Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "If anyone goes bankrupt, and a man finds his own property intact with him, he is more entitled to take it back than anyone else.”.

Commentary :
Islam pays significant care to preserving people's wealth, and keenly ensures that it should not be wasted. Therefore, it has enacted laws and laid down guidelines to preserve people’s wealth.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ regulated the conduct of a creditor who finds his property intact with a debtor who goes bankrupt. He ﷺ underlined that such a creditor is entitled to his own property only, and must not take anything more or less from the bankrupt debtor, because his wealth is exhausted and he cannot repay his debts. Such a creditor is more entitled to take back his property than other creditors. This means that if someone goes bankrupt, and he owed money to many creditors, his wealth (i.e., what is surplus of his needs) is to be divided among these creditors according to their debts, unless one finds his property intact and, in this case, he has more right to take it back than anyone else.
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2405

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
When ‘Abdullah (my father) died, he left behind children and debts. I asked the creditors to reduce the debts, but they refused, so I went to the Prophet ﷺ to intercede with them, yet they refused. The Prophet ﷺ said (to me), "Classify your dates into their different kinds: ‘Idhq ibn Zayd, Lean and ‘Ajwah, each kind alone and call all the creditors and wait till I come to you." I did so and the Prophet ﷺ came and sat beside the dates and started measuring to each his due till he paid them fully, and the dates remained as they were before, as if he had not touched them. (On another occasion) I took part in one of Ghazawaat among with the Prophet ﷺand I was riding one of our camels. The camel got tired and was lagging behind the others. The Prophet ﷺhit it on its back. He ﷺ said, "Sell it to me, and you have the right to ride it till Al-Madeenah.'' When we approached Al-Madeenah, I took the permission from the Prophet ﷺ to go to my house, saying, "O Allah's MessengerﷺI have newly married." The Prophet ﷺasked, "Have you married a virgin or a previously married woman (i.e., a widow or divorcee)?" I said, "I have married a previously married woman; ‘Abdullah (my father) died and left behind young daughters, so I married a previously married woman who may teach them and bring them up to embody good manners." The Prophet ﷺthen said (to me), "Go to your family." When I went there and told my maternal uncle about the selling of the camel, he admonished me for it. On that I told him about its slowness and exhaustion and about what the Prophet ﷺ had done to the camel and his hitting it. When the Prophet ﷺ arrived, I went to him with the camel in the morning and he gave me its price, the camel itself, and my share from the spoils of war as he gave the other people.
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Commentary :
A Muslim is a brother of his fellow Muslim, and it is becoming of a Muslim to strive to fulfill the needs of his Muslim brothers, especially those who explicitly ask for his help. He should (hasten to their help and) stand by them until their need is fulfilled.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that his father, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away owing a debt to someone. He (may Allah be pleased with him) had been martyred during the Battle of Uhud in 3 A.H, leaving behind seven or nine young daughters. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the creditors to reduce the debts so that he would be able to repay them, but they refused and claimed the repayment of their debts in full. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ to help him and intercede with the creditors to reduce their debts so that he would be able to repay them, but they refused. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to go back to his orchard and arrange his dates in heaps according to their different kinds. The cluster of Ibn Zayd, which were low-quality dates that were named after someone called Ibn Zayd, should be arranged on one side, Lean, another kind, should be arranged on another side, and ‘Ajwah dates, which were the finest kind of dates in Al-Madeenah, should be arranged on a different side, and so on.
Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) did as he ﷺ commanded and then notified him. The Prophet ﷺ came and sat at the head or in the middle of the heaps and ordered Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to measure the dates for the creditors to repay his late father’s debts. He (may Allah be pleased with him) cut and measured for them till he repaid all the debts, and his dates remained as they were, as if nothing had been taken from them, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ.
The hadeeth highlights a miracle performed by the Prophet ﷺ and a sign indicating his prophethood.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to seek debt relief, if the debtor is unable to repay their dates in full, but the creditor has the choice either to accept or refuse such a request.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) also stated that he was once with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey back to Al-Madeenah after a battle. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding a slow camel used for carrying water. According to the version complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, “The camel got tired and lagged behind,” because of exhaustion. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) lagged behind and the Prophet ﷺ passed by him and beat the slow camel, urging it to move faster. According to the version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, the camel passed the others thenceforth, leading the way, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ.
He ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to sell him this camel, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” However, the Prophet ﷺ refused to take it as a gift and insisted on buying it. He ﷺ bought it for four (gold) Dinars with the allowance that Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) may keep on riding it till they reached Al-Madeenah, and then the Prophet ﷺ would take it into his possession.
When they approached Al-Madeenah, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) sought the permission of the Prophet ﷺ to go (quickly) to (join) his family, because he was newly married. This highlights the virtues of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who partook in Jihaad shortly after his wedding. The Prophet ﷺ asked him whether he had married a virgin or a previously married woman. He ﷺ mentioned the ‘virgin’ first to indicate that it is better for a Muslim to marry a virgin. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had married a previously married woman, named Suhaylah bint Mas‘ood Al-Awsiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), because she would be more experienced and able to take care of his sisters,while a virgin would not be able to shoulder such a task. He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to the Prophet ﷺ that his father left behind seven or nine young daughters and therefore he decided to marry a previously married woman to look after them and raise them properly. In the event of a conflict of interests, priority should be given to what is more important. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) chose to put his sisters’ interests before his own, and the Prophet ﷺ approved his wise choice and supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to bless his marriage. According to the version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, he ﷺ said: “Go to your family,” meaning your wife. When Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived in Al-Madeenah, he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed his maternal uncle, and it was said that his name was Tha‘labah ibn Ghanamah ibn ‘Adiyy ibn Sinaan Al-Ansaaree Al-Khazrajiyy or ‘Amr ibn Ghanamah, that he had sold his camel to the Prophet ﷺ. His maternal uncle blamed him for it, perhaps because he (may Allah be pleased with him) needed it or because he (may Allah be pleased with him) had not offered it to the Prophet ﷺ as a gift. Narrated Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): “I told him about its slowness and exhaustion and about what the Prophet ﷺ had done to the camel and his hitting it.”
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Al-Madeenah, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) went to him with the camel in the morning and he ﷺgave him its price, the camel itself, and his share from the spoils of war as he ﷺ gave the other people. This reflects the generosity and munificence of the Prophet ﷺ with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
The hadeeth also underlines the Prophet’s gracious humbleness and kindness with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), checking on them and serving their best interests.
It is also inferred that a woman should take care of her husband’s family and tend to the needs of his siblings (dependents).
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2409

