of the pillow and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his wife lay along its length. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell asleep, until halfway through the night, or shortly before that or after it. When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up, he sat up, wiping the sleep from his face with his hand, then he recited the last ten verses of Surat Al ‘Imran. Then he went to a water skin that was hanging up and did wudu’ from it, and did wudu’ well. Then he went and prayed. Ibn ‘Abbas said: I got up and did what he had done, then I went and stood beside him. He put his right hand on my head, and took hold of my right ear and tweaked it. He prayed two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then Witr. Then he lay down until the mu’adhdhin came to him, then he got up and prayed two brief rak‘ahs, then he went out and prayed Fajr..

Commentary : ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was a smart boy who followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learned his Sunnahs from him so that he could act upon them and convey them to those who came after him.
In this hadith, Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he spent the night at the house of his maternal aunt Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He lay down and slept across the width of the pillow, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his wife Maymunah slept along its length. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) slept until half way through the night, or a little before that or a little after, then he woke up. He sat up and wiped the traces of sleep from his face with his hand, to help him wake up fully. Then he recited the last ten verses of Surat Al ‘Imran, {Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth …} [Al ‘Imran 3:190-200], to the end of the surah. Then he got up and went to an old water skin that was hanging there and did wudu’ from it, doing it properly and thoroughly. Then he stood up to pray tahajjud. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then I got up and did what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done, meaning that he did wudu’, doing it well and thoroughly. Then he stood beside the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray with him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put his right hand on the head of Ibn ‘Abbas and took hold of his right ear, twisting and rubbing it, to wake him up, or to tell him to pay attention to the proper way of standing and where the one who is praying behind someone should stand, or to show affection to him, and the like. It was said that he tweaked his ear only because he stood on his left, so he took hold of his ear and pulled it to make him move around to stand on his right.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed twelve rak‘ahs, saying the taslim after each two rak‘ahs. Then he prayed Witr, meaning that he prayed an odd number of rak‘ahs, whether it was a single rak‘ah or three rak‘ahs. Then he lay down on his side until the mu’adhdhin came to wake him up for Fajr prayer. He got up and prayed two brief rak‘ahs, which were the two [Sunnah] rak‘ahs of Fajr, then he went out and offered the obligatory prayer of Fajr.
In this hadith we see that it is permissible to recite Qur’an and so on without wudu’, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited these verses after waking up from sleep, before doing wudu’.
It indicates that it is permissible to make the Sunnah prayer of Fajr brief.
It tells us of what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do of worship at night. .

185
It was narrated from ‘Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini, from his father, that a man said to ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd, who was the grandfather of ‘Amr ibn Yahya: Can you show me how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’? ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd said: Yes. He called for some water, and poured some water over his hands and washed them twice. Then he rinsed out his mouth and nose three times, then he washed his face three times, then he washed his arms twice each, up to the elbows. Then he wiped his head with his hands, front and back, starting at the front of his head until he brought his hands to the nape of his neck, then brought them back to where he had started. Then he washed his feet..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn the Prophet’s Sunnah and teach it to the Tabi‘in, so that the rulings of religion would become deeply rooted in a correct manner and would be handed down from one generation to the next.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i ‘Amr ibn Yahya narrates from his father that a man – who was the grandfather of ‘Amr ibn Yahya; his name was ‘Umarah ibn Abi Hasan al-Mazini, as is mentioned in the reports – asked the Sahabi ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do wudu’, according to what he had seen him do. ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) responded to his request and called for water, so that he could give him a practical demonstration of how wudu’ was to be done. He poured water on his hands and washed them twice before starting to do wudu’. Then he cleaned his mouth by moving water around in his mouth, then spitting it out. He cleaned his nose three times, sniffing up water then expelling it, which means that he took water into his nose to clean the inside of 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. Then he washed his hands and forearms up to the elbows, washing each one twice, by way of showing the easier way and to highlight the fact that it is permissible to do that twice. Then he wiped his head once with both hands, front and back. In other words, he put his hands on the front of his head, then brought them to the back of his head, until they reached the nape of his neck, and he brought them back to the front of the head. Wiping is less than washing. What is meant by the head is the place where the hair grows. Then he washed his feet up to the ankles, as is proven in the reports.
This hadith indicates that the learner may ask one who has knowledge, and teaching may be done by demonstrating actions.
It also indicates that the entire head is to be wiped..

189
It was narrated that Ibn Shihab said: Mahmoud ibn al-Rabi‘ – who is the one in whose face the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sprayed water from their well when he was a child, and ‘Urwah said, quoting from al-Miswar and someone else, each confirming that the other was telling the truth – told me: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’, they almost fought over his leftover wudu’ water..

Commentary : The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) respected and venerated him very much, and held him in the highest esteem. One of the examples of that is what is mentioned in this hadith. The context is the story of al-Hudaybiyyah, when the polytheists prevented the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions from reaching the Sacred House for ‘umrah, and they sent the delegation to negotiate with him, until they drew up the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah with him. The time for prayer came whilst ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ud, who had come to negotiate with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was there. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up to do wudu’, his companions almost fought over his left over wudu’ water, because they were rushing to get it. But the one who narrated that – in this hadith – was Mahmoud ibn al-Rabi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him); he was the one in whose face the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had playfully sprayed water onto his face from his mouth, when Mahmoud was a small child; that water came from a bucket drawn from the well of the people of Mahmoud ibn al-Rabi‘.
This was also narrated by ‘Urwah ibn Zubayr, from al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and someone else, namely Marwan ibn al-Hakam, each of them confirming that the other was telling the truth; in other words, both al-Miswar and Marwan confirmed one another’s narration of the hadith.
This hadith indicates that leaders and people of virtue may play and joke with children.
It also highlights how the Sahabah venerated and respected the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and how they sought blessing (barakah) from his relics and leftover wudu water..

