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Hadith
145
It was narrated from Wasi‘ ibn Habban from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, that he used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself, do not face towards the qiblah or towards Bayt al-Maqdis. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: I climbed up on the roof of a house of ours one day, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks to relieve himself, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis. He said: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs? I said: I do not know, by Allah. Malik said: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the etiquette, both words and deeds, of relieving oneself, and in his Sunnah he highlighted what should and should not be done.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Wasi‘ ibn Habban tells us that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself – and he referred to sitting because that is what is usually the case, otherwise there is no difference between sitting and standing – then do not face towards the Holy Kaaba, which is the qiblah, or towards Bayt al-Maqdis, which refers to al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]. He singled out Bayt al-Maqdis for mention because it was the first qiblah of the Muslims. What he meant by the people was those who used to say that the prohibition on facing towards the qiblah or turning one’s back towards it when relieving oneself was general in meaning and applied whether one was relieving oneself in the desert or in a structure. Those who said that included Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Abu Hurayrah, Ma‘qil al-Asadi and others (may Allah be pleased with them all).
Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one day he climbed up on the roof of a house; according to a report in al-Sahihayn, it was the roof of Hafsah’s house – she was his sister and the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as was stated clearly in a report narrated by Muslim. He saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks – which are rectangular or square moulded objects made of clay, used in construction – facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis when he was relieving himself. According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, he was facing towards al-Sham (Greater Syria) with his back towards the Kaaba. What Ibn ‘Umar saw was what was visible of the Prophet’s body, not what it is not permissible to look at, such as the ‘awrah and so on; he only saw the upper part of his body and what was clearly visible of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that Ibn ‘Umar did not deliberately look at the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that situation; rather he climbed up to the roof for some purpose, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari – I climbed up to the roof of Hafsah’s house for some purpose – and he turned by accident, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bayhaqi. When it so happened that he saw him in that situation without intending to, he did not want that to pass without learning something from it, so he learned this Islamic ruling. The hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explains that there is nothing wrong with relieving oneself in a place built for that purpose, whether one is facing towards the qiblah or has one’s back towards it. Rather the prohibition applies only when relieving oneself in places where it is possible to turn away from the direction of the qiblah, in the desert or the wilderness and the like.
Then Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Wasi‘ ibn Habban: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs?, meaning one of those who are unaware of the Sunnah when prostrating, which is to keep the belly away from the thighs. The narrator explained that in the hadith by saying: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground. This is by way of warning him not to pray in this manner, and criticizing those who do that. It also means: if you are one of those who are not unaware of that, then you would know the difference between relieving oneself in an open space or in an enclosed space, and the difference between facing towards the Kaaba and facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis.
This hadith indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) sometimes differed in their understanding of some Sunnahs, and that each of them understood and applied what he heard in general terms.
It also indicates that they would try to learn what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in all situations and they transmitted it, and that all of it is a source of Islamic rulings..

146
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature in al-Manasi‘, which was a vast open space. ‘Umar used to say to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Prevent your wives from going out, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do that. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out one night at ‘Isha’ time; she was a tall woman, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! – hoping that the command of hijab would be revealed, then Allah sent down the verse of hijab..

