| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

2501

‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam narrated that his mother Zaynab bint Humayd took him to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Take the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) from him." But he ﷺ said, "He is still too young (for it)," and passed his hand on his (i.e., ‘Abdullah's) head and invoked for Allah's blessing for him. Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad stated that he used to go with his grandfather, ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam, to the marketplace to buy foodstuff. Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them) would meet him and say to him, "Make us your partners, as the Prophet ﷺinvoked Allah to bless you." So, he would be their partner, and very often he would win a camel's load and send it home.
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Commentary :
The Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) given to the Prophet ﷺ meant an agreement to adhere to Islam and a pledge or covenant to abide by its rulings, and the one given to the Muslim rulers (after the Prophet’s death) meant a contract and covenant (between the ruler and ruled) whereby the ruled commit themselves to obey the ruler provided that it does not constitute disobedience to Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ and adhere to such obedience.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he met the Prophet ﷺ in his early childhood. It was said that he (may Allah be pleased with him) met the Prophet ﷺ six years before his death. His mother, Zaynab bint Humayd (may Allah be pleased with her) took him (as a newly born infant), went to the Prophet ﷺ, and said to him, “Take the Bay‘ah from him!” The Prophet ﷺ said: “He is still too young,” meaning that he was not an adult and the Bay‘ah is only valid when given by an adult person who knows its relevant religious provisions and implications. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺpassed his hand on ‘Abdullah's head and invoked for Allah's blessing for him. For this reason, whenever ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr met ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam (may Allah be pleased with them) in the marketplaces after he had bought foodstuff, they would say to him: “Make us your partners, as the Prophet ﷺinvoked Allah to bless you.” He would make them partners (may Allah be pleased with them) and would often win a camel's load, as profit, and send it home. This means that he often earned a camel’s load as profits from his sale transactions, by the blessing of the Prophet’s supplication in his favor.
The hadeeth highlights one of the signs of hisﷺ prophethood.
It also underlines the merits of ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) worked in the marketplaces to earn a living, and that they keenly sought blessings wherever they were to be found..

2503

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whenever one manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative on him to manumit the slave completely if he has sufficient money to pay the rest of his or her price which is to be estimated justly. He should pay his partners their shares and release him or her (i.e., the freed slave).”
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, created all people free, and hated that some people should be enslaved to others. Islam was revealed while the system of slavery was in place (and deeply entrenched into people’s financial and social systems), and therefore the Islamic Laws of Islam keenly assigned special care to the emancipation of slaves, and facilitated its means (to free people from their condition of slavery).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that whoever wanted to manumit his share of a jointly owned male or female slave, should completely manumit him or her if can afford the price, paying the other co-owners the monetary values of their shares, based on the adequate price of the slave. Such a co-owner is required to pay his other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, if he can afford it, to manumit the slave completely to become a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he cannot afford it, then the slave will be partially manumitted.
In the same vein, it was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative on him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.

