| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

3166

Narrated `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophetﷺsaid, "Whoever killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims, shall not smell the scnent of Paradise though its smell is perceived from a distance of forty years.".

Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has commanded the believers to honour contracts and fulfil covenants.He, the Glorified, says, {And fulfil the covenant of Allah when you have taken it. [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation.}[Quran 16:91].For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ warned in this hadeeth the one who kills a person with whom a covenant has been made – that is a person who enters the abode of Islam with assurances of safety and protection – that he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise,and its fragrance can be smelled from as far as the distance of travelling forty years.It is narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, “… the fragrance of Paradise can be found at a distance of seventy years.” [Sunan al-Tirmithee].Other narrations reported something else, distance-wise.The different versions of the hadeeth have been reconciled to conclude thateach distance depends on thedifferences in people, deeds, and variations in ranks. That is to say, some people will sense its fragrance from as far as the distance of a thousand years,while others will sense its fragrance from a distance of forty years, and for others, from a range in between these distances.All of these narrations describe a long distance.
This hadeeth warns against betraying the covenants made with non-Muslims.
It shows that Paradise is for those who fulfil covenants and those who do not betray them..

3169

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): When Khaybar was conquered, a roasted poisoned sheep was presented to the Prophetﷺas a gift (by the Jews). The Prophetﷺordered, "Let all the Jews who have been here, be assembled before me." The Jews were collected, and the Prophetﷺsaid (to them), "I am going to ask you a question. Will you tell the truth?" They said, "Yes." The Prophetﷺasked, "Who is your father?" They replied, "So-and-so." He said, "You have told a lie; your father is so-and-so." They said, "You are right." He said, "Will you now tell me the truth, if I ask you about something?" They replied, "Yes, O Aboo Al-Qaasim; and if we should tell a lie, you can realize our lie as you have done regarding our father." On that he asked, "Who are the people of the (Hell) Fire?" They said, "We shall remain in the (Hell) Fire for a short period, and after that you will replace us." The Prophetﷺsaid, "You may be cursed and humiliated in it! By Allah, we shall never replace you in it." Then he asked, "Will you now tell me the truth if I ask you a question?" They said, "Yes, O Aboo Al-Qaasim." He asked, "Have you poisoned this sheep?" They said, "Yes." He asked, "What made you do so?" They said, "We wanted to know if you were a liar in which case, we would get rid of you, and if you are a prophet then the poison would not harm you."
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Commentary : The Jews constantly displayed much hatred against the Prophet ﷺfrom the moment he was sent as a Prophet and his migration to al-Madeenah,such that they attempted to assassinate him on several occasions.
Inthis hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that whenAllah allowed the Muslimsto conquer Khaybar in the seventh year of the Hijrah,the Prophet ﷺ intended to protect al-Madeenah from the evil of the Jews who had assembled there. Khaybar was a town in which the Jews used to reside, 153 km away from al-Madeenah, northwards in the direction of the Levant.
As their envy and hatred increased further,a woman from amongst them sent the Prophet ﷺ a gift of lamb containing poison – the name of this woman was Zaynab bint al-Haarith, the wife of Sallaam ibn Mishkam, and the sister of Murahhab(who had been killed during the conquest of Khaybar). In preparation for the assassination, she had asked earlier, “Which part of the lamb is most beloved to him?”She was answered, “The shoulder.” So,she placed more poison in it.When heﷺ partook of the shoulder, he chewed a morsel thereof in his mouth but did not swallow it.It is narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) that Bishr ibn al-Baraa(may Allah be pleased with him) ate with the Prophetﷺ from that lamb, and he swallowed his morsel [Sunan Aboo Dawood].
When the Prophetﷺ came to learn about the poison, he commanded his Companions to stop eating and then ordered the Jews who were present to stand before him,as they were suspected concerning the poison. The Prophet ﷺ said, “I shall ask you about something; will you be truthful to me about it?”They responded, “Of course.”He asked them a few questions to discover their lies thereafter.He asked them, “Who is your father?” They replied, “So-and-so,” mentioning the name of a person who happened not to be their father in reality.The Prophet ﷺ said, “You have lied. Actually, your father is so-and-so,” that is the Prophet of Allah, Jacob the son of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon them. They replied, “You have spoken the truth.”Again, the Prophetﷺ asked, “I shall ask you about something; will you be truthful to me about it?”They replied, “Of course, Abooal-Qaasim!If we lie, you will recognise our lie, as you recognised about our father.”The Prophet ﷺ asked them, “Who are the dwellers of the fire?”They replied that they would remain therein for a little while, then the Muslims would follow them therein, after the Jews exiting it. The Prophet ﷺrebuked them for making such a statement and ordered them todesist from making this false claim, and informed them that they are more rightful to be disgraced, humiliated, and receive the punishment of the fire, and how evil is that place to stay.He ﷺstated that the Muslims would never follow them(as they will remain therein forever).As for our disobedient ones, their stay is limited and temporary, and they will not abide therein forever.Then, heﷺ asked, “I shall ask you about something; will you be truthful to me about it?”They replied, “Of course, Abooal-Qaasim!”He asked them about the reason for placing poison in the lamb.They replied, “We wanted to seek assurance of your prophethood.If you were a liar, you would die straight away from that poison, thus we would gain relief from you and from what you claim.If you were truthful in your prophethood, then that poison would not hurt you and cause you any harm, as Allah would protect you.”
This hadeeth shows that Allah showed to the Prophet ﷺregarding some events from the unseen.
It shows the betrayal of the Jews and their mistreatment of the prophets.
Itdemonstrates the rebellion of the Jews and their lies..

