| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
2730
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
When the people of Khaybar dislocated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar's hands and feet, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got up delivering a speech saying, "No doubt, Allah's Messengerﷺmade a contract with the Jews concerning their properties, and said to them, 'We allow you (to stay in your land) as long as Allah, Exalted is He, allows you.' Now ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar went to his land and was attacked at night, and his hands and feet were dislocated, and as we have no enemies there except those Jews, they are our enemies and the only people whom we suspect, I have made up my mind to exile them." When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to carry out his decision, a son of Abee Al-Huqayq came and addressed ‘Umar, "O Commander of the Believers, will you exile us although Muhammad ﷺ allowed us to stay at our places, and made a contract with us concerning our properties, and accepted the condition of our residence in our land?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you think that I have forgotten the statement of Allah's Messengerﷺ, i.e., ‘What will your condition be when you are expelled from Khaybar and your camel will be carrying you night after night?’ The Jew replied, "That was a joke made by Aboo Al-Qaasim." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O the enemy of Allah! You are telling a lie!" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then expelled them and paid them the price of their properties in the form of fruits, money, camel saddles, ropes …etc.”
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Commentary :
The Jews inside and outside Al-Madeenah continued to scheme against the Muslims and break their covenants with the Prophet ﷺ during his lifetime and with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) after his death. The Prophet ﷺ evacuated the Jews of Banee Al-Nadheer and Banee Qaynuqaa‘, then the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) evacuated the Jews of Khaybar, as stated in this hadeeth. Khaybar is a town located north of Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam, 95 miles (153 km) from Al-Madeenah.
The Prophet ﷺ made an agreement with the Jews of Khaybar concerning their properties, allowing them to keep them in return for paying the Jizyah (i.e., head tax on non-Muslim citizens living under the protection of Muslim rule). He ﷺ agreed for them to work in their farms in Al-Madeenah in return for a specified share of the yield. During the Caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the people of Khaybar insidiously attacked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)and dislocated his hands and feet when he went to them. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a speech and informed the people of what had happened to his son at the hands of some unknown people in Khaybar and underlined that they had no enemies there except those Jews, which made them the prime suspects. He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he (may Allah be pleased with him)had decided that exiling them from Al-Madeenah was the best solution. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to carry out his decision, a son of Abee Al-Huqayq, their chief and leader, came and addressed ‘Umar, "O Commander of the Believers, will you exile us although Muhammad ﷺ allowed us to stay at our places,” meaning made an agreement and covenant with us to stay in Al-Madeenah and take care of our properties, i.e., made a contract with us to stay and work in our farms. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you think that I have forgotten the statement of Allah's Messengerﷺ, i.e., ‘What will your condition be when you are expelled from Khaybar and your camel will be carrying you night after night?’ The Jew replied, "That was a joke made by Aboo Al-Qaasim." He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the Prophet ﷺ did not actually mean it and was merely joking. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O enemy of Allah! You are telling a lie." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then expelled them out of Al-Madeenah, and paid them the price of their properties in the form of fruits, money, camel saddles, ropes, etc.
It should be noted that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not request the Qisaas (i.e., retribution) from the Jews for what had befallen his son, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) was attacked at night while he was sleeping, and therefore was not able to identify the attackers.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to conduct a Musaaqaah (i.e., a share tenancy or partnership in the yield of trees) transaction, whereby the landowner hires a worker to water his land and take care of it in return for a fixed share of the produce..

2731
Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah and Marwaan (whose narrations attest each other) narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty), and when they proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem, so take the way on the right." By Allah, Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to inform Quraysh. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would go to them (i.e., the people of Quraysh). The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." Then he ﷺ said, "By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e., the polytheists of Quraysh) ask me anything which will involve horning the sanctity of Allah’s ordinances, I will grant it to them."  The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a little water which people used in small amounts, and in a short while they used up all its water and complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued sprouting out till all people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. While they were still in that state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him and were from the people of Tihaamah. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform ‘Umrah. No doubt, the war has weakened Quraysh and they have suffered great losses, so if they wish, I will conclude a truce with them, during which they should refrain from interfering between me and people (i.e., the Arab disbelievers from other tribes), and if I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish; they will at least get strong enough to fight. But if they do not accept the truce, by Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I will fight them defending my cause till I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious." Budayl said, "I will inform them of what you have said." So, he set off till he reached Quraysh and said, "We have come from that man (i.e., Muhammadﷺ) whom we heard saying something which we will disclose to you if you should like." Some fools among Quraysh shouted that they were not in need of such information, but the wiser ones among them said, "Relate what you heard him saying." Budayl said, "I heard him saying such-and-such," relating what the Prophet ﷺ had told him. ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh for your help, and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Well, this man (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) has offered you a reasonable proposal, you should better accept it and allow me to meet him." They said, "You may meet him." So, he went to the Prophet ﷺand started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Then ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people? Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him and said, "Do you say that we would run and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted on you!" ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing his beard as he was talking while Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah), “Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." ‘Urwah said, "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" Before embracing Islam, Al-Mugheerah was in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and came (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said (to him, "As regards to your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken). ‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. By Allah, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ﷺordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would carry his orders immediately; if he ﷺperformed ablution, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence. ‘Urwah returned to his people and said, "O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and Al-Najaashee, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence." ‘Urwah added, "No doubt, he has presented to you a good reasonable offer, so please accept it." A man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Budn were brought before him and people (Muslims) received him while they were reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah." When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). I do not think it is advisable to prevent them from visiting the Ka‘bah." Another person called Mikraz ibn Hafs got up and sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Please conclude a peace treaty with us." So, the Prophet ﷺ called a scribe and said to him, "Write down: By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful." Suhayl said, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." Muslims said, "By Allah, we will not write except: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah.’" Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: "Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you, people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" (Al-Zuhree said, "The Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺhad already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it involves honoring the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by letting him and his Companions perform ‘Umrah and abstain from fighting.)" The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl said, "By Allah, we will not (allow you this year), so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that we have yielded to you, but we will allow you next year." So, the Prophet ﷺ got that written down. Then Suhayl said, "We also stipulate that you should return to us whoever comes to you from our people, even if he had embraced your religion." Muslims said, "Glorified be Allah! How will such person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim? While they were in this state Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, you will." He said, "I will not!” Mikraz said, "We allow you (to keep him)." Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh). ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him)said, "I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' I said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' I said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, 'O Aboo Bakr! Is not he truly Allah's Prophet?' He replied, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).' I said, 'Was he ﷺ not telling us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes, but did he ﷺ tell you that you would go to the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You will go to Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it." (Al-Zuhree said, "In this regard, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)said, 'I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them.'") When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." By Allah, none of them got up, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he ﷺ left them and went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and told her of people's attitudes towards him. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do you want your order to be carried out? Go out and do not say a word to anybody till you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call for your barber to shave your head." So, the Prophet ﷺ went out and did not talk to anyone of them till he did that, i.e., slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for his barber who shaved his head. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). Then some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10] ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then divorced two wives of his as they were disbelievers. Later on, Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other. When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who said (to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Abide by the promise you gave us." So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and said, "By Allah, it is very fine and I have tried it many times." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and
oined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group. By Allah, whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for (i.e., Aboo Baseer and his companions) promising that whoever (amongst them) came to the Prophet ﷺwould be secure. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing … When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26] Their prejudice and haughtiness were the reason they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah and refused to write: "In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,” and prevented them (i.e., Muslims) from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah)..

