It was narrated from Abu Wa’il, from Hudhayfah, that he saw a man who did not bow or prostrate completely. When he finished his prayer, Hudhayfah said to him: You have not prayed. He [the narrator] said: And I think he said: If you die, you will die following something other than the Sunnah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The worshipper should be unhurried and at ease in every essential part of the prayer, because being unhurried and at ease is also an essential part of prayer. So he should be unhurried and at ease when standing, when bowing, when prostrating, when rising from bowing, and when sitting between the two prostrations. Being unhurried and at ease means allowing the limbs to settle into the posture that one is doing. Hence when Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man not bowing and prostrating completely, and not doing either in an unhurried manner, he said to him: You have not prayed! With this shortcoming, your prayer does not count, and if you die, you will die following something other than the Sunnah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What is meant by the Sunnah here is the way. This applies to both obligatory and supererogatory prayers, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to move unhurriedly when bowing and prostrating, and in all the essential parts of the prayer. So if you die doing something other than that, you will be going against the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his way in prayer.
This is an example of the Sahabah teaching the Tabi‘in, and transmitting the Sunnahs and rulings to those who came after them. It is also an example of their keenness to teach people as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had been keen to teach them..

390

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Malik [or] ibn Buhaynah that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, he spread his arms so wide [when prostrating] that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that is to be done as prescribed. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us how it is to be done, and taught us its essential parts, etiquette and postures. That includes how to prostrate and the way in which the arms are to be placed whilst prostrating.
This hadith includes a description of the Prophet’s prostration. ‘Abdullah ibn Malik ibn Buhaynah (may Allah be pleased with him) – and this Buhaynah was the mother of ‘Abdullah, as he was also referred to as her son; she is not the parent of Malik – narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to spread out his arms when prostrating. In other words, he held his arms away from his sides, like wings, to such an extent that the whiteness of his armpits became visible. This is by way of exaggeration in spreading the arms and keeping them far away from his sides. What is meant by whiteness is that there was no hair in his armpits, so their colour was like that of the rest of his body; either that was how he was created, or it was because he continually plucked them and always paid attention to that.
It was said that rather he did that because it was by way of including the arms in this act of worship and making sure that they did not look as if there was any laziness or carelessness in this action, and to show that he was striving hard. And it was said that that was because it would make him lighter on the ground and he would not be heavy and thus carry too much weight on his forehead. And it was said that the wisdom behind that is that it is more akin to demonstrating humility and is more helpful in ensuring that the forehead and nose are touching the ground firmly. Moreover, it makes each part stand out on its own. This action is only for men; in the case of women, it is more appropriate for them to bring their limbs together, because what is required in the case of women is to be more concealing.
This hadith highlights the concern of the Sahabah to transmit the actions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to describe them in precise detail.
It also highlights how prostration should be done in the prayer, with humility before Allah (may He be glorified), humbling oneself before Him..

391

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays as we pray, faces towards our qiblah and eats meat slaughtered by us, that is the Muslim who has the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger, so do not violate the protection granted by Allah.”.

Commentary : Allah has protected the life, property and honour of the Muslim, and has forbidden transgressing against him or hurting him. He warns the one who transgresses against him without justification under Islamic law of a painful punishment in this world and the hereafter.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains the characteristics of the Muslim who has the right to safety and protection of his property, life and honour: he is the one who prays as we pray, meaning that he offers the five obligatory prayers in the manner narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), facing towards the Holy Kaaba, which is the qiblah that Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) has chosen for His slaves. The reason why the qiblah is singled out for mention – even though it is implied when he mentioned prayer – is to emphasize its high status and to indicate that it is essential to performance of the prayer of the Muslims as prescribed in their Book which was revealed to their Prophet, which is prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Otherwise, whoever prays facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis after coming to know that that has been abrogated, like the Jews, or facing towards the east like the Christians, is not a Muslim, even if he utters the testimony of Tawhid.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that one of the characteristics of the Muslim whose life is protected is that he eats meat slaughtered by the Muslims, and does not refuse to do that, because he regards himself as one of them. Whoever does that and adheres to doing it is a Muslim who is entitled to the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger. Thus his life and property are protected, and he enjoys the protection of Islam, with all the rights that the Muslims enjoy. That is because these three characteristics – prayer, facing towards the qiblah and eating meat slaughtered by the Muslims – are only combined in a Muslim who affirms the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
After explaining that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined the Muslims not to break the covenant of Allah with regard to that person, not to act treacherously towards him and not to betray him by transgressing his rights, for any transgression against him is a betrayal of Allah and His Messenger, a breaking of their covenant and undermining the sanctity of Islam.
This hadith indicates that people are to be judged as they appear to be, not on the basis of what is in their hearts. Whoever appears outwardly to perform the religious duties of Islam is to be subject to the same rulings as the followers of Islam, unless he says or does something to the contrary.
It is indicative of the high status of the qiblah.
It indicates that one of the signs that a person is Muslim is his eating meat slaughtered by the Muslims..

393

It was narrated that Humayd said: Maymun ibn Siyah asked Anas ibn Malik: O Abu Hamzah, what makes the life and property of a person sacred? He said: Whoever bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, faces towards our qiblah, prays as we pray and eats meat slaughtered by us, it is he who is a Muslim, with the same rights and duties as any other Muslim..

Commentary : Islam is very keen to emphasize the sanctity of the Muslim and to protect his property and his life, and all his rights in all aspects.
In this hadith there is a description of the Muslim who has the right to protection, and whose life and property are to be protected, as the Tabi ‘i Maymun ibn Siyah narrated that he asked Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): What is it that protects a person from being killed, and protects his property from being seized? Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied by telling him that this protection applies to the one who affirms that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, acknowledging the oneness of Allah, and acknowledging that Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is His Messenger, and who prays as we pray – meaning the five obligatory prayers, in the manner narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and faces towards our qiblah, meaning that he faces towards the Holy Kaaba, which is the qiblah that Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) has chosen for His slaves. The reason why the qiblah is singled out for mention – even though it is implied when he mentioned prayer – is to emphasize its high status and to indicate that it is essential to performance of the prayer of the Muslims as prescribed in their Book which was revealed to their Prophet, which is prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Otherwise, whoever prays facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis after coming to know that that has been abrogated, like the Jews, or facing towards the east like the Christians, is not a Muslim, even if he utters the testimony of Tawhid.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that one of the characteristics of the Muslim whose life is protected is that he eats meat slaughtered by the Muslims, and does not refuse to do that, because he regards himself as one of them. Whoever does that and adheres to doing it is the Muslim who enjoys the same rights that all Muslims enjoy and has the same duties as other Muslims. That is because these three characteristics – prayer, facing towards the qiblah and eating meat slaughtered by the Muslims – are only combined in a Muslim who affirms the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and acknowledges that he is the Messenger of Allah.
Even though the isnad of this hadith appears to stop with Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), a report such as this is deemed to be attributable to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It appears in a marfu‘ report (one which has an isnaad going back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) in Sahih al-Bukhari, in a hadith of Anas ibn Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays as we pray, faces towards our qiblah and eats meat slaughtered by us, that is the Muslim who is entitled to the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger, so do not violate the protection granted by Allah.”
This hadith indicates that people are to be judged as they appear to be, not on the basis of what we think is in their hearts. Whoever appears outwardly to perform the religious duties of Islam is to be subject to the same rulings as the followers of Islam, unless he says or does something to the contrary.
It is indicative of the high status of the qiblah.
It indicates that one of the signs that a person is Muslim is his eating meat slaughtered by the Muslims..