3176

Narrated `Awf ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): I went to the Prophetﷺduring the Battle of Tabuk while he was sitting in a leather tent. He said, "Count six signs before the advent of the Hour: my death, the conquest of Jerusalem, a plague that will afflict you (and kill you in great numbers) as the plague that afflicts sheep, the increase of wealth to such an extent that even if one is given one hundred Dinars, he will not be satisfied; then an affliction which no Arab house will escape, and then a truce between you and the people of yellow (i.e. the Byzantines) who will betray you and attack you under eighty flags. Under each flag will be twelve thousand soldiers.
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Commentary : Allah supported the Prophet ﷺand informed him of some of the events that would occur before the establishment of the Last Hour. These are signs that will take place before its establishment so that we can be preparedand do as many good deeds as possible before we meet Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
In this hadeeth, ‘Awf ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he came to the Prophet ﷺ during the Battle of Tabuk, which happened in the ninth year of the Hijrah.Tabuk is a city located in the farthest north region of the Arabian Peninsula, right in the middle of the road to Damascus, which is 1252 km away from the Hijaaz.This was the last battle which the Messenger of Allah ﷺfought himself against the Romans.‘Awf found the Prophet ﷺ seated in a tent made of tanned leather.The Prophet ﷺ told him, “Count six things before the advent of the [Last] Hour,” meaning six signs that will appear before the establishment of the Last Hour.Among its closest signswas the demise of the Prophet ﷺ, then the conquest of Jerusalem, which was fully realised in the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him).He then added, “Two kinds of death,” that is a pandemic that will be endemic amongst the people,and it will be like the ‘Qu’aas’ of the sheep, a disease that attacks sheep whereby something flows from form their noses, and they die on the spot.This reality happened during the plague of ‘Amwaas, wherein seventy thousand people died within three days.After heﷺ said, “The overflowing of wealth and its abundance”, to the extent that a person will be given a hundred Dinars, yet he will be unpleased and will not be content with it, because he will think that it is too little, and he will belittle that amount. He further said, “The trial”,which is a test and tribulation that will lead to in-fighting and chaotic situationssuch that no house of the Arabs would be saved from it, but rather this trial would penetrate it and cause it harm.
He then said, “Then there will be a peace treaty between you and the people of yellow,” which refers to the Romans, anddenotes a reconciliation or ceasefire. However, they would not fulfil the covenant, and they would betray the Muslims and break the peace treaty.Hence, they would come to fight the Muslims under eighty banners. Under each flag, there would be twelve thousand soldiers.
This hadeeth highlights some of the signs concerning the proximity of the advent of the Last Hour, some of which have already happened.
Itdemonstrates a sign among the signs of the prophethood of the Messenger ﷺ..

