Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that once the Prophet ﷺsent forth the sheep to the House without assuming the Ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah and without anything among the prohibited things of the Ihraam being disallowed for him. The Hady is that animal that is sent to the Sacred House – from the camels, cows, sheep and goats – in order to be sacrificed there as a means of getting closer to Allah and as an act of showing gratitude towards Him.
The purpose of sending the Hady to the Sacred House is to grant abundance and show kindness to the neighbours of the Sacred House and its visitors among the poor and destitute. This is one of the best deeds to getting closer to Allah Almighty. This is because charity and charitable spending are among the best forms of worship, especially, if they are carried out in the Sacred City and upon those who have isolated themselves purely for the worship of Allah therein and those residing in its vicinity.
This hadeeth shows the legality of sending the sacrificial animal to the Haram by who is unable to go to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah..

1702

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she used to make garlands for the Prophet ﷺ. Al-Qalaaid (garlands): they are collars that are placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals – that is made by interlacing some of its strings with others. The Prophet ﷺwould place these garlands and collars aaround the necks of the sheep as he would place them aaround the necks of other animals such as the camels and cows, and then the Messenger of Allah ﷺwould send them to the Sacred Vicinity (a-Haram), while he would remain with his family in Al-Madeenah without entering into the state of Ihraam. He ﷺwould not make upon himself anything prohibited among the prohibited things of Ihraam such as applying perfume or engaging in sexual intercourse with his wives, or anything prohibited upon the one assuming the state of Ihraam.
This hadeeth shows the legality of garlanding the sheep from the sacrificial animals.
It highlights the legality of sending the sacrificial animal to the Haram by who is unable to go to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah..

1704

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she prepared the garlands for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ, i.e. she made collars which are placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals by interlacing some of the strings with other strings. The word “Hady” is a noun used for the animal that is offered for sacrifice among the camels, cows, sheep, or goats – to the Sacred Vicinity (Al-Haram) in order to be slaughtered there as a means of getting closer to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and as a way of showing gratitude to Him.
Her statement, “Before he entered into the state of Ihraam,” has the possibility to mean, before the year in which he entered into the state of Ihraam for Hajj; he ﷺsent the sacrificial animal with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) in the ninth year. It is also possible that she informed in this narration about his state in the year of his entering into his state of Ihraam. That is the tenth year of the Hijrah.
This hadeeth highlights the legality of putting a garland aaround the neck of the sacrificial animal and letting the wife prepare the garlands for the sacrificial animals.
It highlights the legality of sending the sacrificial animal to the Haram by one who is unable to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and does not travel with it..

1705

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she prepared the garlands for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺwhich are placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals by interlacing some of the strings with others. She explained that the garlands were made of wool, and mostly, the kind of garlands that are placed on a sacrificial animal is coloured, so that they can be more visible as a sign. The word “Hady” is a noun used for the animal that is offered for sacrifice among the camels, cows, sheep, or goats – to the Sacred Vicinity (al-Haram) in order to be slaughtered there as means of getting closer to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and as a way of showing gratitude to Him.
This hadeeth shows the legality of putting a garland aaround the neck of the sacrificial animal and letting one’s own wife prepare the garlands for the sacrificial animals.
It also points to the legality of making garlands of wool..