394

It was narrated from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When you go to the outhouse, do not face towards the qiblah or turn your back towards it; rather face east or west.” Abu Ayyub said: Then we came to Syria, and we found lavatories that had been built facing towards the qiblah, so we would turn away, and we would seek forgiveness of Allah (may He be exalted)..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to teach his ummah all the details of religion, which included teaching his ummah the etiquette of relieving themselves and of entering bathrooms and outhouses.
In this hadith, the Sahabi Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the one who wants to relieve himself by urinating or defecating from facing towards the qiblah, the direction of the Kaaba, or turning his back towards it, out of respect and veneration for it, for that is the direction that the Muslims face in the prayer; they turn towards it from every place, and that direction represents the sacred House of Allah.
The word translated here as outhouse originally referred to low-lying land, as they used to go there to relieve themselves, then the word began to be used to refer to the action, not the place, because they did not want to refer explicitly to the action.
The words “rather face east or west” mean: face towards the east or the west when you relieve yourselves. This is addressed to the people of Madinah and others for whom the qiblah is in the same direction [namely, south]. As for those for whom the qiblah is towards the east or west, what may be understood is that they are instructed to turn in a different direction, so that they will not be facing towards the qiblah or turning their backs towards it. Then Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then we came to Syria – which now includes the modern countries of Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon – and we found lavatories. A lavatory is a place like a small room that is allocated for relieving oneself. The people of Syria had built these lavatories facing towards the qiblah unintentionally, or because they did not know of the prohibition on doing that, or because they thought that the prohibition did not include these structures. Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) said: so we would turn away, and we would seek forgiveness of Allah. In other words, we would try to orient our bodies away from the direction of the qiblah as much as possible, and as much as the structure allowed, then we would seek forgiveness of Allah in case we committed some infraction. This is an example of the perfect faith of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), as striving on its own is sufficient in order to avoid this infraction that one might feel ill at ease with if one did not do it. But they still sought forgiveness, so as to be on the safe side, and because they believed in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This seeking of forgiveness would be done outside the lavatories, not inside, because of the prohibition on mentioning the name of Allah (may He be exalted) in outhouses and places where one relieves oneself. This may indicate that the ruling on facing the direction of the qiblah inside the structures built for that purpose is the same as when relieving oneself in the open, without any difference. This is the view of Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him). But it was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that this prohibition applies only to open spaces, so if there is some kind of screen between the individual and the qiblah, there is nothing wrong with it. In al-Sahihayn, it is narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I climbed on the roof of my sister Hafsah’s house, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting to relieve himself, facing towards Syria, with his back towards the qiblah. .

397

It was narrated that Mujahid said: Someone went to Ibn ‘Umar and said to him: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has entered the Kaaba. Ibn ‘Umar said: So I came, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had already come out. I found Bilal standing between the two doors, so I asked Bilal: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray inside the Kaaba? He said: Yes, [he prayed] two rak‘ahs between the two pillars to the left when you enter. Then he came out and prayed two rak‘ahs facing the front of the Kaaba. .

Commentary : The Holy Kaaba is the Ancient House of Allah; it is held in very high esteem by all Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed inside it in the year of the conquest of Makkah.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Mujahid ibn Jabr narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered Makkah in 8 AH, he entered the Kaaba and prayed two rak‘ahs. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was standing outside when someone came to him and told him: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has entered the Kaaba. Ibn ‘Umar came, but he found that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had already come out. Bilal was with him, standing at the door. With him inside were Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) and ‘Uthman ibn Talhah al-Hajabi (may Allah be pleased with him), as is narrated in al-Sahihayn. Ibn ‘Umar asked Bilal how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed inside the Kaaba, and Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed two rak‘ahs between the two pillars that were on his left when he entered. These two pillars are the two pillars on which the roof rests. In al-Sahihayn it says: He stood with one pillar on his left, another pillar on his right, and three pillars behind him – at that time, the House was resting on six pillars – then he prayed. Between him and the wall of the Kaaba there were three cubits, as is mentioned in the report of Abu Dawud; that is sufficient distance to stand in prayer, and it is sufficient to prostrate. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out and prayed two rak‘ahs facing towards the front of the Kaaba; what is meant by the front of the Kaaba is the door of the House.
We may reconcile between this hadith and the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih al-Bukhari – in which it says that [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] entered the House and said takbir whilst walking around inside it, and he did not pray in it – by noting that the affirmation of Bilal takes precedence over the negation of anyone else, because Ibn ‘Abbas was not with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on that day; rather he based his negation on what he had heard from Usamah or from his brother al-Fadl. It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the Kaaba twice, and he prayed on one of these two occasions and not on the other.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to pray inside the Kaaba..

398

It was narrated that ‘Ata’ said: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the House, he offered supplication whilst walking around inside, but he did not pray until he came out of it. When he came out, he prayed two rak‘ahs facing the front of the Kaaba, and he said: This is the qiblah..

Commentary : The Holy Kaaba is the Ancient House of Allah; it is held in very high esteem by all Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed inside it in the year of the conquest of Makkah.
In this hadith, Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) tells of what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did when he entered the House, meaning the Kaaba. He offered supplication whilst walking around inside, and did not pray inside it, but when he came out of the Kaaba, he prayed two rak‘ahs facing towards the Kaaba, and facing towards the front of it, which refers to the side where the door is. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “This is the qiblah,” meaning that the matter of the qiblah is settled; it is the direction of this House, and this will not be abrogated after today, so pray towards it forever. It may be that he taught them where the imam should stand, as he stands facing the front of it, and not any of its corners or any of the other three sides, although prayer facing any of its sides is valid.
It is proven in al-Sahihayn from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Bilal was asked whether the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed inside the House, he said: Yes, [he prayed] two rak‘ahs between the two pillars to the left when you enter.
We may reconcile between this hadith and the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) by noting that the affirmation of Bilal takes precedence over the negation of anyone else, because Ibn ‘Abbas was not with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on that day; rather he based his negation on what he had heard from Usamah or from his brother al-Fadl. It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the Kaaba twice, and he prayed on one of these two occasions and not on the other..

399

It was narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was hoping that he would be told to face towards the Kaaba. Then Allah revealed the words: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven…} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. So he turned towards the Kaaba. The foolish among the people, namely the Jews, said: {“What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?” Say, “To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path”} [al-Baqarah 2:142]. A man prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then after he prayed, he went out and passed by some of the Ansar who were praying ‘Asr, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis. He testified that he had just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he had offered that prayer facing towards the Kaaba. So the people turned until they were facing towards the Kaaba..

Commentary : The Holy Kaaba is held in high esteem by all Muslims, for it is the Ancient House of Allah and the qiblah towards which they face when they pray; they long to see the Kaaba when they go for Hajj.
In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the qiblah towards which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) faced in his prayer, when he first [came to Madinah], was in the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis, for sixteen or seventeen months. There is no difference of scholarly opinion that that happened in 2 AH. But he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Then Allah revealed the words: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven…} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. In other words, We see you repeatedly turning your face and looking up to heaven; {and We will surely turn you} that is, we will surely grant you and permit you to turn towards; {to a qiblah with which you will be pleased}, that you love and are inclined towards, for the correct purposes that you have in mind, and that are in harmony with the will and wisdom of Allah. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned towards the Kaaba. The foolish among the people – namely the Jews – said: {“What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?”} [al-Baqarah 2:142]. They asked this question in astonishment at the reason for the Muslims’ turning away from Bayt al-Maqdis towards the Kaaba, because they had liked it when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had turned towards Bayt al-Maqdis, as it was also their qiblah. So when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned towards the Sacred House, they objected to that. But Allah (may He be exalted) responded to them by saying: {Say, “To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path”} [al-Baqarah 2:142]. Some of his companions prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba, then one of the men who had prayed ‘Asr with him – whose name was ‘Abbad ibn Bishr or ‘Abbad ibn Nahik – went out and passed by a group of the Ansar. He found them praying ‘Asr, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so he said to them: I bear witness that I just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah, and that he was facing towards the Kaaba. When they heard him, they turned around towards al-Masjid al-Haram. They did not interrupt their prayer; rather they completed it facing towards the Kaaba. This reflects how quickly they responded to the command of Allah (may He be exalted).
This hadith highlights the honourable position of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and how dear he was to his Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) as He gave him what he had been hoping for, without him asking for it.
It highlights how keen the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were to adhere to their religion.
It indicates that the report of a trustworthy person may be accepted, even if he is only one..

400

It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray atop his mount, no matter what direction it was facing. Then when he wanted to offer an obligatory prayer, he would dismount and turn to face the qiblah..

