| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

2237

Aboo Mas‘ood Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade availing oneself of the price of a dog, money earned by prostitution, and the earnings of a soothsayer.
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, deemed lawful that which is good and ritually pure, and deemed unlawful that which is evil and ritually impure, with regards to food, beverages, earnings, trade, and so on. The Laws of Islam also urges Muslims to be gracious and deem themselves far above trivial and inferior aspirations.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Mas‘ood Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ forbade three things. First, the sale of dogs and availing oneself of the price. In fact, such earnings are declared unlawful, because it is prohibited to own and keep dogs, except those used for guarding livestock or crops. It was said that this is a general Laws of Islam ruling whether such a dogis trained for hunting or not, and whether or not it is allowable to keep such dog as per the laws of Islam. It was also said that guard and hunting dogs are excluded from this prohibition, because they are beneficial, as stated in the narration reported by Al-Daaraqutnee on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reading: “except for a hunting dog.” Another relevant narration reported by Al-Tirmithee reads: “Except for dogs meant for hunting.” This means that he ﷺ forbade the price of dogs except for the ones the keeping of which are deemed allowable as per the laws of Islam given their benefit. It is also possible that the prohibition of taking and availing oneself of the dog’s price was prescribed in the early days of Islam and was later abrogated, and it was deemed allowable to use dogs for hunting animals and sell dogs just like other hunting animals.
The second is the money earned by a prostitute in return for engaging in illicit sexual intercourse with non-Mahram men. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Mahr’ because such money is paid in a similar context of the dower in the case of lawful marriage.
In the pre-Islamic era, people used to force their slave-girls into prostitution to earn money, but Islam renounced this practice. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allah is [to them], after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 24:33].
The third category is the earnings of a soothsayer in return for their prediction of the unseen.
A soothsayer refers to the one who claims to know the unseen, and informs people of his claims about unseen beings and future events. The reference here incorporates all those who claim such knowledge (to foresee the future), including astrologers, soothsayers who throw stones, and the like. The Arabic word used for the fees paid to a soothsayer is ‘Hulwaan’ literally denoting something sweet, because such money is taken for no real service rendered..

2239

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Allah's Messengerﷺ came to Al-Madeenah and people used to pay in advance the price of fruits to be delivered within one or two years. (The sub-narrator doubted whether it was one to two years or two to three years.) The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever pays money in advance for dates (to be delivered later) should pay it for known specified weight and measure (of dates)”.
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Commentary : Al-Salaf or Salam transaction (i.e., a sale of payment in advance) refers to a sale transaction whereby a buyer purchases a clearly defined item to be delivered in a fixed future date and pays its price in advance, in the contracting session.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them)stated that when the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ found the Ansaar conducting Salaf transactions - also called Salam, because it stipulates immediate payment of the specified price in the contracting session. They used to sell crops to be delivered within one, two, or three years, for an immediate payment paid in the contracting session. The Prophet ﷺ approved such transactions, yet set certain conditions for their validity. He ﷺ said that when someone buys crops: dates, wheat, or barley for example, to be delivered after one or two years for an immediate payment made in the contracting session, the purchased commodity must be clearly defined and specified. This means that the commodity must be of a specified weight and measure, and the delivery date must be fixed, e.g., a year or two, rather than an unspecified future time, to avoid potential Gharar (i.e., risk and uncertainty) and ambiguity that could occur in such sale transactions, and to eliminate potential disputes and conflicts.
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2244

