It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to rest in my lap when I was menstruating, then he would recite Qur’an..

Commentary : There are rulings that apply specifically to the menstruating woman, but she herself is not impure (najis), because the believer never becomes impure, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. Being close to a menstruating woman does not mean that the one who wants to recite Qur’an should not do so. This is what ‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) speaks of in this hadith, in which she says that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to rest in her lap when she was menstruating. What is meant by the word translated here as resting is leaning on one side whilst sitting. It was also said that what is meant here is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to put his head in her lap when she was menstruating, and whilst he was in that position, he would recite Qur’an; that did not prevent him from reciting.
In this hadith we see how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated his wives kindly and paid attention to their condition.
This hadith indicates that being close to his menstruating wife does not prevent a husband from reciting Qur’an, and the menstruating woman may listen to Qur’an without any reservations.
It also indicates that the body of the menstruating woman and whatever she wears are both pure (tahir)..

301

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: He used to put his head out to me when he was observing i‘tikaf and I would wash his hair, when I was menstruating..

Commentary : Among the Jews, when one of their women menstruated, they would banish her from the house, and they would not eat with her, drink with her or be in the same room as her. In our religion, however, the menstruating woman is not to be blamed for something that Allah has ordained for her, so her body is pure, apart from the place where the impurity is.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to put his head out to her in her apartment, when he was observing i‘tikaf in the mosque, and she would wash his hair for him, when she was menstruating. According to another report narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, she would comb his hair when she was menstruating. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would bring his head close to her when she was in her apartment and the rest of his body was in the mosque, and he was aware of her condition and that she was menstruating, yet despite that she would touch him with her hands and take care of him, without any reservation or prohibition. Her apartment was attached to the mosque.
The hadith refers to cleaning a man’s hair, and other things that come under the heading of adorning oneself.
It indicates that a menstruating woman may care for her husband and help him with personal hygiene.
It indicates that if the one who is observing i‘tikaf puts his head, hand or foot outside the mosque, that does not invalidate his i‘tikaf.
It speaks of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated his wives kindly and paid attention to their condition.
It also indicates that the body of the menstruating woman and whatever she wears are both pure (tahir)..

302

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: When one of us was menstruating, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to be intimate with her, he would tell her to wrap something around herself at the beginning of her menses, then he would be intimate with her. She said: Who among you is able to control his desire as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was able to control his desire?.

Commentary : Allah (may He be exalted) says: {And they ask you about menstruation. Say, It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure} [al-Baqarah 2:222]. What is meant by keeping away from wives in this verse is not having intercourse with them; as for anything other than that, the husband may do it, meaning that he may do everything except intercourse. This is what the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke of in this hadith, where she says: When one of us – meaning one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – was menstruating and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to be intimate with her by kissing and so on, other than intercourse, he would tell her to wrap something around her waist at the beginning of her period, so she would wrap herself in an izar (lower garment or waist wrapper) to cover the area between the navel and the knees. That would happen at the beginning of her menses, or when the bleeding was at its heaviest. Then he would be intimate with her, so he would approach her and touch her, but he would not have intercourse with her.
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Who among you is able to control his desire as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was able to control his desire?
This hadith indicates that one should not be put off by a menstruating woman or show dislike to her, in contrast to the Jews, who would not eat with a woman or sit with her if she was menstruating.
It speaks of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated his wives kindly and paid attention to their condition.
It also indicates that the body of the menstruating woman and whatever she wears are both pure (tahir)..

309

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf, and one of his wives was with him, when she was suffering from istihadah and was bleeding. Sometimes she would put a basin beneath her to catch the blood. He [one the narrators] claimed that ‘A’ishah saw safflower water and said: It is as if this is something that So-and-so used to see..

Commentary : Islamic teachings explain how women should purify themselves following menses and nifas (postpartum bleeding). Some women suffer from menses that last longer than the usual time, and they bleed heavily for longer than the days of the usual period. Islam makes things easier for them in that case.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf in his mosque, isolating himself from people for the purpose of worship, and one of his wives observed i‘tikaf with him. It was said that she was Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, or that she was Ramlah Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan, or that she was Zaynab bint Jahsh. She was suffering from istihadah and was bleeding; istihadah is irregular bleeding that a woman experiences after the end of her normal menses. The blood of istihadah is thin and is not like menstrual blood. Sometimes she would put a basin – meaning a large vessel – beneath her to catch this copious bleeding, lest it contaminate her garment or the mosque.
Khalid ibn Mihran, one of the narrators of this hadith, said regarding the phrase “he claimed”: The word claim may refer to something that one is certain about, even though it is most often used with regard to something one is uncertain about, or to suggest that it is false. ‘Ikrimah claimed that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) saw some safflower water – which comes from a kind of plant and is yellow in colour; it is used as a dye but does not have a fragrance – and said: This yellow is something that resembles what So-and-so used to see at the time of her istihadah. This indicates that the blood of istihadah may be yellow and thin, and is not dark like menstrual blood.
This hadith indicates that a woman who is suffering from istihadah may observe i‘tikaf if she is certain that her bleeding will not contaminate the mosque..

312

It was narrated that Mujahid said: ‘A’ishah said: One of us would have only one garment in which she menstruated. If any blood got onto it, she would put some of her saliva on it and scratch it with her nails..

Commentary : This hadith is indicative of the hard life that the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lived, and that they were content with very little of worldly comforts. In it, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: One of us would have only one garment; what she meant by one of us is the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the Mothers of the Believers. Even though they lived in the house of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), one of them would own only one garment, and they were content with what Allah allocated to them. What ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says in this hadith is not contradicted by what is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), that she had more than one garment, because what ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was referring to in this hadith was their situation at the beginning of Islam, for they were living a life of hardship and scarcity. When Allah granted conquests to the Muslims and their circumstances improved, women would have special garments to wear during their menses, separate from their other garments. It may be that what ‘A’ishah meant by “one garment” is a garment specifically for menses. There is nothing in the context to rule out the idea that she had other garments that she wore when she was not menstruating. That is also in harmony with the hadith of Umm Salamah in this regard.
If any menstrual blood got on the garment of one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), she would put some of her saliva on it, then scratch it with her fingernail. Then she would rub it and scratch it with her nail until the traces of blood were removed. It was said that she would do that, because this blood that was removed by scratching was little and could be overlooked. Hence she did not say here that she washed it with water. Similarly, she did not say that she prayed in this garment after removing the traces of blood by using her saliva and scratching it with her fingernail. Rather she used her saliva to remove the traces of blood, and she did not intend to purify the garment. There is a report from her in Sahih al-Bukhari which mentions washing the garment after scratching and rubbing it, and she says: “Then she may pray in it,” which indicates that when she wanted to pray in the garment, she would wash it so that she would be able to pray in it after that. .

314

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that a woman asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about doing ghusl to purify herself following her menses, and he told her how to do ghusl. He said: “Take a piece of cloth on which there is musk and purify yourself with it.” She said: How do I purify myself? He said: “Purify yourself with it.” She said: How? He said: “Subhan Allah! Purify yourself!” I pulled her to me and said: Follow the traces of blood with it..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught women how to purify themselves and do ghusl following their menses to remove the blood. He described how to do that in a refined and polite manner, to avoid any embarrassment. He taught all of that to his wives, so that they could teach it to the Muslim women.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that a woman – it was said that she was Asma’ bint Shakal, or that she was someone else – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him how she should do ghusl after her menses ended. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told her how to do ghusl, and instructed her to take a piece of wool or cotton on which there was some musk or perfume, then purify the site of the bleeding and where the blood had got to. But the woman did not understand what was meant, so she asked again how she should purify herself with this perfumed piece of cotton. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Subhan Allah! Purify yourself!” He was astonished that she did not know how to purify herself with it, when that was something obvious that no one should be unaware of. At that point, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) pulled her aside and brought her close to herself, and told her: Follow the traces of blood with it; apply it to your private part and anywhere else that the blood got onto, to clean it and remove the smell of menstrual blood.
This hadith highlights how modest and shy the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was, and how well-mannered he was.
It indicates that one should show shyness and embarrassment when speaking of private matters, especially when that is mentioned by men in the presence of women, or by women in the presence of men, and that one should use metaphors and euphemisms, and avoid mentioning them explicitly. One should show shyness and embarrassment if such things are mentioned, and avoid speaking of them explicitly.
It highlights the role of wise and knowledgeable women in conveying information and teaching other women..

