| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
1770
Narrated ‘Amr ibn Dinaar that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Thoo al-Majaaz and `Ukaath were the markets of the people during the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When the people embraced Islam, they disliked to do bargaining there till the following ayaat were revealed: {There is no harm for you If you seek of the bounty of your Lord (during Hajj by trading, etc.)} (Quran 2:198)
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺdetailed all that which is lawful for the pilgrim during his Ihraam. Then, his honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Thoo Majaaz and ‘Ukaath were the two marketplaces for the people in the time of ignorance (i.e. before Islam).   Thoo Majaaz is a place located beside ‘Arafah, It has been said: it is in Minaa. As for ‘Ukaath, it is behind Qarn al-Manaazil, 44km away on the road to San’aa of Yemen. When Islam came, it seems that the Muslims disliked trading during the days of Hajj just like the polytheists and out of their fear of falling into the sin, for becoming busy on the days of the rites of pilgrimage with something else besides the worship, until the statement of Allah Almighty was revealed, {There is no blame on you for seeking the bounty of Your Lord [during Hajj]} [Al-Baqarah: 198], meaning: there is no sin at all in seeking the permissible sustenance by trading and so on during Hajj as grace and sustenance from Allah, the Sublime, and this is a generous bounty from Allah, the Sublime, on them.
A group of Arabs during the period of ignorance thought it was sinful to trade during the days of Hajj. When the ten days of Thoo al-Hijjah entered, they would withhold themselves from buying and selling. No market would be erected for them. They called those who left with them for trade as helpers. They would say: those are ad-Daajj and they are not Haajj.  Ad-Daajj: followers and helpers, and Haajj: pilgrims.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible for one in Ihraam to buy and sell, and that it is allowed to trade in the marketplaces that existed during the time of ignorance and of the polytheists.

1773
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic has made acts of obedience and all acts of goodness as expiations for the sins and elevators of ranks. Among the most majestic of acts of obedience and the highest of them in ranks are Hajj and ‘Umrah.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺinforms us of the virtue of the worship of Hajj and ‘Umrah. As for ‘Umrah, the Prophet ﷺhas spoken about it, “‘Umrah to ‘Umrah is an act of expiation for all the sins that have occurred between them,” meaning: one who performs two ‘Umrahs consecutively, these two ‘Umrahs become a means of expiation of the minor sins that have been committed between them and of not being taken to task by them on the Day of Judgement. ‘Umrah: is devotional worship to Allah Almighty by assuming the Ihraam from the Meeqaat and by performing the Tawaaf of the House, walking between the Safaa and Marwah and by exiting the Ihraam by shaving the head or by shortening the hair. As for the Hajj, it is the intention to visit the Sacred Monuments in order to perform the Hajj rites at a specific place and specific time for the devotional worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Then, the Prophet ﷺhighlighted that the reward of a “Mabroor” Hajj is nothing but Paradise.  Mabroor is that [righteous] act with which no sin has been intermixed or it is a pure and accepted act that is free from showing off and acquiring fame, while its pillars and its obligatory acts have been realised within it. The reward of this Hajj before Allah is only Paradise.
This hadeeth contains encouragement to perform ‘Umrah more often..

1774
Narrated Ibn Jurayj: `Ikrimah ibn Khaalid asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about performing `Umrah before Hajj. Ibn `Umar replied, "There is no harm in it." `Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Umar also said, 'The Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah before performing Hajj.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Sublime and High, has commanded us to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah. Allah states, {Complete the Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah.} [Al-Baqarah, 2: 196]
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Ikrimah ibn Khaalid ibn al-‘Aasee al-Makhzoomee asked the Companion, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the performance of ‘Umrah before performing the obligation of Hajj, while he does not intend thereby to perform Tamattu’. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) answered that there was nothing wrong in performing ‘Umrah before the Hajj. When a Muslim has not performed Hajj and is able to perform ‘Umrah [first], then there is no blame on him,” because the Prophet ﷺdid that; he performed ‘Umrah before performing Hajj. According to the hadeeth in Sunan Aboo Dawood, it reads, “Yes, of course. What stops you from doing that? The Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed all his ‘Umrahs before his Hajj and we too performed ‘Umrah.”
‘Umrah is different from Hajj. ‘Umrah: is a devotional act of worship for Allah which is done by performing the Tawaaf of the House, performing the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and exiting from it by shaving the head or having a haircut. It does not have a specified time in a year. As for Hajj, it entails intending to visit the Sacred Monuments to perform the rites at a specified place and time as a devotional act of worship for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
This hadeeth encourages us to hasten to perform the acts of obedience whenever it is easy for us to do it. .

