Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that once the Prophet ﷺsent forth the sheep to the House without assuming the Ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah and without anything among the prohibited things of the Ihraam being disallowed for him. The Hady is that animal that is sent to the Sacred House – from the camels, cows, sheep and goats – in order to be sacrificed there as a means of getting closer to Allah and as an act of showing gratitude towards Him.
The purpose of sending the Hady to the Sacred House is to grant abundance and show kindness to the neighbours of the Sacred House and its visitors among the poor and destitute. This is one of the best deeds to getting closer to Allah Almighty. This is because charity and charitable spending are among the best forms of worship, especially, if they are carried out in the Sacred City and upon those who have isolated themselves purely for the worship of Allah therein and those residing in its vicinity.
This hadeeth shows the legality of sending the sacrificial animal to the Haram by who is unable to go to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah..

1702

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she used to make garlands for the Prophet ﷺ. Al-Qalaaid (garlands): they are collars that are placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals – that is made by interlacing some of its strings with others. The Prophet ﷺwould place these garlands and collars aaround the necks of the sheep as he would place them aaround the necks of other animals such as the camels and cows, and then the Messenger of Allah ﷺwould send them to the Sacred Vicinity (a-Haram), while he would remain with his family in Al-Madeenah without entering into the state of Ihraam. He ﷺwould not make upon himself anything prohibited among the prohibited things of Ihraam such as applying perfume or engaging in sexual intercourse with his wives, or anything prohibited upon the one assuming the state of Ihraam.
This hadeeth shows the legality of garlanding the sheep from the sacrificial animals.
It highlights the legality of sending the sacrificial animal to the Haram by who is unable to go to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah..

1704

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she prepared the garlands for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ, i.e. she made collars which are placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals by interlacing some of the strings with other strings. The word “Hady” is a noun used for the animal that is offered for sacrifice among the camels, cows, sheep, or goats – to the Sacred Vicinity (Al-Haram) in order to be slaughtered there as a means of getting closer to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and as a way of showing gratitude to Him.
Her statement, “Before he entered into the state of Ihraam,” has the possibility to mean, before the year in which he entered into the state of Ihraam for Hajj; he ﷺsent the sacrificial animal with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) in the ninth year. It is also possible that she informed in this narration about his state in the year of his entering into his state of Ihraam. That is the tenth year of the Hijrah.
This hadeeth highlights the legality of putting a garland aaround the neck of the sacrificial animal and letting the wife prepare the garlands for the sacrificial animals.
It highlights the legality of sending the sacrificial animal to the Haram by one who is unable to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and does not travel with it..

1705

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had.
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has venerated the Sacred House. His Prophet ﷺas well has done likewise. He ﷺhas practically demonstrated as a Sunnah act that when a person himself does not go to the Haram to perform Hajj, then he should send a sacrificial animal to venerate the place and be more accommodative towards the poor of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she prepared the garlands for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺwhich are placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals by interlacing some of the strings with others. She explained that the garlands were made of wool, and mostly, the kind of garlands that are placed on a sacrificial animal is coloured, so that they can be more visible as a sign. The word “Hady” is a noun used for the animal that is offered for sacrifice among the camels, cows, sheep, or goats – to the Sacred Vicinity (al-Haram) in order to be slaughtered there as means of getting closer to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and as a way of showing gratitude to Him.
This hadeeth shows the legality of putting a garland aaround the neck of the sacrificial animal and letting one’s own wife prepare the garlands for the sacrificial animals.
It also points to the legality of making garlands of wool..