1707

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered.
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Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained the rites of Hajj through his statements and actions. He has taught us that getting closer to Allah through offering the sacrificial animal and other good deeds ought to be offered solely for the sake of Allah, kind-heartedly and good-heartedly, venerating the bounties of Allah upon a Muslim and upon what He has helped fulfil in terms of the rites of Hajj.
In this hadeeth, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺcommanded him during the Farewell Hajj - this is the Hajj which the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed in the tenth year of the Hijrah- to give the drapes and the skins of the sacrificial animals in charity which he has offered and driven to the Haram after they are killed and slaughtered. The purpose of this was to emphasise that a sacrificial animal in its entirety is for Allah and so that the poor as well as the needy benefit from all its parts. The Arabic word “Jilaal” [used in the hadeeth and means covering] is the plural of the word “Jull” and that is what an animal adorns of the drape, garland, and so on. The word “Budan”, which is mentioned in the hadeeth, are the animals that are offered to the Sacred House among the four-legged animals, namely, the camels, cows, or specifically the camels, in other to get closer thereby to Allah.
The reason to evidently mention the coverings and the skins is that sometimes it is presumed that the distribution and handing out are only related to the meats only. Hence, this played as an emphasis that every part that can potentially be of benefit as part of the slaughtered animal will be incorporated in the notion that it is for Allah and that is charitable and that is not specific to meats only.
This hadeeth shows the legality of appointing someone else to carry out all the actions concerning the sacrificial animals such as their slaughtering, the distribution of their meat and so on.
It highlights that one may not benefit from or sell anything which has been taken out for the sake of Allah, even if it is a small part thereof.
It also shows the legality of placing coverings over the backs of the sacrificial animals and thereafter giving them in charity to the poor, just as their skins and meat are given in charity..

1709

Narrated `’Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “Five days before the end of Thoo al-Qa’daa, we set out from Al-Madeenah in the company of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ with the intention of performing Hajj only. When we approached Makkah, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered those who had no Hady with them to finish their lhraam after performing Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and the ritual walking between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah.” `’Aaishah added, “On the Day of Nahr (slaughtering of sacrifice) beef was brought to us. I asked, ‘What is this?' The reply was, 'Allah's Messenger ﷺhas slaughtered (sacrifices) on behalf of his wives.'"
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Commentary : There are three kinds of Hajj. First, the Tamattu’, and that is that the pilgrim assumes the Ihraam of ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj – they are Shawwaal, Thoo al-Qa’dah and Thoo al-Hijjah – and after completing the rites of ‘Umrah he exits his Ihraam. Then, he again enters into the state of Ihraam for Hajj during the same year. Second, the Qiraan, which entails that the pilgrims enter into the state of Ihraam both for Hajj and ‘Umrah. The third is the Ifraad, which means that the pilgrim enters into the state of Ihraam for Hajj only.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, reports that the Prophet ﷺleft Al-Madeenah in the tenth year of the Hijrah to perform his Farewell Hajj. There were only five nights left from the month of Thoo al-Qa’dah. When they left Al-Madeenah, they had intended to perform an Ifraad-kind of Hajj and it did not occur in their minds that they could perform ‘Umrah along with it. The reason for that was that the Companions did not know that ‘Umrah can be performed in the months of Hajj, as this was widespread a belief in the time of ignorance before Islam. When they got closer to Makkah, the Prophet ﷺcommanded those who did not have sacrificial animals with them to perform Tamattu’ by performing ‘Umrah first. Accordingly, they first performed the Tawaaf of the Ka’bah then performed the ritual walking between the Safaa and al-Marwah. And lastly, they had a haircut to exit from their Ihraam. Afterwards, they entered the state of Ihraam for Hajj when the rites of Hajj commence on the Day of Tarwiyah, on the eighth of Thoo al-Hijjah.
The Prophet ﷺperformed the Qiraan-type of Hajj by combining the ‘Umrah with the Hajj whilst maintaining the same Ihraam without exiting it; that was because he took the sacrificial animal along with him from Thoo al-Hulayfah. When it was the Day of Nahr (Day of Sacrifice) – the tenth of Thoo al-Hijjah – the cow meat was brought to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), asked about it, and the people informed her that the Prophet ﷺslaughtered the sacrificial animals, namely, cows, on behalf of his wives.
This hadeeth reveals the permissibility of suspending the Ifraad-kind of Hajj and assuming the Tamattu’-type of Hajj and ‘Umrah for the one who has not taken a sacrificial animal along with him.
It shows the legality of appointing an agent for slaughtering the sacrificial animal..

