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Hadith
878
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that whilst ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was standing and delivering the khutbah one Friday, a man who was one of the earliest Muhajirin, one of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came in. ‘Umar called out to him: What time is this? He said: I was busy and could not return to my family until I heard the adhan, and I could not do more than just wudu’. ‘Umar said: And just wudu’ too, when you know that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin us to do ghusl?.

Commentary : Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is one of the most prominent characteristics of this ummah and is one of the causes of its being superior to others. Allah destroyed some of the nations who came before us because they failed to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. Therefore every Muslim is commanded to enjoin what is right as much as he can, and forbid what is wrong as much as he can. Because ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the most assiduous in promoting the truth, he never failed to enjoin what is right, wherever he was. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that during his caliphate, his father ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing and delivering the khutbah one Friday when a man who was one of the earliest Muhajirin, came in. He was ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, according to a report in al-Muwatta’. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw that he had come late, he said to him: “What time is this?” –rebuking him for coming late. ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) responded by telling him that he had become busy with some matters, so he could not go back to his house until he heard the adhan, so he did wudu’ quickly and did not do ghusl, in order to catch up with Jumu‘ah. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: And just wudu’ too, when you know that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin us to do ghusl?Here ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuked ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) a second time. What he meant was: and you did not do ghusl for Jumu‘ah either; you only did wudu? Is it not enough that you came late and missed out on the virtue of coming early, and you followed that with failing to do ghusl, being content with doing wudu’ only, when you heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoining us to do ghusl on Friday!
The command to do ghusl on Friday is part of the etiquette of coming to the mosque and prayers in congregation. It is advice from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to do what is most appropriate and best on such occasions.
This hadith indicates that we should enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, even if that is in front of other people.
It indicates that the leader should check on those under his authority, and instruct them to do that which is best for their spiritual well-being, and to rebuke the one who falls short in doing what is more appropriate. It also indicates that enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong may be done during the khutbah and does not invalidate it.
It indicates that the Muslim is encouraged to come early to Jumu‘ah.
It indicates that it is permissible to just do wudu’ for Jumu‘ah, but highlights the fact that ghusl is better..

880
It was narrated that Abu Sa‘id said: I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Ghusl on Friday is obligatory for every adult, and he should brush his teeth and put on perfume if it is available.” ‘Amr said: As for ghusl, I bear witness that it is obligatory. As for brushing the teeth and putting on perfume, Allah knows best whether it is obligatory or not, but this is what it says in the hadith..

Commentary : Friday is the best of days; it is the weekly festival (eid) of the Muslims, on which they gather to remember Allah (dhikr). Hence there are several points of etiquette to be observed on Fridays. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains some of them. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains that doing ghusl on Friday is obligatory for every adult, in the sense that it is so important for every adult male who is required to attend Jumu‘ah that it is almost like an obligatory duty for him. Another of these sunnahs is brushing the teeth and cleaning them with a siwak or by other means, scrubbing the teeth with something that will clean them. Another of these sunnahs is putting on perfume that has a good smell.
Doing ghusl and cleaning the mouth are part of the etiquette of attending the mosques and prayers in congregation. It is advice from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to do that which is appropriate on such occasions.
The ‘Amr referred to here is ‘Amr ibn Sulaym, the narrator of the report. The words “As for brushing the teeth and putting on perfume…”, which appear towards the end of the report, indicate that the conjunction does not mean that these actions are all at the same level of importance. It is as if he was certain that ghusl only is obligatory, because this is clearly stated in the hadith; he did not say anything about the other actions, because of the possibility that they may or may not be obligatory. It was also said that as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned together doing ghusl and putting on perfume on Friday, and everyone agrees that there is no blame on the one who does not put on perfume on Friday, if he has no offensive odours that could annoy or offend other people in the mosque, the same applies to the one who does not do ghusl, because the reason for both is the same. The same applies to brushing the teeth..

