Narrated Saalim that he heard his father (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would raise his voice in Talbiyah only from the Mosque i.e., Thoo al-Hulayfah Mosque..

1544

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) rode behind the Prophet ﷺfrom `Arafat to Al-Muzdalifah; and then from Al-Muzdalifah to Mina. Then, he ﷺallowed Al-Fadl to ride behind him from al-Muzdalifah to Mina." He added, "Both of them (Usaamah and Al-Fadl) said, 'The Prophet ﷺ was constantly reciting the Talbiyah till he finished stoning at the Jamarat-Al-`Aqaba.".

1545

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ with his Companions started from al-Madeenah after combing and oiling his hair and putting on two sheets of lhraam (upper body cover and waist cover). He ﷺdid not forbid anyone to wear any kind of sheets except the ones colored with saffron that leave the scent on the skin. In the early morning, the Prophet ﷺ mounted his camel while in Thoo al-Hulayfah and set out till they reached al-Baydaa', where he ﷺand his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) recited Talbiyah, and then they did the ceremony of Taqleed (which means to put the colored garlands around the necks of the animals for sacrifice). And all that happened on the 25th of Thoo al-Qi'dah. And when he ﷺ reached Makkah on the 4th of Thoo al-Hijjah, he ﷺperformed the Tawaaf round the Ka`bah and performed the Tawaaf and walked briskly between al-Safa and al-Marwa. And as he ﷺhad a sacrifice animal and had garlanded it, he did not exit his Ihraam. Then, he ﷺproceeded towards the highest places of Makkah near Al-Hajoon while he was assuming the Ihraam for Hajj. He ﷺdid not go near the Ka`bah after he performed Tawaaf (round it) till he returned from `Arafaat. Then he ﷺordered his Companions to perform the Tawaaf around the Ka`bah and then walk back and forth between al-Safa and al-Marwa, and to cut short the hair of their heads and to finish their Ihraam. And that was only for those people who had not garlanded sacrificial animals. Those who had their wives with them were permitted to contact them (have sexual intercourse), and similarly perfume and (ordinary) clothes were permissible for them..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ clarified all the rulings and etiquettes of Hajj and ‘Umrah in words and actions, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted to us all what they heard and observed from him ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺheaded towards Makkah from al-Madeenah to perform his farewell Hajj, which occurred 5 days before the end of the month of Thool QI’dah. Before departing al-Madeenah, he ﷺcombed his hair, scented his clothes and body with musk and pleasant scents, and put on his clothes of Ihraam. He ﷺdid not forbid anyone to wear any kind of sheets to cover the upper and lower parts of the body. In Arabic, the clothing worn for the upper body and lower body is called Ridaa’ and Izaar, respectively. The only type of clothes that he ﷺdid not allow during Ihraam those that are colored with saffron which would leave smell and color on the skin.
The Prophet ﷺ arrived at Thoo al-Hulayfah, which is a town that is located about 10 kms away from al-Madeenah and the appointed place for entering the state of Ihraam for the people of al-Madeenah and those who travel through it. In the early morning, he ﷺmounted his camel and set out till he ﷺreached al-Baydaa', which is a place near Thoo al-Hulayfah on the road to Makkah. And the reason it is called al-Baydaa’ is because it has no buildings, houses or landmarks. He ﷺand his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) recited the Talbiyah aloud, and the words of which are: “The words are: “Labbayk-Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda, wal ni`matah, laka wal Mulk, laa shareeka lak,” which means: “I am here at Your service, O Allah, I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.” This was his third Talbiyah, because the first one he ﷺrecited was at Thoo al-Hulayfah when he entered the state of Ihraam from the mosque of Thoo al-Hulayfah, and the second one was when he ﷺmounted his camel and stood upright.
The Prophet ﷺarrived at Makkah on the early morning of the 4th of Thoo al-Hijjah. He ﷺperformed the arrival circumambulation (Tawaaf) and then performed the rite of walking briskly between al-Safa and al-Marwa. By doing that, he ﷺcompleted the rites of ‘Umrah but he ﷺdid not exit his Ihraam because he had sacrificial animals that had colored garlands around their necks to mark them as the animals allocated for sacrifice. He ﷺmaintained his Ihraam and proceeded towards the highest place of Makkah near Al-Hajoon, which is a mountain overlooking al-Muhassab, which is located about 1.5 miles from the Ka’bah. The Prophet ﷺ did not go to the Ka’bah after he ﷺmade the arrival Tawaaf until after he finished from ‘Arafaat.
The Prophet ﷺordered his Companions who did not have sacrificial animals to perform the rites of circumambulation around the Ka’bah and brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah, and then shorten their hair to exit their Ihraam until the time of Hajj. This order was limited to those who did not have garlanded sacrifice animals. Then, he ﷺclarified that those who exited their Ihraam and had their wives with them are permitted to have sexual intercourse with their wives, and to wear perfume and ordinary clothes. Because of this, this rite was called Tamattu’ (which means in Arabic, enjoyment). On the 8th of Thool Hijjah, they again enter the state of Ihraam for Hajj and complete its rites.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to wear perfume before entering the state of Ihraam, and that it is allowed to do tamattu’ of ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj.

