Narrated Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him):Allah's Messengerﷺsaid (to me), "If the property of Bahrain had come to us, I would have given you so much and so much." But the Bahrain property did not come till the Prophetﷺhad died. When the Bahrain property came. Aboo Bakr(may Allah be pleased with him)ordered somebody to announce, "Any person who has money claim on Allah's Messengerﷺor whom Allah's Messengerﷺhad promised something, should come to us." So, I went to him and said, "Allah's Messengerﷺhad promised to give me so much and so much." Aboo Bakr scooped up money with both hands thrice for me." (The sub-narrator Sufyaan illustrated this action by scooping up with both hands and said, "Ibn al-Munkadir, another sub-narrator, used to illustrate it in this way.") Narrated Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): Once I went to Aboo Bakr and asked for the money but he did not give me, and I went to him again, but he did not give me, so I went to him for the third time and said, "I asked you, but you did not give me; then I asked you (for the second time) and you did not give me; then I asked you (for the third time) but you did not give me. You should either give me or allow yourself to be considered a miser regarding my case." Aboo Bakr said, "You tell me that I am a miser with regard to you. But really, whenever I rejected your request, I had the inclination to give you." (In another narration Jaabir added:) So, Aboo Bakr scooped up money with both hands for me and asked me to count it. I found out that it was five hundred. Aboo Bakr told me to take twice that amount. In another narration, it reads: “He said: No sickness is more harmful than miserliness.”
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ liked to always keep his promises, which is from the manners of the believers.He ﷺwould often promise his Companions - especially those with needs and debts - to give them from the wealth that came from the booty which he receivedfrom the cities that entered Islam.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ had promised him that if the wealth of Jizyah came to him from Bahrain, he would give him “such-and-such, such-and-such, and such-and-such [an amount];” showing two handfuls three times. Bahrain, at that time,referred to what is known today as Bahrain, as well as Al-Ahsaa and Al-Qateef(which are located in eastern Saudi Arabia).Other accounts have shown, according to al-Bukhaaree and others, that the Prophet ﷺ sent al-‘Alaa ibn al-Hadramee to al-Munthir ibn Saawa, the governor of the Persians in Bahrain, calling him to Islam, so he became Muslim.The Magi of those territories made a peace pact with the Muslims on the condition of paying the Jizyah.When the Prophet ﷺ promised Jaabir to give him a share from the Jizyah of Bahrain, the wealth did not reach al-Madeenah until after the Prophet ﷺ and his soul was taken away.Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took over the Caliphate after him ﷺ andthen,when the money of Jizyah arrived from Bahrain, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered a man to proclaim - it was stated that that proclaimer was Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) - who called out loudly, “Whoever has given a loan to the Messenger of Allahﷺ or there is a promise of money from him, then let him come to us so that we can fulfil his rights.” Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did this based on his knowledge of what the Prophetﷺ would do in terms of promises and taking loans to fulfil the needs of the people until the wealth of Jizyah or booty came to him.
So, Jaabir came to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) and told him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad told him: “So-and-so,” and this is a metaphor for what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had promised him. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) scooped for him three times.It was said that it was like a handful and that it was what fills both palms. The narrator of this hadeeth, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, demonstrated it when he explained what it meant, and he scooped using both palms.
In a different narration, it mentions that he came to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to give him three times, and each time he did not give him. Thereupon, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Either you will give me, or you will be stingy to me.” Miserliness is that a person withholds what is obligatory upon him and does not pay it. Hence, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)remarked to him disapprovingly, “Did you really say, ‘or be stingy to me?!’” I have not held back from giving you at any time, but I really intended to give you.”Aboo Bakr only delayed in giving either due to being busy with something more important than that, or from the fear that it could lead to many others starting to demand for similar things.Aboo Bakr filled his both palms with money and asked him to count it.He counted it and found it to be equivalent to five hundred in number, so Aboo Bakr told him, “Take a similar amount twice again,” just as what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ promised him.
In one narration, it is mentioned that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)asked him, “And which disease is more severe than miserliness?!” That is, which defect is worse than a person being described as miserly?
This hadeeth demonstrates the goodness of Aboo Bakr as a successor to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his effortstoward the establishment of his Sunnah ﷺ and his implementation of his promises ﷺ.
It shows that the ruler has the right to allocate a portion of the booty orFay’ to his deputies and the deputies of the Muslims, and it highlights the importance of paying off the debts of the deceased after his death..

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Narrated Jubayr ibn Mut`im(may Allah be pleased with him)The Prophetﷺtalked about war prisoners of Badr saying, "Had Al-Mut`im ibn ‘Adi been alive and interceded with me for these mean people, I would have freed them for his sake."
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Commentary : One who fails to thank people, then he has not been thankful to Allah.The Prophetﷺ was the keenest on preserving the rights of people, and he treated them with kindness, and interacted and addressed the people according to their status and appropriate positions, giving them the due value and respect which they deserved.

Al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adiyy was the one who endeavoured to overturn the scroll that Quraysh had suspended on the Ka’bah, which entailed boycotting Banee Haashim and Banee al-Muttalib.Hence, the Prophet ﷺ noted this noble deed of his.

In this hadeeth, Jubayribn Mut’im reports that the Prophet ﷺ said after the Battle of Badr that took place in the second year of the Hijrah, that if al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adiyy was alive and appealed tohim to forgive those dirtypolytheist prisoners, he would have approved his request and would have set them free without ransom. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to express his gratitude to him not only due to his noble endeavours to end the boycott of Banee Haashim that Quraysh had previously initiated,as written on their scroll that was hung on the Ka’bah.It was also becausewhen he ﷺ returned from Taaif to Makkah, he returned under his protection. However, the death of al-Mut’im happened in the month of Safar during the second year of the Hijrah, about seven months before the Battle of Badr.
It is possible that by this statement, the Prophet ﷺ wanted to comfort the heart of his son Jubayribn Mut’im and incline his heart further towards Islam. The statement of the Prophet ﷺcontains anindication of the lofty status of the Prophet ﷺ and belittlement of the condition of those disbelievers, as his words showed that he did not care about them such that he would not mind entrusting their affairs to a polytheist who had some status in his eyes.
The reasons the Prophet ﷺcalled the disbelieving prisoners‘ dirty and stinkingindividuals’ is either due to their ritual impurity due to their disbelief or because those to whom he referred were those whose bodies had turned to stinking corpses thrown into the well of Badr. However, if al-Mut’im interceded with the Prophet ﷺto hand their bodies over, then the Prophet ﷺ would have turned their bodies over to him.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to show compassion to prisoners and effectuate their release without ransom, and that it is allowed to accept the intercession of a noble person on behalf of sinners in order to attract his heart to Islam.
Itshows that one should give the best rewardto someone who did a favour or a kind act for him. .