318

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) has appointed an angel in charge of the womb, and he says: ‘O Lord, is it to be a nutfah (sperm drop)? O Lord, it is it to be a ‘alaqah (a piece of thick coagulated blood)? O Lord, is it to be a mudghah (chewed piece of flesh)?’ Then when Allah wants to complete its creation, he says: ‘Male or female? Doomed or blessed? What is his provision and lifespan?’ And it is decreed in his mother’s womb.”.

Commentary : Everything that Allah creates is already decreed and will be as He wants it to be. There is nothing that happens in His dominion except it happens by His decree and with His knowledge. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has appointed an angel over the womb, which is the place where the embryo develops, as mentioned in this hadith. When the nutfah (sperm drop) is formed, this angel says: O Lord, is it to be a nutfah? This is a question from the angel to the Lord (may He be glorified and exalted). In other words, is it to be a nutfah, so that I should write it, for no one knows what is in the wombs except Allah; rather the angel is appointed to keep a record and write things down. The same thing happens in the following stages: O Lord, is it to a ‘alaqah (a piece of thick coagulated blood)…? And so on. The word nutfah refers to the sperm when it meets the ovum of the woman and fertilizes it. This is the first stage in the development of a human being. When it becomes a ‘alaqah, the angel says: O Lord, is it to be a ‘alaqah? The ‘alaqah is a piece of congealed blood that hangs on the wall of the uterus. When it becomes a mudghah, the angel says: O Lord, is it to be a mudghah? The mudghah is a small piece of flesh, the size of what a man can chew in his mouth. Then when Allah (may He be exalted) wills to complete the creation of this person, the angel asks the Lord (may He be exalted): Male or female? Doomed or blessed? In other words: Will You create it as a male or a female? Will he be one of those who are doomed (destined for Hell) or one of those who are blessed (destined for Paradise)? Then he asks about his provision and lifespan, and he writes down all of that when the person is still in his mother’s womb.
This is indicative of the might and eternal knowledge of Allah, and how He decrees all the affairs of His creation. So the individual should be moderate and not exhaust himself in seeking worldly provision, for everyone will be enabled to follow the path for which he was created; the one who is to be one of the people of Paradise will do the deeds that will enable him to reach Paradise, and the one who is to be one of the people of Hell will choose, by his own free will, the deeds that will lead him to Hell. Allah (may He be glorified) guides those who are blessed to do that which is good and makes available to them the means to do these deeds, and He causes those who are doomed to do evil and has made available for them the means of doing those deeds. That is because Allah has made clear to all the path of good and the path of evil. Thus each person acts with insight and knowledge, and chooses whatever he wants. Whoever chooses to do the deeds of the people of Paradise, Allah will enable him to do that, then He will admit him to Paradise, and He knows from eternity that he will be one of its people. By the same token, whoever chooses to do the deeds of the people of Hell, Allah will leave him to his own devices, until He admits him to Hell on the Day of Resurrection, and He knows from eternity that he will do the deeds of the people of Hell.
However, this does not contradict the command to work and strive in this world in pursuit of provision, and to seek Paradise by doing righteous deeds. Rather what we may understand from this hadith is that we should be moderate in striving (to earn a living), and not grieve over what we miss out on. The individual should strive his utmost and compel himself to do righteous deeds, and he should not neglect striving on the grounds that he is relying on what has already been decided from eternity about what his destiny is.
This hadith indicates that the fate of every person is written and decreed when he is still a foetus in his mother’s womb, after he has been formed and his limbs and faculties have taken their final shape. .

321

It was narrated from Mu‘adhah that a woman said to ‘A’ishah: Is the prayer of one of us valid [if she makes up the prayers] after she becomes pure? She said: Are you a Haruri? We used to menstruate at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he did not instruct us to do that – or, we did not do that..

Commentary : The Haruris are the Kharijis; they first emerged in the region of Harura’, near Kufah in Iraq, two miles from Kufah (approx. 3.5 km), and were named after that place. They are the ones who denounced ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for accepting arbitration in his conflict with Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), then they fought him. They regarded the Muslims as disbelievers and believed it was permissible to shed their blood. Hence when this woman came to ask ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) whether a woman should make up her prayers when she becomes pure following her menses, ‘A’ishah said to her, objecting to that notion: Are you a Haruri? Meaning: are you one of this group of Kharijis? Because some of them used to tell the menstruating woman to make up her missed prayers, which was a sign of extreme tendencies in religious matters. Then she told her that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to menstruate at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) but he did not instruct them to make up missed prayers. This is a matter concerning which there is consensus among the Muslim scholars, that a woman who menstruates does not have to make up the prayers missed during her menses, because prayer is an obligation that is repeated on a daily basis, so there is no need to make it up. This is by way of making things easier for women, and not making things too difficult for them by requiring them to make up the prayers that they missed during their menses..

326

It was narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah said: We used not to regard the brownish and yellowish discharge as being of any significance..

Commentary : Menstrual blood has its own characteristics which women know. It is dark and thick blood that comes on certain days of every month. When this bleeding ceases, the woman should do ghusl and resume praying, as she has become pure. If she sees a yellowish or brownish discharge, or blood that is different from menstrual blood, after the time of her usual menses has ended – and this is what is known as istihadah (irregular bleeding) – she should not regard it as being of any significance, and it is deemed to not be menses. This is what the Sahabiyyah Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was speaking of when she said: We used not to regard the brownish and yellowish discharge as being of any significance. What is meant in this hadith by yellowish and brownish discharge is discharge that a woman may see, which may resemble pus with its yellowish colour. If the woman sees that outside of the days of her usual menses – as is clearly stated in the report narrated by Abu Dawud – she should not regard it as being of any significance, because they did not regard it as coming under the rulings on menses at the time of the Prophet (lessons and peace of Allah be upon him), so they did not stop praying or fasting because of it; rather a woman would do wudu’ for each prayer..

327

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that Umm Habibah suffered from istihadah for seven years. She asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, and he instructed her to do ghusl. And he said: “That is a vein.” And she used to do ghusl for every prayer..

Commentary : Menstrual bleeding is something normal and natural, which happens to women every month in most cases, lasting for a certain number of days each month, which a woman usually knows. That is in contrast to the bleeding of istihadah, which is bleeding that happens to a woman because of sickness or health problems. Hence it lasts longer than the usual duration of menses, and lasts longer than the maximum duration of menses. Some women continue to bleed without stopping. Any bleeding that lasts longer than menses is regarded as istihadah.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), suffered from istihadah, and her istihadah lasted for seven years. She asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) how she should purify herself in order to be able to pray and do other acts of worship, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed her to do ghusl after the days of her original menses had passed. He explained to her that that was bleeding from a vein and not the usual bleeding of menses. Based on that, the ruling for the woman who is suffering from istihadah is that she should do ghusl after the days of her usual menses have passed, and she should not pay any attention to the bleeding that does not stop after the time of her usual menses has ended, because that is the bleeding of istihadah. So she should do wudu’ for each prayer, and put something [like a cloth or pad] to protect herself from the blood, as is mentioned in the reports narrated by Abu Dawud and others from Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh (may Allah be pleased with him).
With regard to the words “she used to do ghusl for every prayer”, it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only instructed her to do ghusl following [the time of her normal] menses and resume prayer, and doing ghusl for every prayer was voluntary on her part. It was also said that what is by the phrase translated here as “do[ing] ghusl for every prayer” is simply washing off the blood that got onto her, because that comes under the heading of removing impurity (najasah), which is a condition of prayer being valid. And it was said that the ruling on doing ghusl that is mentioned in this hadith was abrogated by the hadith of Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh in which there is the command to do wudu’ for every prayer, not ghusl. The two hadiths may be reconciled by interpreting the instruction [to do ghusl] in the hadith of Umm Habibah as referring to something that was recommended (but not obligatory).
In this hadith, we see that istihadah does not prevent a woman from praying or doing other acts of worship..

329

It was narrated from Tawus that Ibn ‘Abbas said: A concession was granted to the menstruating woman [during Hajj] to leave [Makkah without doing the farewell tawaf] if she menstruates..