Commentary : Supererogatory prayers are broad in scope, and there is leniency regarding them according to people’s circumstances. If a Muslim is travelling, he is granted concessions that make travel easier for him, such as shortening prayers and putting them together.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to offer supererogatory prayers whilst riding his mount or his she-camel, facing whatever direction his mount was facing. A report narrated by Abu Dawud explains how he prayed atop his mount, as it says: His prostration was lower than his bowing. So he would lean forward when prostrating a little more than when bowing. He did not dismount or insist on facing the qiblah except in the obligatory prayers. Facing towards the qiblah in an obligatory prayer is a condition of the prayer being valid. Whoever offers an obligatory prayer deliberately facing a direction other than the qiblah, without any excuse, his prayer is invalid, whether he is at home or travelling. If he is riding a mount, then he must dismount and turn towards the qiblah to offer an obligatory prayer, and that requirement is not waived except in the case of a legitimate excuse such as rain, sickness, fear and the like. Allah (may He be exalted) says: “And if you fear [an enemy, then pray] on foot or riding” [al-Baqarah 2:239].
This hadith highlights how it is made easier to pray when travelling.
It also indicates that it is valid to offer supererogatory prayers atop one’s mount, and in whatever conveyances come under the same rulings..

401

It was narrated that ‘Alqamah said: ‘Abdullah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed – Ibrahim said: I do not know whether he added something or omitted something – and when he said the taslim, it was said to him: O Messenger of Allah, has something new been introduced into the prayer? He said: “Why is that?” They said: You prayed such and such. So he knelt and turned to face the qiblah, and prostrated twice, then he said the taslim. When he turned to face us, he said: “If something new had been introduced into the prayer, I would have told you about it. But I am only human like you; I forget as you forget. So if I forget, then remind me, and if one of you is not sure about his prayer, let him think what is most likely to be the case, then complete it on that basis, then let him say the taslim, then prostrate twice.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the individual should strive to maintain proper focus and reflection whilst praying, and not let himself be distracted by worldly matters. But he may make a mistake in the prayer, by omitting or adding to some of its actions. This mistake needs to be compensated for, so the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) is prescribed in such cases.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates what happened to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to making mistakes in the prayer. He narrates that one day the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him – Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i, the narrator of the hadith, said: I do not know whether he added something or omitted something. It is explained that he added something in al-Sahihayn: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed Zuhr with five rak‘ahs. When he said the taslim at the end of his prayer, some of those who had prayed with him asked him: Has something new been introduced into the prayer? The aim was to ask whether something new had been introduced through revelation that had changed the ruling on the prayer, by adding to what was usually done. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to them: “Why is that?” This is the question of one who did not realize what he did, and is not sure and does not know what is most likely to be the case. This is in contrast to the people behind him, as they said: You prayed such and such, telling him of what they were certain had happened. Their words “such and such” refer to what had happened, which was something additional and more than usual. Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) knelt; he sat as for tashahhud, then he prostrated twice, the prostration of forgetfulness. Then he said to them: “If something new had been introduced into the prayer, I would have told you about it.” And he said: “I am only human like you; I forget as you forget. So if I forget, then remind me.”
Perhaps in His wisdom, Allah (may He be exalted) caused the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to make this mistake, so that he would teach his ummah what to do if the imam makes a mistake in the prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to the people: … if one of you is not sure, and he forgets whilst praying and does not know whether he has added something to it or omitted something, then “let him think what is most likely to be the case.” In other words, let him work out what happened, then if he thinks something is more likely to be the case, due to some circumstantial evidence, let him complete his prayer based on that, then do the prostration of forgetfulness.
The point in this hadith is that whoever makes a mistake in his prayer, adding or omitting something by mistake because he forgot, then he remembers after saying the salaam, he should turn to face towards the qiblah and do the prostration of forgetfulness, because the prostration of forgetfulness is part of completing the prayer. Even if it is done after saying the salaam, it is still part of the prayer, and it is stipulated that one should face towards the qiblah when doing it, as is required in the prayer.
This hadith shows us that even the Prophets (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) could make some mistakes in their actions, but that does not undermine the position of prophethood or undermine any of the teachings of Islam.
It indicates that the prostration of forgetfulness consists of two prostrations.
It indicates that it is valid to do the prostration of forgetfulness after saying the taslim at the end of the prayer..

402

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I agreed with my Lord in three cases: I said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t we take the standing place of Ibrahim (Maqam Ibrahim) as a place of prayer? Then the verse was revealed: {And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer} [al-Baqarah 2:125]. And regarding the verse of hijab, I said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t you instruct your wives to observe hijab, because both righteous people and immoral people speak to them? Then the verse of hijab was revealed. And the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conspired against him out of jealousy amongst themselves, and I said to them: Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you, then this verse was revealed..

Commentary : ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who were inspired; he was possessed of sharp intuition and deep insight, and sometimes he uttered words of Qur’an before Jibril brought them down, and on other occasions revelation came down, supporting his view from above seven heavens.
This hadith highlights one of the greatest virtues of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). In it, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I agreed with my Lord in three cases. How smart and subtle is the way in which he expressed it, as he paid attention to proper etiquette. He did not say, ‘My Lord agreed with me in three cases,’ because the verses were revealed in approval of and in agreement with his view and what he thought was right. ‘Umar only mentioned that so that the people who were listening to him would think positively of him and would not oppose him when he spoke words of truth, and so that the believers might follow his example in giving precedence to the truth and speaking the truth. Then he mentioned these three things, which were as follows:
Firstly: ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t we take the standing place of Ibrahim (Maqam Ibrahim) as a place of prayer? Then the verse was revealed: {And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer} [al-Baqarah 2:125]. In other words: O people, take the standing place of Ibrahim as a place of prayer at which you pray, as an act of worship and devotion to Allah (may He be exalted) and by way of Allah’s honouring Ibrahim. That prayer is offered after having circumambulated the Kaaba (tawaf), with the Maqam in between the Kaaba and the worshipper. The standing place of Ibrahim is the place where he stood; it is the rock on which Ibrahim (peace be upon him) stood when he was building the Kaaba, and his footprints can be seen on it. Its location is well-known now, beside the Kaaba.
Secondly: the verse of hijab. ‘Umar said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t you instruct your wives to observe hijab, because both righteous people and immoral people speak to them? Then the verse of hijab was revealed, in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful} [al-Ahzab 33:59]. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) knew that it was better for them to observe hijab than not to do so, but he was waiting for the revelation, as is indicated by the fact that he did not go along with ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) when he first suggested that to him. Hijab was enjoined in 5 AH, or in Dhul Qa‘dah 4 AH, or 3 AH.
Thirdly: The wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conspired against him out of jealousy amongst themselves. There is a long story behind that: when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to see Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) to greet her, she would keep him with her for a while and give him a drink of honey that she had received as a gift. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not like the fact that he stayed with her for a while, so she instructed an Ethiopian slave woman of hers, who was called Khadrah, to find out what Hafsah was doing when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to see her. Khadrah told her about the honey, and she got jealous, so she sent word to her co-wives, instructing them to tell the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that they could notice the smell of maghafir – which is a sweet gum with an unpleasant odour – from him, because of his drinking that honey. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would be troubled if an unpleasant smell came from him, because the angel used to come to him with the revelation. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stopped drinking the honey that he liked. Then news of that reached ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), so he went to the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and admonished and rebuked them. Among the things that ‘Umar said to them was: {Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you}, then this verse [al-Tahrim 66:5] was revealed. This is one of several instances in which ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed with his Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) and his Lord agreed with him. There is nothing in the verse to indicate that any other women were better than them, because the condition mentioned (divorce) did not happen; therefore the verse cannot be taken to mean that there were women who were better than them. The verse speaks of what Allah had the power to do, not something that was actually the case, because Allah (may He be exalted) says {if he divorced you [all]}. But Allah (may He be glorified) knew that he would not divorce them. This is like the verse in which Allah says: {And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you} [Muhammad 47:38]; here Allah was speaking of what He had the power to do, in order to alert and alarm them, not that there actually were others who were better than the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It may be that this virtue [being the best of women] was granted to his wives because of their marriage to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and any other woman he married would also rise to that status, but if he divorced any of them, she would no longer enjoy that status.
The fact that ‘Umar listed three cases in this hadith does not necessarily mean that there were not more than that, because there were other instances in which ‘Umar agreed with his Lord and his Lord agreed with him, one of the most famous of which are the story of the captives of Badr, and the story of offering the funeral prayer for the hypocrites. Both stories are narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to examine issues in an effort to find the right answer to some matters of religion..