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Narrated Jubayr ibn Mut`im:I and `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan went to Allah's Messengerﷺand said, "O Allah's Messenger! You have given to Banee Al-Muttalib and left us although they and we are of the same kinship to you." Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "Baneeal-Muttalib and Banee Haashim are one and the same." The Prophetﷺdid not give a share to Banee `Abd Shams and Banee Nawfal.
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Commentary : Allah bestowed His grace on the Muslims by helping them conquer the fort of Khaybar in the seventh year of the Hijrah.The Messenger ﷺ acquired therefrom many spoils, and he gave Banee Haashim and Banee ‘Abdul Muttalib of the fifth share which he ﷺ took of the spoils, while he did not give anything to Banee ‘Abd Shams and Banee Nawfal.
Jubayribn Mut’im – who happened to be from Banee Nawfal – reports that he and ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan – who was from Banee ‘Abd Shams - went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺand said, “O Messenger of Allah!You gave Banee ‘Abdul Muttalib from the spoils, and you did not give us anything although they and we have the same status with you,i.e. we are all brothers as we are all the sons of ‘Abd Manaaf.
This is because ‘Abd Shams, Haashim, and al-Muttalib were allmaternal half-brothers whose mother was ‘Aatikah bint Murrah. As for Nawfal, he was their paternal half-brother whose mother was Waaqidah bint ‘Amr al-Maaziniyyah.These four became the masters and leaders of their people after the demise of their father, and so they took the mantle of leadership. Haashim took the responsibility of supplying water to the pilgrims and feeding the needy pilgrims after his father’s demise. It is to him and to his brother al-Muttalib the attribution of the lineage of the close relatives is referred to, and they were one and the same. This is why the Prophet ﷺ stated, “Banoo al-Muttalib and Banoo Haashim are one and the same.” In other words, the same ruling applies to the two of them in terms of the rights that they deserve because there was an oath of alliance between them in the pre-Islamic era.For this reason, when Quraysh besieged Banoo Haashim in the valley and prevented the people from marrying them and trading with them, in that instance, Banoo al-Muttalib tethered alongside Banoo Haashim in the valley, as a protest on behalf of the Messenger of Allahﷺ and for his protection.As a result,the Muslims among the tribe entered the valley as a form of obedience to Allah and His Messengerﷺ, while the disbelievers among them entered the valley as a form of loyalty for the clan, self-esteem and obediencefor Aboo Taalib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.On the other hand, Banoo Nawfal and Banoo ‘Abd Shams did not enter the valley, though they were first cousins. They even fought against them, resisted them, and turned the clans of Quraysh to fight the Messenger ﷺand the Muslims who were with him.
This hadeeth shows that the fifth of the spoils was reserved for the Prophet ﷺ to dispose of it as he wanted, and to give it to his relatives, and withhold from whomever he wanted.
It also shows that one should take care of family members when giving, and shows that close kin should have a sharefrom gifts, because ‘Uthmaan and Jubayr only asked for the gift due to their kinship..

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Narrated Saalih ibn Ibraaheem ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf from his father from his grandfather:While I was standing in the row on the Day (of the Battle) of Badr, I looked to my right and my left and found that two young boys from the Ansaar are on my both sides. At that moment, I wished that I stood between two strong and fierce men instead. One of them called my attention saying, "O Uncle! Do you know Aboo Jahl?" I said, " O my nephew! Yes,what do you want from him?" He said, "I have been informed that he abuses Allah's Messengerﷺ. By Him in Whose Hands my life is, if I should see him, then my body will not leave his body till either of us meet his fate." I was astonished at that talk. Then the other boy called my attention saying the same as the other had said. After a while I saw Aboo Jahl walking amongst the people. I said (to the boys), "Look! This is the man you asked me about." So, both of them attacked him with their swords and struck him to death and returned to Allah's Messenger to inform him of that. Allah's Messengerﷺasked, "Which of you has killed him?" Each of them said, "I Have killed him." Allah's Messengerﷺasked, "Have you cleaned your swords?" They said, "No. " He then looked at their swords and said, "No doubt, you both have killed him, and the spoils of the deceased will be given to Mu’aath ibn `Amr ibn al-Jamooh." The two boys were Mu’aath ibn 'Afra and Mu’aath ibn `Amr ibn al-Jamooh.
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Commentary : The children of the Emigrants and the Ansaar grew upon on the pristine nature of Islam.The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) brought them up righteously as they are the best of the people after the prophets and witnessed the Prophet ﷺ walking amidst them.These children grew up loving him, and they learnt to sacrifice themselves for him since their childhood. This hadeeth presents to us one of the aspects that manifested their unconditional love for the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf(may Allah be pleased with him)reports that he was lining up with the other Muslim fighters for the Battle of Badr that happened between the Muslims and the polytheists of Makkah during the second year of the Hijrah.He looked to his right and left, and he found two young boys of a young age from the Ansaar.He wished that he was standing between two strong and fierce men, instead, because an older person would more entrenched in war and more rightful to be beside him than these young fighters.One of these two boys was Mu’aathibn ‘Amr ibn al-Jamooh(may Allah be pleased with him), and the other boy was Mu’aathibn ‘Afraa (may Allah be pleased with him).One of them gestured,such that he looked with his eye towards him or touched him with his hand and asked him, “Uncle, do you know Aboo Jahl?”‘Abd al-Rahmaan answered him, “Of course, and why are you asking about him, o nephew!”The boy replied, “I heard that he abuses the Messenger of Allahﷺ,” and then he swore that if he saw him, he would not let him go, until the one closer to the death between died. ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf was astonished by the statement of this boy, as it was indicative of his perfect chivalry.Then, the second one gestured to him and made exactly the same statement as the first one.It wasn’t long until ‘Abd al-Rahmaan spotted Aboo Jahl, who happened to be roaming amongst the people, moving around and not remaining still at one place.He showed them where their target was and informed them that this particular man was Aboo Jahl, concerning whom they had asked him earlier.Both of them hastened towards him with their swords, meaning they sprinted with their swords to hit him until they killed him.Then they returned to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of their killing of Aboo Jahl.The Prophetﷺ asked them, “Who amongst you killed him?”Both answered, “I killed him.”The Prophet ﷺ inquired, “Have you both cleaned your swords?”Meaning, from the blood that is on it.They both answered, “No.” The Prophet ﷺ looked at their swords to see the extent of their penetration into the body of the killed (by looking at the blood stains on them), to judge who was more effective in extracting his soul, and to decide on giving the killed person’s booty to the one who was more effective in killing him.If they had rubbed their swords clean, then the indication of this reality would not be clear.Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ informed them that each one of them participated with his brother in killing him. Heﷺ gave his acquired booty and armaments to Mu’aathibn ‘Amr ibn al-Jamooh, as he learned that it was his sword that was instrumental in killing him.The reason he said to them, “Both of you killed him,” was to grant comfort to the heart of the other in the sense that he participated in killing him and in acquiring the great rewards that are based on this noble act, though there is a difference between them both in precedence and causation. It is reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood that he found Aboo Jahal still had his last trace of life, thus, he gave him the last stroke and removed his head from his body [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
This hadeeth shows that the armament of the killed disbeliever in war is not always subject to the one fifth portion (khums), and it can be given to his killer instead.
It confirms the legality of the establishment of financial rights through circumstantial evidence because the Prophet ﷺproved who killed Aboo Jahl by examining the blood on the sword, and judged for him to receive his armaments.
It shows that one should be angry and hasten to fight for the sake of Allah and His Messengerﷺ.
The hadeeth shows that a person should conceal his intention to do good from others, lest they supersede him, and that it is important to avoid belittling anyone, as sometimes one who is belittled with regard to carrying out a task could be greater than what he is perceived as in the hearts, and be more rightful to carry out that task.
Lastly, it shows that it is important for the ruler and the judge to study circumstantial evidence in order to give preference to the statement of one claimants over the statement of another..