190
It was narrated that al-Ja‘d said: I heard al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid say: My maternal aunt took me to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, my sister’s son is in pain. He patted me on the head and prayed for blessing for me, then he did wudu’, and I drank some of his wudu’ water. Then I stood behind him and looked at the seal of prophethood between his shoulder blades, like the egg of a partridge..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was kind and compassionate towards his companions, and would pray for them. He would offer supplication for them, pray for healing for those who were sick, and pray for the safe return of those who were absent. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) would come to him so that he would pray for them and their children. In this hadith, al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he was sick, and he was very young at that time, so his maternal aunt took him to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said to him: My sister’s son is in pain, meaning that he was sick. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) patted him on the head and prayed for blessing for him. Then he did wudu’, and al-Sa’ib drank some of the water that was left over after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done wudu’. When al-Sa’ib stood behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulder blades, which was the size of a partridge egg. The partridge is a type of bird.
The seal of prophethood was a mark between the shoulder blades of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which had been described in earlier scriptures; it was a sign by which the promised Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would be known, after whom there would be no other Prophet. The seal of prophethood is described in the sahih Sunnah as something that stood out between the shoulder blades of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); it was surrounded by moles, which are dark spots, and was covered with a few hairs.
This hadith highlights how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took good care of his companions, and how he would pray for blessing for the children and pat their heads.
It highlights the virtue of al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also tells us how the Sahabah sought blessing from the relics and wudu’ water of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

191
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd that he poured water from the vessel onto his hands and washed them, then he washed – or rinsed his mouth and nose – from one handful of water, and he did that three times. Then he washed his arms up to the elbows, twice each, and he wiped his head, front and back, and washed his feet up to the ankles. Then he said: This is how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) learned the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and taught it to the Tabi‘in, so that the rulings of religion would become deeply rooted in a correct manner and would be handed down from one generation to the next.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Yahya al-Mazini narrates that a man came to ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him: Can you show me how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’, and he said yes. Then he called for water, and when it was brought to him, he poured some water from the vessel onto his hands and washed them before starting to do wudu’. Then he cleaned his mouth by moving the water around in it, in order to wash it thoroughly. Then he spat the water out of his mouth, and sniffed up water into his nose to make it reach the highest part of the nose, and then blew it out of his nose, to cleanse his nose of any dirt that might be inside it. He cleaned his mouth and nose from one handful of water, and he did that three times. Then he washed his hands and forearms up to the elbows, twice each, washing each of them twice in order to show the easier way and to highlight the fact that it is permissible to do that.
Washing the forearms cannot be done except after washing the face, but he did not mention it here, although he mentioned it in another report in al-Bukhari, which says that he washed his face three times. It was said that perhaps he wanted to make the description brief here, because the issue of washing the face is clearly mentioned in the verse of wudu’, and there is no need to mention it here. It was also said that perhaps one of the narrators forgot to mention washing the face, as he was also not sure about whether he washed or rinsed his mouth. It was also suggested that the reason why the face was not mentioned is that it may be that what is omitted is the word face; in other words, then he washed his face. It was omitted because it is clear [from the context], and the word aw (or) in the phrase “or rinsed his mouth” means “and”, and the phrase “from one handful of water” refers to rinsing the mouth and nose only.
Then he wiped his head, placing his hands on the front of his head, then bringing them to the back of his head, until he reached the nape of his neck, then bringing them back to the front of his head again. He did that once, and wiping is less than washing. What is meant by the head here is the place where the hair grows. And he washed his feet up to the ankles.
Then ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, after he had finished his wudu’: This is how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’. In other words, his wudu’ was a precise imitation of the wudu’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and it was done to teach those around him of the Tabi‘in and others who wanted to learn the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ in a practical manner.
It also indicates that one should wash the hands before putting them in the vessel when starting to do wudu’..

193
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, that he said: Men and women both used to do wudu’ at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : Islam honours women and does not treat them as outcasts, as was the case during the jahiliyyah. It permits some things to both women and men, whilst paying attention to the guidelines on gender interactions.
In this hadith, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that both men and women used to do wudu’ at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other words, they would both do wudu’ from one vessel, as is mentioned in other reports narrated by Ibn Majah. What is meant is that such actions were well known at that time, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not object to that or try to change it. This was quoted as evidence by those who think that water left over by women may be used by men, and water left over by men may be used by women, and if that were not allowed, they would not have done that, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would have told them not to do that.
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did ghusl to purify themselves of janabah from a single vessel, and that he also did that with Maymunah. What is meant by them both doing wudu’ – as was narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) – is that the men would do wudu’ and leave, then the women would come and do wudu’..

201
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would do ghusl using a sa‘ of water, up to a maximum of five mudds, and he would do wudu’ with one mudd. .

Commentary : Islamic teachings forbid extravagance, and extravagance refers to anything that is surplus to a person’s requirements, even with regard to using water for ghusl or wudu’. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do ghusl using a sa‘ or five mudds, and he would do wudu’ with one mudd. The sa‘ is a unit of measurement equivalent to four mudds or eight ratls. In modern terms, it is said that the ratl is equivalent to approximately 380 grams, or less than half a litre; or it is said that it is equivalent to 538 grams, or more than half a litre. The mudd is equivalent to one quarter of a sa‘ or, it was said, it is equivalent to one and a third ratls, or two ratls. It is the amount of water that may be held in the joined palms of both hands.
This report tells us how much water was sufficient for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), not that it is not permissible to use more than that. Rather people vary in that regard; some people cannot do wudu’ and ghusl properly except with more than that, but whatever the case, it is essential to avoid being extravagant with water. This comes under the heading of proper use of resources and making the best use of them by disposing of them properly, and using only is much as is needed..

202
It was narrated from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that he wiped over his khuffs. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar asked ‘Umar about that, and he said: Yes, if Sa‘d tells you something from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then do not ask anyone else about it..

Commentary : Wiping over the khuffs is proven in sound, clear texts. This was narrated by a large number of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them). The number of those who narrated it is more than eighty of the Sahabah, including the ten who were given the glad tidings of Paradise, and no one denies that except an innovator. In fact, wiping over the khuffs is one of the minor issues of fiqh which distinguishes Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah from others who have deviated and are misguided. This is one of the hadiths in which it was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he wiped over the khuffs. The khuff is a kind of footwear made of thin leather that is worn on the foot and covers the ankles and more. This report mentions Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him), when ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar asked his father ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) about this hadith. He said to him: If Sa‘d narrates something to you from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then do not ask anyone else about it. That was because they trusted Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with them all).
This hadith highlights the virtue of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also highlights how the Sahabah spoke highly of one another..