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1546

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ prayed four units in al-Madeenah and then two units at Thoo al-Hulayfah and then passed the night at Thool-Hulayfah till it was morning. And when he mounted his Mount and it stood up, he started to recite Talbiyah..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ explained to his Companions all the rulings of Hajj in words and actions and ordered them to learn their rites from him, so they can teach all the Muslims these rites.
This hadeeth clarifies some of the rites of Hajj when Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ prayed Thoohr before departing to Makkah to perform his farewell Hajj, and that he did not shorten the prayer so he ﷺ prayed the four units. Then, when he ﷺ prayed ‘Asr at Thoo al-Hulayfah, he shortened it so he ﷺ prayed two units, as mentioned in another hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree. Thoo al-Hulayfah is a town located about 10 kms away from al-Madeenah and the appointed place for entering the state of Ihraam for the people of al-Madeenah and those who travel through it.
The Prophet ﷺ spent the night at Thool al-Hulayfah and left in the morning heading towards Makkah. He ﷺ recited the Talbiyah aloud after he mounted his camel and it stood up. The words of the Talbiyah are: Labbayk-Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda, wal ni`matah, laka wal Mulk, laa shareeka lak,” which means: “I am here at Your service, O Allah, I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.” It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when his camel brought him up to al-Baydaa’, he ﷺ raised his voice in the Talbiyah for the pilgrimage. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]. Al-Baydaa’ is a place near Thoo al-Hulayfah on the road to Makkah. And the reason it is called al-Baydaa’ is because it has no buildings, houses, or landmarks.
It is possible that the reason the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) differed on the place from which the Prophet ﷺ raised his voice in the Talbiyah is that each group reported what they witnessed i.e., the Prophet ﷺ came out from al-Medeenah with the intention of performing hajj, and when he ﷺ prayed at the mosque of Thoo al-Hulayfah, he raised his voice in Talbiyah so those who heard him reported it. Then, he ﷺ mounted his camel and when it stood up, he ﷺ raised his voice in Talbiyah again, so those who heard him reported it. This is because the people were coming in groups, so they heard him raising his voice calling the Talbiyah when his camel stood up with him on its back, and they thought that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had raised his voice in the Talbiyah only when his camel stood up with him on its back. Then, when he ﷺ ascended the height of al-Baydaa', he raised his voice in the Talbiyah. Some people heard it at that moment, and they thought that he had raised his voice in the Talbiyah when he ascended the height of al-Baydaa'. Each group reported that which they witnessed and caused them to differ in opinion about the place from which he ﷺ started his Talbiyah and Ihraam. However, the truth is that he recited the Talbiyah three times.
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1549

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Talbiyah of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was: “Labbayk-Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda, wal ni`matah, laka wal Mulk, laa shareeka lak,” which means: “I am here at Your service, O Allah, I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.”.