1707

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered.
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Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained the rites of Hajj through his statements and actions. He has taught us that getting closer to Allah through offering the sacrificial animal and other good deeds ought to be offered solely for the sake of Allah, kind-heartedly and good-heartedly, venerating the bounties of Allah upon a Muslim and upon what He has helped fulfil in terms of the rites of Hajj.
In this hadeeth, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺcommanded him during the Farewell Hajj - this is the Hajj which the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed in the tenth year of the Hijrah- to give the drapes and the skins of the sacrificial animals in charity which he has offered and driven to the Haram after they are killed and slaughtered. The purpose of this was to emphasise that a sacrificial animal in its entirety is for Allah and so that the poor as well as the needy benefit from all its parts. The Arabic word “Jilaal” [used in the hadeeth and means covering] is the plural of the word “Jull” and that is what an animal adorns of the drape, garland, and so on. The word “Budan”, which is mentioned in the hadeeth, are the animals that are offered to the Sacred House among the four-legged animals, namely, the camels, cows, or specifically the camels, in other to get closer thereby to Allah.
The reason to evidently mention the coverings and the skins is that sometimes it is presumed that the distribution and handing out are only related to the meats only. Hence, this played as an emphasis that every part that can potentially be of benefit as part of the slaughtered animal will be incorporated in the notion that it is for Allah and that is charitable and that is not specific to meats only.
This hadeeth shows the legality of appointing someone else to carry out all the actions concerning the sacrificial animals such as their slaughtering, the distribution of their meat and so on.
It highlights that one may not benefit from or sell anything which has been taken out for the sake of Allah, even if it is a small part thereof.
It also shows the legality of placing coverings over the backs of the sacrificial animals and thereafter giving them in charity to the poor, just as their skins and meat are given in charity..

1709

Narrated `’Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “Five days before the end of Thoo al-Qa’daa, we set out from Al-Madeenah in the company of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ with the intention of performing Hajj only. When we approached Makkah, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered those who had no Hady with them to finish their lhraam after performing Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and the ritual walking between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah.” `’Aaishah added, “On the Day of Nahr (slaughtering of sacrifice) beef was brought to us. I asked, ‘What is this?' The reply was, 'Allah's Messenger ﷺhas slaughtered (sacrifices) on behalf of his wives.'"
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Commentary : There are three kinds of Hajj. First, the Tamattu’, and that is that the pilgrim assumes the Ihraam of ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj – they are Shawwaal, Thoo al-Qa’dah and Thoo al-Hijjah – and after completing the rites of ‘Umrah he exits his Ihraam. Then, he again enters into the state of Ihraam for Hajj during the same year. Second, the Qiraan, which entails that the pilgrims enter into the state of Ihraam both for Hajj and ‘Umrah. The third is the Ifraad, which means that the pilgrim enters into the state of Ihraam for Hajj only.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, reports that the Prophet ﷺleft Al-Madeenah in the tenth year of the Hijrah to perform his Farewell Hajj. There were only five nights left from the month of Thoo al-Qa’dah. When they left Al-Madeenah, they had intended to perform an Ifraad-kind of Hajj and it did not occur in their minds that they could perform ‘Umrah along with it. The reason for that was that the Companions did not know that ‘Umrah can be performed in the months of Hajj, as this was widespread a belief in the time of ignorance before Islam. When they got closer to Makkah, the Prophet ﷺcommanded those who did not have sacrificial animals with them to perform Tamattu’ by performing ‘Umrah first. Accordingly, they first performed the Tawaaf of the Ka’bah then performed the ritual walking between the Safaa and al-Marwah. And lastly, they had a haircut to exit from their Ihraam. Afterwards, they entered the state of Ihraam for Hajj when the rites of Hajj commence on the Day of Tarwiyah, on the eighth of Thoo al-Hijjah.
The Prophet ﷺperformed the Qiraan-type of Hajj by combining the ‘Umrah with the Hajj whilst maintaining the same Ihraam without exiting it; that was because he took the sacrificial animal along with him from Thoo al-Hulayfah. When it was the Day of Nahr (Day of Sacrifice) – the tenth of Thoo al-Hijjah – the cow meat was brought to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), asked about it, and the people informed her that the Prophet ﷺslaughtered the sacrificial animals, namely, cows, on behalf of his wives.
This hadeeth reveals the permissibility of suspending the Ifraad-kind of Hajj and assuming the Tamattu’-type of Hajj and ‘Umrah for the one who has not taken a sacrificial animal along with him.
It shows the legality of appointing an agent for slaughtering the sacrificial animal..

