Narrated Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him): “A man was buried along with my father in the same grave. However, I did not feel content till I took him (i.e., my father) out and buried him in a separate grave.”.

Commentary : The martyrs who die for the sake of Allah [in the battlefield] are highly honoured in the sight of Allah, the Almighty. The Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims viewed the martyrs of the battle of Uhud, in particular, with special reverence. Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam, the father of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah(may Allah be pleased be with them) was one of those killed in the Battle of Uhud.
In this hadeeth, Jaabiribn Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that his father was buried in the same grave as another man. It has been said that this man was ‘Amr ibn al-Jamooh ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). However, Jaabir felt uneasy about his father sharing a grave, and so, he removed his father’s body from that grave and buried him in a separate one. All of this occurredwith the knowledge and permission of the Prophetﷺ.
It is reported inSaheehal-Bukhaaree that Jaabirremoved his father from the shared gravesix months after his burial, and he found his body in the same condition as on the day of his burial, except a slight change near his ear.This shows the merit and virtue of the father of Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with them).
From this hadeeth, we can conclude thatthat it is permissible to bury two men in the same grave, and also that it is allowed to remove the deceased from his grave after his burial, if there was a valid reason to do so..

1356

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:A young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophet ﷺ fell ill. The Prophet ﷺ went to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to him, "Embrace Islam." The little boy looked at his father who was sitting beside him. He said: "Obey Aboo al-Qaasim (i.e., the Messenger of Allah ﷺ)." Upon which, the boy embraced Islam. The Prophet ﷺ stepped out, saying, "Praise be to Allah, Who has saved him from Hellfire.".

Commentary : The kind treatment and mercy that the Prophet ﷺ showed to his servants, even those who were from the People of the Book, was exemplary. He ﷺ was always keen to guide them to Islam.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that there was a Jewish boy (Ghulaam) who was in the service of the Prophet ﷺ. [The Arabic word Ghulaam is used in reference to boys whose agesrange from birth to prepubescent.]
One day, this young boy became sick, and the news reached the Prophet ﷺ,so he visited him to check on his health. He ﷺ sat next to his head and asked him to embrace Islam. The boy looked at his father [for approval], and it is thought this was either due to reluctancetoaccept Islam or purely out of fear of his father. However, his father responded by telling the boy obey Aboo al-Qaasim- This was the Kunya (a teknonym in Arabic names, which is the name of an adult derived from their eldest child) of the Prophet ﷺ. Thus, the boy accepted the invitation of the Prophet ﷺ to Islam.
Accepting Islam requires the utterance of the two Testimonies of Faith, which are“I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah”, and “that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, as reported in the hadeeth found in Sunan al-Nisaa’iee al-Kubra.
After this, the Prophet ﷺ left the house while praising Allah for saving this boy from the Hellfire.

From this hadeeth, we can perceive that it is permissible for Muslims to hire disbelievers to workfor them, so long as they are certain they will not be subjects to their plots and deceit.

This hadeeth also teaches us that we should be kind to others, regardless of religion, and propose Islam to young boys too.
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1357

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them): My mother and I were among the helpless and the oppressed. I from among the children, and my mother from among the women..

Commentary : The Muslims, during the early days of Islam, were helpless and oppressedin Makkah, and many of them were tortured at the hands of the disbelievers. For that reason, the Prophet ﷺ first ordered them to immigrate to Abyssinia, and later, he ﷺ ordered them to immigrate to al-Madinah to spread the truth and the message of Islam. However, many of them were unable to leave Makkah, either due to lack of finances or poor health.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he and his mother, Lubaabah bint al-Harith, alias Umm al-Fadl(may Allah be pleased with her) were among the helpless and weak Muslims who could not immigrate from Makkah to al-Madinah; he was a young boy, and his mother was among the women. They were among those who Allah, the Exalted, referred to in His Statement: {Except helpless men, women, and children who cannot afford a way out— it is right to hope that Allah will pardon them. For Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.} [Quran 4:98-99]

There were those who accepted Islam in Makkah, and the disbelievers prevented them from immigrating; thus, they remained in Makkah, helpless and weak, suffering severe harm and torture. Those helpless and weak Muslims were excused for their inability to comply with the order to immigrate from Makkah to al-Madinah.