Commentary : The wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are the mothers of the believers, and they are held in especially high esteem by people. Allah sent down some rulings that were specific to them, to protect them and raise their status. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature – meaning to relieve themselves by urinating or defecating – in al-Manasi‘, which refers to places on the edge of Madinah, near al-Baqi‘. This was a vast open space, in which there were no buildings. They used to go out to that place at night. In the beginning, they used to go out to that place because there were no outhouses or bathrooms in people’s houses, and that was a concession that was granted to them. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) started to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to prevent his wives from going out of their houses, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do what ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to do. That was because their going out was something that could not be avoided. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), went out one night at ‘Isha’ time, when it was dark, so that no one would notice her. But she was a tall woman, and was distinct for that reason, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! because he wanted the command of hijab to be revealed. Then Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) revealed the verse of hijab, in which He says: {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful} [al-Ahzab 33:59].
With regard to concealing themselves when going out to relieve themselves, the women went through three stages, the first of which was covering themselves with darkness, because they used to go out at night, not by day. ‘A’ishah said in the story of the slander (al-ifk): Umm Mistah went out with me towards al-Manasi‘, which was where we would go to answer the call of nature, and we only went out at night. Then the command of hijab was revealed, so they covered themselves with garments, but some of them might have a distinctive appearance, hence ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We recognize you, O Sawdah! This was the second stage. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, the women were prevented from going out of their houses except for a need or an essential reason. That was the third stage.
In this hadith, we see that one who is of lower standing may suggest something to one who is of higher standing with regard to an issue that he feels is important, and we see the virtue of this sort of discussion if the intention behind it is not to cause trouble, for by means of it some hidden issues of knowledge may become apparent.
It highlights the importance of being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger.
It indicates that women may go out to do errands if there is a need for that.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)..

147
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Permission has been given for you to go out to tend to your needs.” Hishaam said: That is, to answer the call of nature..

Commentary : This hadith has to do with the hijab of the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They used to go out to relieve themselves, but ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about their observing hijab and being prevented from going out of their houses. The reason for this hadith – as was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim – was that Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out to answer the call of nature after the hijab had been enjoined – and what is meant by hijab here is covering the head and face – and she was a woman of large build, so when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw her, he said: O Sawdah! By Allah, you cannot hide yourself from us, so think about how you go out. She went back and complained about that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was he was eating his supper. Revelation came to him, then he said: “Permission has been given to you to go out to relieve yourselves.” What is meant in this hadith, as was explained by Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, one of the narrators of the hadith, was answering the call of nature. At that time they used to go out to a spacious flat piece of land to answer the call of nature. Women are also allowed to go out if they have errands to do and valid reasons for going out, and their going out is not limited to relieving themselves, because Allah gave them permission to go out to answer the call of nature after the command of hijab had been sent down, and before people began to have outhouses and bathrooms in their houses. When permission was given to them for that, it was also given for them to go out for other purposes, or to uphold ties of kinship as Allah had enjoined upon them, and the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had also instructed the women to go out to the prayer on the two Eids, which indicates that what is meant is that women may go out for all kinds of needs..

153
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel, and if he goes to relieve himself, let him not touch his penis with his right hand or wipe himself with his right hand.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator. He taught his ummah everything that is beneficial for them, which includes his teaching them the etiquette of eating and drinking, and of relieving oneself, as in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade breathing into the vessel when drinking. If the individual wants to breathe whilst drinking, he should breathe outside the vessel, whilst holding it in his hand, lest that be off-putting to others who will then refuse to drink from the same vessel, and so that the smell of the vessel will not be changed by too many people breathing into it. That was also for the sake of cleanliness and the well-being of all, and to protect against contagion and so on. This is general in meaning and applies to all kinds of drinks, water and others.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also forbade wiping oneself with the right hand, which refers to cleaning oneself after relieving oneself. And he forbade touching the private part with the right hand. So the individual should not touch his penis with his right hand after urinating. That is because the right hand is to be used for good things, and should not be used to remove filth and dirt. Everything else should be done with the left hand.
This hadith highlights how Islam was the first to highlight proper etiquette when eating and drinking, and to promote personal and public hygiene, for the well-being and safety of all..