Commentary :
The Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah was described as a conquest by Allah, Exalted is He, because it had very fruitful outcomes for Islam and Muslims, and many Laws of Islam provisions were prescribed during that period, fostering ease and facilitation for Muslims.
In this hadeeth, Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Marwaan ibn Al-Hakam narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty) in 6 A.H. When they had proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed,” who was then a disbeliever, “leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem,” a valley near Hijaaz between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, about (60 km) from Makkah, “so take the way on the right." Khaalid was leading the vanguard of Quraysh’s army to investigate the situation of their enemy (i.e., Muslims). The Prophet ﷺ commanded the Muslims to take the way on the right to distance themselves from the way taken by Khaalid and his soldiers. Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to warn Quraysh that the Prophet ﷺ was approaching Makkah. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would reach the people of Quraysh. It was said that the Thaniyah was an area located between Makkah and Al-Madeenah on the way of Al-Hudaybiyah and it was the customarily chosen path to reach Makkah. The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up and continue walking, but in vain. They said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" Meaning that the she-camel stubbornly refrained from walking. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." The Prophet ﷺ was referring to the elephant of Abrahah Al-Habashee when he came to demolish the Ka‘bah and Allah, Exalted is He, prevented him access to Makkah by causing his elephant to stop moving, and this was exactly what happened to the she-camel.
Afterward, he ﷺ swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that he ﷺ would agree to whatever the disbelievers of Quraysh should ask for to avoid fighting them out of reverence for Makkah and the Ka‘bah, considering the sacredness of the land and gravity of violating Allah’s Ordinances. The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way (i.e., instead of marching towards Makkah, and turned) till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a small quantity of water which the people used in small amounts.In a short while people used up all its water and then complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued flowing out till all the people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. This was one of the miracles performed by the Prophet ﷺ and the signs of his prophethood.
While people were in such a state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe, Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him.They also belonged to the people of Tihaamah, which referred to Makkah and the surrounding towns and cities. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Budayl made mention of these two names as reference to the disbelievers of Quraysh in general, because all the disbelievers of Quraysh in Makkah could be traced back to these two men. He meant that they camped near the well of Al-Hudaybiyah where there was a large quantity of water. He stated that the disbelievers of Quraysh brought along their milch she-camels or their women and children, indicating their readiness to deny the Prophet ﷺ access to Makkah even if they had to fight the Muslims. Allah's Messengerﷺ clarified to him that they had merely come to perform ‘Umrah and had no intention of fighting them, and urged Quraysh to get out of their way, especially since the war had weakened them and they had suffered great losses. He ﷺ proposed that Quraysh should conclude a truce with the Muslims, during which they should refrain from interfering between the Prophet ﷺ and the Arab disbelievers from other tribes. He ﷺ said, “If I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish;” meaning that if the Prophet ﷺ triumphed over the rest of the Arab disbelievers, Quraysh would be given the chance to follow him and embrace Islam like the others, or retain their peace treaty and truce with him, and in both cases, they would at least sparethemselves fighting and taste some relief. He ﷺ then swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that if they did not accept the truce, he ﷺ would fight them defending his cause till he ﷺ would be killed, and added, “… but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious,” and inevitably grant him triumph.
Budayl ibn Warqaa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he would inform Quraysh of what he ﷺ said and his offer. He set off till he reached Quraysh and informed them that he had a message from the Prophet ﷺ. He told them of the offer, but some fools among Quraysh shouted that they did not need to hear such an offer. However, the wise people among them asked him to relate what he had heard the Prophet ﷺ saying and he did. Thereupon, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He meant to highlight his care and compassion for them, and the sincerity of his advice for them, comparing it to that of a father’s advice for his own child.
He added, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh,” a marketplace near Makkah, “for your help,” meaning to fight in support of Quraysh, “and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?” He was trying to urge them to accept his request to meet with the Prophet ﷺ after he liked his (reasonable) proposal related by Budayl. They allowed him to meet the Prophet ﷺ and he started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Thereupon, ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people?” He was referring to the people of Quraysh. He added, “Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." He meant that were Quraysh to defeat the Muslims, they would inevitably flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone since they belonged to various tribes. Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him, in response to his offensive claim that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) should flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you say we would flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah recalled a favor that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had done for him, which he had not yet reciprocated. Therefore, he refrained from retorting and abusing him back. He said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted to you." ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing the Prophet's beard as he was talking, and this was customarily acceptable by Arabs as a non-verbal gesture indicative of endearment. Meanwhile, Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah, who could not recognize him), "Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." On that, ‘Urwah recalled his treacherous act, and said "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" ‘Urwah was his paternal uncle, and Al-Mugheerah, before embracing Islam, was once in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and went (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. His uncle continued to pay the compensation of his treacherous act to their people. The Prophet ﷺ said about Al-Mugheerah’s act, "As regards your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken).” He ﷺ meant that he accepted his Islam, but rejected such usurped property that was insidiously seized by him.
‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and observed how they treated him. He listed some of his observations about the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). For instance, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who would rub it on his face and skin. Whenever he ﷺ ordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them) would comply immediately and fulfill his needs. If he ﷺ performed ablution, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would vie with one another to take the leftover water. Whenever they spoke to the Prophet ﷺ, they would lower their voices and, out of reverence, would not stare at his face constantly.
‘Urwah returned to his people and reported to them his encounter with the Prophet ﷺ and their discussions. He started his talk by expressing his deep admiration and amazement at the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He even stated that the Companions’ reverence to the Prophet ﷺ was much greater that the reverence shown to the kings, Caesar, Khosrau, and Al-Najaashee that he had witnessed firsthand. He then underlined the difference he observed saying, “… yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions.” Afterward, he related to them some of his observations, emphasized that his proposal was reasonable, and urged Quraysh to accept it. After hearing ‘Urwah out, a man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Prophet ﷺ recognized the man and knew his tribe. It was said that this man was named Al-Hulays ibn ‘Alqamah Al-Haarithee. These people highly respected the sacrificial camels and cows and believed that it was unlawful to eat from their meat because they were offerings and gifts to the Sacred House. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to send these camels before them to prove to him that he ﷺ really intended to perform ‘Umrah and did not have any intention to fight. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) drove the Budn before him and the Muslims received him while reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah," meaning that no one should deny the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) access to the Ka‘bah to perform ‘Umrah. When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). This was customarily done to distinguish the camels offered as animal sacrifices from others.
Afterward, Mikraz ibn Hafs also sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached the Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl asked the Prophet ﷺ to conclude a peace treaty and truce with Quraysh. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ called for his scribe, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), and said to him, "Write down: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" Suhayl objected, saying, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." The Prophet ﷺ used to open his agreements with that phrase in the early days of Islam. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) objected, but the Prophet ﷺ approved it and asked his scribe to write down instead, “By Your Name, O Allah.’ Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl objected again and said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’” The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" In fact, the Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺ had already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it meant revering the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by avoiding fighting in the sanctuary). The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl agreed, but stipulated that they should return to Al-Madeenah and come back the following year so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that Quraysh had yielded to the Prophet ﷺ and were forced into it, and the Prophet ﷺ agreed. They also stipulated that the Prophet ﷺ should return to them whoever came to him from Quraysh to embrace Islam. The Muslims objected and said, “Glorified be Allah! How will such a person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim?” While they were in this state, Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Upon seeing him, Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ eventually accepted that term provided that they should exclude Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked Suhayl to exclude him, but he refused. They negotiated it and Mikraz, who attended the meeting, interfered and said, "We allow you (to keep him)." However, the following statement made by Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) indicated that Suhayl refused and that the Prophet ﷺ returned him. Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him)exclaimed, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh).
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed at the Prophet’s stance and such unfair terms that seemed against the interests of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) and said to him the same, and he replied, ‘Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged ‘Umar to comply with the Prophet’s command, for he ﷺ was acting incompliance with the divine revelation, and was aided by Allah, Exalted is He. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them,” meaning to atone for his inappropriate attitude towards the Prophet ﷺ in that incident.
When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." However, none of them complied, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. It seems that they delayed their compliance with the command, hoping that the divine revelation should come to annul this peace treaty so that they could perform the ‘Umrah.
When none of them got up, he ﷺ went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and complained to her of the Companions’ attitude towards him and their refusal to comply. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) advised the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to go out without saying a word to anybody till he had slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for the barber to shave his head. He ﷺ approved her opinion and acted upon her advice. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)followed his example,got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). They (may Allah be pleased with them) were very distressed that they were denied access to the Sacred House and prevented from performing ‘Umrah, and also because seeing the Prophet ﷺ doing so meant that the command was final, and that no divine revelation was revealed to annul the peace treaty and its unfair terms.Also, they had delayed their compliance with the Prophet’s command to slaughter their animal sacrifices and shave their heads earlier.
Afterward, some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, after the conclusion of the peace treaty. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10]. The ayah meant that Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the Prophet ﷺ to accept the women who should come to him (to embrace Islam) after testing them to ensure their sincere intentions, and that he ﷺ must not return the believing women to the disbelievers.The believers were also enjoined to divorce their disbelieving wives. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced two wives of his, for they were disbelievers. Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other.
When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who reminded the Prophet ﷺ of the agreement they had to return whoever went to join the Prophet ﷺ from Quraysh. So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah, where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) seized the opportunity and deceived them by saying to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and started praising it. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." Aboo Naseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said so thinking that the Prophet ﷺ would approve his act and allow him to stay, but he ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" He ﷺ exclaimed at his action and described him as a stirrer of war. When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore, on the route to Shaam. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and joined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group, which comprised more than forty men. Whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh incurred serious losses because of them, so much that they sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for Aboo Baseer and his group, commanding them to stop what they were doing, and promising security to whoever (amongst them) should come to him. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing. * They are the ones who disbelieved and obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram while the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And if not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know - that you might trample them and there would befall you because of them dishonor without [your] knowledge - [you would have been permitted to enter Makkah]. [This was so] that Allah might admit to His mercy whom He willed. If they had been apart [from them], We would have punished those who disbelieved among them with painful punishment. * When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26]. The ayah referred to the ‘chauvinism’ of Quraysh, meaning their prejudice and haughtiness reflected in the fact that they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah, refused to write: ‘In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,’ and prevented Muslims from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Allah, Exalted is He, supports His religion and grants Muslims victory in ways that may seem indicative of defeat (at first glance) and that patience begets relief.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that obedience to Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger is obligatory regardless of knowing or investigating the wisdom behind the command or the prohibition.
It is also deduced therefrom that some (clear) matters may be missed by those endowed with intelligence and insight.
It is also inferred that Islam is founded on absolute submission to the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ..

