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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
1730
Narrated Mu’aawiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him): I cut short the hair of Allah's Messenger ﷺ with a sharp-edged arrow..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas clarified the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah with his sayings and doings, and thereafter, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them in full detail, to the point that people are clearly aware of their worship.
In this hadeeth, Mu’aawiyah ibn Aboo Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he shortened the hair of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.Perhaps, that may be during his exiting the Ihraam of the ‘Umrah of al-Ji’irraanah, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed it when he conquered Makkah. It was called with that name because the Prophet ﷺentered Makkah at night and he performed the rites of ‘Umrah. Then, he left it at night and spent the night at al-Ji’irraanah, until he witnessed the morning there and until the sun of the next day inclined. Then, he ﷺheaded to Al-Madeenah. This happened in the eighth year of the Hijrah. He shortened his hair using Mishqas (sharp-edged arrow), which is the long and tall part of an arrow. This shows us that it is permissible to suffice with shortening the hair, even when shaving the head is better, which is applicable to both the Hajji and the ‘Umrah. Except that it is better for the one performing the Tamattu’-kind of Hajj to shorten the hair for the ‘Umrah and to shave it completely for the Hajj, so that shaving the head happens in the most perfect act of both acts of worship. 
Shaving the head is prescribed only for men while women are ordered to cut from their hair, so they exit their Ihraam. The acts of shaving and cutting the hair are from the rites of Hajj with which the pilgrim exits his Ihraam. It takes place after throwing the Jamrah of ‘Aqabah, after slaughtering his Hady, if he had it, and before the Tawaaf of Ifaadah. It takes place in ‘Umrah after completing the ritual walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah.
This hadeeth highlights the legality of shortening the hair when exiting from the rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah..

1731
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): When the Prophet ﷺ came to Makkah, he ordered his Companions to perform Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah, to finish their Ihraam and get their hair shaved off or cut short.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that when the Prophet ﷺarrived at Makkah with the intention to perform the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah, he commanded his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who did not bring the sacrificial animals with them to Makkah from outside the boundaries (Meeqaat) or from their own hometowns – just as what the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid – to perform the rites of ‘Umrah. He ﷺordered them to perform seven rounds of Tawaaf aaround the Ka’bah, do the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and then either get their heads shaved or shorten their hair. Thereby, they can exit from their Ihraam and wait until it is the time of Hajj [known as the Tamattu’-form of Hajj]. So, on the Day of Tarwiyah, they should assume the Ihraam for Hajj from their respective places and perform the rites of Hajj. The best option for one performing Tamattu’ is to shorten his hair to exit the Ihraam for ‘Umrah and to shave his head to exit his Ihraam for Hajj, in order to allow shaving the head to happen in the most complete act of the two acts of worship.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺdid not perform this kind of Hajj, rather he performed the Qiraan-kind of Hajj by inserting the ‘Umrah into the Hajj. This was by performing the Tawaaf of the House on his first arrival and performing the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah. He remained in his Ihraam until he slaughtered the sacrificial animals after completing his Hajj. That is because he took the sacrificial animals along with him from Thoo al-Hulayfah.
This hadeeth shows that pilgrims who do not bring along with them Hady are prescribed to perform Hajj al-Tamattu’..

1732
Narrated Nafi' that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed only one Tawaaf. He would take an afternoon nap and then return to Mina. That was on the day of Nahr (slaughtering)..

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth Naafi’, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar reports that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to perform Tawaaf once, that is, Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. It is also known as Tawaaf al-Ziyaarah (Tawaaf of Visit) because the pilgrim comes from Minaa to visit the Sacred House and he does not reside in Makkah. Instead, he returns to spend the night at Minaa – on the Day of Sacrifice (Day of Nahr), the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah, then he has a siesta in Makkah. The siesta here means to have some rest during the midday, even if is not accompanied by sleep. Then, he again returns to Minaa at the time of Thuhr, because the daylight hours were long. Minaa is a valley near the Sanctuary of Makkah wherein the pilgrims halt to spend the night there on the Day of Tarwiyah and the days of Tashreeq and perform the rite of throwing the pebbles.
It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺleft [for Makkah] on the Day of Sacrifice and then he returned and performed Thuhr at Minaa. [Saheeh Muslim]. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would wait through having a siesta for the time in which the Prophet ﷺreturned to Minaa. That was because ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to follow the Prophet ﷺin all his actions both on journeys and at home.
This hadeeth highlights the legality of performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice during the daytime..

1733
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): We performed Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ and performed Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah on the Day of Nahr (slaughtering). Safiyyah got her menses and the Prophet ﷺdesired from her what a husband desires from his wife. I said to him, "O Allah's Messenger! She is having her menses." He said, " Is she going to stop us [from travelling]?" We informed him that she had performed Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah on the Day of Nahr. He said, "(Then you can) depart."
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Commentary : Tawaaf al-Ifaadah is a pillar among the pillars of Islam and being pure is a precondition for the validity of Tawaaf.  When a woman menstruates before performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah, then she should not leave until she has attained purity, thereafter, she should perform Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. This is different from Tawaaf al-Widaa’ (the Farewell Tawaaf), which drops from her, just as this hadeeth clarifies.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of Believers ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) performed the Farewell Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, they performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice, that is on the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. Then, the Mother of the Believers, Safiyyah bint Huyayy (may Allah be pleased with her) menstruated after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. The Prophet ﷺdesired from her what a husband desires from his wife. This is an allusion to the intention of performing sexual intercourse. This happened when his wives sought permission from him concerning the performance of Tawaaf al-Ifaadah and he ﷺhad given them the permission. He thought that she had already performed the Tawaaf with them and had exited the second time, which makes it permissible thereafter for a man to come to his wife. When he was told that she was menstruating, he thought that she might have started menstruating before that to the extent that he refused her to perform Tawaaf al-Ifaadah in that account. Hence, the Prophet ﷺinquired concerning that saying, “Is she going to stop us [from travelling]?” Meaning: Are we going to be forced to stay behind until she attains the purity and performs Tawaaf al-Ifaadah? He was told, “Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) has already performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah,” or that ‘Aaishah notified him that she had already performed the Tawaaf with them. When he came to know about that, the concern that he had of staying behind and waiting until she attains purity and performs Tawaaf al-Ifaadah ceased to exist. He ﷺthen permitted them to travel and allowed Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) to forgo Tawaaf al-Wadaa’..