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Narrated Aboo Qaatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): We set out in the company of Allah's Messengerﷺon the day (of the battle) of Hunayn. When we faced the enemy, the Muslims retreated, and I saw a pagan throwing himself over a Muslim. I turned around and came upon him from behind and hit him on the shoulder with the sword. He (i.e. the pagan) came towards me and seized me so violently that I felt as if it were death itself, but death overtook him, and he released me. I followed `Umar ibn Al Khattab and asked him, "What is wrong with the people (fleeing)?" He replied, "This is the Will of Allah," After the people returned, the Prophetﷺsat and said, "Anyone who has killed an enemy and has a proof of that, will possess his spoils." I got up and said, "Who will be a witness for me?" and then sat down. The Prophetﷺagain said, "Anyone who has killed an enemy and has proof of that, will possess his spoils." I (again) got up and said, "Who will be a witness for me?" and sat down. Then the Prophetﷺsaid the same for the third time. I again got up, and Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "O Aboo Qataadah! What is your story?" Then I narrated the whole story to him. A man (got up and) said, "O Allah's Messenger! He is speaking the truth, and the spoils of the killed man are with me. So please compensate him on my behalf." On that Aboo Bakr As-Siddeeq(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "No, by Allah, he ﷺwill not agree to give you the spoils gained by one of Allah's Lions who fights on the behalf of Allah and His Messenger." The Prophetﷺsaid, "Aboo Bakr has spoken the truth." So, Allah's Messengerﷺgave the spoils to me. I sold that armour (i.e. the spoils) and with its price I bought a garden at Banee Salimah, and this was my first property which I gained after my conversion to Islam..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ explained the rulings on jihad, spoils, and additionally rewarded booty; he also made it clear what every fighter deserves, and when a Muslim deserves receiving the belongings of a slain polytheist.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he came out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the year when the Battle of Hunayn took place.Hunayn is a valley, the distance between which and Makkah is three miles.The battle took place in the eighth year of the Hijrahandwas between the Muslims and the people of Taaif, namely the tribes of Hawaazin and Thaqeef.When the Muslims met with the enemy, the Muslims resorted to some sort of manoeuvre, meaning that it entailed moving back and forth and some sort of disarray.He used this word to describe the scenario to avoid using a negative word denoting defeat.This military manoeuvre happened in some sections of the army,but not involving the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and those around him.Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man of the idolators who had gone on top of a man from the Muslims, meaning he had overpowered him and was ready to kill him, or had toppled him and was sitting on him to kill him. He(may Allah be pleased with him) turned to him from behind until he struck him with a sword on the vein of his neck; the Arabic word Habl al-‘Aatik signifies a nerve, or a muscle string located at a place where the robe fits on the neck, or the place between the shoulder blade and neck where one’s robe sits, or between the neck and the shoulder.However,this polytheist was so strong that he stood up after the strike, turned to Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) and hugged him until Aboo Qataadah(may Allah be pleased with him) found the severity like the severity of death, but soon death overtook this polytheist, so he let Aboo Qataadah go.Thereafter, Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to join ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, and asked him, “What is the matter with the people who seemed defeated? And why are they fleeing?” So, ‘Umar told him that the command of Allah is overpowering. That means, whoever trusts in Him and does not admire himself [in terms of his strength and number], the He will help him, and not as what the Muslims did at the beginning, when they were impressed by their multitude, it did not avail them anything, and they were defeated in the early moments of the battle; however, the praiseworthy outcome is for the righteous who place the commands of Allah before their eyes and entrust their affairs to Allah.
Then the Muslims returned to the battle after retreating.That occurred after the Prophet ﷺ called out to them, “I am the Prophet, not a liar. I am the son of [the brave] ‘Abdul Muttalib.”He ordered his uncle al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) to call out to the people to return, as the narrations of Bukhaaree and Muslim explain.Allah, the Glorified, has mentioned what happened then in His Mighty Book; He Almighty states:{Indeed, Allah has given you [believers] victory on many battlefields, even at the Battle of Ḥunain when you took pride in your great numbers, but they proved of no advantage to you. The earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on you, then you turned back in retreat.Then Allah sent down His reassurance upon His Messenger and the believers, and sent down forces you could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such was the reward of the disbelievers.}(Quran 9:25-26).
After the end of the battle, the Muslims took the spoils of Hawaazin and Thaqeef, and the Prophet ﷺ sat and said, “Whoever killed a person, he must provide a proof,”i.e. he must have a sign or witnesses, “then he will receive the killed person’s armaments,” that is the arms and other personal belongings the killed person was carrying at that time.
Aboo Qataadah(may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I got up and said,‘Who will testify in my favour that this man was killed by me?’” Then he sat down.Thereafter, he repeated this statement twice - as if he was talking to himself - and in the last instance, the Messenger of Allah asked him, “What is wrong with you, Aboo Qataadah?” So he began narrating to him what had happened.A man exclaimed, “He has spoken the truth, O Messenger of Allah, his booty is with me, accept to give it to me instead.” He meant that he wanted to keep the booty and he was asking the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to give Aboo Qataadah something instead of it. Thereupon, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied to him immediately, “No way, by Allah!” I.e. it is not yours, by Allah, “then he ﷺ shall not turn to a lion among the lions of Allah [to take away his right],” meaning Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him).The comprehensive meaning of this is that if Aboo Qataadah s truthful about the fact that he is the owner of the booty, then it is plausible that the Prophet ﷺ shall not turn to a person who in his bravery is like a lion, who fights in defence of Allah and His Messenger, thereafter, taking away his right from him and handing it over to you without the approval of the former.It is important to satisfy the heart of the fighter who killed a polytheist first.However, if agrees to leave his acquired arms to the other person, he is free to do so, otherwise, his right shall be returned to him in terms of the acquired armaments.The Prophet ﷺ said, “He is right,” meaning, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).Thus, the Prophet ﷺ gave Aboo Qataadah the killed soldier’s armaments after becoming aware of the proof that he was the one who killed the enemy fighter.
Thereafter, Aboo Qataadah narrated that he sold his spoils and bought an orchard in Banee Salamah instead. Banee Salamah is a clan of the Ansaar, and thereafter, Aboo Qataadah stated that this orchard was the first wealth that he acquired or bought in Islam.
From the benefits of this hadeeth is that it expounds the virtue of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) where he issued a fatwa in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, and the Prophet ﷺ approved his ruling and was satisfied with it.
The hadeeth highlights the merit of Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him), whom Aboo Bakr(may Allah be pleased with him) called a lion from the lions of Allah, who fights for Allah and His Messenger, which the Prophet ﷺ affirmed.
This hadeeth shows that the killer is more deserving of the special booty of the one whom he killed, that the special booty will not be divided into the one-fifth share (al-Khums), and that it is given to the fighter who killed the enemy fighter before the booty is divided..