3180

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): "What will your state be when you can get no Dinar or Dirham (i.e. taxes from the Dhimmis)?" on that someone asked him, "What makes you know that this state will take place, O Aboo Hurayrah?" He said, "By Him in Whose Hands Aboo Hurayrah's life is, I know it through the statement of the true and truly inspired one (i.e. the Prophet)." The people asked, "What does the statement say?" He replied, "Allah and His Messenger's asylum granted to Dhimmis will be outraged, and so Allah will make the hearts of these Dhimmis so daring that they will refuse to pay the Jizyah they will be supposed to pay.".

Commentary : Honouring contracts and covenants is one of the most important qualities of a true Muslim.The Prophet ﷺ commanded us to honour our covenants and agreements, including those with the non-Muslims and explained the drastic outcome of breaking them without any valid reason.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) warns the Muslims about breaking a covenant with the non-Muslims under the protection of Islamic law and warns about the evil outcome of subjecting them to injustice.He said to those around him among the Tab’ieen, “How would your state be if you did not take a Dinar or a Dirham from the Jizyah and the Kharaaj (land tax)?”Those around him became wonderstruck and asked him about how this could happen while knowing that the wealth of the Jizyah and Kharaaj continuously poured in towards the Muslims from everywhere!He reported to them that the Prophet ﷺ - who is truthful in his speech and who can be trusted regarding that which Jibraail (peace be upon him) informed him – said that this would happen when the Muslims flouted the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger ﷺ, and that is when the Muslims would break the covenant of Allah and of His Messenger ﷺwith the Dhimmis.They would oppress them and transgress against them; thus,they would be punished in this world before the punishment in the Hereafter, in the sense thatAllah, the Mighty and the Majestic would remove the owe and respect for Muslimsfrom people’s hearts. As a result, they would refuse to give what they possess,i.e. they would stop giving what is incumbent upon them to pay, such as the Jizyah and so on.The Muslims would be unable to take anything from them, resulting in their state becoming contracted economically.
The hadeeth exhibits a sign amongst the signs of the prophethood of the Prophetﷺ.
It shows that our adherence to the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and their covenants is the path to our salvation.The more the Muslims deviate from their commands and way, the furtherthey will fail and suffer loss.
This hadeeth shows that the Dhimmis have rights that the leader of the Muslims should enforce and protect and that they have a covenant and protection which should be fulfilled and honoured..

3191

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn(may Allah be pleased with him): I went to the Prophetﷺand tied my she-camel at the gate. The people of BaneeTameem came to the Prophetﷺwho said "O BaneeTameem! Accept the good tidings." They said twice, 'You have given us the good tidings, now give us something" Then some Yemenites came to him, and he said, "Accept the good tidings, O people of Yemen, for BaneeTameem refused them." They said, "We accept it, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! We have come to ask you about this matter (i.e. the start of creations)." He said, "First of all, there was nothing but Allah, and (then He created His Throne). His Throne was over the water, and He wrote everything in the Book (in the Heaven) and created the Heavens and the Earth." Then a man shouted, "O Ibn al-Husayn! Your she-camel has gone away!" So, I went away and could not see the she-camel because of the mirage. By Allah, I wished I had left that she-camel (but not that gathering).
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Commentary : Certainly, Allah is One and Unique,and His attributes areMajestic and Perfect.The Prophet ﷺ has informed us about the beginning and the end of creation so that we can sense the grandeur of Allah, the Sublime.
In this hadeeth, ‘Imraan ibnal-Husayn(may Allah be pleased with him)reports that he once went to see the Prophet ﷺ in the Prophet’s Mosque, and before entering the Mosque, he tied his she-camel to the door. On this day,a group of people from Banoo Tameem visited the Prophet ﷺ, andheﷺ met them in a way that warms up the hearts.He ﷺ told them to accept the glad tiding of what he was saying to them;this would follow from them receiving the good news about entrance into Paradise.They replied, “You have already given us the good news; now give us something.”They repeated this twice.Their most important focus was on worldly gainsso that they did not understand well the good news given to them apart from material gifts.
Afterwards, some people from Yemen entered upon the Prophetﷺ,and he told them toaccept the glad tiding since Banoo Tameem failed to accept it.These people were from the clan al-Ash’aree from Yemen, and their response was different from that of Banee Tameem,i.e. they accepted it happily and then asked him about the universe.Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned to them about the beginning of the creation and the Throne. He ﷺinformed them that there was nothing but Allah, whoseexistence is eternal as He is without a beginning or end. Nothing existed besides Him, neither the water nor the Throne nor anything else.
His Throne was over the water, which is the Throne on which He, the Majestic, rose.It is the topmost of allthe creations and the greatest and the biggest of them all.Allah has described it asgrand in terms of size and the quality of beauty. The Prophet ﷺ added thatAllahwrote everything that will occur until the Day of Judgement, and then He created the Heavens and the Earth. In other words, Allah existed before everything, and there was nothing but Him. Then, He created the water first, and then the Throne – or He created the Throne in the upper side and the water in the lower side - and then created the Pen and the Preserved Tablet, and then the Heavens and Earth. This is the chronological order of the creation.
After, ‘Imraan relates that during this conversation, a person informed him that his she-camel had disappearedi.e.it had escaped from her rope and run away. ‘Imraan pursued her, until she had gone so far that a mirage happened to veil in front of her.Thereupon, ‘Imraan swore that he wished he had left her to disappear and remained in the gathering of the Prophet ﷺ to listen to the remaining hadeeth.
This hadeeth is an urging and encouragement to attend the gatherings of knowledge.
It highlights the virtue of learning the sacred knowledge and listening to it.
It shows that we should give precedence to seeking the sacred knowledge over seeking wealth..