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2505

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ (along with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) reached Makkah in the morning of the fourth of Thoo al-Hijjah assuming Ihraam (i.e., ritual state of consecration) for Hajj only. So, when we ﷺ arrived at Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ ordered us to change our intentions of the Ihraam for ‘Umrah and that we could end our Ihraam after performing the ‘Umrah and could go to our wives (for sexual intercourse). People began talking about that. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said surprisingly, "Shall we go to Minaa while semen is dribbling from our male organs?" Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) moved his hand while saying so (i.e., used hand gesture to emphasize his astonishment). When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ,he delivered a sermon and said, "I have been informed that some people were saying such-and-such; By Allah, I fear Allah, Exalted is He, more than you do, and I am more obedient to Him than you. If I had known what I know now, I would not have brought the Hadiy (i.e., animal sacrifice in Hajj) with me and had the Hadiy not been with me, I would have ended my Ihraam." At that Suraaqah ibn Maalik stood up and asked "O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Is this permission for us only or is it forever?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "It is forever." In the meantime, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen and was saying ‘Labbayka’ for what the Prophet ﷺhas intended. According to another man, ‘Alee was saying ‘Labbayka’ for Hajj similar to Allah's Messenger’s. The Prophet ﷺtold him to retain his Ihraam and let him share the Hadiy with him.
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Commentary : Hajj Al-Tamatu‘ means that a pilgrim assumes Ihraam (i.e., ritual state of consecration) for ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj (i.e., Shawwaal, Dhul-Qi‘dah and Thoo al-Hijjah), ends his Ihraam, and then reassumes it to perform Hajj on the same year. This means that he reaches Makkah during the months of Hajj, assumes Ihraam, performs ‘Umrah, ends his Ihraam, and he would be no longer bound by the restrictions that apply to the one in a state of Ihraam until the beginning of Hajj rituals. (On the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah, he reassumes Ihraam for Hajj and carries out all of its obligations).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that the Prophet ﷺ, along with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), reached Makkah in 10 A.H., and assumed Ihraam for Hajj, i.e., that which came to be known later as Farewell Hajj. They entered Makkah on the morning of the fourth of Thoo al-Hijjah, intending to perform Hajj only, and did not intend on performing ‘Umrah as well. However, the Prophet ﷺ ordered his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who hadnot brought along the Hadiy, i.e., sacrificial animals: camels, cows, sheep, or goats, slaughtered in thesanctuary during Hajj, to change their intentions to Ihraam for ‘Umrah and end their Ihraam after performing Tawaaf (i.e.,circumambulation around the Ka‘bah) and Sa‘y (i.e., going back and forth between Mounts Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah) by shaving or cutting their hair. Afterward, they would be no longer in a state of Ihraam and it would be lawful to them to go to their wives (for sexual intercourse) until the time of Hajj. People began talking about this, perceiving it as very odd. The version recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “It was something inconceivable for them”, because people in the pre-Islamic era believed that it was invalid to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, and even perceived it as a heinous misdeed. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed, "Shall we go to Minaa while semen is dribbling from our male organs?" His question indicated that he (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked performing Hajj Al-Tamatu‘ because it involved engaging in sexual intercourse (after ending the state of Ihraam) until the time of Hajj. Minaa is a valley located near Al-Haram in Makkah where pilgrims stay during the Day of Tarwiyyah (i.e.,the 8th day of Thoo al-Hijjah) and Days of Tashreeq (i.e.,the 11th, 12th and 13th days of Thoo al-Hijjah) to throw the pebbles.
Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) further emphasized his disapproval of it by a hand gesture to indicate the semen dribbling from the male organs. When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ,he delivered a sermon stating that he ﷺ feared Allah, Exalted is He, more than those who perceived the performance of ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj as a heinous misdeed, but he ﷺ commanded them to do so, knowing that there was no sin involved in this act. He ﷺ added: “If I had known what I know now, I would not have brought the Hadiy (i.e., animal sacrifice in Hajj) with me,” meaning that if he ﷺ had known the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah during the Hajj months, he would not have brought along the Hadiy to Makkah, and would have intended to perform Hajj Al-Tamatu‘, to act contrary to the belief and practice of the people in the pre-Islamic era. He ﷺ added: “… and had the Hadiy not been with me, I would have ended my Ihraam,” meaning to end his state of Ihraam, because retaining the Ihraam impedes the change of intention from performing Hajj to ‘Umrah and then ending the state of Ihraam after performing it. What the Prophet ﷺ came to know referred to his knowledge of the hardship and inconvenience faced by his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) for changing their intention from performing Hajj to ‘Umrah on their own while he ﷺ did not, so much that they hesitated to do so, and even argued with him about it first! At that, Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju‘sham (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and asked the Prophet ﷺ, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Is this permission for us only or is it forever?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ whether it was a special command for them in that particular incident, or a general ruling that applied to all Muslims henceforth. The Prophet ﷺ replied that Hajj Al-Tamatu‘ has been prescribed for all Muslims henceforward unto the Day of Judgment.
Afterward, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen, since the Prophet ﷺ had sent him as a judge and Zakaah collector before the Farewell Hajj. He (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Makkah and assumed the state of Ihraam. The Prophet ﷺ asked him whether he (may Allah be pleased with him) had intended to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he had held the same intention as the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ had intended to perform Hajj Al-Qiraan (i.e.,a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for both ‘Umrah and Hajj, or he assumes Ihraam first for ‘Umrah, then makes his intention for Hajj before his Tawaaf for Hajj). The Prophet ﷺ commanded him to retain his Ihraam and let him share the Hadiy with him.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to assume Ihraam without specifying the type of Hajj a pilgrim is intending to perform, and that he may specify his intention later to perform Hajj only, Hajj Al-Tamatu‘, or Hajj Al-Qiraan.
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2512