Muhammad ibn Al-Mijaalid narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad and Aboo Burdah sent me to ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with them) and told me to ask ‘Abdullah whether the people in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ used to pay in advance for wheat (to be delivered in a future time). ‘Abdullah replied, "We used to pay in advance to the peasants of Shaam for wheat, barley and olive oil of a known specified measure to be delivered in a specified future time." I asked (him), "Was the price paid (in advance) to those who had the sold items to be delivered later?" ‘Abdullah ibn Awfaa replied, "We did not use to ask them about that." Then they sent me to ‘Abdul- Rahmaan ibn Abzaa and I asked him. He replied, "The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet ﷺ used to conduct Salam transactions during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ; and we did not ask them whether or not they had standing crops."
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Commentary : Al-Salaf or Salam transaction (i.e., a sale of payment in advance) refers to a sale transaction whereby a buyer purchases a clearly defined item to be delivered later,on a fixed future date, and pays its price in advance, in the contracting session.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Muhammad ibn Al-Mijaalid narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad ibn Al-Haad and Aboo Burdah ibn Abee Moosaa Al-Ash‘ari differed about whether or not the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to pay in advance for wheat to be delivered at a future time during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, as narrated in the version complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree. They sent him to ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with them) to ask him about it, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “We used to pay in advance to the peasants of Shaam for wheat, barley and olive oil of a known specified measure to be delivered at a specified future time.” The version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree reads, “… some Nabateans from those of Syria used to come to us.” The Nabateans were Arabs who mixed with non-Arabs and Romans, and this corrupted their language and lineage. Those of them who mixed with the non-Arabs settled in Al-Bataa’ih between Basrah and Kufa, and those who mixed with the Romans settled in the valleys of Shaam (Greater Syria or Levant) and were called: Al-Nabat, Al-Nabeet, and the Nabataeans. They were given these names because they were known for groundwater extraction as they worked in agriculture. They used to buy from them wheat, barley, oil - and in another version of the hadeeth: ‘and raisins’ - of known specified measures to be delivered at a specified future time. This means that they would buy these crops for an immediate payment, and specify their measure and future delivery date. Ibn Abee Al-Milaaid asked him: “Was the price paid (in advance) to those who had the sold items to be delivered later?” He asked him whether or not the Salam transaction is valid if the seller does not grow wheat or grapes to begin with, and ‘Abdullah ibn Awfaa replied, “We did not use to ask them about that.”
Then ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad and Aboo Burdah (may Allah be pleased with them) sent Ibn Abee Al-Milaaid to ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn Abzaa (may Allah be pleased with him) and he asked him about it, and he replied, "The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet ﷺ used to conduct Salam transactions during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ; and we did not use to ask them whether they had standing crops or not." This means that they did not ask them whether or not they grew such crops. This fosters ease and facilitation (preached by the Laws of Islam), and to opt for leniency regarding the matters that were pardoned as per the laws of Islam.
The hadeeth also highlights that Muslims are urged to consult the people of knowledge about disagreements and disputes (regarding religious matters).
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2246

Aboo Al-Bakhtaree At-Taa’ee said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) about the Salam transaction for (the fruits of) date-palms. He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied "The Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of unpicked dates till they became (ripe and) ready for consumption and could be weighed." A man asked what to be weighed (as the dates were still on the trees). Another man sitting beside Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, "Till they are cut and stored." Aboo Al-Bakhtari said: I heard Ibn ‘Abbaas (saying) that the Prophet ﷺforbade ... etc. as above.
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Commentary : Any sale in which the sold item cannot be delivered, or its measure or weight is unspecified, is invalid as per the laws of Islam. The Prophet ﷺ forbade some forms of sales that fit this profile, including the one mentioned in this hadeeth.
The Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Aboo Al-Bakhtari At-Taa’ee narrated that he asked ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) about the Salam transaction for dates. Salam transaction (i.e., a sale of payment in advance) refers to a sales transaction whereby a buyer purchases a clearly defined item to be delivered at a fixed future date, and pays its price in advance, in the contracting session. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied "The Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of unpicked dates till they became (ripe and) ready for consumption,” meaning that dates may not be sold except after they become ripe and edible, “and could be weighed.” A man asked what was to be weighed (as the dates were still on the trees). It is not possible to know the measure of unpicked dates! Another man sitting beside Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “(It rather means) Till they are cut and stored.” Another version of the hadeeth reads: “… after their measure/weight is estimated,” meaning without plucking them. This helps with regard to knowing the amount of the due Zakaah payable to the poor before the owner disposes of the dates, and knowing the quantity that will be sold, so that there should be no ambiguity of the sold item, nor Gharra (i.e., risk and uncertainty) regarding its value. The one who estimates the measure/weight of the fruits on the trees is called Khaaris (estimator).
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2258

‘Amr ibn Al-Shareed said:
While I was standing with Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas, Al-Miswaar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with them) came and put his hand on my shoulder. Meanwhile Aboo Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ came and asked Sa‘d to buy from him the (two) dwellings which were in his house. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah I will not buy them." Al-Miswaar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, you shall buy them." Sa‘d replied, "By Allah, I will not pay more than four thousand (Dirhams) in installment!" Aboo Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have been offered five hundred Dinars (for it) and had I not heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, 'The neighbor has more right (i.e., preemption) than anyone else because of his nearness,’ I would not have sold them to you for four-thousand (Dirhams) while I am offered five-hundred Dinars (i.e., one Dinar equals ten Dirhams) for them.” So, he sold it to Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him)..