205
It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn Umayyah said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wipe over his turban and khuffs..

Commentary : One of the distinguishing characteristics of Islamic teachings is that they make things easy for the accountable. Islam came to make easy that which is difficult for people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us about wudu’, how to do it and the etiquette thereof.
In this hadith, ‘Amr ibn Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wipe over his turban, which is something that is wrapped around the head. Wiping over it is done when wanting to wipe the head, which is an essential part of wudu’. It is done by wiping a wet hand over whatever is visible of the hair, and completing the action by wiping over the turban, without taking it off the head. Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when it came to washing the feet, which is another essential part of wudu’, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wiped over the khuffs instead of washing the feet. The khuff is something made of leather that covers the foot, and is usually worn for warmth. Wiping is done on the top of the feet, not the bottom, and the length of time for which one may wipe over the khuffs is one day and night for one who is not travelling, and three days and nights for one who is travelling.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to wipe over the turban and khuffs when doing wudu’..

214
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do wudu’ for every prayer. I said: What did you [the Sahabah] used to do? He said: One wudu’ would be sufficient for one of us so long as he did not invalidate it..

Commentary : Wudu’ will be the light of the believer on the Day of Resurrection, for wudu’ will brighten his face and limbs, and the Muslims will be recognized in the place of gathering by this characteristic, which is unique to this ummah. Because wudu’ has this virtue, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do wudu’ for every obligatory prayer, so as to attain this reward and virtue, as Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from him. Doing wudu’ for every prayer is Sunnah, but it is permissible for the Muslim to offer more than one prayer with one wudu’, so long as he has not invalidated it. This is what Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) meant when he said: One wudu’ would be sufficient for one of us so long as he did not invalidate it by minor impurity that invalidates wudu’, such as passing wind, urinating or defecating. It is proven in Sahih Muslim, in the hadith of Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do wudu’ for every prayer, but on the day of the conquest [of Makkah] he offered all the prayers with one wudu’. ‘Umar said to him: You have done something that you never used to do. He said: “I did it deliberately”, meaning that he did it in order to show that it is permissible to offer more than one prayer with one wudu’.
This hadith highlights the virtue of doing wudu’ for every prayer..

216
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed by one of the walled gardens of Madinah or Makkah, and he heard the sound of two people being punished in their graves. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for something serious.” Then he said: “Nay [it is serious]; one of them used not to take precautions to protect himself from his urine getting on him, and the other used to walk about spreading malicious gossip.” Then he called for a stalk of a palm leaf, broke it in two, and placed one piece of it on each grave. It was said to him: O Messenger of Allah, why did you do that? He said: “Perhaps they will reduce [the punishment] for them so long as they do not dry out, or until they dry out.”.

Commentary : The grave is the first stage of the hereafter, and punishment and bliss in the grave are real. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained some deeds that lead to punishment in the grave, as mentioned in this hadith, in which ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed by one of the walled gardens of Madinah or Makkah – this refers to uncertainty on the part of Jarir ibn ‘Abdul Hamid, one of the narrators of the hadith. Al-Bukhari narrated it in al-Adab al-Mufrad, where he said: one of the gardens of Madinah, with certainty, beyond any doubt. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard the sound of two dead people being punished in their graves, and he said: “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for something serious.” In other words, they are not being punished for something you regard as serious, although in fact it is serious before Allah (may He be exalted). Hence he said “Nay,” to indicate that the matter is indeed serious.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the reason for their punishment, which was that one of them used not to take precautions to protect himself from urine contaminating his body and clothes, and the other used to walk around spreading malicious gossip among the people, so he would tell one person what someone else had said with the intention of causing harm, stirring up trouble and creating hatred among people.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) called for the stalk of a palm leaf; he broke it into two halves, and placed one piece of it on each of the two graves. The Sahabah asked him: Why did you do that? And he told them that he had done that in the hope that Allah (may He be exalted) would reduce the punishment for them until the palm stalks that he had placed on their graves dried out. It was said that the reason why he chose palm stalks was that they are slow to dry out. It was also said that this may be interpreted as meaning that he offered supplication for them and prayed that their punishment would be reduced so long as the palm stalks remained fresh and moist, not that there is anything inherently special about palm stalks, or that that which is fresh and moist has some special impact that are not found in a dry stalk. It was said that what is meant is that the palm stalk glorifies Allah so long as it remains fresh and moist, thus the reduction of the punishment was by the blessing of that tasbih.
This hadith affirms the punishment of the grave and confirms that it is real; we must believe in it and accept it.
It also warns against not taking precautions to protect oneself from urine; this applies also to other types of impurity that could contaminate one’s body or garments.
It also warns against malicious gossip, and highlights the bad consequences thereof..

217
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to answer the call of nature, I would bring the water to him and he would wash himself with it..

Commentary : The teachings of Islam urge Muslims to purify themselves both physically and in intangible ways. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us how to purify ourselves after relieving ourselves.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) speaks of when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out to relieve himself – the Arabic term refers to going out to a spacious, flat piece of land where they used to go to relieve themselves, because they used to go out to places where there were no people, before they acquired outhouses and bathrooms in their houses. Hence Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he used to bring water to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so that he could wash himself and clean the site of the urine and faeces, to make sure that it was clean. What is mostly known of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is that he used to clean himself with pebbles, as is proven in the reports. The hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) highlights the fact that it is valid to clean oneself with water.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) was a servant of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he used to follow him wherever he went to see how he could serve him, and so that he could do whatever was asked of him. He knew how much the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) loved to purify himself with water after Allah praised those who purify themselves..

688
Mūsa ibn Salamah al-Hudhali reported: I asked Ibn ‘Abbās: "How should I pray if I am in Makkah and did not pray with the Imām?" He said: "Two Rak‘ahs; the Sunnah of Abu al-Qāsim (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were the most keen on following the Prophet's example in everything, because in the Prophet's Sunnah lies guidance and the right course; whoever follows it will be saved, and whoever deviates from it will be ruined.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Mūsa ibn Salamah al-Hudhali asks Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): "How should I pray if I am in Makkah and did not pray with the Imām?" This is because the Imām offers the prayer completely. So, if a traveler prays with him, he will also perform it completely. Yet, what should be the case if a traveler comes to Makkah and does not pray with the Imām? In response to him, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he should pray it as two Rak‘ahs, in the shortened form, not as a complete prayer. Clarifying the reason for that, he said that this is the Sunnah of Abu al-Qāsim, the nickname of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, the Sunnah as regards travelers is to shorten the prayers. Allah Almighty alleviated things for travelers and facilitated for them the Shar‘i rulings regarding prayer. So, he may shorten the four-Rak‘ah prayers (Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’) to two Rak‘ahs..