3193

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "Allah the Most Superior said, "The son of Adam vilifies Me, and he should not slight Me, and he disbelieves in Me, and he ought not to do so. As for his vilifiing Me, it is that he says that I have a son; and his disbelief in Me is his statement that I shall not recreate him as I have created (him) before."
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Commentary : In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ reports from His Lord, the Majestic and High, that He states thatthe son of Adam vilifies Him asthey dare to attribute to Allah that which necessitates imperfection and defects.It is not allowed for anyone to describe Allah, the Sublime, with anything that may entail imperfection or defects.Then, Allah states that people disbelievein Him, whereas they ought not to disaffirm Allah, the Sublime.After, Allah, the Sublime, explains His meaning of this vilification and disaffirmation by elaborating that those who have vilified the Lord of the universe are those Jews, Christians and polytheists who have claimed that He, the Sublime, has a child.This does not befit Him, the Mighty and the Majestic, as this entails assimilation, resemblance, imperfection and need.Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, is One, and the Only One (Unique) who {begets not and nor was he begotten and there is no one like unto Him.}[Quran 112: 3-4].Those who disaffirmed Allah are the ones who rejected the resurrection and considered it to be a distant reality whilst acknowledging that Allah is the One Who created them without having a previous template. He who created them in the beginning from nothing is able to resurrect and recreate them the second time because re-creation is an easier process!
We learn from this hadeeth that attribution of a son to Allah is an act of vilification of Allah Almighty, a rejection of His Oneness, and giving His resemblance to others besides Him, and that is an act of ascribing partners to Him (Shirk).
The hadeeth shows that rejection of resurrection is,in essence, disaffirmation of Allah Almighty and His promise.
It shows that Allah is the One Who started the creation and that it is Him who will recreate it. This confirms that the world has come into being, and also confirms the resurrection and re-creation of the humans after their demise, and that Allah is the One who will bring them back to life on the Day of Judgement, to reward them for their actions..

3195

Aboo Salamah ibn `Abd al-Rahmaan had a dispute with some people on a piece of land. He went to `Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her) and told her about it. She said, "O Aboo Salamah, avoid the land, for Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, 'Any person who takes even a span of land unjustly, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths.' ".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ warned people against taking others’ property, by force or authority, unlawfully.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Aboo Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf reports that he had a dispute with some people over a piece of land. He mentioned his dispute to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and she advised him to be cautious so that he did not take anything from it unlawfully, because the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Any person who takes even a span of land unjustly, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths’”. Themeasure a of span in the hadeeth,no matter how little it is, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths on the Day of Judgment as a punishment. It is said that it means the stolen part of the earth will swallow him until his neck is encircled with it. It is also said that it means the weight of this land will be around his neck on the Day of Judgment, and it will remain like that until all the people finish their reckoning. It is mentioned in Musnad Ahmad that the Prophet ﷺ said,“The property of a Muslim that is taken unlawfully will be deprived of Allah’s blessings.”.

3199

Narrated Aboo Tharr (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophetﷺ asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: {And the sun runs its fixed course for a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing} [Quran 36:38] .