Commentary : The farewell tawaf is one of the actions of Hajj; it is the final tawaf that the pilgrim does before leaving Makkah.
In this report, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that if a woman gets her menses during Hajj and starts to bleed before doing the farewell tawaf, then she is granted a concession allowing her to omit it, and nothing further is required of her. The farewell tawaf is waived for the menstruating woman if she has already done tawaf al-ifadah, which is the essential tawaf of Hajj, as we see in this hadith, and she may depart and return to her homeland. This is one of the ways in which Islamic teachings make things easy for people..

330

Ibn ‘Umar used to say in the beginning that she should not depart, then I heard him saying that she may depart, for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession to women..

Commentary : The farewell tawaf is one of the actions of Hajj; it is the final tawaf that the pilgrim does before leaving Makkah.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tawus ibn Kaysan narrates that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to say, in the beginning, that if a woman gets her menses before doing the farewell tawaf, she should not return home until she becomes pure and does that tawaf. Then he changed his view, and said that she may depart and return home, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted women a concession to that effect. That applies if the woman has done tawaf al-ifadah, which is the essential tawaf of Hajj, before she menstruates; in that case she may depart and return to her homeland without doing the farewell tawaf. This is one of the ways in which Islamic teachings make things easy for people.
From this hadith we learn that if there are two conflicting views, then the view that is based on a religious text takes precedence..

332

It was narrated from Samurah ibn Jundub that a woman died after giving birth, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for her, and he stood in line with her middle..

Commentary : The funeral prayer that is offered for the deceased is a mercy from Allah to His slaves, because in this prayer the people offer supplication for the deceased and pray for forgiveness for him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to offer the funeral prayer for those of the Sahabah who died, both men and women, and he taught his ummah the Sunnahs and etiquettes that are required when offering the funeral prayer.
In this hadith, Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for a woman who died after giving birth. In al-Sahihayn, it says that she died during her nifas (post-partum bleeding). The deceased woman was Umm Ka‘b al-Ansariyyah, as named by Muslim in his report. After giving birth, a woman is in nifas. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for her because even though the woman who is bleeding following childbirth (nifas) is not allowed to pray, that does not prevent the funeral prayer being offered for her if she dies during that time. The same applies to menstrual bleeding; the funeral prayer may be offered for a menstruating woman if she dies during her menses. By the same token, the funeral prayer may be offered for one who is junub, if he dies. In each of these cases, the deceased should be washed and the funeral prayer offered for him or her. It may be that what is meant by the Arabic wording of the original text is that the woman died of a stomach disease; perhaps she experienced internal bleeding, or perhaps it came out through her private part like menstrual blood. So if a woman dies in such a case, she is to be washed and the funeral prayer is to be offered for her.
When offering the funeral prayer for a woman, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood in line with her middle and offered the prayer for her; that was so as to conceal the woman from the eyes of the worshippers behind him. This is in contrast to a man, as the Sunnah is to stand in line with his head..

333

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad said: I heard my maternal aunt Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), say that she would be menstruating and not praying, and that she would be lying down next to the place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would prostrate as he was praying on a small mat made of reeds. [She said:] When he prostrated, part of his garment touched me..

Commentary : There are rulings that apply to the menstruating woman, but it is not one of them that she should not touch anyone and no one should touch her, as was the practice of the Jews with their women. Islam honours women in all circumstances, and permits others to interact with the menstruating woman, eat with her, speak to her and so on.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), narrates that at the time of her menses, when she was bleeding, she would not pray at that time, but despite that she would be lying on the floor next to the place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated in his room. He would be praying on a small mat made of reeds that was used to protect the hands and face from the heat and cold of the ground, and when he prostrated, his garment would touch her. This indicates that the menstruating woman is not impure (najis). It also indicates that the garment she wears when menstruating is pure (tahir) and that she may be close to one who is praying, and that does not affect or interrupt his prayer. This is one of the ways in which Islam makes things easy for women in all circumstances, and one of the ways in which Islam honours women, especially at the time of menses..

334

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys, and when we were in al-Bayda’ or Dhat al-Jaysh, a necklace of mine broke. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) started to look for it, and the people helped him, but they were not at a watering place, so the people came to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and said: Do you not see what ‘A’ishah has done? She made the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people halt, and they are not at a watering place and they do not have any water with them. Abu Bakr came, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had put his head on my thigh and gone to sleep, and he said: You have detained the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people, and they are not at a watering place and they do not have any water with them. ‘A’ishah said: Abu Bakr rebuked me and said whatever Allah willed he should say, and he started to poke me in my side with his hand, and nothing prevented me from moving except the fact that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sleeping on my thigh. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up in the morning, and when he got up there was no water. Then Allah revealed the verse of tayammum, so they did tayammum. Usayd ibn al-Hudayr said: This is not the first of your blessings, O family of Abu Bakr. Then we made the camel that I had been riding stand up, and we found the necklace under it..

Commentary : Islam came to make things easy for people with regard to purification and wudu’, and it enjoins doing tayammum with clean earth and the like when water is not available, or one is unable to use it. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that they went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys; that was the campaign of Banul Mustaliq in 6 AH. Then when they were in al-Bayda’ or Dhat al-Jaysh, which are two places after Dhul Hulayfah, between Makkah and Madinah, a necklace of hers broke. It was made of Zafar beads, as is explained in other reports; they were Yemeni beads that were brought from Zafar on the coast. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted there to look for it, and the people halted with him, but they were not carrying water with them and there was no watering place in that location. So the people came to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to complain about what his daughter ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had done to them, as she was the reason why they had halted in that place where there was no water. According to a report in al-Sahihayn, the time for prayer came and they had no water with them, so they prayed, then they complained about that to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to her to rebuke her for that, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sleeping, resting his head on her thigh, using it as a pillow. This indicates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not worried, even though there was no water. It may be that he fell asleep before he knew that there was no water. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her, rebuking her: You have detained the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people, and delayed their travel! And he said whatever Allah willed he should say of rebukes, and he started poking ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in her side with his fingertips, so that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not be disturbed by that. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to get up and move away from him, and nothing prevented her from doing that except the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asleep, resting his head on her thigh. When morning came, he woke up and he needed to do wudu’, but he could not find any water at that time. Then Allah (may He be exalted) sent down the verse of tayammum that is in Surat al-Ma’idah: {[But if you] do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it} [al-Ma’idah 5:6]. The word tayammamu (seek clean earth) in the verse is either in the past tense, meaning that the people did tayammum because of this verse, or it is in the imperative form, so it is a command to do tayammum, as appears to be the case from the phrasing of the text. Allah revealed the words {then seek clean earth…}, and this is by way of making things easier for them; it was a concession allowing them to do tayammum if they could not find water. The verse explains how to do tayammum, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put it into practice in his Sunnah. The way it is done is by striking the hands once on some clean earth or clean dust, then wiping the face and hands. At this point, Usayd ibn Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is not the first of your blessings, O family of Abu Bakr, for your blessings are many, and this is one of them. Perhaps he was referring thereby to the incident of the slander (al-ifk).
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that after that, they made the camel that she had been riding stand up, and they found the lost necklace under it. It is as if Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) caused them to be delayed and made them stay in that place so that He might reveal to them a way of making things easier for them.
This hadith highlights the fact that tayammum is prescribed, and mentions the reason why it was prescribed.
It indicates that a father may rebuke her daughter even if she is grown-up and married.
It indicates that a woman may complain to her father, even if she has a husband.
It indicates that a man may visit his daughter, even if her husband is present, if he knows that her husband approves of it.
It indicates that women may wear jewellery and use necklaces so as to adorn themselves for their husbands.
It highlights the virtue of ‘A’ishah and that the Muslims were blessed many times through her. .