689
Hafs ibn ‘Āsim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb reported: I accompanied Ibn ‘Umar on the road to Makkah and he led us in the Zhuhr prayer with two Rak‘ahs. Then, he went forward, and we too went along with him to a place where he alighted, and he sat, and we sat along with him. He cast a glance at the side where he offered the prayer and he saw people standing. He asked: "What are they doing?" I said: "They are glorifying Allah." He said: "If I were to glorify Allah, I would have completed my prayer. O my nephew, I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during travel, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. I accompanied Abu Bakr, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. And I accompanied ‘Umar, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. Then, I accompanied ‘Uthmān, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. And Allah says: {Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21]".

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 Shar‘i rulings for them.
In this Hadīth, Hafs ibn ‘Āsim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb informs that he accompanied his uncle ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) on the road to Makkah as they were traveling. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed the Zhuhr prayer as two Rak‘ahs, shortening it. This is because the four-Rak‘ah prayer is to be shortened to two Rak‘ahs during travel. After the prayer, he came back to his place of stay, where he alighted. Some of those with them on the journey sat with Ibn ‘Umar. He unintentionally looked back at the place where they had performed the obligatory prayer. There he saw people standing and offering prayer in addition to the prayer they had performed along with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked about them and about what prayer they were offering as an addition. His question was asked as a way of disapproving of them. Answering his question, Hafs ibn ‘Āsim said that "they are glorifying Allah" i.e., they are performing the supererogatory prayer. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked: "If I were to glorify Allah, I would have completed my prayer." In other words, if he was given the choice between completing the obligatory prayer and performing the regular Sunnah prayer, completing the obligatory prayer would be dearer to him, for he understood that shortening the prayer is meant for facilitation. Hence, he would not perform the regular Sunnah prayer or complete the obligatory prayer.
The supererogatory prayer here refers to the regular Sunnah prayer along with the obligatory prayers, like the Sunnah of the Zhuhr prayer and other obligatory prayers. It is not prescribed to perform the regular Sunnah prayers during travel, except for the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer and the Witr prayer. As for the general supererogatory prayers, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to offer them during travel, and he reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer them, as authentically narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to glorify Allah on his riding animal in whatever direction it headed, and he would observe the Witr prayer thereon; yet, he would not perform the obligatory prayer upon it.
Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) pointed out the intent behind his disapproval, saying: "O my nephew, I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during travel, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away." The shortening applies to the four-Rak‘ah prayers: the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’. One should not pray a supererogatory prayer before or after the obligatory prayer. And he said that he had accompanied Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with them) at the time of their respective caliphates and authority, and they would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs during travel, until they passed away. This is because they were keen on adhering to and acting upon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The rightly-guided Caliphs continued to do so after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), which indicates that this ruling was not subject to abrogation or opposition. And Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21], i.e., you should imitate the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and follow his example.
And his following statement was confusing: "Then, I accompanied ‘Uthmān, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away." This is because it is authentically reported in the Two Sahīh Collections, in a Hadīth reported by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) would complete the prayer after six or eight years. In reply to this, it was said that this version means that ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs until he passed away anywhere other than Mina. Also, the famous narrations state that ‘Uthmān used to complete the prayer after the early stage of his caliphate was understood, as he would do so at Mina in particular. It was said: ‘Uthmān completed the prayer because he wanted to stay in Taif and he later had the opinion that it was not permissible for him to shorten the prayer in Mina, as shortening the prayer, in his view, applied to traveling pilgrims only, whereas residents may not shorten the prayer. And it was said: He completed the four-Rak‘ah prayers in consideration of public interest. This was since the people increased in number, and there would come for Hajj those who did not know the rulings of the religion. So, he feared the ignorant might think the basic rule regarding these prayers is that they consist of two Rak‘ahs; hence, he completed them.
In the Hadīth: Shortening the prayer during travel
And in it: Abandoning the performance of supererogatory prayers during travel
And in it: Demonstrating Ibn ‘Umar's proper understanding of the religion
And in it: The Companions adhered to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and followed in his footsteps..

691
Yahya ibn Yazīd al-Hunā’i reported: I asked Anas ibn Mālik about shortening the prayer, and he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would pray two Rak‘ahs when he went out on a journey of three miles or three leagues - Shu‘bah was doubtful..

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.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Yahya ibn Yazīd relates: "I asked Anas ibn Mālik about shortening the prayer." He meant: the amount of distance with which prayer is to be shortened. In response, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left Madīnah for a journey of three miles, nearly five kilometers - Shu‘bah ibn al-Hajjāj, one of the narrators of this Hadīth, doubted that he said: three leagues, which is 14 km or so - he would shorten the four-Rak‘ah prayers (the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’) and offer them as two Rak‘ahs only. This Hadīth was cited as a proof for shortening the prayer during short-distance travel..

692
Jubayr ibn Nufayr reported: I went out with Shurahbīl ibn as-Simt to a village situated 17 - or 18 - miles away, and he offered two Rak‘ahs. I talked to him (about that) and he said: I saw ‘Umar in Dhul-Hulayfah offer two Rak‘ahs. I talked to him (about that), and he said: "I only do what I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) do.".

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.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Jubayr ibn Nufayr informs that he went out with the Tābi‘i Shurahbīl ibn as-Simt to a village located 17 or 18 miles away, i.e., 27km or 28km away. He shortened the four-Rak‘ah prayer (Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’) and performed it as two Rak‘ahs. So, Jubayr ibn Nufayr asked him about the reason for his shortening the prayer. He told him that he saw ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) shorten the prayer in Dhul-Hulayfah to two Rak‘ahs. He asked him about the reason for that, and ‘Umar informed him that he did as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had done, for he would shorten the prayer in Dhul-Hulayfah, while Dhul-Hulayfah is located 6 or 7 miles away from Madīnah, which is approximately nine kilometers.
The Hadīth indicates that prayer may be shortened during short-distance travel..