881
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday, the same as ghusl for janabah, then sets out early, it is as if he sought to draw close to Allah by giving a camel in charity. Whoever sets out at the second hour, it is as if he sought to draw close to Allah by giving a cow in charity. Whoever sets out at the third hour, it is as if he sought to draw close to Allah by giving a horned ram in charity. Whoever sets out at the fourth hour, it is as if he sought to draw close to Allah by giving a chicken in charity. Whoever sets out at the fifth hour, it is as if he sought to draw close to Allah by giving an egg in charity. Then when the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the reminder [the khutbah]..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has instructed His believing slaves to hasten to do good deeds, and He praises those who do that, as He says: {Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds} [al-Anbiya’ 20:19]. Because coming early to prayer is a good deed, especially in the case of Jumu‘ah prayer, the one who comes early to the prayer attains greater reward and virtue than others.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us of the virtue of coming early to Jumu‘ah prayer. First he encourages the Muslim to do ghusl for this prayer, and tells us that for the one who does a complete ghusl, like that done in the case of janabah, then goes to Jumu‘ah prayer  early, at the beginning of the day, it is as if he sought to draw close to Allah (may He be exalted) by giving a camel in charity. For the one who goes at the second hour, it is as if he gave a cow in charity for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted). For the one who goes at the third hour, it is as if he gave a horned ram in charity; this description emphasizes how beautiful and perfect it is. For the one who goes at the fourth hour, it is as if he gave a chicken in charity, and for the one who goes at the fifth hour, it is as if he gave an egg in charity. The hours referred to in the hadith begin at sunrise, and this division is done according to the length of time between sunrise and the time of the second adhan; the time is divided into five parts, each of which is what is referred to by the word “hour” in this hadith. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that when the imam comes out and ascends the minbar to deliver the khutbah, the angels come in and do not write down the names of those who come in after that, so that they can listen to the Jumu‘ah khutbah and what it contains of remembrance of Allah (may He be exalted). Thus those who come after that miss out on the virtue of coming early, but they do not miss out on the reward for Jumu‘ah.
This hadith highlights the virtue of coming early for Jumu‘ah prayer.
It also urges the Muslim to do ghusl for Jumu‘ah..

883
It was narrated that Salman al-Farisi said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No man does ghusl on Friday, cleaning and purifying himself as much as he can, and puts on perfume, whether it is his own perfume or perfume that is in his house, then goes out, and does not push his way between two people, then he prays whatever is decreed that he should pray, then he listens attentively when the imam speaks, but he will be forgiven whatever sins he commits between this and the following Jumu‘ah.”.

Commentary : Friday is the best of days; it is the weekly festival of the Muslims, on which they gather to do good and remember Allah (dhikr). Hence the most important acts of etiquette on this day include purifying and cleaning oneself, ensuring that one smells good, coming early to the prayer, avoiding anything that could annoy or offend people, and listening attentively to the khatib. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) speaks of the virtues of this etiquette. He begins by urging the Muslim to do ghusl and purify himself, which means cleaning himself thoroughly. What is meant is cleaning oneself by trimming the moustache, clipping the nails and shaving the pubic hair. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned another act of etiquette, which is perfuming oneself, which the Muslim may do with his own perfume or by putting on some of his wife’s perfume. Then when he sets out to go to the mosque, when he enters the mosque he should not push his way between two people. This is a reference to coming early, because if he sets out early, he will not have to step over people’s necks or push his way between those who arrived before him and are sitting down. It was also said that what is meant is that he should not push his way between two men and stand between them, because he may make them feel constrained, especially when it is very hot and there is a large number of people. “then he prays whatever is decreed that he should pray” of supererogatory prayer. “then he listens attentively when the imam speaks”  so he listens properly to the khutbah. Whoever does this will be forgiven for whatever sins he commits in the period between this Jumu‘ah prayer and its khutbah, until the same time the following week.
This hadith indicates that we are urged to do ghusl on Friday.
It indicates that it is encouraged to put on perfume [when attending Jumu‘ah prayer].
It indicates that it is not allowed to step over people on Friday, except for one who can find no other way to reach the prayer place except by doing that.
It indicates that it is permissible to offer whatever supererogatory prayers one wishes before Jumu‘ah prayer.
It indicates that we are urged to listen attentively when the khatib begins to deliver the khutbah..