404

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed Zuhr with five rak‘ahs. They said: Has something been added to the prayer? He said: “Why is that? They said: You prayed five [rak‘ahs].” So he knelt and prostrated twice..

405

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw sputum in the qiblah, and that upset him to the extent that it could be seen in his face. He got up and scratched it with his hand and said: “When one of you stands in prayer, he is conversing with his Lord, or his Lord is between him and the qiblah. So no one of you should spit in the direction of his qiblah; rather [he may spit] to his left or beneath his feet.” Then he took the edge of his rida’ [upper garment], spat on to it, then folded part of it over another part and said: “Or let him do like this.”.

Commentary : The Muslim should respect the mosques and keep them free of dirt and impurities, and anything that is not appropriate.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw sputum in the qiblah of the mosque. Sputum refers to what is ejected from the mouth or nose of spittle, mucus and the like. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was upset by that and got so angry that his anger could be seen in his face. He got up and scratched it with his hand, to remove it and clean it, then he said: “When one of you stands in prayer, he is conversing with his Lord” – the root meaning of the word translated here as conversing refers to private talk between two people. What is meant is that he should observe proper etiquette in this situation, because the worshipper is conversing with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Then he forbade any Muslim to spit in the direction of his qiblah, because spitting is usually a sign of disrespect, so it is not appropriate to the high esteem in which the direction of the qiblah is held. But if he must spit whilst he is in the mosque, let him spit to his left, for that is the direction for such dirty things, or beneath his feet, so that he may cover it with his foot in the earthen floor. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took the edge of his rida’ [upper garment], spat on to it, then folded part of it over another part and said: “Or let him do like this.” Thus he explained by his actions, so that the listener would understand better, and also to make it clear to the one who would not be able to bury his sputum. Spitting in the mosque is a sin, because it is indicative of disrespect towards the houses of Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) which He has commanded are to be built and His name mentioned therein. Moreover, it is offensive to other worshippers. A worshipper may prostrate on it without realizing, and he may be disgusted if he sees it and find it repugnant.
This hadith highlights the true nature of ihsan, which refers to a person constantly bearing in mind how close Allah (may He be exalted) is to him, that Allah is watching him and that He knows all about him.
It is also refers to honouring and respecting the qiblah, and highlights the superiority of the right over the left.
It also indicates that sputum is pure (tahir). .

415

It was narrated that Qatadah said: I heard Anas ibn Malik say: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is to bury it.”.

Commentary : The Muslim should respect the mosques and keep them free of dirt and impurities, and anything that is not appropriate.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains that spitting on the floor of the mosque is a sin, for which the doer deserves punishment from Allah (may He be exalted). The expiation for that sin is to bury it in the ground and cover it with earth. Whoever commits this bad deed and regrets it, and wants Allah to pardon him and erase this bad deed of his, should hasten to remove it from the mosque, by burying it if the mosque has an earthen floor, or by wiping it away and removing it, if the mosque is carpeted.
Spitting in the mosque is a sin, because it is indicative of disrespect towards the houses of Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) which He has commanded are to be built and His name mentioned therein. Moreover, it is offensive to other worshippers. The worshipper may prostrate on it without realizing, and he may be disgusted if he sees it and find it repugnant.
A report in al-Sahihayn explains that if someone cannot help but spit, he should spit to his left, or beneath his foot, or into the edge of his garment..

416

It was narrated from Hammam [that he heard] Abu Hurayrah [narrate] that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you stands in prayer, let him not spit in front of him, for he is conversing with Allah so long as he is in his prayer place; [and let him not spit] to his right, for on his right there is an angel. Let him spit to his left, or beneath his foot, then bury it.” .

Commentary : The Muslim should respect the mosques and keep them free of dirt and impurities, and anything that is not appropriate, and he should bear in mind that he is conversing with his Lord in His house.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: When one of you stands in prayer, then he is conversing with his Lord. This is affirming that Allah (may He be exalted) is close to His slave who is praying. What is meant is that the worshipper should bear in mind when praying that Allah is close to him, and that He can see him and hear him, and that he is conversing with Him; He hears what he says, and He responds to his conversing with Him. Therefore the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told the worshipper not to spit in front of him, or to his right. If he cannot help but spit, then let him spit to his left, because his devil-companion stands on his left when he is praying, or let him spit beneath his feet, then cover it by burying it in the ground, if the place where he is praying is not carpeted and has an earthen floor. But if the place where he is praying is carpeted, then he should spit into the edge of his garment and the like, as is mentioned in al-Sahihayn in the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him).
Spitting in the mosque is a sin, because it is indicative of disrespect towards the houses of Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) which He has commanded are to be built and His name mentioned therein. Moreover, it is offensive to other worshippers. A worshipper may prostrate on it without realizing, and he may be disgusted if he sees it and find it repugnant..

805

An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘ān al-Kilābi reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment, preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened them to three things, which I did not forget afterward. He said: "As if they were two clouds, or two black canopies with 'sharq' (light) between them, or as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for their companion.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it and act upon it, for it is the extended rope of Allah, and it leads to salvation on the Day of Judgment, particularly Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān, given their great status.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth," i.e., those who recite the Qur'an, have faith in its information and believe it, and act upon its rulings. The Qur'an will be an argument for those people on the Day of Judgment. Excluded from this are those who do not believe in its information or establish its limits; the Qur'an will be an argument against them. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "The Qur'an is an argument for you or against you." This is supported by the verse that reads: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29]
And by the Prophet's words: "preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān," i.e., they come ahead of the Qur'an. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān to three things, saying: "As if they were two clouds"; in Arabic "Ghamamatān", which means two clouds or two white clouds. A cloud is called such because it clouds the sky and conceals it. "or two canopies," i.e., two clouds that shade their companion from the heat of this situation of standing. He described these two clouds as 'black' because they are thick and piled upon each other. "with 'sharq' between them," i.e., light. The light of 'sharq' is the sun. This indicates that they, albeit thick, do not conceal light. It was said: Sharq means rift, i.e., a gap and break between them. This is like separating every two Surahs in the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) with Basmalah (mentioning Allah's name). "or as if they were two flocks," i.e., two herds or two groups. "of birds in ranks," i.e., extending their wings and being linked to one another. The intended meaning is that they will protect their reciter from the heat of this situation of standing and the distress of the Day of Judgment. 'pleading' i.e., pushing against Hellfire and its keepers or pleading for him in intercession or when he is questioned, when his tongue keeps silent, his lips are distraught, and his arguments are lost. Their companion means: He who acts upon them and what they contain, of rulings and legislations, whether he is a memorizer or a reciter of them.
In the Hadīth: Urging the recitation of the Qur'an and acting upon it; and the merit of Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān..