This report indicates that Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) was not of the faith of his father, then a non-Muslim, at that time. Rather, he chose to become a Muslim with his mother. This is all based on the assumption that al-‘Abbaas embraced Islam after the battle of Badr; otherwise, the famous view is that He embraced Islam before the conquest of Khaybar.

This hadeeth shows that a young boy can embrace Islam once he has the ability to discern [right from wrong].
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1358

Narrated Ibn Shihaab: The funeral prayer should be offered for every child that dies, even if he were the son of a prostitute, as he was born upon the true faith of Islam (i.e., to worship none but Allah alone); If his parents are Muslims, particularly the father, even if his mother were a non-Muslim; If he, after the delivery, cries (even once) before his death (i.e., born alive), then the funeral prayer must be offered. And if the child does not cry after his delivery (i.e., born dead), then his funeral prayer should not be offered, and he will be considered as a miscarriage.
And AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Every child is born with a true faith (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism or to Christianity or to Zoroastrianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal; do you find it mutilated?" Then AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him recited: {The true innate nature with which Allah has created human beings.} (Quran 30.30).”
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Commentary : Allah, the Exalted, created man in perfect form, upon a pure innate nature that is free from the filth of polytheism, sins, and dispraised customs and traditions.

In this hadeeth, the Tabi’ee, Muhammad ibn Shihaab al-Zuhree, reports that the funeral prayer should be offered for each child that dies after his birth, even if the child is born out of wedlock or to a mother who is a disbelieving woman. Neither should prevent the funeral prayer be offered over the deceased child, because he is deemed Muslim at birth.If the mother or father of the child is Muslim, then the child is deemed Muslim on the grounds of the relevant parent’s religion, and the child is born upon the true faith of Islam.
This ruling is only applicable to children who are born alive, meaning after birth, they cried,which is a sign that the child was born alive. This means that if the child is stillborn, then no funeral prayer should be offered on him because he is considered a miscarriage.

Later, al-Zuhree quoted the narration of AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) wherein the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that each child is born with the Islamic innate nature within them. It has been said that the innate nature mentioned in this hadeeth means pure nature and readiness to accept the good and the bad; therefore, if a child is left to embrace his innate nature with which he was born, he would remain pure, and instinctively choose Islam as his religion. Every child is born prepared to accept Islam, but subsequent influence from their parents and environment will influence their nature and decision thereafter. If parents were Jews, they would make him a Jew, and if parents were Christians, they would make him a Christina, and if parents were Zoroastrians, they would make him a Zoroastrian who worships fire. Or, he follows the religion of his parents accordingly, and thus, takes the same ruling as that of his parents in this life. However, if he later embraces Islam, then he will attain success, otherwise, he will die as a disbeliever.

Then, the Prophet ﷺ explained the significance through a parable- he ﷺ gave the example of a healthy animal with no defects or faults, which then experiences the removalof some of its body partsat the hands of man. Likewise, humans, too, are born healthy and intact with the true innate nature, but may then change to follow Judaism, or Christianity, or any other faith, due to the influence of his parents and surrounding environment. Thereafter, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) -the narrator of this hadeeth – ended by reciting the ayah: {The true innate nature with which Allah has created human beings}, which is the nature that makes them accept the truth and enables them to realise it. The innate nature here can also refer to Islam, because if children were left without being subjected to any external factors, they would have intuitively chosen Islam, because the innate nature of people will always recognise the beauty of this religion. However, people deviate from it because of a condemned reason such as dispraised blind following.

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1365

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said “He who strangles himself will do so in hell, and he who thrusts a spear into himself will do so in hell.”.

Commentary : Islam endeavours to protect the life of humanity and therefore, has criminalised the killing of a person without a legitimate right, and has considered it a forbidden act. Thus, whoever commits suicide or kills another person [without legitimate right] is promised a severe punishment.

