| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
1650
Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): I was menstruating when I reached Makkah; thus, I neither performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah nor the Tawaaf between al-Safaa and al-Marwah. I informed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it, and he replied, "Perform all the rites of Hajj like the other pilgrims, but do not perform Tawaaf round the Ka`bah till you get clean (from your menses)."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexplained the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah in words and action. The Companions (ras) transmitted all that to us, including the rulings related to women like menses. 
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah (raa), the Mother of the Believers, reports that she was menstruating during the Farewell Hajj, which occurred in the 10th year of Hijrah. For that reason, she refrained from performing Tawaaf round the Ka’bah and between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and did not perform ‘Umrah or Hajj just like the rest of people. She raised her issue to the Prophet ﷺwho ordered her to perform all the rites of Hajj like the other pilgrims, like standing on the mountain of ‘Arafaat, Muzdalifah and spending the night in Minaa) and to refrain from performing Tawaaf round the Ka`bah till she gets clean from your menses.
According to a narration in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, she (raa) said after completing Hajj, “O Messenger of Allah! All of you are returning with the Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only." So, the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (ra) to accompany her to Tan’eem and thus she performed the `Umrah after the Hajj.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about how Islam eases the rulings of Hajj for menstruating women and allowing her to delay the Tawaaf until she becomes clean..

1651
Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions assumed Ihraam for Hajj and none except the Prophet ﷺand Talhah had the Hady (sacrificial animal) with them. `Alee arrived from Yemen and had his Hady with him. `Alee said, "I have assumed Ihraam for what the Prophet (ﷺ) has done." The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered his Companions to perform the `Umrah with the lhraam which they had assumed, and after finishing Tawaaf (of Ka`bah, al-Safaa and al-Marwah) to cut short their hair, and to finish their lhraam except those who had Hady with them. They (the people) said, "How can we proceed to Minaa (for Hajj) after having sexual relations with our wives?" When that news reached the Prophet (ﷺ), he said, "If I had formerly known what I came to know lately, I would not have brought the Hady with me. Had there been no Hady with me, I would have finished the state of lhraam." `Aaishah (raa) got her menses, so she performed all the ceremonies of Hajj except Tawaaf of the Ka`bah, and when she got clean (from her menses), she performed Tawaaf of the Ka`bah. She said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! (All of you) are returning with the Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only." So, the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (ra) to accompany her to Tan`eem and thus she performed the `Umrah after the Hajj..

Commentary : There are three ways for performing Hajj: (1) Tamattu’: It is when the pilgrim enters the state of Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, namely Shawwaal, Dhu al-Qa’dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah. And after completing the ‘Umrah, he exits his Ihraam and then enters the Ihraam again in the same year to perform Hajj. (2) Al-Qiraan: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform both ‘Umrah and Hajj together. (3) Al-Ifraad: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform Hajj only.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ib ‘Abdullah (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺand his Companions assumed Ihraam for Hajj in the Farewell Hajj, which was in the 10th year of Hijrah. None of them had Hady with him except the Prophet ﷺand Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah (ra). The Hady is the name of the animals that pilgrims bring along with them to slaughter in the Haram as sacrificial animals, which include camels, cows, sheep and goats.
At that time, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (ra) was in Yemen because the Prophet ﷺsent him to serve there as a judge and to collect the zakat. So, he travelled to Makkah to perform Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, and he brought with him Hady. He (ra) assumed Ihraam on his way to Makkah so the Prophet ﷺasked him about the intention of his Ihraam. His answer was that he assumed Ihraam with an intention as that of the Prophet ﷺ. It happened that the Prophet ﷺwas one of the pilgrims who had Hady with them; thus, he entered the Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah and Hajj together. The Prophet ﷺordered those who did not bring along Hady with them to exit Ihraam after completing the ‘Umrah and enter a new Ihraam for Hajj on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
This made some of the Companions (ras) feel uneasy that they exit Ihraam while the Prophet ﷺkeep his Ihraam, and they wondered how it is possible to exit Ihraam and then assume Ihraam for Hajj on the Day of Tarwiyah! Upon knowing this, the Prophet ﷺsaid to them: “Had there been no Hady with me, I would have finished the state of lhraam” i.e., If I came to know about this from the beginning, I would have not brought with me the Hady so I could exit Ihraam after ‘Umrah and then enter a new Ihraam for Hajj. By this, the Prophet ﷺexplained to them that if he did not have the Hady, he would have done the same.
Upon entering Makkah, ‘Aaishah (raa) menstruated, and so she followed the instructions of the Prophet ﷺto perform the rites of Hajj except the Tawaaf round the Ka’bah. And after she became clean from menses, she performed Tawaaf round the Ka’bah. However, as the Muslims are preparing to depart Makkah, she said to the Prophet ﷺ: “(All of you) are returning with the Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only” So, the Prophet ﷺordered her brother, `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (ra), to accompany her to Tan`eem, which is situated about 6 km from Makkah and the closest point to enter Ihraam for those who are in Makkah – although people may enter Ihraam from any of the designated places.
This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about how Islam eases the rulings of Hajj for menstruating women and allowing her to delay the Tawaaf until she becomes clean. And it shows the mercy and compassion of the Prophet ﷺtowards women and his kind treatment with them.
The hadeeth shows that if a person is in Makkah and wants to enter Ihraam, he should go to the point of Ihraam outside Makkah and enter Ihraam for ‘Umrah from there.
It also shows that a woman may not travel except with one of her Mahram men..

1652
Narrated Hafsah: 'We used to forbid the ‘Awaatiq (young women) to go out for the two `Eid prayers. A woman came and stayed at the palace of Banee Khalaf, and she narrated about her sister whose husband took part in twelve battles along with the Prophet (ﷺ) and her sister was with her husband in six (out of these twelve). She (the woman's sister) said, "We used to treat the wounded, look after the patients and once I asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'Is there any harm for any of us to stay at home if she does not have a veil?' He said, 'She should cover herself with the veil of her female companion and should participate in the good deeds and in the religious gathering of the Muslims.' When Umm `Atiyyah (raa) came, I asked her whether she had heard it from the Prophet (ﷺ). She replied, "Yes. May my father be sacrificed for him (the Prophet)! (Whenever she mentioned the Prophet (ﷺ) she used to say, 'May my father be sacrificed for him) I have heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'The ‘Awaatiq and the girls who stay often screened or the ‘Awaatiq who often stay screened and the menstruating women should come out and participate in the good deeds as well as the religious gathering of the believers but the menstruating women should keep away from the Musallaa (praying place).' " Hafsah (raa) asked Umm `Atiyyah surprisingly, "Do you say the menstruating women?" She replied, "Does not a menstruating woman attend `Arafaat (Hajj) and such and such (other deeds)?".

Commentary : Islam has honoured women and made them a natural partner to men. It has defined their rights and responsibilities, and the rulings pertaining to them like menses, post-partum blooding, seclusion with the opposite gender, attending public gatherings, and so on.
In this hadeeth, Hafsah bintSeereen mentions that they used to forbid young women from attending the two ‘Eid prayers. The Arabic word used in the narration to describe the young women is ‘Awaatiq (lit. freed). It means females who have just reached puberty but are not yet married and still live at their family’s house. The relevance of the name to their condition is that at such age she can depend on herself, and her parent no longer needs to serve her and fulfil her needs outside the house. Another possible meaning is that it refers to the young girl that is so loved by her parents. Hafsah further says that a woman came to al-Basrah and stayed at the palace of Banee Khalaf, the grandfather of Talhah al-Talhaat, and she narrated about her sister (i.e., Umm Atiyyah) whose husband took part in twelve battles along with the Prophet (ﷺ), and her sister was with her husband in six out of these twelve. Then she mentioned that her sister said that they used to treat the wounded, look after the patients. And one time, she asked the Prophet ﷺif it is sinful for a woman to stay at home, and does not attend these gatherings, because she does not have a veil to wear when she goes out. The Prophet ﷺtold  her that in this case, she should borrow a veil from her friend to cover herself and participate in the good deeds and in the religious gathering of the Muslims like the ‘Eid prayer.
Hafsah then mentioned that people inquired from Umm ‘Atiyyah (raa) about the hadeeth she related so she confirmed that she heard it directly from the Prophet ﷺand said: “May my father be sacrificed for him” and added that he ﷺstated that let out the ‘Awaatiq (plural of ‘Aatiq) which is the young girl who reached puberty or is about to reach puberty or in an age suitable for marriage or the one who is highly valued by her parents or who is freed from fulfilling the needs of the family outside the house. It appears that they used to forbid these young girls from leaving the house because of the corruption that was present at their time. The Companions (ras) however held the view that the ruling that was practised during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺshould not change despite all that.
The Prophet ﷺordered that even unmarried virgin girls who stay in the house far from the eyes of people should go out to attend the ‘Eid prayer. The order to attend the religious gatherings of Muslims included menstruating women, but they have to keep away from the place where the ‘Eid prayer is established. Upon hearing this, Umm ‘Atiyyah was surprised that menstruating women should attend too! The Prophet ﷺexplained to her that she can and reminded that menstruating women attend ‘Arafaat and the other rites of Hajj.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning that menstruating women can attend all the rites of Hajj except Tawaaf.
The hadeeth shows that woman can treat the wounded, look after the patients in times of war.
It shows us that the Companions (ras) used to correct the misconceptions and mistakes of the Taab’ieen..

1653
Narrated ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’: I asked Anas ibn Maalik (ra), "Tell me what you remember from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (regarding these questions): Where did he offer the Thuhr and `Asr prayers on the day of Tarwiyah (8th day of Dhoo al- Hijjah)?" He replied: "He (ﷺ) offered these prayers at Minaa." I asked, "Where did he offer the `Asr prayer on the day of Nafr (i.e., departure from Mina on the 12th or 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah)?" He replied, "At Al- Abtah," and then added, "You should do as your chiefs do.".