1551

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ offered four units of Thoohr prayer at al-Madeenah and we were in his company, and prayed two units of the `Asr prayer at Thoo al-Hulayfah and then passed the night there till it was dawn; then he rode his mount, and when he reached Al-Baydaa', he praised and glorified Allah and said Takbeer Then he ﷺ and the people along with him recited the Talbiyah with the intention of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah. When we reached Makkah, he ﷺ ordered us to exit the lhraam (after performing the ‘Umrah). The people complied and on the day of Tarwiyah, they assumed their Ihraam for Hajj. The Prophet ﷺ slaughtered many camels as sacrificial animals with his own hands with the camels standing. When Allah's Messenger was in al-Madeenah, he ﷺ sacrificed two horned rams that were white speckled with black.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ explained to his Companions all the rulings of Hajj in words and actions and ordered them to learn their rites from him, so they can teach Muslims these rites.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ prayed Thoohr before departing to Makkah to perform his farewell Hajj, which was in the 10th year of Hijrah, and that he ﷺ did not shorten the prayer, so he ﷺ prayed the four units. Then, when he ﷺ prayed ‘Asr at Thoo al-Hulayfah, he shortened it so he ﷺ prayed two units.
Thoo al-Hulayfah is a town located about 10 kms away from al-Madeenah and the appointed place for entering the state of Ihraam for the people of al-Madeenah and those who travel through it. The Prophet ﷺ spent the night there and in the early morning he ﷺ rode his mount, and when he ﷺ reached Al-Baydaa', he praised and glorified Allah and said Takbeer i.e., he said: “Alhamdullah, Subhan Allah, and Allahu Akbar,” then recited the Talbiyah aloud with the intention of performing Hajj and Umrah in one Ihraam. The words of the Tabliyah read: “Labbayk-Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda, wal ni`matah, laka wal Mulk, laa shareeka lak,” which means: “I am here at Your service, O Allah, I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.” However, this was not the beginning of his Ihraam, because he ﷺ entered Ihraam at the Mosque of Thoo al-Hulayfah where he ﷺ recited the Talbiyah aloud. His second Talbiyah was when his camel stood up while he ﷺ was on its back, and the third Talbiyah was when he when he ascended Al-Baydaa'.
The people followed the Prophet ﷺ and recited the Talbiyah like him with the intention of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah in one Ihraam. However, after arriving at Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ ordered those who did not have sacrificial animals to exit their Ihraam after completing their ‘Umrah – that is after completing the rites of circumambulation around the Ka’bah and brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and cutting or shaving the head. The Arabic term used for the sacrificial animals of pilgrims is Hady, which refers to the cows, camels, sheep, and goats that pilgrims slaughter in the Haram as sacrifice. As the Prophet ﷺ was among those who had sacrificial animals, he ﷺ did not exit his Ihraam.
On the day of Tarwiyah, which is the 8th day of Thoo al-Hijjah, they recited the Talbiyah for Hajj. The Prophet ﷺ slaughtered camels while the camels are standing because it is easier to do it that way. Then, he ﷺ slaughtered two horned rams that were white speckled with black when he ﷺ spent ‘Eid al-Adhah in al-Madeenah.
This hadeeth shows the actions of who performs ‘Umrah then exits Ihraam and then assumes Ihraam for Hajj.
It shows that it is permissible to combine ‘Umrah and Hajj in one Ihraam, and that shortening the prayer during travelling is allowed..

1553

Narrated Naafi', 'Whenever Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) finished his Fajr prayer at Thoo al-Hulayfah, he would get his mount prepared. Then, he would ride on it, and after it had stood up straight (ready to set out), he would face Al-Qiblah while sitting (on his mount) and reciting the Talbiyah. When he had reached the boundaries of the Haram (of Makkah), he would stop recitation of the Talbiyah till he reached Dhaa Tuwaa (near Makkah) where he would pass the night till it was dawn. After offering the Far prayer, he would take a bath. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that Allah's Messenger ﷺ had done the same..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ explained to his Companions all the rulings of Hajj in words and actions and ordered them to learn their rites from him so they can teach Muslims these rites.
In this hadeeth, Naafi’, the free slave of ‘’Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), reports that Ibn ‘Umar(may Allah be pleased with him), whenever he would offer the Fajr prayer at Thoo al-Hulayfah, which is a town located about 10 kms away from al-Madeenah and the appointed place for entering the state of Ihraam for the people of al-Madeenah and those who travel through it, he would order that his mount be prepared and his luggage put over it. Then, after his ride stood up, he would face towards the Qiblah and recite the Talbiyah, which reads: “Labbayk-Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda, wal ni`matah, laka wal Mulk, laa shareeka lak,” which means: “I am here at Your service, O Allah, I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) would continue reciting until reaching the Haram and spent the night in the valley of Tuwa (Dhee Tuwa), which is located in the higher parts of Makkah at al-Baydaa’, the house of Muhammad ibn Sayf. Then, he would perform the Fajr prayer and take a bath to get ready to enter Makkah during the daytime.
“Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had done the same.” i.e., the Prophet ﷺ spent the night in the valley of Tuwa and entered Makkah during the daytime. However, this is not obligatory since it is proven authentic that the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah at night and assumed the state of Ihraam for ‘Umrah from al-Ji’raanah. None of that is from the rites of Hajj but it clarifies the places at which the Prophet ﷺ stayed.
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ recited the Talbiyah for Hajj when he ﷺ reached al-Baydaa’ while he ﷺ was on the back of his camel. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]. Al-Baydaa’ is a place near Thoo al-Hulayfah on the road to Makkah. The reason it was called al-Baydaa’ because it was empty from any constructions and landmarks.
It is possible that the reason the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) differed on the place from which the Prophet ﷺ raised his voice in Talbiyah is that each group reported what they witnessed i.e., the Prophet ﷺ came out from al-Madeenah with the intention of performing hajj, and when he ﷺ prayed at the mosque of Thoo al-Hulayfah, he raised his voice in Talbiyah, so those who heard him reported it. Then, he ﷺ mounted his camel and when it stood up, he ﷺ raised his voice in Talbiyah again so those who heard him reported it. This is because the people were coming in groups, so they heard him raising his voice calling the Talbiyah when his camel stood up with him on its back, and they thought that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had raised his voice in the Talbiyah only when his camel stood up with him on its back. Then, when he ﷺ ascended the height of al-Baydaa', he raised his voice in the Talbiyah. Some people heard it at that moment, and they thought that he had raised his voice in the Talbiyah when he ascended the height of al-Baydaa'. Each group reported that which they witnessed and caused them to differ in opinion about the place from which he ﷺ started his Talbiyah and Ihraam. However, the truth is that he recited the Talbiyah three times.
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that one should take a bath before entering Makkah.
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1554