In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet ﷺ warned that he who strangles himself will enter Hell, and there, he will strangle himself, and he who stabs himself will enter Hellfire, and stab himself there too. Hence, the punishment will be in kind with the deed,and whoever kills himself is leading himself to Hellfire where he will be punished for this [major] sin. The statement of the Prophet ﷺ is intended as a form of extreme warning and admonishment,however, the belief of [all righteous] predecessors is that polytheists will never enter Paradise, and monotheists will never stay in Hellfire forever. The people of Sunnah believe that committing suicide is a [major] sin, but it does not take the person outside the fold of Islam, therefore, the funeral prayer can be offered over him, and he should still be buried in the graveyards of Muslims.

Conversely, in one version of this hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, it reads: “He will be in Hellfire permanently.” However, this is understood to refer to he who commits it, considering it lawful despite his knowledge of its prohibition. Another possible interpretation is that it means his stay in Hellfire will be perceived as so long as he is being punished for it, butnot that he will actually reside in Hellfire eternally.

The other benefit of this hadeeth is learning that we are warned against harming ourselves. .

1367

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: There passed a bier (being carried by people), and it was lauded in good terms. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. And there passed a bier, and it was condemned in bad words. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him) said: what is that has become certain? Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He whom you praised in good terms, Paradise has become certain for him, and he whom you condemned in bad words, Hell has become certain for him. You are Allah's witnesses in the earth.”.

1368

Aboo al-Aswad reported: I came to al- Madinah at a time when the disease was widespread in the Madinah, and while I was sitting beside 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him), a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: "He will certainly enter it." Then another funeral procession passed by, and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He will certainly enter it." A third funeral procession passed by, and the people spoke ill of the deceased. He said: "He will certainly enter it." I (Abool-Aswad) asked: "O Chief of the Believers! What do you mean by “He will certainly enter it'?" He replied: "I said the same as was said by the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ said, “If four persons testify the righteousness of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise.” We asked: “If three persons testify his righteousness?” He ﷺ replied, “Even three”. Then we asked: “If two?” He ﷺ replied, “Even two.” We did not ask him (regarding the testimony) of one."
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Commentary : Allah has favoured this nation by sending the seal of all Prophets and Messengers, the Master of all Prophets, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and made his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with him), His witnesses on this earth just as He made them on the Day of Judgment witnesses on people; thus, they will testify for the Prophets when their nations claim that they did not convey the message of their Lord to them.

In this hadeeth, the Tab’iee, Aboo al-Aswad al-Doo’alee, reports that he visited al-Madinahat a time whendisease was widespread throughout the Madinah – that is to say, the death toll was large, as will be explained in another hadeeth. While he was sitting with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him), the funeral of a person that was heading to the graveyard passed by them - Arabs use the term funeral or bier to refer to the deceased in his coffin – thus, the people praised the good character of the deceased, as they knew him. Upon hearing this, ‘Umar(may Allah be pleased with him) stated “it has become certain”. Another funeral passed by them, and the people praised the character of the deceased, and he responded similarly. Thereafter, a third funeral passed, but the people dispraised the deceased and mentioned his evil, and the bad character that he was known for during his life. Upon hearing this, ‘Umar(may Allah be pleased with him) said: “it has become certain”. This made Aboo al-Aswad inquire about the meaning of his statement, as his response was the same to all of them, although one of them was dispraised. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had asked the Prophet ﷺ the same question, and hisﷺ answer was that if four persons testify to the righteousness of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise. Thus, if a person dies upon Islam and then four Muslims from the people of virtue and piety testified to his righteousness, based on the good deeds and character they have witnessed from him, then it is hoped that he will be from the people of Paradise. After hearing this, ‘Umar and the other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) inquired whether the same is applicable if their number was three, which the Prophet ﷺ affirmed. They then inquiredabout if they were two in number, and he ﷺonce again confirmed it. They did not ask about the case where only one person testifies to the righteousness of the deceased, because the issue is of great importance, and requires at least the minimum number of witnesses to render the witness accepted and valid – that is two witnesses.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ made the testimony of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them),of whether the deceased is from the people of Paradise or the dwellers of Hellfire, evidence that confirms the reward or punishment awaiting the deceased. The meaning of “it has become certain” is that the reward or punishment is confirmed, and not that it is obligation upon Allah, the Exalted, because there is nothing that is obligatory upon Allah; His reward manifests in His favours upon us, and His punishment manifests in His justice; and He cannot be questioned about what He does.