1737
Narrated ‘Issaa ibn Talhah: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr in al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he witnessed the Prophet ﷺ when he was delivering the sermon on the Day of Nahr. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: A man stood up and said, "I thought that such and such was to be done before such and such. I got my hair shaved before slaughtering." (Another said), "I slaughtered the Hady before throwing the pebbles." The people asked about many similar things, and the Prophet ﷺ responded to them by saying, "Do it (now) and there is no harm in all these cases." Whenever the Prophet ﷺ was asked about anything on that day, he replied, "Do it and there is no burden upon you."
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Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the Farewell Pilgrimage, and they learned the rituals of Hajj directly from him ﷺ, as prescribed by his words and actions. They ensured to ask him ﷺabout all that they did not know and request clarification on whatever they found problematic.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he was with the Prophet ﷺand saw him on the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He explained that the Prophet ﷺstood delivering the sermon on his she-camel at Jamrah in Minaa after the midday of the Day of Sacrifice. So, the pilgrims approached him asking him about the rulings of certain things that they needed to know regarding the actions and rites of Hajj. Some people asked him about the ruling of bringing forward some of the acts of Hajj on this day before others. One man asked him about his situation where he was unmindful and forgot, hence, ended up going against the chronological order of the rites. So, he shaved his head, before slaughtering. Another person inquired about his case as he slaughtered the sacrificial animal before throwing the pebbles at Jamarah al-‘Aqabah. The Prophet ﷺresponded to both of them by saying, “Do it and there is no burden upon you,” meaning: there is no sin or penalty upon you. On that day, he ﷺwas not asked about anything that was brought forward whereas it should have been delayed or anything that was delayed while it should have been brought forward among the rites of that day, but he replied to the inquirer saying:  Do it and it is sufficient what you have already done and there is no problem for you in bringing it forward or delaying it.
This hadeeth shows that one should ask a scholar in all his conditions, even if he is busy, riding, walking, or standing.
It highlights the easement of Islamic law concerning the order and arrangement of the acts of Hajj on the Day of Sacrifice.
It teaches us that a Muslim should learn the rulings of his religion by asking the people of knowledge, and he should not do an action unless he is aware of its ruling..

1746
Narrated Wabarah: I asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), "When should I throw the pebbles?" He replied, "When your leader does that." I asked him again the same question. He replied, "We used to wait till the sun declined and then we would do the rite of throwing pebbles.
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Wabarah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Misally reports that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the time for the stoning of the pebbles during the days of Tashreeq, namely the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah. The pilgrim should start with the First Jamrah, the Second Jamrah, and then the Jamrah of al-‘Aqabah. His answer was that one should do it when the leader of Hajj starts throwing the pebbles. That was because he feared that people would oppose him and that would lead to a fitnah, although the matter is open and flexible. It is possible that he feared upon him that if he opposed the leader, then he would be subjected to harm from him. When he repeated the inquiry upon him, then it was not possible for him to conceal, he informed him of what they used to do in the night of the Prophet ﷺ. He informed him that they would lie in wait and wait for the midday and start stoning after the midday, that is, when the sun inclines from the zenith, which is the time for the Thuhr prayer.
This hadeeth emphasises the obedience of the leaders in those matters that do not contain the disobedience of Allah.
It teaches us to repeat the question to the scholar when he has not addressed the question, and that doing so is not considered being impolite..

1750
Narrated al-A’mash: I heard Al-Hajjaaj saying on the pulpit, "The Surah in which Al-Baqarah (the cow) is mentioned and the Surah in which the family of `Imran is mentioned and the Sura in which the women (An-Nisaa) is mentioned." I mentioned this to Ibraaheem, and he said, `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed told me, 'I was with Ibn Mas`ood, when he did the throwing of Jamrah al-‘Aqabah. He went down the middle of the valley, and when he came near the tree (which was near the Jamrah) he stood opposite to it and threw seven small pebbles and said: 'Allahu-Akbar' on throwing every pebble.' Then he said, 'By Him, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped, here (at this place) stood the one on whom Sura al-Baqarah was revealed (i.e. Allah's Messenger ﷺ).'"
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Taab’iee al-A’mash, Sulaymaan ibn Mihraan reports that he heard al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf al-Thaqafee, the governor of Iraq during the Umayyad period, saying on the pulpit, “The Surah wherein al-Baqarah [the Cow] is mentioned, the Surah wherein Aal ‘Imraan is mentioned and the Surah in which an-Nisaa’ [the women] are mentioned.” He did not say Surah al-Baqarah [the Surah of the Cow], Surah Aaal ‘Imraan and Surah al-Nisaa’ [the Surah of the Women]. In a narration recorded by al-Nasaaee, it reads, “I heard al-Hajjaaj say, ‘Do not say Surah al-Baqarah, say instead, the Surah wherein al-Baqarah is mentioned.”
Al-A’mash mentioned what he had heard from al-Hajjaaj to Ibraaheem an-Nakha’i to clarify the correct. Al-A’mash did not mean to narrate from al-Hajjaaj.  He was not meant to do that, but he wanted to tell the story instead and to clarify the mistake of al-Hajjaaj concerning it with what is established from the person who is referred to regarding it. Ibraaheem narrated to him that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed told him that he had performed Hajj with ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) and he was with him when he pelted Jamarah al-‘Aqabah on the Day of Sacrifice, which is on the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. This is the biggest Jamarah and it is situated in the last part of Minaa in the direction of Makkah. It is not an integral part of Minaa, rather it is a borderline from the direction of Makkah. He said: “He went inside the valley” , i.e. he stood in the middle of it, until when he was beside the tree, and he faced it - and this tree does not exist now - he came to it from its width. He threw seven pebbles at the Jamrah, saying: “Allah is the Greatest” with every pebble he threw, and in the narration of Muslim: “I said: O Aboo ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, but the people are throwing it from above it?!” He replied, “From here” - and he pointed to the belly of the valley – “the one to whom Surah Al-Baqarah ﷺwas revealed stood here,” and Ibn Mas’ood swore to that by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, confirming what he said and what he transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ.
The specification by ibn Mas’ood of Surah al-Baqarah in terms of mentioning it in his oath without mentioning the other Surahs was as it has been said: He was pointing to the fact that many rulings concerning the Hajj are mentioned therein. As if he was saying: This is the station wherein the rites of Hajj were revealed, notifying thereby that the actions of Hajj cannot be sanctioned except on the basis of textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnah to that effect. It was said:  He mentioned it [the Surah] because of its length and its merit and the abundant rulings it covers.
The reason Ibraaheem al-Nakh’ee mentioned this hadeeth was to highlight the explicit statement of Ibn Mas’ood concerning the use of: “Surah al-Baqarah,” and that he did not say, “The Surah in which al-Baqarah is mentioned” as al-Hajjaaj al-Thaqafee claimed. 
This hadeeth refutes the claim of al-Hajjaaj and debunks the statement of all those who said, “One should not say Surah al-Baqarah, instead, it should be said, “The Surah in which al-Baqarah is mentioned.”
This hadeeth shows that the pebbles are pelted from the belly of the valley and that Takbeer should be said with every pebble used [for pelting].
It highlights the legality of taking an oath in order to emphasise the statement.
It also shows that the people of knowledge should deny and refute the leaders in a way that is appropriate..

