Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
I saw the people buy foodstuff randomly without measuring it during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and they were punished (by beating), if they tried to resell it before carrying it to their own houses..

2138

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
Rarely did the Prophet ﷺ fail to visit Aboo Bakr's house every day, either in the morning or in the evening. When the permission for migration to Al-Madeenah was granted, the Prophet ﷺ came to us at noon, which was unusual time of the day for him to come. When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was informed, he said, "Certainly the Prophet ﷺ has come for some urgent and serious matter!" The Prophet ﷺ said to Aboo Bark (may Allah be pleased with him), when the latter entered: "Let nobody stay in the house (i.e., I would like to talk with you in private)." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! There are only my two daughters (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah and Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with them)) are present." The Prophet ﷺ said, "I have been granted permission to migrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Will I accompany you, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, you will accompany me." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) then said "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! I have two she-camels I have prepared specially for the migration, so I offer you one of them. The Prophet ﷺ said, "I have accepted it on the condition that I will pay its price.".

Commentary :
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the closest friend to the Prophet ﷺ, and his companion in the migration. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was endowed with the greatest share of faith and belief compared to all Muslims, so much that had his faith been weighed against that of all people, his faith would have outweighed theirs.
This hadeeth underlines an aspect of the strength and genuineness of the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). The Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that the Prophet ﷺ frequently visited his friend Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) in the early days of Islam in Makkah. He ﷺ used to visit him either at sunrise or sunset. When Allah, Exalted is He, granted the Prophet ﷺ the permission to migrate from Makkah to Al-Madeenah, the Prophet ﷺ visited Aboo Bakr’s house at noon, and he ﷺ would not have visited him at such an unusual time except for an urgent and serious matter!
Given the seriousness and gravity of the situation, jeopardizing the lives of the Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ asked to speak with him in private to inform him of the migration.
Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ that only histwo daughters, namely ‘Aa’ishah and Asmaa’ (may Allah be pleased with them), were in the house. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ informed him that he ﷺ was granted the permission to migrate to Al-Madeenah. Since Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) eagerly waited for that greatopportunity, he (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ to accompany him during the journey, despite his knowledge of the gravity of the situation. The Prophet ﷺ granted him the permission to accompany him. In fact, he ﷺ had commanded him to remain in Makkah and did not grant him the permission to migrate to Al-Madeenah earlier with the other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), so to accompany him when he would be granted the permission (from Allah, Exalted is He).
Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had bought and prepared two she-camels for the Prophet ﷺ and himself for that journey.
When permission was granted to the Prophet ﷺ to migrate to Al-Madeenah, he (may Allah be pleased with him) offered one of the two she-camels to the Prophet ﷺ, who accepted it on the condition that he ﷺ pay him its price.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues and merits of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is also deuced therefrom that the Prophet ﷺ keenly sought the benefit of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as he ﷺ refused to accept the she-camel without paying its price..

2140

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade the selling of goods by a town dweller on behalf of a desert dweller; and similarly, Najsh was forbidden, and one should not override someone’s sale by urging the buyer to return the goods to the seller so as to sell him his own goods (for a lower price); nor should one propose to a woman who has already been engaged to someone else; and a woman should not try to cause the divorce of her fellow Muslim sister in order to deprive her of what belongs to her.”.