Commentary : Hajj is an act of worship that cannot be sanctioned except on the basis of textual evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah to that effect. The Prophet ﷺclarified the rulings pertaining to Hajj and explained that which is allowed and that which is not, and which actions can be delayed or in advance, and what can be open and flexible. The Companions (ras) transmitted all that to the next generation who in their turn transmitted to the people after them and so on. They even offered advice to people about what to do when some rulers make changes to the time and place of certain actions, which are considered flexible in such sense.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’ reports that he asked Anas ibn Maalik (ra) to narrate to him from the Prophet ﷺsomething he understood and comprehended. He asked him about the place where the Prophet ﷺprayed Thuhr and ‘Asr on the 8th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, a.k.a. the Day of Tarwiyah which is named as such because pilgrims drink and take their water supplied on that day preparing for standing at ‘Arafah. Anas ibn Maalik (ra) replied that he ﷺoffered the prayers in Minaa, which is a valley surrounded by mountains, located in the east of Makkah between Makkah and ‘Arafah and is about 6 km from the Sacred Mosque. It is the place where the rite of throwing the stones in Hajj.
Then, he asked about the place where the Prophet ﷺprayed in the Day of Nafr, which is the day on which pilgrims return from Minaa to Makkah, which happens on the 3rd day of Tashreed. Anas ibn Maalik (ra) replied that he prayed in al-Abtah, alias al-Muhassib, a place that is known for its small pebbles, and is originally the valley of Makkah, in the south of the Haram, in front of the mountain of Thawr, which is a part of Minaa.
Then, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) ordered him to do like his rulers do and pray where they pray, which indicates that the rulers at that time did not pray Thuhr at a particular place and that it is an open matter so people can pray where they like and leave whenever they want. This also indicates that what he (ra) reported from the Prophet ﷺis not considered one of the rites of Hajj that pilgrims are obliged to do, and it is said that it is one of the rites.
The reason he (ra) ordered him not to oppose the rulers in order to avoid division and possible corruption..

1654
Narrated ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’: I went to Minaa on the Day of Tarwiyah, so I met Anas ibn Maalik (ra) mounting his donkey. I asked him about the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed Thuhr on this day. He said, look where your rulers pray and pray there for it is better..

Commentary : The Hajj is an act of worship that cannot be sanctioned except on the basis of textual evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah to that effect. The Prophet ﷺclarified the rulings pertaining to Hajj and explained that which is allowed and that which is not, and which actions can be delayed or in advance, and what can be open and flexible. The Companions (ras) transmitted all that to the next generation who in their turn transmitted to the people after them and so on. They even offered advice to people about what to do when some rulers make changes to the time and place of certain actions, which are considered flexible in such sense.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’ reports that he went to Minaa on the Day of Tarwiyah, which is the 8th of Thoo al-Hijjah. On his way to Minaa, he met Anas ibn Maalik (ra) riding his donkey and heading also to Minaa. He asked him about the place where the Prophet ﷺprayed on the 8th of Thoo al-Hijjah, so he answered him that he should pray where his rulers pray. His statement was to show that it is permissible to pray it anywhere and that it is an open matter so people can pray in any place that is more convenient to them. While it is better and more recommended to pray where the Prophet ﷺoffered the Thuhr and ‘Asr prayers, but he (ra) wanted to show that it is not obligatory..

1655
Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered a two-units prayer at Minaa. Abu Bakr, `Umar, and `Uthmaan (ras), (during the early years of his caliphate) followed the same practice..

Commentary : The Hajj has its own rulings and some of which are so unique that it gives pilgrims concessions in certain acts of worship like shortening the prayer, and it lifts hardship by allowing certain rites to be shifted to perform them before other rites, and so on.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (ra) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Farewell Hajj shortened the four-units prayers and prayed them as a two-units prayer in Minaa, which is a valley surrounded by mountains, located in east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Mount ‘Arafaat. It is about 6 km away from the Sacred Mosque, and it is the site where the rite of throwing stones is performed. Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar (ras) shortened the prayer there just the Prophet ﷺ. ‘As for Uthmaan (ra), he did the same at the beginning but then he stopped shortening the prayer there six years after assuming the position of the Caliph.
It is said that ‘Uthmaan (ra) opted for offering the four-units prayers without shortening them because he decided to live in the Taaif. By this, he considered him a resident hence could not benefit from the concession of shortening prayers as he held the view that the concession of shortening prayers in Minaa is only for the travelling pilgrims. It  is also said that he did not take the concession and insisted on offering the four units prayers without shortening them for the public good i.e., at that time he noticed that the number of Muslims had dramatically increased after the large groups of people entering Islam and many of the pilgrims were new Muslims who did not know well the rulings and laws of Islam. He feared that the ignorant ones among them would think that the four units prayer consist of two units.
One of the benefits of this hadeeth is that it shows us the keen interest of the Companions (ras) to following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ..

1656
Narrated Haaritha ibn Wahb al-Khuzaa’ee (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) led us in a two-units prayer at Minaa, although our number was more than ever and we were in better security than ever..

Commentary : The Hajj has its own rulings and some of which are so unique that it gives pilgrims concessions in certain acts of worship like shortening the prayer, and it lifts hardship by allowing certain rites to be shifted to perform them before other rites, and so on.
In this hadeeth, Haarithah ibn Wahb (ra) recounts that the Messenger of Allah ﷺshortened the four-units prayers, namely Thuhr, ‘Asr and ‘Ishaa, which he ﷺoffered as two-units prayers. As for the Maghrib prayer, he ﷺoffered it according to its original form i.e., three units prayer. This happened in the Farewell Hajj when the Prophet ﷺwas at Minaa, which is  located in the east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Mount of ‘Arafah. The site is about 6 km away from the Sacred Mosque and it is where the rite of throwing the stones is performed.
At that time, Muslims were in a state of strength, abundance, and total security and safety from enemy, which indicates that shortening the prayer in Minaa is prescribed due to the rite and not because of fear or travelling.
One of the benefits of the hadeeth is learning about the keen interest of the Companions (ras) to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ..

1657
Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): I offered two units’ prayer with the Prophet ﷺ (at Minaa), and similarly with Aboo Bakr and with `Umar (ras), and then you differed in opinions. I wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four units accepted (by Allah)..

Commentary : The Hajj has its own rulings and some of which are so unique that it gives pilgrims concessions in certain acts of worship like shortening the prayer, and it lifts hardship by allowing certain rites to be shifted to perform them before other rites, and so on.
‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood (ra) reports that he was with the Prophet ﷺin the Farewell Hajj and that he prayed behind him in Minaa the four-units prayers, namely Thuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishaa. He (ra) adds that he ﷺshortened them and offered each one of them as a two units prayer. Minaa is a valley surrounded by mountains, located in the east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Mount of ‘Arafah, about 6 km away from the Sacred Mosque, and it is the site where the rite of throwing stones is performed. He continued to explain that he prayed behind Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (ras) and they did the same i.e., they shortened the four-units prayers.
His statement: "Then you differed in opinions" refers to what ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Afaan (ra) did in the second half of his ruling, when he stopped shortening the four-units prayers in Minaa.
It is said that ‘Uthmaan (ra) opted for offering the four-units prayers without shortening them because he decided to live in the Taaif. By this, he considered him a resident hence cannot benefit from the concession of shortening prayers as he held the view that the concession of shortening prayers in Minaa is only for the travelling pilgrims. It is also said that he did not take the concession and insisted on offering the four units prayers without shortening them for the public good i.e., at that time he noticed that the number of Muslims had dramatically increased after the large groups of people entering Islam and many of the pilgrims were new Muslims who did not know well the rulings and laws of Islam. He feared that the ignorant ones among them would think that the four units prayers consist of two units.
As for the statement of Ibn Mas’ood (ra) said: "Wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four units accepted (by Allah)", it is intended to mean that ‘Uthmaan (ra) should have shortened the prayer and followed the way of Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar (ras) because it agrees with the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. While Ibn Mas’ood, (ra) held the view that it is better to shorten the prayer, he held the view that it is permissible not offer the four units prayer without shortening it in Minaa. This is evident because he prayed behind ‘Uthmaan (ras) and if he held the view that shortening the prayer is obligatory, he would have refused to offer the four units prayer behind ‘Uthaman without shortening it.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about the eagerness and insistence of the Companions (ras) to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
This hadeeth shows that little work that corresponds to the Sunnah is more likely to be accepted. .

1684
Narrated 'Amr ibn Maymoon: I saw `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) offering the Fajr prayer at Jam'; then he got up and said, "The polytheists did not use to depart (from Jam') till the sun had risen, and they used to say, 'Let the sun to shine on Thabeer (a mountain).' However, the Prophet ﷺ contradicted them and departed from Jam' before sunrise."
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Commentary : Opposing the polytheists is a religious requirement, which the Prophet ﷺused to emphasize and encourage. All the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) followed his guidance concerning that.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi'ee, 'Amr ibn Maymoon, reports that he witnessed 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was in Hajj offering the Fajr prayer at al-Muzdalifah. Al-Muzdalifah is the name for a place where the pilgrims encamp for the night after departing from 'Arafaat and spend the night of the tenth of Thoo al-Hijjah there. The site contains the al-Mash'ar al-Haraam, and it is about 12 km away from 'Arafah and is next to the monument of Minaa. Al-Muzdalifah is also known as Jam' (combining) because two prayers, Maghrib and 'Ishaa, are combined therein. It is said that it has been given that name due to the action of its [temporary] residents because they congregate therein and they "Yazdalifoon" (get closer) to their Lord; meaning, they draw closer to Him by remaining therein [for His sake]. It was also said that the reason to name it as thus was something else.
Then, 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified to the people that the polytheists did not use to march out of al-Muzalifah to Minaa until the sunrise and they would utter, "Brighten up, Thabeer!" Thabeer is a mountain in al-Muzdalifah toward the left of the path going to Minaa and towards the right path going to 'Arafaat. The meaning of this utterance: Let the sun rise upon you, O Thabeer! So that we can pour out from Muzdalifah to Minaa. Thus, the Prophet ﷺopposed them concerning this practice and he departed from 'Arafaat when the morning had tuned golden and the daylight had appeared, however, before the sunrise.
This hadeeth denotes the time to move out of Muzdalifah and march on to Minaa which is during the golden hour of the morning [before the sunrise]..

1685
Narrated Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ made Al-Fadl ride behind him, and Al-Fadl informed that he ﷺ kept on reciting Talbiyah till he did the rite of throwing of the pebbles.
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Commentary : Reciting the 'Talbiyah' is among the manifested rites of Hajj, which should be pronounced loudly as a demonstration of such a significant rite. It contains the announcement of Tawheed being reserved for Allah Only, the Mighty and Majestic. And when a Muslim recites it, then the plants and unanimated objects would recite it along with him.
In this hadeeth, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet ﷺmade al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbaas ride behind him on the same animal. This happened after he had offered the Fajr prayer at Muzdalifah on the morning of the Day of Sacrifice (The Day of Nahr), the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. He remained there until the morning turned golden, before the sunrise, then he mounted his ride heading towards Minaa. Al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that the Messenger ﷺkept on reciting Labbayka until he performed the stoning rite of Jamarah al-‘Aqabah, this is a big stone pillar in the western side of Minaa adjacent to Makkah.  The wording of the Talbiyah is: Labbayka, Allahumma Labbayka.   Labbayka Laa Shareeka Laka Labbayka. Innal Hamda wan Ni’matah Laka wal Mulk. Laa Shareek Lak. [At Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service. I am at Your service, You have no partner, I am at Your service. Verily, all praises and bounties belong to You and also the dominion, You have no partner]. The pronouncement of the Talbiyah starts from the time of adorning [and making intention of] the Ihraam.
This hadeeth demonstrates the humbleness of the Prophet ﷺ and shows that it is permissible for two people to mount an animal at the same time if it is able to take that load..