1710

Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.")
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Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were endowed with love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺand keenness to follow his example and footsteps in all his movements and stillness. The staunchest and most keen of all of them was ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadeeth, Naafi’, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was so eager to slaughter his sacrificial animal at the place where the Prophet ﷺslaughtered his at Minaa near al-Jamarah as-Sughraa, and that is the first stone pillar next to Masjid al-Khayf situated in Minaa. It is worth noting that Minaa in all its entirety is a place for sacrifice as it is narrated in Saheeh Muslim by Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺstated, “I have slaughtered here, while the whole of Minaa is a place of sacrifice, hence, sacrifice [the animals] at your dwellings,” however, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ascertain the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺsacrificed and was persistent in slaughtering his sacrifice there too. This was his habit in all places and contexts that had a connection with the Prophet ﷺ. .

1711

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn `Umar used to send his Hady from Jam' (to Mina) in the last part of the night with the pilgrims amongst whom there were free men and slaves, till it was taken into the Manhar (slaughtering place) of the Prophet ﷺ..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were bestowed with love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and eagerness to follow his example and footsteps in all his movements and stillness. The staunchest and most eager of them all was ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadeeth, Naafi’, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, reports that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to send his sacrificial animals – these are the four-legged animals among the sheep, goats, camels or cows which are taken to be slaughtered in hajj from “Jam’” - at last part of the night. “Jam’” is the other name for Muzadalifah, which is the name for the place where the pilgrims encamp after pouring out from ‘Arafaat. They spend the night of the tenth of Thoo al-Hijjah there. It is there where the Sacred Monument (Al-Mash’ar al-Haraam) lies, and it is about 12 km away from ‘Arafah. It is next to the monument of Minaa. Al-Muzdalifah is called “Jam’” because the two prayers, Maghrib and ‘Ishaa are combined therein. It was said: It is described as thus because of the action of its dwellers, as they assemble there and turn towards Allah, meaning, they get closer to Allah by halting there.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) would drive the sacrificial animals until they reached the place where the Prophet ﷺsacrificed his animals in Minaa near al-Jamarah as-Sughraa and that is the first stone pillar just after Masjid al-Khayf that is situated in Minaa. Also, it is worth noting that Minaa in all its entirety is a place for sacrifice as it is narrated in Saheeh Muslim by Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺstated, “I have slaughtered here, while the whole of Minaa is a place of sacrifice, hence, sacrifice [the animals] at your dwellings,” however, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ascertain the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺsacrificed and was persistent in slaughtering his sacrifice there too. This was his habit in all places and contexts that had a connection with the Prophet ﷺ.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) would send his sacrificial animals with the pilgrims consisting of free people and slaves. There is no stipulation anywhere about sending the sacrificial animals with free people instead of slaves.
This hadeeth shows the legality for a slave to perform Hajj..

1713

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rituals both by his statements and actions. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), thereafter, transmitted them just as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee, Ziyaad ibn Jubayr reports that he saw ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who happened to pass by a man who had made his badanah sit and lie down – a badanah happens to be specifically from the camels – on the ground at Minaa, in order to slaughter it, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed him to keep it standing with its left leg ties, then to slaughter it while it is standing. He explained that this is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Nahr (slaughtering by stabbing) of camels consists of stabbing them with a dagger or something of that nature at the cavity between their bottom parts of necks and chests. It is said: the wisdom of specifying the camels with the act of Nahr while they are standing is due to their long necks. This is because if a camel was slaughtered at the area closer to its head, then the blood flowing from the heart to the area of slaughter would be at a greater distance, which would not assist the letting out of all the blood easily, contrary to the act of Nahr at the last part of the neck. It closes the distance and helps the heart with forcing the whole blood out. As for the cows and sheep, the normal slaughtering technique is suitable for them.
This hadeeth highlights that one should teach the ignorant person and avoid remaining silent at seeing an act contradictory to the Sunnah, even if that act may be permissible.
The statement of the Companion, “Part of the Sunnah is doing this in this manner,” takes the ruling of elevating that [act] to the Prophet ﷺ. .