1710

Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.")
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Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were endowed with love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺand keenness to follow his example and footsteps in all his movements and stillness. The staunchest and most keen of all of them was ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadeeth, Naafi’, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was so eager to slaughter his sacrificial animal at the place where the Prophet ﷺslaughtered his at Minaa near al-Jamarah as-Sughraa, and that is the first stone pillar next to Masjid al-Khayf situated in Minaa. It is worth noting that Minaa in all its entirety is a place for sacrifice as it is narrated in Saheeh Muslim by Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺstated, “I have slaughtered here, while the whole of Minaa is a place of sacrifice, hence, sacrifice [the animals] at your dwellings,” however, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ascertain the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺsacrificed and was persistent in slaughtering his sacrifice there too. This was his habit in all places and contexts that had a connection with the Prophet ﷺ. .

1711

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn `Umar used to send his Hady from Jam' (to Mina) in the last part of the night with the pilgrims amongst whom there were free men and slaves, till it was taken into the Manhar (slaughtering place) of the Prophet ﷺ..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were bestowed with love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and eagerness to follow his example and footsteps in all his movements and stillness. The staunchest and most eager of them all was ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadeeth, Naafi’, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, reports that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to send his sacrificial animals – these are the four-legged animals among the sheep, goats, camels or cows which are taken to be slaughtered in hajj from “Jam’” - at last part of the night. “Jam’” is the other name for Muzadalifah, which is the name for the place where the pilgrims encamp after pouring out from ‘Arafaat. They spend the night of the tenth of Thoo al-Hijjah there. It is there where the Sacred Monument (Al-Mash’ar al-Haraam) lies, and it is about 12 km away from ‘Arafah. It is next to the monument of Minaa. Al-Muzdalifah is called “Jam’” because the two prayers, Maghrib and ‘Ishaa are combined therein. It was said: It is described as thus because of the action of its dwellers, as they assemble there and turn towards Allah, meaning, they get closer to Allah by halting there.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) would drive the sacrificial animals until they reached the place where the Prophet ﷺsacrificed his animals in Minaa near al-Jamarah as-Sughraa and that is the first stone pillar just after Masjid al-Khayf that is situated in Minaa. Also, it is worth noting that Minaa in all its entirety is a place for sacrifice as it is narrated in Saheeh Muslim by Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺstated, “I have slaughtered here, while the whole of Minaa is a place of sacrifice, hence, sacrifice [the animals] at your dwellings,” however, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ascertain the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺsacrificed and was persistent in slaughtering his sacrifice there too. This was his habit in all places and contexts that had a connection with the Prophet ﷺ.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) would send his sacrificial animals with the pilgrims consisting of free people and slaves. There is no stipulation anywhere about sending the sacrificial animals with free people instead of slaves.
This hadeeth shows the legality for a slave to perform Hajj..

1713

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rituals both by his statements and actions. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), thereafter, transmitted them just as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee, Ziyaad ibn Jubayr reports that he saw ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who happened to pass by a man who had made his badanah sit and lie down – a badanah happens to be specifically from the camels – on the ground at Minaa, in order to slaughter it, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed him to keep it standing with its left leg ties, then to slaughter it while it is standing. He explained that this is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Nahr (slaughtering by stabbing) of camels consists of stabbing them with a dagger or something of that nature at the cavity between their bottom parts of necks and chests. It is said: the wisdom of specifying the camels with the act of Nahr while they are standing is due to their long necks. This is because if a camel was slaughtered at the area closer to its head, then the blood flowing from the heart to the area of slaughter would be at a greater distance, which would not assist the letting out of all the blood easily, contrary to the act of Nahr at the last part of the neck. It closes the distance and helps the heart with forcing the whole blood out. As for the cows and sheep, the normal slaughtering technique is suitable for them.
This hadeeth highlights that one should teach the ignorant person and avoid remaining silent at seeing an act contradictory to the Sunnah, even if that act may be permissible.
The statement of the Companion, “Part of the Sunnah is doing this in this manner,” takes the ruling of elevating that [act] to the Prophet ﷺ. .