155
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he went out to relieve himself, and he did not look around him. I came close to him, and he said: “Bring me some pebbles so that I can clean myself with them – or words to that effect – but do not bring me any bone or piece of [dried] dung.” I brought him some pebbles, carrying them in the edge of my garment, and put them next to him, then I walked away from him. When he had finished, he used the pebbles..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to follow the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stay close to him, in order to learn about their religion from him.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he walked behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), following him, when he was going out to relieve himself. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not usually look to his right and left when walking. Then Abu Hurayrah came close to him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) noticed that he was there, so he asked him to find him some clean pebbles with which to purify himself and remove the traces of impurity (najasah) that were left after urinating or defecating. Then he said to him: “But do not bring me any bone or piece of dung”; they cannot be used to clean oneself, because bones are the food of our brethren among the jinn, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari, so they should not be contaminated with impurities. The word translated here as dung refers to the dried droppings of animals and it is not pure (tahir).
So Abu Hurayrah collected the pebbles in the hem of his garment, then placed them beside the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he did not look at him in this situation. This highlights the etiquette of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he had learned from the Prophet’s teachings. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished relieving himself, he used those pebbles to remove the traces of impurity, until he was clean.
In this hadith, we see that one may use pebbles to clean oneself after relieving oneself (istinja’), and it is forbidden to use bones or dried dung.
It indicates that one may help the person who is relieving himself by looking for pebbles for him. The report indicates that one should respond to anyone who asks for help, if one is able to help.
It indicates that it is prescribed to follow prominent people and scholars, even if they do not instruct you to do that.
It indicates that a leader may give tasks to some of his followers. .

156
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to relieve himself, and he instructed me to bring him three pebbles. I found two pebbles, and I looked for a third but I could not find another, so I picked up a piece of dried dung and brought it to him. He took the two pebbles and threw away the dried dung, and said: “This is unclean.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the Sunnahs of purifying and cleansing ourselves from urine and stools when we relieve ourselves by using whatever is available of that which may be used to cleanse and purify.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him explains that it is acceptable to clean oneself with pebbles (istijmar) after relieving oneself. After he had relieved himself – and the word used originally refers to low-lying land, then was used to refer to relieving oneself because the one who relieves himself looks for low-lying land in which to conceal himself from the eyes of other people – he instructed Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to bring him three pebbles with which to clean himself. Ibn Mas‘ud brought him two pebbles, but he could not find a third, so he brought a piece of dried dung; it was said that the word used in the original Arabic refers specifically to the dung of horses, mules and donkeys. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rejected it and said: This is unclean. In other words, dried dung is impure, or it is not permissible to use it.
In this hadith, we see that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cleaned himself (instinja’) with two pebbles only. It was narrated by Muslim, from Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should clean himself with fewer than three pebbles.” We may reconcile between the reports by noting that using three is recommended in order to be on the safe side and ensure that cleaning oneself is done properly, and to use an odd number, because he said, “Whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number.” But if someone is unable to find three pebbles, then using two is sufficient..

157
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make things easy for his ummah, and explained to them what it was permissible to do when purifying oneself and doing wudu’, and what was sufficient in that regard.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once. This highlights the minimum extent that is required in wudu’, which is an obligation without which prayer is not acceptable.
This hadith indicates that wudu’ is acceptable if each part is washed once. It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also washed each part twice, as is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd that was narrated by al-Bukhari, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part twice. But the Sunnah when doing wudu’, and the most perfect way of doing it, is to wash each part three times, as mentioned in the hadith of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan that was narrated by al-Bukhari..

160
It was narrated from Humran that when ‘Uthman did wudu’, he said: Shall I not narrate to you a hadith which, were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you? I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “No man does wudu’ and does it well, and offers the prayer, but Allah will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer and the next prayer until he has prayed it.” ‘Urwah said: The verse is: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined doing wudu’ well, and explained the goodness that there is in it, and the reward that results from it, in many hadiths, including this one. In this hadith, he explains that whoever does wudu’ well, then offers the prayer for which he did wudu’, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer that he prayed and the following prayer, as is mentioned in other reports. So if a person does wudu’ well for the five daily prayers, he will be forgiven for the sins of that entire day. What is meant here is minor sins, as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say: “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiates whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”
The caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith after he did a complete wudu’, washing each part three times, then he narrated that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in this manner. Then ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you. In other words, were it not that Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined the one who acquired some knowledge to convey it, I would not have been keen to narrate this hadith to you. ‘Urwah said: The verse is the one in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. This highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to convey the Sunnah and teach it to people, and it indicates how a ruler should play a role in carrying out the duty to preserve and promote Islam..