1751
Narrated Ibn `Umar that he used to do the al-Jamrah al-Dunya (the Jamra near to the Khayf Mosque) with seven small stones and used to recite Takbeer on throwing every pebble. He then would go ahead till he reached the level ground where he would stand facing the Qiblah for a long time to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands (while invoking). Then he would throw the Second Jamrah and then he would go to the left towards the middle ground, where he would stand facing the Qiblah. He would remain standing there for a long period to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands and would stand there for a long period. Then he would throw Jamrah al-‘Aqabah from the middle of the valley, but he would not stay by it, and then he would leave and say, "I saw the Prophet ﷺ doing like this."
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reports that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pelt the closest pillars on the days of Tashreeq using seven pebbles. In Arabic, this Jamrah is known as al-Dunyaa (closest) because it happens to be the closest of all the Jamarat to Minaa and the farthest from Makkah, and it is also known as as-Sughraa (the smallest). It is the first one after Masjid al-Khayf at Minaa. He explained that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pronounce Takbeer after pelting each pebble. After, he would go to a distance from it until he used to halt at the plain surface of the belly of the valley so as to be safe from the flying pebbles that are used to pelt, he would stand facing the Qiblah and his back facing the Jamrah. He would stand up for a long time supplicating to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, lifting his hands up in supplication. Then, he would pelt the middle Jamrah. Then, he would head towards its north and would descend to the plain surface of the belly of the valley, meaning: the middle of it as he did for the first Jamrah. He would stand for a long time, facing towards the Qiblah, at a place where pelting does not reach him, supplicating to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, lifting his hands up. After this, he would pelt Jamarah al-‘Aqabah away from the belly of the valley. It is also known as al-al-Jamarah al-Kubraa. It is situated at the last part of Minaa in the direction of Makkah. It is not inside [the boundaries of] Minaa. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would leave after pelting it and would not stand up to supplicate there unlike what he did at the two former Jamaraat. Then, he informed that he previously saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺdoing exactly what he did.
This hadeeth demonstrates the legality of pronouncing Takbeer during pelting the pebbles.
It also shows the permissibility of lifting the hands in prayer after pelting the two pillars, the small and the middle ones..

1754
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): 'I perfumed Allah's Messenger ﷺ with my own hands before finishing his Ihraam while yet he has not performed Tawaaf-al- Ifaadah.' She spread her hands (while saying so.)"
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexplained the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah and their recommended acts and etiquettes both verbally and practically. And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted all that they heard and witnessed from him ﷺconcerning this. The Messenger ﷺloved perfume and used it excessively at all times, as it was from the things that was made beloved to him of the worldly matters.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she applied the fragrance with her hands on the Prophet ﷺwhen he assumed the Ihraam, meaning she applied fragrance on him before entering the state of Ihraam and after exiting from his Ihraam in Hajj before performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. This refers to the first exit from one’s Ihraam after pelting Jamarah al-‘Aqabah and shaving the hair or shortening the hair.
The narrator of the hadeeth says – describing the act of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), “She spread her hands,” as if she was relating what she did by practically demonstrating it. It was said: she did that to exaggerate the happening as a refutation against those who negated that because Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to criticise the application of perfume before the Ihraam.
This hadeeth teaches us that wearing perfume is among the prohibited things of Ihraam. However, it is permitted to use it before entering into the state of Ihraam even if its effects remain after the entrance into the state of Ihraam..

1756
Narrated Qataadah: The Prophet ﷺ offered the Thuhr, `Asr, Maghrib, and the `Isha' prayers and slept for a while at a place called Al-Muhassab and then rode his mount and headed to the Ka’bah and performed Tawaaf around it.
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports a part of the guidance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the Farewell Hajj, which was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He mentioned that the Prophet ﷺoffered the Thuhr and ‘Asr prayers and Maghrib and ‘Ishaa at al-Muhassab, which is an open and wide area between Makkah and Minaa and it is called Khayf Banee Kinaanah. It is now found in the outer boundaries of Makkah at a place as Qasr al-Saqqaaf.
After, the prophet ﷺslept for a short time after pelting the pebbles and moving out of Minaa. Then, he mounted his ride and headed from al-Muhassab towards the Ka’bah and performed the Farewell Tawaaf around it. This is the last Tawaaf that is performed by the pilgrim before his departure from Makkah.
There are different opinions conceding the halting of the Prophet ﷺat al-Muhassab. It was said: he halted there because it is an act connected to the rites of pilgrimage, and it is a Sunnah, which is the view of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Aboo Dawood recorded a hadeeth– whose original source is found in the two Saheeh Books – that ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺonly alighted at al-Muhassab so that it might be easier for him to proceed (to Medina). It is not a Sunnah. Anyone who desires may alight there, and anyone who does not want may not alight.”.