806

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: As Gabriel (Jibrīl) was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he heard a creak from above. So, he raised his head and said: "That is a gate in the heavens that was opened today; it had never been opened before today." An angel descended from it. He said: "That is an angel that descended to earth; he had never descended before this day." He gave the greeting of peace and said: "Have glad tidings with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it.".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth a divine gift is mentioned for those who recite Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Gabriel (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation, was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the version by An-Nasā’i: "As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting and Gabriel (peace be upon him) was with him." This means that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), including Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), about Gabriel (peace be upon him) sitting with him. "he heard" refers to Gabriel (peace be upon him), and it is also probable the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the one who "heard a creak from above," i.e., in heaven. A creak is a sound released because of the movement of something. Gabriel (peace be upon him) - or the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - raised his head to look at the source of this sound. Gabriel (peace be upon him) said that this is a gate in the heaven of the world, which was opened today and had never been opened except today; and an angel descended from it to the earth, and he had never descended before today. This is all to prepare for something great. Indeed, the opening of one of the gates of the heaven for the first time and the descent of an angel other than Gabriel to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for the first time points to the significance of the matter for which he was sent. When the angel descended, he greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said to him: "Have glad tidings" - glad tidings are only given about good things - "with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah," i.e., their special reward of their recitation was not given beforehand; otherwise, the entire Qur'an was not given to any prophet before him. Surat al-Fātihah was endowed with this particular merit because it summarizes all the meanings of Imān (faith), Islam, and Ihsān (excellence). It comprises the fundamentals of the Fiqhi rules and knowledge principles. And the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah, beginning from {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers...} to the end of the Surah, are endowed with this particular merit because they contain praise for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This is because they comply with their content and submit to their meanings and for their supplication to Allah Almighty and return to Him in all their affairs; and also, because those verses contain the response to their supplications after they were taught to them and they said them, and so He made things easier for them and forgave and supported them.
Then, the angel said: "You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it." This stems from the great bounty of Allah towards His Prophet and his Ummah. He called them two lights because the recitation of each verse in them brings light to the reciter that illuminates his way and leads him to the right path and the true course, given the sublime meanings contained therein, which include acknowledgment of the Lordship and absolute resort to Allah with the great supplication using their words.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great status of Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah and urging their recitation.
And in it: Pointing out that there are angel messengers to the prophets other than Gabriel
And in it: Showing the honorable status of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with his Lord, as He honored him with such things that He did not honor the previous prophets with, giving him these two lights
And in it: Affirming the existence of the gates of heaven, that they are opened and closed, and that some angels do not descend to earth except for such glad tidings.

809

Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur’an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it, as it is the extended rope of Allah, causing tranquility of the soul and an abundance of rewards, and it protects a servant from the distresses and trials of worldly life and the horrors and hardships on the Day of Judgment.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf, Allah will guard, protect, and preserve him from the trial of the Dajjāl, who will emerge at the end of time and claim to be God. The Dajjāl originally refers to someone who often engages in lying and deception. His emergence is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment, and his trial is the gravest on earth from the creation of Adam to the coming of the Hour, as Allah Almighty will enable him to perform some miracles whereby he will mislead his followers. Verily, the memorization of these verses is a cause of protection against the Dajjāl. It was said: This is due to the wonders and miracles existing in these verses. So, whoever knows them will not wonder at the matter of the Dajjāl or be misled by him; and he will patiently endure the trials of the Dajjāl and his apparent bliss and punishment; or that the protection from the Dajjāl is granted by Allah to those who memorize these verses.
Also, there are means of protection against the trial of the Dajjāl, which are not mentioned in this Hadīth, but are authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in other Hadīths: Knowing the names and attributes of Allah, which makes one know that the Dajjāl is a human being who eats and drinks, and Allah is far Exalted above that; the Dajjāl is one-eyed, whereas Allah is not one-eyed; and no one sees his Lord until he dies, whereas the people, including the believers and disbelievers, will see the Dajjāl when he emerges. It also includes the pursuit of Allah's refuge from the trial of the Dajjāl, particularly in prayer, as reported in a Hadīth by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the Two Sahīh Collections that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in prayer: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjāl." And it also includes fleeing and turning away from the Dajjāl, for those who will be present at his time, given the suspicions and amazing supernatural incidents that appear with him and by which a person might be tempted.
In the Hadīth: The merit of the ten verses at the beginning of Surat al-Kahf.
And in it: Clarifying that the trial of the Dajjāl is so severe that protection against him is needed.

810

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]. Thereupon, he struck me on the chest and said: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir!".

Commentary : The glorious Qur'an is the strong rope of Allah and His straight path. Its recitation brings goodness and blessing and affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of reward. Allah endowed some of its Surahs and verses with a special merit.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day asked him: "O Abu al-Mundhir", a surname for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him). "Do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" i.e., in terms of the reward and benefit for its reciter in this world and the Hereafter. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said: Allah and His Messenger know best." This stems from the Companions' politeness towards the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: ’Ubayy knew which verse was the greatest when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about it, but he did not reply out of respect, modesty, and politeness towards him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). If he had answered him the first time he asked him, he would have thus displayed his knowledge. He also probably did not give the answer because he expected that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would probably tell him that another verse is greater than that or inform him of some other benefit. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated the question, he knew that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted him to answer and wanted to test his memorization and information. Thereupon, he answered him that the greatest verse - as far as he knew - is the one that reads: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursī [footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255] It is called the verse of Kursī. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved his answer and accepted it as correct, and he struck with his honorable hand on the chest of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him). This behavior on the Prophet's part was done by way of gentleness, given his approval and acceptance of this answer and his admiration of the answerer. He said to him: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir," i.e., may knowledge be blissful for you. This is meant as a supplication for him to find knowledge easily and be versed therein.
The verse of Kursī is the greatest verse in the Qur'an because it combines such fundamental divine names and attributes that are not combined in any other verse. In it, Allah Almighty describes Himself as the worshiped God other than Whom none is truly worthy of worship. He alone is worthy of worship, out of love and exaltation for Him, given the perfection of His attributes. To Him belongs the complete life, which was not preceded by non-existence, will not be followed by an end, and entails all attributes of perfection. He is Self-Sustaining and does not need anyone, and He undertakes the affairs of His creation, including sustenance and other things. All creatures stand in need of Him and cannot exist without Him. His support of their existence entails all actions of perfection. Part of the perfection of His life and sustainability is that He does not suffer drowsiness or get overcome by sleep, and He is the sole Possessor of all that is in the universe. No one dares to intercede with Him unless He gives him permission. He is the One Who knows all the affairs of His creation; past, present, and future, and all else do not possess anything of Allah's knowledge whatsoever except what He taught them, by His will. His Kursī - the place of His feet - encompassed the heavens and the earth, despite their vastness and greatness, and their preservation is not heavy or hard for Him; rather, this is something easy and simple for Him, Exalted be He. He is the Possessor of absolute exaltedness above all His creation. He is Exalted by His Essence above His Throne and High above His creation by His absolute power and perfect attributes. He is the Possessor of absolute greatness in His Essence, attributes, and authority, and all other than Him are humble before Him and so little next to Him. Nothing is greater than Him, Exalted, Glorified, and Blessed be He.
In the Hadīth: A great merit for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him).
And in it: Praising a person to his face, if it serves a good purpose and if self-admiration is not feared, and so on
And in it: The knowledgeable person's great respect for his virtuous companions.

811

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" They said: "How does one recite a third of the Qur'an? He said: "{Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals a third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing, as it is the strong rope of Allah, and it affords tranquility of the soul and abundant reward. Allah Almighty has particularly endowed Surat al-Ikhlās with great merit.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asks his Companions, by way of teaching them: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" Since this is hard to do, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wondered and asked him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): How does one recite one-third of the Qur'an in a night?! In response to them, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the recitation of Surat al-Ikhlās {Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals the recitation of one-third of the Qur'an. So, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd (monotheism), and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one-third based on this consideration. In a version of the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās
And in it: The vast bounty of Allah Almighty towards His servants, as He made the recitation of a short Surah equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an.

811

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an.".

812

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'an." So, there gathered those who gathered. Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he went back in. We said to one another: "I think this is a revelation that came to him from heaven. That is why he went in." Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and said: "Indeed, I said to you that I would recite to you one-third of the Qur'an, and it is indeed equal to one-third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Surat al-Ikhlās is a great surah despite its few words, as it contains great and sublime meanings. In it, the meaning of Tawhīd (monotheism) for Allah is refined, worship is solely devoted to Him, and refuge is sought with Him alone, and the son and father are negated from Him, Exalted be He. This is one of the fundamental topics to which the Qur'an refers.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: 'Gather together' i.e., come together. This command indicates that he will inform them about something important, namely that he will really recite to them one-third of the Qur'an, or what equals its third in terms of the meaning and reward. So, there gathered those who gathered from among the people. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited to them Surat al-Ikhlās only: {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he entered his room. When they saw that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited nothing but this Surah and did not recite one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the amount and the number of verses, they thought that he entered because the revelation was coming down to him and that he would thereafter come out and recite to them the rest of the third of the Qur'an. Then, when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out, it was as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) knew what they were thinking about and that they were waiting to hear from him the rest of the third of the Qur'an. So, he informed them that Surat al-Ikhlās equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward. Thus, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd, and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one third based on this consideration. In a version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: The good way in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions, and the Companions' politeness towards him
And in it: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās and that it equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward and recompense.