698
Jābir reported: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey, and rain fell upon us. Thereupon, he said: "Whoever of you wishes may pray in his dwelling.".

Commentary : The Shariah of Islam is tolerant and easy. Manifestations of that include the following: In spite of the significance of the congregational prayer in the mosque, it takes into consideration the circumstances of people at some critical times in which going to the congregational prayer becomes difficult, such as the existence of a storm, rain, fear, etc.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that while the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), rain fell upon them. Rain makes the ground untidy due to mud and other things. So, it was difficult for them to gather for prayer. Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Whoever of you wishes may pray in his Rahl (dwelling)." This was optional, not binding. So, whoever wished to pray in his dwelling did so, and whoever wished to go out for the congregational prayer did so. Rahl is the saddle of the camel. It here refers to the dwelling in which one passes the night during travel. This is part of the Shariah's making easy of things for the Muslims. This dispensation is not limited to travel only, but it also applies to the residents. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he said to his Muezzin on a rainy day: "When you say 'Ashhadu An Lā Ilāh illa Allah; Ashhadu Anna Muhammadan Rasūl Allah' (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), do not say: 'Hayy ‘ala as-Salāh' (come to prayer); rather, say: 'Pray in your houses.'" He said: The people seemed to have disapproved of that. So, he said: "Are you astonished at that?! Indeed, this was done by he who is better than me. Verily, the Friday prayer is obligatory, and I disliked to put you into hardship and you walk through mud and rain." Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim.
The Hadīth points out the legitimacy of praying at home and leaving the congregational prayer in case of necessity, because of rain, fear, cold, or the like..

705
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together in Madīnah without being in a state of fear or on a journey. Abu az-Zubayr said: I asked Sa‘īd: Why did he do so? He replied: I asked Ibn ‘Abbās as you asked me, and he said: He did not want to put restrictions upon anyone in his Ummah..

Commentary : Making things easy and lenient for the Muslims was the Prophet's approach, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to take his Ummah out of narrowness to broadness with regard to prayer.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together, i.e., he prayed them at the same time, one after the other. His words "in Madīnah" mean that he combined them while being a resident. Then, he said, "without being in a state of fear or on a journey," to point out that combining the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers did not happen due to the dispensation related to fear or travel.
The Tābi‘i Abu az-Zubayr Muhammad ibn Muslim mentioned that he asked the Tābi‘i Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, who narrated the Hadīth from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), about why the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together. Responding to him, Sa‘īd said that he posed the same question to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "He did not want to put restrictions upon anyone in his Ummah," i.e., he did so to avoid putting anyone in his Ummah in hardship, thus alleviating things and making them easy for them in case of need. The Hadīth was taken to apply to the case of illness as an excuse. So, if something happens and it requires and calls for that, in rare cases, there is nothing wrong with that, given this Hadīth. However, for this to be something familiar and habitual is not acceptable, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is not known to have done so persistently.
There are two ways for combining every two prayers, according to what is conveniently possible: First: Combining the two prayers at the earlier time; i.e., to perform the ‘Asr prayer along with the Zhuhr prayer at the time of Zhuhr, and to perform the ‘Ishā' prayer along with the Maghrib prayer at the time of Maghrib. Second: Combining the two prayers at the latter time; i.e., to perform the Zhuhr prayer along with the ‘Asr prayer at the time of ‘Asr, and to perform the Maghrib prayer along with the ‘Ishā' prayer at the time of ‘Ishā'..

705
‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq al-‘Uqayli reported: A man said to Ibn ‘Abbās: "The prayer." He kept silent. He again said: "The prayer." He kept silent. He then said: "The prayer." He still kept silent. Then, he said: "May you be deprived of your mother! Are you teaching us about prayer, and we used to combine two prayers during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?!".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were extremely keen to apply the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and teach it to those who came after them.
This Hadīth is associated with a certain reason, as related in another version by Muslim; the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reports that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the people one day after ‘Asr, till the sun set and the stars became visible. So, a man began to say to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): "The prayer" i.e., he was reminding him of the Maghrib prayer lest its time might pass. Meanwhile, Ibn ‘Abbās kept silent and did not respond to him. The man repeated his reminder three times, and he did not respond to him in either of them. This continued till Ibn ‘Abbās said to him: "May you be deprived of your mother", a phrase the Arabs used to say by way of rebuke and criticism. Ibn ‘Abbās criticized him for his ignorance of the Sunnah of the Prophet and his frequent repetition. And he said: "Are you teaching us about prayer?!" He criticized him for reminding him while he did not forget it; rather, he intentionally delayed it, so as to teach them. Then, Ibn ‘Abbās clarified the reason for his delay of the prayer; that is the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine two prayers along with his Companions, performing both of them together. This apparently would happen in case of need. Perhaps Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) was speaking about some matter of concern to the Muslims, and if he had cut it off and prayed, the interest involved in that matter would have been missed. So, he delayed the prayer for a particular need he deemed important. It is related in a version by Muslim that he combined two prayers without being in a state of fear or on a journey. When he was asked about that, he said: "He wanted not to put anyone of his Ummah into hardship" i.e., he only did that to avoid putting anyone of his Ummah into difficulty; thus, he alleviated things and made things easy for them when needed. The Hadīth was taken to apply to the excuse of illness. So, if something happens and calls for that, as a rarity, there is nothing wrong with that, in accordance with this Hadīth. But, for this to be something familiar and usual, this is not permissible, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is not known to have done so persistently.
There are two ways to combine two prayers, according to what is conveniently possible: First: Combining two prayers at the time of the earlier one; for example, performing the ‘Asr prayer along with the Zhuhr prayer at the time of Zhuhr, and performing the ‘Ishā’ prayer along with the Maghrib prayer at the time of Maghrib. Second: Combining two prayers at the time of the latter one; for example, performing the Zhuhr prayer along with the ‘Asr prayer at the time of ‘Asr, and performing the Maghrib prayer along with the ‘Ishā’ prayer at the time of ‘Ishā’..