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A mortgaged animal can be used for riding as long as it is fed and the milk of the milch animal can be drunk according to what one spends on it. The one who rides the animal or drinks its milk should provide the expenditures."
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Commentary :
Islam regulates the contracts and financial transactions between people to ensure that their wealth and interests are well-preserved, so that they should not wrong one another.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺoutlined the Laws of Islam ruling on mortgaged animals. A mortgage is a loan with a property guarantee or security. For example, a creditor takes a mortgaged property as a guarantee or security for a loan. If the debtor fails to repay the debt, the creditor takes back his loan from the mortgaged property. The Prophet ﷺunderlined that when an animal is mortgaged, its owner is allowed to use it for riding, but he must payfees for it. Moreover, he may drink from the milk of the mortgaged animal in exchange for feeding it and providing its needs during the period it is kept by him.
His saying, “The one who rides the animal or drinks its milk should provide the expenditures,” means that the mortgagee or anyone else keeping it with him as a trust, is allowed to ride and milk it as long as he provides the expenditures for its needs.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a mortgagee is allowed to avail himself of the mortgaged property in return for providing the needed expenditures.
It is also inferred therefrom that a mortgagee may avail himself of the mortgaged property that does not need expenditure, such as clothes and lands..

2514

Ibn Abee Mulaykah narrated:
I wrote a letter to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) and he wrote to me that the Prophet ﷺhad given the verdict that the defendant had to take an oath.
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Commentary :
Islam has laid out foundations and rules that govern the litigation process to ensure that people would not wrong one another.
This hadeeth highlights a fundamental principle in the litigation process, namely that an oath is required of a defendant, whereas the provision of evidence is required of the plaintiff (i.e., the onus of proof is upon a claimant, and taking an oath is incumbent on those who deny). This means that when two parties dispute, and one of them claims that the other owes him money, the claimant (plaintiff) is obligated to bring forth evidence substantiating his claim. If he fails to bring forth evidence to prove it, the defendant is only required to take an oath to deny what the plaintiff claimed against him.
The wisdom behind requesting the plaintiff to support his claim with evidence, and the defendant to deny it by an oath is that the plaintiff’s stance is weak, because his claim is contrary to the outward appearance, and therefore he is requested to provide a strong argument, namely, a proof to substantiate his claim. On the other hand, the defendant’s stance is stronger, because the basic principle is that his liability is cleared from any given accusations (unless proven otherwise with supportive evidence). Therefore, a defendant is only required to present a weak argument, namely, an oath, because an oath-taker brings benefit for himself and wards off harm, and this reflects the great wisdom of the Laws of Islam in this regard..