Narrated Naafi’: Whenever Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to go to Makkah, he used to oil himself with a sort of oil that had no pleasant smell. Then, he would go to the Mosque of Al-Hulayfah and offer the prayer, and then ride his mount. Once he was mounted well on his Mount and the Mount stood up straight, he would proclaim the intention of assuming Ihraam. Then, he would say that he had seen the Prophet ﷺ doing the same..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ explained to his Companions all the rites of Hajj in words and actions and ordered them to learn their rites from him so Muslims can learn these rites from them.
In this hadeeth, Naafi’ – the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar -reports that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to oil himself with an oil whose smell does not show before departing al-Madeenah to Makkah to perform Hajj. He (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do that after taking a bath and before wearing his clothes of Ihraam. The reason he opted for the non-scented smell is because he thought using scented oils is not permitted if one is about to enter the state of Ihraam i.e., he was under the assumption that wearing a fragrance is against the requirements of Ihraam. However, it is proven authentic, as in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, that ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) perfumed the Prophet ﷺ with musk before he entered his Ihraam.
After, he (may Allah be pleased with him) would pray in the Mosque of Thoo al-Hulayfah, which is a town at the distance of 10 km from al-Madeenah, and it is the appointed place (MIqaat) of Ihraam for the residents of al-Madeenah and those who travel through it. Then, he (may Allah be pleased with him) would mount his camel and once it stood up, he recited the Talbiyah aloud, which read: “Labbayk-Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda, wal ni`matah, laka wal Mulk, laa shareeka lak”.
Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs others that he saw the Prophet ﷺ did all that whenever he ﷺ wanted to depart al-Madeenah to Makkah to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and whenever he ﷺ wanted to enter the Ihraam. It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ recited the Talbiyah for Hajj when he ﷺ reached al-Baydaa’ while he ﷺ was on the back of his camel. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]. Al-Baydaa’ is a place near Thoo al-Hulayfah on the road to Makkah. The reason it was called al-Baydaa’ is because it was empty from any constructions and landmarks.
It is possible that the reason the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) differed on the place from which the Prophet ﷺ raised his voice in Talbiyah is that each group reported what they witnessed i.e., the Prophet ﷺ came out from al-Medeenah with the intention of performing hajj, and when he ﷺ prayed at the mosque of Thoo al-Hulayfah, he raised his voice in Talbiyah so those who heard him reported it. Then, he ﷺ mounted his camel and when it stood up, he ﷺ raised his voice in Talbiyah again so those who heard him reported it. This is because the people were coming in groups, so they heard him raising his voice calling the Talbiyah when his camel stood up with him on its back, and they thought that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had raised his voice in the Talbiyah only when his camel stood up with him on its back. Then, when he ﷺ ascended the height of al-Baydaa', he raised his voice in the Talbiyah. Some people heard it at that moment, and they thought that he had raised his voice in the Talbiyah when he ascended the height of al-Baydaa'. Each group reported that which they witnessed and caused them to differ in opinion about the place from which he ﷺ started his Talbiyah and Ihraam. However, the truth is that he recited the Talbiyah three times.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning that it is permissible to oil oneself before entering the state of Ihraam. As for using fragrant items and perfumes, it is also allowed according to other hadeeths..