The outcome of praise and condemnation, as mentioned in this hadeeth, is only when it reflects the reality of the deceased and his deeds during his life; otherwise, it is inapplicable. It has been said that the testimony of people that is mentioned in the hadeeth is limited to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their ilk, who are pious and credible, because this kind of people only utter wisdom.

We learn from this hadeeth that when true Muslims vouch for a deceased person that he was good, then they have testified that he is from the people of Paradise.

It also highlights the importance of being kind to people and treating others in a good manner, and to never manifest evil and bad deeds.
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1373

Narrated ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr:
I heard Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) say: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ arose to deliver a sermon in which he mentioned the trial a man will endure in the grave. On his mentioning that, the Muslims gave a shout of dismay." Ghundar added: “The punishment of grave is true.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺhad [many] miracles that testify to the truthfulness of his message and his prophethood, one of which is his description of some of the events of the unseen, which Allah revealed to him. The unseen could be about matters pertaining to Allah’s reward or punishment; and he ﷺ mentions these to warn his nation, and to encourage them perform more good deeds and refrain from evil and bad deeds.

In this hadeeth, Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr(may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet ﷺ delivered a sermon one day, in which he preached to them and reminded them of the Hereafter. He ﷺ then spoke of the grave and its related events, including the trial of the grave.
The trial of the grave is a test where the two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, ask the deceased about his lord, prophet, and religion. In Arabic, it is known as the fitnah of grave, this Arabic word was assigned to it because it is a great trial that tests the person’s faith and certainty. Whomever Allah gives support to, to pass this test is a winner, and whoever fails is ruined, and at a great loss.

Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that after hearing about the trial of the grave, the companions shouted out loud, out of fear of what they had heard. In another version of the narration, it has the addition: “the punishment of the grave is true”, meaning that it is without a doubt confirmed that it must be believed in.

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1375

Narrated AbooAyyoob(may Allah be pleased with him): Once, the Prophet ﷺ went out after sunset and heard a dreadful sound. So, he ﷺ said, "The Jews are being punished in their graves.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ had [many] miracles that testify to the truthfulness of his message and his prophethood, one of which is his description of some of the events of the unseen, which Allah revealed to him.

In this hadeeth, AbooAyyoob al-Ansaari(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ went outside the Madinah after sunset and heard a sound. This could have been the voices of the Angels of Punishment, or the sound of the punishment, or the voices of those who were being punished. He ﷺ explained that the Jews were being punished in their graves. If it is established that the Jews are punished in their graves, then naturally, it proves that all disbelievers and polytheists must be punished in their graves too, because their disbelief and polytheism are worse than the disbelief of the Jews. Allah does not reveal such an unseen event to anyone except Prophets and Messengers of His choice. Allah, Most High, said: {˹He is the˺ Knower of the unseen, disclosing none of it to anyone, except messengers of His choice. Then He appoints angel-guards before and behind them} [Quran 72:26-27] .

1377

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him: Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to invoke (Allah): "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave, and from the punishment in the Hell fire, and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was keen to teach his Companions and nation what to invoke from Allah, and to take refuge in Him from certain evils that may inflict the Muslims, to be protected from them.

In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ used to invoke Allah in the prayer, after the last tashahhud and before the tasleem, as mentioned in a narration in Saheeh Muslim. He used to say, “O Allah! I seek refuge with you” i.e., I turn to You, holdfast to You, and take refuge in you, to protect me from the punishment and tribulations of the grave. This is because this is the first stage of the Hereafter, and for those who are saved from the tribulations and punishment in the grave, all following events will be easier, as the punishment of the grave purifies the Muslim from his sins.
The punishment in Hellfire is the second thing from which the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge in Allah. Hellfire is the punishment that Allah hasreserved in the Hereafter for those who disobeyed His orders and commands – we ask His refuge from it out of His Mercy and Favour.
It is one of the characteristics of believers, who enjoy sound intellect and intact hearts, to always seek refuge in Allah from Hellfire, because whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will indeed triumph.
He ﷺthen sought refuge in Allah from the afflictions of life and death, which refer to the tests and trials that people are subject to in this life and the Hereafter. The trials of life include all the temptations and tests that people experience in life such as disbelief, innovations, desires, and vice,while the trials of death include a bad end and the trials of the grave, such as the questioning of the two angels, etc.