Commentary : Allah has predestined everything from the beginning of creation to its end.

In this hadeeth, Aboo Tharr al-Ghafaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ asked him at the time of sunset about where the sun goes after its disappearance. Aboo Tharr replied that Allah and His Messenger know better, which is an answer that displays his politeness as he refrained from putting an answerbefore the Prophet ﷺ, and so he left it to Allah and His Messengerﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid that it travels till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne. This prostration is real and regardless of where it prostrates, it will be underneath the Throne. Afterwards, it takes permission to rise again from the east to go on its course again and then it is granted permission. It continues to take permission to rise again from the east to proceed on its course until Allah does not permit it, and commands it to return from where it came. Thereupon, the sun will rise from the west, which is one of the major signs of the Hour.That is an interpretation of the Statement of Allah: {And the sun runs its fixed course for a term (decreed)} [Quran 36:38].The sun continues to go on its fixed course until the end of this world, {that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing} [Quran 36:38]. The sophisticated accurate movement of the sun in its orbit is evidence of the existence of Allah, Most High, who upholds and arranges the affairs of this world in a fashion that befits His Wisdom, Knowledge, and Might.

This hadeeth highlights the might and power of the Allah and His authority and control of the universe and all the creation. Itdebunks and scolds those who worshipped the creation in this worldly life, so they know their worship to them was invalid and false.
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3200

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophetﷺsaid, "The sun and the moon will be folded upon the Day of Resurrection.".

Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, the Truth and the Sovereign, is the only one worthy and deserving of our worship and glorification, and it is Him, the only God, to whom our worship and deeds must be devoted. He is the Creator of everything and under His will and power falls everything in this cosmos; hence, it is invalid for a person to worship anything other than Him or beside Him.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informs us that the sun and moon will be folded up on the Day of Judgment,i.e. they will be deprived of their light.It is said that they will be folded up and then thrown into Hellfire to debunk and scold those who worshipped them in this worldly life, so they know their worship of them was invalid and false. It is said that they were created from Hellfire; thus, they will return to it on the Day of Judgment. However, placing them in Hellfire does not mean they are punished there, for Allah, Exalted is He, has created angels for Hellfire to punish the dwellers of Hellfire.

This hadeeth highlights the Might and Power of Allah to bring creation into existence and terminate the existence of the creation. It shows that all created beings are subject to Allah, Most High.
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3206

Narrate`Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her): If the Prophetﷺsaw a cloud in the sky, his face would change and he would walk back and forth, go out and come in. However, if it rained, he would feel relaxed." `Aaishah inquired from him about his reaction to seeing the cloud. The Prophetﷺsaid, I do not know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in theQuran in the following ayah: {Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened a wind wherein is severe torment} [Quran 64:24]. .

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was in constant fear of Allah, Most High, and always concerned that his nation may be subjected to Allah’s punishment because of the sins of their sinners.

In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that whenever the Prophet ﷺsaw rain clouds, he would march up and down, and his face would show signs of concern and distress because he feared that those clouds carried the punishment of Allah. However, once rain fell, his concern and worry would fade away. ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him about that, so he said that his fear was out of his concern that it might be like the clouds that brought Allah’s tormentto thepeople of Prophet Hood (peace be upon him)about whom Allah, Exalted is He, said: {Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened.A wind wherein is severe torment.} [Quran 64:24].

If one were to ask, why did the Prophet ﷺfear Allah would punish his people while he was still alive among them,while Allah, Most High, says: {But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst.} [Quran 8:33] it has beensaid is that it is possible the ayah is specific and only applicable to those mentioned in the ayah, or it is only applicable to a particular time, or that the state of fear of Allah necessitates that he should not feel secure against Allah’s planning.In particular,the Prophet ﷺwould act to teach his nation, and one aspect of this is teaching them to never feel secure against Allah’s planning, because Allah, Most High, says: {Did they feel secure against Allah’s planning? None would feel secure from Allah’s planning except the losers.} [Quran 7:99].

This hadeeth shows that nobody should feel immune against Allah’s punishment and torment, and that we should be prepared by being mindful of Allah and resorting to Him in situations of fear and troubles.

It reminds us to reflect on the previous nations who were subjected to Allah’s torment and punishment, to learn from their mistakes and avoid that which caused their punishment.