1775
Narrated Mujaahid: ‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr and I entered the Mosque (of the Prophet) and saw `Abdullah ibn `Umar sitting near the dwelling place of ‘Aaishah and some people were offering the Duhaa prayer. We asked him about their prayer, and he replied that it was an innovation. He (‘Urwah) then asked him how many times the Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah. He replied, 'Four times; one of them was in the month of Rajab." We disliked to argue with him. Then, we heard `’Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, cleaning her teeth with Siwaak in the dwelling place. 'Urwah said, "O Mother! O Mother of the Believers! Don't you hear what Aboo `Abd al-Rahmaan is saying?" She said, "What does he say?" 'Urwah said, "He says that Allah's Messenger ﷺ performed four `Umrah and one of them was in the month of Rajab." `’Aaishah said, "May Allah be merciful to Aboo `Abd al-Rahmaan! The Prophet ﷺ did not perform any `Umrah except that he was with him, and he never performed any `Umrah in Rajab."
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Commentary : Muslims in the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would sometimes differ in some [secondary] issues, however, they maintained decorum in disagreements which the Prophet ﷺtaught them. They did not overstep the limits in clarifying the truth, presenting it, and refuting the error.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Mujaahid ibn Jabr reports that a disagreement ensued between the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the time of one ‘Umrah that the Prophet ﷺperformed. He explains that he entered with ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr the Prophet’s Mosque where they found ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sitting and reclining towards the wall of the room of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and found some people offering the forenoon prayer in the Mosque. They asked him about the ruling of this prayer, and he informed that gathering the Mosque to offer in this form is an innovation that contradicts the Sunnah, and not that the prayer per se is an innovation. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) only criticised praying it continuously, offering it in the Mosque, and its performance in congregation. He did not deny that offering the forenoon prayer is from the Sunnah. It is well established in the two Saheeh Books and in other Hadeeth books that the Prophet ﷺperformed the forenoon prayer (Duhaa Prayer) and also encouraged its performance. The original meaning of religious innovation is to introduce that which did not exist before , i.e. innovating something without having a previous example for it. With that said, if anything of that sort happens in religion that is against the Sunnah upon which the Muslims have approved, and it does not have a foundation in the Book [of Allah] and the Sunnah, then that is a dispraised innovation that is void of goodness and we are discouraged and prohibited from doing it. As this will entail bringing a new thing into religion after its perfection. However, anything of the innovation that does not contradict the principles of Islamic law and the Sunnah, is a good innovation. This understanding is applied to the statement of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the Taraaweeh prayer when he described it as an innovation.
Then, ‘Urwah asked about how many times the Prophet ﷺperformed ‘Umrah. To which, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he ﷺperformed it four times, and one of them he performed it in the month of Rajab. They both disliked arguing with him about it so, they handed over the task of responding to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
After that, Mujaahid mentioned that he and ‘Urwah heard the sound created by the movement of the teeth cleaning twig on the teeth of ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, coming from her apartment. Thereupon, ‘Urawah called his maternal aunt ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with a raised voice asking her about the statement of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the ‘Umrah of the Prophet ﷺand that one of them happened to be in Rajab. ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) responded to him by saying, “May Allah have mercy on Aboo ‘Abd al-Rahmaan.” The reason she addressed him with his nickname is to show reverence to him, and she supplicated for him as an inference that he had forgotten. Then, she remarked that the Messenger of Allah ﷺIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was present with the Prophet ﷺin all the ‘Umrahs he ﷺperformed. For this reason, she is surprised of hearing that he said one of them was in the month of Rajab. Her statement was made in order to intensify the emphasis on Ibn ‘Umar’s forgetfulness regarding this matter. She only objected to the part of his statement “that one of them was in Rajab.” In a different version of the hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Muslim, ‘Urwah commented by saying, “[She said that] while Ibn ‘Umar listening. However, he did not say, “yes,” nor “no,” rather he remained silent.” The fact that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not respond to her statement, confirms the authenticity of the statement of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and that definitely an error and forgetfulness had ensued from him.
The hadeeth shows that the one who is more knowledgeable about a subject matter should correct the mistake of others regarding the matter, even if the other person is a scholar.
It shows that even a benevolent, perfect, virtuous person may forget some of the Sunnah he has heard or witnessed.
It highlights the sound knowledge of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and her knowledge of the Sunnah and the conditions of the Prophet ﷺ..