1688
Narrated Aboo Jamrah: I asked Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about Hajj-at-Tamattu`. He ordered me to perform it. I asked him about the Hady (sacrificial animal of pilgrims). He said, "You have to slaughter a camel, a cow or a sheep, or you may share the Hady with the others." It seemed that some people disliked it (Hajj-at-Tamattu`). I slept and dreamt as if a person was announcing: "Hajj Mabroor and accepted Mut'ah (Hajj-at-Tamattu`)." I went to Ibn `Abbaas and narrated it to him. He said, "Allah is Greater. (That was) the tradition of Aboo Al-Qaasim (i.e.the Prophetﷺ).
According to another narration the call in the dream was. "An accepted `Umrah and Hajj-Mabroor."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam, and the Prophet ﷺhas explained all the rites and rituals of Hajj both verbally and practically. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi'ee, Aboo Jamrah, Nasr ibn 'Imraan ad-Duba'iee asked 'Abdullah ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Tamattu' kind of Hajj – that is for the pilgrim to assume the state of Ihraam for 'Umrah in the months of Hajj, then, exit the Ihraam after completing the 'Umrah, then to enter the state of Ihraam for Hajj in its same year. Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) permitted him to do that and informed him that it is valid. Then, he asked about the "Hady", , i.e.he asked about the rulings concerning the Hady and what is obligatory to do in its regard due to the statement of Allah Almighty, {Whoever performs 'Umrah [in Hajj months] followed by Hajj, [then, offers] what can be obtained with ease of the sacrificial animals (Hady).}  [Quran 2:196]. The Hady is the name given to the animal that is brought to the Haram of Makkah and is sacrificed therein

 Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied to him, "It is obligatory upon the one performing the Tamattu' to slaughter his sacrificial animal, i.e. a camel, cow or sheep or to participate with others in slaughtering, that is to join others in a portion of a big animal, a camel or a cow and the least share is the one-seventh of the big animal.
Aboo Jamrah's statement, "As if the people disliked it," refers to the prohibition of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) and 'Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) from performing Hajj al-Tamattu'. They used to command people to perform Hajj only within one journey and 'Umrah in a separate journey to allow more visitors to the Sacred House, not because Hajj al-Tamattu' is prohibited [according to them].  It is reported that Aboo Moosaa asked 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning it. To which 'Umar replied, "I know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid it; however, I disliked that they spend the night comfortably with them (their wives) under the arak trees, then they proceed to Hajj whilst their heads are dripping with water." [Sunan al-Nasaa'iee]. That is to mean; I disliked Hajj al-Tamattu' since it requires exiting the Ihraam and becoming able to enjoy that which was prohibited for him during his state of Ihraam, including engaging in sexual intercourse during the period leading to Hajj.
Afterwards, Aboo Jamrah went to sleep and saw in his dream a person proclaiming to him saying, "Hajj Mabroor wa Mut'ah Mutaqabbalah or 'Umrah Mutaqabbalah wa Hajj Mabroor (Your Hajj has been righteously accepted and your Hajj al-Tamattu' has also been accepted). Hajj Mabroor is a Hajj that is performed only for the sake of Allah and is accepted in His sight due to its being sincere and pure from showing off, achieving fame, and using the prohibited wealth for it. The reward for this Hajj before Allah is Paradise.
Aboo Jamrah mentioned this dream to Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn' Abbaas became delighted to hear that and said, "Allah is the Greatest! It is the Sunnah of Aboo al-Qaasim.” Meaning: This is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺand his way which he explained and clarified. This is only a way of attaining more assurance and comfort from the good dreams since neither Islamic rulings nor worldly transactions can be based on dreams. This is because dreams cannot be confirmed as definite or act as proof. Not to mention, there is no textual evidence to indicate that it is obligatory to submit to and act upon the dreams and their interpretations. This applies to all cases whether one dreams of the Messenger ﷺor somebody else; however, one can derive satisfaction and comfort thereby, irrelevant whether that dream pertains to the dreamer or someone else with whom he has a relationship. This is due to the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: "There are three kinds of dreams: the whispers of the self, an instilment of fear from the Satan, and a glad tiding from Allah." [agreed upon]. Moreover, good dreams are part of the forty-sixth parts of prophethood, as mentioned in the two Saheeh Books.
This hadeeth demonstrates the permissibility of performing Hajj al-Tamattu' (benefiting from performing 'Umrah) in the months of Hajj.
It shows that people can share the same Hady of camels and cows.
It shows the happiness of a scholar when finding out that his statement coincides with the truth..

1689
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw a man driving his Badanah (sacrificial camel). He said, "Ride on it." The man said, "It is a Badanah." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Ride on it." He (the man) said, "It is a Badanah." The Prophet said, "Ride on it." Furthermore, on the second or the third time he (the Prophet ﷺ ) added, "Woe to you."
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Commentary : Allah Almighty sent His Prophet, Muhammad ﷺas a mercy for the world and made adherence to his commands and refraining from all that which he prohibited a means of salvation in this world and the hereafter. His method was to make the acts of worship and people's lives easy to handle.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaw a man walking on his feet and he was driving a "badanah" which he took to the Sacred House in order to sacrifice and get closer thereby to Allah.   A Badanah  is an animal, especially from the camels. It was said: "Budun" [plural of badanah] can be used for both the camels and cows. The Messenger of Allah ﷺordered him to ride it so he can rest from the tiredness he got from the hardship of walking. The man informed him that the animal was a badanah that he had driven to the Ka'bah and to express that he should not ride it. However, the Prophet ﷺtold him the second or the third time, "Ride on it, woe unto you! The real meaning of the Arabic word Wayl (lit. Woe] severe punishment; however, that is not what is meant here.   The Prophet ﷺintended to be verbally harsh on him so that he rides it.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to ride the Hady, and it encourages us to hasten to uphold the commandments of Allah and His Messenger, and it contains a reprimand and rebuke against the one who does not hasten towards adhering them..

1691
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): During the last Hajj of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, he performed `Umrah and Hajj together in one Ihraam [Hajj al-Tamattu']. He ﷺdrove his Hady along with him from Thoo al-Hulayfah. Allah's Messenger ﷺ started by assuming Ihraam for `Umrah and then for Hajj. And the people, too, performed the `Umrah and then Hajj along with the Prophet ﷺ. Some of them brought the Hady and drove it along with them, while the others did not. So, when the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Makkah, he said to the people, "Whoever among you has driven the Hady, should not finish his Ihraam till he completes his Hajj. And whoever among you has not (driven) the Hady with him, should perform Tawaaf of the Ka'bah and the Tawaaf between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah, then cut short his hair and finish his Ihraam. And he should later assume Ihraam for Hajj, but he must offer a Hady (sacrifice); if anyone cannot afford a Hady, he should fast for three days during the Hajj and seven days when he returns home. The Prophet ﷺ performed Tawaaf of the Ka'bah on his arrival (at Makkah); he touched the (Black Stone) corner first of all, and then walked with a high pace during the first three rounds of Tawaaf around the Ka'bah, and during the last four rounds, he walked with normal pace. After finishing Tawaaf around the Ka'bah, he offered a two units prayer at the Maqaam of Ibraaheem, and after finishing the prayer he went to Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah and walked seven rounds between them and did not do any deed forbidden because of Ihraam, till he finished all the ceremonies of his Hajj and sacrificed his Hady on the Day of Nahr (10th day of Thoo al-Hijjah). He then hastened onwards (to Makkah) and performed Tawaaf of the Ka'bah and then everything that was forbidden because of Ihraam became permissible. Those who took and drove the Hady with them did the same as Allah's Messenger ﷺ.
Narrated 'Urwah: 'Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told him that the Prophet ﷺ did Hajj al-Tamattu' and so did the people who were with him too, just like the narration that Saalim reported from Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet ﷺ.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam, and the Prophet ﷺhas explained all the rites and rituals of Hajj both verbally and practically. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) relates a part of the guidance of the Prophet ﷺin the Farewell Hajj, which happened in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He explains that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed Hajj al-Tamattu' during the Farewell Hajj by incorporating the 'Umrah into the Hajj, while it is well known that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed Hajj al-Qiraan, that is, that he combined the Hajj and 'Umrah within one Ihraam. Thus, based on that, the word Tamattu' used here is the linguistic meaning of Tamattu'. The meaning of it is that the Prophet ﷺinitially entered the Ihraam for Hajj only but afterwards, he intended to perform 'Umrah too; thus, he ﷺbecame the performer of the Qiraan-type of Hajj. The Qiraan in this case entails the linguistic meaning of Tamattu' (i.e. enjoying benefit) and the technical meaning in religion because he is incorporating 'Umrah into the actions of Hajj in the sense that he enjoyed the unison of the Meeqaat [the boundary from which the Ihraam is adorned for pilgrimage], Ihraam and rituals. This explicitly indicates that the Prophet ﷺwas a Qaarin and that the meaning of Tamattu' in this context is Qiraan. The proof on this is his statement: "Anyone among you who has driven the sacrificial animal, then he is not allowed to do anything that has been prohibited for him [due to being in the state of Ihraam] until he completes his Hajj,". He ﷺsaid it while he ﷺwas among those who had driven the sacrificial animals to the Haram of Makkah.
Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Prophet ﷺdrove with him the Hady – a name given to the animal that is presented and sacrificed at the Haram of Makkah among the camels, cows, sheep and goats – from Thoo al-Hulayfah. Altogether, there were sixty-four sacrificial animals. Thoo al-Hulayfah is the boundary [Meeqaat] of the people of Al-Madeenah and also those outsiders who are in transit therefrom. Now, the place is known as Aabaar' Alee, a well-known location right at the onset of the road of Al-Madeenah that takes one to Makkah. The distance between it and Al-Madeenah is about 13 km and between it and Makkah is approximately 408 km, and it is the farthest of all the boundaries from Makkah.
The statement of Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), "Allah’s Messenger ﷺ started by assuming Ihraam for `Umrah and then for Hajj” is understood to mean reciting Talbiyah during the Ihraam. It is reported on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “Labbayka for the ‘Umrah and Hajj.” [Saheeh Muslim]. This however does not mean that he assumed the Ihraam for ‘Umrah first, then he entered the Ihraam for ‘Umrah later.
His statement, “And the people, too, performed the `Umrah and then Hajj along with the Prophet ﷺ” means, later on, many or most of them had assumed the state of Ihraam for Hajj only at first, then they changed that intention by intending the ‘Umrah instead and then assumed Ihraam separately for Hajj. These people were the pilgrims who did not drive Hady along with them.
Hence, when the Prophet ﷺentered Makkah, he ﷺproclaimed to the people that whoever among them has driven the sacrificial animal with him, then he cannot enjoy any part of what is prohibited for him among the sanctions of Ihraam, thus, he remains in his full Ihraam until he completes his Hajj. That is due to the Statement of Allah, {Do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal reaches its destination of slaughter.}   [Al-Baqarah, 2:196].  As for those who have not driven the sacrificial animal, they need to perform Tawaaf as part of the rites of the ‘Umrah and perform the ritual walking between the Safaa and al-Marwah and then cut their hair short to exit from the Ihraam thereby. Thereupon, it will be permissible for them to do whatever was previously prohibited in the state of Ihraam, such as using fragrances, wearing normal clothes [for men], intimately approaching wives, hunting and so on. The Prophet ﷺordered them to shorten their hair rather than to shave it all off, whereas, shaving the head is better, so that some hair is left to shave it all off when exiting their Ihraam for the Hajj.
The Prophet’s statement, “and should later assume Ihraam for Hajj” means that they should assume Ihraam for Hajj on the Day of Quenching Thirst on the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. It does not mean that they should assume Ihraam for Hajj straight after exiting the Ihraam of ‘Umrah.
As for the one who does not find a sacrificial animal, or its value or its value has increased above the value of the similar animal or that its owner does not want to sell it, then in that instance, let him fast for three days in the Hajj after assuming its Ihraam and for seven days after returning to his family in his city or to the place where he resides. 
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed the Tawaaf when he came to Makkah, known as the Circumambulation of Arrival (Tawaaf al-Qudoom) and performed the Istilaam of the Rukn right in the beginning, that is, the Black Stone. Istilaam means to touch the stone and kiss it. That happened straight as he arrived before doing anything else. Then, he ﷺwalked fast and hastened in the first three rounds and walked normally in the last four rounds of Tawaaf. After completing the Tawaaf, he ﷺoffered a two-units prayer at the standing place (Maqaam) of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). After completing the prayer, he moved from his place and headed to perform the ritual walking between the Safaa and al-Marwah seven times, starting his first circuit from the Safaa and finishing at the Marwah. The second circuit is the opposite of the first one, which goes from the Marwah to the Safaa. The third circuit is like the first one, and thus until the circuit is complete during the seventh circuit.
The Prophet ﷺremained in the state of Ihraam until he completed his Hajj. He sacrificed the animal on the day of ‘Eid, and he performed the Tawaaf of Ifaadah, that is because he drove the sacrificial animal with him; otherwise, he ﷺwould have exited from the Ihraam of ‘Umrah just as he ordered his Companions to do. Everyone who drove their sacrificial animals did exactly as the Prophet ﷺdid, i.e. they did not temporarily cancel their Ihraam of Hajj by completing the ‘Umrah and then wait to Hajj time. As a result, the Prophet ﷺalongside some other people performed Qiraan, while the other group performed Tamattu’ instead.
One of the benefits of this hadeeth as well is that it reveals the legality of performing Hajj in the forms of either Qiraan or Tamattu’ and intending Tamattu’ for the one who has performed Hajj in the Qiraan form or Ifraad form.
It also reveals the legality of walking fast in the three first circuits of the Tawaaf aaround the Ka’bah..