It highlights the compassion and mercy of the Prophet ﷺ towards his nation, as Allah, Most High, descried him: {He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.} [Quran 9:128]..

3208

Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mas'ood(may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messengerﷺthe true and truly inspired, said, "Each one of you is constituted in the womb of the mother for forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period.Then God sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his deeds, his livelihood, the date of his death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched. Then the soul is breathed into him. One amongst you acts [like the people deserving Paradise] until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has predestined the fate of the creation and penned it in His Preserved Tablet, so it takes place afterwards according to what He had decreed.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ reports that the foetusgoes through four stages in the womb. The first stage, which is ovulation, takes forty days, wherein an egg and sperm travel in opposite directions to meet for implantation; hence pregnancy happens. In the second stage, it becomes a clot of thick blood clinging to the womb for a similar period. In the third stage, it develops into a piece of flesh whose size is as little as that which a human can chew in his mouth for a similar period. In the final stage, its form and shape begin after completing four months. Thereupon, Allah sends the angel that is responsible for wombs to write down all the good and evil deeds that he will do throughout his lifetime, his livelihood, the date of his death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched when he dies.Each person will die upon that which Allah has written.A person would act like the people deserving Paradise until he is so close to entering Paradise when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him, and he begins to act like the dwellers of Hell and thus enters Hell.And another person would act in the way of the denizens of Hell until he is so close to entering Hellfire when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him, and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.

This scenario is further explained in another hadeeth. It is narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Saa’idee (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “that a person performs deeds like the deeds of the people of Paradise apparently before people and he would be amongst the dwellers of Hell, and a person acts apparently like the people of Hell, but (in fact) he would be among the dwellers of Paradise.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].That means, a person who spends life in good deeds but before passing he deviates, and a person whose life is spend in bad deeds but dies upon goodness.This is because the state of such a person as it appears to people is different to that reality which Allah knows.

This hadeeth highlights the belief in fate and predestination, regarding deeds and provisions, and lifespan. It warns us from being befooled of that which is apparent to us, because deeds are judged based on how they end.

It shows that good deeds and bad deeds are just signs indicating the reality of a person and do not necessarily reflect the reality or the end of people, which Allah has predestined and decreed.
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3209

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him):The Prophetﷺsaid, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, 'Allah loves so-and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.' Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven, 'Allah loves so-and-so; therefore you should love him also,' and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth."
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Commentary : In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains the benefits of being loved by Allah, Most High, in this life,and the rewarding outcome in the Hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ explains that if Allah loves a person, He will call Gabriel telling him that He loves so-and-so; thus, Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven, “Allah loves so-and-so; therefore you should love him also,” and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and the inhabitants of the Heaven here refer to the angels. As a result, this person is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth such that most of the believers who know him would be inclined to him, and his good reputation lasts. It is said that it means Allah makes the hearts of His believing servants inclined to him and praise him.
Love is one of the established attributes of Allah, Exalted is He, and it is understood according to its apparent meaning in a way that befits Allah, the Most-High. As for how Gabriel andthe angels love him, it means they would praise him and ask Allah to forgive him, or love as people know it,i.e. their hearts become inclined to him and long for him because of his obedience and Allah’s love for him..

3210

Narrated `Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her): “I heard Allah's Messengerﷺsaying, "The angels descendto the clouds and mention the matter decreed in the Heaven. The devils then listen stealthily to them, come down to inspire the soothsayers with it, and the latter would add to it one-hundred lies of their own."
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Commentary : Islam eradiates all forms of superstition and stands against the manipulation of people’s hopes and dreams such that it considers it from the major sins. To this end, Islam reinforces in the hearts of believers that no one knows the future and the unseen except Allah, who alone can bring forth benefit and avert harm. The Muslim is required, therefore, to attach his heart to Allah and submit all his affairs to Him alone.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains that the angels descend from above to the clouds wherein they mention that which has been decreed in the Heaven. This is because the angels would hear all the events that Allah decrees every day and every moment. The angels mention them to each other, so the devils eavesdrop and then share what they heard to soothsayers and fortune-tellers who, in their turn, add one hundred lies to thenews they received from devils.

This hadeeth was an answer given by the Prophet ﷺ in response to a question that ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) posed to him - as recorded in Saheeh Muslim – as she inquired from him abouthow the soothsayers before Islam could foretell some events that took place afterwards as they mentioned.