1758
Narrated ‘Ikrimah: The people of Al-Madeenah asked Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about a woman who got her menses after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. He said, "She could depart (from Makkah)." They said, "We will not act on your verdict and ignore the verdict of Zayd." Ibn `Abbaas said, "When you reach Al-Madeenah, inquire about it." So, when they reached Al-Madeenah, they asked (about that). One of those whom they asked was Umm Sulaym. She told them the narration of Safiyyah.
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Commentary : Allah Almighty states, {Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.} [Al-Baqarah: 185]. And Allah also states, {He laid upon you no hardship in religion.}  [Al-Hajj: 78]. This was explicitly demonstrated in the rites of Hajj in terms of making their actions and rites easier upon the people and uplifting hardship from them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbaas, reports that some of the people of All-Madeenah asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about a woman who has performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice, and then she menstruated after that. What should she do?   He replied to them, “She could depart,” meaning, she can depart Makkah and return to her country without performing the Farewell Tawaaf. They informed him that they will not follow his statement and forgo the statement of Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) whose view was that she should not leave. Rather, she should wait until she is pure so that she can perform the Farewell Tawaaf.
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) responded to them, “When you return to Al-Madeenah, ask its citizens concerning this issue.”  When they returned, they asked them. Umm Sulaym bint Milhaan – she is the mother of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) - was amongst those who were asked. She mentioned to them the hadeeth of Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, when she also menstruated. This hadeeth is recorded in Saheeh  al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim – and the wordings here are of Muslim - wherein ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Safiyyah bint Huyayy menstruated after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. I made a mention of her menses to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, whereupon Allah's Messenger ﷺ remarked: Well, then she will detain us. I said: O Messenger of Allah! She has performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah and circumambulated the House, and it was after this that she entered the period of menses. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: (If it is so), then proceed forth.” So, the Prophet ﷺpermitted her to depart without performing the farewell Tawaaf.
It is reported on the authority of Taawoos that he said: I was in the company of Ibn Abbaas when Zayd ibn Thaabit said: Do you give the verdict that the woman who is in menses is allowed to go without performing the last circumambulation of the House? Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Ask so-and-so – who was a woman of the Ansaar - to see if Allah's Messenger ﷺ had commanded her to do it. Zayd ibn Thaabit (went to that woman and after getting this verdict attested by her) came back to Ibn Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) laughing and said: I did not find you but telling the truth.” Thereupon, Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) retracted from his fatwa.
This hadeeth shows that some of the rulings may not be known to some of the scholars..

1760
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): “A menstruating woman was allowed to leave Makkah if she had done Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah.”
Tawoos (a sub-narrator) said, "I heard Ibn `Umar saying that she should not depart. Then later I heard him saying that the Prophet ﷺ had allowed them (menstruating women) to depart."
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Commentary : Allah Almighty states, {Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.}  [Al-Baqarah: 185].   And Allah also states, {He laid upon you no hardship in religion.}  [Al-Hajj: 78]. This was explicitly demonstrated in the rites of Hajj in terms of making their actions and rites easier upon the people and uplifting hardship from them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that menstruating women who performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah to depart Makkah and return to their city without performing the Farewell Tawaaf. In a different version of the hadeeth, it reads: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas allowed…” [Sunan al-Nasaa’iee]
After relating this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee, Taawoos ibn Kaisaan related that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), in the beginning, opined that when a woman menstruates after she has performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice, she is not allowed to return to her city until she attains the purity and then she performs the Farewell Tawaaf. However, afterwards, he retracted from that position after learning that the Prophet ﷺhad granted them the permission to travel without performing the Farewell Tawaaf. 
It is reported on the authority of Taawoos al-Yamaanee that he heard ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was being asked about not allowing the women to perform Tawaaf if they menstruate after they have already performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice. He answered: ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to mention the permission given by the Messenger of Allah ﷺfor the women. And this incident happened a year before the demise of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).” [Sunan al-Nasaa’iee al-Kubraa and others]. This narration clarifies the retraction of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from his previous fatwa.
This hadeeth shows that sometimes some rulings may not be known to some scholars.
It highlights the keenness of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to follow the Sunnah and to return to the truth..

1762
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): We set out with the Prophet ﷺ with the intention of performing Hajj only. The Prophet ﷺ reached Makkah and performed Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah and did not exit his Ihraam, because he had the Hady with him. His Companions and his wives performed Tawaaf (around the Ka’bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah), while those who had no Hady with them finished their Ihraam. I had my menses and performed all the rites of Hajj. On the Night of Hasba (night of departure), I said, "O Allah's Messenger! All your Companions are returning with Hajj and `Umrah except me." He asked me, "Didn't you perform Tawaaf around the Ka’bah (‘Umrah) when you reached Makkah?" I said, "No." He said, "Go to Tan`eem with your brother `Abd al-Rahmaan and assume Ihraam for `Umrah and I will wait for you at such and such a place." So, I went with `Abd al-Rahmaan to the Tan`eem and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah from there. Then Safiyyah bint Huyay got her menses. The Prophet ﷺ said, " 'Aqra Halqa! You will detain us! Did not you perform Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah on the Day of Nahr?" She said, "Yes, I did." He said, "Then there is no harm, you can depart." So, I met the Prophet ﷺ when he was ascending the heights towards Makkah and I was descending, or vice-versa.
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) travelled with the Prophet ﷺto partake in the Farewell Hajj, which occurred in the tenth year of the Hijrah, and that they only intended to perform Hajj. The reason she did not mention the ‘Umrah is because of the common belief at that time that ‘Umrah may not be performed during the months of Hajj. When they reached Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ, his wives and Companions performed the Tawaaf of ‘Umrah and performed the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah. However, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not perform the Tawaaf of ‘Umrah due to her menstruation. The Prophet ﷺordered those who had not brought the sacrificial animal from outside Makkah to exit their Ihraam after completing the rites of ‘Umrah and wait until the rites of Hajj start (i.e. Hajj al-Tamattu’). His wives had not driven the sacrificial animals with them; hence, they exited their Ihraam, and ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was among them. However, the fact that she menstruated on the night she entered Makkah prevented her from exiting the Ihraam. As she was in the state of Ihraam of the ‘Umrah, she added Hajj to it, thus, the type of Hajj she intended was Hajj al-Qiraan.
Her menstruation commenced at Sarif just before entering Makkah – Sarif is the name of a piece of land situated ten miles away from Makkah. As a result, she did not perform Tawaaf al-‘Umrah due to the impediment caused by the menstruation. As for Tawaaf al-Ifaadah, she had performed it on the Day of Sacrifice.  And they all performed the acts of Hajj completely.
The statement of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “When it was the night of al-Hasbah” refers to the night when they halted at al-Muhassab, which is the place where they stopped at after departing from Minaa to the outside of Makkah. It is a wide area between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, between the two hills towards the cemetery.  It is known as al-Muhassab (plural of hasbah, which means pebble) due to the congregation of gravel caused by the floods that carry it there. It is also known as al-Abatah, and today, it is called al-Ja’fariyyah, which is part of the region of al-Jummayzah. She complained to the Prophet ﷺabout how people will return with an ‘Umrah completely independent from the Hajj, while she will return with a Hajj only without an ‘Umrah. This was because she was keen of doing it, to increase the good deeds like the rest of the mothers of the believers and the Companions who changed their Ihraam for Hajj to become for ‘Umrah and after completing the ‘Umrah exited their Ihraam on the Day of Tarwiyah. After, they assumed the Ihraam of Hajj on the Day of Tarwiyah from Makkah. They acquired thereby an independent Hajj as well as an independent ‘Umrah. As for ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she obtained an ‘Umrah inserted into Hajj , i.e. Hajj al-Qiraan, all the while, she desired to perform an independent ‘Umrah like the rest of people.
As a result, the Prophet ﷺ ordered ‘Aaishah to go with her brother ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) to al-Tan’eem in order to enter the Ihraam of ‘Umrah, to comfort her. The Tan’eem is a place that is three or four miles away from Makkah, the closest outer boundary to the House. It is known as al-Tan’eem because to its right lies the mount of Nu’aym and to its left, Mount Naa’im, and the valley is known as Na’maan. He ﷺmade their return to al-Muhassab as the agreed place to meet after completing her ‘Umrah.
The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), relates that Safiyyah bint Huyyay (may Allah be pleased with her) menstruated and that was after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. However, the Prophet ﷺthought that she menstruated before Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. Thereupon, he ﷺsaid, “’Aqra Halqa.” The literal meaning of which is: May God infest her with a wound and may she have pain in her throat. However, it is used as an idiom that Arabs use without intending its literal meaning or intending it as a supplication. It is just a phrase concerning which the Arabs have been accommodative and they use it whilst not intending its real meaning. This is like their other statement, “Taribat Yadaah,” [may his hands become soiled] and so on. Whence the Prophet ﷺquestioned saying, “is she going to hold us?” Meaning: Are we going to be forced to stay until she has purified and performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah? He was told, “Safiyyah has already performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah or ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) notified him that she had performed the Tawaaf with them. When he ﷺlearned about that, then what he was worried about concerning the stay until she purifies so as to perform Tawaaf al-Ifaadah was removed from him.  He permitted them to travel and granted permission to the mother of the believers, Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), to forgo the Farewell Tawaaf. 
Then, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that after she had completed the rites of ‘Umrah, the Prophet ﷺmet her at al-Muhassab while he had started walking from Makkah. At that point of time, she met him while she was descending to it or she was ascending, and he was descending to it.
This hadeeth shows that menstruating women are waived from the Farewell Tawaaf.
It shows the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj. 
It also infers to the precondition of being in the state of purity for the performance of Tawaaf. Hence, a menstruating woman is not permitted to perform the Tawaaf around the Ka’bah until she attains purity..