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺsaying, "Every one of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is under his care. A ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a lady is a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it." I heard that from Allah's Messenger ﷺand I think that the Prophet ﷺ also said, "A man is a guardian of his father's property and is responsible for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and things under your care."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, does not charge a soul beyond its capacity. It is incumbent on a person not to take up a responsibility for which he is not qualified. However, whenever he is obliged to take up such a responsibility, it is incumbent on him to shoulder it duly, and he shall be held accountable for it before Allah, Exalted is He.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ advised every member of his nation to carry out his duties towards those whom Allah, Exalted is He, placed under his care. The Prophet ﷺ stated that each and every Muslim is entrusted with someone to look after, and shoulder his due responsibility towards him or her. He ﷺ said: “Every one of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is under his care.” Care here meanseffort made to preserve and look after a person or object, and a guardian refers to a person who is entrusted with preserving and tending to the needs of those under his care. Every guardian is required to maintain justice in caring for the people or things under his care, and to preserve their religious and worldly interests and belongings. If he duly shoulders his responsibilities towards the people or things under his care, he receives the abundant reward, otherwise those under his care would demand their rights over him (on the Day of Judgment) and Allah, Exalted is He, would hold him accountable for neglecting their rights.
Afterward, he ﷺ detailed his general sentence by saying: “A ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them,” meaning that he is responsible for the ruled and is required to tend to their needs, guard and defend their Laws of Islam rights, and implement the Hudood (i.e., pl. of Hadd; corporal punishment prescribed for crimes by the Laws of Islam), protect them against injustice and aggression, and ward off their enemies. A ruler is required to abide by the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ in carrying out his duties towards the ruled, and to aspire to no reward except from Allah, Exalted is He. He should know that he shall be held accountable for the subjects under his care (on the Day of Judgment).
A husband is a guardian of his family, including his wife and dependents, and is responsible for them. He is required to carry out his duties towards them by providing for them, living with them in kindness, and disciplining them, and should know that he shall be held accountable for those under his care (on the Day of Judgment).
A woman is also a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it. She is required to manage his household sensibly, raise his children, and serve his guests, and she shall be held accountable for that before Allah, Exalted is He (on the Day of Judgment).
Moreover, a servant, meaning a slave or a hired worker in general, is a guardian of his master's or employer’s property, and is responsible for preserving his property, carrying out his duties and serving him, and he shall be held accountable for his responsibility before Allah, Exalted is He (on the Day of Judgment).
In addition, a man is a guardian of his father's property and is responsible for serving his best interests and shall be held accountable for it.
Each person is a guardian and responsible for the people and things under his care. The Prophet ﷺ made a general statement in the beginning and then detailed it in the following sentences, referring to a husband, woman, and so on, and then confirmed the meaning by another general statement to finally stress the religious ruling.
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2410

‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I heard a man reciting a ayah (of the Holy Quran) but I had heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting it differently. So, I caught hold of the man by the hand and took him to Allah's Messengerﷺwho said, "Both of you are right." Shu‘bah, the sub-narrator said, "I think he ﷺ said to them, "Do not differ, for the nations before you differed and perished (i.e., because of their differences). "
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, revealed different modes of recitations of the Noble Quran to make it easier for all Arabs (who spoke different dialects) to read it and miraculously challenge their command of their own language.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he heard a man reciting a ayah from Al-Ahqaaf chapter (no.46) with a different recitation that what he (may Allah be pleased with him) had heard from the Prophet ﷺ. Each of them informed the other that he had heard it from the Prophet ﷺ as he was reciting it, as narrated in Musnad Ahmad. ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) took the man, went to the Prophet ﷺ, and each of them recited the ayah differently. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Both of you are right," meaning that both modes of recitation were correct. He ﷺ added: “Do not differ, for the nations before you differed and perished (i.e., because of their differences).” This means that they had incurred their own destruction, because their differences led them to distort and change their Scripture, following their whims, and this fueled disputes and incurred the punishment of Allah, Exalted is He. In addition, the Islamic Laws of Islam promotes affinity among Muslims and warns against disunity and dissension within the Muslim community. He ﷺ meant that Muslims should recite the Quran, adhere to unity and agreement, and if there should be any doubts that call for disagreement and disunity, give them up, and rather adhere to the established facts of Islam that promote affinity, and beware of falling into blameworthy disagreement and disunity like the previous nations, incurring their own destruction.
Moreover, it is impermissible to disagree about the correct modes of recitation, because since it is allowable to recite the Quran with any of the correct modes of recitation as per the laws of Islam, if someone denied any of these modes of recitation, he would be denying the Quran. It is also impermissible to speak of the Quran based on one’s personal opinions, because the recitation of the Quran is an act of Sunnah, and Muslims must adhere to the reported Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in this regard. Rather, the disputing people should consult a more knowledgeable person about the disagreed-upon matter.
The hadeeth forbids disunity and disagreement.
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2411