1778
Narrated Qataadah: I asked Anas how many times the Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah. He replied, "Four times. 1. `Umrah of Hudaybiyyah in Thoo al-Qa’dah when the polytheists hindered him; 2. `Umrah in the following year in Thoo al-Qa’dah after the peace treaty with them (the polytheists); 3. `Umrah from Al-Ja'rraanah where he distributed the war booty." I think he meant the booty (of the battle) of Hunayn. I asked, "How many times did he perform Hajj?" He (Anas) replied, "Once. "
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Commentary : Hajj and ‘Umrah are among the most rewarding acts of worship that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas keen on. He ﷺappreciated the ‘Umrah so much that he performed it multiple times.
In this hadeeth, the Taab’iee Qataadah ibn Di’aamah reports that he asked the Companion, Anas ibn Maalik, (may Allah be pleased with him) about the number of the ‘Umrahs of the Prophet ﷺ. ‘Umrah: is a devotional act of worship for the sake of Allah by entering into the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat, doing the Tawaaf around the House and the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and exiting it by shaving the head or cutting the hair short. It is an act of worship that does not have any limited time during the year.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) answered that he ﷺperformed four ‘Umrahs.   The first one was the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaibiyyah in Thoo al-Qa’dah in the sixth year of the Hijrah when the polytheists prevented him from performing it, thus he and his Companions could not reach the House. Hence, they exited their Ihraam and this was considered an ‘Umrah for them. It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas encircled. He shaved his head and had a sexual relationship with his wives, and he slaughtered his sacrificial animals until he performed the ‘Umrah in the following year. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]. Al-Hudaibiyyah is a big town closer to Makkah towards the side of Al-Madeenah. The place has been called after the name of the well there. Now, it is a valley at a distance of 22km from Makkah on the way to Jeddah. The name al-Hudaibiyyah became famous in the Sunnah for the treaty which was made between the Prophet and Quraysh.
The second one was ‘Umrah al-Qadaa, which was based upon the reconciliation and agreement the Prophet ﷺmade with the polytheists that he will head back from al-Hudaibiyyah and will return the following year. The return happened in Thoo al-Qa’dah in the seventh year of the Hijrah. It is also known as ‘Umrah al-Qadiyyah, and the reason why it was named as ‘Umrah al-Qadaa’ and al-Qadiyyah is that the Prophet ﷺmade a pact with Quraysh and not because it happened as a Qadaa’ (makeup) of the ‘Umrah which the Prophet was prevented from performing. Had that been the case, then both would have been classified as a single ‘Umrah.
The third ‘one was the ‘Umrah of al-Ji’irraanah, which happened in a place called al-Ji’irraanah, located between Makkah and at-Taaif, seven miles (11km) away from Makkah. The Prophet ﷺhalted at it when he was returning to Al-Madeenah from the battle of Hunayn wherein he distributed the spoils of Hunayn – that is a valley three miles away from Makkah. Then, he entered into the state of Ihraam from there and entered Makkah at night. He ﷺ performed the rites of ‘Umrah. Then, he returned to al-Ji’irraanah. Thus, he became a night-spender there. Hence, it was named as ‘Umrah al-Ji’irraanah. This happened in the eighth year of the Hijrah.
The fourth ‘one was dropped out from this narration; however, it was mentioned in another narration by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. This is the ‘Umrah that was done with his Hajj – the Farewell Hajj – in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He ﷺperformed Hajj al-Qiraan where ‘Umrah and Hajj were done with one Ihraam. It was said: the fourth ‘Umrah is indirectly mentioned in this hadeeth when he mentioned that he performed the Hajj only once, given that the Prophet ﷺwas a Qaarin (the performer of the Qiraan-kind of Hajj).
Qataadah happened to ask Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), “How many times did the Prophetﷺ perform the Hajj?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that the Prophet ﷺonly performed Hajj once and that was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. It is well-known as the Farewell Hajj..