1765
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): It (i.e. Al-Abtah) was a place where the Prophet ﷺ used to camp so that it might be easier for him to depart.
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Commentary : The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) have accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the journey to perform the Farewell Hajj back and forth, and they transmitted to us all his actions. They explained all that constituted as part of the rituals of Hajj and what did not constitute as thus.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) reports the Prophet’s stay at al-Muhassab after his departure from Minaa on the thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah, the third day of the days of Tashreeq. Al-Muhassab or al-Abtah is a wide valley between Makkah and Minaa, between the two hills towards the cemeteries. It has been given that name due to the accumulation of gravel therein carried by the floodwater that flows towards it. In the current time, it is known as al-Ja’fariyyah, and it is part of the al-Jummayzah district. 
‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that the stay at this valley was not part of the rites of Hajj. It was a halting-place where the Prophet ﷺstayed at because it would be easier for him to depart to Al-Madeenah, so that people can assemble therein and those who are of slow and moderate pace can be on the same level and spend the night there and wake up at early morning so they can all depart together to Al-Madeenah..

1766
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): Staying at Al-Mahassab is not one of the rites of Hajj, but Al-Mahassab is a place where Allah's Messenger ﷺ camped.
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Commentary : The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) have accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the journey to perform the Farewell Hajj back and forth, and they transmitted to us all his actions. They explained all that which constituted as part of the rituals of Hajj and what did not constitute as thus.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that staying at night at al-Muhassab is not part of the rites of Hajj at all. Al-Muhassab is also known as al-Abtah, which is a spacious valley between Makkah and Minaa, between the two hills towards the cemeteries. It has been given that name due to the accumulation of gravel therein carried by the floodwater that flows towards it. Now, it is known as al-Ja’fariyyah and it is part of the al-Jummaizah district. The Prophet ﷺstayed there on the last day of leaving Minaa – that is the third day of the days of Tashreeq – in order to allow people to assemble therein and those who are of slow and moderate pace can be on the same level and spend the night there and wake up at early morning so they can all depart together to Al-Madeenah..

715
Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that a man should come to his wife by night doubting her fidelity or trying to find her lapses. [In another version]: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have disliked that a man should come to his wife by night; however, he did not mention doubting her fidelity or trying to find her lapses..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) set the most remarkable example of good manners and kind treatment between a man and his wife. He taught husbands how to treat their wives and build their marital relationship upon mutual trust and avoidance of lethal jealousy or mistrust that ruins their life.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that a man returning from a journey should come to his wife by night. He then clarified the reason for the prohibition, saying: "doubting her fidelity or trying to find her lapses," i.e., thinking she is unfaithful or exposing her secret as to whether she has committed infidelity or not. So, it is disliked for a man who has been on a long journey to unexpectedly return to his wife by night. Yet, if he is on a short journey and his wife expects his return by night, there is nothing wrong with that.
In [the Two Sahīh Collections]: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not come to his family by night. He used to come to them in the early morning or in the evening. He would not come to his family if he returned from travel by night. Rather, he would come to them in the early morning, which extends from the Fajr prayer to the sunrise, or in the evening, which extends from noon - the time of the Zhuhr prayer - to sunset. This is because when a man comes to his wife by night, he takes her by surprise and she may not be ready to receive her husband, who has been away from her for a period of time. So, it is appropriate for him not to come to her unexpectedly at night.
In the Hadīth: Forbidding that a man should spy on his wife or come to her unexpectedly by night after return from travel
And in it: Urging pursuit of the means that bring cordiality and love between the two spouses
And in it: Exhorting the avoidance of such things that entail mistrust of the Muslim.

717
‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reported: I said to ‘Ā'ishah: "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform the Duha (forenoon) prayer?" She said: "No, unless he came back from his absence.".

Commentary : Prayer is a tawqīfi (determined) act of worship that must be taken from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He taught the Ummah the obligatory prayers as well as the regular and non-regular supererogatory prayers. He also taught the Ummah various kinds of prayers at certain times. One of these is the Duha (forenoon) prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq says that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Was it a habit of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to perform the Duha prayer? The Duha prayer, also called the Duha Subha, is to be performed after the sun rises and goes as high as the length of a spear - that is nearly 15 minutes after sunshine - and its time ends shortly before noon. In reply, she said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not use to offer the Duha prayer, except when he came from his absence, i.e., from travel. This is because he forbade that a man should come to his wife by night after returning from travel. So, he would come in the early morning and go first to the mosque, where he would pray at the time of Duha (forenoon).
In a version by Muslim, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Duha prayer as four Rak‘ahs and add as many Rak‘ahs as he willed. The negation is probably intended as the negation of her knowledge of the matter, and the affirmation is made for a reason, namely the return from travel. So, there is no contradiction between the two Hadīths.
The minimum of the Duha prayer is two Rak‘ahs. In the Two Sahīh Collections, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "My close friend (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to do three things: fast three days of every month, perform the two Rak‘ahs of Duha (forenoon), and perform the Witr prayer before I go to sleep." And he would add as many Rak‘ahs as he willed, as mentioned above..