2515

Aboo Wa’il narrated:
‘Abdullah (ibn Mas‘ood) said, "Whoever took a false oath in order to (unlawfully) take someone else's property will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is angry with him." Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah to confirm it; it reads (which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]
Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays came to us and asked as to what Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan (i.e. Ibn Mas‘ood) was telling you." We related the story to him. On that, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "He has told the truth. This ayah was revealed about me. I had some dispute with another man regarding a well and we took the case before Allah's Messengerﷺ and he said (to me), "Produce two witnesses (to support your claim); otherwise, the defendant has the right to take an oath (to refute your claim).' I said, 'The defendant would not mind to take a false oath." Allah's Messengerﷺ then said, 'Whoever took a false oath in order to (unlawfully) take someone else's property will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is angry with him.' On that occasion, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah to confirm that (which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77] Al-Ash‘ath then recited the ayah.
(See Hadeeth No. 546)
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Commentary :
Inflicting harm on people is a reprehensible act in this worldly life, and it incurs on the doer loss and ruin in the Hereafter.
In this narration, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) made such a statement; the apparent indication of the narration suggests that it is a Mawqoof report (i.e., stopped at the level of the Companion), meaning Ibn Mas‘ood’s statement. However, it has also been narrated as a Marfoo‘ hadeeth (i.e., directly attributed to the Prophet ﷺ), recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. This is further supported by the narration reported by Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) that whoever swears a false oath to (unlawfully) take someone’s wealth, will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is Angry with him. The Anger of Allah, Exalted is He, is not similar to the anger of His creation in the slightest. He Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42:11].To confirm this meaning, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {Those who exchange}, because the two parties of a sales transaction exchange a commodity for money, {the covenant of Allah},meaning the covenant they made to believe in the Prophet ﷺ and fulfill the trusts, {and their [own] oaths for a small price}, meaning their false oaths that they take to affirm desired statements or actions. The intended meaning is that they trade their covenants with Allah and oaths for the fleeing worldly gains and desires such as money, benefits, and other worldly gains. The price was described here as being ‘small’, to indicate its insignificance, for it was traded for breaching the covenant with Allah and taking a false oath. Therefore, it is fundamentally insignificant, no matter how significant it seemed from a worldly perspective, compared to winning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, and fulfilling one’s covenants with Him. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, stated the punishment designated for the one who commits such a major sin. He Says (what means): {…will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]. It means, ‘They shall have no share in the bliss that shall be tasted by the believers in the Hereafter and Allah, Exalted is He, will not speak to them about what would please them, but would rather say to them what will cause distress and disappointment to them. The ayah goes on, {or look at them on the Day of Resurrection}, meaning that He will not mercifully look at them, {nor will He purify them}, from sins and misdeeds by conferring upon them His forgiveness, nor shall He commend them like His righteous servants. Rather, He shall be angry with them and punish them for breaching their covenant with Him, {and they will have a painful punishment}, because of what they had committed.
Afterward, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Aboo Waa’il Shaqeeq ibn Salamah said that Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him)came to them and asked as to what Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan (i.e. Ibn Mas‘ood) (may Allah be pleased with him) was telling them. They related the story to him. On that, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "He has told the truth. This ayah was revealed about me. I had some dispute with another man,” named Ma‘daan ibn Al-Aswad ibn Ma‘dee Karib Al-Kindee, regarding the ownership of a well. They brought the case before Allah's Messengerﷺ and he said to Al-Ash‘ath (may Allah be pleased with him), "Produce two witnesses (to support your claim),” because he (may Allah be pleased with him) was the one who claimed the ownership of the well and it was in the possession of and under the disposal of the other man. He ﷺ added: “… otherwise, the defendant has the right to take an oath (to refute your claim).”' Al-Ash‘ath (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'The defendant would not mind to take a false oath.’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the defendant may indifferently take a false oath, and this indicates that Al-Ash‘ath had no evidence to support his claim. Afterward, he (may Allah be pleased with him) related the same hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him). It was recorded by Aboo Daawood that Al-Kindee, i.e., the defendant, was about to take the oath, when Allah's Messengerﷺ then said, 'Whoever took a false oath in order to (unlawfully) take someone else's property will meet Allah, Exalted is He, while He is Angry with him.' On that, he said: “It is his property.”
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the litigants may talk to each other.
It is also inferred therefrom that the burden of proof is upon the claimant (plaintiff), and an oath is obligated upon the defendant if he denies.
It also highlights the prohibition of unlawfully taking people’s wealth.
Furthermore, it underlines the reason of revelation for the ayaat on oaths in Aal ‘Imraan (chapter no. 3).
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2517

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah, Exalted is He, will save all the parts of his body from the Hellfire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave." Sa’eed ibn Marjanah said that he narrated that Hadeeth to ‘Alee ibn Al-Husayn and he freed his slave for whom ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far had offered him ten thousand Dirhams or one-thousand Dinars.
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam lauds and strongly encourages the manumission of slaves. Therefore, many rulings were prescribed to facilitate and encourage the manumission of slaves.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined some virtues of the manumission of slaves. He ﷺ stated that whoever freed a Muslim male or female slave owned by him or others by paying its price and manumitting him or her, Allah, Exalted is He, would deliver him from Hellfire after deserving it; Allah would save all the parts of his body from the Hellfire, one by one, as he had freed the body-parts of the slave (and released him from slavery).
The hadeeth urges Muslims to free their Muslim slaves, and underlines the great reward of such an act..