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Narrated Naafi’:`Umar ibn Al-Khattab said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I vowed to observe I`tikaaf for one day before Islam." The Prophetﷺordered him to fulfil his vow.
Naafi’ added: `Umar gained two female captives from the war prisoners of Hunayn and he left them in some of the houses at Makkah. When Allah's Messengerﷺfreed the captives of Hunayn without ransom, they came out walking in the streets. `Umar said (to his son), "O `Abdullah! See what the matter is." `Abdullah replied, "Allah's Messengerﷺhas freed the captives without ransom." He said (to him), "Go and set free those two slave girls."
Naafi` added: Allah's Messenger did not perform the `Umrah from Al-Ji’raanah, and if he had performed the `Umrah, it would not have been hidden from `Abdullah.
In one version of the hadeeth, regarding the vow, it does not say “ a day”.
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Commentary : There are three versions of this hadeeth, all of which represent the complete compliance of the Companions(may Allah be pleased with them) to the orders of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and how they never tookaction until they hadclarified the truth as stated by Allah and His Messengerﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Naafi’, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),reports that after Allah granted the Muslims the conquest of Makkah, and it became part of the lands of Islam, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him) remembered a matter which he had vowed in the time of ignorance, before Islam.He asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about it, recalling that he had vowed to perform i'tikaaf (seclusion) for a day in the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haraam).In the narration of Muslim, it appears that his question occurred at al-Ji’raanah after his return from Taa'if.The Prophet ﷺ ordered him to fulfil his vow by performing i'tikaaf in the Sacred Mosque.
Part of the share of the booty of ‘Umar was receiving two slave girls among the captives of Hunayn. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ showed compassion on the captives of Hunayn and set them free without any ransom. That is when the Prophet ﷺ married the mother of believers Juwairiyyah bint al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with her) and made her release her dowry. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ exclaimed, “[These captives] are now the relatives-in-law of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,” as recorded in the hadeeth in Sunan Aboo Dawood. Hence, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set the captives free from their ownership, and they began running on the roads.‘Umar asked his son, ‘Abdullah, to find out what was happening! He looked and asked why they were walking on the roads, thus, he learnt that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had set the captives free. Thereupon, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered his son to set free the slave girls whom the Messenger ﷺhad given him from the one-fifth share.This was an excellent example to follow what the Prophet ﷺ had done.After all, they were the most eager of people to follow him and pursue his guidance.
The words of the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)are that the Messenger of Allahﷺ did not perform ‘Umrah starting from al-Ji’raanah, and had he performed ‘Umrah from there, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would have known about it.Al-Ji’raanah is a place between al-Taaif and Makkah.It is closer to Makkah, being about 20 km north-east of it.It is narrated in the authentic hadeeth that the Prophet ﷺ performed ‘Umrah from there when had finished conquering Hunayn and al-Taaif [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].That was in the eighth year of the Hijrah.Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and a sizeable number of companions did not know about this because the Prophet ﷺassumed the Ihraam for ‘Umrah and only a few companions accompanied him.Heﷺ left al-Ji’raanah at night, performed ‘Umrah at night, and then returned;hence, his ‘Umrah was unnoticed by a large number of people, as narrated by an-Nasaa’ee, Ahmad and others.
This hadeeth encourages us to fulfil a permissible vow, even if a long time has passed, and that whoever makes a vow free from polytheism before he embraces Islam; then after he embraces Islam, he should fulfil his vow.
It shows that it is permissible to make a vow regarding performing seclusion in the Masjid (‘itikaaf).
It also highlights the prompt response of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to obey the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
It teaches us to accept the good news that becomes widespread, even if a reliable person never heard of it..

3147

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik:When Allah favoured His Messengerﷺ with the properties of Hawaazin tribe as booty, he started giving to some men from Quraysh even up to one-hundred camels each, whereupon some men from the Ansaar said about Allah's Messenger “May Allah forgive His Messenger! He is giving to (men of) Quraysh and leaves us while it is our swords that are still dropping blood (of the disbelievers)" When Allah's Messengerﷺwas informed of what they had said, heﷺ called the Ansaar and gathered them in a leather tent and did not call anybody else along, with them. When they gathered, Allah's Messengerﷺcame to them and said, "What is the statement which, I have been informed, and that which you have said?" The learned ones among them replied," O Allah's Messenger!The wise ones amongst us did not say anything, but the youngsters amongst us said, 'May Allah forgive His Messenger; he gives the people of Quraysh and leaves the Ansaar, in spite of the fact that our swords are still dribbling (wet) with the blood of the infidels.' " Allah's Messengerﷺreplied, I give to such people as are still close to the period of infidelity (i.e. they have recently embraced Islam and Faith is still weak in their hearts). Won't you be pleased to see people go with fortune, while you return with Allah's Messengerﷺto your houses? By Allah, what you will return with, is better than what they are returning with." The Ansaar replied, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger! We are satisfied' Then the Prophetﷺsaid to them." You will find after me, others being preferred to you. Then be patient till you meet Allah and meet His Messenger at Al-Kawthar (i.e. a fount in Paradise)." (Anas added:) But we did not remain patient.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was keen to have all people enter Islam, the religion of Allah.He ﷺused to treat people as he saw in their best interests,i.e.if wealth was suitable for someone, he would give him wealth, and if his closeness would suit someone, he would bring him closer to him, and so on.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that a group of people from the Ansaar said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when Allah bestowed upon him the booty from Hawaazin– which is an Arab tribe - in the 8th year of Hijrah,he ﷺ embarked on giving some men of Quraysh a hundred camels in order to create a stronger bondintheir hearts towards Islam, as they happened to be the leaders of their people.When the Ansaar - who are the people of al-Madeenah - saw what the Prophet ﷺ had done, they felt uneasy about it or they became jealous; they perceived in themselves that they were more entitled to this wealth.So they said, “May Allah forgive the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,” as if they saw it as a mistake for which he ought to be forgiven by Allah, or they said this in a way to show the intensity of their love for him, so that they could avoid frankly saying,‘He made a mistake.’Their justification was that the swords of the Ansaar were the ones that fought with him, and the blood of Quraysh was still on their swordsfrom the wars that took place between them for them to enter Islam. It is as if they wanted him to give them the booty also as he gave it to those men from Quraysh, and as if those who said this grieved and sensed that the Prophet ﷺhad begun leaning toward his family and his tribe of Quraysh, and favouring them by giving gifts.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ learned about what they said.It is said that Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him of what these men said.The Prophet ﷺ sent a messenger to Ansaar to call them over, assembled them under a tent made of skin, and did not allow anyone else in apart from them, because the invitation was to the Ansaar only.When they had congregated, the Prophet ﷺcame to them asking, “What is the news that has reached me?”He was inquiring from them about what they had said. The understanding men – those who were sensible and wise – said, “Those who are the most opinionated people amongst us – these are the intellectuals and those possessing comprehension – O Messenger of Allah, have not uttered a single word about this.As for those young ones who possess the minimal intellectual ability, they said, ‘May Allah forgive the Messenger of Allah; he gives booty to Quraysh and leaves the Ansaar, while our swords are still dropping droplets of their blood!’” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied to them, “I do give the booty to some men who are very close to the time of their disbelief,” meaning he wanted to harmonize them and strengthen Islam in their hearts; thus, he gave them the wealth; and not because they were from Quraysh, or because of other reasons.
Thereafter, heﷺ told them – thereby giving them glad tidings and expounding his love and his preference of them to others among the Muslims, “Are you not happy that people take the wealth with them.”They take it to their houses and family members, “and you return to your tents and houses with the Messenger of Allah?”That is better than wealth.Then he took an oath saying, “By Allah!What you are returning with,” what you are returning with to your houses and city, “is better than what they are returning with,” these other people who are returning with the wealth.At this point, the Ansaar came to know their high status with the Prophet ﷺ.Their status was far greater than everyone who took the wealth, and this comforted their hearts.They replied, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah!We are pleased.”The Prophet ﷺ then told them, “You will definitely see extreme favouritism after me,” meaning they would witness tyranny inflicted against them and depeivation of the wealth and rights due to them i.e.the leades would end up giving others undue wealth and power.Thereafter, heﷺ said, “Remain patient until you meet Allah, and you meet His Messenger on the Pond.”It means to remain patient over what you will encounter after me in the world until you meet me at the Pond on the Day of Judgment, safely from any competition and mutual hatred in the debris of the world, when you will be given your rewards in full from Allah Almighty.You will then succeed with great rewards for the patience exercised in the world.The Pond of the Prophet ﷺ is a big pond of water to where the believers will go to drink therefrom in the plains of the Day of Judgement.In a narration of Muslim, they replied, “We will remain patient” on the harms.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked, “We did remain patient on the favouritism and tyranny as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to do”.
From the benefits of this hadeeth, we can conclude that it is permissible to give the booty to new Muslims and also give them whatever is of the same meaning from the state funds, in order to win their hearts and grant them steadfastness on Islam.
The hadeeth highlights the virtue of the Ansaar, and the special relationship of the Prophet ﷺ with the Anssar, and their special relationship with the Prophetﷺ.
It encourages people toendure the tyranny of leaders and their preference for unworthy people.
The hadeeth affirms the water basin for the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgement.