1715

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ offered the Thuhr prayer, four units at Al-Madeenah and two units of `Asr prayer at Thoo al-Hulayfah. [According to another narration: “Then the Prophet ﷺ passed the night there till dawn and then he offered the Fajr prayer and mounted his Mount. And when it arrived at Al-Baydaa', he ﷺassumed Ihraam for both `Umrah and Hajj."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained the rituals of Hajj both by his statements and actions. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), thereafter, transmitted them just as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed the four units of the Thuhr prayer while he was in Al-Madeenah on the day he travelled to perform the Farewell Hajj. That was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He ﷺprayed the full prayer and did not shorten it as he was a resident at that point of time. Then, he ﷺleft and performed two units for the ‘Asr prayer when he reached Thoo al-Hulayfah , i.e. he ﷺshortened the ‘Asr prayer there. Thoo al-Hulayfah is the Meeqaat of the people of Al-Madeenah, which is now known as Aabaar ‘Alee, a well-known location right at the onset of the road of Al-Madeenah that leads one to Makkah. The distance between it and Al-Madeenah is about 13 km, and between it and Makkah is approximately 408 km; it is the farthest of all the boundaries from Makkah.
Then, the Prophet ﷺspent the night at Thoo al-Hulayfah until he performed the Fajr prayer therein. Then, he mounted his she-camel, and when it stood up and halted with him at al-Baydaa’, the Prophet ﷺproclaimed the Ihraam of ‘Umrah and Hajj. He said, “Labbayka, both for the ‘Umrah and Hajj,” as it is mentioned in the narration of Saheeh Muslim. The Baydaa’ is a specific location between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, a place above the two mountains of Thoo al-Hulayfah when ascending from the valley, which is just a mile away from Thoo al-Hulayfah. It is reported in the two Saheeh Books that the Prophet ﷺproclaimed for Hajj after he had performed prayers in the mosque. This entails that the proclamation happened more than once.
This hadeeth shows the legality of shortening the prayers while travelling, and the legality of performing the Qiraan-type of Hajj..

1716

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ sent me to supervise the (slaughtering of) Budn (Hady camels) and ordered me to distribute their meat, and then he ordered me to distribute their covering sheets and skins. 'Alee added in another narration, "The Prophet ﷺ ordered me to supervise the slaughtering (of the Budn) and not to give anything (of their bodies) to the butcher as wages for slaughtering."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us as they learned them from him ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺsent him to oversee the slaughtering of the sacrificial camels and their distribution among the poor and needy. In the narration of Bukhaaree, it reads, “The Prophet ﷺdrove for sacrifice a hundred badanah. In Saheeh Muslim, from the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned, “The Prophet slaughtered sixty-three animals with his hands, then, he appointed ‘Alee to take over the responsibility and he slaughtered the rest, meaning, what was left of them, made him is a participant in the sacrificial animals towards the place of slaughter.”
The Arabic word “Budn” is the plural of badanah and it is from the four-legged cattle which is offered and sent to the Sacred House in order to draw closer to Allah Almighty, and it is of camels exclusively, and it was said: “Budn” is used to denote camels and cows.
The Prophet ﷺcommanded him to divide its meat among the needy, so he divided it, then he commanded him to divide its drapes and its skins, so he divided them too. The word “Jilaal” is whatever an animal adorns such as a drape or a garland or something of that like. This is so that nothing of it will come back to him since he gave it for the sake of Allah. He also instructed him not to give the butcher anything of it as a payment for his work on it. Giving the butcher something of it in exchange for what he did and his slaughtering entails being a sale, and it is not permissible to sell any of its meat. However, there is nothing wrong with giving it as a charity, gift, or something above his right.
This hadeeth is that it demonstrates delegating and making someone an agent to carry out the actions pertaining to the sacrificial animals such as slaughtering it and dividing its meat, and so on.
It highlights that it is not allowed to sell what is intended for the sake of Allah Almighty, even if it is a small part of it..

