Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I have loved the people of the tribe of Banee Tameem ever since I heard, three things, Allah's Messengerﷺ said about them. I heard him saying, ‘These people (of the tribe of Banee Tameem) would stand firm against Al-Dajjaal." When the Sadaqah (i.e., charity) from that tribe came, Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "These are the Sadaqaat (i.e., Zakaah and charity) of our folk." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had a slave-girl from that tribe, and the Prophet ﷺsaid to her, "Manumit her as she is a descendant of Prophet Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael).”
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to hold people in due regard and laud their good qualities to win their hearts and underline their qualities which merited praise.
In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he (may Allah be pleased with him) loved the Banee Tameem, an Arab tribe, since the moment he heard the Prophet ﷺ lauding three of their good qualities.
First, they would stand firm against Al-Dajjaal when he emerges. Linguistically, the Arabic word ‘Dajjaal’ denotes concealment and deception, because he is a liar who covers up the truth, conceals it, and reveals falsehood. He will be a human being whose emergence will be one of the major signs of the Last Hour. His emergence shall be a trial and test for people, for Allah, Exalted is He, will grant him some abilities that are exclusive to Him such as: the resurrection of the dead person whom he shall kill, the time of prosperity and affluence that he will usher in, his heaven and fire, and his two rivers. Moreover, the treasures of the land will follow him, and he will command the sky to rain and the plants to grow, and they will comply. All of that shall happen by the power and will of Allah, Exalted is He, as a Fitnah and trial for people.
Second, when their Zakaah and charity funds were brought to the Prophet ﷺ, he ﷺ said: “These are the Sadaqaat (i.e., Zakaah and charity) of our folk." He ﷺ attributed them to himself because their lineage intersects with the Prophet’s, as they both can be traced back to Ilyaas ibn Mudhar.
Third, he ﷺ attributed them to Prophet Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael). ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had a slave-girl from that tribe, taken prisoner in one of the battles, and the Prophet ﷺsaid to her, "Manumit her as she is a descendant of Prophet Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael).”
It is inferred therefrom that it is allowable to take Arab captives as prisoners of war and retain ownership of them as is the case with non-Arab captives.
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2548

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah:
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A pious slave gets a double reward." Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is but for Jihaad, Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave”.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ keenly urged slaves to obey their masters, for Allah, Exalted is He, does not allow a doer’s good deed to go unrewarded. When a slave shoulders great burdens and duties and carries them out as due, aspiring to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He, He shall reward him handsomely.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "A pious slave gets a double reward,” meaning the slave who serves his master duly and fulfills his rights over him, and also honors the rights of Allah over him, i.e., worship, earns a double reward; one for his service to his master and aspiring to the rewards of Allah, Exalted is He, and the second is for his worship, like any obedient servant of Allah who fulfills the rights of his Lord over him. It was also said that such a slave earns a double reward if he serves his master with what constitutes obedience to Allah, Exalted is He, such as the service of the needy and weak people, when his master commands him to do so.
Afterward, Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, but for Jihaad, Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that had not it been for the (abundant rewards of) Jihaad, Hajj, and dutifulness towards one’s mother, observed by a free Muslim man, he (may Allah be pleased with him) would have loved and chosen to die as a slave to earn such great rewards. The reward of a good slave is after that of Jihaad, Hajj, and dutifulness towards one’s parents, because a slave is unable to perform such great acts of worship except with the permission of his master, who may hinder or prevent him from performing them.

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2551

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "A Mamlook (i.e., slave) who worships his Lord in a perfect manner, and is dutiful, sincere and obedient to his Saiyyid (i.e., master), will get a double reward."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ keenly urged slaves to obey their masters, for Allah, Exalted is He, does not allow a doer’s good deed to go unrewarded. When a slave shoulders great burdens and duties and carries them out as due, aspiring to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He, He shall reward him handsomely.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined that a slave who worships and obeys Allah, Exalted is He, as due, fulfills the rights of his master, and displays sincerity and obedience to him, within what is permissible as per the laws of Islam, earns a double reward; one for his service of his master and aspiration to the rewards of Allah, Exalted is He, and also the reward of worship, like any obedient servant of Allah who fulfills the rights of his Lord over him.
The hadeeth urges slaves to perfect their adherence to and performance of the worshipful acts and be sincere in this regard.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that obedience to Allah, Exalted is He, is more imperative and takes precedence over the obedience to any created being, as it was given priority in the hadeeth.
It also underlines the vast and all-inclusive nature of the divine mercy and grace bestowed by Allah, Exalted is He, on His servants, and the multiplication of their rewards.
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2552