2518

Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked the Prophet ﷺ, "What is the best deed?" He ﷺ replied, "To believe in Allah, Exalted is He, and to fight for His Cause." I then asked, "What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)?" He ﷺ replied, "The manumission of the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master." I said, "If I cannot afford to do that, what should I do?" He ﷺ said, "Help an artisan or do good for an unskilled laborer." I said, "If I cannot do that, what should I do?" He ﷺ said, "Refrain from harming others for this will be regarded as a charitable deed for your own good."
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Commentary :
Given the keenness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) on performing acts of obedience and what brought them closer to earning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, they (may Allah be pleased with them) often asked the Prophet ﷺ about the best good deeds that would bring them closer to Allah, Exalted is He. The answers of the Prophet ﷺ differed according to the different characters and situations of the inquirers, and what was more beneficial to them.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah Al-Ghifaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What is the best deed?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) was asking about the most rewardable and beneficial good deeds, and the Prophet ﷺ replied with the most fundamental of all good deeds, namely, the belief in Allah, Exalted is He. Such belief means the decisive affirmation, absolute recognition, and full confession of the existence of Allah, Exalted is He, His Lordship, Divinity, Names and Attributes, and the fact that none but Him is worthy of worship, and the acceptance of all that the Prophet ﷺ told about his Lord, and the religion of Islam. Such belief is the best of all good deeds, and the greatest in the sight of Allah, Exalted is He, in terms of reward, because it is a precondition for the validity of all acts of worship, including: prayer, Zakaah, fasting, and others. He ﷺ then made mention of Jihaad, which is striving and fighting in the Cause of Allah to uphold His word, only for His sake rather than any other purpose. Jihaad is the best good deed, second to the belief in Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ because it involves sacrificing one’s life for the sake of Allah, Exalted is He.
Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) then asked, "What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to know the best (most rewardable) manumission of slaves, and he ﷺ replied, "The manumission of the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master," meaning the slaves whose prices are the highest and who are the most valuable and beloved to their owners.
Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If I cannot afford to do that, what should I do?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ about any other ways to earn such great rewards if he could not afford the manumission of slaves. He ﷺ replied, "Help an artisan or do good for an unskilled laborer,” meaning to help an artisan do his work or do good for an unskilled laborer who has not mastered his craft.
AbooDharr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "If I cannot do that, what should I do?" He ﷺ informed him of a simple act of which no one is incapable, namely to refrain from harming others. The least thing a Muslim is required to do is to abstain from harming others, to ensure his own safety and that of others. He ﷺ said, "Refrain from harming others, for this will be regarded as a charitable deed for your own good.”
The hadeeth highlights the diversity and abundance of good deeds that a Muslim may perform.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that the best (and most rewardable) good deed ever is having a sound belief in Allah, Exalted is He.
It is inferred therefrom that the reward of an action is related to its benefit..

2521

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever manumits a slave owned by two masters, should manumit him completely (not partially) if he is rich after having its price evaluated."
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islamhas assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, urged Muslims to free their slaves, and facilitated its means (to ultimately free people from their condition of slavery). Therefore, it prescribes many laws and regulations encouraging and facilitating the manumission of slaves.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ enjoins whoever wanted to manumit his share of a jointly owned slave, to completely manumit him or her if he can afford the price of the other shares, based on the adequate price of the slave. Such a co-owner of the jointly owned male or female slave is obliged to pay the other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, if he can afford it, tomanumit the slave completely and so that he becomes a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he is financially able to do so, he is enjoined to fairly assess the price of the slave and pay the other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, tomanumit the slave completely.
If he cannot afford it, then the slave will be partially manumitted.
In the same vein, it was narrated that on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “(Whoever manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price), and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.
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2525

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
That he used to give his verdict regarding the male or female slaves owned by more than one master, one of whom may manumit his share of the slave. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say in such a case, "The manumitter should manumit the slave completely if he has sufficient money to pay the rest of the price of that slave (which is to be justly estimated) and the other shareholders are to take the price of their shares and the slave is freed (released from slavery)." Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) this verdict on the authority of the Prophet.ﷺ
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, urged Muslims to free their slaves and facilitated its means (to ultimately free people from their condition of slavery). Therefore, it prescribes many laws and regulations encouraging and facilitating the manumission of slaves.
In this hadeeth, Naafi‘, the freed slave of ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to issue his Fatwaa (i.e., give a scholarly opinion), narrating it on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, regarding jointly owned male or female slaves when one of the co-owners wants to manumit his share. Regardless of having a big or small share, it is obligatory on the co-owner to completely manumit him or her if can afford the price of the other shares. Such a master of the jointly owned male or female slave is enjoined to pay the other co-owners the monetary value of their shares, if he can afford it, tomanumit the slave completely so that he becomes a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he is financially able to do so, he is required to fairly assess the price of the slave and pay the other masters the monetary value of their shares, tomanumit the slave completely and release him from slavery.
In the same vein, it was narrated that on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “(Whoever manumits his share of a jointly owned slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price), and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.
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2528