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, "By Him Who gave Muhammad ﷺ superiority over all people! The Jew said, "By Him Who gave Moosaa superiority over all people!" At that, the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not give me superiority over Moosaa; on the Day of Resurrection, all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them, but I will be the first to gain consciousness, and will see Moosaa standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether Moosaa has also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke."
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Commentary :
Giving preference to any of the Prophets of Allah over the others is exclusive to Allah, Exalted is He. No human being should give preference to any of the Prophets over the others without knowledge, or following his personal whims. Rather, the only allowable preference in this context is what is stated in the Quran and clarified in the Prophet’s sayings. For instance, Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree.} [Quran 2:253].
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that a Muslim man and a Jewish one quarreled and verbally abused one another. The Muslim man said, "By Him Who favored Muhammad ﷺ and gave him superiority over all people!” The Jewish man said, "By Him Who favored Moosaa and gave him superiority over all people!" At that, the Muslim slapped the Jew on the face, for his lie, based on his understanding of the general indication of the word ‘people’ to include Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as well (i.e., he understood that the Jewish man’s statement meant that Moosaa was given superiority over the Prophet ﷺ). It is established for a Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ is the best of all the Prophets of Allah!
The Jew went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim person. The Prophet ﷺ sent for the Muslim and asked him about it, and he informed the Prophet ﷺ of the event. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not give me superiority over Moosaa;” meaning do not favor me over Moosaa in a way that leads to undermining his lofty status or leads to disputes and dissension. The Prophet ﷺ disliked favoring him over other Prophets of Allah out of his humbleness and to avoid potential disputes that would pave the way for Satan to sow seeds of discord among people. Thereafter, he ﷺ underlined the lofty status of Prophet Moosaa and stated that all people, including himself, will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, with the first blow of the Trumpet. He ﷺ will be the first to be resurrected with the second blow, and will see Prophet Moosaa standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah) with his hand. He ﷺ added: “I will not know whether Moosaa has also fallen unconscious and got up before me,” and this would be one of the evident merits of Prophet Moosaa, “or Allah has exempted him from that stroke.” Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills.} [Quran 39:68]. This would mean that Prophet Moosaa will be exempted from losing consciousness in that incident and it would be another virtue.
The Throne of Allah, Exalted is He, is Allah's (First and) Greatest Creation; it has pillars and is carried by angels. Allah, Exalted is He, Rose above the Throne (in a manner that befits Him); He Says (what means): {The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.} [Quran 20:5]. It is noteworthy that the attributes of ʻUluww (highness) of Allah as well as His Istiwaa' (establishment) over the Throne are among the Attributes of His Actions, which relate to the Will of Allah and whose instances recur according to His will. None but Him knows how these attributes are (i.e., the manner in which Allah’s Attributes take form and their essence are only known to Him). Whatever occurs to one’s mind with regard to His Attributes, Allah, Exalted is He, isentirely different and far above it.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Prophet Mossaa..

2435

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "An animal should not be milked without the permission of its owner. Does any of you like that somebody comes to his store and breaks his container and takes away his food? The udders of the animals are the stores of their owners where their provision is kept, so nobody should milk the animals of somebody else, without the permission of their owner."
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Commentary :
Islam urges Muslims to preserve people's wealth and forbids devouring it unlawfully.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade milking someone’s animal, i.e., domesticated animals reared by people such as sheep and camels, without his permission. The hadeeth forbade milking these cattle in the pastures or barns except with the permission of their owners. He ﷺ confirmed his prohibition by saying: “Does any of you like that somebody comes to his store and breaks his container and takes away his food?” The container here refers to a cupboard where the landlord stores his food and provisions, and breaking it means breaking it open and stealing his food. Similarly, one must not milk another person’s cattle without his permission. He ﷺ explained: “The udders of the animals are the stores of their owners where their provision is kept,” he ﷺ likened their udders where their milk is stored, to the cupboard where food and belongings are stored. Since no one would approve that someone should break his cupboard open and steal his food, similarly no one should milk these animals without the owner’s permission.
He ﷺ furthered emphasized the prohibition in this regard by saying: “… so nobody should milk the animals of somebody else, without the permission of their owner.”
Other versions of the hadeeth, like the one recorded in Sunan Ibn Maajah, referred to permissibility of milking others’ animals and drinking their milk. The meaning of such narrations is interpreted as to refer exclusively to the wayfarers, the destitute, and people at a time of famine, or when it is known that the owner of such an animal would authorize such disposal of his property, or that people in that place customarily pardon such disposal, provided that the person should limit himself to drinking only what suffices him and nothing more, and must not store any of the milk.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is forbidden for a Muslim to take anything from others without their permission, and the hadeeth made mention of milk in particular because people may be negligent in this regard (i.e., perceive it as insignificant), and therefore he ﷺ pointed it out to emphasize the need to preserve people’s other significant items of wealth.
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2437