2736
It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadeeth No. 419, Vol. 8)
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His Names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.} [Quran 7:180].
The Prophet ﷺ taught Muslims these Divine Names and ensured that they should clearly understand their meanings (and implications).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺstated that Allah, Exalted is He, has ninety-nine Names, and whoever knows them will enter Paradise. The Arabic verb used in the hadeeth is Ahsaa (lit., to enumerate), meaning to memorize these Names and comprehend their meanings or invoke Allah, Exalted is He, by them; He Says (what means): {… so invoke Him by them.} [Quran 7:180]. This means that we are enjoined to implore Allah, Exalted is He, by these Divine Names, saying, for example, ‘Yaa Dhaa Al-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam (i.e., O Possessor of majesty and honor)’ or ‘Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom (i.e., O Ever-Living and Sustainer of [all] existence),’ and the like. It was also said that it means acting upon their meanings and worshiping Allah, Exalted is He, in light of their implications. This means that when a servant of Allah learns the Divine Name Al-Raheem (i.e., The Especially Merciful), such knowledge should urge him to seek His Mercy and work towards earning such a bestowal. Similarly, when one learns the Divine Name Al-Ghafoor (i.e., All-Forgiving), such knowledge should urge him to seek His forgiveness and work towards earning such a bestowal. In the same vein, when one learns the Divine Name Al-Samee‘ (i.e., All-Hearing), such knowledge should urge him to be mindful of what may incur His wrath. Also, when a servant of Allah learns the Divine Name ‘Al-Baseer (i.e., All-Seeing)’, such knowledge should urge him to avoid whatever displeases Him.
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2737
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) got some land in Khaybar and he went to the Prophet ﷺ to consult him about it saying, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, I got some land in Khaybar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you wish, you can give the land as endowment and give its fruits in charity." Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) endowed it on the condition that it would not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but its yield would be given in charity to the poor people, to his relatives, to fund the emancipation of slaves, to be spent in Allah's Cause, to (be given to) the wayfarers and guests; and that there would be no harm if the guardian (i.e., administrator) of the endowment ate from it according to his need with good intention, and fed others as well, without storing it for the future (i.e., as personal fortune).”.