1787
Narrated ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr: `Aaishah (raa) said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The people are returning after performing Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning with one only?" He said, "Wait till you become clean from your menses and then go to al-Tan`eem, assume Ihraam (and after performing `Umrah) join us at such-and-such a place. But it (i.e., the reward of `Umrah) is according to your expenses or the hardship (which you will undergo while performing it).
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺdemonstrated the rites of the Pilgrimage by his words and actions. The Companions (ras) have narrated them to us - so that we may be able to live, abide, and implement them on our own observance of Hajj.
In this hadeeth, The Mother of the Believers - ‘Aa’ishah (raa) - reports on some of what happened during the Farewell Pilgrimage. The text of this hadeeth is a part of a longer narration in which she (raa) had narrated about the time when they (i.e., the Companions) departed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺwithout any intention to do anything else, except for performing the Hajj. So, when they arrived at Makkah, he ﷺ ordered that whoever did not bring along a sacrificial offering from outside of Makkah and its Sacred Precinct to release themselves from the state of ihraam (which is the hallowed mode of being that a pilgrim enters when embarking on the Hajj or ‘Umrah) after: circumambulating the Ka‘bah, performing the ritual walk between al-Safaa and al-Marwah, and shaving or cutting their hair when performing an ‘Umrah (rather than only a Hajj) to the eighth of Thoo al-Hijjah which is the Day of Quenching Thirst (Tarwiyah). Thereafter, they entered into the state of Ihraam for Hajj. As for ‘Aa’ishah (raa), the onset of her menses which occurred at night while they were at Saraf - which is the name of an area situated about ten miles from Makkah - had prevented her from entering Makkah. She was in a state of ihraam for ‘Umrah, while also initially entering this state with the intention of performing the Hajj as well, thus becoming a pilgrim who performs the Holy Pilgrimage by combining the Hajj and ‘Umrah with a single intention and state of sanctity throughout the whole pilgrimage. Thus, she (raa) didn’t perform the circumambulations for ‘Umrah around the Ka‘bah, due to the onset of her menses which had prevented her from doing so. As for the Farewell Circumambulation, she performed it on the Day of Sacrifice [i.e. the 10th day of ThooHijjah]. So, she (raa) complained to The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and explained that the reason for her sadness was due to the people returning with the completion of two separate rites of worship - namely, Hajj and ‘Umrah - while evidently she was returning with only one. She (raa) highly desired for both, due to her desire to increase her actions of worship - as was the case for all of the Mothers of the Believers (raa) and other Companions (ras). Thereafter, The Prophet ﷺ said to her (raa): “Wait until you are ritually pure from your menses, then set out to al-Tan‘eem”, which is a place about three or four miles from Makkah and is the closest non-sacred area near the Holy Masjid of Makkah. It was called that because the mountain, Jabal Nu’aym, is to its right. And to its left is another mountain named Jabal Naa’im; and the valley’s name therein is Na‘maan. Then he ﷺsaid to her: “Assume the state of a pilgrim’s sanctity”, meaning: “Enter into the state of ihraam, recite the Talbiyah (a prayer that is uttered by the pilgrim as a statement that they are intending to perform the Holy Pilgrimage for Allah alone) and perform the ‘Umrah.” Then, The Prophet ﷺsent her (raa) with her brother, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakr (ra). Thereafter, he ﷺsaid to Lady ‘Aa’ishah (raa): ‘Then proceed and join us at such and such a place’; intending al-‘Abtah by this statement, which is the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺstayed after departing from Minaa; and set off, returning to al-Madeenah. It is called al-Muhassib, and it is an expansive place which spans between: Makkah, Minaa, and the Two Mountains; as well as to the cemeteries in the area. It was called this because of the gravel that collected there due to the strong torrents depositing them there. Now, it is called al-Ja‘fariyyah, and is a dependent region subsumed under the Jummayzah district. Then, The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “However, it is in proportion to your expenses, or hardship.” That is to say: that the reward regarding the performance of ‘Umrah is commensurate with the hardship, toil, fatigue, and struggles faced; along with the expenses incurred during it. So, the more money that is spent and effort expended; the greater the reward, which is then given from Allah, The Almighty. Some of the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the rewards for worship are multiplied by the exertion that one puts forth and expenses spent during it. And lastly, it shows the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj..