Suwayyd ibn Ghafalah narrated:
While I as in the company of Salmaaan ibn Rabi‘ah and Zayd ibn Suwhaan, in one of the battles, I found a whip. One of them told me to drop it but I refused to do so and said that I would give it to its owner if I found him, otherwise I would utilize it. On our return we performed Hajj and on passing by Al-Madeenah, I asked Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) about it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ and took it to the Prophet ﷺ who said to me, 'Make public announcement about it for one year.' So, I announced it for one year and went to the Prophet ﷺwho said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' So, I announced it for another year. I went to him again and he ﷺ said, "Announce for another year." So, I announced for still another year. I went to the Prophet ﷺ for the fourth time, and he ﷺ said, 'Remember the amount of money, the (detailed) description of its container and the string it is tied with, and if the owner comes (and claims it), give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.’”.

Commentary :
Islam pays significant care to preserving people's wealth, and keenly ensurs that it should not be wasted. Therefore, it has enacted laws and laid down guidelines to preserve people’s wealth.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined what a Muslim should do when he finds a lost item of wealth and he does not know its owner. The Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Suwayyd ibn Ghafalah narrated that he found a whip thrown on the floor and took it. He was in the company of the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Salmaaan ibn Rabi‘ah, and it was also said that the Taabi‘ee Zayd ibn Suwhaan was with them during a battle. One of them told him to drop it, but he refused to do so and said that he would give it to its owner if he found him, otherwise he would utilize it.
On their return, they performed Hajj and passed by Al-Madeenah where Suwayyd ibn Ghafalah saw Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about the religious ruling on picking up such a whip. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ and took it to the Prophet ﷺ who said to me, 'Make a public announcement about it for one year,' meaning to publicly announce it to people at marketplaces, gatherings, and mosques, and the places where he most likely believed that he might find its owner. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was commanded to announce it for one year and keep it with him (as a trust) until its owner showed up to claim it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) announced it for one year, but its owner did not show up, and therefore he (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺwho said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) did the same for a second year, but no one showed up to claim it. Again, the Prophet ﷺ commanded him to announce it for a third year. After the end of the third year, he (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ for the fourth time, and he ﷺ said, 'Remember the amount of money, the (detailed) description of its container and the string it is tied with,’ to be able to verify the truthfulness of whoever claims it, ‘and if the owner comes (and claims it), give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.’”
Shu‘bah ibn Al-Hajjaaj (one of the narrators) said: “I met him (i.e., Salamah ibn Kuhayl) in Makkah and he said: ‘I do not know whether he said three years or one year.’”
To reconcile between the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) and the one narrated by Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him), recorded in Shaheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, stating that the lost item of wealth should be publicly announced for one year only, it can be said that the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) is interpreted as to urge Muslims to adhere to the becoming mindfulness of Allah and graciously refrain from disposing of the Luqtah (i.e., lost and found item of wealth) and to deem oneself above availing of it, and the one narrated by Zayd ibn Kaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) stated the original ruling.
The hadeeth highlights how Islam assigns care and attention to all worldly affairs that are of concern to people, and become part of their lives directly or indirectly.
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2440

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "When the believers pass safely over the Siraat (i.e., the bridge across Hellfire), they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hellfire and Paradise where they will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the worldly life, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is, everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this worldly life."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, deemed injustice forbidden for Himself, declared it forbidden for His servants, and promised the unjust people Qisaas (i.e., retribution) and severe punishments. If the unjust wrongdoer escaped the due Qisaas in the worldly life, there is no escaping on the Day of Resurrection, nor there shall be a refuge from Allah, Exalted is He. There, neither wealth nor offspring will be of any avail.
The hadeeth depicts a horrific scene from the Day of Resurrection, where the believers will be stopped at a bridge between Hellfire and Paradise after passing safely over the Siraat (i.e., the bridge across Hellfire) and being saved from Hellfire by the grace and mercy of Allah, Exalted is He. The Angels will stop them at a bridge between Hellfire and Paradise where they will retaliate against each other for the injustices committed against one another in the worldly life. It is noteworthy that such retaliation will be specifically for those whose acts of injustice and grievances against him do not exhaust all their rewards, otherwise they would have been thrown into Hellfire and it would not have been true to say that they had been delivered from it.Whoever had wronged his fellow Muslim brother more (i.e., had committed moreacts of injustice) in the worldly life, his rewards will be deducted, and then they will enter Paradise. They shall share the places therein in proportion to the remaining rewards left for each of them, and this is why they will retaliate against one another by means of their rewards after being delivered from Hellfire, and Allah knows best. This is because no one will enter Paradise before his liability is cleared from any grievance and injustice against anyone.
After they retaliate against each other for the injustices committed against one another in the worldly life, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ swore by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, that everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this worldly life. They will be able to recognize their dwellings in Paradise easily because they would be shown to them repeatedly every morning and evening in their graves. It was reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “When one of you dies, his abode among the inhabitants of Paradise will be shown to him, morning and evening, if he is to be one of them; but if he is to be one of the inhabitants of Hellfire, his abode among them will be shown him. He will be told that this is his abode to which Allah will finally raise him on the day of resurrection.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
The hadeeth warns against committing injustice against others, and emphasizes the fact that people will inevitably retaliate against each other for the injustices they had committed against one another in the worldly life on the Day of Judgment, and each will get his rights back.
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2441