Commentary :
The Laws of Islam regulates people’s dealings and interactions when conducting sales and business transactions. It has laid down rules and principles clarifying the essential matters to avoid disputes among people, and help them conduct lawful and smooth business transactions that are free of ambiguity, deceit, and Laws of Islam violations.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some business transactions that may lead to discord, hatred, and dishonesty among Muslims. Therefore, he ﷺ forbade a town dweller to sell goods on behalf of a desert dweller (or vice versa). This means that a desert dweller may not appoint a town or urban dweller to sell his commodity on his behalf in a given village or town for higher prices, acting as a broker and mediator in the sales transaction.
The wisdom behind the prohibition in this regard is that it best serves people’s interests; an urban dweller may sell the commodity for a higher price, but if the desert dweller sells his own goods, he may sell it for a lower price, and this would be more beneficial for people. Moreover, an urban dweller may harm the interests of the desert dweller, i.e., principal, and be a means of exposing him to deceit.
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ forbade Najash (i.e., bidding to raise the price without intention to buy) to deceive others into buying a commodity for a higher price. The wisdom behind the prohibition in this regard is because it involves deceit and trickery of people.
He ﷺ also forbade overriding a sales transaction conducted by one’s fellow Muslim. For instance, one may offer a buyer of a given commodity to sell it to him for a lower price if he cancels the previous sale transaction after concluding it and before leaving the contract session, or during the period of Khiyaar Al-Shart (i.e., the right of one or both or a third party to confirm or cancel a contract within a specified period of time). The same ruling applies to overriding a seller’s salestransaction after its finalization, offering him a higher price for it and urging him to annul the other transaction.
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ forbade a Muslim from proposing to a woman who is already engaged to his fellow Muslim brother. This may happen when someone proposes to a woman, she proclaims her approval, and they agree on the Mahr (dower), but another man proposes to her before the conclusion of the marriage contract, offering her a bigger Mahr, for instance, or opting for other means to tempt her to accept his proposal.
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ also forbade a Muslim woman from causing the divorce of her fellow Muslim sister in order to deprive her of what belongs to her. This means that a woman must not urge her husband to divorce her co-wife to (get rid of her,) deprive her of him, and have him all for herself.
The version narrated by Aboo Daawood reads: “…and to marry him. She will have what is decreed for her,” meaning that she must not condition her marriage upon another woman’s divorce. She must not stipulate another woman’s divorce as a condition to her marriage withthis man. Rather, she should marry him (if she wishes) and the decrees of Allah, Exalted is He, for her would inevitably come to pass.
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2142

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade Najsh..

2143

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade the sale called Bay‘ Al-Habalh, which was a kind of sale practiced in the Pre- Islamic period of ignorance, whereby a man bought an unborn she-camel which was to be the offspring of an unborn she-camel!
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2150

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Do not go out to meet the trading caravan (to buy from the traders on the way before they reached the town or marketplace). Do not override someone’s sale transaction by urging buyers to cancel their purchases to sell them (your own goods for lower prices), and do not practice Najsh. A town dweller may not sell the goods on behalf of a desert dweller. Do not leave sheep unmilked for a long time, when they are on sale, and whoever buys such an animal (i.e., being cheated into buying it) has the option of returning it, after milking it, along with a Saa‘ of dates or keeping it (i.e., for the milk).

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Commentary : The Laws of Islam regulates people’s dealings and interactions when conducting sales and business transactions. It has laid down rules and principles clarifying the essential matters to avoid disputes among people, and help them conduct lawful and smooth business transactions that are free of ambiguity, deceit, and Laws of Islam violations.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some of the transactions that result in fraud and deception in sales, and lead to incurring harm on the seller or the buyer. He ﷺ said: “Do not go out to meet the trading caravan (to buy from the traders on the way before they have reached the town or marketplace),” meaning do not go out to meet the trading caravan before traders arrive at the marketplace to sell their goods in different towns and they come to know their prices, because it harms the interests of the buyers, who may buy the goods for lower prices, and may also harm the town people who may have to buy the goods for higher prices.
The hadeeth goes on: “Do not override someone’s sale transaction by urging buyers to cancel their purchases to sell them (your own goods for lower prices),” meaning that someone should not urge a buyer to cancel his transaction during the period of Khiyaar Al-Shart (i.e., the right of one or both participants or a third party to confirm or cancel a contract within a specified period of time) to sell him a better commodity for the same price or a lower price instead. The same ruling applies to urging a seller to cancel the transaction to buy it instead for a higher price.
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ forbade Najash, meaning bidding to raise the price without intending to buy it, but merely to deceive others into buying it for a higher price.
The hadeeth goes on: “A town dweller may not sell the goods on behalf of a desert dweller,” meaning that a town dweller may not act as a broker or mediator and sell something on behalf of a desert dweller. The same goes for the case when a desert dweller appoints un urban dweller to sell his goods on his behalf.
The Prophet ﷺ added: “Do not leave sheep unmilked for a long time, when they are on sale,” to deceive the buyers into believing that they produce large amounts of milk. The Prophet ﷺ then clarified that if a buyer bought such sheep, and realized after milking them that the seller had tricked and cheated him, he is given the option either to keep the sheep and retain the sale, or return them to the seller, who had deceived him, along with a Saa‘ of dates in return for the milk.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s ﷺkeenness to preserve the best interests of Muslims and his kindness towards them, even with regard to their worldly affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a ruler may guide people (to what is lawful and unlawful) with regard to their business and sales transactions.