706
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal reported: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of the battle of Tabūk, and he would combine the prayers. He performed the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together, and the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers together. And somedays, he delayed the prayer and then came out and performed the Zhuhr and ‘Asr together. Then, he entered and thereafter went out and performed the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers together. He then said: "You will come to the spring of Tabūk tomorrow, Allah Willing, and you will not reach it until the forenoon. Whoever of you reaches it should not touch anything of its water until I come." We reached it and two men had come there ahead of us. The spring was like a shoelace, providing a thin flow of water. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked them: "Did you touch anything of its water?" They said: 'Yes.' Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) scolded them and said to them what Allah willed him to say. Then, they (the people) took water from the spring in their palms little by little until it became somewhat significant. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) washed his hands and face in it and then brought the water back to the spring whereupon the spring gushed forth with streaming water - or he said: abundant water - until the people drank water. Then, he said: "If you live for long, O Mu‘ādh, you will soon see what is here abounding with gardens.".

Commentary : Making things easy and lenient for the Muslims was the Prophet's approach, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to take his Ummah out of narrowness to broadness with regard to all matters. This can only be achieved by following his guidance, obeying him, and complying with his teachings.
In this Hadīth, Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that they went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of the battle of Tabūk, which took place in the ninth year after Hijrah. Tabūk is in the northernmost part of the Arabian Peninsula, midway on the road to Damascus, and it lies around 1252 km away from Hejaz. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to invade the Romans. During this journey, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would combine every two prayers. He would perform the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together, and the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers together. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform the ‘Asr prayer at the time of Zhuhr and perform the ‘Ishā’ prayer at the time of Maghrib, in what is called jam‘ taqdīm (combining two prayers at the earlier time). Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that one day the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the Zhuhr prayer to the time of ‘Asr and delayed the Maghrib prayer to the time of ‘Ishā’. This is called jam‘ ta’khīr (combining two prayers at the latter time).
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "You will come" in this travel and journey of yours; "tomorrow": the following morning; "Allah Willing", it is the Prophet's (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) compliance with the verse that reads: {And never say about anything: "I will surely do this tomorrow," without adding: "if Allah wills."} [Surat al-Kahf: 23-24] "The spring of Tabūk:" It is the well of water after which the area was named. There was a little water gathered in it. "and you will not reach it until the forenoon," i.e., the heat of the daytime grows intense with the coming of the forenoon. "Whoever of you reaches it" and moves faster and comes to it before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) arrives - this is because it was the Prophet's habit to move and travel at the rear of the army - "should not touch anything of its water," be it for drinking or other purposes, and whether it is little or much, until the Prophet's arrival. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) probably feared that if anyone touched the water before his arrival, it would cease to flow, given its little amount. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted the blessing to appear in the water with his arrival and the water to suffice the entire army.
Then, Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We reached it and two men had arrived there ahead of us." Two Muslim men who were at the front of the army. "The spring:" that which contains water, "was like a shoelace:" the string used for fastening shoes. This indicates the severe shortage of water. "Providing a thin flow of water," i.e., it flows with little and thin water. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked the two men: "Did you touch anything of its water?" They replied in the affirmative. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) scolded them, which means he blamed and censured them. "And said to them what Allah willed him to say," i.e., he blamed them vehemently. And perhaps they were hypocrites and violated the command intentionally, and so their scolding was deserved. It is also probable they were not hypocrites, yet they did not know about the Prophet's prohibition. And it is likely that his scolding of them happened to be misplaced; thus, it constituted mercy and purification for them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "O Allah, I have entered into a covenant with You which You will not break. I am only a human being; so, if I have injured, reviled, cursed, or flogged a believer, make that for him a mercy, a purification, and a means by which You will bring him close to You on the Day of Resurrection."
Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) collected some water for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in a vessel after they drew it in their palms. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) washed his hands and face in it and then commanded that the water be brought back to the spring. When they did so, the spring gushed forth with abundant and torrential water, and the people drank and quenched their thirst. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) to come close and hasten - O Mu‘ādh - If Allah Almighty prolongs your life, you will see what is here filled with gardens. 'Gardens:' orchards of palm trees and other plants. The intended meaning is that the place will have plenty of water and its land will become fertile; thus, gardens with a lot of trees and fruits will grow there. This is one of the Prophet's miracles and signs of his prophethood, as this place thereafter became filled with plants and fruits and abounded with life.
In this Hadth: Combining two prayers during travel, whether the traveler is traveling or dwelling
And in it: Two clear miracles for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): the multitude of water, and his foretelling of some incidents of the Unseen.
And in it: The verbal discipline and non-obscene and non-vulgar words or scolding..

708
As-Suddi reported: I asked Anas: "How should I leave after I pray? To my right or to my left?" He said: "As for me, I most often saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leave to his right.".

Commentary : Prayer is a tawqīfi act of worship which we should take and learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This includes the manner of leaving after finishing the prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān as-Suddi says that he asked the Companion, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him): How should I leave after finishing the prayer, to go back to the place I need to go - to my right or to my left? Replying to him, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he mostly saw the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turn to the right after finishing the prayer.
In a Hadīth narrated by Ahmad in his "Musnad Collection," ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I saw him leave to his right, and I saw him leave to his left," i.e., he would leave, after finishing the prayer, towards any of the two directions, without restricting departure to one particular direction, whether he turned towards those he led in prayer or headed to leave the mosque.
In the "Two Sahīh Collections", ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one of you should give the devil anything of his prayer, thinking that it is due on him to leave only to his right. Indeed, I often saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leave to his left." So, this matter has much leeway and no restriction.
It was said: that leaving to the right is preferable, but not obligatory, and there is nothing wrong with leaving towards the left side, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did the both. It was also said: that it depends on the need and necessity. If a person, after finishing the prayer, needs to go in a certain direction, he can turn to it, be it right or left..