1719

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): 'We never ate the meat of the Budn for more than three days of Minaa. Later, the Prophet ﷺ gave us permission by saying: 'Eat and take (meat) with you. So, we ate (some) and took (some) with us.’" I asked `Ataa', "Did Jaabir say (that they went on eating the meat) till they reached Al-Madeenah?" `Ataa' replied, "No."
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Commentary : Islamic law has taken the condition of society and its needs into consideration. It has built a coherent Muslim society where all its members act in unity such that whenever a calamity befalls anyone of them, everyone stands shoulder-to-shoulder to assist in removing it from him.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that they did not use to eat from the meat of their sacrificial animals above the three days of Minaa, which is known as the Days of Tashreeq, namely the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah. The animals mentioned in the hadeeth refer to the cows and camels which they took with them to the Haram to offer as a sacrifice to draw nearer to Allah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that anytime over this period would be to distribute the meat among the poor, to meet their need and comfort them in their plight and extend a helping hand to them. However, after that, the Prophet ﷺpermitted them to eat from it, and to take from it as a provision in their journey.
The Taabi’ee, ‘Abdul Malik ibn ‘Abd al‘Azeez ibn Jurayj asked ‘Ataa’ ibn Abee Rabaah – the sub-narrator of the hadeeth from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) -, “Did Jaabir say, ‘Until we came to Al-Madeenah?’” ‘Ataa’ replied, “No.” However, in Saheeh Muslim, it is “Yes” instead of “No.” The reconciliation between these two replies is by taking the fact into account that he had forgotten, thus he said, “No.” Thereafter, he remembered, and he replied, “Yes.” Or the meaning of his statement, “No,” is not the negation of the ruling, rather its meaning is that Jaabir did not elucidate the continuation of this from them until they reached Al-Madeenah. Based on this, the meaning of his statement in one narration will be, “We would take the meat of the sacrificed animals as a provision to Al-Madeenah, , i.e. when heading back to Al-Madeenah, which does not denote that the meat remained with them until they reached Al-Madeenah.
This hadeeth has been used as proof of establishing abrogation within the compendium of the Sunnah. This is an example of an act of Sunnah abrogating the other act of Sunnah. It was said: that this is not an act of abrogation, rather, there was a previous prohibition due to a legal reason, which when the latter disappeared, the ruling of prohibition became inapplicable. The legal reason for prohibiting hoarding initially then allowing it thereafter was the people’s need and a great number of poor. When the legal reason that obligated this ceased, he ﷺcommanded them to eat it and save (hoard). What Muslim has narrated in his Saheeh from ‘Abdullah ibn Waaqid reinforces this understanding, wherein he says, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺprohibited from consuming the meat of sacrificed animals after three days …,” it also contains, “… He ﷺstated, ‘I only prohibited you due to the horde who marched [to here] steadily; now, you may eat, hoard and give it away in charity.” The Arabic word “Daaffah” means a horde of weak Bedouins who came in to receive aid.
This hadeeth shows that a ruling rotates with its legal reason in terms of its existence and inexistence.
It also contains refutation against the one who perceives that it is not allowed to hoard food for the next day and that one who saves anything even if little is not entitled to receive the attribution of the friendship of Allah and that one who hoards has misperceived Allah, the Upholder..

1726

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺshaved his hair in the Farewell Hajj, which happened in the tenth year of the Hijrah.
Shaving means removing all the hair on the head completely and it is only allowed for men. It is one of the symbols of Hajj. It is the act by which a person in Ihraam exits from his Ihraam and it happens on the Day of Sacrifice, on the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah.
Shortening the hair is performed in lieu of shaving the head for women, as well as all those who do not wish to shave the head among men. Nonetheless, shaving the head is better for the men because it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺand because Allah gave it precedence in mention in His Book. He stated, {You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haraam (The Sacred Mosque) in safety with your heads shaved or [hair] shortened.} [Quran 48:27]. This act (shaving the head) is more effective in worship, is more revealing of the devotion and humility and more demonstrates the sincerity of the intention. As for the one who shortens his hair, there is something left upon him by which he beautifies himself, unlike the one who gets his head shaved off. The latter feels that he has left all that for the sake of Allah. It also contains the meaning of complete submission to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
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1727