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2157

Jareer (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I gave a pledge of allegiance to Allah's Messengerﷺ for to testify that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and that Muhammad is His Messenger, observe prayer perfectly, pay Zakaah, listen and obey (Allah's and His Prophet's commands), and be sincere with all Muslims.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ would take the pledge of allegiance from his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) when they embraced Islam to verify their faith, and teach them the most important duties required of them after being guided to Islam.
In this hadeeth, Jareer ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he gave the pledge of allegiance and made a covenant with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to proclaim that none is worthy of worship save Allah, Exalted is He, and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. The implication of the two testimonies of faith is that when a servant of Allah proclaims them, he acknowledges Tawheed, i.e., unique Oneness of Allah, Exalted is He, and that He alone is worthy of worship, and also declares his faith in the Prophet Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullahﷺ, confirming such beliefs by his heart, believing in their meanings, and acting upon their implications. These are the testimonies that truly benefit a person in the Hereafter, helping him win Paradise and be delivered from Hellfire.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) also pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ to observe the five obligatory prayers during the day and night, which are: Fajr, Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishaa’, at their respective specified times, while fulfilling their conditions, pillars, and duties. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also pledged allegiance to pay the Zakaah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship that is due on one’s Zakatable wealth that reaches the Nisaab (i.e., a specific amount set by the Laws of Islam) after the passage of a lunar year. In this case, the owner is required to pay 2.5 % of hissurplus wealth. This also applies to the Zakaah payable on the cattle, crops and agricultural produce, trade goods, and Rikaaz (i.e., buried treasures or minerals), each according to the specified Nisaab and time of payment set by the Laws of Islam. Paying the Zakaah to its eligible recipients is rewarded with having one’s wealth blessed and earning abundant rewards in the Hereafter. On the contrary, withholding Zakaah out of stinginess warrants serious consequences in this worldly life and the Hereafter. Zakaah is an act of worship that incorporates the fulfillment of the right Allah, Exalted is He, and the right of His servants; it is a religious obligation and one of the pillars of Islam, and it helps fulfill the needs of the needy and poor.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) also pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ to hear and obey the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ, reflected in his compliance with the commands and avoidance of the prohibitions.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) also pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ to be sincere with his fellow Muslims, by striving to benefit them, doing them good, and warding off evil from them by means of sayings and deeds. The fact that the Prophet ﷺ particularly made mention of one’s fellow Muslims in this context is due to it being theprevalent case, otherwise, it is required of Muslims to embody sincerity in their interactions with non-Muslims as well, by inviting them to Islam, and offering them the correct opinion when they seek their advice. Jareer (may Allah be pleased with him) was singled out for pledging sincerity to his fellow Muslims, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) was the leader and chief of his people. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ in 10 A.H., embraced Islam, and his people followed in his footsteps. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ guided him to the importance of embodying sincerity toward his fellow Muslims, because he needed it the most.
It is deduced from the hadith that a Muslim is required to be sincere with his fellow Muslims, by treating them nicely, and avoiding cunning, deceit, cheating and betrayal..

2165

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "You should not try to cancel the purchases of one another (to get a benefit thereof), and do not go ahead to meet the trading caravan (for buying the goods) (but wait) till it reaches the marketplace."
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Commentary :
The Laws of Islam regulates people’s dealings and interactions when conducting business transactions to preserve people’s wealth and serve their best interests by laying down rules and principles that help them avoid potential ambiguity and deceit.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ forbade some business transactions that incur harm on people and sow seeds of discord, enmity, and hatred. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade overriding the sales conducted by one’s fellow Muslims. This means that when someone concludes a sales transaction to buy a specific commodity for a certain price, no one should override their transaction by offering the buyer a similar commodity for a lower price. The same applies to the case when someone offers to buy a sold commodity for a higher price, urging the seller to annul the transaction, or to try buying a commodity from the seller after knowing that his fellow Muslim brother wanted to buy it and had already started negotiations with the seller.
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ also forbade going out to meet with the trading caravans and buying the commodities from the traders before they arrived at the marketplaces, because this incurs harm on the buyer or people (at the marketplace); a seller may buy it for a lower price than what he would sell it in the marketplace, and a trader may buy all the goods of the caravan, monopolize them, and offer them at higher prices in the marketplace, and this would cause harm to people.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’sﷺ keenness to preserve the best interests of Muslims and his kindness towards them, even with regard to their worldly affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is forbidden to apply the ways of sale that lead to monopoly and price spikes.
It is also inferred therefrom that a ruler guides people (to what is lawful and unlawful) with regard to their business transactions in the marketplaces..