719
Mu‘ādhah reported: that she asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "How many Rak‘ahs did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform in the Duha prayer?" She said: "Four Rak‘ahs, and he would add as many Rak‘ahs as he willed. [In a version]: He would add as many Rak‘ahs as Allah willed..

Commentary : Prayer is a tawqīfi (determined) act of worship that must be taken from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He taught the Ummah the obligatory prayers as well as the regular and non-regular supererogatory prayers. He also taught the Ummah various kinds of prayers at certain times. One of these is the Duha prayer.
In this Hadīth, Mu‘ādhah bint ‘Abdullāh al-‘Adawiyyah relates that she asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "How many Rak‘ahs did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform in the Duha prayer?" The Duha prayer, also called the Duha Subha, is one of the supererogatory prayers to be performed during daytime, and it is to be prayed after the sun rises and goes as high as the length of a spear - that is nearly 15 minutes after sunshine - and its time ends shortly before the noon. Answering her question, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the Duha prayer as four Rak‘ahs, i.e., he was persistent in offering it as four Rak‘ahs: in two Rak‘ahs, as it is well known with regard to the supererogatory prayers. "And he would add as many Rak‘ahs as Allah willed," i.e., without limit.
In another version by Muslim in his Sahīh Collection, ‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not use to perform the Duha prayer, unless he came back from his absence, i.e., from travel. The negation is probably intended as the negation of her knowledge of the matter, and the affirmation is made for a reason, namely the return from travel. So, there is no contradiction between the two Hadīths.
The minimum of the Duha prayer is two Rak‘ahs. In the Two Sahīh Collections, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My close friend (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to do three things: to fast three days each month, perform the two Rak‘ahs of Duha, and perform the Witr prayer before I sleep.".

720
Abu Dharr reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every morning charity is due for every joint bone in the body of every one of you. Every Tasbīh (glorification of Allah) is an act of charity; every Tahmīd (praise of Allah) is an act of charity; every Tahlīl (proclamation of Allah's oneness) is an act of charity; and every Takbīr is an act of charity; and enjoining Ma‘rūf (what is good) is an act of charity and forbidding Munkar (what is evil) is an act of charity; and two Rak‘ahs which one offers in the forenoon will suffice for all that.".

Commentary : Allah rendered all the types of goodness a person does to himself as an act of worship and to others of kindness - as part of the charities of the body and its good health and well-being.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Every morning charity is due for every joint bone" i.e., for all the organs and joints of the body. Sulāma, in Arabic, originally refers to the bones of fingers, hands, and legs, and then it was later used to refer to all the body parts. So, every morning, a person is required to give charity for every organ of his body, in gratitude to Allah Almighty for His great favors. Indeed, the structure of bones and their joints is one of the great favors Allah has bestowed upon His servants. Hence, each bone requires a charity to be given by the person for it, as gratitude for this blessing. Charity here is intended as something recommended and encouraged, not obligatory or binding, for it is sufficient as gratitude for these favors to perform the obligations and shun the prohibitions. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guides to some acts of piety which a person may perform as charity for his joints. "Every Tasbīh" (glorification of Allah) - saying: Subhān Allah (glory be to Allah) - "is an act of charity"; "every Tahmīd" (praise of Allah) - saying: Al-Hamdulillāh (praise be to Allah) - "is an act of charity"; "every Tahlīl" (proclamation of Allah's oneness) - saying: Lā Ilāha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) - "is an act of charity"; "and every Takbīr" - saying: Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) - "is an act of charity"; "and enjoining Ma‘rūf (what is good) is an act of charity and forbidding Munkar (what is evil) is an act of charity." Likewise, all other forms of Dhikr and worship are charities for oneself. Ma‘rūf: It is a term that comprises all what is known to be a form of obedience to Allah Almighty and benevolence to people. Munkar: It refers to all offensive deeds and words that lead to disobedience to Allah Almighty; and it is a term that comprises all forms of evil. So, if anyone performs the mentioned acts of goodness and the like, it should be equal in number to the 360 joints.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that "two Rak‘ahs which one offers in the forenoon" are sufficient in place of all that, for prayer is an act that is done by all the body parts and it includes all the mentioned charities and others. This demonstrates the great merit of the Duha prayer. The time of the Duha prayer starts 15 minutes after sunrise and extends to also 15 minutes before soon. The minimum in the Duha prayer is two Rak‘ahs, and the maximum is eight Rak‘ahs, as related in a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, in which ’Umm Hāni’ (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took a bath in her house on the day of the Conquest of Makkah and prayed eight Rak‘ahs." It is said: There is no limit to its maximum, as indicated by a Hadīth by Muslim, in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Duha prayer as four Rak‘ahs and pray as much more as he wished.".

724
‘Ā’ishah reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not observe any of the supererogatory prayers more regularly than the two Rak‘ahs before Fajr..

Commentary : Islam encouraged and urged the performance of supererogatory prayers and made them greatly rewardable. One of these supererogatory prayers, whose performance was urged by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), is the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not more persistent in observing any supererogatory prayer than he was in performing two Rak‘ahs before Fajr. In other words, he was not persistent and keen to perform any of the supererogatory prayers and regular Sunnah prayers as he was in offering two Rak‘ahs before the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr, which is the Sunnah before the Fajr prayer. They are counted among the regular supererogatory prayers associated with the obligatory prayers. The Prophet's keenness on them indicates the significance of their status and reward..

725
‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The two Rak‘ahs of Fajr are better than the world and what is in it.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Ummah the virtuous deeds and demonstrate their rewards to encourage the people to perform them.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The two Rak‘ahs of Fajr" - which refer to the Sunnah of Fajr, the two Rak‘ahs to be performed between the Adhan and the iqāmah - "are better than the world and what is in it," i.e., the reward to be obtained because of this prayer in the Hereafter is greater and better than all the blessings in this world. They are counted among the regular supererogatory prayers associated with the obligatory prayers, and the Prophet's keenness on them indicates the significance of their status and reward and urges Muslims to be keen on observing them.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform these two Rak‘ahs in a brief manner. In the Two Sahīh Collections, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr and make them brief to the extent that I would say: "Did he recite the Mother of the Qur'an in them?" In a Hadīth by Muslim, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Kāfirūn and Surat al-Ikhlās in the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr.
In the Hadīth: The merit of the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr..