3150

Narrated `Abdullah:On the day (of the battle) of Hunayn, Allah's Messengerﷺfavoured some people in the distribution of the booty (to the exclusion of others); he gave Al-Aqra' ibn Haabis one-hundred camels and he gave 'Uyaynah the same amount, and also gave to some of the eminent Arabs, giving them preference in this regard. A man n came and said, "By Allah, justice has not been observed in this distribution, nor has Allah's Pleasure been aimed at." I said (to him), "By Allah, I will inform the Prophet (of what you have said), "I went and informed him, and he said, "If Allah and His Messenger did not act justly, who else would act justly. May Allah be merciful to Moses, for he was harmed with more than this, yet he kept patient."
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Commentary : The Prophetﷺ was keen to see all people enter Islam, the religion of Allah.Heﷺ would invite the leaders and those who held influential positions in their communities and would win their hearts, in the hope of their entrance into Islam and that their people would follow suit and enter Islam and remain steadfast on it.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that the Prophet ﷺspecified some people and granted them preference in the distribution of the spoils.He gave them extraat the Battle of Hunayn, which occurred in the eighth year of the Hijrah.Hunayn is a valley that is three miles away from Makkah.This battle occurred against the people of Taaif, namely the tribes of Hawaazin and Thaqeef.He gave al-Aqra’ ibn Haabis – one whose heart it was desirable to win – a hundred camels.He gave ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn al-Fazaaree the same amount, and he gave some other people among the notables of the Arabs.He gave them precedence and preference over others among those who had stronger faith, were veterans in companionship, and were enduring in trials due to their faith.A man said when he witnessed this, “By Allah, verily, this distribution contains no fairness and nor has the happiness of Allah has been intended thereby.”The statement of this man levelled an accusation at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood(may Allah be pleased with him) heard him saying this; thus,he swore that he would inform the Messenger of Allah about it. That was because the person spoke whilst backbiting the Prophet ﷺ, which is indicative of the corruption found in the heart of this man.That was because he did not head to the Prophet ﷺ with his opinion for the Prophet ﷺ to explain to him the wisdom behind it or to reassess himself if he had really made a mistake.When the Prophet ﷺ learnt about it, he became unhappy – as it has been mentioned in Saheeh Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim.Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Who will be fair if Allah and His Messenger are not fair?”This statement shows that what the Messenger of Allah did was from the command of Allah and that he was only applying the orders of his Lord.Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ said, “May Allah have mercy on Moses(peace be upon him).He was harmed by people with more than this,” meaning, more than what I have been annoyed and harmed with.“He remained patient.” We have an excellent example in him, as he was taken out of Egypt and exiled,andthereafter, Allah granted him victory over his enemy and brought forth for him signs before his people.Despite this, they opposed him in many issues, andhe remained patient over them.Some of the prophets (peace be upon them) are consoled by others.The Prophet ﷺ consoled himself by Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) in his perseverance over his people.He remained patient over this person.
Thishadeeth reveals the Prophet’s ﷺforbearance, and it teaches us to ignore the ignorant person.
It highlights the virtue of Prophet Moses(peace be upon him) and indicates consolation by those who have passed away among the righteous counterparts.
It shows that it is permitted to narrate a statement that is not good when it is stated if itis transmitted out of one’s fervour for the truth, so its utterer is known and is warned against..

3153

Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mughaffal(may Allah be pleased with him): While we were besieging the fort of Khaybar, a person threw a leather container containing fat, and I ran to take it, but when I turned, I saw the Prophet (standing behind), so I felt embarrassed in front of him.
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Commentary : The fortress of Khaybar was a fortress of the Jews.The Prophet ﷺ left to fight them in the seventh year of the Hijrah.In this war, many injunctions were revealed concerning the issues pertaining to the spoils and special booty, cultivation on lands and so on.The Prophet ﷺ clarified what is allowed and what is disallowed during these events.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that during the encirclement of the fortress of Khaybar, someone threw a bag containing fat. The Arabic word Jiraab signifies a container made of leather. ‘Fat’ means fat grease. ‘Abdullah says, “I ran quickly to take it,” meaning, I jumped quickly to grab it and take it for myself.‘Abdullah turned and saw the Prophet ﷺ looking at him. So,he (may llah be pleased of him) felt shy of him,andrealisedthat he # wanted it.
The narration in Saheeh Muslim indicates the Prophet’s approval and affirmation of his taking it as it contains that he ﷺ smiled when he saw him.
This amount of food is allowed for the soldiers to take according to their needs without wasting it and hoarding it. If one has enough to sustain him, then he should not take anything extra above that. This allowance is fine, despite there being prohibition from embezzlement in other things of the spoils such as clothing and animals, so that they are not used up or kept from the one who is entitled tohis share.
This hadeethserves as evidence that consuming the fats of the animals slaughtered by the people of the Book are permessible;even if its consumption isprohibited for them, it is allowed for us.Had it been prohibited, the Prophet ﷺ would have reprimanded him from taking it and notified him of its prohibition..

3154

Narrated Ibn `Umar:In our battles, we used to acquire honey and grapes, as war booty which we would eat and would not store.
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Commentary : Fighting in the path of Allah is the top part of the hump [the pinnacle] of Islam.Allah permitted the spoils of war and fighting for hisProphet ﷺ.Conversely, He has prohibited embezzlement of the spoils, apart from the fact that the fighter is allowed to take what food from the spoils he may urgently require.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that they used to acquire honey and grapes in their wars from the wealth of those they used to fight with and from their items of benefit.The one who acquired it would take it and eat it due to their necessity for food and drink, and they did not report that to the Prophet ﷺas being among the wealth set aside for distribution.
This allowance concerns the food and drinksthat the warriors need, without wasting it or hoarding it. One who has a sufficient amount with him, then he should avoid taking anything more above the required amount.But there is a prohibition in place of embezzlement of items of spoils such as clothes and animals;this also ensures that they are not used up and wasted for the ones who ought to receive them.
This hadeeth expounds the facilitation of Islam concerning some items of war, by taking into account the circumstances of the fighters in the way of Allah..