884
It was narrated that Tawus said: I said to Ibn ‘Abbas: They said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do ghusl on Friday and wash your heads, even if you are not junub, and put on perfume.” Ibn ‘Abbas said: As for ghusl, then yes; as for perfume, I do not know..

Commentary : Islam is a religion of cleanliness and beauty, and it encourages both. In this hadith, Tawus ibn Kaysan – who was one of the Tabi‘in – narrates that he told ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people were narrating a hadith from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which was: “Do ghusl on Friday and wash your heads, even if you are not junub, and put on perfume.” Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: As for ghusl, then yes; as for perfume, I do not know. It is known that the one who does ghusl will wash his head, so the words “and wash your heads” are a confirmation of the words “Do ghusl”, by way of mentioning something specific after mentioning something general, for emphasis and to point out that what is required is complete ghusl, lest anyone think that pouring water over the body without pouring it over the hair and making it reach the scalp is good enough for ghusl on Friday. The words “even if you are not junub” confirm that the command to do ghusl on Friday is not only for those who are junub. The words of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), “As for ghusl, then yes; as for perfume, I do not know” mean: As for ghusl, I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); as for perfume, I did not hear about it from him. The fact that Ibn ‘Abbas had not heard anything about putting on perfume on Friday does not mean that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say it. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated what he heard. But others heard it. In Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said concerning the etiquette of Jumu‘ah: “…and put on perfume if it is available.”
This hadith indicates that it is forbidden to issue a fatwa without knowledge. Here we see Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) – despite his high status and lofty position among the Sahabah – saying, I do not know. So no one should feel too embarrassed to say, when he does not know something, I do not know.
This hadith indicates that we are urged to do ghusl on Friday.
It indicates that it is encouraged to put on perfume when attending Jumu‘ah prayer..

885
It was narrated from Tawus, from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), that he mentioned what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said with regard to doing ghusl on Friday. I said to Ibn ‘Abbas: Can he put on perfume if his wife has some? He said: I do not know..

Commentary : Friday is the best of days; it is the weekly festival (eid) of the Muslims, on which they gather to do good and remember Allah (dhikr). Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined people to do ghusl on that day. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Tawus ibn Kaysan narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said with regard to doing ghusl on Friday. The command in this instance is addressed to one who is not junub, for the purpose of cleaning and purifying himself, because the one who is junub is commanded to remove the janabah on Friday and otherwise. Tawus asked him: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoin putting on perfume, even if the perfume belongs to one’s wife? This is because perfume is one of the things that she uses to beautify herself for her husband, so it is most likely that perfume would be in the possession of women, rather than men. What is meant by perfume is anything that is applied to the body to give a good fragrance.
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) responded by saying that he had no knowledge of what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had said with regard to putting on perfume on Friday, or whether this action was recommended or was enjoined like ghusl. The fact that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) had not heard anything about putting on perfume on Friday does not necessarily mean that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say it.Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated what he heard. But others heard it. In Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said concerning the etiquette of Jumu‘ah: “…and put on perfume if it is available.” The command to put on perfume depends on one’s ability to do it, for not everyone owns perfume or keeps it at home.
This hadith highlights an important point of etiquette for the scholar and mufti, which is that they should say “I do not know” with regard to anything of which they have no knowledge.
It also indicates that we are urged to do ghusl on Friday..

887
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, or for the people, I would have instructed them to use the siwak at the time of every prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer means standing before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), so it is essential to be in a state of purity and look good, and for the mouth and teeth to be clean.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) states that were it not that it would be too difficult for the worshippers among his ummah, he would have instructed them and made it obligatory for them to use the siwak before offering any prayer, whether it was obligatory or supererogatory, and whether the mouth had an odour or was clean. This is by way of encouraging people to do this noble act, which is purifying the mouth and cleaning the teeth when meeting Allah in prayer. The siwak is the root of the arak tree; this hadith may also refer to using any other kind of stick or similar thing to clean the teeth and take away any odour and the like. The Sunnah is to use the siwak when doing wudu’ for prayer too, as it says in a report narrated by al-Bukhari from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). The time to do that when doing wudu’ is after washing the hands and before rinsing the mouth.
This hadith indicates that worshippers are urged to use the siwak whenever possible.
It also highlights the keenness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to make things easy for people..