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to spend in charity and generously make charitable contributions to help others, and they consulted the Prophet ﷺ in this regard.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that his father, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained land in Khaybar, a village 95 miles (153 km) from Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam. Khaybar was inhabited by Jews, and after the Prophet ﷺ conquered it in 7 A.H., he ﷺ divided some parts of the land among Muslims and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained some of it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ to consult him about what he (may Allah be pleased with him) should do with his land. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet ﷺ, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, I got some land in Khaybar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) liked this land very much because it was the best land he had ever owned. The Prophet ﷺ advised him to donate it as an endowment and give its fruits in charity. Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) endowed it on the condition that it must not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but that its yield should be given in charity for the following beneficiaries: the poor people, his relatives, the slaves who seek Mukaatabah (i.e., a contract of manumission between a master and a slave whereby the slave is required to pay a certain sum of money during a specific time period in exchange for freedom), i.e., giving them the needed money to buy their freedom, and to be spent in Allah's Cause, meaning for the pilgrims and those who partake in Jihaad who have no wealth to complete their pursuits (i.e., perform Hajj or partake in Jihaad), giving them the needed money to complete their pursuits and return home. Other specified beneficiaries included: the wayfarers, i.e., travelers who have no money to return to their lands, and guests. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also stipulated that there would be no harm if the administrator of the endowment should reasonably avail himself of the revenue generated by the endowed property, according to his need with good intention, and he may also benefit others without storing it for the future (i.e., as a personal fortune).
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is allowable to donate property as an endowment.
It is also deuced that Muslims are urged to uphold ties of kinship and are allowed to specify them as beneficiaries of the endowment.
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2738
 ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) written and kept ready with him."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, legislated the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) out of His kindness and mercy for His servants, allowing them to allocate a share of their wealth as a bequest to be offered in charity benefiting others and generating rewards for him or her.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ urged Muslims to hasten to write a Wasiyyah before death should befall them abruptly. He ﷺ clarified that it is becoming of any Muslim, man or woman, who has wealth to write his Wasiyyah to clarify with regard to his dependents, the due financial rights he owes to others, and those owed by others to him, including: (unpaid) debts, expiation, and Zakaah that he had neglected. The Hadeeth underlines that it is unbecoming of a Muslim to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah written and kept ready with him. In execution of such a Wasiyyah, the unpaid debts specified therein must be deducted from the estate (before the division of inheritance among the eligible heirs), and any bequest made to be spent in charity should be within one-third of the estate only.
The fact that the Prophet ﷺ specifically stated that this was unbecoming of a ‘Muslim’ aims to urge all Muslims to hasten to comply, since the apparent indication of the hadeeth’s wording is that whoever fails to do so would not be qualified to be a (true) Muslim. It is also possible that it means that this is the most likely case.
Al-Daaramee and Al-Daaraqutnee narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “People used to write their Wasiyyah as follows:
This is what so-and-so, the son of so-and-so (i.e., the deceased’s name) had willed. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and He has no partner, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger; that the Last Hour shall undoubtedly come, and that Allah, Exalted is He, shall resurrect the dead from their graves. I also urge my family and dependents to be mindful of Allah, Exalted is He, reconcile their disputes, and obey Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ, if they are true believers. I also advise them with what Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ya‘qoob (Jacob) advised their children as narrated in the ayah reading (what means): {And Ibraaheem (Abraham) instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Ya‘qoob (Jacob), [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."} [Quran 2:132]. I hereby will that such-and-such should be done after my death…”
The hadeeth urges Muslims to write their Wasiyyah.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that important matters should be documented and written, since it is better and more prudent than relying on memory.
It also urges Muslims to prepare themselves for death, and get ready before it abruptly befalls them, and then it would be too late; a person does not know when death shall befall him or her.
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2740
Talhah ibn Musaarrif said: I asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him), "Did the Prophet ﷺwrite a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the writing of a Wasiyyah has been enjoined on people?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet’s Wassiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran).”
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Commentary :
This hadeeth refutes the false claims of the Shiites that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him)as his successor. In this hadeeth, Talhah ibn Musaarrif stated that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) as to whether or not the Prophet ﷺwrote a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) regarding the division of his wealth or nominating his successor, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the negative, because the Prophet ﷺdid not leave behind considerable wealth entailing writing a Wasiyyah, and also because he ﷺ stated in another hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Al-Buhkaaree and Saheeh Muslim, that whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave after his death should be given in charity. Thereupon, Talhah ibn Musaarrif inquired about the reason that the Prophet ﷺ did not write a Wasiyyah, despite the fact that Muslims are enjoined to do so; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a Wasiyyah for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.} [Quran 2:180].
‘Abdullah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “The Prophet’s Wasiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran),” meaning that his Wasiyyah for the Muslims was to adhere to the Quran and act upon it, because the Quran is the most important and fundamental asset for Muslims, and it was revealed as clarification for all things, such things being clarified either by explicit statement or through inference. Were Muslims to adhere to the Quran, this would entail compliance with the Prophet’s commands, for Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from.} [Quran 59:7].
Numerous and varied texts and narrations have been reported stating the Prophet’s commandments; some were regarding his household, the rights of the Ansaar and emigrants in particular, and others were regarding all Muslims, like this hadeeth.
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2741
Al-Aswad narrated:
In the presence of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), some people mentioned that the Prophet ﷺhad appointed ‘Alee (as his successor) in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "When did he appoint him in his Wasiyyah? Verily, when he ﷺ died, he was resting against my chest (or said: in my lap) and he ﷺ only asked for a wash-basin and then collapsed while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he ﷺ had died, so when did he ﷺ appoint him in his Wasiyyah?”
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Commentary :
The Shiites were known for fabricating hadeeths and inauthentic reports that support their false claims, and an example of this was fabricating hadeeths suggesting that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Aboo Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor in his Wasiyyah. A group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and some scholars from the following generations as well refuted such claims.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Al-Aswad ibn Yazeed narrated that it was brought to the attention of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people mentioned that the Prophet ﷺhad appointed ‘Alee (as his successor) in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament). The Arabic term Wasiyyah denotes connecting the testator’s earthly life with the afterlife (i.e., by willing what should be done after his death). She (may Allah be pleased with her) exclaimed, "When did he appoint him in his Wasiyyah?” She (may Allah be pleased with her) was shocked at their claim that he ﷺ willed that ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) should be his successor or anything else regarding his private affairs or the public affairs of Muslims. She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “Verily, when he ﷺ died, he was resting against my chest (or she said: ‘in my lap’) and he ﷺ only asked for a wash-basin and then collapsed while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he ﷺ had died.” This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was with him in his last moments and he ﷺ did not will that anything in particular should be done after his death at his deathbed.
It is noteworthy that she (may Allah be pleased with her) did not mean that he ﷺ generally did not will that anything in particular should be done after his death. Rather, it was authentically reported that he ﷺ willed that the polytheists should be expelled from the Arabian Peninsula, that the delegations and deputations should be (respected and) rewarded (as he ﷺ used to do), and that the Muslim army under the leadership of Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) should be dispatched. Rather, she (may Allah be pleased with her) merely denied that he ﷺ willed (during his fatal illness) that ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) should be his successor. Her testimony in this regard is valid because she (may Allah be pleased with her) was with the Prophet ﷺ during his final days, did not leave his sight, and was present during that specified time. Moreover, were the Prophet ﷺ to nominate a successor after his death, such serious news would have been widely circulated, and such a Wasiyyah would have been proclaimed by people. The fact that it was not proclaimed and circulated proves that he ﷺ did not actually appoint ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor as claimed.
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2742
Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet ﷺcame visiting me while I was (sick) in Makkah, (‘Aamir, the sub-narrator said, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked to die in his homeland, since he had already migrated). He (i.e., the Prophet) said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on Ibn ‘Afraa’ (i.e., Sa‘d ibn Khawlah)’ I said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! May I will all my property to be given in charity?" He ﷺ said, "No." I said, "Then, may I will half of it?" He ﷺ said, "No". I said, "One third?" He ﷺ said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much. It is better for you to leave your inheritors wealthy than to leave them poor begging others, and whatever you spend for Allah's sake will be considered a charitable deed even the handful of food you put in your wife's mouth. May Allah bless your lifespan so that some people may benefit from you, and some others may be harmed by you." At that time, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had only one daughter.
.