3155

Narrated Ibn Abi `Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him): We were afflicted with famine during the besiege of Khaybar, and when it was the day of (the battle of) Khaybar, we slaughtered the domestic donkeys and when the pots got boiling (with their meat), Allah's Messenger made an announcement that all the pots should be upset and that nobody should eat anything of the meat of the donkeys. We thought that the Prophetﷺprohibited that because the one fifth share had not been taken out of the booty (i.e. donkeys); other people said, "He prohibited eating them for ever." The sub-narrator added, "I asked Sa’eed ibn Jubayr who said, 'He has made the eating of donkeys' meat illegal definitely and indefinitely [always].”
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Commentary : Allah has legislated, for His servants, laws that take their interests into account and has legislated what is good for them in their religion and worldly affairs.Henceforth, Allah, the Sublime, has permitted for them the good and pure things to eat and prohibited them from those things that contain harm to them.Many events occurred during the battle of Khaybar wherein provisions relating to that which is lawful and that which is forbiddenfrom food, drink, spoils and so on were revealed.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Muslims were hit by famine, that is, situations of extreme hunger - due to lack of food, and that was during the Khaybar invasion, in the seventh year of the Hijrah.Khyber was a town inhabited by the Jews, 153 km away from al-Madeenah, toward the north on the road to the Levant.The Jews had gathered there, so the Prophet ﷺ wanted to secure al-Madeenah from their evil.
When it was the day of the Battle of Khaybar and the forts were conquered,and the Muslim army entered the town, they confiscated the domesticated donkeys used by humans for their needs.They slaughtered them with knives at their slaughterhouse and cooked them, without the permission of the Prophet ﷺ.When the pots started boiling with meat inside, a crier for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, was Aboo Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him), proclaimed, “Overturn the pots,” meaning that the Prophetﷺ had commanded them to empty the pots with their contents and that they should not taste anything of the meat of the domestic donkeys.
‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa relates that some of the Companions said,“The Prophet ﷺ forbade it because the fifth share was not taken from it.”Some others said thatthe Prophetﷺ forbade it “definitely and indefinitely [always].”This is the position which the Follower Sa’eed ibn Jubayr settled on, and he stated, “The Prophet ﷺ prohibited it forever.”
This hadeeth shows that it is forbidden to eat the meat of domesticated donkeys, and it demonstrates hastening to change the evil and to remove it when it appears..

3156

Narrated `Amr ibn Dinaar:I was sitting with Jaabir ibn Zayd and `Amr ibn Aws;so Bajaalahnarrated to them while they were sitting at the steps of Zamzamthat in the year 70 after Hijrah, Mus`ab ibn Al-Zubayr was the leader of the pilgrims of Basrah. He added: I was the clerk of Jaz’ ibn Mu’aawiyyah, the paternal uncle of al-Ahnaf. A letter came from `Umar ibn Al-Khattab(may Allah be pleased with him) one year before his death, which contained the following: " Separate between each relative among the Magians " `Umar did not take the Jizyah from the Magian infidels till `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn `Awf testified that Allah's Messengerﷺhad taken the Jizyah from the Magians of Hajar.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ and those after him from the Rightly Guided Caliphs would send out missions, companies, and armies, in order to spread Islam, especially after the Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah, and after the conquest of Makkah. Whoever made a treaty with them and entered Islam, his blood and wealth were protected.However, whoever opposed and did not enter it, they were given a choice between paying the Jizyah or fighting.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Amr ibn Dinaar reports that he was sitting with Jaabir ibn Zayd and ‘Amr ibn Aws. Bajaalah ibn ‘Abdah– who was among the senior Tab’een – mentioned a narration that happened in the year seventy of the Hijrah.That was the year in which Mus’ab ibn al-Zubayr, the governor of Iraq, performed the Hajj on behalf of his brother, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, who had taken over the caliphate then and was ruling most of the Islamic Lands.Mus’ab performed Hajj with the people of Basrah.Bajaalah ibn ‘Abdah mentioned the narration at the steps of Zamzam.These were special steps then situated at the well of Zamzam down which it was descended to the bottom of the well to draw out the water.He said, “I used to be the scribe of Jiz’ ibn Mu’aawiyah, the paternal uncle of al-Ahnaf ibn Qays.He was the governor of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) over al-Ahwaaz in the eastern region of Iraq.The letter of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us a year before his death,” in other words, in the year twenty-two of the Hijrah, that is because ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred in the year twenty-three of the Hijrah.The order was: “Separate between each relative among the Magi (who were fire worshipers).” This could carry the meaning ofcancelling the marriages conducted between the close relatives among them(marriages that are regarded as illegal in Islam: a relative of this sort being called Mahram.So, aman would be separated from his mother or a brother away from his sister so as to prevent them from making apparent this aspect of their religion.This is similar to his stipulation for the Christians to stop displaying their cross and creed so that the weak Muslims were not tempted thereby and so that the symbols of disbelief did not enjoy emergence or superiority under Islam.
Then he reported that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not take the Jizyah from the Magians. Jizyah is a specific small amount that was taken from non-Muslims under the protection of the Muslim state and others.It was named thus as a recompense for protecting their blood.‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was of the opinion that it should only be taken from the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, until ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf witnessed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to collect it from the Magi of Hajar; these were a people of Bahrain.In those days the term Bahrain was used to geographically encompass Bahrain, as well as al-Ahsaa and al-Qateef in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.These areas were conquered in the time of the Prophet ﷺ, in the eighth or the tenth year of the Hijrah at the hands of al-‘Alaa ibn al-Hadramee.
This hadeeth shows that the honour of Islam and its symbols should be manifested, and the display of the rituals and customs of the infidels in the lands of Islam should be prevented.
It shows that the Jizyah is taken from the People of the Book and from the Magi as well.
It teaches us to only resort to the rulings that Allah and His Messenger ﷺhave dictated and never go beyond them. .