1694
Narrated al-Maysoor ibn Makhramah and Marwaan: The Prophet ﷺ set out from Al-Madeenah with over one thousand of his Companions (at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah) and when they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah, the Prophet ﷺ garlanded his Hady and marked it and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexplained the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah and their recommended acts and etiquettes both verbally and practically. And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted all that they heard and witnessed from him ﷺconcerning this.
In this hadeeth, al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Taabi’ee, Marwaan ibn al-Hakam report that the Prophet ﷺleft Al-Madeenah during the year of al-Hudaibiyyah – the sixth year of the Hijrah – intending to perform ‘Umrah and not to fight. He ﷺwas accompanied by over ten hundred [, i.e. over a thousand] of his Companions. The Arabic word Bid’ used in the hadeeth to indicate their number encompasses the number from three to nine. [Hence, here, the word Bid’ (over) could mean anywhere between thirteen hundred to nineteen hundred]. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him)mentioned that they were a thousand and three hundred (thirteen hundred) in number; and the other time, he stated that they were fourteen hundred; and again, the third time, he stated that they were fifteen hundred [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]. When they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah - now, it is known as Aabaar ‘Alee, a well-known location right at the onset of the road of Al-Madeenah that takes one to Makkah. The distance between it and Al-Madeenah is about 13 km and between it and Makkah is approximately 408 km, it is the farthest of all the boundaries from Makkah. It is the boundary [Meeqaat] of the people of Al-Madeenah and those who go for Hajj or ‘Umrah and pass by Al-Madeenah. The Prophet ﷺgarlanded the sacrificial animal and marked it [for identification]. The Arabic root word Taqleed [used in the hadeeth]: means to place garlands on the necks of the sacrificial animals so they are identified from others. Those garlands could be made from [a strip of] leather or socks and so on. The Arabic word Ish’aar [also used in the hadeeth]: means that the hump [or the back] of the big animal is slightly stabbed with a knife or any other [sharp] object until its blood flows. The benefit of performing Ish’aar: is to notify that it has now become a sacrificial animal, thus the poor who need it [its meat] may follow it and if it is intermixed with other animals, it can be distinguished or if it is lost, it can be located and besides this. It also indicates the veneration of the religious rites and encouragement to others to adopt them.
On this occasion, the Prophet ﷺhad assumed the Ihraam for ‘Umrah, however, the polytheists prevented him from performing it. Then, the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah took place and the Prophet ﷺsettled this ‘Umrah of his in the following year (the seventh year of the Hijrah), hence, it was named as ‘Umrah al-Qadaa’. In Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that “The Prophet ﷺwas blockaded [from advancing further], hence he shaved his head, had sexual intercourse with his wives, sacrificed the sacrificial animals, and then he performed the ‘Umrah in the following year.”
This hadeeth highlights the legality of garlanding the sacrificial animals and marking them, for the purpose of identification.
It shows that it is permissible to assume Ihraam for the ‘Umrah alone..

1700
Narrated `Amrah bint `Abd al-Rahmaan had told him, “Ziaad ibn Aboo Sufyaan wrote to `’Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that `Abdullah ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) had stated, ‘Whoever drives Hady (to the Ka’bah), all the things which are illegal for a (pilgrim) become illegal for that person till he slaughters it (i.e. till the 10th of Thoo al-Hijjah).’ “`Amrah added, `’Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) commented, ‘It is not like what Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) had said: I twisted the garlands of the Hady of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ with my own hands. Then Allah’s Messenger ﷺ put them around their necks with his own hands, sending them with my father; yet nothing permitted by Allah was considered illegal for Allah’s Messenger till he slaughtered the Hady.’“
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Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the guidance of the Prophet ﷺin all his statements and actions. Some of them would correct others concerning that.
In this hadeeth, ‘Amrah bint ‘Abdur al-Rahmaan reports that Ziyaad ibn Abee Sufyaan, a.k.a. Ziyaad ibn Abeeh wrote to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) advocates that if a person drives the sacrificial animal, be it from the camels, cows, sheep and goats, to the Sacred house, in order for them to be sacrificed in the Hajj, without him assuming the Ihraam for Hajj and travelling for such purpose; then, all that is prohibited for the pilgrim will be prohibited for him too. With that said, such a person should not wear perfume, have intercourse with his wives, or do other things among the prohibited things of Ihraam. He must remain in that state until his sacrificial animal is slaughtered. However, when the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) heard of the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), she responded to this fatwa stating that it contravened what the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid. She explained that she used to make the garlands – collars – which were placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals of the Prophet ﷺwhich he would send forth, while he was not intending Hajj or assuming the Ihraam for Hajj. The Prophet ﷺwould place the garlands on the sacrificial animals with his noble hands, and then send them with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Hajj in the year nine of the Hijrah when the latter performed the Hajj with the people. On the other hand, the Prophet ﷺremained at home and did not commit to the obligations that are imposed upon the person who is in the state of Ihraam and enjoyed all that which is allowed for other besides the one who enters into the state of Ihraam either for the Hajj or ‘Umrah.
This hadeeth shows the legality of sending the sacrificial animals to the Sacred Mosque by the person who has not gone there to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah.
It shows that a high-status person should serve himself by himself, even if there are others who will take care of his needs.
It illustrates the reality of some scholars correcting and responding to other scholars [with proofs]..

763
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: I spent the night in the house of my maternal aunt Maymūnah and observed how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed. He said: He got up and relieved himself. He then washed his face and hands and then went to sleep. Then, he got up and went near the water-skin and loosened its strap and then poured some water in a bowl and inclined it with his hand. He then performed a good ablution between the two extremes and then stood up to pray. I came and stood by his left side. He said: He took hold of me and made me stand on his right side. The prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was completed with thirteen Rak‘ahs. He then slept till he began to snore, and we would know that he was asleep by his snoring. Then, he went out for the prayer and prayed, and he kept saying during his prayer - or his prostration: "O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, light above me, light below me, and make light for me," or he said: "Make me light." [In a version]: I met Kurayb, and he said: Ibn ‘Abbās reported: I was in the house of my maternal aunt Maymūnah, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came there... then he narrated the rest of the Hadīth as narrated by Ghundar and said these words: "Make me light," and he was not doubtful..