814

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?! They are: {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?!" This is an exclamatory question, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wondered at the great merit of these verses, the like of whose meanings and blessings were not revealed in other Surahs to him before. Then, he identified those verses, saying that they are the two Surahs: "{Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}" They are the two refuge-seeking Surahs. They mention the pursuit of refuge, resorting, and asking for protection from Allah, the Lord of creation and the Lord of mankind. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used these two Surahs in seeking refuge with Allah Almighty and performing Ruqyah (faith healing) for himself.
Surat al-Falaq contains the verses that read: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak, from the harm of all what He has created; from the harm of the darkening night when it spreads around, from the harm of the sorceresses who blow on knots, and from the harm of the envier when he envies."} The meaning is: Say, O you, the Messenger—I resort to the Lord of the Morning. The Surah begins by describing the One with whom refuge is sought as the Lord of the Daybreak, for this is the time for the outpouring of lights and the descent of goodness and blessings. I seek refuge in this Lord, Who possesses this description, from what is harmful among the creatures. He solely attributes to the One with Whom refuge is sought what He created. He begins with the general words: {from the harm of all what He has created}, i.e., from the evil of His creation, the evil committed by the accountable servants in the form of sins and mutual harm among themselves, and what is done by unaccountable creatures of animals, such as the predatory beasts and insects, by eating, nipping, stinging, and biting, and the different kinds of harm Allah caused to exist in other than animals, like burning in the fire and killing by poison.
Then, He follows it with that whose harm is more hidden in terms of time, and it is the opposite of the break of the day, namely the coming of darkness, with His words: {from the harm of darkening [night] when it spreads around.} This is because harm spreads more easily at this time and getting rid of it becomes more difficult.
He particularly mentions the time in which wickedness is hidden, like the sorceresses who blow on knots and the enviers, and He links the envier with the conditional {when he envies}, because when an envier displays his envy, his evil and harm becomes more effective. Allah combines the evils in this Surah and concludes them with envy, so that it should be known that it is the meanest trait.
And Surat an-Nis is the verses that reads: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the harm of the lurking whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind, from among jinn and mankind."} [Surat an-Nās: 1-6] The meaning: Say - O you the Messenger -: I resort to the Lord of mankind and seek refuge in Him. He is the Sovereign of mankind and does whatever He wills to them. There is no other sovereign for them but Him and no true deity for them but Him. I seek refuge in Him from the evil of the devil who throws his whisperings to man if he fails to remember Allah and he goes backwards if he remembers Him. He throws his whisperings into the hearts of people. Such a whisperer could be among humankind and jinns alike.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great significance of the two refuge-seeking Surahs
And in it: Pointing out that there is nothing in the Qur’an like the two refuge-seeking Surahs in terms of the meanings, blessings, and pursuit of Allah's refuge through them.

817

‘Āmir ibn Wāthila reported: Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abdul-Hārith met ‘Umar at ‘Usfān, and ‘Umar had employed him as a governor of Makkah. He said: "Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of the valley?" He said: "Ibn Abza." He said: "Who is Ibn Abza?" He said: "He is one of our freed slaves." He said: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" He said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty and he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance." ‘Umar said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book some people and degrades others.'".

Commentary : The Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen that the rulings of Islam should be applied in all corners of the state. Therefore, he used to ask the governors about their conditions and how they acted in different situations, correcting their errors and holding them accountable for them. He would put in a high status the knowledgeable people of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Shar‘i rulings, in compliance with the principles of the honorable Shariah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Āmir ibn Wāthila (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Companion Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), was one of those who embraced Islam at the time of the Conquest of Makkah and was approved by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate as a ruler and governor of Makkah, and stayed there until he died. Nāfi‘ met ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), who stopped at ‘Usfān on the way to Hajj. He called him for a meeting, and he met him in ‘Usfān, a village 80km north of Makkah on the way to Madīnah. When they met, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of Makkah in your place for the period of your absence as you meet the Commander of the Faithful? The valley here refers to the valley of Makkah and Tā’if. He informed him that he had appointed Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abza (may Allah be pleased with him), as a governor over them, a freed slave of Nāfi‘ ibn al-Hārith. He embraced Islam during the Prophet's lifetime and lived in Kufa. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as a governor of Khorasan.
‘Umar said to him, disapprovingly: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" i.e., have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over the people of Makkah, the people of the Sacred City, and the people of nobility and high status?! It was said: ‘Umar's disapproval of his appointment as a governor over them was not because he belittled or disdained him, but because of the non-fulfillment of the purpose behind such an appointment, namely to set people's affairs in order and manage them, which requires the governor appointed over them to be a man of awe, greatness, and noble status in the hearts of the general public. To this end, he should be free and of noble descent and high standing; otherwise, people would disrespect and disobey him. Thus, the objective of such a post would fail.
Clarifying the reason behind appointing him over them, Nafi‘(may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty," i.e., he is a memorizer of it and knowledgeable about its rulings. "And he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance," i.e., about the division of inheritance according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In other words, Allah Almighty elevated this governor over them by virtue of these things, and they know him to be like that, so they would respect and revere him and obey his command; thus, their affairs would be set aright, and their conditions would become stable. Hence, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), liked what he heard about the traits of Ibn Abza and approved the action of Nafi‘ ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), and thereupon said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book" the noble Qur'an "some people." Allah elevates those who believe in it, recite it, and sincerely act according to it. He elevates them in this world, by making them lead a good life, and in the Hereafter, by making them among the people of high ranks along with those upon whom Allah bestowed His favor. "and degrades others,", lowering their status; those are the people who do not believe in it, or believe in it yet neglect it and abandon its application. So, He causes them to live in misery and straits in this world and makes them the lowest of the low in the Hereafter.
In the Hadīth: Putting a freed slave in authority over free people if he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance
And in it: Knowledge and the Qur'an redress the deficiency in one's lineage
And in it: The merit of knowledge
And in it: The approach of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as he used to follow up on his governors and observe how they ruled their subjects, lest they might neglect their rights, and thus, he would be the one to blame, for he was the chief caretaker.
And in it: The merit and honor of the knowledge of inheritance, for it is the knowledge to which Allah Almighty gave high status, as He Himself undertook the division of inheritance in His glorious Book and did not leave it to anyone..