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "You should not say, 'Feed your lord (Rabbaka), help your lord in performing ablution, or give water to your lord, but should say, 'my master (e.g., Feed your master instead of lord etc.) (Saiyyidee), or my guardian (Mawlaaiy), and one should not say, my slave (‘Abdee), or my girl-slave (Amatee), but should say, my lad (Fatayaa), my lass (Fataatee), and 'my boy (Ghulaamee).
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Commentary :
In this Hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined some guidelines for the Islamic etiquette of speech that instillshumility within Muslims’ hearts. He ﷺ highlighted the proper titles that should be used when masters and slaves address one another. He ﷺ forbade slave-owners to address their slaves or those owned by others using the title ‘lord’ in reference to a master or slave-owner, saying, ‘Feed your lord (Rabbaka), help your lord in performing ablution, or give water to your lord,’ and instructed them to rather use the title master (Saiyyid) or guardian (Mawlaa).
Moreover, he ﷺ forbade slave-owners to address their slaves saying, “my slave (‘Abdee), or my girl-slave (Amatee),” because absolute servitude is exclusive to Allah, Exalted is He, “but should say, my lad (Fatayaa), my lass (Fataatee), and my boy (Ghulaamee).”
The wisdom behind the prohibition is this regard is that human beings are required to devote their worship exclusively to Allah, Exalted is He, their One and Only Lord, and to refrain from associating any partners with Him, and therefore it is disliked to address someone as ‘lord’, lest one should fall into Shirk (i.e., associating partners with Allah). There is no difference in the relevant ruling when the addressee is a slave or a free man. As for what is not taken as an object of worship, such as animals and inanimate objects, it is not disliked to refer to their owner as ‘Rabb,’ which literally means lord, like saying the lord of the house for instance.
As for the fact that the title Rabb was used in His Saying (which means): {"Mention me before your Rabb (lit., lord)."} [Quran 12:42], and His Saying {Return to your Rabb (lit., lord).} [Quran 12:50], it was used to indicate the permissibility of using the title, and the prohibition in this hadeeth aims to urge Muslims to adhere to the becoming Islamic etiquette of speech and (graciously refrain from using it since), being a non-prohibitively disliked act rather than forbidden. It could also mean that a Muslim is forbidden from the excessive and habitual use of such titles, but it does not indicate deeming it strictly forbidden when used occasionally.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim is required to abide by the Islamic etiquette of speech even if the wording does not involve any violation of the Laws of Islam..

2557

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "When your servant brings your meals to you then if he does not let him sit and share the meals, then he should at least give him a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or bits of the food, as he has prepared it."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ taught us the Islamic etiquette of dealing with servants and the less fortunate, and urged Muslims to treat them well and honor them.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ instructed Muslims to abide by refined Islamic etiquette when interacting with one’s servants and slaves. He ﷺ enjoined a master or slave-owner to invite the servant, who serves him food, to join him for the meal that he has prepared and cooked. If he cannot invite him to join him for the meal for a valid excuse, like having a small quantity of food, involuntarily disliking it and fearing to force himself into it lest he should fall into a Laws of Islam violation, or for any other reason like his wish to enjoy a delicious meal on his own, or that a servant dislikes it out of bashfulness or politeness, he should feed the servant from the food he has prepared. He ﷺ instructed that he should offer the servant a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal. It was also said that he ﷺ said, “bits of the food.” To reconcile between the two wordings, it can be fairly said that the meaning of the two wordings is close; it is possible that the narrator doubted as whether the Prophet ﷺ had said ‘mouthful’ or ‘bits of food’, and narrated them both using the particle of conjunction “Aww” (or) to indicate his doubt and be honest in narrating the hadeeth. It is also possible the Prophet ﷺ used the particle of conjunction “Aww” (or) to couple two synonyms.
The Prophet ﷺ justified the command to feed the servant from the meal he has prepared by saying that he is the one who endured the heat and smoke when cooking the food, went to the trouble of preparing the meal for him, smelled the aroma of delicious food, and craved to taste it. Moreover, eating with one’s servant is a manifestation of humbleness and modesty, and it distances one from arrogance, and this is part of the becoming etiquette of the believers and the good manners of the Messengers of Allah..