His statement: “from the afflictions of the Maseeh al-Dajjaal” means to take refuge in Allah from believing his lies or falling for his traps and temptations. All of Allah’s Prophets warned against the evil and temptations of the false Messiah because he is indeed the greatest and most serious of all trials in this life. The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge with Allah from his fitnah in every prayer and explained that his fitnah is the greatest of all trials, tests, and tribulations that existed and will existed on earth, from the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) until the Last Hour. He was named al-Maseeh, which is an Arabic word derived from the root word that means omitted, because he is one-eyed; and al-Dajjaal, which means false, to distinguish him from Jesus, the son of Mary (peace be upon them), the true Messiah. The word Dajjaalsignifies falsifying the truth, and deception, to indicate that he is a liar, who will conceal the truth with his lies and introduce that which is false. He is from the children of Adam, and his appearance is one of the major signs of the approach of the Day of Judgment. Allah sends him as a trial to test His servants, and He, Exalted be He, enables him to do miraculous actions that are from the actions of Allah, such as killing people and then bringing them back to life, controlling and bringing out the treasures of earth, ordering the sky to rain and it accedes, ordering the land to produce and it grows, creating a Fire and Paradise, and two rivers, etc. All these powers are granted to him to test the creation, and all these events take place by the Will and Permission of Allah.

This hadeeth is confirming the punishment in the grave, and serves as evidence to refute those who deny it.
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1379

‘Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying: “When any one of you dies, he is shown his seat (in the Hereafter),morning and evening; if he is amongst the dwellers of Paradise (he is shown the seat) from amongst the dwellers of Paradise, and if he is one from amongst the denizens of Hell (he is shown the seat) from amongst the denizens of Hell. It would be said to him: That is your seat until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Judgment.”.

Commentary : The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. If the servant was pious and obedient to Allah during his lifetime, then his grave will be his first step towards his final abode in Paradise, and if he was otherwise, then it will be his first step towards his final abode in Hellfire. The grave will be either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a hole from the holes of Hellfire. We ask Allah to protect us from the latter.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informs us that when a person dies, his seat in the Hereafter will be shown to him, every morning and every evening. If he is one of the dwellers of Paradise, he will see his place there, and if he is one of the dwellers of Hellfire, then he will see his place that awaits him there. The angels will confirm all this to him, andwill explain to him that this will be his place until Allah resurrects him, to hold him accountable for his deeds, on the Judgment Day. Knowing this will be a glad tiding for the believer, as well as the bounties and blessings that he will enjoy in his grave;And what a worrisome burden and sorrow the disbeliever and sinner will experience, as well as part of their punishment. This hadeeth proves that there is grace and punishment in the grave.

It has been said that the purposeof this is to show the deceased the punishment or reward that awaits them in the Hereafter; and that the mention of morning and evening is to remind them of this. It has been said that it is possible that all this will be shown to the soul only, but it is also possible that it will be shown to the body and soul together.
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1380

Narrated AbooSa'eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the funeral is placed (on the bier) and the men lift it onto their shoulders, if it was a righteous person it would say: Take me (to my grave) quickly, take me quickly. However, if it was not a righteous person it would say: Woe to it! Where are you taking it! Everything hears it except humans, and if man heard it, he would die."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ would often mention death, andemphasise its torments, naming it the destroyer of pleasures. This was to highlight the enormity of this moment,and to prepare the believers for death.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains that when the deceased is placed into his coffin and lifted on the shoulders of men [to progress to the grave], the funeral speaks- if the deceased was a righteous person, it would say ”Take me quickly, take me quickly,” due to its joy of the glad tidings that it witnessed. However, if the deceased was not a righteous person, it would express its sorrow by saying, “woe to me, where are you taking me!”which was a plea to leave it and to not bury it.Itsays thisbecause itsaw the torment and punishments that awaited the deceased in his grave, due to his bad deeds during his lifetime. The reason it uses the third person pronoun (i.e., it) although it means “woe to me!”is because the deceased disliked attributing woefulness to himself, or because he wants to disassociate himself from his self after realising its status.

Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ mentions that all the creation can hear it except humans, and that they would die if they heard it. This refers to the dismaying sound of crying and screaming that comes from the deceased, when perceiving his punishment. The Prophet ﷺelucidatedthat no person can hear this appalling sound, due to Allah’s Mercy, andbecause He wants to keep them alive in this worldly life, where they experience tests and trials. It has been said that the dismaying sound only comes from the deceased who are not righteous. As for those who were righteous, their speech will be gentle, kind, and moderate, and thus, it would not occur that his voice would shock anyone who hears it.
It has been said that this speech occurs after the soul departs the body, and that Allah then enables the body to speak. However, the correct view is that [this happens] while the body and the soul are together.

We understand, from this hadeeth, that the righteous deceased sees glad tidings before he is buried, and vice versa, and this hadeeth serves as a sign of the truthfulness of the prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ..

1381

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Any Muslim whose three children died before reaching puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah out of His Mercy to them.".

Commentary : Losing relatives and loved ones to death are among the most drastic trials and tests in life; and losing one’s own children to death is perhaps the most drastic of all. For this reason, Allah, Exalted be He, amplified the reward of those who lose three children to death, as mentioned in this hadeeth.

The Prophet ﷺ explains thatAllah will grant Paradise to any Muslim whose three children die before reaching puberty – that is the age upon which people are held accountable for their deeds - out of His Mercy to them, as they died free of sins, and are therefore more deserving of Allah’s Mercy. In a narration recorded in Sunan al-Nisaai’ee, it has the addition: “It will be said to them: Enter Paradise. However, they refuse to enter without their parents. Upon which, it will be said: Enter paradise along with your parents.” Their refusal to enter Paradise without their parents, and their insistence that their request be fulfilled, is the reason that Allah bestows His mercy upon their parents.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, it is reported on the authority of AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “No Muslim will suffer the death of three sons and go to hell, except to expiate the oath.” According to this report, this is applicable to both fathers and mothers, and infers that they will just pass over Hell so quickly to fulfill Allah’s oath mentioned in the ayah: {And there is none of you who except he will pass over it.} [Quran 19:71], meaning that every person will pass over Hellfire when they walk on the bridge placed above it.

It is established that reward requires a sound intention, as known in Islamic law. Therefore, attaining this promised great reward requires the grieving parents to be patient,while hoping forreward from Allah. This was explicitly mentioned in the authentic hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, when the Prophet ﷺ said to some women, “In case anyone amongst you sees the sad demise of three children of hers and she resigns herself to the will of Allah, hoping to get His reward, she would be admitted to Paradise.” The meaning of the part “resigns herself to the will of Allah, hoping to get His reward,” is being patient and content with Allah’s decree, particularly upon initial awareness of the calamity. This is based on the narration that Anas ibn Maalik reported wherein the Prophet ﷺ said: “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”

This hadeeth shows the great reward that will be granted to who suffered the demise of their children, and that Muslim children who die before reaching puberty will be in Paradise. .

1382

Narrated al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him): When Ibraheem (the son of the Prophet ﷺ) passed away, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "There is a wet-nurse for him in Paradise.".

Commentary : Ibraheem is the son of the Prophet ﷺ from his wife, Maaryyah the Coptic (may Allah be pleased with her). He was born in DhulHijjah of the 8th year after Hijrah and died during his infancy at the age of 18 months – that is, in the 10th year of Hijrah. When he died, the Prophet ﷺ grieved over him and cried, and he ﷺstated that he will have a wet-nurse in Paradise i.e., Allah will provide him with one who will complete his period of nursing in Paradise, since he died before completing his nursing.

It is due to Allah’s mercy and favours upon Ibraheem, the son of the Prophet ﷺ,that he lives in Paradise the life of al-barzakh just like the Prophets, truthful, martyrs and righteous people. He receives his provision just like them, and his provision in that life is the milk that one who nurses him in Paradise will give to him.