820

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: As I was in the mosque, a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner that I found to be strange. Afterward, a man entered and recited in a manner different from the other. When we finished the prayer, we all went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I said: "This man recited in a manner that I found to be strange, and another man entered and recited in a manner different from his recitation." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them to recite, and when they did so, he expressed approval of both. This made me inclined to disbelieve in him, even to an extent I had never reached in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance). When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) noticed how I was affected, he gave me a pat on the chest. Thereupon, I broke into a sweat and was filled with fear as though I were looking at Allah Almighty. He said to me: "O ’Ubayy, a message was sent to me: Recite the Qur'an in one mode, but I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the second message: Recite it in two modes. I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the third message: Recite it in seven modes. And you may ask Me for something in return for each reply I sent to you. I said: O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah. And I delayed the third request until the Day when all humankind, even including Abraham (Ibrāhīm) (peace be upon him), will seek my intercession. [In a version]: ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b told me that he was sitting in the mosque when a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner... and he related a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions the Qur'an to perfection, and he would recite it to them in modes and manners that suited various dialects, all of which belong to Arabic, to make things easy and simple for the Muslims.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was sitting in the Prophet's Mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not present at the time - and ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the memorizers of the Book of Allah Almighty - as a man entered and prayed. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him recite the Qur'an in a way he found to be strange, i.e., ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know this way of recitation and did not hear it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier man. When they all finished the prayer, they went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in one of his rooms. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): This man recited in a way I found to be strange, as his recitation differed from that of mine. And another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier one. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered both men to recite so that he could hear their recitation and make sure whether it was correct or wrong. The two men recited, and he expressed approval of the recitation of both and said that both were good, or he said to each of them: You have done well. When ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) express approval of their recitation, he thought about denying the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and felt confused and surprised in a way he could not describe and the like of which he had not experienced during Jāhiliyyah, when he was in misguidance and disbelief, which are worthier of this kind of denial. Jāhiliyyah: It is the period during which people were polytheists before the Prophet's mission, and it was called as such because of the prevalence of their ignorance.
When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived that ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) experienced the whisperings and promptings of Satan, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck him with his noble hand on his chest, to reassure him. As a result, sweat flowed from all over the body of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), as if he were looking at Allah out of fear and embarrassment about the devil's whispering that influenced him. This indicates that it was a prompting from the devil, which disappeared immediately after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck with his hand on ’Ubayy's chest, and the sweat overflowed from him.
At this point, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed ’Ubayy - by way of reassuring him and making things clear to him - that Allah Almighty revealed to him that he should recite the Qur'an in one mode, i.e., in one way. "but I replied to Him," i.e., to Allah Almighty through Gabriel (Jibrīl) (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation. "Make matters easy," i.e., he asked Him, Exalted be He, to make the recitation of the Qur'an simple and easy for the Muslim Ummah. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was going back to his Almighty Lord to ask Him to facilitate things for his Ummah, as he is reported to have done regarding prayer. Allah Almighty replied to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the second time: "Recite it in two modes," and on the third time Allah facilitated the matter for the Ummah by its recitation in seven modes. In other words, the Qur'an was revealed in seven ways or seven dialects, intended to make the matter simple and easy. It was said: The Qur'an was first revealed in the language of the Quraysh tribe and the surrounding eloquent Arabs. Then, it was made permissible for the Arabs to recite it in their own languages which they habitually used, along with their different words and rules of parsing. He did not oblige any of them to shift from their language to another because it involved difficulty. This was also for their tribalism and their need for facilitation, so that they could understand the intended meanings. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations such that everyone could change any word to its equivalent in his language. Rather, the criterion in this regard was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, the Almighty Lord said to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "In return for each reply I sent to you," i.e., in return for each time you came back to Me to ask for facilitation and ease for your Ummah and I replied to you, "you may ask Me for something," i.e., an answered supplication, which you should make, and you will not be disappointed or rejected regarding it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah" twice. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the third request until the Day of Judgment. It is the Grand Intercession. All humankind will need his intercession, when everyone will say "myself, myself," even Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).
In the Hadīth: Allah's facilitation of things for the Ummah and His mercy towards them
And in it: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the best among the prophets and all humankind.
And in it: The superiority of Abraham (peace be upon him) over all the other prophets, except for our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
And in it: The Prophet's compassion towards his Ummah
And in it: It shows how much the Companions cared about the Qur'an, defended it, and preserved it and its words as they had heard it, without deviation from it.
And in it: Pointing out that the Qur'an was revealed in seven modes
And in it: Pardoning people for the devil's promptings and not holding them accountable for them
And in it: Showing the noble status of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), for the devil did not gain control over him and so he could not allure him as he allured many others who were predestined by Allah to suffer misery by persisting in denial. Rather, Allah Almighty inspired him to repent through the Prophet's striking on his chest and his supplication for him.
And in it: Establishing the intercession for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

821

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by a pond belonging to Banu Ghifār when Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah Commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in one letter." He said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." He then came to him for the second time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in two letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the third time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in three letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the fourth time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in seven letters, and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right.".

Commentary : The Noble Qur’an is the speech of Allah Almighty revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Allah has made its recitation easy for people so that they reflect upon its verses. A form of this facilitation and flexibility is that Allah has permitted its recitation in seven letters and in Qirā’āt (modes of recitation) that He taught to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who taught them to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who reported these Qirā’at to those who succeeded them.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by "Adā’ah (pond) belonging to Banu Ghifār." Adā’ah: still water. It is said that it is a place in Makkah, as Ghifār was a tribe from Kinānah, and their location was near Makkah. It is also said that it is a place in Madīnah attributed to Banu Ghifār because they settled therein.
Gabriel (peace be upon him) - the angel entrusted with the revelation - came to him and said: "Allah Almighty commands you to recite the Qur'an to your Ummah," referring to the Ummah that responded to his call, "in one letter," i.e. in one manner. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness," i.e. I ask Allah Almighty for His ease, facilitation, and forgiveness for them. The Prophet's request for forgiveness was out of fear of negligence committed on their side regarding how they must recite. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, my Ummah cannot bear that," i.e., they cannot stand to agree on one letter given their different dialects. So, uniting them into one dialect is hard for them and challenging for their tongues. Then, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him for the second time and informed him that Allah Almighty commands him to make his Ummah recite the Qur’an in two letters. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said the same thing he said the first time. Then, Gabriel came to him for the third time and informed him that Allah commands him to make his Ummah recite in three letters. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said what he had said in the two previous times. Then for the fourth time, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur’an in seven letters," thus, each one could recite in the manner that suits him, and that is easy for him, "and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right" and correct and their recitation will be sufficient and valid. His saying: "seven letters", means It was revealed in seven manners or seven dialects, which refers to facilitation and ease. It is said that the Qur'an was first revealed in the language of Quraysh and those who lived next to them from among the eloquent Arabs. Then, the Arabs were allowed to recite it in their usual languages despite the difference between them in words and grammatical rules. None of them was asked to leave his language for another one, given the difficulty involved and the pride they had and to make it easy for them to understand the intended meaning. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations in such a way that everyone would change any word to its equivalent in his language; instead, the criterion here was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth reflects the Prophet's keenness in facilitating and making things easy for his Ummah.
It also sheds light on the mercy of Allah Almighty towards His slaves by lightening their burden and revealing the Qur’an in seven letters..