709
Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib reported: When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), we would like to be on his right side so that he would turn his face towards us. He said: I heard him say: "My Lord, save me from Your punishment on the day You will resurrect - or gather - Your servants.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge the performance of the congregational prayer in the mosque in the first rows, and the Companions were keen on observing his commands. Some of them were keen on being close to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to learn from him and hear what he had to say.
This Hadīth shows the Companions' keenness to know the Prophet's statements and deeds in every minute detail. Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions that whenever they prayed in the row behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), they were keen on being on his right side. He clarified the reason for this by saying that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his face towards them, i.e., after making taslīm (the end of prayer), he would turn to the right, facing his Companions. Also, Al-Barā' (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicate after the prayer, saying: "My Lord, save me," i.e., protect me from Your punishment, "on the day You will resurrect - or gather - Your servants," i.e., the Day of Resurrection, for reckoning. This is one of the most sublime supplications that point to the Prophet's fear of Allah Almighty.
In another version by Muslim: "He did not mention: so that he would turn his face towards us." This version indicates the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not persistent in turning to the right side after ending the prayer. In the "Two Sahīh Collections", ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one of you should give the devil anything of his prayer, thinking that it is due on him to leave only to his right. Indeed, I often saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leave to his left." He would leave, after finishing the prayer, towards any of the two directions, without restricting departure to any particular direction, whether he turned towards those he led in prayer or headed to leave the mosque.
In the Hadīth: Mentioning the Prophet's supplication after the prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the Prophet's fear of his Lord and his persistent supplication to Him.

710
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the iqāmah for prayer is made, there is no prayer but the obligatory one.".

Commentary : Prayer is the mainstay of religion, and its performance is obligatory for every Muslim. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated the manner of praying and taught it to the Ummah, and he also taught us the order of prayers and what should be given precedence in case of conflict. The performance of the obligatory prayers takes precedence over offering the supererogatory ones.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) points out that when the muezzin proclaims the iqāmah (the commencement of prayer) in the mosque, no one should embark upon the supererogatory prayer; rather, one should leave it and perform the obligatory prayer. His words "there is no prayer" probably mean that there is no prayer with a complete reward, or that the supererogatory prayer is not valid altogether after the proclamation of the iqāmah for the obligatory prayer; so, one should cut off the supererogatory prayer and perform the obligatory one. It was said: If he was in the first Rak‘ah, he should cut off the prayer. Yet, if he is in the second Rak‘ah, he can complete the prayer in a quick manner. This all applies to those in the mosque, which is the main rule regarding prayer.
In the Hadīth: Prohibiting the performance of the supererogatory prayer if the iqāmah for the obligatory one is proclaimed in the mosque..

712
‘Abdullāh ibn Sarjis reported: A man entered the mosque while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was in the Morning prayer. He offered two Rak‘ahs in a corner of the mosque and then joined the prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), made taslīm, he said: "O so and so, which one of the two prayers have you counted? Your prayer alone or your prayer with us?!".

Commentary : Performing the prayer in congregation in the mosque is of great significance and subject to particular rulings. When the congregational prayer commences, no one should embark upon another prayer. Rather, the Muslim should join the prayer whose iqāmah has been proclaimed. This is the command and guidance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn Sarjis (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that a man entered the mosque while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was leading his Companions in "the Morning prayer", which is the Fajr prayer. Before joining the congregational prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he offered two Rak‘ahs as the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer alone in a corner of the mosque. Then, he entered the congregational prayer along with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). After the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer, he called him - O so and so - and asked him: Which one of the two prayers have you counted as your obligatory prayer, "your prayer alone or your prayer with us?!" Which one have you counted as the obligatory prayer and which one the supererogatory prayer?! These are words of reprimand and rebuke from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for his performance of the supererogatory prayer while the Imām was offering the obligatory prayer. But this does not indicate that any of the two prayers is invalid.
In the Hadth: Evidence that after the iqmah is proclaimed, one should not embark upon a supererogatory prayer, even if he will be able to join the prayer with the Imam..

713
Abu Humayd, or Abu Usayd, reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you enters the mosque, let him say: 'Allahumma iftah li abwāba rahmatik' (O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy). And when he leaves, let him say: 'Allahumma inni as’aluka min fadlik' (O Allah, I ask You from Your bounty).".

Commentary : Mosques are the houses of Allah Almighty. They are held sacred in the hearts of the believers, and they are the place where prayers, individual and congregational, are performed, dhikr is observed, and Allah bestows His favor upon His servants by giving them great rewards.
This Hadīth addresses two of the etiquettes related to the mosque, to which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave direction. First: An etiquette related to entering the mosque. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you enters the mosque," i.e., wants to enter it, when he arrives at its door, "let him say: O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy," which encompasses everything. This is an invocation to Allah to cover him with His vast mercy and enable him to perform the righteous deeds that will be a reason for entering through numerous gates of mercy.
Second: An etiquette related to leaving the mosque. He said: "And when he leaves, let him say, O Allah, I ask You from Your bounty" from Your lawful sustenance. This is an invocation to Allah and an acknowledgment that He is the Bestower of great favor upon His servants, the Provider, and the One Who gives out of His vast bounty without limit.
It was said: The reason for mentioning mercy with entering and bounty with leaving is that mercy in the Book of Allah is intended for the blessings related to people's souls and the Hereafter. Allah Almighty says: {But the mercy of your Lord is better than what they accumulate.} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 32] Whereas bounty is intended for worldly blessings. Allah Almighty says: {There is no blame upon you for seeking the bounty of your Lord [by trading].} [Surat al-Baqarah: 198] Allah Almighty also says: {When the prayer is over, disperse in the land and seek from the bounty of Allah.} [Surat al-Jumu‘ah: 10] When a person enters the mosque, he seeks closeness to Allah and engages in deeds that bring him near Allah's rewards and Paradise; so, the mention of mercy suits that. And when he leaves the mosque, he seeks sustenance; so, the mention of bounty suits that.
The supplications reported in such situations are intended for giving guidance and taking into account occasions, and they aim at connecting the servant to his Lord in all his conditions and activities, and reminding that Allah Almighty has power over all things and that He likes that His servants ask of Him. Allah Almighty says: {Your Lord says: "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."} [Surat Ghāfir: 60]
In the Hadīth: Urging remembrance of Allah upon entering the mosque and upon leaving it..