888
It was narrated that Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have mentioned to you many times the importance of using the siwak.”.

Commentary : Using the siwak is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to use the siwak at the time of every prayer.” The siwak is cleansing for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) confirmed the command to use the siwak, as he said: “I have mentioned to you many times the importance of using the siwak”, to emphasize its importance and enjoin it. The siwak is obtained from the roots of the arak tree. The point of telling them this, even though they were already aware of it, is to highlight and emphasize the importance of using the siwak. Even though the siwak is Sunnah at all times, it is even more important in certain situations, including prayer, wudu’ and reading Qur’an. As Jumu‘ah is one of the prayers for which the Muslims are enjoined to adorn themselves and prepare themselves for it by doing ghusl and putting on perfume, and using the siwak is one of the means of cleansing and purifying oneself, it is even more important on Friday..

890
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr came in, holding a siwak with which he was cleaning his teeth. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked at it, and I said to him: Give me this siwak, O ‘Abd al-Rahman. So he gave it to me, and I cut off the part where he had been using it, then I chewed it and gave it to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he cleaned his teeth with it while he was leaning against my chest..

Commentary : When his illness grew worse,  the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)asked his wives’ permission to let him stay in the house of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), because she was so dear to him and he loved her very much.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that her brother ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr came in to visit the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during his final sickness. ‘Abd al-Rahman was carrying a siwak with which he was cleaning his teeth. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked at the siwak; he was unable to speak, but the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) understood that he wanted to use the siwak. So she took it from ‘Abd al-Rahman  and cut off the part where he had been using it, then she chewed it to soften it for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Then she gave it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he rubbed his teeth with it while he was leaning against her chest.
This hadith highlights the virtue of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and her status with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It highlights the Prophet’s kind treatment of his wives.
It demonstrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) adhered to the Sunnah of using the siwak even when he was very ill.
It confirms the virtue of using the siwak..

891
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in Fajr prayer on Friday “Alif-Lam-Mimtanzil” [Surat al-Sajdah] and “Hal ata ‘ala al-insanihinun min al-dahr”  [Surat al-Insan]. .

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite certain surahs in some of the prayers, in most cases. He did this for various reasons, one of which may have been that the verses were appropriate to the time when they were recited.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in Fajr prayer on Fridays, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite Surat al-Sajdah in the first rak‘ah and Surat al-Insan in the second rak‘ah. This is what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) usually did most of the time. That was because of what these two surahs contain of mention of what has happened and what will happen, from creation until re-creation (resurrection), such as the creation of Adam (peace be upon him), the gathering of all creatures, their resurrection from the graves to either Paradise or Hell, the stages of the Day of Resurrection, and the fact that it will happen on a Friday. Reciting these two surahs in Fajr prayer on Friday is following the example of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that this is on condition that one recite other surahs sometimes, lest anyone think that it is not permissible to recite any other surahs [in Fajr prayer on Fridays]..

892
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that he said: The first Jumu‘ah prayer that was established after Jumu‘ah prayer in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in the mosque of [the tribe of] ‘Abd al-Qays in Juwatha in al-Bahrayn..

Commentary : Jumu‘ah prayer is very important in Islamic teachings and in Muslim society, and it can only be done in congregation.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the first Jumu‘ah prayer to be offered, fulfilling all the conditions of the khutbah and gathering, after the Jumu‘ah that the Sahabah prayed for the first time in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, was the Jumu‘ah that was established in the mosque of ‘Abd al-‘Qays. They were a tribe in Juwatha, which was in al-Bahrayn. Juwatha was a village or the name of a fortress, and in ancient times, the name al-Bahrayn was given to the area which now includes Bahrain, al-Ahsa’ and al-Qatif in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Mosque of ‘Abd al-Qays is located in what is now known as the province of al-Ahsa’.
This hadith indicates that there is no stipulation that Jumu‘ah should only be established in large cities; rather it is permissible in villages too..