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah, Exalted is He, has accepted my invocation to forgive what whispers in the hearts of my followers, unless they put it to action or verbalize it." (See hadeeth No. 657 Vol. 8)
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed His abundant grace on Muslims, as reflected in the provisions of the Laws of Islam that promote ease and facilitation, the multiplication of their rewards, the forgiveness of sins, and pardoning the mistakes and faults of Muslims on many occasions, out of His grace and mercy.
This hadeeth highlights a manifestation of the divine mercy conferred on this nation, as the Prophet ﷺ stated that Allah, Exalted is He, pardoned Muslims and relieved them of the accountability and punishment regarding their sinful inner thoughts. They shall not be held accountable for sinful inner thoughts as long as they do not verbalize them or act upon them. This is a manifestation of the divine grace conferred on Muslims.

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2531

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
On my way to the Prophet ﷺ, I was reciting a poetic verse (which means): 'What a long tedious tiresome night! Nevertheless, it has saved us from the land of Kufr (disbelief).' I had a slave who ran away from me on the way. When I went to the Prophet ﷺ and gave the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) for embracing Islam, the slave showed up while I was still with the Prophet ﷺ who remarked, "O Aboo Hurayrah! Here is your slave!" I said, "I manumit him for Allah's Sake," and so I freed him.
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Commentary : The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, facilitated its causes, and lauded those who took the initiative to free their slaves, promising them abundant reward. This is why the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and the righteous people in all times and places hastened to emancipate their slaves.
In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he went to the Prophet ﷺ from Yemen to Al-Madeenah, to proclaim his Islam, and this took place in 7 A.H., he (may Allah be pleased with him) recited the following poetic verse (which means): 'What a long tedious tiresome night! Nevertheless, it has saved us from the land of Kufr (disbelief).'
In this poetic verse, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) described the toil and hardship that he had endured during his long night journey, but it paid off as it saved him from disbelief by proclaiming his Islam to the Prophet ﷺ.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “I had a slave who ran away from me on the way. When I went to the Prophet ﷺ and gave the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) for embracing Islam, the slave showed up while I was still with the Prophet ﷺ. The Bay‘ah here indicated the proclamation of one’s commitment to adhere to Islam and comply with its rulings and provisions.
After he (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the Bay‘ah to the Prophet ﷺ, his slave showed up. The Prophet ﷺ remarked, "O Aboo Hurayrah! Here is your slave!" It is possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) had described him to the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ recognized him or that such information was imparted to him through divine revelation. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "I manumit him for Allah's Sake," and so he freed him.
Another version recorded by Al-Bukhaaree reads: “He is for the Sake of Allah (i.e., free).” It is deduced from this hadeeth that when a master says about his slave, “He is for the sake of Allah,” or “He is free,” or any other statement that indicates his manumission, without explicitly saying that he was releasing him from slavery, while holding the intention of manumission, the slave is declared free as per the laws of Islam.
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2535

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade the selling or donating the Walaa’ (lit., loyalty, meaning to maintain a relationship of patronage without pondage with one’s manumitter) of a freed slave.
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Commentary :
The bond of Walaa’ (lit., loyalty, meaning to maintain a relationship of patronage without bondage with one’s manumitter)between a freed slave and his or her manumitter has been recognized by the Laws of Islam,and considered a strong relationship and bond like that of blood.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbadeselling or donating (the rights resulting from) the bond of Walaa’. The due rights established by theWalaa’ bond are established by the manumission of the slave. In the pre-Islamic era, people used to transfer (the rights that are established by virtue of) the Walaa’ bond by means of sale or otherwise, but the Islamic Laws of Islam forbade it. When someone manumitted a slave, the freed slave maintained a relationship of patronage without bondage with his or her manumitter, and certain financial rights were established by virtue of this bond, the most important of which was the right of inheritance. Whenever the freed slave died, leaving behind no eligible heirs, his or her manumitter inherited him by virtue of their Walaa’ relationship, which was held similar to that of a blood bond in terms of the relevant financial rights. This is why the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling such rights for a payment or donating it to other than the actual manumitter, because the bond of Walaa’ was held similar to the blood bond;it may not be sold or donated. Moreover, another reason is that freedom (manumission) is one of the greatest favors; a manumitter offers the freed slave the greatest favor by releasing him or her from slavery, and earns the rights of Walaa’ in return, because it is associated with his favor for the freed slave, and it cannot be transferred to anyone other than the manumitter.
The hadeeth highlights that Islam preaches compassion and mercy for slaves; the Laws of Islam exclusively grants the manumitter the rights of Walaa’ and forbids transferring them to anyone else by means of sale or otherwise.
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2537