Commentary :
Islam delineated the provisions of the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) and bequests and clarified what is permissible and impermissible in this regard.
In this hadeeth, Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺvisited him when he was (sick) in Makkah in 10 A.H., during the Farewell Hajj, according to the version of the hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked to die in Makkah, his homeland, since he had already migrated from it. This was explicitly stated in the version recorded in Saheeh Muslim reading: “I am afraid I may die in the land from where I migrated (as Sa‘d ibn Khawlah had died).” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on Ibn ‘Afraa’ (i.e., Sa‘d ibn Khawlah),”  who had died in Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ disliked that any of the emigrants should return to Makkah or reside therein any longer after performing Hajj or ‘Umrah.
Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Allah's Messengerﷺ, “May I will all my property to be given in charity?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to bequest all his wealth to be given in charity after his death, but the Prophet ﷺ forbade him from doing so. He (may Allah be pleased with him) further asked whether it was allowable for him to bequest half of his wealth to be given in charity, but the Prophet ﷺ also forbade him from doing so. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked whether he might bequest one-third of his wealth, and the Prophet ﷺ said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much.” The Prophet ﷺ was urging Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to bequest less than the third of his wealth to be given in charity after his death, and then clarified for him that it was better to leave his inheritors rich, by leaving them wealth to inherit, rather than leaving them poor, begging others for money. He ﷺ also informed Sa‘d that were he to survive his illness, what he (may Allah be pleased with him)has spent for the Sake of Allah (i.e., his bequest) would count as an act of charity; he (may Allah be pleased with him) would earn the designated reward whether he lived or died. He ﷺ then explained that a person earns a reward for even the handful of food he puts in his wife's mouth. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to highlight the diversity and numerosity of the acts of charity for which the giver earns rewards, because one’s wife is his closest companion and the lawful outlet for his sexual and emotional desires.
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, in his favor, saying: “May Allah bless your lifespan so that some people may benefit from you,” meaning benefit from the spoils of war that Muslims would gain thanks to his effort in Jihaad and conquering non-Muslim lands, “and some others may be harmed by you,” meaning the disbelievers who shall be killed at his hand on the battlefield.
The narrator underlined that during that time, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had only one daughter. This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was his only child or female member of his family entitled to inherit him, for Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had paternal relatives who were entitled to inherit him, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) belonged to Banee Zahrah that was a large clan. It was also said that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was the only heir who was entitled to a fixed share of his estate as per the laws of Islam, or that he named her in particular because she was the only heir from his dependents for whom he would have feared loss and poverty. It may also mean that he thought that she would inherit his whole estate, or believed that half of his wealth was too much for her alone.
The reference in the hadeeth to Ibn ‘Afraa’(may Allah be pleased with him)was a mistake by one of the narrators and should have been ‘Ibn Khawlah’ instead. It was also said that Ibn ‘Afraa’ was a nickname or another name for his mother.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the heirs are more entitled and deserving of the deceased’s wealth than all other people.
It is also inferred that spending on one’s family counts as a good deed.
It is also deduced therefrom that when permissible acts are performed merely for the Sake of Allah, Exalted is He, they count as rewardable acts of worship.
The hadeeth also highlights a sign of his prophethood; he ﷺ foretold what happened to Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him). According to the Prophet’s prophecy, he (may Allah be pleased with him) lived for years after the Farewell Hajj, some people benefited from him, and others were harmed by him.
The hadeeth also urges checking upon the sick people.
It also underlines the Companions’ keenness to perform good deeds.
It encourages Muslims to hasten to write their Wasiyyah upon noticing the signs of death, such as sickness and the like.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that one may only make a bequest of a third of one’s wealth or less.
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2747
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
The custom (in old days) was that the property of the deceased person would be inherited by his children; as for the parents (of the deceased), they would inherit according to the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), meaning by means of bequest. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated and cancelled from that custom whatever He wished and fixed for the male double the share inherited by the female, and for each parent a sixth (of the whole estate) and for the wife an eighth or a fourth and for the husband a half or a fourth.
.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He,clarified the Laws of Islam provisions pertaining to the division of inheritance, Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), and bequests in the Quran, and the Prophet ﷺ delineated them in the Sunnah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said thatthe custom (in earlier days), i.e., before the ayaat about the division of the inheritance were revealed, was that the property of a deceased person would be inherited by his children, and the parents (of the deceased) would inherit according to the Wasiyyah, meaning by means of bequest. The deceased would make a bequest in favor of one or both of the parents. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated and cancelled whatever He wished of such customary practices and approved what He willed for His servants, by revealing the ayaat about the division of the inheritance. For instance, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed (what means): {Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females.} [Quran 4:11]. According to these ayaat, Allah, Exalted is He, decreed that a male child inherits double the share of the female, and fixed for each parent a sixth (of the whole estate), as stated in the ayah that reads (what means): {And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children…} [Quran 4:11]. Allah, Exalted is He, also prescribed for the wife an eighth of the estate if the husband had children (with her or with another wife) or otherwise a fourth. Similarly, a husband is entitled to half of his wife’s estate if she had no children (with him or with another husband), or a fourth if she had children (with him or with another husband). Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave …} [Quran 4:12]..