1715

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ offered the Thuhr prayer, four units at Al-Madeenah and two units of `Asr prayer at Thoo al-Hulayfah. [According to another narration: “Then the Prophet ﷺ passed the night there till dawn and then he offered the Fajr prayer and mounted his Mount. And when it arrived at Al-Baydaa', he ﷺassumed Ihraam for both `Umrah and Hajj."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained the rituals of Hajj both by his statements and actions. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), thereafter, transmitted them just as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed the four units of the Thuhr prayer while he was in Al-Madeenah on the day he travelled to perform the Farewell Hajj. That was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He ﷺprayed the full prayer and did not shorten it as he was a resident at that point of time. Then, he ﷺleft and performed two units for the ‘Asr prayer when he reached Thoo al-Hulayfah , i.e. he ﷺshortened the ‘Asr prayer there. Thoo al-Hulayfah is the Meeqaat of the people of Al-Madeenah, which is now known as Aabaar ‘Alee, a well-known location right at the onset of the road of Al-Madeenah that leads 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.
Then, the Prophet ﷺspent the night at Thoo al-Hulayfah until he performed the Fajr prayer therein. Then, he mounted his she-camel, and when it stood up and halted with him at al-Baydaa’, the Prophet ﷺproclaimed the Ihraam of ‘Umrah and Hajj. He said, “Labbayka, both for the ‘Umrah and Hajj,” as it is mentioned in the narration of Saheeh Muslim. The Baydaa’ is a specific location between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, a place above the two mountains of Thoo al-Hulayfah when ascending from the valley, which is just a mile away from Thoo al-Hulayfah. It is reported in the two Saheeh Books that the Prophet ﷺproclaimed for Hajj after he had performed prayers in the mosque. This entails that the proclamation happened more than once.
This hadeeth shows the legality of shortening the prayers while travelling, and the legality of performing the Qiraan-type of Hajj..

1716

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ sent me to supervise the (slaughtering of) Budn (Hady camels) and ordered me to distribute their meat, and then he ordered me to distribute their covering sheets and skins. 'Alee added in another narration, "The Prophet ﷺ ordered me to supervise the slaughtering (of the Budn) and not to give anything (of their bodies) to the butcher as wages for slaughtering."
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us as they learned them from him ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺsent him to oversee the slaughtering of the sacrificial camels and their distribution among the poor and needy. In the narration of Bukhaaree, it reads, “The Prophet ﷺdrove for sacrifice a hundred badanah. In Saheeh Muslim, from the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned, “The Prophet slaughtered sixty-three animals with his hands, then, he appointed ‘Alee to take over the responsibility and he slaughtered the rest, meaning, what was left of them, made him is a participant in the sacrificial animals towards the place of slaughter.”
The Arabic word “Budn” is the plural of badanah and it is from the four-legged cattle which is offered and sent to the Sacred House in order to draw closer to Allah Almighty, and it is of camels exclusively, and it was said: “Budn” is used to denote camels and cows.
The Prophet ﷺcommanded him to divide its meat among the needy, so he divided it, then he commanded him to divide its drapes and its skins, so he divided them too. The word “Jilaal” is whatever an animal adorns such as a drape or a garland or something of that like. This is so that nothing of it will come back to him since he gave it for the sake of Allah. He also instructed him not to give the butcher anything of it as a payment for his work on it. Giving the butcher something of it in exchange for what he did and his slaughtering entails being a sale, and it is not permissible to sell any of its meat. However, there is nothing wrong with giving it as a charity, gift, or something above his right.
This hadeeth is that it demonstrates delegating and making someone an agent to carry out the actions pertaining to the sacrificial animals such as slaughtering it and dividing its meat, and so on.
It highlights that it is not allowed to sell what is intended for the sake of Allah Almighty, even if it is a small part of it..