Safwaan ibn Muhriz Al-Maazinee narrated:
While I was walking with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once holding his hand, a man came in front of us and asked, "What have you heard from Allah's Messengerﷺ about An-Najwaa (i.e., private conversation between Allah and His obedient servants)?" Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard Allah's Messengerﷺ saying, 'Allah, Exalted is He, will bring a believer near Him and shelter him with His Screen and ask him: ‘Did you commit such-and-such sins?’ He will say: ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Allah will keep on asking him till he will confess all his sins and will think that he is ruined. Allah will say: 'I did screen your sins in the world and I forgive them for you today', and then he will be given the book of his good deeds. Regarding infidels and hypocrites (their evil acts will be exposed publicly) and the witnesses will say, as Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {These are the ones who lied against their Lord." Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Quran 11:18]”
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Commentary :
The mercy of Allah, Exalted is He, encompasses everything, and His mercy in the Hereafter shall be greater than the divine mercy manifested in the worldly life, and it shall be exclusively bestowed upon His believing servants. It will have many manifestations, including His screen concealing the believers during the reckoning.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Safwaan ibn Mihriz Al-Maazinee stated that he was walking once with ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) while holding his hand, when a man showed up and asked him about Al-Najwaa (i.e., private conversation between Allah and His obedient servants). Linguistically, the Arabic word Najwaa means whisper and private conversation with someone. It here refers to the private conversation between Allah, Exalted is He, and the believers during the reckoning. It is a manifestation of the grace of Allah, Exalted is He, to remind the believer of his sins in secret. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet ﷺstated that Allah, Exalted is He, will bring the believer near Him and shelter him with His screen. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Kanaf, which linguistically means concealment and protection. He will conceal him from the rest of the creation so as not to disgrace him by exposing his sins before them. He will speak to him secretly and ask him to confirm his sins: “Do you know such-and-such sin?” He would respond: “O my Lord, I know; O my Lord, I know.” Allah, Exalted is He, will continue to kindly and secretly remind him of his sins and he would acknowledge them all, and would believe with certainty that he would be thrown into Hellfire accordingly, unless Allah, Exalted is He, confers upon him His mercy and pardon. Allah, Exalted is He, would say to him: “I did screen your sins in the worldly life, and I will forgive them for you today.”
As for the disbelievers and hypocrites who were insincere with regard to their beliefs, their evil acts will be exposed publicly and the witnesses, i.e., the Angels, Prophets, Jinn, and mankind, will say (what means): {These are the ones who lied against their Lord}, by disbelieving and attributing to Allah, Exalted is He, what was not befitting Him including: partners, a son, a wife, and the like of these falsehoods, {Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Quran 11:18]. This means that the wrath of Allah will be poured onto them, and these disbelievers, who had devoted worship to other than Him, shall be expelled from His mercy.
The hadeeth also affirms the Attribute of Speech with respect to Allah, Exalted is He, in a manner that befits Majesty.