739

Abu Is'hāq reported: I asked Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd about what ‘Ā’ishah narrated to him regarding the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). She said: He would sleep in the earlier part of the night and stay awake in the latter part. Then, when he needed intercourse with his wife, he would fulfill his need and then sleep. When the first call was pronounced, she said: He jumped - and no by Allah, she did not say: He stood up - and poured water over himself - and no by Allah, she did not say: He took a bath, and I know what she meant - and if he was not sexually impure, he would perform ablution like a man's ablution for prayer and then offer two Rak‘ahs..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would offer Qiyām al-Layl in his house as much as Allah willed him to pray. The Companions - and the Tābi‘is after them - were keen on knowing the details of his worship and would inquire about the acts of worship that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform at home which they could not see.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Is'hāq as-Sabī‘i informs that he asked the Tābi‘i Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd about what ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had told him with regard to the voluntary prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the night. He told him that she had said: "He would sleep at the earlier part of the night" after the ‘Ishā’ prayer, in order to give his body its share of rest. And he would get up at the latter part of the night to fill it with prayer, Tahajjud, and Witr. This is the time in which Allah Almighty descends to the worldly heaven, as related in a Hadīth by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, in which Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted, descends every night to the worldly heaven when the last third of the night remains and says: ‘Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give him? Who seeks forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?'"
Then, when he finished his prayer in the night, he would fulfill his need for his wives, in case he had a need for them. In the version by An-Nasā’i: "he would go to his wife", which indirectly refers to copulation; and then he would then sleep. Thereafter, when the time of Fajr came and he heard the Adhān - the first call - he would 'jump' i.e., he would get up in a quick and active manner, and he would pour water over himself, taking a ritual bath if he was sexually impure from the copulation with his wives. In case he was not sexually impure, he would only make ablution and then offer two Rak‘ahs as the Sunnah of Fajr.
By his words: "No by Allah, she did not say: He stood up" and "No by Allah, she did not say: He took a bath, and I know what she meant", the narrator means that he conveyed the very words said by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), which are: "and he poured water over himself"; and she did not say: "He took a bath". And he knows that by "he poured water", she meant: He took a bath. This shows his care and meticulousness in conveying what he heard as he heard it, not by its meaning.
The Hadīth indicates that a sexually impure person may sleep without performing ablution.
It shows the interest in worship and the active engagement in it, as denoted by the words "he jumped"..

740

‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night until his last prayer would be the Witr..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer Qiyām al-Layl in his house as much as Allah willed him to pray. The Companions were keen on knowing the details of his worship and would inquire about the acts of worship that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform at home which they could not see.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer Qiyām al-Layl for part of the night and would pray two Rak‘ahs at a time, and the last prayer he would perform was the Witr, whose time ends with the rise of dawn. When the dawn rose, there would be no Witr, even between the Adhān of Fajr and its Iqāmah.
There are various forms and ways of the Prophet's performance of Witr, as well as the number of its Rak‘ahs. Based on all of them, it becomes apparent that Witr can be three, five, seven, nine, or eleven Rak‘ahs. If he observed Witr as three Rak‘ahs, this would have two legitimate ways: First: He would offer the three Rak‘ahs consecutively with one Tashahhud. Second: He would make Taslīm after two Rak‘ahs and then offer one Rak‘ah as Witr. But when he observed Witr as five or seven Rak‘ahs, he would offer them all together, with only one Tashahhud and Taslīm at the end. And when he observed Witr as nine Rak‘ahs, he would offer them all together and sit for Tashahhud at the eighth Rak‘ah and then stand up without Taslīm, and he would say Tashahhud in the ninth Rak‘ah and make Taslīm. When he observed Witr as eleven Rak‘ahs, he would make Taslīm after every two Rak‘ahs and then conclude them with one Rak‘ah. The minimum of what is valid and sufficient in terms of Witr is to perform two Rak‘ahs and make Taslīm and then perform one Rak‘ah and make Taslīm; and it is permissible to make one Taslīm, but with one Tashahhud, not two.
The Hadīth indicates that the last prayer at night should be Witr..