2166

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
We used to go out to meet the trading caravan and used to buy foodstuff from them. The Prophet ﷺforbade us to resell it till it was carried to the marketplace.
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Commentary :
Human beings are infused with an inclination to love what benefits them and do what best serves their personal interests even if it harms others, and therefore, the Laws of Islam provisions were prescribed to restrain the evil-enjoining self.
This hadeeth highlights the Laws of Islam provisions that refine human greed and keep it in check. ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they used to go out to meet with the trading caravans and buy foodstuff from the traders before they arrived at the marketplace, and resell the purchased commodities there before carrying them to the marketplaces. The Prophet ﷺ forbade them from reselling the purchased commodities in the purchase place and commanded them instead to carry the purchased goods to the marketplace and then resell them there.
It has been reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ forbade going out to meet the trading caravans and purchasing the commodities outside the marketplace. To reconcile between these two hadeeths, it could be said that when a sales transaction is conducted, a buyer must not resell the purchased commodity before it is transferred to the marketplace.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’sﷺ keenness to preserve the best interests of Muslims and his kindness towards them, even with regard to their worldly affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is forbidden to apply ways of sale that lead to monopoly and price spikes.
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2167

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) said: Some people used to buy foodstuff at the head of the marketplace and used to resell it on the spot. Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade them from reselling it till they brought it to (their) places.
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Commentary :
Islam preserves the interests of the community, as well as the interests of individuals, and also takes into account the interests of people in the worldly life and the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) related that the traders during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ used to go out to meet the trading caravans and buy foodstuff before they arrived at the marketplace, the place where sales transactionswere commonly conducted. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade the traders from reselling the purchased foodstuff in the very place where they bought it (i.e., outside the marketplace) and commanded them to take it into their possession first and transfer it to the marketplace, because the aforementioned practice would lead to monopoly and price rises.
It has been reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ forbade going out to meet the trading caravans and purchasing the commodities outside the marketplace. To reconcile between these two hadeeths, it can be said that when a sales transaction is conducted, a buyer must not resell it before it is transferred to the marketplace.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s ﷺkeenness to preserve the best interests of Muslims and his kindness towards them, even with regard to their worldly affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a ruler guides people (to what is lawful and unlawful) with regard to their business transactions in the marketplaces..

2175

Narrated Aboo Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not sell gold for gold unless equal in weight, nor silver for silver unless equal in weight, but you could sell gold for silver or silver for gold as you like."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has deemed buying and selling lawful for His Muslim servants, but deemed Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) unlawful. He Says (what means): {… they said, ”rade is [just] like Ribaa." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden Ribaa (interest).} [Quran 2:275].
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbids forms of Ribaa involved in the sale of gold and silver, and teaches Muslims the lawful ways of buying and selling gold and silver, to avoid falling into what is unlawful. He ﷺ said: “Do not sell gold for gold unless equal in weight, nor silver for silver unless equal in weight”, meaning that gold may be sold for gold if the exchanged items are equal in weight, and the same goes for silver.
By analogy, the same ruling applies to all sales transactions in which the exchanged commodities share the same ‘Illah (i.e., the underlying legal reason that necessitates the effective cause of the ruling, which then leads to its enactment), which is being used as currency (i.e., Thamaniyyah) in the case of gold and silver. Likewise, the ruling applies to whatever is being used as currency, like paper money, and is subject to Ribaa in such sale transactions as well.
Another requirement is Taqaabudh (i.e., immediate exchange and reciprocal taking possession of the purchased commodity and its monetary equivalent by the buyer and seller respectively in the contracting session). The immediate exchange of the two items in the contracting session is required, and it is impermissible to delay the submission of any of them, given the relevant hadeeths. It was reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ said: “A barter of gold for gold is Ribaa except if they are exchanged hand to hand (i.e., on the spot) and are equal in amount.” This means that the two parties must exchange the two commodities on the spot before leaving the contracting session.
However, in the event of a barter of different commodities, like selling gold for silver for example, there may be a difference in weight. The Prophet ﷺ said: “…but you could sell gold for silver or silver for gold as you like,” meaning that there is no harm if the exchanged commodities differ in weight in this case, provided that they are exchanged hand to hand in the contracting session; the Prophet ﷺ said: “If the exchanged commodities differ in kind, sell as you wish as long as payment is made hand to hand on the spot.” [Muslim].
It was also narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “… and do not sell that (gold or silver) which is not present (at the time of the transaction) for that (gold or silver) which is present.” [Al-Bukhaaree]. This is to avoid falling into Ribaa Al-Nasee’ah, which is an increase in the loan or due amount in return for a delay in payment.
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2177