3158

Narrated `Amr ibn `Awf Al-Ansaaree: Allah's Messengerﷺsent Aboo 'Ubaydah ibn Al-Jarraah to Bahrain to collect the Jizyah. Allah's Messengerﷺhad established peace with the people of Bahrain and appointed Al-`Alaa' ibn Al-Hadramee as their governor. When Aboo 'Ubaydah came from Bahrain with the money, the Ansaar heard of Aboo 'Ubaydah's arrival which coincided with the time of the Fajr prayer with the Prophetﷺ. When Allah's Messengerﷺled them in the Fajr prayer and finished, the Ansaar approached him, and he looked at them and smiled on seeing them and said, "I feel that you have heard that Aboo. 'Ubaydah has brought something?" They said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger! He said, "Rejoice and hope for what will please you! By Allah, I am not afraid of your poverty, but I am afraid that you will lead a life of luxury as past nations did, whereupon you will compete with each other for it, as they competed for it, and it will destroy you as it destroyed them."
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Commentary : Poverty and prosperity are both trials from Allah; Exalted is He, and tribulations with which Allah tests His chosen servants so that the forbearance of those who are patient and the gratitude of the grateful are revealed.The Prophet ﷺ used to seek Allah’s protection from poverty and used to warn about the temptations of richness and wealth.
In this hadeeth, ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf al-Muzanee reports that the Messenger of Allahﷺ sent Aboo ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarraah (may Allah be pleased with him) to Bahrain to bring its Jizyah.This is the tax that was imposed on the Magi, who were among its residents in lieu of leaving them to live peacefully and granting them protection after he had made a pact with them on that.Bahrain in those days was a term used for a vast land that covers present-day Bahrain, as well as al-Ahsaa and al-Qateef, situated in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.This area was conquered in the eighth year of the Hijrah.The Prophet ﷺ appointed al-Munthiribn Saawa as the governor of the region.Then, when he passed away, the Prophet ﷺ appointed al-‘Alaa ibn al-Hadramee as the governor.
When Aboo ‘Ubaydah brought this wealth, it happened to coincide with the time of Fajr, when the people attended the prayers.After the Prophet ﷺ completed the prayer and turned away from it and turned to the people, the Ansaar presented themselves in front of him.It was as if they requested something through this gesture due to their being well aware of the Prophet’s noble character.They wanted to distribute the wealth brought by Aboo ‘Ubaydah between them.They did that at that time because they were overburdened by the dire need and hunger which they endured, and not because of their greediness for worldly pleasures or for their interest in it.The Prophet ﷺ understood what they wanted, and he smiled, and then he said, “I think you have heard that Aboo ‘Ubaydah has brought something?”They replied, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.”Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Receive good news and be anticipating”i.e. be hopeful of what will please you.This is a kind of calming them down from the hardship which they were in, and good news for them by hastening the prosperity upon them.
Then heﷺswore by Allah that he did not worry about poverty afflicting them; however, he feared that the world wouldbe offered to them, meaning prosperity and excessive wealth, as it was offered to those nations before them.Thereafter they may engage in acquiring it, which could lead to their downfall, due to conflicts concerning it, inclination towards it and engagement with it by turning away from the hereafter, as happened to the nations before them.
In this statement, there is a warning about what would happen in the future, and allthat the Prophet ﷺ informed of really happened.Their economy prospered and they became affluent afterwards; hence, mutual jealousy and in-fighting occurred. All thattestifies to the truthfulness of the information that the Prophetﷺ foretold.
This hadeeth shows that there is no aberration in seeking gifts from the leader, and that the ruler should give good news to his followers and should expand their hopes.
It highlights that competition in worldly matters may drag one to the destruction of one’s religion..

3159

Narrated Jubayr ibn Haiyyah: `Umar sent the Muslims to theoutskirts ofbig cities to fight the disbelievers. When Al-Hurmuzaan embraced Islam, `Umar said to him. "I would like to consult you regarding these cities which I intend to invade." Al-Hurmuzaan said, "Yes, the example of these cities and their inhabitants who are the enemies of the Muslims, is like a bird with a head, two wings and two legs; if one of its wings got broken, it would get up over its two legs, with one wing and the head; and if the other wing got broken, it would get up with two legs and a head, but if its head got destroyed, then the two legs, two wings and the head would become useless. The head stands for Khosrau, and one wing stands for Caesar and the other wing stands for Persia. So, order the Muslims to go towards Khosrau." So, `Umar sent us (to Khosrau) appointing Al-Nu`maan ibn Muqrin as our commander. When we reached the land of the enemy, the representative of Khosrau came out with forty-thousand warriors, and an interpreter got up saying, "Let one of you talk to me!" Al-Mugheerah replied, "Ask whatever you wish." The other asked, "Who are you?" Al-Mugheerah replied, "We are some people from the Arabs; we led a hard, miserable, disastrous life: we used to suck the hides and the date stones from hunger; we used to wear clothes made up of fur of camels and hair of goats, and to worship trees and stones. While we were in this state, the Lord of the Heavens and the Earths, Elevated is His Remembrance and Majestic is His Highness, sent to us from among ourselves a Prophet whose father and mother are known to us. Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, has ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah alone or give Jizyah (i.e. tribute); and our Prophet has informed us that our Lord says:-- “Whoever amongst us is killed (i.e. martyred), shall go to Paradise to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever amongst us remain alive, shall become your master." Al-Nu' maan said to Al-Mugheerah, "If you had participated in a similar battle, in the company of Allah's Messengerﷺhe would not have blamed you for waiting, nor would he have disgraced you. But I accompanied Allah's Messenger in many battles, and it was his custom that if he did not fight early by daytime, he would wait till the wind had started blowing and the time for the prayer was due (i.e. after midday).
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Commentary : In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Jubayr ibn Hayyah reports that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) – during his caliphate – sent fighters to the outskirts of big cities.It means that he sent them to different cities and towns to fight the polytheists. However,Hurmuzaan, one of the leaders of the Persians, whose real name was Rustum, entered Islam willingly.He embraced Islam after the Battle of al-Qaadisiyyah, which happened in the year fourteen of the Hijrah.‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) drew him closer to him and would consult him [concerning the state of affairs of the Persians].This occurred after the defeat of the Persians and after the Muslims occupied the Metropolises of Persia.‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he would consult him about these battles,i.e.the battles of Persia, Isfahan, and Azerbaijan.This was because he was more aware of their affairs than anyone else.Hurmuzaanagreed to give advice to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and he gave an example about this land, meaning, about its campaign.He explained that its example in terms of the people residing in it among the enemies of the Muslims is as the example of a bird having a head, two wings, and legs.If one of the wings is clipped, the two legs with a wing and head will still stand up to move.If the other wing is clipped, then the two legs and the head will still stand up to move forward. However, if it is slaughtered (meaning beheaded), then the two legs, the wings, and the head become immobile, the whole body will become useless.If the head is removed, everything else will fall apart.The head here was Kosrae;one wing was Caesar (Qaysar), the emperor of the Romans, and the other wing was the Persians.Then, he gave advice to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to command the Muslims to set out to fight and to start the fight withKosrae, as he was the head, and his beheading would entail clipping the two wings.
When it was the twentieth year of the Hijrah, ‘Umar took the warriors out to battle and appointed al-Nu’maan ibn Muqarrin (may Allah be pleased with him) as their commander.The army set out at night until they had entered the land of the enemy, Nahawand. Now it is an Iranian city which is situated in the highlands toward the south of the Zagros Mountains.The governor of Kosrae came out to attack them – he was known as Bundaar – in an army of forty thousand strong men from the people of the Persian mountains and Kerman (which is now an Iranian city which is situated in the central region of the country), and with the people of other regions too, such as Nahawand and Isfahan (Isfahan is now an Iranian city and the provincial capital of the province of Isfahan, 340 km away from Tehran).A hundred and ten thousand enemy soldiers set out to counterattack the Muslim army.A translator stood up and said, “A spokesperson should speak to me.”Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah replied, “Ask whatever you wish to ask.”He asked him, “Who are you, people?” He asked purposefully in the context of a person who somehow does not know them with the intention of belittling them. Al-Mugheerah answered, “We are a people from the Arabs who were once in anunfortunate state and in severe calamity.We would suck the skins (meaning the skins of the animals [to survive]).”This is a metaphor for having very little food and he meant thereby hunger.“We would wear wool.”That is a metaphor for having very little clothing.“We used to worship trees and stones.”This is an expression for their severe ignorance.They remained in that state until the Exalted and Mightily Majestic Lord of the earths and heavens, “sent a Prophet amongst us, whose father and mother were known to us.”This means they were fully aware of the family tree of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.He meant thereby to venerate the Messenger of Allahﷺ and to exalt him and purify him from the belief that he came to create bloodbath.“Our Prophet and the Messenger of Our Lord ﷺ commanded us to fight you until you worship Allah Alone or that you pay us the Jizyah.”The Persians used to be Magi, worshipping fire.
He continued, “Our Prophet ﷺ has transmitted to us the message from Our Lord that anyone amongst us killed in fighting for the cause of Allah, then he goes to the bliss in Paradise, and no Paradise of that sort has ever been seen before. As for the one who stays alive amongst us and has not been martyred, then he attains victory and owns your necks (you) by imprisoning you.”In this statement, there is an indication that a Muslim fights until he attains either victory or martyrdom.
Al-Nu’maan (may Allah be pleased with him) delayed the fighting, while al-Mugheerah wanted to fight straight after his statement with theinterpreter.Al-Nu’maan told al-Mugheerah, “Perhaps Allah has made you witness,”i.e. made you present in a similar situation, in other words, in such a tense situation with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. However,he ﷺdid not make you regret regarding the prudence and forbearance exercised during the hardship you encountered with him.He did not humiliate and degrade you. I witnessed fighting with the Messenger of Allahﷺ in many battles which he set out for.If he did not fight in the beginning of the day at sunrise, then he would wait until winds would start to blow, until the prayers would come after the inclination of the sun at noonday,” that is the disappearance of the intensity of the heat.That was part of the Prophetic kindness towards the army and soldiers, so that they were able to fight better in more temperate weather conditions.According to Aboo Dawood, “… thereafter, the divine help of victory would descend.”That manoeuvre would be part of the causes of the victory (divine help) which Allah has promised His servants.
This hadeeth shows that it is allowed to take the Jizyah from the Magi.
It highlights the merits of al-Numaan ibn al-Muqarrin(may Allah be pleased with him) and reveals the military expertise of al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah, and his strength, magnanimity, eloquence, and articulation.
It expounds the virtue of consultation, and that there is no wrong for someone who is of a higher status to consult someone who is below him in status.
It also contains exemplification in order to clarify the intent of speech.
It shows the necessity to take the causes of the victory during war and facing the enemy..