1555

Narrated Mujaahid: I was in the company of Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) and the people talked about Ad-Dajjaal and said, "Ad-Dajjaal will come with the word Kaafir (disbeliever) written in between his eyes." On that, Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have not heard this from the Prophet ﷺ, but I heard him saying, 'As if I saw Moses (peace be upon him) just now entering the valley reciting the Talbyiah. ' ".

Commentary : The Talbiyah is from the rites of Hajj and reciting it aloud manifests this significant ritual and declares the Oneness of Allah, Exalted be He. When a Muslim recites it aloud, plants and inanimate objects recite it along with him.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee, Mujaahid ibn Jabr reports that he was in the company of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) and the topic of the false Messiah, Ad-Dajjaal, was brought up. The appearance of Ad-Dajjaal is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment as he will claim that he is God. The people who were present in this gathering mentioned that the Prophet ﷺdescribed him and said that the word Kaafir (disbeliever) will be written in between his eyes. According to the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, it is narrated on the authority of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid: “…and between his eyes is written "disbeliever," which every believer will read, whether he is literate or illiterate.” The correct view is that people can see it as it is written with actual letters that Allah has made one of the evident signs to expose his identity of ad-Dajjaal. However, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he did not hear that part about ad-Dajjaal from the Prophet ﷺ, but he heard him saying: 'As if I saw Moses (peace be upon him) just now entering the valley reciting the Talbyiah” i.e., it is as if I ﷺsee Moses right now with my own eyes descending the valley of al-Azraq, which is located between Makkah and al-Madeenah, reciting the Talbiyah.
It is recorded in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺsaid: “He (Moses) was keeping his fingers in his ears and was reciting the Talbiyah loudly while passing through that valley.” And this valley is one mile away from Makkah.
This hadeeth shows that reciting the Talbiyah is prescribed whenever we ascend and descend, and while we are passing through a valley. It shows that reciting the Talbiyah while passing through the valley is from the Sunnah of Prophets (peace be upon them)..

1556

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with him) - the wife of the Prophet ﷺ: “We set out with the Prophet ﷺ in his farewell Hajj, and we assumed Ihraam for ‘Umrah. The Prophet ﷺ then said, "Whoever has the Hady (sacrificial animals) with him should assume Ihraam for Hajj along with `Umrah and should not exit the Ihraam till he finishes both." I was menstruating when I reached Makkah, and so I neither did the circumambulation round the Ka`bah nor the brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah. I complained about that to the Prophet ﷺ on which he replied, "Undo and comb your head hair, and assume Ihraam for Hajj (only) and leave the ‘Umrah." So, I did so. When we had performed the Hajj, the Prophet ﷺsent me with my brother `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Tan`eem. So, I performed the `Umrah. The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "This `Umrah is instead of your missed one." Those who had assumed Ihraam for `Umrah (Hajj-al-Tamattu’) performed circumambulation round the Ka`bah and did the brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and then exited their Ihraam. After returning from Minaa, they performed another circumambulation round the Ka’bah. Those who had assumed Ihraam for Hajj and `Umrah together (Hajj-al-Qiran) performed only one circumambulation..

1557

Narrated Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺordered ‘Alee [ibn Abee Taalib] (may Allah be pleased with him) to keep assuming his Ihraam..

1558

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): Jabir said, "Alee bin Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) returned from Yemen. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, 'With what intention have you assumed the state of Ihraam?' `Alee said, "I have assumed Ihraam with an intention as that of the Prophet ﷺ." The Prophet ﷺ said (to him): If I have not brought a Hady, I would have exited my Ihraam.
Muhammad ibn Bakr add from Jurayj: The Prophet ﷺ said to him: The Prophet ﷺsaid to him, 'With what intention have you assumed the state of Ihraam?' `Alee said, "I have assumed Ihraam with an intention as that of the Prophet ﷺ. 'Offer a Hady and keep the state of Ihraam in which you are now.'.