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved." The people said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! And (invoke Allah for) those who get their hair cut short." The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their heads shaved." The people said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! And those who get their hair cut short." The Prophet ﷺ said (the third time), "And to those who get their hair cut short."
Al-Layth reported that Naafi` said that the Prophet ﷺ had said once or twice, "O Allah! Be merciful to those who get their heads shaved," and ‘Ubaydallah reported that Naafi’ said: on the fourth time he added, "And to those who have their hair cut short."
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Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained the rituals of Hajj with his statements and actions. Thereafter, the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us in full detail, so that the people are fully and evidently acquainted about their worship.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺrepeated the supplication for those who shave their hair off in their rituals of Hajj that Allah bestows His mercy upon them. This happened during the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah or during the year of al-Hudaibiyah or during both occasions.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked him to supplicate for those who shorten their hair just as he supplicates for those who shave their hair. He, thereafter, responded to them by adding [in his supplication], “And also those who shorten their hair,” either during the second, third or fourth time. Shaving the head entails the complete removal of hair on the head, whereas shortening means cutting parts of the hair on the head. This statement is indicative of the legality of both the acts, but however, shaving the head is better than shortening the hair for the men. This is because it is that act of the Messenger of Allah and it is because Allah mentioned it first in His Book. He Almighty stated, {You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque in safety with your heads shaved or [hair] shortened.} [Quran 48:27]. This act [shaving the head] is more effective in terms of worship, is more revealing of the devotion and humility and more demonstrates the truthfulness of the intention. As for the one who shortens his hair, there is something left upon him by which he beautifies himself, unlike the one who gets his head shaved off. The latter feels that he has left all that for the sake of Allah. It also contains the meaning of complete dedication to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Shaving the head is prescribed only for men while women are ordered to cut from their hair, so they exit their Ihraam.
The acts of shaving and cutting the hair are from the rites of Hajj with which the pilgrim exits his Ihraam. It takes place after throwing the Jamrah of ‘Aqabah, after slaughtering his Hady, if he had it, and before the Tawaaf of Ifaadah. It takes place in ‘Umarh after completing the ritual walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to ask Allah to invoke His mercy upon the living just like it is allowed to do it for the dead..

1729

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺand a group of his Companions shaved their heads, while some others shortened their hair and did not shave their heads. This happened in the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah. This is indicative of the legality of both actions, however, shaving the head is better than shortening the hair for the men. This is because it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺand it is because Allah placed first in His Book. He Almighty stated, “You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haraam (The Sacred Mosque) in safety with your heads shaved or [hair] shortened.” [Quran 48:27]. This act [shaving the head] is more effective in terms of worship, is more revealing of the devotion and humility and more demonstrates the truthfulness of the intention. As for the one who shortens his hair, there is something left upon him by which he beautifies himself, unlike the one who gets his head shaved off. The latter feels that he has left all that for the sake of Allah. It also contains the meaning of complete dedication to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Shaving the head is prescribed only for men while women are ordered to cut from their hair, so they exit their Ihraam.
The acts of shaving and cutting the hair are from the rites of Hajj with which the pilgrim exits his Ihraam. It takes place after throwing the Jamrah of ‘Aqabah, after slaughtering his Hady, if he had it, and before the Tawaaf of Ifaadah. It takes place in ‘Umarh after completing the ritual walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah..

739

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

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

740

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

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

746

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

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

746

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

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

747

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

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

748

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

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

753

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

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

754

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

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

755

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

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

756

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

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

757

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

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

759

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

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

762

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

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

763

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

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

763

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady.
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam.
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam.
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had.
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Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered.
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Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.")
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Narrated Naafi’: Ibn `Umar used to send his Hady from Jam' (to Mina) in the last part of the night with the pilgrims amongst whom there were free men and slaves, till it was taken into the Manhar (slaughtering place) of the Prophet ﷺ..

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ."
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Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj.
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Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short.
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‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night until his last prayer would be the Witr..

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

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady. .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam. .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam. .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had. .

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered. .

Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.") .

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn `Umar used to send his Hady from Jam' (to Mina) in the last part of the night with the pilgrims amongst whom there were free men and slaves, till it was taken into the Manhar (slaughtering place) of the Prophet ﷺ..

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ." .

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj. .

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short. .

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

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

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

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

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady.
.

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam.
.

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam.
.

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had.
.

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered.
.

Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.")
.

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ."
.

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj.
.

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short.
.