896
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “We are the last but we will be the first on the Day of Resurrection. They were given the Book before us, and it was given to us after them. This is the day concerning which they differed, but Allah guided us to it. Tomorrow is for the Jews, and the day after tomorrow is for the Christians.” Then he fell silent, then he said: “It is obligatory for every Muslim to do ghusl one day out of every seven days, in which he washes his head and his body.”.

Commentary : Our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the best of the prophets, and his ummah is the best of nations. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlights some of the ways in which his ummah surpasses the previous nations, and he lists some of their characteristics which distinguish them from those nations. He states that he and his ummah are the lastin chronological terms, because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the last of the prophets and messengers, and there will be no prophet after him, but on the Day of Resurrection they will be ahead of the previous nations, the People of the Book, in virtue and status, as they will come after the Muslim ummah with regard to the reckoning, judgement and admission to Paradise.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) referred to the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, stating that they were given the Book – meaning the Torah and Gospel – before us, and we were given the Holy Qur’an, which is the greatest of the Books that Allah (may He be exalted) sent down to His slaves, after them.
Then he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) referred to Friday, which is the day concerning which the People of the Book before us differed, after they had been told that it was their day and were commanded to venerate it. But they abandoned it and resorted to choosing a day based on their own reasoning.So the Jews venerated Saturday, because it was the day on which Allah finished creation, as they thought that this was the virtue that made this day special and deserving of veneration. The Christians venerated Sunday, because creation began on that day. But Allah guided us to Friday, by means of revelation which tells us that this day should be venerated, or on the basis of scholarly views that are in harmony with the intended meaning of the text. Therefore Saturday is for the Jews and Sunday is for the Christians.
It was said that because the Jews chose Saturday and the Christians chose Sunday, and Allah guided us to Friday – which comes before those two days – this shows that we went ahead of them in this world and we will go ahead of them in the hereafter.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that it is a duty for every Muslim – what is meant is those who are accountable – to do ghusl one day in every seven, which is Friday, in which he should wash his head and his body.
What is meant by doing ghusl is pouring water over the body and head for the purpose of purification and cleanliness. Thus the individual is required, at the very least, to wash himself with water every seven days. The head is singled out for mention, even though it is part of the body, to indicate that special attention should be paid to it..

900
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: One of ‘Umar’s wives used to attend Fajr and ‘Isha’ prayers in congregation in the mosque. It was said to her: Why do you go out when you know that ‘Umar dislikes that, because he is a man of protective jealousy? She said: What is preventing him from telling me not to do this? He said: What is preventing him is the word of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Do not prevent the female slaves of Allah from going to the mosques of Allah.”.

Commentary : There are rulings which apply specifically to women when attending prayers in the mosques, how they should go out, and what they should look like, in terms of modesty, adornment, covering, and avoiding dubious situations, and barring any means that could lead to them being a source of fitnah (temptation).
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one of the wives of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) – namely ‘Atikah bint Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl – used to attend Fajr and ‘Isha’ prayers in congregation in the mosque. She was told that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked the women going out at this time, the reason being that he felt protective jealousy (ghirah) concerning them. She asked why he let her do that and did not forbid her to do it, and she was told that what was preventing him from forbidding her to do this was the word of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “Do not prevent the female slaves of Allah from going to the mosques of Allah,” and allow them to go to the mosque to pray, seek knowledge and the like. Describing them as “the female slaves of Allah” is more eloquent than simply calling them women.
There are some reports which say that this permission was only granted for prayer at night, such as ‘Isha’ and Fajr – as is mentioned in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Ibn ‘Umar, according to which the Prophet of Allah said: “If your womenfolk ask you for permission to go out at night, give them permission” – because it is dark, so they will be concealed and there will be no fear of fitnah (temptation) for her or because of her. This is what the wife of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with her) used to do. Abu Dawud and Ahmad also narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Let them go out unadorned,” meaning that they should not be wearing perfume or any kind of adornment, so that they will not be a cause of fitnah (temptation) to men.
This hadith indicates that women are permitted to pray in the mosque, if there is no fear of fitnah (temptation)..