Commentary : Our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in terms of worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and take his Sunnah, apply it, and convey it to those who came after them. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen on that since he was young.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he spent the night in the house of his maternal aunt Maymūnah bint al-Hārith, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was spending the night in her house, in her allocated night. He said: "and I observed how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed" i.e., he wanted to watch how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would pray in the night. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came into his house after the ‘Ishā’ prayer and talked with his wife for a while and then went to sleep, as related in versions of the Two Sahīh Collections. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up and relieved himself and then washed his face and hands. Then, he went to sleep. Then, he got up from sleep once again and headed to the skin, a vessel made of tanned and stitched leather for holding fluids and water - and loosened its strap. Then, he poured water from it in a bowl, which is a spacious and big vessel. So, he placed the water that was in the skin on this bowl so that it would be easier for him to use it. Then, he performed a good ablution between the two extremes, i.e., between what is light and quick and what is deliberate and perfect. It is more probable that he minimized the use of water while washing the body parts of ablution thrice. This is because he described it as good, and so it would not be less than thrice. It is reported in the version of the Two Sahīh Collections that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered his house after the ‘Ishā’ prayer and went to sleep. Then, he got up and used the Siwāk - a small stick made from the Arak tree - and brushed his teeth and cleansed his mouth, and then he made ablution as he recited the verses that read: {Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth and the alternation of the night and day are signs for people of understanding, those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and earth [saying]: "Our Lord, you have not created all this in vain. Glory be to You. Protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, whoever You cause to enter the Fire, You have surely disgraced him, and the wrongdoers will have no helpers. Our Lord, we have heard the caller to faith calling, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ so we believed. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, expiate our misdeeds, and cause us to die among the righteous. Our Lord, give us what You have promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection, for You never break Your promise."} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 190-194] It is reported in a version by Muslim that he recited to the end of the Sūrah.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began to pray. Shortly thereafter, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) came and stood beside the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after making ablution like that of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as reported in the Two Sahīh Collections. He stood on the Prophet's left side. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) held him by the hand, turned him around from behind his back, and made him stand on his right side. This points out and emphasizes how the Imām and the one who is led in prayer should stand when the congregational prayer includes two persons only, even if it is supererogatory.
Then, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered thirteen Rak‘ahs as Qiyām al-Layl, praying two Rak‘ahs each and then observing Witr with one Rak‘ah, thus completing thirteen Rak‘ahs.
In a version by Muslim: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "offered two Rak‘ahs and prolonged the standing, bowing, and prostration therein and then left" after he finished the two Rak‘ahs. "He then slept till he began to snore" i.e., he breathed with a sound. This is an indication of deep sleep. "Then he did that three times," i.e., he got up from sleep and offered two Rak‘ahs and then slept, until he offered in that night "six Rak‘ahs. Meanwhile, he used the Siwāk, performed ablution, recited those verses, and then observed Witr with three Rak'ahs," i.e., he concluded his prayer with Witr consisting of three Rak‘ahs. It was said: This version opposes the other versions of this same Hadīth regarding the sleep between the Rak‘ahs, the repetition of ablution, and the number of Rak‘ahs. He did not mention in other versions the sleep between the Rak‘ahs and the number of Rak‘ahs as thirteen. He probably did not include in this prayer the first two light Rak‘ahs with which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to commence prayer in the night, as explicitly mentioned by Hadīths in the Sahīh Muslim Collection and others. Therefore, he said: "He offered two Rak‘ahs and prolonged therein" indicates that they came after the two light Rak‘ahs. So, the two light Rak‘ahs were followed by the two long Rak‘ahs, and then the six mentioned Rak‘ahs, and then the three Rak‘ahs after them, as mentioned by him; the total became thirteen Rak‘ahs.
After the prayer, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) slept so deeply that a sound coming out with his breathing was heard. Then, his Muezzin Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) came to tell and notify him of the Fajr prayer, as demonstrated by the versions in the Two Sahīh Collections. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out for the Fajr prayer. The versions in the Two Sahīh Collections point out that he did not renew his ablution after waking up. This is particularly reserved for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), for his eyes would sleep but his heart would not, and so his ablution would not be broken.
Then, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept supplicating in his prayer or in his prostration. And it is reported in a version by Muslim that he made this supplication while going out for the prayer, saying: "O Allah, place light in my heart" i.e., to enlighten it, grant it the ability to distinguish between the truth and falsehood, protect it from corrupt beliefs, and keep it away from spite, envy, and the like. "Light in my hearing," is to hear what exhorts obedience to You, not disobedience. "Light in my sight," is to keep it away from everything that Allah ordered us to lower our gaze from. In a version by Muslim: "light in my tongue," i.e., so that it becomes keen to mention You and speak the truth and all the good deeds to be performed by the tongue. "Light on my right, light on my left," i.e., on my sides, or in my body parts. "Light in front of me, light behind me, light above me, light below me, and make light for me," i.e., an overall summary of these detailed items. Or he said: "Make me light." By it, he meant a huge light comprising all lights; those that he mentioned here and those he did not mention. So, the light would encompass him and surround him with what preserves him from making mistakes. The intended meaning: clarifying the truth and its light and guiding to it, and that He places in every organ of these organs and in every direction of these directions a light by which he would be guided in following the truth and acting upon it, and it would guide those who want to follow the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the true path; and so that the devil would not have a possibility of influence.
It was said: The light for which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked is the one that would preserve him in this world from sins and draw him closer to the performance of good deeds. It was also said: Rather, it is a light that Allah will grant him on the Day of Judgment. And it was said: It probably combines both, i.e., by the worldly light, he obtains knowledge and guidance, and by the afterlife light, he obtains illumination for the darkness on the Day of Judgment.
In the Hadīth: Mentioning some of the Prophet's peculiar characteristics.
And in it: Resorting to Allah with sincere supplication
And in it: A boy may pass the night in the house of one of his mahrams (non-marriageable female relatives) in the presence of her husband.
And in it: Offering a supererogatory prayer in congregation.

765
Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani said: I will definitely watch the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) tonight. He offered two short Rak‘ahs, and then he offered two long, long, long Rak‘ahs. Then, he offered two Rak‘ahs, which were shorter than the two preceding ones. Then, he offered two Rak‘ahs, which were shorter than the two preceding ones. Then, he offered two Rak‘ahs, which were shorter than the two preceding ones. Then, he offered two Rak‘ahs, which were shorter than the two preceding ones. Then, he performed Witr. That was thirteen Rak‘ahs..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to know the Prophet's Sunnahs and guidance in all matters and to follow and comply with him in terms of his worship (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Hence, they used to ask about things hidden from them, including his guidance on Qiyām al-Layl.
In this Hadīth, the Companion Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he wanted to know how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed during the night. So, he said to himself: "I will definitely watch" i.e., I will look and observe carefully. This is an affirmation from him that he would adhere to the manner of the Prophet's performance of prayer, i.e., his prayer during the night. He would observe the number of its Rak‘ahs and how long he would stand therein. In the version by Abu Dāwūd: "I rested my head on his threshold, or Fustāt (tent)" i.e., he treated it as a pillow. "Fustāt": a large tent made of hair. The word 'tent' indicates that he was on a journey, for the Prophet's houses were not tents. So, Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered two short Rak‘ahs, in which he did not stand or recite for long. With such two Rak‘ahs, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to commence Qiyām al-Layl, as their shortness activates the body. Then, "he offered two long, long, long Rak‘ahs," He said it three times to point to their great length. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered eight Rak‘ahs, with every two Rak‘ahs being shorter than the two Rak‘ahs that preceded them. Then, he concluded his prayer with one Rak‘ah. It is reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that Witr can be one, three, or five Rak‘ahs and so on. The number of Rak‘ahs performed by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at that time was thirteen, which is the maximum reported about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The minimum reported about him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is seven Rak‘ahs.
Prayer in the night starts after the ‘Ishā’ prayer and extends to shortly before dawn. One is not required to sleep before performing it.
The Hadīth demonstrates the Prophet's diligence in worship and prayer, and how this teaches the Ummah to engage in worship diligently and not to neglect it..

766
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: I was with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey and we reached a Mashra‘ah (water passage from the river). He said: "O Jābir, will you not engage in Ishrā‘ (drinking water)?" I said: 'Yes.' He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then got down and I drank. He said: Then, he went away to relieve himself, and I placed for him water for ablution. He said: Then, he came back and performed ablution, and then stood and prayed in one garment, having its ends tied from the opposite sides. I stood behind him and he caught hold of my ear and made me stand to his right side..

Commentary : This Hadīth demonstrates some of the Prophet's actions during travel, including his clemency towards travelers and riding animals, and points out how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed prayer on some of his journeys. Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "I was with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey and we reached a Mashra‘ah" i.e., a path for crossing the water from the bank of a river, sea, or the like. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Jābir, will you not engage in Ishrā‘?" Ishrā‘ is to drink with the mouth directly or by taking a handful of water without the use of any tool, like a cup. Taking water with the mouth mostly happens in the case of animals, and people may also drink in this way or take water in their hands. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges him to come to the Mashra‘ah and take what he needs of water, drink from it, and water his animals. This shows the Prophet's leniency towards people and animals during travel, so that they can rest, drink, and water their mounts. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got off his mount, and Jābir drank and watered his mount. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to a remote place to answer the call of nature, urinating and defecating. Meanwhile, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared water for him for purification and ablution. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) relieved himself, he came and performed ablution. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and prayed in one garment, "having its ends tied from the opposite sides" i.e., he took the end of the garment which he dropped over his right shoulder from underneath his left hand, and its end which he dropped over his left shoulder from underneath his right hand. Then, he tied them over his chest so as to hold the garment and prevent it from falling.
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) came and stood for prayer behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) held Jābir from the tip of his ear, dragged him, and made him stand to his right side. This is how the Imām and the one praying with him should stand when only two persons engage in a congregational prayer, be it obligatory or supererogatory.
The Hadīth mentions praying in one garment.
It demonstrates how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to serve the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

767
‘Ā’ishah reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up in the night to pray, he would commence his prayer with two light Rak‘ahs..

Commentary : Qiyām al-Layl is the source of honor for the believer. So, a Muslim should be keen to pray in the night, following the Prophet's example. The Prophet's prayer at night was constant, and he would engage in prayer until his feet would swell, in gratitude towards Allah and praise for His blessings.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) relates that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up at night to pray, he would start his prayer with two light Rak‘ahs, in preparation for the prolonged prayer, whose Rak‘ahs were described by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in these words: "and do not ask about their beauty and length," as reported in the Two Sahīh Collections. In his Sahīh Collection, Al-Bukhāri narrated that Masrūq ibn al-Ajda‘ reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the night, and she said: "Seven, nine, and eleven Rak‘ahs apart from the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr." Prayer in the night starts after the ‘Ishā’ prayer and extends to shortly before dawn. One is not required to sleep before performing it..

768
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you gets up at night to perform Qiyām al-Layl, let him start his prayer with two short Rak‘ahs.".