162
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you does wudu’, let him put water in his nose then blow it out, and whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number. When one of you wakes up from his sleep, let him wash his hand before putting it into his vessel of wudu’ water, for one of you does not know where his hand spent the night.”.

Commentary : This hadith highlights some points of Islamic etiquette and teachings. In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: When one if you does wudu’, meaning that when he wants to do wudu’ and starts to do it, then let him put water in his nose by sniffing it up until it gets into his nose, then let him push it out with a forceful exhalation, so as to clean out any dirt that may be inside the nose. And whoever cleans himself with pebbles, meaning that he wants to wipe his front or back passage after relieving himself by using pebbles, let him use an odd number, so let him use three or five pebbles, and so on, so that the place will be thoroughly cleansed of dirt. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the one who wakes up from his sleep to wash his hand and purify it with water before he puts it into the vessel containing the water with which he will do wudu’. That is because the sleeper does not know where his hand spent the night whilst he was sleeping, and he cannot be certain that it did not become unclean by touching some impurity on the body. This is a precaution so that the water will not become contaminated with something that may have got stuck to his hand whilst he was sleeping.
This hadith encourages us to take precautions and be careful in the case of doubt and uncertainty, and to take measures to protect and maintain the original state of water, which is originally clean and pure.
It indicates that one may use ambiguous words when it is not appropriate to be blunt or explicit. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “One of you does not know where his hand spent the night,” instead of saying something explicit..

164
It was narrated from Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, that he saw ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan call for water for wudu’. Then he poured some of the water onto his hands from the vessel and washed them three times. Then he put his right hand into the water then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water up into his nose and blew it out. Then he washed his face three times, and his arms up to the elbows three times. Then he wiped his head, then he washed each foot three times. Then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, and he said: “Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, Allah will forgive him his previous sins.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to transmit the Sunnah and teach it to those who came after them, so that they could spread the true religion and the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, narrates that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), during his time as caliph of the Muslims, called for a vessel containing water for wudu’. He poured some water from the vessel onto his hands and washed them three times, before putting his hands into the vessel, so as to cleanse and purify them. Then he put his right hand into the  water and took out a handful of water, then rinsed his mouth by putting the water into his mouth and moving it around, then spitting it out, so as to wash his mouth thoroughly. Then he spat out the water from his mouth. Then he sniffed water up to make it reach the top of his nose, then he blew it out, so as to cleanse his nose of any dirt that might be in it. Then he washed his face three times. The definition of the face is from the hairline to the bottom of the chin, and from one earlobe to the other, right and left. What is meant is that he made the water reach every part of the face. Then he washed each arm up to the elbow three times. Then he wiped his head, and wiping is less than washing. What is meant by the head here is where the hair grows. Then he washed each foot up to the ankle, as is mentioned in the reports. In all of that, he gave each part its fair share of water and washing.
Then after finishing his wudu’, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine. Thus he stated that his wudu’ was a precise imitation of the wudu’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was done to teach those around him of the Tabi‘in and those who wanted to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, so that he does those two rak‘ahs with sincerity and proper focus, in an unhurried manner, Allah will forgive him his previous minor sins, because in the case of major sins, repentance is essential. So major sins are excluded from the general meaning of the statement, based on the report narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiate whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.” It is also stipulated that the one who repents should put right any wrongs that he did, and fulfil other conditions of repentance.
This hadith highlights the virtue of wudu’ and praying with sincerity, without showing off.
It indicates that teaching by demonstrating actions is more effective than teaching by words alone.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to teach people about matters of faith even when he was caliph. .

166
It was narrated from ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj that he said to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar: O Abu ‘Abdul Rahman, I saw you doing four things that I have not seen any of your companions doing. He said: What are they, O Ibn Jurayj? He said: I saw that you do not touch any corners [of the Kaaba] except the two Yemeni corners; I saw that you wear sandals made of tanned leather; I saw that you use wars [memecylon tinctorium] as a dye; and I saw that when you were in Makkah, the people entered ihram when they saw the new moon, but you did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah. ‘Abdullah said: As for the corners, I never saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touch any but the two Yemeni corners. As for the sandals of tanned leather, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there were no hairs, and doing wudu’ in them, so I like to wear them. As for using wars as a dye, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using it as a dye, so I like to use it as a dye. As for entering ihram, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entering ihram until he set out on his mount [on the day of al-tarwiyah]..