Commentary : The Laws of Islam delineated the provisions regulating sales transactions in general, and of those involving one’s neighbors in particular. It clarified the provisions regarding the right of pre-emption (when selling property) to one’s neighbors because they have more right to buy neighboring property.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Amr ibn Al-Shareed stated that he stood with Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas once when Al-Miswaar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with them) came and put his hand on his shoulder, indicating their mutual affection and love. Meanwhile Aboo Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ, came and asked Sa‘d to buy from him the (two) dwellings which were in his house, because Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had the right of Shuf‘ah (pre-emption), but he said, "By Allah I will not buy them." He (may Allah be pleased with him) swore not to buy them, but Al-Miswaar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “By Allah, you shall buy them.” Sa‘d said that he would not pay more than four thousand (Dirhams) in installments. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth - Munajjamah or Muqata‘ah, meaning “in installments,” - was doubted by one of the narrators, and the intended meaning is that such payments would be made at specified times. Aboo Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he was offered five hundred Dinars for the dwellings, and this means that the price offered by Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) was one thousand Dirhams (silver) or one hundred Dinars (gold) less than the other offer. Aboo Raafi‘ asked him, “How would I sell it to you for four thousand Dirhams, and I turned down an offer to sell it for five thousand Dirhams?!”
However, he sold it to Sa‘d for the lower price and stated that he did so in compliance with the Prophet’s command, as he ﷺ said: ‘A neighbor has more right (of pre-emption) than anyone else to property that is near his.’ The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Saqb’ meaning physical proximity or nearness. A co-owner may be referred to as a ‘neighbor’ because he may co-own the joint property and live therein. This establishes his right of pre-emption, to buy the neighboring property that is near his. He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that had it not been for the right of pre-emption, he would not have sold it to him for four-thousand (Dirhams) in installments while he had been offered five-hundred Dinars for them.
The hadeeth highlights the Companions’ keenness to comply with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and act upon his commands, and their willingness to incur financial loss for the sake of such compliance.
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2259

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
I said, “O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I have two neighbors and would like to know to whom of them I should give presents.” He ﷺ replied, "To the one whose door is nearer to yours."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, urged Muslims to show kindness to their neighbors; He Says (what means): {… the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side.} [Quran 4:36]. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ also commanded Muslims to honor the rights of their neighbors, and warned against harming them and infringing on their rights. The closer a neighbor is, the greater his rights are.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that she asked the Prophet ﷺ, “I have two neighbors and would like to know to whom of them I should give presents.” He ﷺ replied, “To the one whose door is nearer to yours.” This is because the closer neighbors have greater rights, and deserve generosity and kindness more than those farther away from, for he sees what comes in and out of his house, and would naturally aspire to a share of such benefits. Moreover, the closer neighbors would respond faster to his call for help when he seeks it. Therefore, he should give the greatest share of his kindness and generosity to the closer neighbors whose doors are next to his, even if their houses are not the nearest.
This is meant for arranging one’s priorities when fulfilling neighbors’ rights, especially if one could not afford to offer gifts to all his neighbors.
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2263