901
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn al-Harith said: Ibn ‘Abbas said to his mu’adhdhin on a rainy day: When you have said,AshhaduannaMuhammadanRasulullah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), do not say Hayya ‘ala al-salah (Come to prayer); rather say Sallu fi buyutikum (Pray in your houses). It was as if the people objected to that, but he said: One who is better than me did that. Indeed Jumu‘ah is an obligatory prayer, but I did not want to make you come out and walk in mud and slippery conditions..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Muslim cannot afford to miss it, whether he is at home or travelling, whether during peacetime or wartime. But the teachings of Islam take people’s situation into consideration when they have no choice and when conditions are hard, and whether it is a time of fear or a time of safety.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Muhammad ibn Sirin narrates that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his mu’adhdhin on a very rainy day: When you reach in youradhan the words AshhaduannaMuhammadanRasulullah(I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), do not say Hayya ‘ala al-salah (Come to prayer); say instead of that: Sallu fi buyutikum (Pray in your houses), so that the people will hear this concession and not come out. This was in relation to Jumu‘ah prayer, as is mentioned at the end of the report. It was as if the people objected to what he said about there being a concession allowing them not to attend Jumu‘ah because of the rain. So Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: One who is better than me did that, meaning the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Then Ibn ‘Abbas explained the reason for this, as he said: Indeed Jumu‘ah is an obligatory prayer, meaning that it is obligatory for every accountable man who hears the call and is not travelling, but I did not like to cause you hardship and difficulty, and there is a concession that makes the matter flexible for you. It was said that what was meant by the phrase translated above as “causing hardship” is: I did not want to be the cause of you incurring sin when you feel reluctant to come, and perhaps some of you may feel angry or say words that are not appropriate because of walking in the mud, which could lead to you slipping and falling. Rain is one of the excuses for which a concession is granted with regard to an obligatory duty, and it is one of the valid excuses for which prayer in congregation may be waived.
It was said that the phrase “Sallu fi buyutikum (Pray in your houses)” gives people the choice, and does not mean that they must pray at home; it is up to the worshipper and he has the choice: if he wishes, he may stay at home, and if he wishes, he may go out to the mosque.
This hadith highlights one aspect of how things may be made easier for people in such situations.
It also indicates that rain is one of the reasons for which Jumu‘ah prayer and prayers in congregation may be waived. .

902
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The people used to come on Friday from their homes and from al-‘Awali; they would come in the dust, with dust and sweat having accumulated on them, and with the smell of sweat emanating from them. One of them came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was in my house, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I wish you would purify yourselves for this day of yours.”.

Commentary : Friday is an important day, and it is the best day of the week, on which the Muslims gather for prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged the people to purify themselves, clean themselves and make themselves look good on this day, especially those who wanted to attend  Jumu‘ah prayer.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the people used to come to attend Jumu‘ah prayer from their houses and from al-‘Awali, which refers to some areas near Madinah, to pray with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his mosque. “they would come in the dust [fi’l-ghubar]” – in a report narrated by Muslim, it says: “they would come in ‘abayas [fi’l-‘aba’]”. The dust of the road would get onto them, and they would sweat; such things cause a person’s clothes to become dirty, and result in an unpleasant smell, which is not appropriate for the Muslim himself, let alone when he is attending prayers in congregation and Jumu‘ah prayer in the mosque.
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that a man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What appears to be the case is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) noticed a smell when this man came near him. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw what state the man was in, he said: “I wish you would purify yourselves for this day of yours!” According to a report narrated in al-Sahihayn he said:, “I wish that you would do ghusl” – meaning: for when you come to pray on Friday. This was so as not to cause annoyance to people with the smell of sweat. What is meant by purifying oneself is to wash oneself, making the water reach all of the body and head, seeking to purify and clean oneself.
This hadith indicates that we are urged to be clean and to avoid unpleasant smells on the body, especially on Friday..

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..