1719

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): 'We never ate the meat of the Budn for more than three days of Minaa. Later, the Prophet ﷺ gave us permission by saying: 'Eat and take (meat) with you. So, we ate (some) and took (some) with us.’" I asked `Ataa', "Did Jaabir say (that they went on eating the meat) till they reached Al-Madeenah?" `Ataa' replied, "No."
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Commentary : Islamic law has taken the condition of society and its needs into consideration. It has built a coherent Muslim society where all its members act in unity such that whenever a calamity befalls anyone of them, everyone stands shoulder-to-shoulder to assist in removing it from him.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that they did not use to eat from the meat of their sacrificial animals above the three days of Minaa, which is known as the Days of Tashreeq, namely the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah. The animals mentioned in the hadeeth refer to the cows and camels which they took with them to the Haram to offer as a sacrifice to draw nearer to Allah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that anytime over this period would be to distribute the meat among the poor, to meet their need and comfort them in their plight and extend a helping hand to them. However, after that, the Prophet ﷺpermitted them to eat from it, and to take from it as a provision in their journey.
The Taabi’ee, ‘Abdul Malik ibn ‘Abd al‘Azeez ibn Jurayj asked ‘Ataa’ ibn Abee Rabaah – the sub-narrator of the hadeeth from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) -, “Did Jaabir say, ‘Until we came to Al-Madeenah?’” ‘Ataa’ replied, “No.” However, in Saheeh Muslim, it is “Yes” instead of “No.” The reconciliation between these two replies is by taking the fact into account that he had forgotten, thus he said, “No.” Thereafter, he remembered, and he replied, “Yes.” Or the meaning of his statement, “No,” is not the negation of the ruling, rather its meaning is that Jaabir did not elucidate the continuation of this from them until they reached Al-Madeenah. Based on this, the meaning of his statement in one narration will be, “We would take the meat of the sacrificed animals as a provision to Al-Madeenah, , i.e. when heading back to Al-Madeenah, which does not denote that the meat remained with them until they reached Al-Madeenah.
This hadeeth has been used as proof of establishing abrogation within the compendium of the Sunnah. This is an example of an act of Sunnah abrogating the other act of Sunnah. It was said: that this is not an act of abrogation, rather, there was a previous prohibition due to a legal reason, which when the latter disappeared, the ruling of prohibition became inapplicable. The legal reason for prohibiting hoarding initially then allowing it thereafter was the people’s need and a great number of poor. When the legal reason that obligated this ceased, he ﷺcommanded them to eat it and save (hoard). What Muslim has narrated in his Saheeh from ‘Abdullah ibn Waaqid reinforces this understanding, wherein he says, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺprohibited from consuming the meat of sacrificed animals after three days …,” it also contains, “… He ﷺstated, ‘I only prohibited you due to the horde who marched [to here] steadily; now, you may eat, hoard and give it away in charity.” The Arabic word “Daaffah” means a horde of weak Bedouins who came in to receive aid.
This hadeeth shows that a ruling rotates with its legal reason in terms of its existence and inexistence.
It also contains refutation against the one who perceives that it is not allowed to hoard food for the next day and that one who saves anything even if little is not entitled to receive the attribution of the friendship of Allah and that one who hoards has misperceived Allah, the Upholder..

1726

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺshaved his hair in the Farewell Hajj, which happened in the tenth year of the Hijrah.
Shaving means removing all the hair on the head completely and it is only allowed for men. It is one of the symbols of Hajj. It is the act by which a person in Ihraam exits from his Ihraam and it happens on the Day of Sacrifice, on the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah.
Shortening the hair is performed in lieu of shaving the head for women, as well as all those who do not wish to shave the head among men. Nonetheless, shaving the head is better for the men because it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺand because Allah gave it precedence in mention in His Book. He stated, {You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haraam (The Sacred Mosque) in safety with your heads shaved or [hair] shortened.} [Quran 48:27]. This act (shaving the head) is more effective in worship, is more revealing of the devotion and humility and more demonstrates the sincerity of the intention. As for the one who shortens his hair, there is something left upon him by which he beautifies himself, unlike the one who gets his head shaved off. The latter feels that he has left all that for the sake of Allah. It also contains the meaning of complete submission to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
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1727