2559

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "If somebody fights (or beats somebody), let him avoid striking the face."
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Commentary :
Man is the creation of Allah, Exalted is He; He created, honored, and favored him over many other created beings. He enjoins us to honor and respect human sanctity, and specifically commanded us to respect the face, being the loftiest body part that is associated with human dignity and honor.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commands Muslims to avoid striking the face, if they have to hit someone in a quarrel, fight, and the like. The prohibition in this regard also applies to all (prescribed) disciplinary measures towards one’s servant, wife, and children. It is prohibited to strike someone’s face, because it is special; its parts are invaluable and crucial for most human cognitive processes; striking the face may cause serious damage to a person’s cognitive abilities. It might also deform the face, which is a substantial damage because the face is the most prominent body part that is hard to cover, and striking it often causes some sort of damage.
The version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim further clarified the rationale behind the prohibition in this regard. The Prophet ﷺ said: “When any of you fights another person, let him avoid striking the face, for Allah, Exalted is He, created Adam in His own image.” This means that Allah, Exalted is He, created Man in His own image, but this does not mean that He is like His creation. Rather, Allah, Exalted is He, is nothing like His creation, for His Attributes befit His Majesty and Grandeur, and human beings’ attributes suit them as well. The attributes of human beings are subject to non-existence and imperfection, whereas the Attributes of Allah are perfect and ever-lasting. Therefore, Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42:11]. He also Says (what means): {Nor is there to Him any equivalent.} [Quran 112:4].
This hadeeth underlines one of the Attributes of Allah, Exalted is He, in which we are enjoined to believe without Tahreef (i.e., distortion) or Ta‘teel (i.e., denial), Takyeef (i.e., trying to describe "how" an Attribute is, e.g., to say: How Allah's Face is), or Tashbeeh and Tamtheel (i.e., likening Allah to His creation).
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2566

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the gift sent by her female neighbor even if it were the trotters of sheep (i.e., fleshless part of sheep’s legs).”
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, shall reward Muslims for all good deeds and acts of kindness, no matter how small they may seem. He Says (what means): {So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it.} [Quran 99: 7].
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ enjoined women not to belittle any gift they may offer to their neighbors, even it was sheep’s trotters (i.e., fleshless part of sheep’s legs)! It was said that the meaning of the Prophet’s ﷺstatement is that a woman must not look down on any gift, as insignificant as it may seem, that she offered to her neighbors, meaning that she should not refrain from offering charity and gifts to her neighbors because she believes such gifts and charity are insignificant. Rather, they are enjoined to spend in charity and offer gifts from whatever they have available, regardless of its worth, even if it was a sheep’s trotter or a goat’s hoof; it is better than nothing. If people generously spend in charity and exchange gifts from small provisions, it will add up, and such acts foster mutual love and affection, and expel grudges and hatred. Moreover, small gifts are more indicative of affection, and are also easier and more convenient for the gift giver, being more affordable. The Prophet ﷺ made mention of women in particular because they often belittle such small things, boast about abundance, and the like.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to offer gifts to their neighbors.

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2567

‘Urwah narrated:
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to me, "O my nephew! We used to see the crescent, and then the crescent and then the crescent in this way we saw three crescents in two months and no fire (for cooking) used to be made in the houses of Allah's Messenger ﷺ. I said, "O my aunt! Then what did you eat to sustain yourselves?" ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "The two black foodstuff: dates and water; our neighbors from Ansaar had some milch she-camels and they used to present Allah's Messenger ﷺ some of their milk and he ﷺ used to offer it to us to drink it.".