726
Abu Hurayrah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Kāfirūn and Surat al-Ikhlās in the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to prolong the Qur'an's recitation in supererogatory prayers and would sometimes make it brief depending on circumstances and occasions.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Kāfirūn and Surat al-Ikhlās in the regular two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer after the recitation of Surat al-Fātihah. This is because they comprise negation of other gods and affirmation of Tawhīd (monotheism), and also, they are two light chapters that suited his brief performance of these two Rak‘ahs, as it was the Prophet's habit to lighten these two Rak‘ahs, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections.
In the Hadīth: Recitation in the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer after Surat al-Fātihah.

727
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the first of the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr: {Say [O believers]: "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us"} [Surat al-Baqarah: 136] the verse that is in Surat al-Baqarah, and in the second Rak‘ah: {We believe in Allah; so bear witness that we are Muslims.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 52].

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to prolong the Qur'an's recitation in supererogatory prayers and would sometimes make it brief depending on circumstances and occasions.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes recite after Surat al-Fātihah in the first Rak‘ah of the regular two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer the verse that reads: {Say [O believers]: "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us; and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants [of Jacob]; and what was given to Moses and Jesus; and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 136] The verse that occurs in Surat al-Baqarah, which means: Say, O the believers, to the advocates of this false call, the Jews and Christians: We believe in Allah and in the Qur'an that has been sent down to us, and we believe in what was sent down to Abraham (Ibrāhīm) and his children, and we believe in what was sent down to the prophets among the children of Jacob (Ya‘qūb), and we believe in the Torah that Allah gave to Moses (Mūsa) and the Gospel that Allah gave to Jesus (‘Īsa), and we believe in the scriptures that Allah gave to all the prophets; we make no distinction between any of them, by believing in some and denying others; rather, we believe in all of them, and we are submissive and obedient to Him alone.
And in the second Rak‘ah, after Surat al-Fātihah, the verse that reads: {When Jesus sensed disbelief from them, he said: "Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?" The disciples said: "We are helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah; so, bear witness that we are Muslims."} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 52] And it means: When Jesus (peace be upon him) became aware of their persistence in disbelief, he addressed the Children of Israel, saying: Who will support me in the call to Allah? The best among his followers said: We are the supporters of the religion of Allah. We believe in Allah and follow you, and bear witness, O Jesus, that we submit to Allah by believing in His Oneness and obeying Him.
In light of the meanings in these two verses, it becomes clear that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite them for what they contain, of belief in Allah Almighty and submission to Him, and because they are two light verses that suited his brief performance of these two Rak‘ahs, as it was the Prophet's habit to lighten these two Rak‘ahs, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections.
In the Hadīth: The recitation in the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer after Surat al-Fātihah.

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’Um Habībah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever prays twelve prostrations during a day on a voluntary basis, a house will be built for him in Paradise.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Ummah the virtuous deeds and clarify their rewards to encourage the people to perform them.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Whoever prays twelve prostrations during a day on a voluntary basis," i.e., other than the obligatory prayers, or they are the regular supererogatory prayers, namely: four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and two Rak‘ahs after it, two Rak‘ahs after the Maghrib prayer, two Rak‘ahs after the ‘Ishā’ prayer, and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer, as related in Sunan At-Tirmidhi. Whoever does so persistently, his reward will be that Allah will build a house for him in Paradise.
In the Hadīth: Urging the performance of supererogatory prayers
And in it: Demonstrating the merit of the regular supererogatory prayers.

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‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), concerning his voluntary prayers, and she said: He used to offer four Rak‘ahs in my house before the Zhuhr prayer. Then, he would go out and lead the people in prayer. Then, he would come in and offer two Rak‘ahs. He would lead the people in the Maghrib prayer and then come in and offer two Rak‘ahs, and he would lead the people in the ‘Ishā’ prayer and enter my house and offer two Rak‘ahs. And he would offer nine Rak‘ahs during the night, including the Witr. And he would pray for a long night while standing and for a long night while sitting. When he recited while standing, he would bow and prostrate while standing, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate while sitting. And when the dawn came, he would offer two Rak‘ahs..

Commentary : Our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those after them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq relates that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer supererogatory prayers. She informed him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer four Rak‘ahs as Sunnah before the Zhuhr prayer in his house. Then, he would go out to the mosque and lead the people in the Zhuhr prayer. Then, he would enter his house after finishing the Zhuhr prayer and offer two Rak‘ahs. She did not mention the ‘Asr prayer, probably because she was demonstrating the confirmed Sunnahs of the obligatory prayers, whether before or after them.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead the people in the Maghrib prayer without offering a supererogatory prayer before it. Then, when he finished the Maghrib prayer, he would return to his house and offer two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah of the Maghrib prayer. And he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the ‘Ishā’ prayer without offering a supererogatory prayer before it. Then, he would enter his house after finishing the ‘Ishā’ prayer and offer two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah of the ‘Ishā’ prayer.
He would offer Qiyām al-Layl (late-night voluntary prayer) with nine Rak‘ahs, including the Witr, which is the last prayer a Muslim performs after the voluntary prayer in the night prayer. It is authentically reported that he used to pray eleven Rak‘ahs, and it is also authentically reported that he used to pray thirteen Rak‘ahs.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes offer his late-night prayer while standing and sometimes sitting. Her words "for a long night" mean: for a long time during the night.
Another trait of the Prophet's prayer is that if he commenced his prayer at night with recitation while standing, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would bow and prostrate in the well-known manner: going down for rukū‘ and then returning to the standing position and going down for prostration and then returning to the standing position, and so on. And if he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commenced his prayer at night with recitation while sitting, he would engage in rukū‘ and prostration without standing for them, neither before nor after observing them.
And when the time of the Fajr prayer came, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would offer two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah of Fajr. In the version by Abu Dāwūd: "Then, he would go out and lead the people in the Fajr prayer."
In the Hadīth: Offering supererogatory prayers while sitting without an excuse
And in it: Offering the supererogatory prayers at home.

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‘Ā’ishah reported: that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not die until most of his prayers were performed while sitting..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not die until he performed many of his prayers while sitting. This refers to the supererogatory prayers, not the obligatory ones. That was one or two years before his death, as related in Sahīh Muslim Collection from Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her), given that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was too weak to stand for long. In a version by Muslim: "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) put on weight and became heavy" i.e., his body weakened due to his old age, "he would mostly pray while sitting."
The Hadīth mentions the performance of supererogatory prayers while sitting..