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) employed a (pagan) man from the tribe of Banee Al-Deel and the tribe of Banee ‘Abd ibn ‘Adiy as a guide. He was an expert guide and he had made a covenant with the tribe of Al-‘Aasi ibn Waa’il and adhered to the religion of Quraysh pagans. The Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had confidence in him and gave him their riding camels and told him to bring them to the Cave of Thawr after three days. So, he brought them their two riding camels after three days and both of them (The Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out accompanied by ‘Aamir ibn Fuhayrah and the guide from Al-Deel tribe who guided them below Makkah along the road leading to the sea-shore.
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Commentary :
Despite the many reprehensible qualities and habits associated with pre-Islamic society in Arabia, it was also characterized by many benign traits that were later on approved by Islam, the most important of which were chivalry and fulfillment of covenants. These two good qualities were infused in the moral characters of Arabs.
This hadeeth highlights the situation of an Arab disbeliever named ‘Abdullah ibn Urayqit, reflecting these qualities. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when the Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to emigrate to Al-Madeenah, they hired a man from Banee Al-Deel, who belonged to Banee ‘Abd ibn ‘Adiy, named ‘Abdullah ibn Urayqit as their guide, for he was an expert guide who was well-acquainted with the hidden paths and narrow passageways, and knew his way around the desert. ‘Abdullah ibn Urayqit had made a covenant with Banee Al-‘Aas ibn Waa’il. The Arabic verb used in the hadeeth is ‘Ghamsa’ meaning to dip one’s hand into blood or similar liquids, as Arabs customarily did to affirm their commitment to covenants and alliances. The Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr Al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) entrusted Ibn Urayqit, as they knew of his chivalry and discretion. Therefore, they placed their confidence in him and trusted him with their secret migration out of Makkah, and the two she-camels they gave him to bring along when they agreed to meet three nights later in the cave of Thawr, a mountain at the (southern) end of Makkah. Ibn Urayqit honored his commitment and covenant with them and brought them the two she-camels at that agreed-upon time in Thawr Cave. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Aamir ibn Fuhayrah, and their guide Ibn Urayqit set off on their journey. They walked down a route from the end of Makkah all the way to Al-Madeenah, along theRed Sea coast.
‘Aamir ibn Fuhayrah was the freed slave of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) who shepherded sheep, and he would take the sheep in the evening and go to them in the cave to give them milk; he did this for three nights.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to hire a non-Muslim worker. It is also inferred that it is allowable for two people to hire one worker to perform one task for both of them.
It is also deduced therefrom that it is allowable to hire a worker to perform a task after a specified period of time, and that the contract concluded before the commencement of the work is valid.
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2271

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of Muslims, Jews, and Christians is like the example of a man who employed laborers to work for him from morning till night for specific wages. They worked till midday and then said, 'We do not need your money which you have fixed for us and let whatever we have done be annulled.' The man said to them, 'Do not quit the work, but complete the rest of it and take your full wages,' but they refused and went away. The man employed another batch after them and said to them, 'Complete the rest of the day and yours will be the wages I had fixed for the first batch.' So, they worked till the time of ‘Asr prayer. Then they said, "Let what we have done be annulled and keep the wages you promised us for yourself.' The man said to them, 'Complete the rest of the work, as only a little part of the day remains,' but they refused. Thereafter he employed another batch to work for the rest of the day and they worked for the rest of the day till the sunset, and they received the wages of the two former batches. So, that was the example of those people (Muslims) and the example of this light (guidance) which they have accepted willingly.”
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, sent Muhammad ﷺ as the last of all the Prophets, rendered his message (i.e., Islam) the concluding divine message, and commanded all humankind to follow him. Therefore, it is incumbent on all people, including the Jews and Christians, to follow the religion of Islam. Alas, most of the Jews and Christians refused to follow it, disbelieved in what was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, and rather adhered to their distorted books. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ gave a similitude of the situation of Muslims, Jews and Christians. He ﷺ likened their situation to a man who had hired some people to do some work for him till the night, and promised them specified wages. They worked till midday, refused to complete their work, and then said to the employer, 'We do not need your money which you have fixed for us, and let whatever we have done be annulled.' Meaning that they annulled their agreement and would not ask him for any payment. The man said to them, 'Do not quit the work; complete the rest of it and take your full wages,' but they refused. These people symbolized the Jews, and this indicates that they had disbelieved, turned away from the truth, and Allah, Exalted is He, has turned them down. It also indicates that their good deeds were rendered void and worthless when they disbelieved in Prophet ‘Eesaa (Jesus) and distorted the divine law revealed to them; they were denied their full rewards due to their defiant refrainment from completing their duties and for not honoring their commitment.
The man employed another batch to complete the task and said to them, 'Complete the rest of (the work till the end of) the day and yours will be the wages I had fixed for the first batch.' They worked till the time of ‘Asr prayer, and then did as the previous group did! These people symbolized the Christians. Thereafter he employed another batch to work for the rest of the day, and they completed the work till the sunset, and received the wages of the two former batches. They (symbolizing Muslims) deserved the wages (rewards) of the two previous batches due to their belief in the three Prophets Muhammad, Moosaa, and ‘Eesaa ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The example of those people (Muslims) and the example of this light (guidance) which they have accepted willingly,” meaning that this is the similitude of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in accepting Islam, and following the light of (the divine) guidance. Since Muslims acknowledged the truth with which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent and adhered to it unto the Day of Resurrection, they deserved the rewards of the believers who would have adhered to the truth since the beginning of time till its end, because they completed the task for the rest of the appointed time, devoting worship exclusively to Allah, Exalted is He, like what the third batch of workers did when they completed the work for which the first batch (Jews) were originally hired.
The hadeeth highlights the special honor and divine bestowal conferred upon Muslims and that they are promised abundant rewards for their few good deeds.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a person's deeds are judged according to the concluding and final ones.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is permissible to give examples and similitudes for education and amplification purposes..