746

Zurārah reported: Sa‘d ibn Hishām ibn ‘Āmir wanted to fight for the sake of Allah. So, he came to Madīnah and wanted to sell some real estate that belonged to him there, allocate it for arms and horses, and conduct Jihad against the Romans until he dies. When he came to Madīnah, he met a group of people from Madīnah, who forbade him from doing so. They informed him that a group of six people wanted to do that during the lifetime of the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), yet the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them. He said: Is there not a role model for you in me?! When they narrated that to him, he took back his wife, whom he had divorced, and he brought witnesses to her return. He came to Ibn ‘Abbās and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Ibn ‘Abbās said: Shall I direct you to the most knowledgeable one among the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Who? He said: ‘Ā’ishah. Go to her and ask her and then come to me and tell me about her response to you. So, I headed to her. I met Hakīm ibn Aflah and asked him to take me to her. He said: I would not come close to her, for I forbade her from saying anything about these two groups, but she refused and decided to engage in that. He said: I adjured him by Allah. As a result, he came, and we headed to ‘Ā’ishah. We asked her for permission to enter. She gave us permission, and we entered her place. She said: Are you Hakīm? She recognized him. He said: Yes. She said: Who is with you? He said: Sa‘d ibn Hishām. She said: Who is Hishām? He said: Ibn ‘Āmir. She invoked Allah's mercy upon him and spoke well of him. Qatādah said: He was wounded during the battle of ’Uhud. I said: O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). She said: Do you not recite the Qur’an? I said: Yes. She said: Indeed, the character of the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the Qur’an. He said: I resolved to get up and not ask anyone about anything till I die; then a thought came to me, and I said: Tell me about the Qiyām (late-night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). She said: Do you not recite: {O you the enwrapped one}? I said: Yes. She said: Indeed, Allah Almighty prescribed Qiyām al-Layl at the start of this Surah. So, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions performed Qiyām for one year. And Allah held back its concluding portion for twelve months in heaven, till Allah sent down alleviation at the concluding verses of this Surah. Consequently, Qiyām al-Layl became optional after being obligatory. He said: I said: O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). She said: We used to prepare for him his tooth stick and water for his ablution, and Allah would resurrect him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, perform ablution, and offer nine Rak‘ahs, without sitting in them except in the eighth one; he would remember Allah, praise Him, and supplicate Him, and then get up without making Taslīm and offer the ninth Rak‘ah. Then, he would sit, remember Allah, praise Him, supplicate Him, and then make Taslīm loud enough for us to hear. Then, he would offer two Rak‘ahs after Taslīm while he was sitting. These are eleven Rak‘ahs, O young son. When the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) grew old and put on weight, he would observe Witr with seven and do in the two Rak‘ahs as he had done formerly. These are nine, O young son. When the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered a prayer, he liked to offer it on a persistent basis. But if he missed Qiyām al-Layl due to sleep or illness, he would perform twelve Rak‘ahs during the daytime. I am not aware that the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited the whole Qur’an in a night, prayed for a night till the morning, or fasted a whole month other than Ramadan. He said: Then I headed to Ibn ‘Abbās and told him her Hadīth. He said: She spoke the truth. If I could come close to her or visit her, I would certainly go to her so that she would verbally narrate it to me. He said: I said: If I had known you would not enter her place, I would not have narrated her Hadīth to you. [And in a version]: He divorced his wife and then headed to Madīnah to sell his real estate, and he related a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer Qiyām al-Layl in his house as much as Allah willed him to pray. The Companions - and the Tābi‘is after them - were keen on knowing the details of his worship and would inquire about the acts of worship that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform at home which they could not see.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Zurārah ibn Awfa al-Harashi al-Basri relates that the Tābi‘i Sa‘d ibn Hishām ibn ’Umayyah al-Ansāri wanted to completely devote himself to the campaign and Jihad in the cause of Allah. So, he divorced his wife and came to Madīnah, and he was then in Basrah, residing there along with his father, the Companion Hishām ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him). He wanted to sell some real estate - and real estate is an immovable object, like a piece of land or a house. It may also refer to possessions - and purshase with their proceeds weapons, like a sword, spear, and bow, and horses, to engage in Jihad against the Romans till he would die in that state. Apparently, he sought celibacy and asceticism from worldly life.
When he came to Madīnah, he met a group from among the people of Madīnah. Having known what he intended to do, they forbade him from it, and told him that a group of six people had wanted to do the same as he intended - to divorce their wives and sell their possessions to engage in the campaign during the Prophet's lifetime - yet the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them and said: "Is there not a role model for you in me?!" i.e., a good example for you to follow?! Sa‘d ibn Hishām acted upon the advice given to him by those people. So, he took back his wife. A man can take back his wife if he divorced her for the first or second time and her waiting period is yet to end. He brought witnesses to her return as a wife to him, which he did in compliance with the verse that reads: {Then when they have approached the end of their waiting period, either retain them honorably or part with them honorably. Call two just men from among yourselves as witnesses.} [Surat at-Talāq: 2]
Thereafter, Sa‘d went to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Witr is the last prayer a Muslim observes after performing the supererogatory Qiyām al-Layl, the best voluntary act of worship to be performed by a Muslim. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Shall I direct you to the most knowledgeable one among the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?" Meaning, that the best one to tell you about it from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and who is more knowledgeable about it than others, though Witr is a famous act that is known to the knowledgeable and others. However, since Sa‘d particularly linked his question to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), it was more appropriate that specialists should provide the answer, as long as they were present. So, Sa‘d asked him about that person. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her). And he instructed him to go and pose his question to her and then return and tell him about her response and answer. Indeed, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was more knowledgeable about that because Witr is a night prayer that is performed at home. So, the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them) had more knowledge about it, and the foremost among them was ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), given her great keenness to memorize the traditions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
So, Sa‘d dashed off and went to her, as he was ordered by Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him). On his way, he passed by the Tābi‘i Hakīm ibn Aflah. He asked him to accompany him and go with him to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Ibn Aflah said: "I would not come close to her" i.e., I do not want to be near her and will not go with you to her. "for I forbade her from saying anything about these two groups" i.e., the two factions, which refers to the group of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and the group of Az-Zubayr ibn al-‘ِAwwām and Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullāh (may Allah be pleased with both of them). The meaning: I forbade her from getting in this occurring war; but she refused and did not comply, and she insisted on going ahead with what she wanted. She sided with the opponents of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in the battle of the Camel.
Sa‘d informed that he adjured him by Allah and appealed to him to go to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Hakīm agreed, and they went together to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). They asked her for permission to enter. ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) gave them permission to enter. She asked the one who entered: Are you Hakīm? She recognized him, probably by his voice when he greeted her. In response, Hakīm said: Yes. She asked him about the one accompanying him. Hakīm told her that he was Sa‘d ibn Hishām. She asked about who Hishām was. Hakīm informed her that he was Hishām ibn ‘Āmir ibn ’Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Thereupon, she invoked Allah's mercy upon ‘Āmir and spoke well of him. In another version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection: "What an excellent man ‘Āmir was." ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who were martyred and killed in the battle of ’Uhud, in the third Hijri year.
Sa‘d asked her: O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). She said to Sa‘d: "Do you not recite the Qur’an?" This is an affirmative question, for she knew he was one of those who recited the Qu’an. He replied: Yes. i.e., he was one of those who recited the Qur’an. So, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to him: "She said: Indeed, the character of the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the Qur’an," i.e., he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) assumed all the noble manners enjoined in the Qur’an and abided by them, and he avoided all that is prohibited therein. So, his character was to act upon it, stop at its limits, adopt its ethics, and take lessons from its examples and stories.
Then, Sa‘d informed that he thought to himself that he would leave her place and depart and never ask anyone about anything of the Prophet's character till he died, for she comprehensively described to him the Prophet's noble manners and good morals. She referred him to the noble Qur’an which comprises all excellent attributes. So, he could explore the Prophet's character from it, generally and specifically. Thus, nothing of his manners would remain for him to need to ask about.
After he resolved to leave the place of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), he entertained the idea of asking her about the Qiyām al-Layl of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his supererogatory worship during the night. As he asked her to tell him about that, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him: "Do you not recite: {O you the enwrapped one}?" i.e., the whole Surah. He replied that he recited it. She said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty prescribed" i.e., He ordained the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions to perform "Qiyām al-Layl in the start of this Surah." This occurs in the verse that reads: {Stand up in prayer at night except a little.} [Surat al-Muzzammil: 2] As a result, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions prayed during the night for a whole year. In the version by Abu Dāwūd: "till their feet became swollen." And Allah Almighty held back with Him the concluding portion of this Surah - which contains alleviation and facilitation by prescribing the recitation of as much of the Qur’an as is easy - for twelve months in the heaven, till Allah sent down alleviation at the end of this Surah, in the verse that reads: {Indeed, your Lord knows that you [O Prophet] stand up in prayer for nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, as do others among your companions. Allah determines the night and the day; He knows that you [Muslims] cannot keep an accurate count of it, so He pardoned you. Recite then as much of the Qur’an as is easy for you [in the night prayers]. He knows that there are some among you who will be ill, and others traveling in the land, seeking the grace of Allah, and others fighting in Allah’s way. So recite as much of it as is easy for you; establish prayer and give Zakah; and lend to Allah a goodly loan. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah, much better in condition and much greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah, for indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.} [Surat al-Muzzammil: 20] Consequently, Qiyām al-Layl became optional after being obligatory.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) was disputed over the period between the revelation of the beginning of the verse and the revelation of its end. It is said: After ten years, which is apparently correct view, for the Surah is a Makkan one, and it was one of the first verses of the Qur’an to be revealed, except for the two concluding verses of it, which were revealed in Madīnah.
Then, Sa‘d ibn Hishām asked her about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), the manner of its performance, and the number of its Rak‘ahs. She (may Allah be pleased with her) told him that they used to prepare for him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) his tooth stick and the water for his ablution, so that he would perform ablution after getting up from sleep. This is because he used to sleep after the ‘Ishā’ prayer and then "Allah would resurrect him". She used the word 'resurrect' because sleep is similar to death. In other words, He would awaken him from sleep. So, he would use the tooth stick, make ablution, and offer nine connected Rak‘ahs without sitting or making Taslīm therein except in the eighth Rak‘ah, after which he would sit for Tashahhud, and "he would remember Allah" i.e., he would say Tashahhud, and praise Allah, ascribing to Him the attributes of perfection that befit Him, and supplicate Him and ask Him for the fulfillment of his needs. Then, he would rise from the eighth Rak‘ah, without making Taslīm thereafter, and offer the ninth Rak‘ah. Then, he would sit for Tashahhud and remember Allah and praise and supplicate Him in his Tashahhud. Then, he would make Taslīm after the ninth Rak‘ah in a way loud enough for them to hear. Then, he would offer two Rak‘ahs while sitting, before dawn. In Hadīths in the Two Sahīh Collections and numerous other well-known Hadīths, it is enjoined to make Witr the last prayer at night. 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 dawn, this was to demonstrate the permissibility of praying after the Witr, and they were not offered on a constant basis. Indeed, what he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did persistently was to observe the Witr.
Then, she (may Allah be pleased with her) informed Sa‘d that these mentioned Rak‘ahs, the nine and the two, amount to a total of eleven Rak‘ahs. She addressed him by "O young son" by way of compassion and gentleness. She also told him that when the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) grew old and put on weight more than he had in most of his life, he would observe Witr with seven Rak‘ahs and would do in the two Rak‘ahs as he had formerly done, i.e., he would offer them after making Taslīm from the seven Rak‘ahs while sitting. These seven Rak‘ahs along with the two Rak‘ahs are nine.
Then, she informed him that when the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered a prayer, he would like to offer it on a persistent basis. And if he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was prevented by sleep or illness from Qiyām al-Layl, he would perform twelve Rak‘ahs during the daytime, in return for the Qiyām al-Layl he missed during the night. This points out that he used to perform it on a regular and persistent basis. The Hadīth does not explicitly indicate that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) missed the Witr; rather, he apparently did not miss it. He missed Qiyām al-Layl only, apart from the Witr. It also apparently indicates that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to observe the Witr by way of precaution if he thought that he would be unable to get up for the supererogatory prayer.
Thereafter, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informed that she was not aware that the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited the whole Qur’an in a night, prayed for a night till the morning, or fasted a whole month other than Ramadan. This all shows the Prophet's approach of facilitation and that he used to perform worship in accordance with his capacity and ability, by way of teaching his Ummah.
Sa‘d ibn Hishām said that he returned to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) and narrated to him the Hadīth of ‘Ā’ishah. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) "spoke the truth" in what she narrated to you. He also informed him that if he could visit her and talk to her, he would certainly go to her so that she would narrate this Hadīth to him, directly. Sa‘d said to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): "If I had known that you would not visit her, I would not have narrated her Hadīth to you." He said that to rebuke him for refraining from visiting her and to recompense him for that by depriving him of the benefit, which would force him to visit her. The abandonment of talk with her was probably because of the dispute that took place between both of them over ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with them), or because of something else.
The Hadīth indicates that it was part of the Prophet's guidance to use the tooth stick upon getting up from sleep.
It points out the merit of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and her knowledge of the Prophet's conditions.
It includes doing justice and acknowledging the merit of those who are meritorious, as well as modesty.
A Muslim may be honored by mentioning the merits of his father and invoking Allah's mercy upon him.
A person should be gentle with himself and engage in worship moderately and refrain from deep engrossment in it.
The Hadīth shows the Prophet's care about the Witr prayer.
When a knowledgeable person is asked about something and he knows that someone else has more knowledge about it, he is recommended to direct the questioner to him, for indeed religion is sincere advice..