This narration indicates that the children of Muslims who die [before reaching puberty] are from the people of Paradise. In a narration recorded in SaheehMuslim, ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, when a little boy died,“glad tiding for him! He is a bird amongst the birds of Paradise.” However, the Prophet ﷺ said to her: “Don't you know that Allah created Paradise and He created Hellfire, and He created the dwellers for this (Paradise) and the denizens for this (Hell)?” There is no contradiction between both narrations because it is possible that the Prophet ﷺ intended with his statement to discourage ‘Aishah from hastening to assert that a person is from the people of Paradise or the people of Hell, without having definite evidence. This is because her statement entails that she knows the unseen and affirms the faith of the father of this child, since her statement was concerning a specific person. To say that a specific person is from the people of Paradise is not permissible without having textual evidence, since it is part of the knowledge of the unseen.
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1383

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the children of the polytheists. He ﷺ answered: “It is Allah alone Who knows what they would have done.”.

Commentary : Allah, Exalted be He, created everything, set a due measure for everything, and wrote everything in His preserved Tablet. He, Exalted be He, created Hellfire and Paradise, and predestined the people of each. Whenever the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would not know the ruling of a matter, they would consult the Prophet ﷺregarding it.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was asked whether the children of polytheists who died before reaching puberty and becoming accountable would enter Paradise, or not. He ﷺ replied that Allah knows [from before they are created] what they would have done, and whether they would have become Muslims or adopted the faith of their parents, if they were to live. Thus, they will be judged accordingly. It has been said that this means they are left to Allah’s knowledge,Who will judge each one according to what they would have done, if they lived.

The part stating “Allah knows what they would have done” does not conflict with the view that the children of polytheists will be tested on the Day of Judgment. In fact, it can be used as evidence on their test, because Allah knows what they would have done. Hence, if they pass the test on the Judgment Day and believe, Allah will admit them into Paradise. Otherwise, He will admit them into Hellfire. However, some scholars hold the view that all children who die before reaching puberty, including the children of polytheists, will be in Paradise, based on the undisputed hadeeth: “Each child is born with a sound innate nature”. All the while, other scholars hold the view that it should not be discussed [due to lack of explicit evidence]. The dispute of scholars over this issue is well known, and only Allah knows the truth.
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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

| Hadiths

Narrated Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him): “A man was buried along with my father in the same grave. However, I did not feel content till I took him (i.e., my father) out and buried him in a separate grave.”.

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them): My mother and I were among the helpless and the oppressed. I from among the children, and my mother from among the women..

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said “He who strangles himself will do so in hell, and he who thrusts a spear into himself will do so in hell.”.

Narrated AbooAyyoob(may Allah be pleased with him): Once, the Prophet ﷺ went out after sunset and heard a dreadful sound. So, he ﷺ said, "The Jews are being punished in their graves.".

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him: Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to invoke (Allah): "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave, and from the punishment in the Hell fire, and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal."
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Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Any Muslim whose three children died before reaching puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah out of His Mercy to them.".

Narrated al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him): When Ibraheem (the son of the Prophet ﷺ) passed away, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "There is a wet-nurse for him in Paradise.".

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the children of the polytheists. He ﷺ answered: “It is Allah alone Who knows what they would have done.”.

‘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..

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.".

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.".

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).".

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him): “A man was buried along with my father in the same grave. However, I did not feel content till I took him (i.e., my father) out and buried him in a separate grave.”.

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them): My mother and I were among the helpless and the oppressed. I from among the children, and my mother from among the women..

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said “He who strangles himself will do so in hell, and he who thrusts a spear into himself will do so in hell.”.

Narrated AbooAyyoob(may Allah be pleased with him): Once, the Prophet ﷺ went out after sunset and heard a dreadful sound. So, he ﷺ said, "The Jews are being punished in their graves.".

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him: Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to invoke (Allah): "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave, and from the punishment in the Hell fire, and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal." .

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Any Muslim whose three children died before reaching puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah out of His Mercy to them.".

Narrated al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him): When Ibraheem (the son of the Prophet ﷺ) passed away, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "There is a wet-nurse for him in Paradise.".

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the children of the polytheists. He ﷺ answered: “It is Allah alone Who knows what they would have done.”.

‘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..

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.".

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.".

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).".

Narrated AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him: Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to invoke (Allah): "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave, and from the punishment in the Hell fire, and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal."
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