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‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reported: I said to ‘Ā’ishah: "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to pray while sitting?" She said: "Yes, after the people wore him out.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq relates that he asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to pray while sitting?" The intended meaning here is the supererogatory prayer. She replied to him in the affirmative, meaning that he would pray while sitting; and this happened "after the people wore him out" i.e., after he became weak due to the burdens and interests of people he would bear and take care of. When we say that the people of so-and-so wore him out, this means he became weak and old among them.
The Hadīth indicates that one may pray while sitting in case of necessity and tiredness..

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Hafsah reported: I did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offer his Subhah (supererogatory prayer) in a sitting position till one year before his death, as he used to offer his Subhah while sitting, and he would recite a Surah in a way that is so measured that it became longer than longer Surahs. In a version: One or two years before his death..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that she did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offer his Subhah - i.e., his supererogatory prayer - while sitting, as he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform supererogatory prayers while standing. Then, one year before his death - and in another version: one or two years - he would pray while sitting, that is because he put on weight and his body weakened due to old age, according to a Hadīth narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections and reported by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
She informed that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite a Surah of the Qur'an during his prayer, and he would recite in a so measured and deliberate manner "that it became longer than longer Surahs" i.e., due to his measured way of reciting, the duration of reciting a Surah would become longer than the duration of reciting another bigger Surah in terms of the length and the number of verses.
The Hadīth mentions the recitation of the Qur'an in a measured and deliberate manner.
It also includes the performance of supererogatory prayers while sitting..

735
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr reported: It was narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer of a man while sitting is half a prayer." He said: I came to him and found him praying while sitting. I placed my hand on his head. He said: "What is the matter with you, O ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr?" I said: "It was narrated to me - O Messenger of Allah - that you said: 'The prayer of a man while sitting is half a prayer'; and you pray while sitting." He said: "Yes, but I am not like any of you.".

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 performing prayer and taught it to the Ummah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that it was narrated to him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated that the prayer of a man while sitting is "half a prayer" i.e., it brings half of the reward of someone who performs it while standing. So, this makes it valid and detracts from its reward. This Hadīth is taken to refer to performing a supererogatory prayer while sitting despite being able to stand. However, if a person performs a supererogatory prayer while sitting because he is unable to stand, his reward does not decrease; rather, his reward is like praying while standing. As for the obligatory prayer, it is invalid to perform it while sitting despite being able to stand. Yet, if a person is unable to stand, then his sitting is tantamount to his standing.
Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day and found him praying while sitting. He placed his hand on the Prophet's head, wondering at his prayer while sitting and wanting the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to look towards him. This was after he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the prayer, for it is not thought that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) would put his hand before that. This behavior is not deemed impolite among some Arabs, as they tend to behave naturally. Moreover, this shows the Prophet's modesty and good character, and that he used to deal and associate with his close Companions like being one of them and not exalting himself above them. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sensed the hand of ‘Abdullāh, he asked him: "What is the matter with you?" i.e., what is wrong with you?! So, he told him about the aforementioned Hadīth, by way of inquiry, not as an objection or disapproval. His words "and you pray while sitting" affirmed the point that was confusing and unclear to him, and how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would be content with half a reward for himself. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) confirmed the Hadīth he cited and then said: "but I am not like any of you" i.e., what you have mentioned that the prayer of a man while sitting is half of his prayer while standing is a ruling that applies to people other than me in this Ummah and it pertains to them; as for me, I am not subject to this ruling, and my Lord accepts from me my prayer while sitting for a reward like that of my prayer while standing. This is one of the peculiar merits of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as his performance of a supererogatory prayer while sitting, though he was able to stand, was made equivalent to his performance of it while standing, as an honor for him.
The Hadīth urges the performance of prayer in its complete form for those who are able to. So, if a person is able to stand, he should pray while standing, in both obligatory and supererogatory prayers.
It points out how Allah Almighty favors His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and distinguishes him from all the Ummah..

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Abu Salamah reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and she said: "He used to offer thirteen Rak‘ahs; he would perform eight Rak‘ahs and then observe the Witr and then perform two Rak‘ahs while sitting; when he wanted to bow, he would stand up and bow. Then, he would offer two Rak‘ahs between the Adhān and iqāmah of the Fajr prayer..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray as much Qiyām al-Layl in his house as Allah willed him to pray. The Companions and the Tābi‘is after them were keen on knowing about his acts of worship in detail and ask about what they could not see of his worship at home.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān says that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about the Qiyām al-Layl of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the number of its Rak‘ahs and the manner of its performance. She informed him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform thirteen Rak‘ahs; he would perform eight Rak‘ahs, two Rak‘ahs each, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections, and he would then pray the Witr, i.e., with the ninth Rak‘ah. As narrated in a version by Muslim: "Nine Rak‘ahs while standing and he would perform one of them as the Witr," i.e., he would make the last Rak‘ah among them the Witr of his prayer. In another version by Muslim: "He would observe five Rak‘ahs of which was the Witr, not sitting except at the last of them," i.e., he used to offer four Rak‘ahs, two Rak‘ahs each, and then perform the fifth Rak‘ah as the Witr, not sitting for tashahhud except in the last Rak‘ah. In another version by Muslim: "The prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the night consisted of ten Rak‘ahs, and then he would observe the Witr with one Rak‘ah and offer the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr; those are thirteen Rak‘ahs." This denotes the diversity of the Prophet's Qiyām al-Layl in terms of duration and the number of Rak‘ahs, depending on his condition and energy.
Also, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform two Rak‘ahs while sitting. Apparently, these two Rak‘ahs were after the Witr and before the time of Fajr. When he wanted to perform rukū‘ while in this state of sitting, he would stand up and then bow down in the well-known manner. Then, when the time of Fajr came, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would offer the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr, after the Adhān and before the iqāmah of the Fajr prayer.
There are numerous other well-known Hadīths, in the Two Sahīh Collections and elsewhere, that enjoin making the last prayer in Qiyām al-Layl the Witr. An example is a Hadīth in which ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Make the last of your prayer at night the Witr." As for these two Rak‘ahs which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered after the Witr and before Fajr, this is to demonstrate the permissibility of praying after the Witr, and they were not performed on a persistent basis, for what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did persistently was to conclude with the Witr, as mentioned above.
In the Hadīth: Praying at night while sitting.