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Some men of the Ansaar asked for the permission of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said, "Allow us to give up the ransom from our nephew Al-‘Abbaas. The Prophet ﷺ said (to them), "Do not leave (even) a Dirham (of his ransom).”.

Commentary :
Al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd Al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him), the maternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, partook in the Battle of Badr with the polytheists of Quraysh and was taken prisoner by the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ demanded ransom for the release of the prisoners of war, and Al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) paid the ransom for himself.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that some men from the Ansaar wanted to return the ransom paid by Al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) out of reverence for the Prophet ﷺ. They said to the Prophet ﷺ, “Allow us to give up the ransom from our nephew Al-‘Abbaas.” They referred to him as their ‘nephew’ because they were the maternal relatives of his father ‘Abd Al-Muttalib, because the mother of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib was Salmaa bint ‘Amr ibn Uhayhah who belonged to Banee Al-Najjaar. They did not wish to say, ‘Allow us to give up the ransom for your maternal uncle,’ and rather referred to him as their nephew, to indicate that they were asking the Prophet ﷺ for a favor rather than doing him a favor!
However, the Prophet ﷺ refused and rather said (to them), "Do not leave (even) a Dirham (of his ransom).” He ﷺ did not allow them to give up any part of his ransom lest there should be favoritism in Islam, and Al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) was rich. The ransom was taken from him and distributed to the eligible recipients of the spoils of war.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness on serving the best interests of Muslims and his love for them.

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2541

Ibn ‘Awn narrated:
I wrote a letter to Naafi‘ and he wrote in reply to my letter that the Prophet ﷺ had attacked Banee Mustaliq without a prior warning while they were heedless and their cattle were being watered at the places of water. Their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives; the Prophet ﷺ got Juwayriyah on that day. Naafi‘ said that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had told him the above narration and that Ibn ‘Umar was in that army.
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He,has prescribed Jihaad to support His religion, and this religious obligation shall remain binding until the Day of Resurrection, and nothing will abrogate it. A group of the believers shall continue to adhere to the truth (i.e., by upholding the obligation of Jihaad) and will be supported by Allah, Exalted is He, to strive for what is right, and will be granted triumph.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad attacked Banee Mustaliq, a branch of Khuzaa‘ah tribe, in 5 A.H., and the battle came to be known as Banee Al-Mustaliq or Al-Muraysee‘, the name of the well where the battle took place.
Upon hearing that they were preparing to attack Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ proactively attacked them without prior warning while they were heedless, although the basic principle is that Muslims must warn enemies before attacking them, but since the call of Islam had become widespread at that point and people were well-informed of Islam, this sufficed and there was no need for a prior warning. Being heedless to the Muslims’ attack, their cattle were being watered at the places of water; they did not take any precautions. The Prophet ﷺ fought them; their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives. The Prophet ﷺ got Juwayriyah bint Al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with her) on that day and married her. Her father was the chief of his people. It was said that she was among the share of Thaabit ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) and she bought her freedom through Mukaatabah (i.e., a contract of manumission between a master and a slave whereby the slave is required to pay a certain sum of money during a specific time period in exchange for freedom). The Prophet ﷺ approved her Mukaatabah and married her. Out of courtesy to the Prophet ﷺ, Muslims freed the captives from her people, the Prophet’s in-laws. There was no woman whose blessing shined on her people like her (i.e., they regained their freedom because of her).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to attack enemy fighters without prior warning.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable to take Arab captives as prisoners of war and retain ownership of them,as is the case with non-Arab captives.
It is also deuced that only the adult enemy fighters may be killed during battles, and that women and children may not be killed, and may be only seized as prisoners of war.
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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..

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.

728

’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.

730

‘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.

732

‘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..

732

‘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.".

733

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..

738

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.

Book of Hadith