746

‘Ā’ishah reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did some act, he would do it persistently, and when he slept at night or fell sick, he would offer twelve Rak‘ahs during the daytime. She said: I did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray a whole night till the morning, nor did he observe fast for a whole month consecutively except that of Ramadan..

Commentary : The Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to observe the Prophet's conditions day and night, as an observer and questioner. So, she became well aware of his guidance and Sunnah and taught it to those who came after her and those who asked her about his conditions (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "did some act, he would do it persistently" i.e., he would perfect it and do it regularly. "and when he slept at night or fell sick", and there was a reason preventing him from performing Qiyām al-Layl, "he would offer twelve Rak‘ahs during the daytime", i.e., he would make up for Qiyām al-Layl during the daytime, in return for the prayer he missed during the night. This points out that he used to perform it on a regular and persistent basis. She did not mention the Witr because he did not make up for it; it seems that he did not miss it. Perhaps if something arose and would prompt him to miss Qiyām al-Layl, he would hasten to observe Witr, performing it at the earlier part of the night, and delay the other prayer and make up for it during the daytime.
Then, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informed that it was not part of the Prophet's guidance to perform Qiyām al-Layl for the whole night; rather, he would sleep for part of the night and pray for some part of it; and that he did not fast a whole month other than the month of Ramadan, and this is because it is the month of obligatory fasting. Mentioning it is intended to negate other months, meaning that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not fast a whole month on a voluntary basis; rather, he used to fast some days every month of the year and would not fast a whole month except for Ramadan; lest such a fast might be thought to be obligatory. This all shows the Prophet's approach of facilitation and that he used to perform worship in accordance with his capacity and ability, by way of teaching his Ummah.
The Hadīth indicates that one may make up for Qiyām al-Layl during the daytime.
It also mentions that Qiyām al-Layl performed during the daytime is Shaf‘ (even-numbered)..

747

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever sleeps and fails to recite his hizb (usual portion of the Qur'an, dhikr, or prayer), or part of it, and then recites it between the Fajr prayer and the Zhuhr prayer, it will be recorded for him as if he recited it during the night.".

Commentary : Out of Allah's grace towards His believing servants, He prescribed for them dispensations with which they can make up for the missed acts of worship - obligatory and voluntary.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) points out that "Whoever sleeps and fails to recite his hizb or part of it" at night, as established in another version narrated by An-Nasā’i: "Whoever sleeps and fails to recite his hizb at night" i.e., he is overcome by sleep or gets prevented from it by a valid reason, yet he had the intention to do it. Hizb: The portion to which a person commits himself as a habit that he engages in voluntarily, like recitation of the Qur'an, dhikr, and prayer. Allah, out of His grace, gives him plenty of time. So, if he "recites it between the Fajr prayer and the Zhuhr prayer" i.e., he makes up for it during this time, because this is a good length of time during which a person can compensate for what he has missed in the night. Also, this is probably intended to encourage him to do it, for this is a time connected to the latter part of the night without separation between them save for the Fajr prayer. As recompense, the full reward will be added to his record of deeds as if he has done it at its usual time. Here is a slight manifestation of Allah's gentleness towards His servant, who perpetuates a certain condition of goodness. If anything arises from him that changes this condition, Allah bestows His favor upon him and does not detract from his reward, as if he has done it by virtue of his good and sincere intention.
In the Hadīth: Urging people to make up for the missed supererogatory worship, lest they may get used to abandoning any of the act of worship altogether if they miss it
And in it: The legitimacy of adopting a regular portion of worship at night
And in it: The legitimacy of making up for the regular portion of worship at night if it is missed due to sleep or some other excuse.

748

Al-Qāsim ash-Shaybāni related that Zayd ibn Arqam reported that he saw some people pray in the forenoon and he said: "They definitely knew that praying at other than this hour is better, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: The prayer of the oft-returning to Allah is when weaned camels are bitten by excessive heat.'".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the Tābi‘is (may Allah have mercy upon them) were the keenest among people seeking the Prophet's guidance. This was for them to learn his guidance and Sunnah and then teach it to those who came after them and to those who asked them about the Prophet's circumstances concerning his prayer, Qiyām al-Layl, voluntary worship, and so on.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Al-Qāsim ibn ‘Awf ash-Shaybāni relates that the Companion Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) saw some people praying in the forenoon. - And in a version by Ahmad: "He saw some people praying in the Qubā’ Mosque in the forenoon" [Duha prayer] - and they were praying it at the time of sunrise, as related in another version by Ahmad. So, Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They definitely knew that praying at an hour other than this one is better." In other words, their performance of the Duha prayer at this time is not preferred, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer of the oft-returning to Allah," i.e., those who obey Allah, glorify Him, and often turn to Him in repentance and sincerity in worship. Their prayer "is when weaned camels are bitten by excessive heat" i.e., when the hooves of weaned camels burn due to the extreme heat of sand caused by exposure to the sun. Weaned camels are young camels, and he singled them out because their hooves burn before the end of extreme heat, given the tenderness of the skin of their hooves. They separate from their mothers at the beginning of extreme heat, and they let them go. This happens at the latter time. So, prayer at this time is better, for people's souls are inclined to rest and comfort during this time, and this is one of the prayers whose performance is recommended to be delayed.
In the Hadīth: The merit of performing the Duha prayer at the latter time.
And in it: Indicating to seize the opportunity to perform worship and engage in acts of obedience to Allah during the times of comfort, calm, and rest..

753

Abu Mijlaz reported: I asked Ibn ‘Abbās about Witr, and he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "One Rak‘ah at the end of the night.".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the Tābi‘is (may Allah have mercy upon them) were the keenest among people on seeking the Prophet's guidance. This was for them to learn his guidance and Sunnah and then teach it to those who came after them and to those who asked them about the Prophet's circumstances concerning his prayer, Qiyām al-Layl, voluntary worship, and so on.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Mijlaz Lāhiq ibn Humayd informs that he asked Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Witr prayer, the number of its Rak‘ahs, and the best time for performing it. In response to him, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "One Rak‘ah at the end of the night", i.e., its minimum is one Rak‘ah at the end of the night. This one Rak‘ah which a person offers at the end turns all the prayers he has performed during the night into Witr (odd-numbered), after they were Shaf‘ (even-numbered). The last part of the night is the last time to pray Witr, which is shortly before dawn. It is related in another version by Muslim: "Indeed, prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels)"; as the angels of mercy witness it. This prayer occurs at the time of Sahar (shortly before dawn), when Allah descends to the worldly heaven in a way that befits His majesty; and that is better.
There are various forms and ways of the Prophet's performance of Witr, as well as the number of its Rak‘ahs. Based on all of them, it becomes apparent that Witr can be one, three, five, seven, nine, or eleven Rak‘ahs.
The Hadīth mentions that the minimum of Witr is one Rak‘ah.
It indicates that the last time for praying Witr is the latter part of the night.
It also demonstrates the facilitation with regard to this prayer, as it is sufficient to observe it as one Rak‘ah..

754

Abu Sa‘īd reported: They asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the Witr (odd) prayer, and he said: "Perform the Witr prayer before the morning.".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were the most keen among people to seek the Prophet's guidance and observe his circumstances, by watching and asking, so as to learn his guidance and Sunnah, including his prayer, Qiyām al-Layl, voluntary worship, and so on. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach them the obligatory and supererogatory prayers and their etiquettes and the best times for performing them. Also, he would guide them to the highest level of worship and the minimum amount of what is sufficient in it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said that some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the Witr prayer and its time, so he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perform the Witr prayer before the morning." In other words, perform the Witr prayer before the coming of the time of the obligatory prayer of the morning. Morning here refers to the true dawn. This indicates that the Witr prayer is to be performed at the end of the night prayer, and its time extends until the rise of dawn. When the dawn rises, no Witr can be performed, even between the Adhān and iqāmah of the Fajr prayer.
In the Hadīth: The time for the Witr prayer ends before the Fajr prayer.
And in it: Indication that delaying the Witr prayer is better..