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved." The people said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! And (invoke Allah for) those who get their hair cut short." The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their heads shaved." The people said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! And those who get their hair cut short." The Prophet ﷺ said (the third time), "And to those who get their hair cut short."
Al-Layth reported that Naafi` said that the Prophet ﷺ had said once or twice, "O Allah! Be merciful to those who get their heads shaved," and ‘Ubaydallah reported that Naafi’ said: on the fourth time he added, "And to those who have their hair cut short."
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Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained the rituals of Hajj with his statements and actions. Thereafter, the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us in full detail, so that the people are fully and evidently acquainted about their worship.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺrepeated the supplication for those who shave their hair off in their rituals of Hajj that Allah bestows His mercy upon them. This happened during the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah or during the year of al-Hudaibiyah or during both occasions.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked him to supplicate for those who shorten their hair just as he supplicates for those who shave their hair. He, thereafter, responded to them by adding [in his supplication], “And also those who shorten their hair,” either during the second, third or fourth time. Shaving the head entails the complete removal of hair on the head, whereas shortening means cutting parts of the hair on the head. This statement is indicative of the legality of both the acts, but however, shaving the head is better than shortening the hair for the men. This is because it is that act of the Messenger of Allah and it is because Allah mentioned it first in His Book. He Almighty stated, {You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque in safety with your heads shaved or [hair] shortened.} [Quran 48:27]. This act [shaving the head] is more effective in terms of worship, is more revealing of the devotion and humility and more demonstrates the truthfulness of the intention. As for the one who shortens his hair, there is something left upon him by which he beautifies himself, unlike the one who gets his head shaved off. The latter feels that he has left all that for the sake of Allah. It also contains the meaning of complete dedication to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Shaving the head is prescribed only for men while women are ordered to cut from their hair, so they exit their Ihraam.
The acts of shaving and cutting the hair are from the rites of Hajj with which the pilgrim exits his Ihraam. It takes place after throwing the Jamrah of ‘Aqabah, after slaughtering his Hady, if he had it, and before the Tawaaf of Ifaadah. It takes place in ‘Umarh after completing the ritual walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to ask Allah to invoke His mercy upon the living just like it is allowed to do it for the dead..

1729

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺand a group of his Companions shaved their heads, while some others shortened their hair and did not shave their heads. This happened in the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah. This is indicative of the legality of both actions, however, shaving the head is better than shortening the hair for the men. This is because it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺand it is because Allah placed first in His Book. He Almighty stated, “You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haraam (The Sacred Mosque) in safety with your heads shaved or [hair] shortened.” [Quran 48:27]. This act [shaving the head] is more effective in terms of worship, is more revealing of the devotion and humility and more demonstrates the truthfulness of the intention. As for the one who shortens his hair, there is something left upon him by which he beautifies himself, unlike the one who gets his head shaved off. The latter feels that he has left all that for the sake of Allah. It also contains the meaning of complete dedication to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Shaving the head is prescribed only for men while women are ordered to cut from their hair, so they exit their Ihraam.
The acts of shaving and cutting the hair are from the rites of Hajj with which the pilgrim exits his Ihraam. It takes place after throwing the Jamrah of ‘Aqabah, after slaughtering his Hady, if he had it, and before the Tawaaf of Ifaadah. It takes place in ‘Umarh after completing the ritual walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah..

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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady.
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam.
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam.
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had.
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Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered.
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Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.")
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Narrated Naafi’: Ibn `Umar used to send his Hady from Jam' (to Mina) in the last part of the night with the pilgrims amongst whom there were free men and slaves, till it was taken into the Manhar (slaughtering place) of the Prophet ﷺ..

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ."
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Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj.
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Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short.
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‘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..

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.".

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.".

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.".

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.".

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.".

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady. .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam. .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam. .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had. .

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered. .

Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.") .

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn `Umar used to send his Hady from Jam' (to Mina) in the last part of the night with the pilgrims amongst whom there were free men and slaves, till it was taken into the Manhar (slaughtering place) of the Prophet ﷺ..

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ." .

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj. .

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short. .

‘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..

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.".

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.".

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.".

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.".

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.".

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Once the Prophet ﷺ sent sheep as Hady.
.

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to make the garlands for (the Hady of) the Prophet ﷺ and he would garland the sheep (with them) and would stay with his family without assuming the Ihraam.
.

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted (the garlands) for the Hady of the Prophet ﷺ before he entered into the state of Ihraam.
.

Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): I twisted the garlands of the Hady from the wool I had.
.

Narrated ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to give in charity the skin and the coverings of the animals [Budan] which I had slaughtered.
.

Narrated Naafi’ that `Abdullah (ibn `Umar) used to slaughter (his sacrifice) at the Minhar. ('Ubaydullah, a sub-narrator said, "The Manhar of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.")
.

Narrated Ziyaad ibn Jubayr: I saw Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passing by a man who had made his Badana (sacrificial animal) sit to slaughter it. Ibn `Umar said, "Slaughter it while it is standing with one leg tied up as is the tradition of Muhammad ﷺ."
.

Narrated Naafi’: Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah's Messenger ﷺ got his head shaved after performing his Hajj.
.

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ and some of his Companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short.
.