The eavesdropping of devils of the conversations of the dwellers of the heavens used to happen before Allah’s revelation to the Prophet ﷺ. However, this eavesdropping was stopped immediately upon the advent of Islam when Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the message of Islam. Allah, Most High, says: {We used to take up positions there for eavesdropping, but whoever dares eavesdrop now will find a flare lying in wait for them.} [Quran 72:9].

The Prophet ﷺ has prohibited us from visiting soothsayers and fortune-tellers. It is reported on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever visits a soothsayer or a fortune-teller and believes him, he has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.” [Musnad Ahmad].

This hadeeth serves as a warning against listening to soothsayers, falsifiers and fortune-tellers. .

3212

Narrated Sa’eed ibn Al-Musaiyyab:`Umar came to the Mosque while Hassaan was reciting a poem. (`Umar disapproved of that). On that Hassaan said, "I used to recite poetry in this very Mosque in the presence of one (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ) who was better than you." Then he turned towards Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) and said (to him), "I ask you by Allah, did you hear Allah's Messengerﷺsaying (to me), "Retort on my behalf. O Allah! Support him (i.e. Hassaan) with the Holy Spirit?" Aboo Hurayrah said, "Yes.".

Commentary : The ruling on poetry is the same as the ruling on speech or words, of which it is a part; therefore, what is good is good, and what is bad is bad.One of the prominent poets among the Companions was Hassaan ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him).

In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyab reports that one day ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him)found Hassaan ibn Thaabit recitingpoetry in the Mosque. The facial gesture of ‘Umar showed his disapproval, but Hassaan informed him that he used to recite poetry in the Mosque in the presence of him who is better than ‘Umar, meaning the Prophet ﷺ. Then, he (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him, “I ask you by Allah, did you hear Allah's Messengerﷺ saying to me, ‘Retort on my behalf. O, Allah! Support Hassaan with the Holy Spirit?’”Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed it. The reason Hassaan did that wasthat ‘Umar was known for his strictness about the hadeeths of the Prophet ﷺ, and he would only accept it if two men testified to the correctness of the hadeeth.

The background story of the statement of the Prophet ﷺ to Hassaan ibn Thaabit is that some poets from Quraysh lampooned the Prophet ﷺ. Hence, he ﷺ asked his Companions to respond to them and lampoon Quraysh. A couple of Companions stepped forward to take this mission, and Hassaan ibn Thaabit was one of them. However, the poetry of Hassaan was the most effective and most intimidating to Quraysh. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ asked Allah to support Hassaan with the holy spirit (i.e. angel Gabriel). It has been said that the Prophet ﷺ made this supplication so Allah would protect him through the angel Gabriel from falling into scurrility, as it would backlash, causing more damage.

The hadeeth highlights the virtue of Hassaan ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him), and shows that it is permissible to recite poetry in the Mosque to defend the truth and encourage the good..

3217

Narrated`Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her):The Prophetﷺsaid to her: "O `Aaishah! This is Gabriel, and he sends his salutations to you." `Aaishah said, "I send my salutations to him, and may Allah's Mercy and Blessings be on him," and addressing the Prophetﷺshe said, "You see what I do not see."
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Commentary : Allah, the Exalted, invested His Prophet ﷺwith exclusive qualities and privileges, like selecting him to receive His revelation and entrusting him to be His Messenger who conveyed all that which he received from revelation.

In this hadeeth,‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, reports that the Prophet ﷺ said to her that Gabriel sends his greeting to her using the greeting of Islam (i.e. Assalam ‘Alaykom). She replied to his greeting with the perfect greeting of Islam, saying, “Wa ‘Alaykom Assalam wa rahmatu Allahi wa Barakaatuh,” and then remarked, “You see what I do not see,” i.e. O Messenger of Allah! You can see Gabriel, but I cannot see him; thus, rejoice in the blessings of revelation and prophethood and the ability to see the noble, righteous angels.

The hadeeth clearly highlights the virtue of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It shows one of the incidents where the Prophet ﷺ was the only one able to see the angel, Gabriel, although the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) saw him in another incident in the form of Dahiyyah al-Kalbyy (may Allah be pleased with him).

This hadeeth proves the existence of angels, including the archangel Gabriel – Allah’s trusted messenger to His Prophets and Messengers.
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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