2272

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Three men from the previous nations set out on a journey together till they reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and blocked the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other), ‘Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah, Exalted is He, by virtue of your righteous deed which you have done (and devoted exclusively to Him).' So, one of them said, 'O Allah! I had old parents and I never served milk to my own dependents before them. One day, I happened to be delayed and came late (at night) while they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them, but found them sleeping. I disliked to serve my family the milk before them. Therefore, I waited for them holding the bowl of milk in my hand, and kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us of our calamity caused by this rock.' So, the rock shifted a little but they could not get out." The Prophet ﷺ added, "The second man said, 'O Allah! I had a cousin who was the most beloved of all people to me and I wanted to have an illicit sexual intercourse with her but she refused. Later on, she had a hard time during a year of famine and came to me (for help). I gave her one hundred and twenty Dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desire (i.e., agree to have intercourse with me), and she complied. When I was about to approach her, she said: It is unlawful to deflower me except rightfully (i.e., by marriage). So, I refrained from committing that sin (of Fornication) and left her though she was the most beloved of all the people to me. I also left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us of our present calamity.' So, the rock shifted a little more but still they could not get out from there." The Prophet ﷺ added, "Then the third man said, 'O Allah! I employed few laborers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and earned a great wealth thereby. (Then after some time) he came back and said to me: O Allah's slave! Pay me my wages. I said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep, and slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allah's slave! Do not mock me. I said: I am not mocking you. So, he took all the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us of our suffering.' So, that rock shifted completely and they got out walking.”
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Commentary :
Imploring Allah, Exalted is He, by virtue of one’s good deeds that were devoted exclusively to Him is a way to have all one’s distress and calamities relieved.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ related that three men, who belonged to the previous nations, set out on a journey. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Raht’ which literally means a group of men whose number is below ten. They sought shelter in a cave to spend their night. The version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim stated that they entered it because of the rain. A big rock rolled down the mountain and blocked the mouth of the cave, and they were trapped inside. They said (to each other), ‘Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah, Exalted is He, by virtue of a righteous deed that you have done (and devoted exclusively to Him),' to ensure that your supplications would be most likely answered and the rock would be moved.
“One of them said, 'O Allah! I had old parents and I never served milk to my own dependents before them,’ meaning he never served the milk at night to anyone else before them, not even his own family, and this indicated his dutifulness towards them, putting them before his own family and children. He added that he came back once late due to some needs to find his parents asleep. He prepared the milk that they usually drank before going to bed, but when he went home, he found them asleep; he disliked breaking his habit of serving them the milk first. Therefore, he did not drink milk that night nor did he serve it to his family. He said: ‘I waited for them holding the bowl of milk in my hand, and I kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned,’ he did not wake them up and chose to stay up all night until they woke up on their own. He said: “O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, I implore you to relieve us of our calamity caused by this rock,’ and grant us a way out of this cave. The Prophet ﷺ stated that the rock shifted a little but they could not get out.
The second man said, 'O Allah! I had a cousin who was the most beloved of all people to me and I wanted to have illicit sexual intercourse with her but she refused. Later on, she had a hard time during a year of famine and came to me (for help). I gave her one hundred and twenty Dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desire (i.e., agree to have intercourse with me), and she complied. When I was about to approach her, she said: ‘O Servant of Allah! Fear Allah,’ as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. In this version, she said: ‘It is unlawful to deflower me except rightfully (by marriage),’ reminding him of Allah, Exalted is He, and urging him to fear Him. She asked him to keep away from her and not to have illicit intercourse with her and deflower her without marriage that Allah has deemed lawful. Thereupon, he did not touch her as she reminded him of the right of Allah. The man said: “So, I refrained from committing that sin (of Fornication) and left her though she was the most beloved of all the people to me,” and this indicated that his deep love for her would most likely drive him to have intercourse with her, yet he refrained from falling into this sin and left the money he had given her. He added: “O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, I implore you to relieve us of our present calamity.' The Prophet ﷺ stated that the rock shifted a little more but still they could not get out from there.
The Prophet ﷺ added, "Then the third man said, 'O Allah! I employed a few laborers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages,’ meaning in trade, ‘and I earned great wealth thereby. (Then after some time) he came and,asked for his wages. He said to him: ‘All the camels, cows, sheep and slaves you see, are yours. He (the hired worker) said: ‘O Allah's slave! Do not mock me,’ as he could not believe that his wages would have generated such great wealth. The employer said: ‘I am not mocking you.’ The hired worker took all the wealth and drove them away and left nothing, and this indicates that the employer did not covet any of his wealth, and did not even aspire to a reward or compensation for investing his wages on his behalf. He said: “O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, I implore you to relieve us of this suffering.' Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ stated that rock shifted completely and they got out walking.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to implore Allah, The Exalted, by virtue of one’s good deeds.
It also highlights the virtue of sincerity and devoting one’s intentions and deeds exclusively to Allah, Exalted is He.
It also underlines the merits of showing dutifulness towards the parents, and the virtues of giving preference to them over all one’s family members and relatives.
It also underscores the virtue of abstaining from prohibitions, of mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He, and of fearing Him.
It also urges Muslims to do good to others without aspiring to a reward from them, and to beware of greed..