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not sell gold for gold unless (the two exchanged commodities are) equal in weight, and do not sell less amount for greater amount or vice versa; and do not sell silver for silver unless (the two exchanged commodities are) equal in weight, and do not sell less amount for greater amount or vice versa and do not sell gold or silver that is not present at the moment of exchange for gold or silver that is present.”
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has deemed buying and selling lawful for His Muslim servants, but deemed Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) unlawful. He Says (what means): {…they said, “Trade is [just] like Ribaa." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden Ribaa.} [Quran 2:275].
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbids forms of Ribaa involved in the sale of gold and silver, and teaches the lawful ways of buying and selling gold and silver, to avoid falling into what is unlawful. He ﷺ said: “Do not sell gold for gold unless equal in weight,” meaning that the two exchanged commodities must be equal in weight; twenty grams of gold may not be sold for thirty grams of gold for example, and such increase is labelled as Ribaa. The same goes for silver and paper money (i.e., currency exchange).
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ said: “… do not sell gold or silver that is not present at the moment of exchange for gold or silver that is present,” meaning do not sell gold or silver to be delivered at a deferred time for an immediate payment (of gold or silver) made at the contracting session.
By analogy, the same ruling applies to all sale transactions in which the exchanged commodities share the same ‘Illah (i.e., underlying legal reason that necessitates the effective cause of the ruling which then leads to its enactment), which is being used as currency (i.e., Thamaniyyah) in case of the gold and silver. Likewise, the ruling applies to whatever is being used as currency, like paper money, and is subject to Ribaa in such sale transactions.
There are two conditions stipulated for the validity of the sale (exchange) of similar commodities: being equal in weight, and immediate hand-to-hand exchange in the contracting session. If the exchanged commodities are dissimilar, e.g., gold for silver or the other way round, but the ‘Illah is the same, i.e., being used as currency, the requirement of being equal in weight is no longer stipulated, yet the immediate hand-to-hand exchange in the contracting session is required. The Prophet ﷺ said: “…if the exchanged commodities of a barter are dissimilar, sell as you wish as long as they are exchanged hand to hand (i.e., on the spot).” [Muslim].
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2178