1791
Narrated `Abdullah bin Aboo Awfaa: "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed `Umrah and we too performed `Umrah along with him. When he entered Makkah, he performed the Tawaaf (round the Ka`bah) and we too performed it along with him, and then he came to As-Safaa and Al-Marwah (i.e., performed the rite of brisk walking) and we also did it along with him. We were shielding him from the people of Makkah lest they may hit him with an arrow." One of my friends asked him (i.e., `Abdullah bin Awfaa), "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) enter the Ka`bah (during that `Umrah)?" He replied in the negative. Then he said, "What did he (the Prophet ﷺ) say about Khadeejah (raa)?" He (Abdullah bin `Awfaa) said, "(He said) 'Give Khadeejah the good tidings that she will have a palace made of Qasab in Paradise and there will be neither noise nor any trouble in it."
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Commentary : The Companions (ras) loved the Messenger of Allah more than they loved themselves; so, they were eager to be near him at his home and during his ﷺtravels; and they (ras) were willing to offer their lives in sacrifice for him ﷺ. In this hadith, ‘Abd Allah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) reports that they were performing ‘Umrah with The Prophet ﷺ, and that was during the ‘Umrah that was made up when the polytheists had prevented The Prophet ﷺ from offering the ‘Umrah in the year when the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed during the sixth year after Hijrah, when he ﷺ made peace with them with the condition that he ﷺ and the Muslims could return to the city of Makkah for ‘Umrah the next year - which took place in the month of Thoo al-Qa‘dah in the seventh year after Hijrah. So, when The Messenger of Allah entered Makkah, he ﷺcircumambulated the Ka‘bah seven times. Likewise, the Companions (ras) did so with him ﷺ. Thereafter, he ﷺ performed the ritual walk between al-Safaa and Marwah, and they (ras) did so with him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺbegan the first lap of this rite by walking from the hill of Safaa to hill of Marwah, and the second round is opposite of that i.e., from Marwah to Safaa. The third round is similar to the first, and so forth until the rite of the ritual walk is completed on the seventh lap. The Companions (ras) used to gather around The Prophet ﷺ and shield him from the polytheistic people of Makkah during their circumambulation of the Ka‘bah and ritualistic walk; out of fear that they would throw something and injure The Prophet ﷺ. Then, a man asked the narrator of this hadeeth about whether or not The Messenger of Allah had entered the Ka‘bah on this ‘Umrah; to which he responded that he ﷺ didn’t enter it at that time. In this hadeeth, the man who had asked ‘Abd Allah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) then proceeded to inquire about what The Prophet ﷺ said about Khadeejah (raa). To this, Ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) reports that The Prophet ﷺ said: “Bear good tidings that Khadeejah (ra) will have a house in Paradise made of brilliant pearls.” That is to say: a palace in Paradise which is made out of hollowed pearls and sapphires. “and there will be no tumult, nor difficulty therein.” Meaning: There will be no crying from the people of this world in it, nor hardship befalling its occupant; because there is no house of this world in which its people come together; except that there is turmoil and uproar between them, and its amelioration and adjustment is only temporarily achieved through toil and hardship. So, he ﷺ related that Khadeejah’s (raa) - The Mother of the Believers - palaces in Paradise differ from what the aforementioned; there is no semblance of the ruin that afflicts the people of this world. Likewise, the rest of the houses of the people in Paradise will not have any manifestations of spiritual or physical hardship. The reason why these two qualities which mentioned in the portion of the hadeeth which states: “...and there will be no tumult, nor difficulty therein” are negated is that when The Prophet ﷺcalled for faith and belief in Allah, Lady Khadeejah (raa) responded willingly, and didn’t require him ﷺto raise a sound, nor was there any dispute or hardship in it. Rather, she (raa): removed every hardship for him ﷺ, kept him ﷺ company in every moment of loneliness, and made every difficulty easy for him ﷺ. So, it is suitable that her home which her Lord brought word of corresponds to the qualities equivalent to that. One of the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights the merit of The Mother of the Believers, Khadeejah (raa), and her glad tidings and place in Paradise..

1796
Narrated `Abdullah the slave of Asma bint Aboo Bakr: I used to hear Asmaa', whenever she passed by Al-Hajoon, saying, "May the prayers of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad. Once we dismounted here with him, and at that time we were traveling with light luggage; we had a few riding animals and a little food ration. I, my sister, `Aaishah, Al-Zubayr and such and such persons performed `Umrah, and when we had passed our hands over the Ka`bah, (i.e., performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah) we finished our Ihraam. Later on, and we assumed Ihraam for Hajj the same evening.".

Commentary : The Companions (ras) accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Farewell Pilgrimage; so, they learned from him the rites, and conveyed them to the rest so that we could have an insight into one of the ordinances of our religion.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Kaysaan, the freed slave of ‘Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (ras) reports that whenever she (i.e. ‘Asmaa’) passed by al-Hajoon, she would say: “May the prayers of Allah be upon His Messenger, Muhammad - here is where we dismounted and stopped for a rest.”  That was during the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah. al-Hajoon is a place near Makkah and is a mountain overlooking al-Muhassab and is about a mile and a half away from The Sacred House of Allah.
Then, she (raa) recalled their condition on the day that they dismounted and stopped with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; and that the mounts which they were riding were few in number, the luggage they were carrying was light, and the food which they took along as provisions amounted to little. This was intended to be a comparison to the poverty and dire straits they were in at the time of her recollection.
After, she (raa) relates that she had performed ‘Umrah with her sister, The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, her husband al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwaam, and some others (ras). It is as if she mentioned the names of the individuals who did not bring along a sacrificial offering with them; since it has been established that the Prophet ﷺhad ordered those who did not carry along a sacrificial animal to rescind the Hajj for an ‘Umrah, then to prepare themselves and begin and enter into a new state of Ihraam for the Pilgrimage.
Once they performed Tawaaf round the Ka‘bah, they released themselves from their ‘Umrah. The meaning of her statement: “When we passed our hands over the Ka‘bah, we released ourselves from the state of Ihraam we had for our pilgrimage” refers to ‘passing our hands over its (i.e., The Ka‘bah) corner, which is The Black Stone.  ‘Asmaa’ (raa) withheld anything in this narration related to the circumambulations around the Ka‘bah, and also did not mention the ritualistic walk performed between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and cutting the hair for the sake of brevity. Or, because these are widely known rites that are performed during an ‘Umrah. Then, they entered the state of Ihraam for Hajj after that, on the Day of Quenching Thirst, which is the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah.  By doing so, they offered the ‘Umrah in conjunction with the Hajj; however, the ‘Umrah was offered just before the commencement of Hajj. The Arabic word al-‘ashiyy (i.e., the evening) mentioned in the hadeeth refers to the end of the day, or from sunset to dawn. It has also been said by others: that it could also mean until the sun sets. 
It has been established that Lady, ‘Aa’ishah (raa) did not perform Tawaaf round the Ka‘bah because she was on her menses that day; as is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, in a hadeeth narrated by her - where she relates: “I was one of those people who was performing ‘Umrah; however, I got my menses before entering Makkah, and had menstruated until the Day of ‘Arafah. Then, I complained about this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to which he ﷺ replied: ‘Discontinue your ‘Umrah, undo the hair on your head and comb it. Then, prepare yourself and enter into the state of Ihraam for Hajj.” ‘Asmaa’ (raa) did not exclude her [i.e., ‘Aa’ishah (raa)] in the hadeeth either due to the fact that the story regarding her menses was well-known or she had forgotten to exclude her in the narration..