2274

Taawoos narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "The Prophet ﷺ forbade the meeting of trading caravans (on the way) and ordained that no townsman is permitted to sell things on behalf of a Bedouin." I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), "What is the meaning of his saying, 'No townsman is permitted to sell things on behalf of a Bedouin.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "He should not work as a broker for him.”
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ forbade transactions that incur harm on people. Since human beings are infused with an inclination to love what benefits them and do what best serves their personal interests, even if it harms others, the Laws of Islamprovisions were prescribed to restrain the evil-enjoining self. One such provision that was prescribed to restrain and curb human greed is what the Prophet ﷺ prohibited in this hadeeth. He ﷺ forbade going out to meet the trading caravans (on their way) before they reach the marketplaces to buy their goods and then resell them for a higher price, taking advantage of the traders’ ignorance of their market values and prices or the buyer's needs. This incurs harm on the seller, because he may sell the goods for less than their market prices in this town, which may harm its people, because this buyer may monopolize such goods, controlling their price and increasing them as he wishes.
He ﷺ also forbade a townsman from selling goods on behalf of a Bedouin. This means that a Bedouin may not appoint a townsman to sell his goods on his behalf in any given village or town for higher prices, acting as a broker and mediator in the sales transaction. The wisdom behind the prohibition in this regard is that it best serves people’s interests; a townsman may sell the commodity for a higher price, but if the Bedouin sells his own goods, he may sell it for a lower price, and this would be more beneficial for people. Moreover, a townsman may harm the interests of the Bedouin, i.e., principal, and be a reason for imperiling him to deceit.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness to preserve the best interests of Muslims and his kindness towards them, even with regard to their worldly affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a ruler guides people (to what is lawful and unlawful) with regard to their business and sales transactions..