Aboo Saalih Al-Zaiyaat narrated:
I heard Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) saying, "The selling of a Dinar for a Dinar, and a Dirham for a Dirham (is permissible)." I said to him, "Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) does not say the same!" Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) whether he had heard it from the Prophet ﷺ or seen it in the Quran and he replied, "I do not claim that, and you know Allah's Messenger ﷺ better than I, but Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed me that the Prophet ﷺ had said, 'There is no Riba (in money exchange) except when it is not done hand to hand (i.e., in the event of a deferred payment).'”
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Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)sometimes held different opinions regarding certain issues, but they abided by the due Islamic etiquette of disagreement that the Prophet ﷺ taught them, complied with the correct opinion supported by authentic evidence, and gladly gave up their personal opinions and adhered to the truth whenever it was verified.
In this Hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Aboo Saalih Dhakwaan Al-Zayyaat stated that he heard Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) declaring Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., exchange or sales transactions in trade which effectively result in the charging of ‘interest’ through the exchange of the same commodity, but of a different quality or quantity) when trading in Dinar and Dirham. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The selling of a Dinar for a Dinar, and a Dirham for a Dirham (is permissible)." This means that it is impermissible to sell one Dinar for more than one Dinar (of gold) of equal weight and value, and similarly it is impermissible to sell one Dirham (of silver) for more than one Dirham of equal weight and value. In the event of a barter of gold or silver, the exchanged commodities must be equal in weight and value, and such excess is Ribaa.
Ribaa Al-Fadhl means the sale of currency for currency or food for food which effectively results in the charging of ‘interest’ through the exchange of similar commodities, but of a different quality or quantity, and it is prohibited. The Laws of Islam stipulated its prohibition in six categories of commodity; this hadeeth made mention of two of them, namely, gold and silver, and the six categories were defined in a different hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Gold may be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt, like by like, provided that the payment is made hand to hand. If these classes differ (i.e., the exchange of dissimilar commodities), sell as you wish as long as the payment is made on the spot.”
By analogy, the same ruling applies to all commodities that share the same ‘Illah (i.e., underlying legal reason that necessitates the effective cause of the ruling which then leads to its enactment), which is being used as currency (i.e., Thamaniyyah) in case of the gold and silver, and being weighted or measured and a type of food in case of the other four categories.
The Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Aboo Saalih Dhakwaan Al-Zayyaat said to him that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) did not declare that unlawful. He (may Allah be pleased with him) held that the exchanged commodities need not be equal in weight and value, and that it is permissible to sell one Dirham for two Dirhams. Thereupon, Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he had asked Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) whether or not he had heard it directly from the Prophet ﷺ or deduced it from the Quran. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified that he had not heard it from the Prophet ﷺ nor did he inferit from the Quran, and said, "I do not claim that, and you know Allah's Messenger ﷺ better than I,” meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) was younger than the rest of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).Otherwise the correct criterion is narrating more hadeeths of the Prophet ﷺ, and Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) more hadeeths and acquired knowledge of more Fiqh issues (Islamic jurisprudence) than many other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
Afterward, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) underlined the wisdom behind holding this view, stating that he had heard it from Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them), who informed him that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no Ribaa except in Al-Nasee’ah (i.e., on credit).” Thereupon, he (may Allah be pleased with him) understood that anything else is essentially permissible.
Ribaa Al-Nasee'ah means an increase in the loan or due amount in return for a delay in payment, and it was practiced in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance. It has also been said that the meaning of his saying, “There is no Ribaa except in Al-Nasee’ah,” is that it is the worst kind of Ribaa, or that ruling may be abrogated. It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) retreated from his opinion in this regard.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim should offer sincere advice to anyone who makes a mistake, even if he is a pious and knowledgeable person.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that it is conceivable that an individual Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) may commit a mistake.
It is also deduced therefrom that a scholar may engage in a debate with another scholar, ask him to explain his saying, and convince him to abide by the unanimous opinion of the scholars on the matter.
It is inferred that a younger scholar should acknowledge the knowledge of those endowed with more knowledge.
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2180

Aboo Al-Minhaal narrated:
I asked Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib and Zayd ibn Arqam about money exchange (i.e., currency exchange). Each of them said about the other, "He is better (i.e., more knowledgeable) than I," and both of them said, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade the selling of silver for gold on credit. "
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2183