Commentary : Qiyām al-Layl is the source of honor for the believer, and its merit is great. It is the best prayer after the obligatory prayers. The pure Shariah encourages its performance and demonstrates its great reward and virtue.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrates part of the understanding related to Qiyām al-Layl. He informs that when someone wants to perform Qiyām al-Layl, he should commence his prayer with two short Rak‘ahs. This is to break the desire for sleep, and their shortness is more suitable for repelling it, given the successive movements involved therein. Moreover, if he offers long Rak‘ahs at the beginning, this will be heavy for his body, and he will probably reduce his Rak‘ahs of Qiyām al-Layl, due to the heaviness he feels. But if he is gradual in prolonging the prayer, he may become more active and desire to increase the prayer and make it longer, after this gradation. This is because he has prepared his body and activated it with these two Rak‘ahs. It is said: Starting Qiyām al-Layl with two short Rak‘ahs serves to initiate loosening the knots that the devil ties on a person's head after he sleeps, and these knots are completely loosened when the prayer is completed..

770
Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her): "With what did the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to commence his prayer when he got up at night. She said: "When he got up at night, he would commence his prayer with: "Allahumma rabba jibrā’īl wa mikā’īl wa isrāfīl, fātira as-samawāt wa al-ard, ‘ālim al-ghayb wa ash-shahādah, anta tahkumu bayna ‘ibādaka fima kānū fihi yakhtalifūn, ihdini lima ikhtulifa fīhi min al-haqq bi eznik, innaka tahdi man tashā’ ila sirātin mustaqīm" (O Allah, Lord of Gabriel (Jibrīl), Michael (Mikā'īl), and Israfil (Isrāfīl), Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that over which they used to differ. Guide me, by Your permission, to the truth about which people differed. Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path)..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night as much as Allah willed him to pray, and he adopted certain Sunnahs and ethics in his house. The Tābi‘is were keen to know his worship in detail and would ask about the acts of worship the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform at home so that they could follow his guidance and adhere to his Sunnah.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf asked ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers: With what words or deeds did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to commence his prayer when he got up at night? In other words, how would he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commence the prayer? In response, she told him that when he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up at night, he would commence his prayer with this supplication: "O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil," i.e., I supplicate to You, my Lord, and the Lord of all that is great, such as those great angels, and You are Greater than them and than all Your creation. It befits You to answer supplications. Those particular angels are singled out due to their great status. Gabriel is the angel entrusted with revelation, and Michael is the angel in charge of rains, plants, and provisions, and he occupies a great status and high rank and is honorable in the sight of Allah Almighty. He has assistants who apply what he commands them with the order of his Almighty Lord. And Isrāfīl is the angel entrusted with blowing the Trumpet at the command of his Lord, the blow of panic and swooning, and the blow for standing before the Lord of the worlds.
If a person knows the status of the angels, those great and noble creatures, and knows their traits, he will know the greatness of their Creator, Exalted be He, and His great power and dominion. Indeed, the greatness of a created being stems from the greatness of the Creator. He will also give thanks to Him for His care about His servants, as He entrusted some of those angels with preserving them, supplicating for Allah's forgiveness for them, and recording their deeds. Also, he who knows the angels and genuinely believes in them and will love them for what they do, as they worship Allah Almighty and obey Him in the perfect manner, and they ask for Allah's forgiveness for the believers, supporting them, and so on.
"Originator of the heavens and the earth," i.e., their Creator and Maker. "Knower of the unseen and the seen," i.e., I supplicate to You, O Knower of the unseen and the seen, for You know what is hidden from Your servants and what is apparent and visible to them. "You judge," i.e., You judge with reward and punishment. "on the Day of Judgment between Your slaves concerning that over which they used to differ" regarding the matter of religion in this worldly life. You punish the sinners, if You will, and reward the obedient ones. People differed after they had been following the Fitrah of Islam (natural disposition), and then the prophets and messengers came to guide them. They differed over the path of guidance and the straight path with which they came, and that is the truth from their Lord.
"Guide me, by Your permission, to the truth about which people differed," i.e., make me steadfast and increase me in guidance to the straight path which the prophets and messengers called to, by Your help and facilitation. "Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path," which is the path of the truth that has no crookedness in it. This is the religion of Islam with which Allah sent Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and it was called 'path' because it leads to the destination just as a real path does. This phrase serves as a reason for asking Him for guidance, i.e., because You guide whomever You will. This supplication represents complete humbleness before Allah Almighty.
In the Hadīth: Clarifying the dhikr with which Qiyām al-Layl is commenced
And in it: Pointing out that a person should ask Allah Almighty to guide him to the true path
And in it: Clarifying that guidance lies in the Hand of Allah Almighty; none can grant it except Him, Exalted be He.

771
‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) got up to pray, he would say: "I have turned my face to the One Who created the heavens and the earth, in exclusive devotion, and I am not one of the polytheists. Verily, my prayer, my Nusuk (worship, sacrifice), my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; there is no partner with Him, and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe), and I am of the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign, there is no god but You. You are my Lord, and I am Your slave. I have wronged myself and I have admitted my sin; so, forgive all my sins, for no one can forgive sins but You. Guide me to the best of morals, for no one can guide to them but You, and turn away from me the worst of morals, for no one can deliver me from them but You. Here I am, in answer to Your call, in support of Your command. All goodness lies in Your Hands and evil does not stem from You. I exist by You and I turn to You. Blessed and Exalted are You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You." When he bowed, he would say: "O Allah, it is for You that I bowed, it is in You that I believed, and it is to You that I submitted. Humbled to You are my hearing, my eyesight, my brain, my bones, and my sinew." When he rose from bowing, he would say: "O Allah, our Lord, praise is due to You, (praise) that fills the heavens and the earth, that fills what exists between them, and that fills anything You wish afterward." When he prostrated, he would say: “O Allah, it is to You that I prostrated myself, it is in You that I believed, and it is to You that I submitted. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it, shaped it, and split open its faculties of hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators." Then, one of the last things he would say between the Tashahhud and Taslīm is: "O Allah, forgive my past and future sins, my hidden and apparent sins, my transgression, and the sins that You know of more than I do. You are the One Who puts forward and the One Who holds back. There is no god but You.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) loved prayer and used to offer a lot of voluntary and supererogatory prayers during the day and night, and he adopted certain Sunnahs and etiquettes related to prayer. The Prophet's Companions were keen to know his worship in detail, so that they could follow his guidance and adhere to his Sunnah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up to offer the obligatory or supererogatory prayer, he would supplicate to Allah Almighty with what is known as the opening supplication, which lies between the Takbīr of Ihrām (Takbīr at the start of prayer) and the recitation of Surat al-Fātihah. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his supplication: "I have turned my face," i.e., I sincerely devoted my worship to Allah Who "created the heavens and the earth," i.e., He originated their creation without a precedent example. In all this, I am Hanīf (upright, exclusively devoted), turning away from Shirk (polytheism) towards Tawhīd (monotheism). Among the Arabs, a Hanīf person would refer to one who followed the religion of Abraham (Ibrāhīm) (peace be upon him), and this is Islam. Then, he further demonstrated and clarified the meaning of Hanīf, saying: "and I am not one of the polytheists." I do not associate anything as a partner with Allah, and I am not one of those described as polytheists. The word polytheist is used to refer to every disbeliever, including idol worshipers, Jews, Christians, Magians, and others.
Then, he supplicated, saying: "Verily, my prayer" which I perform. Prayer is a comprehensive term that refers to Takbīr, recitation, bowing, prostration, Tashahhud, and others. "my Nusuk", which is worship. Nasīkah is everything that brings closeness to Allah Almighty, and it is used to refer to sacrifice by which one draws close to Allah Almighty. A Nāsik is one who sincerely devotes his worship to Allah Almighty. Also, "my life and my death are for Allah," for He is the One Who created and predestined them, or He is the Possessor and Disposer of them. No one else has any control over them. And it was said: The righteous acts in life and the good things that follow death, like a will or managing affairs, or the worship I perform during my life and the condition in which I die, are sincerely devoted to the Countenance of Allah. "the Lord of the worlds," for He is the One Who possesses them, raises them, and reforms and manages their affairs. There is no partner with Him in His dominion. And I have been commanded regarding all of this - to embrace complete Tawhīd (monotheism) that comprises sincerity in words and beliefs. And I am one of the Muslims who submit to Allah's command, yield to Him in obedience, and acknowledge all these attributes of Allah Almighty. This is an affirmation of the meanings of Tawhīd and acceptance of the religion of Allah Almighty.
Then, he praised Allah Almighty, acknowledged his own sin, and asked Him for forgiveness, saying: "O Allah, You are the Sovereign," i.e., the real Owner of all creatures. "and I am Your slave," acknowledging that You are my Owner and the Disposer of my affairs, and Your judgment regarding me is surely executed. "I have wronged myself and I have admitted my sin," i.e., I have wronged myself by falling short in fulfilling Your rights, and I have admitted this shortcoming. "so, forgive all my sins," i.e., O Lord, pardon my shortcomings. "for no one forgives sins but You." This is an admission and acknowledgment of the attribute of forgiveness for Allah alone. In this, he acknowledged his shortcomings and mentioned that before asking for forgiveness, out of politeness, as Adam and Eve (peace be upon both of them) said: {Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 23]
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Guide me to the best of morals," i.e., direct me to the most perfect and most excellent morals, enable me to adopt them, and make me steadfast upon them. "for none can guide to them but You." Guidance lies in Your Hand alone. The hearts of people are between two of the Fingers of the Most Compassionate, and He overturns them as He wishes. "and turn away from me the worst of morals," i.e., keep me away from ugly and reprehensible manners. "for none can deliver me from them but You." This is an acknowledgment that Allah Almighty alone is the One Who can repel the Divine Decree and keep the worst of them from His servants.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Here I am, in answer to Your call," i.e., I persist in obedience to You and compliance with Your command in a repeated manner. "in support of Your command," i.e., supporting Your command one time after another and following Your religion one time after another. "All goodness lies in Your Hands". This is an acknowledgment that all goodness that reaches the servants or hoped to reach them does actually lie in the Hands of Allah, Exalted be He. "and evil does not stem from You". Evil is not attributed to You. Or evil is not committed to attain closeness to You. Or evil does not ascend to You. Rather, it is good speech that ascends. Then, he said: "I exist by You and I turn to You," i.e., my success is through You, and I take refuge in You and belong to You; or I exist by You creating me and my return is to You; or upon You I rely, and to You I turn for refuge.
"Blessed and Exalted are You." This is praise for Allah Almighty involving two things: The first is 'Blessed'; this is because Allah Almighty is the Most Worthy of blessing. The word 'blessed' means: Your favors are plentiful, overwhelming, and reachable to all creation. Indeed, the blessing is plentiful and enduring favors and goodness. The second is 'Exalted'; it comes from exaltedness in essence and attributes. Indeed, Allah Almighty is Exalted by His essence and by His attributes. He is Exalted by His essence above all creation, and His exaltedness is an innate, timeless, and eternal attribute. Then, he said: "I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You," i.e., I ask You to forgive me and eliminate my sins. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to open his prayer with this great supplication.
And when he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed, he would say in his Rukū‘: "O Allah, it is for You that I bowed." You alone, and I do not bow to any human being or any of Your creation. "it is in You that I believed" in Your sacred essence, excellent names, and sublime attributes. "and it is to You that I submitted," i.e., I humbled myself and surrendered, or I turned my face to You in sincere devotion. "Humbled," i.e., obedient and surrendered to You "are my hearing, my eyesight." He singled them out from among all senses because most evils are committed by them. When we humble ourselves, the insinuations decrease. Also, humbled to You are "my brain, my bones, and my sinew." Sinew: it connects and ties the joints with the bones. They are more delicate than bones.
When he rose from bowing and said, "Allah hears whoever praises Him," he would say thereafter: "O Allah, our Lord, praise is due to You, (praise) that fills the heavens and the earth, that fills what exists between them, and that fills anything You desire afterward." It means: I turn to You, O Allah, with complete praise that befits Your blessings and favors, as many as You will. This is meant for the quantity of numbers. If praise were material objects, then due to You is praise that fills the heavens and the earth, that fills what exists between them. It was said: This refers to the scrolls in which praises are recorded. "and that fills anything You desire afterward," i.e., that fills what is beyond the heavens and the earth, as You will, which is not known to the people. This is intended for teaching the Prophet's Ummah, for Allah Almighty already forgave his past and future sins.
Then, when he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated himself, he would say during his prostration: "O Allah, it is to You that I prostrated myself, it is in You that I believed, and it is to You that I submitted. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it," i.e., it yielded, humbled itself, and submitted to Allah Almighty. He singled out the face from among all the body parts used in prostration because it is the noblest among them, as Allah Almighty is the One Who shaped it and split open its faculties of hearing and seeing. So, the One Who created this face, put in it features by which it is identified, and split open in it eyes and ears and gave them discernment through seeing and hearing is the One worthy of worship, prostration, and submission. "Blessed is Allah": Extolled, Glorified, and Exalted far above, for He is the Creator Who alone brought everything out of nothing into existence and gave His creation the best shape, and He, Exalted be He, is "the best of all creators," who fashion and give due proportions.
"Then", after he finished bowing and prostration," one of the last things he would say between the Tashahhud and Taslīm is: "O Allah, forgive my past" sins, "and my future" deeds. It was said: What I did before the Prophethood and what I did thereafter. It was also said: The future things in Your knowledge which You predestined for me. And it was said: It means: If a sin is committed by me in the future, make it connected to Your forgiveness. Indeed, the pursuit of forgiveness before the commission of sins aims at forgiving a sin if it is committed. "my hidden and apparent sins," i.e., forgive all my sins, for they are: either past or future, and hidden or apparent; and forgive me. "my transgression" when I exceed the bounds. "and the sins that You know of more than I do": My sins which I do not know, in terms of their number and rulings. "You are the One Who puts forward and the One Who holds back": No one can put forward what You hold back or hold back what You put forward. "There is no god but You": No one is truly worthy of worship except You, Exalted be You. We are not capable of enumerating the praise of You. You are as You have praised Yourself. So, he concluded with this praise of Allah Almighty, which is the word of Tawhīd and the word of sincere devotion.
This is a Hadīth that comprises a lot of ath-kaar that are to be said in some positions in prayer, namely the commencement, bowing, and prostration.
In the Hadīth: It was part of the Prophet's guidance to say the opening supplication.
And in it: The dhikr to be said during bowing, prostration, and after rising from bowing, and the supplication before Taslīm.
And in it: teaching politeness in extending praise to Allah Almighty, that we should ascribe to Him only the good things, not the bad ones, out of politeness..