2276

Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that some Companions of the Prophet ﷺwent on a journey till they reached some of the Arab tribes (at night). They asked the latter to receive them as their guests but they refused. The chief of that tribe was then bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and they tried their best to cure him but in vain. Some of them said (to the others), "Nothing has benefited him, will you go to those people who stayed here that night; one of them might possess something (as treatment)." They went to the Companions(may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "Our chief has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and we have tried everything but he has not benefited. Have you got anything (useful)?" One of them replied, "Yes, by Allah! I can recite a Ruqyah (i.e., Quranic healing), but as you have refused to accept us as your guests, I will not recite the Ruqyah for you unless you pay us wages for it." They agreed to pay them a flock of sheep. One of them then went and recited (Surat Al-Faatihah): 'Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds,' and puffed over the chief who became all right as if he was released from a chain; he got up and started walking, showing no signs of sickness! They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e., the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the recitation said, "Do not divide them till we go to the Prophet ﷺ and narrate the whole story to him, and wait for his command." So, they went to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and narrated the story. He ﷺasked, “How did you know that Soorat Al-Faatihah is recited as Ruqyah?” Then he ﷺ added, "You have done the right thing. Divide (what you have earned) and assign a share for me as well." The Prophet ﷺ smiled thereupon.
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Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) keenly sought the opinion of the Prophet ﷺ on every new matter concerning their personal affairs, even if it seemed a righteous deed; they still demanded his consent or disapproval (prohibition).
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudhree (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he went on a journey with a group of Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). They passed by a tribe, and asked them for the usual hospitality as their guests, but they refrained. As these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were in their place of residence, the chief of the tribe was stung by a scorpion and was poisoned. The pain intensified, and they tried their best to cure him but in vain.Some of them said (to the others), "Nothing has benefited him, will you go to those people who stayed here,” meaning the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Raht’ which is used to refer to a group of men below ten, and it was also said that it refers to a group of men below forty. They added, “…one of them might possess something (as treatment).” One of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) informed them that he would cure him by means of Ruqyah (i.e., Quranic healing), provided that they paid them fees, because they had refused to welcome them as their guests and show them the usual hospitality. They agreed to pay him a flock of sheep in return for curing their chief. The version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree read: “… thirty sheep.” He then went and recited (Soorat Al-Faatihah): “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds” and puffed over the chief; Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) added that he, “became all right as if he was released from a chain,” meaning that his pain ended immediately as if he was released from a chain; “he got up and started walking, showing no signs of sickness.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Qalabah’ meaning illness, and the word literally denotes turning something upside down. It is given this name because a patient may beasked to lie on his back during the medical examination. They paid them the agreed-upon fee, and some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who recited the Ruqyah, i.e., Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him), as stated in Musnad Ahmad, forbade them until they went to the Prophet ﷺ, related the whole story to him, and waited for his command. They went to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and narrated the story, and he ﷺasked Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him), “How did you know that Soorat Al-Faatihah is recited as Ruqyah (and a cure for illness)?” As recorded in Musnad Ahamd, Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “It was inspired into my heart,” meaning that it was an insight and inspiration from Allah, Exalted is He, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) acted according to it, and this was a blessing from Him. Then he ﷺ added, "You have done the right thing,” by acting upon such insight and inspiration and reciting the Ruqyah to save this stung man, such that you were made the reason for his recovery. He ﷺ commanded them to divide those sheep among themselves and assign him a share as well, to comfort them so that they would be reassured regarding the lawfulness of such earnings.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to recite Ruqyah from the Quran and that Soorat Al-Faatihah is a cure for illness, and this is why one of its names is Al-Shifaa’, meaning ‘recovery or cure’.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that although the whole Quran is a source of blessing, yet certain chapters are recited as Ruqyah.
It is deduced therefrom that it is permissible to take fees in return for reciting Ruqyah.
The Hadeeth also highlights the Companions’ mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He, and keenness on consulting the Prophet ﷺ before availing themselves of any earnings to inquire about the relevant Laws of Islam ruling..

2280

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet ﷺused to have Hijaamah performed on him and would never withhold the fees of any person.
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Commentary :
Hijaamah is a form of alternative medicine used to remove bad blood from the body.
In this hadeeth, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ used to have Hijaamah performed on him. His saying, “would never withhold the fees of any person,” means that he ﷺpaid fees to the Hijaamah therapist. He ﷺ would never wrong others nor withhold the fees of any person. Rather, he ﷺ was the keenest on fulfilling people’s rights. The reference to the Prophet’s payment of such fees aims to refute the opinion suggesting that the earnings of the Hijaamah therapist are declared unlawfulas per the laws of Islam..