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Do not sell date fruits until they become free of all the dangers of being spoilt or blighted; and do not sell fresh dates for dry ones." Narrated Saalim and ‘Abdullah on the authority of Zayd ibn Thaabit: “Later on Allah's Messengerﷺ permitted the selling of ripe date fruits on trees for fresh dates or dried dates in Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyah (i.e., a sale deal of fruit-on-the trees, usually dates, in which some trees in the garden are not part of the sale deal but are sold by the owner to a poor person who can exchange fresh fruits of these trees for dry dates, for his household consumption and not for resale, and this type of deal is an exception to the general law of sale which prohibits exchange of fresh fruits for dry ones), and did not allow it for any other kind of sale."
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Commentary :
Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between the sellers and the buyers are among the objectives of the Laws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between the buyers and sellers.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling only the unpicked fruits or dates (rather than the fruits and trees altogether) before they appear fully ripe and ready for consumption, by becomingred or yellow or showing any other sign of ripeness. This is because when the fruits ripen, they become safe from potential loss or defects due to pests that may destroy or reduce the yield. In fact, the prohibition of such a sales transaction serves the best interests of both the buyer and seller. It benefits a seller, because the price paid for the unripe fruits is lower; he could sell them for a higher price if he waits until they are fully ripe. Therefore, hastening to sell the unripe crops may cause him to miss out on obtaining more earnings,by his hastening to make small profits (rather than waiting to make big ones), which implies a waste of wealth. Moreover, the unripe fruits may go bad and spoil before they ripen, and thus a seller would have unlawfully devoured the wealth of his Muslim brother. It also benefits the buyer, because when he buys the unripe fruits, he may lose his money if the quality of the purchased fruits turns out to be less than what was expected, and thus he would be risking the loss of his money. In addition, there is another benefit accruing to both parties, for the prohibition of this sale eliminates potential disputes and discord that may be caused between them were the sold fruits to go bad and spoil.
The Prophet ﷺ also forbade the Muzaabanah sale, a transaction in which the owner of fruit trees or palm trees agrees to sell his fruit for an estimated equivalent measure of dried fruits, such as palm fruit for dates or grapes for raisins.
Zayd bin Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ had later deemed allowable one form of this sale, namely, Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated amount of picked and ripe fruits on the ground based on dry measurement), and had not deemed any other form of such sales allowable. Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah is a sale whereby the owner of an orchard grants a poor person, who has no palm trees of his own nor cash to buy fresh dates for his household consumption, the (fresh) dates of his palm tree in return for a payment of surplus dry dates. This poor person and the owner makea barter of the fresh dates of one or two palm trees for instance, for an estimated measure of the poor person’s surplus date fruits he had left, to avail himself of fresh dates like those who could afford buying them. The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession to conduct the sale of ‘Aaraiyah for an estimated weight of dry dates, provided that they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and the Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s..

739

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

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

740

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

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

746

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

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

746

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

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

747

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

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

748

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

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

753

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

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

754

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

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

755

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

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

756

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

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

757

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

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

759

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

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

762

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

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

763

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

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

763

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
I saw the people buy foodstuff randomly without measuring it during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and they were punished (by beating), if they tried to resell it before carrying it to their own houses..

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade Najsh..

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade the sale called Bay‘ Al-Habalh, which was a kind of sale practiced in the Pre- Islamic period of ignorance, whereby a man bought an unborn she-camel which was to be the offspring of an unborn she-camel!
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‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "You should not try to cancel the purchases of one another (to get a benefit thereof), and do not go ahead to meet the trading caravan (for buying the goods) (but wait) till it reaches the marketplace."
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‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
We used to go out to meet the trading caravan and used to buy foodstuff from them. The Prophet ﷺforbade us to resell it till it was carried to the marketplace.
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‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) said: Some people used to buy foodstuff at the head of the marketplace and used to resell it on the spot. Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade them from reselling it till they brought it to (their) places.
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Narrated Aboo Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not sell gold for gold unless equal in weight, nor silver for silver unless equal in weight, but you could sell gold for silver or silver for gold as you like."
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‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night until his last prayer would be the Witr..

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

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): I saw the people buy foodstuff randomly without measuring it during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and they were punished (by beating), if they tried to resell it before carrying it to their own houses..

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade Najsh..

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "You should not try to cancel the purchases of one another (to get a benefit thereof), and do not go ahead to meet the trading caravan (for buying the goods) (but wait) till it reaches the marketplace." .

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to go out to meet the trading caravan and used to buy foodstuff from them. The Prophet ﷺforbade us to resell it till it was carried to the marketplace. .

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) said: Some people used to buy foodstuff at the head of the marketplace and used to resell it on the spot. Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade them from reselling it till they brought it to (their) places. .

Narrated Aboo Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not sell gold for gold unless equal in weight, nor silver for silver unless equal in weight, but you could sell gold for silver or silver for gold as you like." .

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

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

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

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

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
I saw the people buy foodstuff randomly without measuring it during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and they were punished (by beating), if they tried to resell it before carrying it to their own houses..

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade Najsh..

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "You should not try to cancel the purchases of one another (to get a benefit thereof), and do not go ahead to meet the trading caravan (for buying the goods) (but wait) till it reaches the marketplace."
.

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
We used to go out to meet the trading caravan and used to buy foodstuff from them. The Prophet ﷺforbade us to resell it till it was carried to the marketplace.
.

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) said: Some people used to buy foodstuff at the head of the marketplace and used to resell it on the spot. Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade them from reselling it till they brought it to (their) places.
.

Narrated Aboo Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not sell gold for gold unless equal in weight, nor silver for silver unless equal in weight, but you could sell gold for silver or silver for gold as you like."
.