1798
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Makkah, some boys of the tribe of Banee `Abd al-Muttalib went to receive him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) made one of them ride in front of him and the other behind him.
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Commentary : All of the hearts of all of the Companions, both young and old, were attached to the Messenger of Allah ﷺdue to his most excellent disposition, nobility and utmost kindness, and what Allah bestowed upon him. He, The Most Exalted, guided the hearts of the worshippers to him ﷺ. This hadeeth demonstrates some of his character towards them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that when the Prophet ﷺarrived at Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, which was in the eighth year after Hijrah, a group of young boys set out to receive him ﷺ. These young boys were from Banee ‘Abd al-Muttalib, whom was the Prophet’s grandfather. Then, he ﷺ placed one of them in front of him, and the others behind him upon the back of the riding animal. This is an indication to their delight and joy for seeing the Prophet ﷺ; and likewise, it highlights his ﷺ pleasure and happiness with them. This was due to his ﷺ modesty and beautiful fidelity.
This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of receiving those arriving from Hajj, battle, or lawful travel as a means to honour and respect them and reacquaint themselves with them.
And lastly, it shows that two or more people can ride on an animal; if the riding animal is capable and it is humane to do so..

1800
Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) never entered upon his family from a journey at night. He used to return either in the morning or in the afternoon.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexhibited the most pious examples of excellent comportment, and good relations between a man and his wife.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺwould never return to his family if he arrived from a journey at night. Rather, he ﷺwould come in the morning - which is from when the Dawn Prayer enters to sunrise - and the afternoon, which is from noon when sun reaches its zenith in the sky - i.e., the time when the Midday Prayer enters - to when it sets.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺdid that because a man’s arrival at night oftentimes comes as a surprise to his wife, and she may not be ready to receive and welcome her husband, as he had been away from her for a while.  So, it is fitting that he ﷺ didn’t come to her suddenly at night. The Prophet ﷺ - as attested in Saheeh Muslim in a hadeeth narrated by Jaabir (ra) - had prohibited a man from: coming to his family at night, suspecting their treachery, or seek out their misgivings. That is to say: to believe that they are traitors, reveal their faults, and unveils whether or not they have been disloyal. Thus, it is strongly disliked for the one who travels away from his home for a long period of time to come to his wife suddenly in the depths of night. As for the one whose journey is nearby, and his wife expects his arrival; it should be fine for him to return home at night..

1802
Narrated Anas (ra: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of al-Madeenah, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster."
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Commentary : The enlightened city of al-Madeenah was one of the most beloved cities to the Prophet ﷺ; as it is the place he ﷺ emigrated to, and the site from which he ﷺreceived aid and support, in which he established an Islamic sovereignty that, from it, spread to all of the surrounding Arab and non-Arab lands.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) expounds on some of the manifestations of the Prophet’s love for this city.  He (ra) reports that whenever the Prophet ﷺ arrived from his travels and saw the steps of al-Madeenah - which are its elevated paths which lead to the city- he ﷺ would make his she-camel hasten its pace along its way. If he was mounted on a riding animal other than a she-camel, even then he ﷺ would urge it to hasten its pace; so that he would arrive at al-Madeenah quickly; it was out of his fervent love anddesirefor being in the city, because it is his home, and therein reside his family and children who are the most beloved of people to him ﷺ. Allah has formed the souls of man to love and long for their homelands. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did that, and in doing so proved to be the most noble exemplar and ordered his community to hasten in their return to their families at the end of their travels.
This hadeeth highlights the merit of the enlightened city of al-Madeenah and its denizens and exemplifies the love and longing the Prophet ﷺhad for it..