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2442

‘Abdullah Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah, Exalted is He, will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah, Exalted is He, will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection.”
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Commentary :
Islam built Muslim society on a solid foundation of brotherhood and solidarity among them. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {The believers are but brothers.} [Quran 49:10].
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us of the mutual duties Muslims have towards one another. He ﷺ stated that a Muslim, whether he is a free man or slave, an adult or minor, is a brother to his fellow Muslims. This brotherhood entails that a Muslim must not wrong his fellow Muslims; Allah, Exalted is He, deemed injustice forbidden, no matter how insignificant it may seem. At the same time, a Muslim is also required to rescue his fellow Muslims from any injustice or oppression, and must not to leave them subjected to it without providing them with help, and he should also not leave them to those who harm them without protection,to the best of his ability.
He ﷺ also stated that whoever strives to fulfill the needs of his fellow Muslim brother, Allah, Exalted is He, will help him and make things easy for him to fulfill his own needs. Moreover, whoever helps a fellow Muslim when a worldly calamity befalls him, i.e., distress or adversity pertaining to his worldly affairs, until his grief and calamity are relieved, Allah, Exalted is He, will relieve him of a calamity and terror on the Day of Resurrection. In addition, whoever sees one of his fellow brother’s faults or flaws and conceals it, Allah, Exalted is He, will conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection. It is noteworthy that this does not mean that he should turn a blind eye and remain silent when he sees his fellow Muslim brother commit a sin. Rather, it is incumbent to advise and forbid him from it, using the prescribed means of forbidding sin until he refrains (from committing that sin). This is a manifestation of the enjoined sincerity towards one’s fellow Muslim brothers.
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2449

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his honor or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, deemed injustice forbidden for Himself, declared it forbidden for His slaves, and promised the unjust people Qisaas (i.e., retribution) and severe punishments. If the unjust wrongdoer escaped Qisaas in the worldly life, there is no escaping from it on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall there be refuge from Allah, Exalted is He. There, neither wealth nor offspring will be of any avail.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commands any Muslim who had done his fellow Muslims wrong and committed against them acts of injustice with regard to honor, e.g., defamation and slander, or with regard to wealth (withholding or infringing upon their financial rights), or physical injury and the like, to seek his pardon in this worldly life before the Day of Resurrection should come, when there shall be neither Dinar of gold nor Dirham of silver which he may pay to compensate the wronged person and redeem himself. Retribution between people on the Day of Resurrection will be with their good and evil deeds. A wronged person will take from the good deeds of the one who had wronged him on the Day of Judgment in proportion to his act of injustice, and if such a person’s good deeds fall short of clearing the account, then some of the sins from the people whom he had wronged will be added to his record of evil deeds.
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2454

Saalim's father, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection."
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Commentary :
No one performs a good deed or commits a sin in this worldly life, except that he will be rewarded or punished for it on the Day of Resurrection accordingly. Since injustice and aggression are among the gravest sins and the most heinous misdeeds about which stern warnings were reported, the punishments designated for them are among the most severe.
This hadeeth underlines the punishment of the one who takes part of someone’s land unjustly and transgressively, be it a small or large area of land. Whoever commits this sin, Allah, Exalted is He, will cause him to sink down seven earths on the Day of Resurrection; they will swallow him up.
It was narrated on the authority of Sa’eed ibn Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If anyone usurps a span of land unjustly, Allah, Exalted is He, will strangle him with it from seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that he will be caused to sink down into the earth until it becomes like a necklace around his neck, which Allah will cause it to be long (i.e., he will be strangled with it). It could also mean that these different punishments are designated for the perpetrators of this sin and they shall vary according to the gravity of the evil committed by them. Some of them will be subjected to one punishment and the others will be subjected to the other.
The hadeeth emphasizes the prohibition of injustice and usurping others’ lands, and highlights the severe punishment designated for that sin.
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2455