2756
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the mother of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah (may Allah be pleased with them) died in his absence. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ, my mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqah (i.e., charity) on her behalf?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al-Mikhraaf in charity on her behalf."
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Commentary :
A manifestation of Allah’s divine mercy and grace bestowed upon His servants is that He decreed that there should be many ways to raise their levels in Paradise and have their sins forgiven, one of which is decreeing that giving charity on behalf of the deceased should generate reward for the deceased, and benefit him or her after death.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him)that the mother of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, ‘Amrah bint Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with them) died in his absence. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) came back, he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ of it and asked, “Will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqah (i.e., charity) on her behalf?” The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," meaning that the rewards for such charity would benefit her and be added to her record of good deeds. Upon learning that, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al-Mikhraaf in charity on her behalf." The name Al-Mikhraaf was either the name of the garden or a description of it, indicating fruitfulness and abundant produce. It means that he (may Allah be pleased with him) offered this garden in charity on behalf of his late mother so that she would earn the rewards, endowing it for the public benefit of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) did not specify certain beneficiaries for the endowment, and the Prophet ﷺ did not forbid such an act.
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2759
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
Some people claim that the order in that ayah was abrogated, and, by Allah, it is not abrogated, but people have stopped acting on it! There are two kinds of guardians (i.e., who are in charge of the division of the inheritance): one who inherits; such person should give (of what he inherits to the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.), the other is the one who does not inherit (e.g. the guardian of the orphans): such person should speak kindly and say (to those who are present at the time of division of the inheritance), "I cannot give it to you (as the wealth belongs to the orphans).
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Commentary :
The wisdom of Allah, Exalted is He, entailed that some ayaat of the Quran may be abrogated. In Islamic terminology, Naskh (i.e., abrogation) in the Quran means to cancel and abrogate some fixed Laws of Islam rulings in the Quran and replace them with new rulings and orders revealed in ayaat afterward. Scholars held different opinions regarding the abrogation of some ayaat based on their knowledge of the dates of revelation (of the abrogated and abrogating ayaat), and the understanding of each scholar (of the relevant ayaat) as well.
In this hadeeth, the well-ayahd scholar Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), who was known as “Turjumaan Al-Quraan” (i.e., the ayahd interpreter of the Quran), related that some people claim that the order in that ayah was abrogated, referring to the ayah that reads (what means): {And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8]. They claimed that this ayah was abrogated by the ayaat about the division of the inheritance, and accordingly none but the specified heirs are entitled to any share of the deceased’s estate, i.e., the heirs mentioned in the relevant ayaat. However, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) believed that the ayah was not abrogated, and that its indication does not contradict that of the ayaat about the division of the inheritance (that were revealed afterward). He (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that it was not abrogated, but people have stopped acting on it! He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that it means that if the one dividing the estate is an heir, he or she is enjoined to give (of what he or she inherits) to these beneficiaries (i.e., the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.) specified in the ayah. If he or she is not an heir, e.g., an orphan’s legal guardian, he or she is enjoined to refrain from giving them and should considerately apologize to those who are present at that time of the division, as enjoined by Allah, Exalted is He. He Says (what means): {…and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8].
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2766
It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Avoid the seven destructive sins." People enquired, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, what are they?" He ﷺ said, 1) To associate partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship, 2) to practice sorcery, 3) to kill a person whose life Allah has deemed inviolable except for a just cause (i.e., according to the Islamic Laws of Islam), 4) to consume Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury), 5) to devour an orphan's wealth, 6) to flee from the battlefield at the time of fighting, 7) and to slander chaste women, who are good believers and never even think of anything undermining their chastity.”.