Commentary : Hajj and ‘Umrah are of a great status and are so much rewarding such that the Prophet ﷺliked to demonstrate all their rites verbally and in action. He ﷺordered them to learn their rites directly from him, so they can teach them to the rest of Muslims.
In this hadeeth, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports the incident when ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet ﷺin the farewell Hajj. He (may Allah be pleased with him) travelled from Yemen, where the Prophet ﷺsent him to collect the alms and the one fifth, and on his way to Makkah, he (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the state of Ihraam. After, the Prophet ﷺasked him about the intention of his Ihraam. His answer was that he assumed Ihraam with an intention as that of the Prophet ﷺ. It happened that the Prophet ﷺwas one of the pilgrims who had Hady with them; thus, he entered the Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah and Hajj together. However, the Prophet ﷺcommented that if he had not brought a Hady with him, he would have exited his Ihraam and then entered Ihraam again for Hajj. This is because the pilgrim who brings Hady cannot exit his Ihraam until after the Hady is slaughtered on the Day of Sacrifice (Day of Nahr). The Hady refers to the cows, camels, sheep, and goats that pilgrims slaughter in the Haram as sacrifice.
In another version of the same narration, the Prophet ﷺsaid to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): 'Offer a Hady and keep the state of Ihraam in which you are now until you complete Hajj.
From the benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it is permissible for the pilgrim to enter the state of Ihraam with a general intention and to have it specified before entering the rites.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to combine ‘Umrah and Hajj in one Ihraam (i.e., Tamattu’).
It shows the great love that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had for the Prophet ﷺand how keen they were to follow his example..

1559

Narrated Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) sent me to some people in Yemen and when I returned, I found him at Al-Bat-haa’. He ﷺasked me, "With what intention have you assumed Ihraam (i.e., for Hajj or for ‘Umrah or for both?") I replied, "I have assumed Ihraam with an intention like that of the Prophet ﷺ." He ﷺasked, "Have you a Hady with you?" I replied in the negative. He ﷺordered me to perform Tawaaf round the Ka`ba and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah and then to finish my Ihraam. I did so and went to a woman from my tribe who combed my hair or washed my head. Then, when `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came (i.e., became Caliph) he said, "If we follow Allah's Book, it orders us to complete Hajj and ‘Umrah; as Allah says: {Perform the Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah.} (2.196). And if we follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), he ﷺdid not finish his Ihraam till he sacrificed his Hady.".

1560

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "We set out with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the months of Hajj, and (in) the nights of Hajj, and at the time and places of Hajj and in a state of Hajj. We dismounted at Sarif. The Prophet (ﷺ) then addressed his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "Anyone who has not got a Hady and likes to do ‘Umrah instead of Hajj may do so (i.e., Hajj-al-Tamattu`) and anyone who has got a Hady should not finish the Ihraam after performing ' `Umrah. (i.e., Hajj-al-Qiraan). ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added, "Some of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) complied while some of them did not." As for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and some of his Companions, they were resourceful and had the Hady with them, they could not perform ‘Umrah (alone) (but had to perform both Hajj and ‘Umrah with one Ihraam). ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to me and saw me weeping and said, "What makes you weep, O Hantaah?" I replied, "I have heard your conversation with your Companions, and I cannot perform the ‘Umrah." He asked, "What is wrong with you?' I replied, ' I am in a state that does not allow me to offer the prayers (i.e., I have my menses).' He (ﷺ) said, ' It will not harm you for you are one of the daughters of Adam, and Allah has written for you (this state) as He has written it for them. Keep on with your intentions for Hajj and Allah may reward you that." ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further added, "Then we proceeded for Hajj till we reached Mina and I became clean from my menses. Then I went out from Mina and performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah." ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added, "I went along with the Prophet (ﷺ) in his final departure (from Hajj) till he dismounted at Al-Muhassab, and we too, dismounted with him." He called `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Abu Bakr and said to him, 'Take your sister outside the sanctuary of Makkah and let her assume Ihraam for 'Umrah, and when you had finished `Umrah, return to this place and I will wait for you both till you both return to me.' " ' ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added, " So we went out of the sanctuary of Makkah and after finishing from the `Umrah and the Tawaaf, we returned to the Prophet (ﷺ) at dawn. He (ﷺ) said, 'Have you performed the `Umrah?' We replied in the affirmative. Thereupon, he (ﷺ) announced the departure amongst his Companions and the people set out for the journey, and the Prophet too left for al-Madeenah.''.