2283

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ prohibited the earnings of slave girls (through prostitution).
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Commentary :
People in the Pre-Islamic era of ignorance used to force their slave girls into prostitution and Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse), and take their earnings, and therefore Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life.} [Quran 24:33].
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade the earnings of female slaves from prostitution, and this aims to protect the female slaves from being forced into Fornication. It also aims to protect them from unlawful earnings and all base qualities and inferior ways of earning a living..

2284

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ forbade taking a price for animal copulation..

Commentary :
Islam urges people to seek good and lawful means of earning a living to the best of one’s ability, and stay away from all evil and unlawful ones.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade taking a price for animal copulation, which means charging fees for the stud's semen (i.e., hiring out a stud for copulation). The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Fahl’ (translates as stud) and is used to refer to a male animal (kept for breeding), including: horses, camels, goats, or otherwise. The transaction is conducted by hiring out a stud (for copulation) from its owner and keeping it until the female animals conceive (become pregnant) in return for fees payable to the stud’s owner, or that the owner of female animals would leave his animals with the stud’s owner until they conceive (become pregnant).
The Prophet ﷺ forbade such a transaction because of the ambiguity involved, since the benefit is not guaranteed; the copulation is not certain. The stud may not discharge semen and the female animals may not conceive. Therefore, the transaction involves Gharar (i.e., risk and uncertainty). It is also possible that the prohibition in this regard is meant to urge Muslims to embody noble morals and graciously lend the studs for copulation without charging fees to enhance animal breeding. This would indicate that such an act is the becoming attitude of Muslims towards one another, being an act of kindness that promotes the spirit of cooperation andinterdependence among Muslims.
It was narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), as recorded in Sunan Al-Tirmithee, that the Prophet ﷺ deemed it allowable (as a legal concession) to accept an honorarium rather than charging fees for the stud’s semen. This means that he ﷺ deemed it allowable for the stud’s owner to accept a gift orhonorarium for offering his stud for copulation, but not fees.
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2287

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Procrastination (delay) in repaying debts by a wealthy man is an act of injustice. So, if your debt is transferred from your debtor to a rich one, you should agree."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the fulfillment of others’ (financial) rights, and warned against unlawfully consuming people's wealth. He Says (what means): {And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly.} [Quran 2:188]. Allah, Exalted is He, sternly warned against taking loans with the intention of wasting people’s wealth and refraining from repayment.
In this hadeeth, he ﷺ stated that the delay of repayment by a wealthy debtor is an act of injustice, because he can afford the repayment of his debts. Since he refrains from paying off the debt despite his financial ability, his act is an act of injustice. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ said: “So, if your debt is transferred from your debtor to a rich one, you should agree,” meaning that if someone owes you a debt and he requested transferring his debt to a rich person (who can repay it on his behalf), the creditor is urged to accept the transfer of the due debt.
Many lessons can be deduced from this hadeeth, including that it is an act of justice by a rich debtor to postpone the repayment of his debts. However, it should be noted that this does not apply to an insolvent debtor, who cannot repay his debts, because Allah, Exalted is He, commanded a creditor to give respite to insolvent debtors. He Says (what means): {And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease.} [Quran 2:280].
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that the Laws of Islam declares the wealth of one’s fellow Muslims inviolable.
It also urges Muslims to avoid whatever may cause discord among Muslims and undermine their unity.
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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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Aboo Mas‘ood Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade availing oneself of the price of a dog, money earned by prostitution, and the earnings of a soothsayer. .

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I said, “O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I have two neighbors and would like to know to whom of them I should give presents.” He ﷺ replied, "To the one whose door is nearer to yours." .

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺused to have Hijaamah performed on him and would never withhold the fees of any person. .

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ prohibited the earnings of slave girls (through prostitution). .

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ forbade taking a price for animal copulation..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Procrastination (delay) in repaying debts by a wealthy man is an act of injustice. So, if your debt is transferred from your debtor to a rich one, you should agree." .