Jabalah said:
"We were in Al-Madeenah with some of Iraqi people, and we were struck with famine and Ibn Al- Zubayr used to give us dates. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pass by and say, "The Prophet ﷺ forbade us to eat two dates at a time, unless one takes the permission of one's companions.”
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Commentary :
Islam instills the values of self-contentment and altruism within its followers, teaches them the etiquette of eating, for a person eating alone, and when someone else joins him for the meal.
In this hadeeth, Jablah ibn Suhaym related that they were in Al-Madeenah with some people from Iraq, and they were afflicted with high prices and famine, so ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to offer them dates. ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would pass by them while they were eating these dates and tell them that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade eating more than one date at a time, putting another date in one’s mouth before finishing the other, when one is eating with a group of people and there is not much food. The one who eats two dates at a time is trying to have a bigger share than the others, and this constitutes injustice against them, in addition to greed that reflects such a person’s bad moral character. The Prophet ﷺ forbade such an act unless the doer seeks the permission of his companions, for being in a hurry and wanting to leave for example, and they give him permission, because it is his companions’ right and they are entitled to give up their rights. This prohibition aims to teach such a person to recognize others’ rights to the shared food as well.
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2457

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome one."
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Commentary :
Islam urges Muslims to embody good morals in their interactions and dealings with people, and therefore it encourages them to be kind and courteous with others.
The hadeeth states a stern warning against the quarrelsome person and underlines that such person is the most hated to Allah, Exalted is He! A quarrelsome person is the one who is given to quarrels, disputes, and arguments. Allah, Exalted is He, hates such a person the most, and this entails falling into sin and incurring His punishment accordingly. Such a quarrelsome person engages in arguments and disputes without any knowledge, and this leads to wasting people’s rights, which constitutes injustice against them and support of falsehood. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents.} [Quran 2:204].
The hadeeth also warns against exceeding the proper limits with opponents and against behaving in an impudent and insulting manner when claiming rights, using abusive language, or arguing without knowledge (i.e., for the sake of argument).
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2461

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We said to the Prophet ﷺ, "You send us out and it happens that we have to stay with people who do not entertain us. What do you think about it?” He ﷺ said to us, "If you stay with some people and they entertain you as they should for a guest, accept their hospitality, but if they do not, take the right of the guest from them."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to pay a special care and attention to the affairs of the Muslims, and instruct them to embody noble morals and good manners, including showing hospitality to their guests. It is one of the manifestations of noble moral character, part of the Islamic etiquette, and one of the manners of the Prophets of Allah and the righteous.
In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ that when he delegated them to people, some of them refrained from showing them the enjoined hospitality. The Prophet ﷺ informed them that when their host offered them the enjoined hospitality, they should accept it, and if he were to refrain, they were entitled to take from his wealth what would compensate for such hospitality, because a host is enjoined as per the laws of Islam to entertain and show hospitality to his guests, and this is a religious obligation that must be observed.
This hadeeth is interpreted to mean that when the guests are in need of it, the enjoined hospitality may be taken from the reluctant host’s wealth (since he withholds their due rights). It is also possible that this was the ruling in the early days of Islam when solidarity was obligatory, and when Muslims conquered many lands (and earned spoils of war), and that this ruling was abrogated with the words of the Prophet ﷺ narrated on the authority of Aboo Shurayh Al-‘Adawee (may Allah be pleased with him) reading: “Whoever (truly) believes in Allah, Exalted is He, and the Last Day, let him entertain his guest generously by giving him his reward, which is (to be entertained generously for) a day and a night…” [Al-Bukhaaree]. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Jaa’izah (reward) and this indicates that such hospitality is recommended rather than obligatory. It is also possible that the hadeeth refers to the workers or envoys sent by a ruler to carry out certain tasks, as indicated by their words, ‘You send us out.’ Therefore, the people to whom the Prophet ﷺ sent them were obliged to provide food, riding mounts, and accommodation for these workers or envoys in return for the task they performed, because they cannot perform their tasks without the fulfillment of such rights.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that whoever could take his right from the one withholding it has the right to take it as long as it does not incur a graver evil..

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 Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "If anyone goes bankrupt, and a man finds his own property intact with him, he is more entitled to take it back than anyone else.”.

Saalim's father, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection."
.

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome one."
.

‘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 Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "If anyone goes bankrupt, and a man finds his own property intact with him, he is more entitled to take it back than anyone else.”.

Saalim's father, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection." .

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome one." .

‘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 Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "If anyone goes bankrupt, and a man finds his own property intact with him, he is more entitled to take it back than anyone else.”.

Saalim's father, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection."
.

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome one."
.