Commentary :
These sins are described as ‘destructive’ because they incur the doer’s destruction with the consequences of their designated punishment in this worldly life, and being thrown into Hellfire and deserving its torment in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ warned Muslims against the seven destructive sins, and commanded them to avoid them. When people inquired about them, he ﷺ said, “1) To associate partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship,” and there are two categories of Shirk (i.e., associating partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship). First, associating partners with Him in worship, including: stones, trees, and the like (of false objects of worship). Second, minor Shirk (also known as hidden Shirk) means Riyaa’ (i.e., showing off and seeking to impress others to win their praise). Riyaa’ is an act of the heart and inward character trait that none knows except the One who knows the unseen.
The second destructive sin is to practice sorcery, and it may be divided into two categories: first, sorcery by means of written spells and charms such as incantations and talismans, by which the sorcerer uses the devils to harm the affected person, but Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.} [Quran 2:102]. Second, sorcery by means of medicine and drugs that affect the person’s body and mind, and influence his will and inclination, urging him to be inclined towards somethings and developing an aversion towards others.
The third destructive sin is killing a person whose life was deemed inviolable by Allah, Exalted is He, except for a just cause (i.e., according to the Islamic Laws of Islam), and this applies to those people whose lives are declared inviolable due to being Muslims or being granted protection (e.g. the non-Muslims living under the Muslim rule), or a covenant of safety or security. His saying, ‘except for a just cause,’ means as per the laws of Islam provisions, such as killing someone in implementation of Qisaas (i.e., retribution), Hadd (i.e., a corporal punishment prescribed by the Sharee`ah), or for apostasy.
The fourth destructive sin is the consumption of Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury), which means excess charged in the event of a barter of homogenous commodities without being matched by an increase of compensation in return. Ribaa involves committing an act of injustice against the other party, unlawfully devouring his wealth, and waging war against Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger, as stated in the Quran. The reference to ‘consumption’ (the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Akl, lit., eating)in this context is due to the fact that eating is one of the fundamental ways of availing oneself of one’s money.
The fifth destructive sin is devouring the orphan’s wealth, which means wasting his or her wealth. The Arabic verb used in the Hadeeth is Akala, lit. to eat, and the reference to eating here is because buying sustenance is the often purpose of spending one’s money.
The sixth destructive sin is fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting against the disbelievers or (Muslim) aggressors, except when such a combatant flees merely for the purpose of maneuvering for battle [as a strategy or a stratagem of war] to relaunch another attack or deceive the enemy; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {…unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company…} [Quran 8:16].
The seventh destructive sin is slandering chaste women, who are good believers and so innocent that they would never even think of anything undermining their chastity. Slander means accusing someone of Fornication.