Commentary : There are three ways for performing Hajj: (1) Tamattu’: It is when the pilgrim enters the state of Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, namely Shawwaal, Thoo al-Qa’dah, and Thoo al-Hijjah. And after completing the ‘Umrah, he exits his Ihraam and then enters the Ihraam again in the same year to perform Hajj. (2) Al-Qiraan: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform both ‘Umrah and Hajj together. (3) Al-Ifraad: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform Hajj only.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she set out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the months and nights of Hajj i.e., she went out with him during the time of Hajj and attended the designated locations of Hajj, underwent the different conditions of pilgrimage, and refrained from all that which is not allowed during pilgrimage. They landed at Sarif, a place six miles (10 km) away from Makkah, and there the Prophet ﷺaddressed his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and said to them that he likes whoever does not have Hady – which are the cows, camels, sheep, and goats that pilgrims slaughter in the Haram as sacrifice to make their Ihraam for ‘Umrah only and then exit their Ihraam, and there is nothing required from them for doing so. This is because when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with her) set out with the Prophet ﷺin this journey, they entered their Ihraam with the intention of performing ‘Umrah and Hajj together. After all of them completed the rites of ‘Umrah, he ﷺordered those who did not have Hady to exit their Ihraam and enter Ihraam for Hajj on the day of Tarwiyah. As for those who had Hady, he ﷺordered them to maintain their Ihraam; thus, the rites of ‘Umrah be included in the rites of Hajj. Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) exited their Ihraam while some other Companions did not, which shows that as if the order was optional. It was said that the Prophet ﷺmade it optional for them at the beginning to absorb their shock and be kind to them by showing that they will get the reward of ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj, because at that time, they considered exiting their Ihraam before performing Hajj a serious heinous act, but then he ﷺemphasised his order and made it obligatory upon them, as he ﷺdisliked their reluctance to follow the order. However, after he ﷺmade it obligatory, all of them accepted it and complied except those who had Hady. The Messenger of Allah ﷺand some of his Companions were resourceful and had Hady; thus, they did not exit their Ihraam after completing the ‘Umrah.
Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺfound ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) crying so he ﷺinquired as to what was wrong and addressed her with the name Hantaah, which was said that a person does not know the evil and plots of people! It is possible that it is used as a form of calling to say Hey you! She explained that she heard his instruction to his Companions – that those who do not have Hady to exit their Ihraam after they have completed the ‘Umrah - and then informed him that she cannot perform the rites of ‘Umrah i.e., the Tawaaf and brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah because she got her period, although her Ihraam was to do Qiraan (Hajj and ‘Umrah together). However, out of her decorum. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺattempted to make it easier on her and cheer her up so he ﷺinformed her that her menses will not harm her, because it is a thing which Allah has ordained for the daughters of Adam, and that this happens to all women. Then, he ﷺtold her to continue her Hajj with the hope that Allah will allow her to perform it and complete it.
‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) assumed her Hajj and after she arrived at Mina, she became clean from her menses, which was on the 10th of Thoo al-Hijjah, on the Day of Nahr. Mina is a valley surrounded by mountains and is located about 6 km to the south of Makkah, between Makkah and the mountain of ‘Arafah. There, some of the rites of Hajj are performed like the rite of throwing the pebbles. After she became clean, she left Mina and performed Tawaaf round the Ka’bah. Then, she joined the Prophet ﷺand the cohort who departed Minaa on the 13th of Thoo al-Hijjah as others departed it on the 12th of Thoo al-Hijjah. After, she went down with the Prophet ﷺto a place called al-Muhassab, which is a spacious land between Makkah and Minaa. The name of the place is derived from the Arabic word al-Hasbaa’ (pebbles) because pebbles gather there from the water stream.
The Prophet ﷺorderd ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) to take his sister, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and leave the Haram and go to the Tan’eem so she can enter her Ihraam for ‘Umrah in lieu of the ‘Umrah she missed because of her menses. Then, he ﷺordered them to return to al-Muhassab after completing the ‘Umrah where he ﷺwill wait for them. She (may Allah be pleased with her) followed the instructions of the Prophet ﷺand went to the Tan’eem, which is a place located 7 km from the Haram of Makkah and the place from which the people of Makkah enter Ihraam. After she entered her Ihraam for ‘Umrah and completed the final tawaaf, she headed to where the Prophet ﷺwas waiting for her. She arrived about fajr time. After he ﷺlearned that she completed her ‘Umrah, he ﷺinformed his Companions that it is the time to depart, so all the people joined them and on their way to al-Madeenah, he ﷺpassed by the Ka’bah and performed the farewell Tawaaf before Fajr time, as reported in the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim.
This hadeeth shows the mercy of the Prophet ﷺtowards his wife and his attempts to cheer her up and pleases her when she was sad.
It shows that the last rite that pilgrims need to do is to perform the farewell Tawaaf and then leave to their homeland.
.