Commentary : ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to follow the Prophet’s Sunnah in every aspect of his life and in his acts of worship. He would do some things that others did not do, because of this great keenness of his to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
This hadith highlights some of those things, as the Tabi‘i ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about four things that he had not seen any of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing. It may be that what he meant was that no one else did all four of those deeds, although some might do one or two of them. The first of these four things was: he saw that he did not touch any of the corners of the Kaaba when circumambulating it (tawaf) except the two Yemeni corners which are on the southern side of the Kaaba. What is meant is the “black corner” [where the Black Stone is], which is the corner of the Kaaba that is next to the door, on the eastern side, and the one that is parallel to it, opposite al-Safa. As for the other two corners on the northern side, he did not touch them; Hijr Isma‘il is on that side. Perhaps he used to do that because the two Yemeni corners are built on the foundations of Ibrahim, and the corner where the Black Stone is has two characteristics: it was built on the foundations of Ibrahim and it contains the Black Stone.
The second action was wearing sandals made of tanned leather, on which there was no hair. It was said that they were made from the tanned hide of a cow. It was said that he only objected to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) doing that because that was the footwear of people of luxury, and ordinary people used to wear sandals made of hides that still had hair and was not tanned.
The third action was dying his hair with wars, which is a plant similar to saffron and may be mixed with it.
The fourth action was that when he was staying in Makkah, he did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah, which is the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah. It is so called because on that day they used to prepare water (yatarawwawna), preparing it and carrying it so that they could use it in ‘Arafah for drinking and other purposes. His companions used to enter ihram when they saw the new moon of Dhul Hijjah. The word translated here as entering ihram refers to raising the voice in reciting the Talbiyah with the intention of entering ihram for Hajj or ‘umrah.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) responded that he did these things as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done them. He never saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touching any of the corners of the Kaaba except the two Yemeni corners. He saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there was no hair and doing wudu’ in them, so he liked to do what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did. He saw him using wars as a dye, and this may refer to dyeing his garment, because of the report in Sunan Abi Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using wars as a dye, and nothing was dearer to him than that. He used to dye all of his garments with it, even his turban. Most of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in used to dye their hair and beards with wars. It was also suggested that perhaps he used to perfume himself with it, not that he used it as a dye.
And he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) not entering ihram until he set out on his mount; that is, when his camel stood up fully with him in the saddle, setting out on his way. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only entered ihram when he began to do the actions of Hajj and started moving [towards Mina]. Hence Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delayed entering ihram until the time when he began to do the actions of Hajj and headed towards Mina, which is the day of al-tarwiyah. At that time they would set out from Makkah towards Mina. Thus Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower, not an innovator. May Allah be pleased with all the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights the fact that it is valid to do wudu’ wearing sandals.
It indicates that goodness is in following the Sunnah, and in striving to reach conclusions (ijtihad) and make analogies (qiyas) on the basis thereof, for those who are qualified to do that.
It indicates that the learner may ask the knowledgeable person about what he sees him doing, and does not know or understand the basis for that, and the knowledgeable person may explain that to the one who asks..

168
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right when putting on his shoes, combing his hair, purifying himself and in all things..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did and listen to his words, so that they could acquire knowledge from him, act upon it and convey it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right. In addition to starting on the right, the Arabic term also includes taking and giving with the right hand, by way of seeking blessing (barakah). It was pleasing and comfortable for him to start on the right in all his actions; that was because he liked optimistic attitudes, for the companions of the right are the people of Paradise. In one report, al-Bukhari added the words “as much as he could.” Here the hadith points out that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would maintain this habit so long as there was no reason that would make it impossible. One aspect of that is that he would start on the right when putting on his sandals or shoes, so he would put the shoe on the right foot before the left foot. When combing his hair, he would start on the right, and when doing wudu’ or ghusl to cleanse himself of impurity, he would start on the right before the left. He would also do that in other actions. As for dirty or off-putting matters, he would use his left hand and would start on the left, such as when cleaning himself after relieving himself, or entering the outhouse.
It was said that it is as by mentioning putting on shoes, which has to do with the feet, and combing the hair, which has to do with the head, and purification, which is the key to different acts of worship, he was referring to all parts of the body, as he would start on the right in all of these cases, when doing noble actions concerning them..