772
Hudhayfah reported: I prayed with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) once at night and he started reciting Surat al-Baqarah. I thought that he would bow in Rukū‘ at the end of one hundred verses, but he continued. I thought that he would probably recite it (the Surah) in one Rak‘ah, but he continued. I thought he would perhaps bow in Rukū‘ on completing (this Surah). He then started reciting Surat an-Nisā’ and read it all, and then he started reciting Surat Āl ‘Imrān and read it all. He was reciting slowly; when he came across a verse containing Tasbīh (glorifying Allah), he would glorify, and when he came across asking, he would ask, and when he came across seeking refuge, he would seek refuge. Then, he bowed in Rukū‘ and said: "Subhān rabbiya al-‘azhīm" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Majestic). His bowing lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing. Upon rising from Rukū‘, he said: "Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears whoever praises Him). He then remained standing nearly the same length of time as he had spent bowing. He then prostrated and said: "Subhān rabbiya al-a‘la" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High), and his prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing. Another version adds: "Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah; rabbana laka al-hamd" (Allah listens to he who praises Him; praise be to You, Our Lord)..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) liked standing before his Lord, and so he used to prolong the prayer and perfect it by long recitation, bowing, prostration, and supplication. His prayer was also marked by humility, submissiveness, and subservience before Allah Almighty.
In this Hadīth, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he performed Qiyām al-Layl one night with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started his recitation after Surat al-Fātihah with Surat al-Baqarah. Hudhayfah thought that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would bow after reciting one hundred verses, but he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went past one hundred verses. So, Hudhayfah thought that he would probably recite Surat al-Baqarah in one Rak‘ah, but he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued the recitation after finishing Surat al-Baqarah and started reciting Surat an-Nisā’ and read it all. Then, he started reciting Surat Āl ‘Imrān and read it all. This stems from his prolongation of the prayer and the excellence of recitation in Qiyām al-Layl. This prolongation and this manner in this prayer was probably done by him at a time that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) happened to particularly enjoy what he was up to and was so engrossed therein away from anything else. This accords with his statement in the agreed-upon Hadīth: "If any of you leads the people in prayer, let him shorten it, because among them are the weak, the sick, and the elderly people. And if any of you prays alone, let him prolong as much as he wishes."
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was "reciting slowly," i.e., unhurriedly, and deliberately. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would glorify Allah, by saying "Suhān Allah", when he came across a verse containing Tasbīh. And when he came across a verse that urges the asking of Allah Almighty, he would ask of Him. In a version by Abu Dāwūd: "And he did not come across a verse of mercy except that he would pause at it and make supplication." "and when he came across [a verse] seeking refuge," as the verse mentions Hellfire or contains a threat, "he would seek refuge" with Allah and resort to Him for salvation from His punishment. This all adds to the length of the prayer.
After all that, he bowed in Rukū‘. "and he said: 'Subhān rabbiya al-‘azhīm' (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Majestic)." He adopted this wording in Tasbīh, and it means: We glorify Allah Almighty and praise Him for His greatness. This is an exaltation of Allah Who possesses this attribute. "His bowing lasted about the same length of time as his standing," i.e., the duration of bowing. He stayed therein for nearly the same length of time he had spent standing. Then, he rose from bowing and said: "Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears whoever praises Him). This is an informative sentence in the sense of a supplication. In other words: O Allah, answer the supplication of he who praises You. Another version adds: "Rabbana laka al-hamd" (praise be to You, Our Lord). This is one of the best supplications and forms of gratitude to Allah Almighty.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained standing nearly the same length of time as he had spent in bowing - before descending to prostrate. "He then prostrated and said: 'Subhān rabbiya al-a‘la' (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)." He reserved this dhikr and praise for prostration, and it means: Glorifying the Almighty Sovereign and exalting Him above any imperfection. This is the exaltation of Allah Who possesses the attribute of exaltedness.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Qiyām al-Layl in terms of the length of the prayer and recitation and the prolongation of bowing, prostration, and standing.
And in it: Considering the meanings of the verses and pausing to make supplications in accordance with their content, during the prayer..

778
Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you performs the prayer in his mosque, he should leave a portion of his prayer for his house, for indeed Allah puts goodness in his house on account of his prayer.".

Commentary : Prayer is of great significance in the life of a Muslim. So, he should regularly perform it and fulfill its Sunnahs and pillars in the required manner, and he should perform a lot of voluntary prayers, for they compensate for any shortcomings in the obligatory ones. He should also keep a portion of goodness for his house by offering supererogatory prayers therein.
This Hadīth contains Prophetic guidance and education, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed us: When a Muslim performs the obligatory prayer in the mosque, "he should leave a portion of his prayer for his house," i.e., he should offer some of them in his house. This refers to supererogatory prayers. This is because prayer at home is more hidden and farther away from show-off, and so that the house may be blessed on account of that, and mercy and angels descend in it, and the devil runs away from it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Allah puts goodness in the house of this performer of supererogatory prayers on account of his prayers; this goodness encompasses his wife and children and brings blessing to their sustenance and life spans and an increase in their guidance and piety, and the house is filled with dhikr and worship, and the angels descend to supplicate for the inhabitants of the house and ask for Allah's forgiveness for them..

779
Abu Mūsa reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The house in which Allah is mentioned and the house in which Allah is not mentioned are like the living and the dead.".

Commentary : In the mentioning of Allah lies the life and vigor of people's souls, and in its abandonment lies slackness, idleness, and lethargy. The houses of Muslims should be protected against the devil, be filled with light, and blessing. This can be achieved by performing acts of worship therein, like dhikr, prayer, supplication, and so on.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) holds a comparison between two types of houses, to make the matter easier to understand. One type is a house where Allah is mentioned, and the other is a house where Allah is not mentioned. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) points out that the house where Allah is mentioned is "like the living," i.e., a sound and healthy person, as his inner being shines with Imān (faith) and his outward appearance is adorned with the light of worship. People love him, and they seek support and benefit from him. On the other hand, the house where Allah is not mentioned is like the dead, i.e., like a corpse. No one approaches it, and there is no good in it or use of it. Its inside is false, and its outside is defective.
The meaning of this Hadīth can be an example for houses and those who live therein. The houses where Allah is mentioned abound with a life of Imān, blessing, and goodness for their inhabitants. By contrast, the houses where Allah is not mentioned are desolate like graves, and their inhabitants only go to them for sleep, which is a minor death. They are devoid of goodness and blessing, even if what appears to people is contrary to that.
Also, the meaning may appropriately apply to the inhabitants of houses, namely human beings. Whoever mentions Allah, his heart becomes alive and the impact of that manifests in him. Thus, he becomes useful in this world and the Hereafter. As for a person who does not mention Allah, his heart is lifeless and devoid of Imān and the effects of an Imān-oriented life. He is like a dead person whose deeds come to a halt and cannot obtain any good from his worldly life. This is supported by the version by Al-Bukhāri: "The one who mentions Allah and the one who does not mention Allah are like the living and the dead."
In the Hadīth: Urging remembrance of Allah Almighty at home, and that our houses should not be devoid of it.