Commentary :
This hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s asceticism and renouncement of this worldly life. He ﷺ was content with a small share of worldly provisions and pleasures and endured it. He ﷺ was content with having his basic needs and necessities of life, and gave preference to the Hereafter over the worldly life. The Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah bint Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) said to her nephew ‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of her sister Asmaa’ bint Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them), that they used to wait three crescents in a row, i.e., 60 days or three consecutive months, and no fire (for cooking) would be used in the houses of Allah's Messenger ﷺ! ‘Urwah exclaimed: “O my aunt! Then what did you eat to sustain yourselves?” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "The two black foodstuffs: dates and water;” Arabs used one word to refer to both dates and water (since dates and water are usually consumed together), Al-Aswadaan (i.e., the two black things) even though only the dates are black (which is known in Arabic language as Taghleeb), giving preference to the color of dates.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “… our neighbors from the Ansaar,” and it was said that they were Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haraam, Aboo Ayyoob Khaalid ibn Zayd, Sa‘d ibn Zuraarah, and others (may Allah be pleased with them), “… had some milch she-camels and they used to present Allah's Messenger ﷺ some of their milk and he ﷺ used to offer it to us to drink it. It was also said that the Arabic word Manaa’ih referred to milch she-camels or sheep that are gifted to someone else to avail himself of their milk, and then return them to their owners. It could also mean that such she-camels or sheep are offered as life-long gifts to others to keep and avail themselves of their milk and other benefits. These men from the Ansaar used to gift such milk to the Prophet ﷺ, who offered it to his household members as sustenance.
The hadeeth underlines the merits of the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) and the virtues of exchanging gifts and presents, as small and insignificant as they may seem.
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2568

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's arm or trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were a sheep's arm or trotter."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to accept invitations and gifts, regardless of their worth, out of his refined moral character and graciousness.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ instructed his Ummah, saying: “I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's arm or trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were a sheep's arm or trotter.” The most beloved part to the Prophet ﷺ from a slaughtered animal was its arm, because this meat can be cooked easily, and is more delicious than the other parts of the animal. A sheep’strotter means the fleshless part of the legs below the knees. He ﷺ stated that if he was invited for a meal of a sheep’s arm or trotter, or it was gifted to him, he ﷺ would graciously accept it. He ﷺ made mention of a sheep’s arm or trotter to indicate his keenness to accept invitations and gifts, regardless of their worth. This reflects his humbleness, kindness, and consideration of the host’s or gift-giver’s feelings, lest he may be hurt or harmed if he ﷺ turned down his invitation or gift.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to accept gifts and invitations, and graciously eat from any food served to them, even if it was a small humble meal.
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2571

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once Allah's Messengerﷺvisited us in this house of ours and asked for something to drink. We milked one of our sheep and mixed it with water from this well of ours and gave it to him. Aboo Bakr was sitting on his left side and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) in front of him and a Bedouin on his right side. When Allah's Messengerﷺfinished, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, “Here is Aboo Bakr!" But Allah's Messengerﷺ gave the remaining milk to the Bedouin and said twice, "The (persons on the) right side! Start from the right side." Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "It is an act of Sunnah," and repeated it thrice.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was keen to instill goodness and adherence to true guidance within Muslims, an example of which is teaching Muslims to start with the right side in every act where it is optional; the right side is blessed since the people of the right hand (i.e., those whose books of records will be placed in their right hands) are the people of Paradise.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺvisited their house and asked for something to drink. They milked one of their sheep, and Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) mixed it with water from the well inside their house and gave it to the Prophet ﷺ. Aboo Bakr was sitting on his left side, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) in front of him, and a Bedouin on his right side. When Allah's Messengerﷺfinished drinking, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Here is Aboo Bakr!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant to ask the Prophet ﷺ to give him the milk, but heﷺ gave the remaining milk to the Bedouin and said twice, "The (persons on the) right side! Start from the right side,” meaning that those on one’s righthand side should be given precedence, and repeatedly emphasized it by the following command to start with the right side. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "It is an act of Sunnah," and repeated it thrice, to further stress its importance, and the Prophet’s command in this regard.
In the same vein, it was narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa‘d Al-Saa‘idee (may Allah be pleased with him), and recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, that the Prophet ﷺ was oncewas offered something to drink. He ﷺ drank of it while on his right was a boy, i.e., Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), and on his left were some elderly people. He ﷺ said to the boy, "May I give these (elderly) people first?" The boy said, "By Allah, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! I will not give up my share from you to somebody else." On that, Allah's Messenger ﷺ placed the cup in the hand of that boy. In this incident, he ﷺ sought permission from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) because he was on his right side and worthier of the turn, and did not seek the Bedouin’s permission in the other hadeeth to give the milk to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) out of consideration of his feelings, being a new revert and lest he should assume that the Prophet ﷺ was disgusted by him, and that he ﷺ was offending him, acting upon the Arabs’ prejudice against Bedouins in the pre-Islamic era, in light of the Bedouins’ reputation for being harsh and discourteous. Moreover, he ﷺ sought the permission of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) to offer the beverage to the elderly and elite of his people, as he ﷺ was confident that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would not mind being asked to do so, and out of courtesy and consideration for the elderly people, and also to edify those who did not know on the relevant ruling, and that he ﷺ could not deny the one on his right hand his turn except with his permission.
As for the fact that other Laws of Islam texts have been reported regarding giving precedence to elderly people, there is no contradiction between their indication and the command to start with one’s right hand; giving precedence to the elderly people should be done when all the concerned people are of equal statuses (as far as all other qualities are concerned). In this case, the older person should be given precedence. The same goes for the case when a group of people do not sit in order, i.e., ranked by age; in this case the older ones should be given precedence. However, if they sat down in order, the one sitting on the right side should be given precedence and he is more deserving of it than the elder.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the act of Sunnah is to give the beverage to the one on the right side, even if the one on the left side is more virtuous.