3163

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him):Once the Prophetﷺcalled the Ansaar to grant them part of the land of Bahrain. On that they said, "No! By Allah, we will not accept it unless you grant a similar thing to our brothers from Quraysh as well." He said, "That will be theirs if Allah wishes." But when the Ansaar persisted in their request, he said, "After me, you will see others given preference over you in this respect (in which case) you should be patient till you meet me at the Pond (of Al-Kawthar).
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺappreciated and recognized the value and worth of everyone among the Emigrantsand the Ansaar.Heﷺ would advise them tolook after each other so as to maintain the brotherhood and bondsand help each otherto remain on the truth.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that the Prophet ﷺcalled the Ansaar in order to appoint for each one of them a portion feudally from the Jizyah and the land tax in Bahrain.It does not mean making them owners of the lands because the land conquered through a peace treaty cannot be distributed and feudally divided.The Prophet ﷺ had made a peace treaty with the people of Bahrain and imposed on them Jizyah.The area of Bahrain was considered to include what is now known as Bahrain, as well as al-Ahsaa and al-Qateef, situated in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The Ansaar replied, “No, by Allah.We will not accept until it is also written for our Emigrant brothers from the Quraish whatever is going to be allocated for us.”This was not in opposition to the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; rather they had understood that the Prophetﷺ intended to repay their kindness, and their statement was due to selflessness and their love for the Emigrants. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “That will be theirs if Allah wills it.”In a narration in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, it says, “That was not with the Prophet ﷺ”i.e.the Prophet ﷺ did not haveat that time enough to give the Emigrants like what he wanted to allocate for the Ansaar.It was also said that the meaning is that the Prophet ﷺ did not want to do [what the Ansaar were kindly proposing for the Emigrants], because he had already divided the lands of banoo al-Nadeer for the Emigrants earlier.However, the Ansaar were insistent that the Prophet ﷺ prescribe that for the Emigrants first, to the extent that the Prophet ﷺ had to say to them, “You will see [favouritism] after me,”from the rulers who will favor themselves over the Ansaar with the worldly things, will favour others over them, and will not give them a large portion in state affairs,“hence, remain patient until you meet me at the Pond” wherein they will receive great rewards and abundant recompense, which will be inlieu of this favouritism. The Pond of the Prophet ﷺ is a huge collection of water where the believers will go to get water on the plains of the Day of Judgement.In the narration of Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) states, “However, we could not forbear” the favouritism and tyranny as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had commanded us to do.
This hadeeth highlights the selflessness of the Ansaar,how they gave preference to others over themselves and kindly exceeded the bounds in generosity.
It encourages us to remain forbearing during calamities, and it affirms the Pond (Pond) for the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgement..

739

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

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

740

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

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

746

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

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

746

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

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

747

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

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

748

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

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

753

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

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

754

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

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

755

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

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

756

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

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

757

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

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

759

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

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

762

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

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

763

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

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

763

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Jubayr ibn Mut`im(may Allah be pleased with him)The Prophetﷺtalked about war prisoners of Badr saying, "Had Al-Mut`im ibn ‘Adi been alive and interceded with me for these mean people, I would have freed them for his sake."
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Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mughaffal(may Allah be pleased with him): While we were besieging the fort of Khaybar, a person threw a leather container containing fat, and I ran to take it, but when I turned, I saw the Prophet (standing behind), so I felt embarrassed in front of him.
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Narrated Ibn `Umar:In our battles, we used to acquire honey and grapes, as war booty which we would eat and would not store.
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‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night until his last prayer would be the Witr..

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

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Jubayr ibn Mut`im(may Allah be pleased with him)The Prophetﷺtalked about war prisoners of Badr saying, "Had Al-Mut`im ibn ‘Adi been alive and interceded with me for these mean people, I would have freed them for his sake." .

Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mughaffal(may Allah be pleased with him): While we were besieging the fort of Khaybar, a person threw a leather container containing fat, and I ran to take it, but when I turned, I saw the Prophet (standing behind), so I felt embarrassed in front of him. .

Narrated Ibn `Umar:In our battles, we used to acquire honey and grapes, as war booty which we would eat and would not store. .

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

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

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

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

Narrated Jubayr ibn Mut`im(may Allah be pleased with him)The Prophetﷺtalked about war prisoners of Badr saying, "Had Al-Mut`im ibn ‘Adi been alive and interceded with me for these mean people, I would have freed them for his sake."
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Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mughaffal(may Allah be pleased with him): While we were besieging the fort of Khaybar, a person threw a leather container containing fat, and I ran to take it, but when I turned, I saw the Prophet (standing behind), so I felt embarrassed in front of him.
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Narrated Ibn `Umar:In our battles, we used to acquire honey and grapes, as war booty which we would eat and would not store.
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