1803
Narrated Aboo Is-haaq: I heard al-Baraa' saying, "This ayah was revealed regarding us, for the Ansaar on returning from Hajj never entered their houses through the proper doors but from behind. One of the Ansaar came and entered through the door, and he was taunted for it. Therefore, the following was revealed: -- {It is not righteousness that you enter the houses from the back, But the righteous man is He who fears Allah, Obeys His order and keeps away from What He has forbidden So, enter houses through the proper doors.} (Quran 2:189)
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Commentary : One of the wisdoms of Allah, The Almighty is that He didn’t reveal The Noble Qur’aan all at once. Rather, He sent it down gradually, according to the progression in what Allah intended of it in building up and educating the Muslim community.  He, The Most Exalted, revealed it as a treatment for sinful habits, and a resolution for problems that have occurred, and events which may come about in the future.
In this hadith, al-Baraa‘ ibn ‘Aazib (ra) relates that when the Ansaar, before Islam, had returned from performing the Hajj or ‘Umrah, they wouldn’t enter their homes through their front doors.  But rather, they would enter them from the backs of their homes - as this was what many Arabs used to do. So, they would scale the walls of their homes from behind, or create an opening along the wall and enter it that way. They used to view that violating or omitting this practice as a major disgrace, and saw their own action as one of righteousness and piety. So, when Islam came to their (i.e. The Ansaar’s) lands, a man from amongst them entered through the front door of his house instead; for which the Ansaar censured him for that. Then, Allah The Almighty, revealed through His Words the following ayah: “Enter your preferred English translation for Q2:189 here.” Thus, Allah, The Almighty, had informed them that this act which they believed to be pious, was in actuality void of any good. Rather, actual piety is when the servant is fully aware of His Mighty and Majestic Lord; by complying with His commands, abstaining from what He has prohibited, and not devoting themself to anything which Allah, The Most High, did not legislate. Therefore, He ordered for them to arrive and enter their houses through the main doors, just as what is the norm today, and which would eventually become customary for them, as there is no evidence prohibiting that during the time when one is in a state of sanctity for Hajj or ‘Umrah. So, the people abandoned this practice, and began to enter their homes through their doors instead.
This hadeeth highlights that the customs of people do not make what is unlawful permissible. And that when Allah, The Almighty, prohibits anything, He opens for His servants something which is permissible to take its place; for when He disallowed them from coming to their homes and entering them from behind, He made it abundantly clear as to what action should take its place.

1804
Narrated AbooHurayrah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Traveling is a kind of torture as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping properly. So, when one's needs are fulfilled, one should return quickly to one's family."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ did not omit a single good, whether it be something upright in religion or of this world; except that he ﷺ would always direct others to it and urge them towards it. He ﷺ never left any evil which would harm the believer in his religious or temporal affairs; except that he ﷺ warned them to take heed against it.
In this hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺmentioned that traveling to another land other than the one which he resides in is a type of hardship. What is intended by this reference is a worldly suffering. Then, he ﷺ explained this further with his ﷺ statement: “as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping,” namely, the completion of the aforementioned, along with the pleasure that comes from it; due to some of the struggles one can face in their travels, such as: the heat, the cold, fear, the separation from family and friends, and the harshness of life. So, the traveller delays his eating and sleeping from their usual and prescribed time - and oftentimes does not receive a sufficient amount or derive the usual pleasure which comes from these necessities of life.
Then, the Prophet ﷺadvised the traveller who has fulfilled the need for which he is journeying for and has finished with it; that it is incumbent upon them to hasten and return to their homeland and family; for the sake of curtailing these hardships which will continue on his journey, and to make up for the suffering that afflicted him in the interim - and then obtain, repose, and gentleness with his family thereafter. This was expressed with an avidity, which is the rhetorical purpose that was intended behind it; implying by a mode of expression that traveling for a worldly purpose is akin to a trade-off; leaving aside, however, obligatory travelling, such as the Hajj or a military expedition.
The notion that travelling is a form of torment does not prevent it from being beneficial and therapeutic for the vast majority of people; because movement and physical exercise are beneficial, especially for the people of ease and luxury. It's like a bitter medicine that remedies one’s health, even if taking it is disliked.
This hadeeth highlights that it is strongly disliked to go abroad away from his family without a need. It urges the traveller to hasten in returning from their travels to their family, especially those who are feared to pass away during his absence.
It shows that living with one’s family is an aiding comfort in upholding the interests both in religion and worldly affairs.
And lastly, it encourages one to stay where they are; so that their social circles and other groups of people do not miss him, and that the obligatory rights due to their family and close relatives are observed..