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2572

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once Allah's Messengerﷺvisited us in this house of ours and asked for something to drink. We milked one of our sheep and mixed it with water from this well of ours and gave it to him. Aboo Bakr was sitting on his left side and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) in front of him and a Bedouin on his right side. When Allah's Messengerﷺfinished, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, “Here is Aboo Bakr!" But Allah's Messengerﷺ gave the remaining milk to the Bedouin and said twice, "The (persons on the) right side! Start from the right side." Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "It is an act of Sunnah," and repeated it thrice.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was keen to instill goodness and adherence to true guidance within Muslims, an example of which is teaching Muslims to start with the right side in every act where it is optional; the right side is blessed since the people of the right hand (i.e., those whose books of records will be placed in their right hands) are the people of Paradise.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺvisited their house and asked for something to drink. They milked one of their sheep, and Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) mixed it with water from the well inside their house and gave it to the Prophet ﷺ. Aboo Bakr was sitting on his left side, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) in front of him, and a Bedouin on his right side. When Allah's Messengerﷺfinished drinking, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Here is Aboo Bakr!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant to ask the Prophet ﷺ to give him the milk, but heﷺ gave the remaining milk to the Bedouin and said twice, "The (persons on the) right side! Start from the right side,” meaning that those on one’s righthand side should be given precedence, and repeatedly emphasized it by the following command to start with the right side. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "It is an act of Sunnah," and repeated it thrice, to further stress its importance and the Prophet’s ﷺcommand in this regard.
In the same vein, it was narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa‘d Al-Saa‘idee (may Allah be pleased with him), and recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, that the Prophet ﷺ was oncewas offered something to drink. He ﷺ drank of it while on his right was a boy, i.e., Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), and on his left were some elderly people. He ﷺsaid to the boy, "May I give these (elderly) people first?" The boy said, "By Allah, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! I will not give up my share from you to somebody else." On that, Allah's Messenger ﷺ placed the cup in the hand of that boy. In this incident, he ﷺ sought permission from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) because he was on his right side and worthier of the turn, and did not seek the Bedouin’s permission in the other hadeeth to give the milk to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), out of consideration of his feelings, being a new revert and lest he should assume that the Prophet ﷺ was disgusted by him, and that he ﷺ was offending him, acting upon the Arabs’ prejudice against Bedouins in the pre-Islamic era, in light of the Bedouins’ reputation for being harsh and discourteous. Moreover, he ﷺ sought the permission of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) to offer the beverage to the elderly and elite of his people, as he ﷺ was confident that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would not mind being asked to do so, and out of courtesy and consideration for the elderly people, and also to edify those who did not know on the relevant ruling and that he ﷺ could not deny the one on his right hand his turn except with his permission.
As for the fact that other Laws of Islam texts have been reported regarding giving precedence to elderly people, there is no contradiction between their indication and the command to start with one’s right hand; giving precedence to the elderly people should be done when all the concerned people are of equal statuses (as far as all other qualities are concerned). In this case, the older person should be given precedence. The same goes for the case when a group of people do not sit in order, i.e., ranked by age; in this case the older ones should be given precedence. However, if they sat down in order, the one sitting on the right side should be given precedence, and he is more deserving of it than the elder.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the act of Sunnah is to give the beverage to the one on the right side, even if the one on the left side is more virtuous.