780
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed, Satan runs away from the house in which Surat al-Baqarah is recited.".

Commentary : The houses of Muslims should be protected against the devil, filled with light, and blessing. This can be achieved by performing acts of worship therein, like dhikr, prayer, supplication, recitation of the Qur'an, and so on. Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing to the place where it takes place, for the Qur'an is the extended rope of Allah, which contains tranquility of the soul and expels the devils from the houses where it is recited, particularly Surat al-Baqarah.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Do not turn your houses into graves," i.e., do not make them similar to the graves, devoid of dhikr and worship, and allocate for them a share of the recitation of the Qur'an and prayer. It is narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perform some of your prayers in your houses, and do not turn them into graves."
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that the devil flees and runs away from the house where Surat al-Baqarah is recited, because he despairs of alluring the inhabitants of that house due to the blessing of this Surah, or because he sees their seriousness and diligence regarding religion and worship. When the Qur'an in general is recited in a house, it becomes spacious for its inhabitants, its blessings increase, it gets frequented by the angels, and the devils are expelled from it. On the other hand, when the Qur'an is not recited in a house, it becomes straitened for its inhabitants, its blessings decrease, the angels run away from it, and the devils visit it.
The Hadīth indicates the merit of Surat al-Baqarah and its superiority to other Surahs, and it is indeed superior, for it combines Shar‘i rulings more than any other Surah of the Qur'an. It contains the characteristics of the believers, the traits of the hypocrites, an explanation of the stories of the Children of Israel, the forbiddance of sorcery and usury, and mentions of the Qiblah, prayer, fasting, Hajj, ‘Umrah, divorce, waiting periods, debts, conditions, mortgage, and legal retribution, as well as other rulings.
In the Hadīth: Urging recitation of the Qur'an and a lot of dhikr in the houses
And in it: Informing people that the Qur'an and dhikr make houses and hearts alive and populated..

787
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you gets up to pray at night and the Qur'an becomes difficult for his tongue, and he is unaware of what he is reciting, he should lie down.".

Commentary : Qiyām al-Layl is the source of honor for the believer, and it has great merit. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged its regular observance and that a person should engage in it while in a state of activeness and vigor, for this is more beneficial and appropriate.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentions that when a Muslim gets up to perform a supererogatory prayer or recite the Qur'an during the night, "and the Qur'an becomes difficult for his tongue," i.e., it becomes hard for his tongue, and he cannot recite it in a correct manner that accurately conveys its words and meanings, due to heavy sleepiness, to the extent that he is not aware of what he is reciting from the Qur'an, and he will probably fall into some distortion or error. If this happens, he should go to sleep and not pray or recite the Qur'an while in this condition. He should take a rest until his vigor is restored to him.
So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged his Ummah to perform acts of worship that do not put them in hardship, while acceptance of their worship lies with Allah. This comes from Allah's mercy towards the Muslim Ummah, as He removed undue restrictions and difficulties from them in their worship, and He wanted ease for them, not hardship. Allah Almighty says: {Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 185] Allah Almighty also says: {Allah does not burden any soul greater than it can bear.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 286]
In the Hadīth: Urging us to come to prayer while in a state of humility, focus, and activeness.

802
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Would any one of you, when he returns to his family, like to find three large, fat, and pregnant she-camels?" We said: 'Yes.' He said: "Three verses that one of you recites in his prayer are better for him than three large, fat, and pregnant she-camels.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing, for it is the extended rope of Allah, and it affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of rewards, and it leads to salvation on the Day of Judgment. If the recitation is in prayer, the merit becomes greater and the reward more abundant.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Companions: "Would any one of you like, when he returns to his family," i.e., when he returns home, where his wife and children are, to find in their place or house "three pregnant she-camels?" A "khalifah" is a pregnant she-camel. It used to be one of the most precious properties among the Arabs. and 'large' and 'fat'. If a she-camel is also large and fat, it becomes even dearer. They replied to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the affirmative, by the necessity of nature and looking forward to the reward. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed them that reciting three verses in prayer is better than the three pregnant she-camels. The reward for the recitation of three verses in prayer is better and more meritorious than the reward for possessing those she-camels. This is because the recitation of three verses belongs to the enduring good things that are beneficial in the Hereafter, whereas the she-camels are among the supplementary and transient things in the world. He mentioned three verses because this is the minimum number to form a plural number. Yet, this matter is not limited to reciting three verses only. Rather, the more verses a worshiper recites in his prayer, the greater the reward he will get in proportion to their number.
In the Hadīth: Urging recitation of the Qur'an in prayer.

803
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out while we were in As-Suffah and asked: "Which of you would like to go out every morning to But'hān or Al-‘Aqīq and bring two large-humped she-camels without being guilty of sin or severing ties of kinship?" We replied: "O Messenger of Allah, we would like that." He said: "Does not one of you go out in the morning to the mosque and learn or recite two verses of the Book of Allah Almighty? That is better for him than two she-camels, and three verses are better for him than three she-camels, and four verses are better for him than four she-camels, and so on.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions the merit of the noble Qur'an and demonstrate the reward for learning, teaching, and reciting it.
In this Hadīth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to them while they were sitting in As-Suffah, a shaded area in the Prophet's Mosque, where the poor Muhājirūn (Immigrants) used to take refuge. He asked them: "Which of you would like to go out every morning to But'hān", a place near Madīnah that stretches from its south to its west, "or to Al-‘Aqīq", a valley in Madīnah whose water gathers from Al-‘Aqīq area, which is located more than 100km to the south of Madīnah and it stretches to its outskirts. He mentioned But'hān and Al-‘Aqīq in particular because they were the closest places to Madīnah where camel markets were held. "and bring two large-humped she-camels"; he mentioned such camels as an example because they are among the most precious property to the Arabs; and that he will gain the two she-camels without being guilty of sin such as stealing or severing kinship ties with them? The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied that they would like and love that. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to those who want to obtain this goodness: "Does not any of you go out in the morning to the mosque", going there early, "and learn or recite two verses of the Book of Allah Almighty? That is better for him than two she-camels" i.e., the goodness that stems from learning two verses or reciting them is better in the sight of Allah than obtaining two she-camels and the benefit to be gained through them. Likewise, three verses are better than three she-camels, and four verses are better than four she-camels. His words "and so on" mean that if he learns or recites more verses, he will get what is better than the same number of she-camels. This indicates that learning the Qur'an is better than the pursuit of wealth, as a general rule; and this is more so when a person has a lot of free time.
The Hadīth points out the merit of seeking knowledge and the merit of learning the Qur'an.
It demonstrates how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to preach to his Companions and guide them. Leaders should learn from this and follow the Prophet's example in dealing with their subjects..

804
Abu ’Umāmah al-Bāhili reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Recite the Qur'an, for it will come as an intercessor on the Day of Judgment for its reciters. Recite the two illuminating ones: Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān, for they will come as if they were two clouds, two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks defending their reciters. Recite Surat al-Baqarah, for reading it is a blessing; abandoning it is a cause of regret, and the Batalah (sorcerers) cannot handle it." Mu‘āwiyah said: It has been conveyed to me that the Batalah are sorcerers. [In a version]: But he said, "As if they were" regarding both of them, and did not mention the statement of Mu'wiyah: "It has been conveyed to me.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it and comply with it, for it is the extended rope of Allah. And it affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of rewards, leads to salvation on the Day of Judgment, and provides protection against magicians in the worldly life, particularly Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges the recitation of the Qur'an and commands doing so persistently. And he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that the Qur'an will be embodied in a form seen by the people on the Day of Judgment, as Allah will give people's deeds a form and weight so that they will be placed on the scale. The Qur'an will intercede for those who recite and act upon it and plead for them before Allah Almighty, seeking forgiveness for them and that they be saved from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, or that their ranks in Paradise be elevated.
He repeated the word 'recite' to urge the recitation of certain Surahs and to emphasize their special merit regarding intercession. His words are: "the two illuminating ones" refer to Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān which were called as such because they are two lights, or because of the abundance of the lights of the Shar‘i rulings and the excellent names therein. Undoubtedly, the light of the speech of Allah is greater and brighter, and each Surah in the Qur'an is an illuminating one, given the rulings and admonitions contained in it and because it provides healing for the chests, illumination for the hearts, and multiplication of the rewards for its reciters. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) singled out the recitation of Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān to demonstrate their high status and affirm their special merit regarding intercession for those who persistently recite them and act upon what they contain. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that they will be embodied and take a specific form and appear as if they were "two clouds" that will shade their companion from the heat of this situation of standing. Clouds are given this name because they cloud and conceal the sky. "or two shades." A "ghayāyah" or shade is anything that provides a person with a cover above his head, like a cloud and so on. "or two flocks," i.e., two groups or parties, "of birds in ranks." This is a flock of birds extending their wings and being linked to one another. The intended meaning is that they will protect their receiver from the heat of this situation of standing and the distress of the Day of Judgment. Also, they will push against Hellfire and its keepers, or plead for intercession for him, or when he is questioned, when his tongue does not speak, his lips are sealed, and his arguments are lost.
His words: "Reciting Surat al-Baqarah" constitutes a specification in addition to the previous specification. He first mentioned the Qur'an as a whole, and then singled out the two illuminating Surahs, and then singled out Surat al-Baqarah from both of them. This indicates its high status and great merit. He said: "for taking it" - by persistently reciting it, pondering its meanings, and acting upon what it contains - "is a blessing," i.e., increase, growth, and a great benefit for its reciter. "abandoning it is regret," i.e., deploring and feeling sorrowful over the missed reward. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that "the Batalah," i.e., the sorcerers, cannot overcome it. This means that they cannot recite it because of their deviation from the truth and engrossment in falsehood; or that they cannot repel it and penetrate its protection for he who recites and memorizes it, as it shields its reciter and memorizer from magic. It was said: The "Batalah" refers to idle and lethargic people, for they cannot memorize or recite it due to its length, whereas they are prone to laziness. Another version uses 'and' not 'or': "and as if they were two shades, and as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks." Reconciling the two versions, the 'or' in the first version is not used for doubt, giving choices in likening the two Surahs, or hesitation. Rather, it is for diversification and division of the reciters, for a group of them will see the two Surahs as two clouds, another group will see them as two shades, and another group as two flocks of birds stretching out their wings.
In the Hadīth: Urging the recitation of the Qur'an, the merit of Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān, and the significance of Surat al-Baqarah in particular..