1561

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): 'We went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) with the intention of performing Hajj only and when we reached Makkah, we performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah and then the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered those who had not driven the Hady along with them to finish their Ihraam. Thereupon, the people who had not driven the Hady along with them finished their Ihraam. The Prophet's wives, too, had not driven the Hady with them, so they too, finished their Ihraam." `Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added, "I got my menses and could not perform Tawaaf round the Ka`bah." So, when it was the night of Hasbah, I said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Everyone is returning after performing Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only.' He (ﷺ) said, 'Did not you perform Tawaaf round the Ka`bah the night we reached Makkah?' I replied in the negative. He (ﷺ) said, 'Go with your brother to Tan`eem and assume the Ihraam for `Umrah, (and after performing it) come back to such and such a place.' On that Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'I feel that I will detain you all.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'O 'Aqra Halqa! Did not you perform Tawaaf round the Ka`bah on the Day of Sacrifice? (i.e., Tawaaf-al-ifaadah) Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied in the affirmative. He said, (to Safiyyah). 'There is no harm for you to proceed on with us.' " `Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added, "(after returning from `Umrah), the Prophet (ﷺ) met me while he was ascending (from Makkah) and I was descending to it, or I was ascending, and he was descending.".

Commentary : There are three ways for performing Hajj: (1) Tamattu’: It is when the pilgrim enters the state of Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, namely Shawwaal, Thoo al-Qa’dah, and Thoo al-Hijjah. And after completing the ‘Umrah, he exits his Ihraam and then enters the Ihraam again in the same year to perform Hajj. (2) Al-Qiraan: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform both ‘Umrah and Hajj together. (3) Al-Ifraad: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform Hajj only.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, reports that she set out with the Prophet ﷺin his farewell hajj, which occurred in the 10th year of Hijrah. They departed al-Madeenah with the intention to perform Hajj; thus, when they arrived at Makkah, they performed the arrival Tawaaf without her because she had her period when they entered Makkah. The Prophet ﷺordered those who did not have Hady to exit their Ihraam after performing ‘Umarh, which is done by performing Tawaaf then perform the brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah, and finally to cut [or shave] the hair. This is how pilgrims break their ‘Umrah from Hajj, and it happened that the wives of the Prophet ﷺdid not have Hady thus they exited their Ihraam after completing the rites of ‘Umrah.
The Hady mentioned in the hadeeth refers to the cows, camels, sheep, and goats that pilgrims slaughter in the Haram as sacrifice.
‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she menstruated thus could not perform the Tawaaf of ‘Umrah. As for the Tawaaf of Hajj, she mentioned according to another narration in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, that she was in her Ihraam for Hajj and when she arrived at Mina on the 10th day of Thoo al-Hijjah, which is the Day of Sacrifice, she became clean then she left Mina and performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah then she left with the Prophet ﷺin the group who leave Mina on the 13th of Thoo al-Hijjah.
When it was the night of Hasbah, which is the night that they spent at al-Muhassab i.e., a spacious land between Makkah and Mina. The name of the place is derived from the Arabic word al-Hasbaa’ (pebbles) because pebbles gather there from the water stream. This was when the Prophet ﷺleft preparing to travel back to al-Madeenah. There, she (may Allah be pleased with her) said to the Prophet ﷺ: “Everyone is returning after performing Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only,” because she was keen on doing as many good deeds and acts of worship as possible just like the other Mother of the Believers and Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). She wanted to perform ‘Umrah like everyone else. The Prophet ﷺordered her to go with her brother ‘Abd al-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Tan’eem and enter Ihraam for ‘Umrah from there. He ﷺdid that to please her and make her happy and then appointed al-Muhassab, where he ﷺwas spending the night, the place of meeting after she completes her ‘Umrah.
‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) then relates that Safiyyah bint Huyyay (may Allah be pleased with her) thought that she will delay the people because she menstruated and could not perform the farewell Tawaaf. She menstruated on the night of Sacrifice and thought that everyone will have to wait for her until she be clean and perform it. The Prophet ﷺremarked: “Aqra Halqa” which is an expression that was customary among the Arabs who would utter it out of habit without intending its meaning, which is an invocation against the person. However, the Prophet ﷺasked her if she performed the tawaaf al-Ifaadah and she confirmed that she completed it. Thereupon, he ﷺinformed him that it was not a problem, and that she does not have to do it because menstruating women are not obliged to do it.
Then, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentions that she met the Prophet ﷺat al-Muhassab, which is the starting point from which people depart to outside Makkah. She mentioned that she met him ﷺwhile he was ascending (from Makkah) and she was descending to it, or she was ascending, and he ﷺwas descending.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to perform ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj and exit Ihraam.
It shows the kind treatment and compassion of the Prophet ﷺfor women..

739

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

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

740

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

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

746

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

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

746

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

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

747

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

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

748

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

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

753

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

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

754

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

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

755

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

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

756

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

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

757

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

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

759

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

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

762

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

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

763

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

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

763

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

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

Book of Hadith

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