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2576

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
We chased a rabbit at Marr Al-Thahraan and people ran after it but were exhausted. I overpowered and caught it, and gave it to Aboo Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) who slaughtered it and sent its hip or two thighs to Allah's Messenger ﷺ. (The narrator confirms that he sent two thighs). The Prophet ﷺ accepted his gift. (The sub-narrator asked Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), "Did the Prophet ﷺ eat from it?" Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "He ﷺ ate from it.")
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was the humblest of all people, and a manifestation of his (exemplary) humility was that he ﷺaccepted gifts from his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), regardless of their worth.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: “We chased a rabbit at Marr Al-Thahraan, meaning that they forced it out of its hole and chased it at Marr Al-Thahraan, a valley five miles (8 kilometers) from Makkah in the direction of Al-Madeenah. People ran after it but were exhausted. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) overpowered and caught it.He said: “I gave it to Aboo Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) who slaughtered it,” for Aboo Talhah Al-Ansaaree was his stepfather, who married his mother Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with them). Aboo Talhah sent Anas (may Allah be pleased with them) with its hip or two thighs to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, as a gift. Shu‘bah ibn Al-Hajjaaj, a sub-narrator of the hadeeth, confirmed that he sent two thighs. Shu‘bah doubted at the beginning as to whether he (may Allah be pleased with him) had gifted the rabbit’s hips or thighs to the Prophet ﷺ but then learnt with certainty that he (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him the thighs; the hips are part of the thighs. The Prophet ﷺ accepted the gift. Shu‘bah also doubted as to whether the Prophet ﷺ ate from it or not, but merely narrated that he ﷺaccepted it. When Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about it, he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "He ﷺ ate from it." Shu‘bah was certain that he ﷺ accepted the gift but doubted as to whether he ﷺ ate it or not. Anyway, whether he ﷺ ate it or merely accepted it, this hadeeth evidences that it is allowable to eat rabbit meat.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that accepting a hunted gift and the like is allowable.
It is also deduced therefrom that hunting is permissible as long it does not lead to missing the prayers or other religious and worldly interests.
It is also inferred that a hunted animal belongs to the one who catches and takes it, and none of the chasers has the right to any share of it..

2581

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Whenever a meal was brought to Allah's Messengerﷺ,he would ask whether it was a gift or Sadaqah (i.e., charity). If he ﷺ was told that it was Sadaqah, he ﷺ would tell his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to eat it, but if it was a gift, he ﷺ would hasten to share it with them.
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Commentary :
It was forbidden for the Prophet ﷺ to eat or avail himself of what is given in charity, because it may be paid by some people as means to purify their wealth from unlawful earnings or as atonement for their sins.
In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that whenever a meal was brought to Allah's Messengerﷺ,he would ask whether it was a gift or Sadaqah (i.e., charity). If he ﷺ was told that it was Sadaqah, he ﷺ would tell his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to eat it, but if it was a gift, he ﷺ would hasten to share it with them. This is because it was deemed unlawful for the Prophet ﷺ to eat from what was given in charity. He ﷺ used to eat from a meal offered as a gift rather than the one give in charity, because the exchange of gifts fosters love and affection, and it was possible that he ﷺ would reward the gift-giver with a similar or better gift so that none should do a favor to the Prophet ﷺ (that would go unrewarded), but this was not the same for charity, and this was the wisdom behind the different rulings.
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2582

‘Azrah ibn Thaabit Al-Ansaaree narrated:When I went to Thumaamah ibn ‘Abdullah, he gave me some perfume and said that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)would not reject the gifts of perfume and said that the Prophet ﷺwould not reject any perfume gifted to him.
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Commentary :
Perfume was one of the most beloved things to the Prophet ﷺ, as he used to love (cleanliness and) good scent and disliked that his body odor should not be pleasant, which was not possible, because he ﷺ always had a good smell, and wore the best perfume, so much that people used to use his sweat as perfume.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee ‘Azrah ibn Thaabit Al-Ansaaree narrated that he visited Thumaamah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Anas ibn Maalik, who gave him some perfume and told him that his grandfather Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) never turned down perfume gifted to him, following the example of the Prophet ﷺ who did not turn down perfume that was gifted to him.
The prohibition of turning down gifts of perfume was reported along with the wisdom behind it in the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), and recorded by Aboo Daawood, reading: “Whoever is offered perfume (as a gift), let him not refuse it, for it is easy to carry, and smells good.”
The hadeeth urges Muslims to considerately accept people’s gifts.
It is also inferred therefrom that Muslims are urged to wear fragrance and use aromatic perfumes..