715
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on an expedition. As we headed back, I urged my camel to move quickly as it was slow. A rider caught up with me from behind and he goaded my camel with an iron-tipped stick which he had with him. My camel moved forward like the best camel you have ever seen. I turned around and found him to be the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "What makes you in a hurry, O Jābir?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am newly wedded." He said: "Have you married a virgin or a previously married woman?" He said: I said: "A previously married woman." He said: "Why not a young girl so that you could play with her and she could play with you?" He said: Then, when we reached Madīnah and were about to enter, He said: "Wait so that we may enter by night - i.e., in the evening - in order for the one of unkempt hair to comb her hair and the one whose husband has been absent to shave her pubic hair." He said: And he said: "When you enter, then Al-Kays, Al-Kays (copulation; or discernment).".

Commentary : Marriage is part of Fitrah (natural disposition) and one of the immutable laws of Allah in this world, and it serves many Shar‘i interests. Our pure Shariah devoted attention to this Fitrah and urged and encouraged it. It directed us to the right way of choosing and the means for preserving this sublime blessing, through good manners and an amicable relationship between a man and his wife.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on an expedition outside Madīnah. It is said: This happened during the Conquest of Makkah, as they were returning from Makkah to Madīnah. On their way back to Madīnah, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) was in a hurry and quickened the pace of driving his camel, which was slow. Someone caught up with him from behind and goaded his camel, i.e., he struck it at the rear to hasten its pace, "with an iron-tipped stick which he had with him." That is a stick that resembles a spear. The camel hastened its pace and moved vigorously "like the best camels you have ever seen" i.e., like the best and fastest camels you ever see. Jābir turned his head around to see who goaded his camel and hastened its pace and found him to be the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about the reason for his being in haste and quickening his pace. In reply to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he said that he was "newly wedded" i.e., he got married a short while ago. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him whether he had married a virgin, who did not marry before, or a previously married woman. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he married a previously married woman, not a virgin. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Why not a young girl"; this means a virgin. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was encouraging him to marry virgins. "so that you could play with her and she could play with you?" i.e., you have fun with her, and she has fun with you, and you fondle her, and she fondles you. Indeed, a previously married woman may feel attached to her former husband, unlike a young girl who did not marry before; her heart usually gets attached to her first husband. So, she actively cares about him and seeks to make him happy - in addition to other traits for which virgins are known and by which they surpass previously married women. In the Two Sahīh Collections: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, my father died - or he was martyred - and I have small sisters. So, I disliked that I should marry someone like them and she would not be able to discipline them and look after them. Therefore, I have married a previously married woman so that she would be able to look after them and discipline them." The version by Muslim has this addition: "May Allah bless you; or he said something good to me."
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that when they returned to Madīnah, they hastened to enter and go to their families. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Wait" i.e., be patient and wait, and do not go to your families, "so that we may enter by night, i.e., in the evening" i.e., after the ‘Ishā’ prayer. He clarified the reason for the delay, saying: "in order for the one of unkempt hair to comb her hair" i.e., to prune and beautify the hair of her head. "the one of unkempt hair" is one whose hair became untidy and ugly in appearance. "and the one whose husband has been absent to shave her pubic hair"; using the razor blade to remove the pubic hair. "and the one whose husband has been absent" is called Al-Mughībah in Arabic. The intended meaning is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prevented them from hastening to go to their families and commanded them to wait till the night, so as to give their women an opportunity to get prepared for them, tidy their appearances and hair, beautify themselves, and be ready to receive them. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: "When you enter" i.e., when you go to your wife; "then Al-Kays, Al-Kays." It is said: It means copulation. So, he seemed to have encouraged him to engage in copulation. And it is said: Rather, he meant something more specific than that, namely the child. So, he seemed to have encouraged him to have a child. It is also said: It refers to reason and forbearance. So, it is as if he was saying to him: Be rational and forbearing when you go to your wife and be considerate of her condition in terms of purity and menstruation.
The Hadīth highlights the Prophet's amicable relationship with his Companions and that he was interested in their affairs and used to check on them.
It points out the merit of marrying a virgin.
It also shows the merit of Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him), as he went out for Jihad while he had been newly wedded.
The Hadīth demonstrates some of the etiquettes to be observed by one who returns from battle and travel..

715
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: that he was traveling on a camel of his, which had become exhausted; so, he intended to let it go free. He said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) followed me, made supplication for me, and struck it. Thereupon, it went in a way that it had never done before. He said: "Sell it to me for one ’Uqiya." I replied: 'No.' He again said: "Sell it to me." So, I sold it to him for one ’Uqiya. However, I stipulated that I should be allowed to ride it home. Then, when I reached (home), I took the camel to him, and he paid me its price in cash. Then, I went back, and he sent someone after me. He said: "Do you think that I bargained with you to take your camel? Take your camel and your money; it is yours.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to be aware of the conditions of his Companions in terms of richness and poverty and opulence and straits. He would probably make up some scenarios with them to give them without causing them to lose face.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was riding a camel of his, which had become exhausted and weak, during travel. It was said that this occurred during the Conquest of Makkah and that they were returning from Makkah to Madīnah. He wanted to release it in the desert. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) caught up with him, supplicated for him, and struck the camel. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the camel became strong and fast after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck it, and it walked in a way like never before. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked Jābir to sell the camel to him for one ’Uqiya of silver, which is worth 40 Dirhams or approximately 201 grams. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to sell it to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Yet, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his offer, to which Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed, and he set a condition to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that he should not take the camel before arriving in Madīnah and let Jābir ride it until he reached there. When they reached Madīnah, Jābir went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with the camel. Upon receiving the camel, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him its price in cash. As Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) returned, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent someone after him to call him back. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Do you think that I bargained with you to take your camel?!" Bargaining: It is to negotiate a transaction with the aim of reducing the price. The meaning: Do you think that I negotiated with you about your camel so as to take it from you?! "Take your camel and your money; it is yours." It is as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to say to him: I only intended to find a reason to give you money. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) was taking care of his sisters after the death of his father in the battle of ’Uhud. This shows the Prophet's care about the conditions of his Companions.
In the Hadīth: It is legitimate to ask to buy some commodity even if its owner does not offer it for sale and to bargain about the price.
And in it: Stipulating a certain benefit related to the sold object
And in it: Cash payment of the price should be made upon receiving the commodity.
And in it: It is legitimate to sell a camel with the exception of its riding.
And in it: Demonstrating that if a sale is made with a condition that does not contradict the purpose of the contract, the sale and the condition are valid..