170
It was narrated that Ibn Sirin said: I said to ‘Abidah: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which we obtained from Anas or from the family of Anas. He said: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it..

Commentary : The Sahabah and Tabi‘in were the people who had the greatest love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and were the keenest to seek his relics.
In this hadith, Muhammad ibn Sirin, one of the Tabi‘in, narrates that he said to ‘Abidah – who was ibn ‘Amr al-Salmani, one of the senior Tabi‘in: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in our possession; it was given to us by Anas ibn Malik, the servant of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or by his family. It is as if he was saying that they sought blessing (barakah) from this hair, and held it in high esteem. Anas ibn Malik was the son of the wife of Abu Talhah; she was known as Umm Sulaym. Abu Talhah acquired some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when his head was shaved during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it remained until it was inherited by his heirs and his freed slaves. Sirin, the father of Muhammad, was a freed slave of Anas ibn Malik, and he obtained some of this hair.
‘Abidah said to Ibn Sirin: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it. Thus ‘Abidah wished that he could have one hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is indicative of the high esteem in which they held the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as his worth in their view was far greater than this world and everything in it. That was because of their great love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It was proven that some of the Sahabah used to take the sweat of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and add it to their perfume. Others would seek where he had put his fingers in the food, and eat from that place. Yet others would drink his leftover water and other drinks. This is in addition to their keenness to follow his Sunnah and teachings, out of love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and seeking blessing from his relics. This applies only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also highlights the great love that the Tabi‘in had for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

171
It was narrated from Anas that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head, Abu Talhah was the first one to take some of his hair..

Commentary : The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to race to take his relics, seeking blessing from them; this is applicable only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself. In this hadith, we see one example of that. Anas ibn Maalik narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH, he shared out his shaved hair among the people, and Abu Talhah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), the husband of Umm Sulaym, who was the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), was the first one to take some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Muslim narrated that when [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] had stoned the Jamrah and offered his sacrifice, he turned the right side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, then he called Abu Talhah and gave the hair to him, then he turned the left side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, and he gave that hair to Abu Talhah too, and said to him: “Share it out among the people.” According to a report narrated by Ahmad, Abu Talhah gave it to Umm Sulaym to put it in her perfume.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also indicates that one may seek blessing from the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and it is permissible to keep it..

172
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If a dog drinks from the vessel of one of you, let him wash it seven times.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to explain issues pertaining to purification, and to explain to them which substances were impure, and how to remove their traces and purify an item that had been contaminated with them. An example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined washing a vessel seven times if a dog drinks from it. The procedure that is sufficient to purify the vessel from which a dog has drunk is to wash it seven times, one of which should be with dust or soil, as was narrated by al-Nasa’i: “… one of which should be with dust.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “The first of which should be with dust”; according to another report narrated by Muslim, “and the eighth time rub it with dust.” The dog is singled out for mention in this regard, because of what is known about how impure (najis) the dog is, and how it may carry many diseases in its saliva. There is wisdom behind cleaning the vessel this number of times in this manner, which is known to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). It was said that using dust or soil to wash the vessel is to be done because dust or soil has the ability to kill the diseases that are usually caused by the dog and may attach themselves to the vessel, which water alone cannot remove. Repeatedly washing the vessel with water will ensure that it is clean.
There is no difference between different types of dogs in this regard, and whether they are the types of dogs that it is permissible to keep, such as hunting dogs, or they are types that it is not permissible to keep..

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.

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.".

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..

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.