Listing these seven destructive sins in this hadeeth does not mean that they are the only grave sins. Rather, other textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnahhave made mention of other grave sins including false speech, committing Fornication with a neighbor’s wife, undutifulness towards parents, false oaths, violating the sanctity of the House of Allah, Exalted is He, and other grave sins that were mentioned in the texts of the Sunnah.

The fact that the Prophet ﷺ stated that there are seven destructive sins does not essentially mean that there are no other destructive sins other than those mentioned in the hadeeth. He ﷺ may have listed those seven sins on that occasion, and received the divine revelation about other ones afterward, or it may be that these seven sins in particular were the most appropriate on that specific occasion.

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2767
Naafi‘ said:
"Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never refused to be appointed as a legal guardian." The most beloved thing to Ibn Sireen concerning an orphan's wealth was that the orphan's advisors and guardians would assemble to decide what is best for him. When Taawoos was asked about something concerning an orphan's affairs, he would recite the ayah that reads (what means): {And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender.} [Quran 2:220] ‘Attaa’ said concerning some orphans, "The guardian is to provide for the young and old orphans according to their needs from their shares.".

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned special care to the rights of orphans, given their weakness and helplessness. The Quran and Sunnah stipulated the preservation of these rights.
In this report, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Naafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated that ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never refused to be appointed as a legal guardian for orphans, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not refuse to assume guardianship of orphans whenever one appointed him to be their guardian in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), aspiring to the abundant reward for such an act. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I will be like this in Jannah with the person who takes care of an orphan.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.” [Al-Bukhaaree].
The most beloved thing to the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Ibn Sireen concerning an orphan's wealth was that the orphan's advisors and guardians would assemble to decide what is best for him.
Moreover, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Taawoos ibn Kaysaan used to remind the guardians of the gravity of dishonest disposal of the orphan’s wealth under their care; he would recite the ayah that reads (what means): {And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender.} [Quran 2:220]. In the same vein, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Attaa’ said that a guardian is required to provide for the orphan under his care, from his or her wealth, according to this orphan’s social (and financial) status. .

2768
Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah's Messenger ﷺcame to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ did not have any servant. Aboo Talhah (Anas' stepfather) (may Allah be pleased with him) took me to Allah's Messenger ﷺand said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Anas is a wise boy, so let him serve you." So, I served him at home and on journeys. If I did anything, he ﷺ never asked me why I did it, and if I refrained from doing anything, he ﷺ never asked me why I refrained from doing it.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ gave us the optimal example of good treatment of one’s freed slaves and servants.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ came to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ did not have any servant. Therefore, Aboo Talhah Al-Ansaaree (Anas' stepfather) (may Allah be pleased with him) took Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Anas is a wise boy,” meaning smart, “so let him serve you." The Prophet ﷺ accepted the generous offer and took Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) as his servant.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he served the Prophet ﷺ during residence and travel. If he (may Allah be pleased with him) did anything, the Prophet ﷺ never asked him why he did it, and if he refrained from doing anything, he ﷺ never asked him why he refrained from doing it. He ﷺ never rebuked him for anything he (may Allah be pleased with him) did or did not do. The version of the hadeeth recorded in Muslim reads: “He ﷺ never said 'Uff' (i.e., an expression of disapproval or irritation) to me.” This reflected the Prophet’s ﷺgood moral character, compassion, patience, and kindness towards his servants.

The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s ﷺgood moral character, compassion, and kindness towards his servant. He ﷺwas the epitome of compassion and mercy, edifying the whole world on these moral values.

It is deduced from the hadeeth that one should refrain from rebuking his servants regarding worldly affairs.
It is also inferred therefrom that a Muslim is urged to treat those who are inferior to him with consideration and kindness.
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2778
Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan narrated that when ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was circled (by the rebels), he (may Allah be pleased with him) looked upon them from above and said, "I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure nobody but the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ; do not you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Rumah will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it? Do not you know that he ﷺ said. 'Whoever equip the army of ‘Usrah (i.e., the Battle of Tabook) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it?" They attested whatever he (may Allah be pleased with him) said. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) founded his endowment he said, "Its administrator can eat from it." The management of the endowment can be taken over by the founder himself or any other person, for both cases are permissible..

Commentary :
When some Muslims rebelled against the Caliph ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him), they laid siege to his house in Al-Madeenah for a long period of time. He (may Allah be pleased with him) looked from the top of his house and reminded them of his merits and virtues that were particular to him, and of his giving and contributions in support of Islam and for the benefit of Muslims, aspiring only to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He. He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were present at that time to attest to his words, saying: “I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure nobody but the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ; do you not know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Rumah will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) bought this well and donated it as an endowment for the benefit of Muslims when the emigrants settled in Al-Madeenah and Muslims needed more water, and its previous owner used to sell them its water. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Do you not know that he ﷺ said. 'Whoever equips the army of ‘Usrah (i.e., the Battle of Tabook) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded them that he (may Allah be pleased with him)had funded the Muslim army that marched to fight the Romans during the Battle of Tabook in 9 A.H. It was known as the army of ‘Usrah, meaning ‘hardship’. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) attested whatever he (may Allah be pleased with him) said. Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were present then were ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, Talhah, Al-Zubayr, and Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with them).
It should be noted that his statements aimed to refute the rebels’ false accusations against him regarding the neglect of his duties as a Caliph and nepotism towards his relatives (i.e., appointing his relatives and people from his clan in positions of power).

.

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..