1809
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from performing (`Umrah) Therefore, he shaved his head, had sexual relations with his wives, slaughtered his Hady, and performed ‘Umrah in the following year.
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Commentary : Obstruction with reference to the Hajj and ‘Umrah refers to being prevented and impeded from approaching the Sacred Mosque in Makkah by an enemy, illness, or something else. If a Muslim intended to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah; and then is detained from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah; then he is a muhsar, which is a technical term used for someone facing a situation similar to what has been aforementioned and is obstructed from completing their pilgrimage.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad been prevented from performing the ‘Umrah that he came to offer in the year of Hudaybiyah, which was in the sixth year after Hijrah, when the polytheists inhibited him ﷺfrom entering Makkah that year. So, when The Prophet ﷺ was obstructed, and prevented from completing his ‘Umrah, he ﷺ released himself from it at the place where he was prevented from carrying on at Hudaybiyyah - which is a large village near Makkah, that borders the city. It was named after a well that was there before, and now there is a valley between it and Makkah about twenty-two kilometres on the way to Jeddah - So after leaving his ﷺ ‘Umrah, he slaughtered his Hady - which is a name for the sacrificial animal - whether it be: a camel, cow, sheep, or goat - that is offered and slaughtered in the Sacred Precinct. Thereafter, “he shaved his head,” and this is another one of the last rites of ‘Umrah and it requires one to release themselves from the state of Ihraam. Then, he ﷺ had intimate relations with his wives i.e., that their sexual intercourse was lawful for him, or that he ﷺinitiated the act. The narrator only mentioned this to confirm that he ﷺhad released himself from the state of Ihraam one enters for the pilgrimage.
Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺreturned to perform ‘Umrah the next year, which occurred in the seventh year after Hijrah, while it was known as the Make Up ‘Umrah and it has also been called the ‘Umrah of the Judgment. It has been called the Make Up ‘Umrah and The ‘Umrah of the Judgment because he ﷺbecause he ﷺforced Quraysh to accept the terms of the treaty that was signed there, and not because it had been performed as a make-up for the ‘Umrah which was prevented in the previous year..

1810
Narrated Saalim: Ibn`Umar (ra) used to say, "Is not (the following of) the tradition of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sufficient for you? If anyone of you is prevented from performing Hajj, he should perform the Tawaaf of the Ka`bah and the brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and then exit the Ihraam as then everything will become legal for him which was illegal for him (during the state of Ihraam), and he can perform Hajj in a following year and he should slaughter a Hady or fast in case he cannot afford the Hady."
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Commentary : Obstruction with reference to the Hajj and ‘Umrah refers to being prevented and impeded from approaching The Holy Mosque in Makkah by an enemy, illness, or something else. If a Muslim intended to perform the Holy Pilgrimage or ‘Umrah; and then is detained from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah; then he is a muhsar, which is a technical term used for someone facing a situation similar to what has been aforementioned, and is obstructed from completing their pilgrimage.
In this hadeeth, Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reports that his father, ‘Adullagh ibn ‘Umar (ra) used to say: “Is not what came from the traditions and practices of your Prophet ﷺsufficient for you? If anyone of you have been obstructed, and prevented from performing one of Hajj’s most essential integrals - which is standing at ‘Arafah - due to one of the legitimate excuses; but somehow managed to enter Makkah; then it is incumbent upon him to abandon his ‘Umrah, and then perform the circumambulation round the Ka‘bah, perform the ritual walk between al-Safaa and al-Marwah if he is able to do that, shaves or cuts his hair, and then takes off the garments one wears while in the state of Ihraam required for Hajj.  Thereafter, everything that is normally licit for him becomes permissible, even intercourse with his wife. He may continue to be released from his Ihraam for Hajj until he performs his Hajj the following year. It is incumbent upon the one who is prevented from completing the pilgrimage (i.e. a muhsar) to slaughter a hady - which is a camel, cow, sheep, or goat - that is offered and slaughtered as a sacrifice in the Sacred Precinct. And if he is not able to find a sacrificial animal, he must fast for ten days; three days on the Hajj, and seven when he returns.
Ibn ‘Umar (ra) made the legal ruling in regard to obstruction during the Hajj and ‘Umrah the same; because The Prophet ﷺ wasn’t ever prevented from performing the Holy Pilgrimage; but he was impeded on the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaybiyah in the sixth year after Hijrah. So, Ibn ‘Umar drew a legal analogy by comparing the Hajj to the ‘Umrah. And this analogy is based on the time when one releases himself from the consecrated state of Hajj, which hasn’t been stipulated when one was prevented from completing it. Yet, if it was stipulated, it is still permissible, and nothing additional would be obligatory upon him; due to what has been narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, in a report narrated by The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (raa), who relates that: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to see Dubaa‘ah bint al-Zubayr and said to her: ‘Perhaps you wish to perform the Hajj?’ She replied: ‘By Allah, I am not well, and am often in constant agony.’ So, he ﷺsaid to her: “Perform the Holy Pilgrimage, but condition it first it by saying: ‘O Allah, I shall release myself from the consecrated state of Hajj (i.e.ihraam) wherever you detain me.”
One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it presents a proof of legal analogy since this method of reasoning was utilised by the Companions (ras)..

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..