755

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If anyone fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him offer the Witr prayer at its beginning, and if anyone expects to wake up at its end, let him offer the Witr prayer at the end of the night. Indeed, prayer at the end of the night is witnessed, and that is better." Abu Mu‘āwiyah said: "In a version: attended.".

Commentary : In this Hadīth, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If anyone fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him offer the Witr prayer at its beginning," i.e., whoever fears that he may not wake up at the latter part of the night to perform the Witr prayer should perform it before he sleeps." And if anyone expects to wake up at its end, let him offer the Witr prayer at the end of the night," i.e., whoever knows from his condition that he will be able to get up at the latter part of the night should perform the Witr at the end of the night. "Indeed, prayer at the end of the night is witnessed," i.e., prayer at the end of the night is witnessed by the angels of mercy, as this prayer is offered at the latter part of the night before dawn at the time when Allah descends in a way that befits His majesty and that is better," i.e., the time at the end of the night is better for him than its beginning. Abu Mu‘āwiyah - one of the narrators - said: 'attended' i.e., attended by the angels of the night and the day.
In the Hadīth: The preferability of Witr at the end of the night
And in it: Some times are more meritorious than others.
And in it: Prayer at the end of the night is attended and witnessed by the angels of mercy.

756

Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best prayer is the prolonged qunūt (standing in prayer).".

Commentary : Prayer is the mainstay of religion, and it is the main pillar of Islam that every Muslim must fulfill without any excuse. The Prophet's comfort was provided through prayer. Therefore, he used to perform a lot of supererogatory prayers, to the extent that he would offer Qiyām al-Layl until his feet would swell due to his prolonged standing before Allah Almighty, reciting, supplicating, showing humility, and imploring Allah.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that the best thing regarding prayer, in general, is the long qunūt, which refers to the prolonged standing in prayer for recitation. It is explicitly mentioned in a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd, in which ‘Abdullāh ibn Habashi al-Khath‘ami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Which deed is the best?" He said: "The prolonged standing." Qunūt may also refer to supplication, humility, and subservience before Allah Almighty. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do that, especially during supererogatory prayers and Qiyām al-Layl. He would pause at every verse and would not go past any verse containing a supplication without supplication with it, or a punishment without seeking the refuge of Allah Almighty from it, and so on.
An obligatory prayer - even if it does not include prolonged standing, recitation, and supplication - is better than a supererogatory prayer that contains such prolongation. This is because Allah Almighty ordained the obligatory prayer and fixed a certain time and a number of Rak‘ahs for it, and He punishes those who abandon it. It is also because it was commanded that the obligatory prayer be offered in congregation and in a brief manner, in consideration of those who are sick, those who are in need, and so on. As for the supererogatory and voluntary prayer, a person can prolong it as much as he is able to. Thus, every prayer retains its advantage and merit.
In the Hadīth: The merit of prolonged qunūt and standing for recitation in prayer, along with humility and supplication.

757

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "There is an hour at night during which no Muslim man happens to be asking Allah for the goodness of this world or the Hereafter except that He will give it to him, and this occurs every night.".

Commentary : There are times in the night during which people's souls become peaceful, worship becomes more pleasant, and supplications are answered. Allah Almighty distinguished these times by bestowing greater bounty upon His servants during them and giving abundant goodness to those who ask for it.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that "there is an hour at night", which is a specific time. The use of the indefinite article before it denotes its significance, that it should be looked out for, and that the opportunity should be seized to catch it. It is an obscure hour like the hour on Friday. It was said: It is most likely to occur at the last third of the night, in which Allah Almighty descends to the heaven of the world, in a way that befits His majesty and does not resemble the descent of the created beings, and says, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections: "Who supplicates to Me so that I may respond to him?" And it was said: The wisdom behind concealing it is to urge people to strive exceedingly to fulfill the objective all night long, not to limit the worship to a certain time to the exclusion of others, and not to lose hope for missing the advantage.
During this hour, no Muslim man happens to be - and the word 'man' includes males and females - supplicating to Allah and asking for the goodness of this world and the Hereafter except that He will respond to him and grant his request. Goodness refers to all that is beneficial, on a prompt or delayed basis and in terms of religious or worldly affairs, and for which a person will not be blamed in the Hereafter.
The existence of this hour is constant every night, all the time. This does not particularly apply to some nights. Rather, it exists in all of them—out of Allah's great bounty and abundant giving.
In the Hadīth: Urging supplication during the night, the pursuit of this hour therein, and working diligently in it.
And in it: Establishing the existence of the hour of answered supplications every night..

759

Abu Hurayrah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to encourage the performance of Qiyām in Ramadan, without vehemently enjoining them to do so. He would say: "Whoever performs Qiyām during Ramadan, out of faith and in pursuit of reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away while this was the case, and then it remained like that during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and the earlier part of the caliphate of ‘Umar..

Commentary : Ramadan is the best month, and performing Qiyām during its nights is a sublime act. So, whoever performs Qiyām during the entire Ramadan and stays awake in its nights for worship, out of desire for reward from Allah Almighty, without regarding it as burdensome or boring, will have his sins forgiven.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to perform Qiyām during the nights of Ramadan. Yet, he did not enjoin them to do so by way of obliging, and he did not impose it upon them. Vehemently: denotes resolve to make something happen. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "Whoever performs Qiyām during Ramadan, out of faith and in pursuit of reward from Allah" i.e., out of belief in the merit of these nights and the virtue of the good deeds performed therein, and in pursuit of Allah's pleasure and out of desire for being rewarded by Him, Exalted be He. Whoever does that, it is hoped that Allah will forgive his past sins. The recompense is expressed in the past tense in Arabic, even though the forgiveness will happen in the future, to denote certainty and assurance about its occurrence, as a favor from Allah Almighty upon His servants. Thus, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged his Ummah to do good and righteous deeds, which lead to the expiation of sins and the increase of their rewards.
Then, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away "while this was the case" i.e., the people refrained from praying behind one Imām in the Tarāwīh prayer. Rather, they would pray individually and separately; some would pray in the early part of the night, while others would pray in the latter part; and some would pray at home, while others would pray in the mosque, either because they were observing i‘tikāf (retirement in the mosque) or they belonged to the people of As-Suffah, or due to some other reason. This continued to be the case throughout the caliphate of Abu Bakr and during the early phase of the caliphate of ‘Umar. Then, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered them behind one Imām and appointed ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) as their Imām, and he led them in congregational prayer. It continued to be performed congregationally.
‘Umar's action follows the Prophet's action when he led people in this prayer once; yet he did not repeat that for fear that it might be made obligatory for them. Then, when this reason ceased to exist with the death of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the revelation stopped, ‘Umar held that it was more appropriate for them to offer it in a congregation as they had done during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
This falls under the legitimate Ijtihād (independent reasoning), for it has a basis in the religion upon which it relies and from which it stems. As for the illegitimate Bid‘ah (religious innovation), it has no basis in the religion or proof upon which it relies.
The Hadīth urges the performance of Qiyām during Ramadan and demonstrates its merit.
It shows the good understanding and judgment of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the religious interests of Muslims, as he also displayed good judgment regarding their worldly interests..

762

Zirr ibn Hubaysh reported: I asked ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, saying: "Your brother ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd says: 'Whoever performs Qiyām all the year long will reach Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree).' He said: "May Allah have mercy upon him. He wanted the people not to be passively reliant. Indeed, he knew that it occurs in Ramadan, that it occurs in the last ten days, and that it is the twenty-seventh night." Then, he swore - without exception - that it is the twenty-seventh night. I said: "Based on what do you say that, O Abu al-Mundhir?" He said: "On the sign - or the mark - which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed us about that it (the sun) rises on that day with no rays.".