2585

‘Aai’shah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺused to accept gifts and used to give something in return.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was the humblest of all people, and a manifestation of such (exemplary) humility was that he ﷺ would accept gifts from his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), regardless of their worth.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that the Prophet ﷺ used to accept gifts from people and never turned down any gift given to him, regardless of its value. In this vein, the Prophet ﷺ said: “I shall accept the gift even if it were an arm or a trotter of a sheep.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
This reflected his graciousness and noble moral character as he ﷺ was keen to win people’s hearts. He ﷺ used to accept people’s gifts, no matter how insignificant they may seem, and reward the gift givers with similar or better gifts, acting upon the Islamic etiquette of rewarding acts of kindness in kind, with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner] and so that none should do a favor to the Prophet ﷺ that goes unrewarded.
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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:
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A pious slave gets a double reward." Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is but for Jihaad, Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave”.
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Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "A Mamlook (i.e., slave) who worships his Lord in a perfect manner, and is dutiful, sincere and obedient to his Saiyyid (i.e., master), will get a double reward."
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Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "When your servant brings your meals to you then if he does not let him sit and share the meals, then he should at least give him a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or bits of the food, as he has prepared it."
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It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "If somebody fights (or beats somebody), let him avoid striking the face."
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Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the gift sent by her female neighbor even if it were the trotters of sheep (i.e., fleshless part of sheep’s legs).”
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Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's arm or trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were a sheep's arm or trotter."
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‘Azrah ibn Thaabit Al-Ansaaree narrated:When I went to Thumaamah ibn ‘Abdullah, he gave me some perfume and said that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)would not reject the gifts of perfume and said that the Prophet ﷺwould not reject any perfume gifted to him.
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‘Aai’shah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺused to accept gifts and used to give something in return.
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‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night until his last prayer would be the Witr..

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

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah: Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A pious slave gets a double reward." Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is but for Jihaad, Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave”. .

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said, "A Mamlook (i.e., slave) who worships his Lord in a perfect manner, and is dutiful, sincere and obedient to his Saiyyid (i.e., master), will get a double reward." .

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺ said, "When your servant brings your meals to you then if he does not let him sit and share the meals, then he should at least give him a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or bits of the food, as he has prepared it." .

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "If somebody fights (or beats somebody), let him avoid striking the face." .

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the gift sent by her female neighbor even if it were the trotters of sheep (i.e., fleshless part of sheep’s legs).” .

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺ said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's arm or trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were a sheep's arm or trotter." .

‘Azrah ibn Thaabit Al-Ansaaree narrated:When I went to Thumaamah ibn ‘Abdullah, he gave me some perfume and said that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)would not reject the gifts of perfume and said that the Prophet ﷺwould not reject any perfume gifted to him. .

‘Aai’shah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: Allah's Messengerﷺused to accept gifts and used to give something in return. .

‘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:
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "A pious slave gets a double reward." Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is but for Jihaad, Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave”.
.

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "A Mamlook (i.e., slave) who worships his Lord in a perfect manner, and is dutiful, sincere and obedient to his Saiyyid (i.e., master), will get a double reward."
.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "When your servant brings your meals to you then if he does not let him sit and share the meals, then he should at least give him a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or bits of the food, as he has prepared it."
.

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "If somebody fights (or beats somebody), let him avoid striking the face."
.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the gift sent by her female neighbor even if it were the trotters of sheep (i.e., fleshless part of sheep’s legs).”
.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's arm or trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were a sheep's arm or trotter."
.

‘Azrah ibn Thaabit Al-Ansaaree narrated:When I went to Thumaamah ibn ‘Abdullah, he gave me some perfume and said that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)would not reject the gifts of perfume and said that the Prophet ﷺwould not reject any perfume gifted to him.
.

‘Aai’shah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺused to accept gifts and used to give something in return.
.