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr occupies great status and significance. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) held it in high regard and commanded us to seek it and perform Qiyām al-Layl therein out of faith and in pursuit of reward from Allah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) determined that it occurs on the odd-numbered nights within the last ten days of Ramadan and mentioned certain signs that point to it.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Zirr ibn Hubaysh relates that he asked ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) about the statement by ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) to the effect that whoever performs Qiyām all year long will certainly reach Laylat al-Qadr on one of its nights. He did not specify this night for them. It is understood from this statement that he thought it to be an obscure night that moves throughout the year and is not limited to Ramadan.
When 'Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that, he supplicated so that Allah shows mercy to Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him), and that was the supplication of someone who knew the intent of the statement made by Ibn Mas‘ūd, and by way of presenting an excuse for him. Then, he explained that Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him), by his statement, intended to deter people from abandoning Qiyām al-Layl and instead waiting for Laylat al-Qadr; so, they would perform Qiyām al-Layl only on this night or neglect to perform Qiyām on the other nights of the year; and thus the wisdom behind obscurity, for which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was made to forget it, would be missed. So, he wanted to prompt the people to diligently seek this night by performing Qiyām al-Layl a lot.
Then, 'Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) was aware that it occurs in Ramadan, that it occurs within the last ten days, and that it is the twenty-seventh night. Then, ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) took a solemn oath, without saying thereafter: if Allah wills, "that it is the twenty-seventh night". ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) assured that Laylat al-Qadr is the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan and swore emphatically about that.
Thereupon, Zirr ibn Hubaysh: What is your proof for that, O Abu al-Mundhir? This is the surname of ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him). ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: The sign - or the mark - which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed us about, namely that the sun rises in the next morning of this night with no rays. Rather, it is pure and no extended rays are seen for it. So, its light spreads without rays, as the moon gives light without rays. The rays of the sun are what you see in sunlight that resembles ropes and rods coming towards you, when you look at it.
There is a difference of opinion over specifying Laylat al-Qadr. According to the opinion more likely to be correct, it occurs on the odd-numbered nights during the last ten days, as demonstrated by the pure Sunnah. Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty kept it hidden from the people so that they diligently seek it within these nights, and engage in a lot of worship that brings them benefit.
The Hadīth points out that some of the Companions would adopt the approach of resolve to reach their objectives.
It informs that one of the signs of Laylat al-Qadr is that the sun rises in the next morning of this night with no rays..

763

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: I spent one night in the house of my maternal aunt Maymūnah bint al-Hārith. I said to her: "Awaken me when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stands up." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up, and I stood on his left side. He took hold of my hand and made me stand on his right side, and whenever I dozed off, he would take hold of my earlobe. He said: He offered eleven Rak‘ahs. Then, he sat with his legs drawn and wrapped in his garment and slept so that I could hear his breathing while asleep. And when the dawn became apparent to him, he offered two short Rak‘ahs..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to know the Prophet's worship in detail and used to ask about the acts of worship the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform at home which they could not see. Some of them would seek to learn about that by virtue of their bond and kinship with the noble Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him); one of those was ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās, the cousin of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the nephew of his wife Maymūnah (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he spent one night in the house of his maternal aunt, the Mother of the Believers Maymūnah bint al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with her). This night was her turn with the noble Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said to his maternal aunt (may Allah be pleased with her): "Awaken me when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stands up" for prayer at night; out of his keenness to follow the Prophet's condition in Qiyām al-Layl. After a part of the night had passed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for prayer. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and performed ablution like that of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as related in the Two Sahīh Collections. Then, he stood on the left side of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his hands from behind his back and made him stand on his right side. This demonstrates how the Imām and the one led in prayer should stand in a congregational prayer offered by two persons. Whenever Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) dozed off during the prayer, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would rub his earlobe to alert and awaken him in the prayer.
Then, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered eleven Rak‘ahs that night, two Rak‘ahs at a time, and then observed the Witr. "Then, he sat with his legs drawn and wrapped in his garment." This is when a person sits on his buttocks and keeps his legs upright and drags his legs towards his abdomen with a garment and gathers them with his back, and he pulls the garment over it while in this state, or he pulls it over his legs with his hand. His words "so that I could hear his breathing while asleep" mean that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat for a little while in that state and then lay down, according to the versions in the Two Sahīh Collections, till Ibn ‘Abbās could hear the sound of the Prophet's breathing, which indicates deep sleep. When the time of dawn came, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and offered two short Rak‘ahs as the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer, without performing ablution, for the Prophet's eyes sleep but his heart does not; hence, his ablution was not invalidated, given the attentiveness of his heart. Then, he went out to the mosque and led the people in prayer, as related in the Two Sahīh Collections.
This version narrated by Muslim is the version of Ad-Dahhāk ibn ‘Uthmān, and it contradicts the version by most prolific Hadīth narrators. He said: "Then, he offered eleven Rak‘ahs." And it is reported in the version by most Hadīth narrators that he offered thirteen Rak‘ahs, and their version is the memorized one, for he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would first offer two short Rak‘ahs, then two long Rak‘ahs, then six Rak‘ahs, and then three Rak‘ahs thereafter. These amount to a total of thirteen Rak‘ahs.
The Hadīth indicates the permissibility of alerting a heedless person during the prayer by pulling his ear and the like.
It also indicates that a supererogatory prayer may be offered in the congregation.
The Hadīth points out that a boy may pass the night in the house of one of his mahrams (non-marriageable female relatives) in the presence of her husband..

763

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: that he spent a night in the house of his maternal aunt Maymūnah. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up at night and performed a short ablution from a water-skin hanging there. He said: He described his ablution. He kept it short and quick. Ibn ‘Abbās said: I got up and did the same as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had done. Then, I came and stood on his left side. He made me go around and stand on his right side. He offered prayer and then went to sleep till he began to snore. Thereafter, Bilāl came to him and notified him of the prayer. He went out and performed the Fajr prayer without performing ablution. Sufyān said: This is for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in particular, as it has been conveyed to us that the eyes of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sleep, but his heart does not sleep..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to know the Prophet's worship in detail and used to ask about the acts of worship the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform at home and they could not see. Some of them would seek to learn about that by virtue of their bond and kinship with the noble Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him); one of them was ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās, the cousin of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the nephew of his wife Maymūnah (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he spent one night in the house of his maternal aunt Maymūnah, the wife of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This was her night in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would stay with her. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up after he had slept a part of the night. He performed ablution from a leather container that had water in it. The Prophet's ablution this time was a short one.
The words "He described his ablution. He kept it short and quick" were said by Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah, as narrated in Sahīh Al-Bukhāri Collection. He informs that his Shaykh ‘Amr ibn Dinār described the Prophet's ablution as short and quick. The meaning: By keeping it short, he refers to the complete washing of the body parts (without washing them more than once), which is the minimum valid ablution for prayer. In the Two Sahīh Collections: "Then, he performed a good ablution between the two ablutions" i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution between the short ablution and the complete one. It is more likely that he reduced the use of water while doing the washing three times. This is because he described it as good, and thus it would not be less than three times.
‘Abdullāh got up and did the same as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had done, performing a short ablution and getting prepared for prayer. Then, he came and joined the prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and stood on his left side. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) held him by the hand from behind his back and made him stand on his right side in prayer. This demonstrates and affirms how the Imām and the one being led in prayer should stand in a congregational prayer offered by two persons, even if it is supererogatory.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed as much as Allah willed him to pray. It is narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered thirteen Rak‘ahs. "then he went to sleep till he began to snore" i.e., he plunged into sleep till the sound of his breathing could be heard, which indicates deep sleep. Thereafter, Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him) - the Prophet's Muezzin - came and notified him that the time of Fajr was due. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up from sleep and went out for the Fajr prayer and performed it without renewing his ablution.
Clarifying the reason for this act by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Sufyān said: "This is for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in particular, as it has been conveyed to us that the eyes of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sleep, but his heart does not sleep" i.e., this is a merit for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) which none among his Ummah shares with him: that his ablution does not get invalidated when he sleeps, for his heart does not sleep.
The Hadīth mentions some of the Prophet's peculiar characteristics.
It indicates that a boy may pass the night in the house of one of his Mahrams (female relatives who he is not allowed to marry) in the presence of her husband.
It also mentions that the Muezzin may come to the Imām so that he may go out for the prayer.
The Hadīth points out a supererogatory prayer may be offered in the congregation..

Book of Hadith

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