822

Abu Wā’il reported: A man called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to ‘Abdullah and said: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter? Do you recite it as 'alif' (first letter of the Arabic alphabet) or as 'yā’' (last letter of the Arabic alphabet) {min mā’in ghayri āsin (of fresh water)} [Surat Muhammad: 15] or: min mā’in ghayri yāsin?" He said: 'Abdullah replied, "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" He said: "Indeed, I do recite the Mufassal (from Surat Qāf till the end of the Qur'an) in one Rak'ah (unit of prayer)." 'Abdullah said: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry! Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones. But if it were to reach the heart and settle therein, then it would be of benefit. The best (acts) of prayer are Rukū' (bowing) and Sujūd (prostration). I am well-acquainted with the Nazhā’ir (pairs of similar Surahs) which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine two Surahs in every Rak'ah." Then, 'Abdullah stood up and 'Alqamah followed him; he came out and said: "He informed me about them." [Another version reads]: A man from Banu Bajīlah came to ‘Abdullah, and he did not say: Nahīk ibn Sinān. [Another version reads]: 'Alqamah came to enter upon him, so we said: "Ask him about the Nazhā’ir that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in one Rak'ah." So, he entered upon him and asked him, then, he came out and said: "Twenty Surahs of the Mufassal according to the order (of the Surahs) set by 'Abdullah.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty commanded reflection upon the Qur’an, as He says: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29] Allah Almighty also says: {Do they not then ponder on the Qur’an?} [Surat an-Nisā’: 82] This is the purpose of its recitation, not just the mere recitation of its letters without understanding or reflection.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi'i Abu Wā’il, brother of Ibn Salamah, reports that a man - and in another version: "from Banu Bajīlah" - called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu' Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter?" i.e., how do you recite this verse in the Qur'an? "Do you recite it as 'alif' or 'yā"? {{min mā’in ghayri āsin} or (min mā’in ghayri yāsin)?" This means: Does the word start with an alif or a yā'? "Āsin" water is water that has a changed taste and color, whereas "Yāsin" water is smelly and stinking water that affects whoever goes in it with its steam. Thereupon, ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" i.e. Have you memorized the whole Qur'an and perfected its words except for this verse and the word you are asking about?! As if he was shocked and rebuking him. Nahīk ibn Sinān gave him an answer denoting how he believed that he had perfected the recitation of the whole Qur’an, as he informed him that he used to recite the Mufassal (short Surahs) in one single Rak‘ah, which indicates the great extent of his memorization and perfection. It is said: The Mufassal starts from Surat Muhammad, and it is said: Surat Qāf, until the end of the Noble Qur’an. It was called so because of the frequent separation between its Surahs with the line "Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful). ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) did not answer his question because he got the impression that he was not seeking guidance; rather, he said to him: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry?!" "Hadhdh" (hasty recitation) means excessive hastiness and extreme speed, i.e., do you recite the Qur’an hastily without reflecting upon it as if you are reciting poetry?! As if Ibn Mas‘ūd was criticizing him for reciting the Mufassal in one single Rak‘ah without reflecting upon and contemplating the verses.
Then, Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones," which is an indirect reference to incomprehension, i.e., there are people who recite the Qur'an without reflecting upon its verses or contemplating its meanings. Hence, it does not reach their hearts through contemplation and humility, and it does not ascend to heaven, and they do not, thus, receive a reward for it. "Turquwah" (collarbone): It is the protruding upper chest bone from the beginning of the shoulder to the bottom of the neck.
Then, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that when the Qur’an is recited in a reflective and contemplative manner, and the heart consequently grasps its meanings and understands its lessons, it becomes of benefit to its reciter, and this is what is required of a Muslim and is the objective of reciting the Qur’an. Then, he clarified to him that the acts of prayer that have a better and bigger reward are more Rukū‘ and Sujūd, not the lengthy recitation in which the reciter does not reflect upon the meanings of the verses.
Then, he taught him, saying: I am well-acquainted with the Surahs, which are called "Nazhā’ir" and which are the Surahs that have similar meanings or have a similar length, that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine in his Rak'ahs during prayer reciting two of them in every Rak'ah.
Ibn Mas‘ūd then stood up and entered his house, followed by the Tābi'i' Alqamah ibn Qays, who wanted to ask him about these Surahs which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine. Then, ‘Alqamah came out and said to the people: Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed me about them.
Another version reads: 'Alqamah informed them that the Nazhā’ir are "twenty Surahs from the Mufassal," i.e., twenty of the small Surahs according to the order of the Mus-haf that was arranged by 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd whose order varied from that of Zayd ibn Thābit. These Surahs were mentioned by Abu Dāwūd on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and they are: Ar-Rahmān and An-Najm in a Rak‘ah, Al-Qamar and Al-Hāqqah in a Rak‘ah, At-Tūr and Adh-Dhāriyāt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Wāqi‘ah and Al-Qalam in a Rak‘ah, Al-Ma‘ārij and An-Nāzi‘āt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Mutaffifīn and ‘Abasa in a Rak‘ah, Al-Muddaththir and Al-Muzzammil in a Rak‘ah, Al-Insān and Al-Qiyāmah in a Rak‘ah, An-Naba’ and Al-Mursalāt in a Rak‘ah, and Ad-Dhukhān and At-Takwīr in a Rak‘ah. If it is said Ad-Dukhān is not from the Mufassal, how did he count it from the Mufassal? The answer: It is a metaphor, as it was mentioned in a version in the Two Sahīh Collections: Eighteen Surahs from the Mufassal and two Surahs from the {Hā Mīm} family.
The Hadīth encourages reflection upon the Qur’an and abstention from reciting it hastily.
It also emphasizes the status and knowledge of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him)..

830

Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer at Al-Mukhammas and said: "This prayer was presented to those before you, but they wasted it. So, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled, and there is no prayer after it until the Shāhid appears." Shāhid: the star..

Commentary : Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The 'Asr prayer has a great merit. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges Muslims to observe it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led some of his Companions in the ‘Asr prayer at Al-Mukhammas, which is the name of a path in Mount ‘Ayr on the way to Makkah. Then, he informed them that the 'Asr prayer was enjoined upon the preceding nations, but they did not observe it properly, not performing it in its due time, taking it lightly, and abandoning it. Then, Allah gave it to the Ummah of Islam, "so, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled"; the first reward is for observing it, unlike those who neglected it, and the second is a recompense for his deed like the rest of prayers. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then forbade them from offering any supererogatory prayer until the sun sets and the "Shāhid", which is the star, appears. It was called "Shāhid" (witness) because it appears and is present at night and because a star does not appear and is not seen except after sunset. This does not contradict the confirmed texts that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Maghrib by sunset, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections and others.
This is a prohibition of prayer at sunset because it was when those who worshipped the sun used to pray. The word "after" here is not meant in a general sense; rather, it is meant to refer to the time of sunset and what is close to it. It is said that the prohibition of prayer during this time is only meant to prohibit delaying the obligatory prayer without a valid excuse until it is performed close to sunset. This prohibition does not include performing obligatory prayers or making up for missed prayers; it is exclusive to the supererogatory prayer.
The Hadīth encourages the observance of prayer.
It also encourages the observance of prayers in their due time.
It clarifies the merit of this Ummah as it carefully maintains a prayer that was not maintained by the preceding nations.
It also points out that the reward of whoever observes the ‘Asr prayer is doubled..

831

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir al-Juhani reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid us from praying or burying our deceased ones at three times: when the sun begins to rise until it is fully risen; when the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon until it passes its zenith; and when the sun starts setting until it fully sets..

Commentary : Allah Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to all humankind as a guide, bringer of good news, and a warner. There is no goodness for them concerning their life or death except that he guided them to it and urged them to do it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to preserve for the Muslims their creed. For example, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from praying or burying their dead at three times, which are: "When the sun begins to rise;" this is at the beginning of its rise and appearance. In modern estimation, this is nearly 15 minutes after sunrise. He forbade this because it is a time in which the sun-worshipers used to pray and prostrate to it, as it is a time in which the the sun rises between the two horns the devil. The second time: "When the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon;" this is at midday, when the sun is in the middle of the sky. This is a time when any standing object at noon no longer has a shadow towards the east or the west, and it is the time of extreme heat. He forbade this timing because Hellfire is flared up during it. The forbidden time continues until the sun passes its zenith for a little towards the west, and there comes the noon at which the time of the Zhuhr prayer comes. The third timing: "and when the sun starts setting," i.e., it moves towards setting until it completely sets, and the disc of the sun disappears. This is a time in which the sun sets between the two horns of the devil. This prohibition does not apply to the obligatory prayers that are performed within their appointed times or as missed prayers; rather,, it applies to supererogatory prayers.
In the Hadīth: The prohibition of praying at these times
And in it: The prohibition of burying the dead at these times.

832

‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: In Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance), I used to think that people were misguided and that they were not on the right path, as they worshipped idols. Then, I heard of a man in Makkah who was telling new things. So, I mounted my camel and went to him. I found that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was hiding, for his people were aggressive toward him. So, I acted gently until I entered his place. I said to him: "Who are you?" He said: "I am a Prophet." I said: "What is a Prophet?" He said: "Allah sent me.'' I said: "What did He send you with?" He said: "He sent me with [a message] of maintaining kinship ties, breaking the idols, and upholding the oneness of Allah without associating anything with him." I said: "Who is with you on that?" He said: "A free man and a slave man.'' He said: At that time only Abu Bakr and Bilāl were with him. I said: "I shall follow you.'' He said: "You cannot do that today. Do you not see my situation and that of the people? However, return to your people, and when you hear that I have succeeded in my mission, come to me.'' So, I went to my people. Later, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to Madīnah. It was until some of my people went to Madīnah that I said: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" They said: "People are hastening to him. His own people wanted to kill him, but they could not." So, I went to Madīnah and entered his place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He said: "Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me of what Allah has taught you, which I am ignorant of. Tell me about prayer." He said: "Perform the morning prayer. Then, do not pray until the sun has risen up to the height of a lance, for when it rises, it rises between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it. Then, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until the shadow of the lance shrinks. Then, do not pray, for at that time Hell is fired up. Then, pray when the shadow becomes longer, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until you perform ‘Asr. Then, do not pray until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it." I further said: "O Prophet, tell me about ablution.'' He said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water and rinses his mouth and nose, the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose will ‘fall’. Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him, the sins of his face fall with water from the edges of his beard. Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows, the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair. Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles, the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes. Then, when he stands up for prayer, praises Allah Almighty, extols Him, glorifies Him as He deserves, and empties his heart for Allah, he becomes free from his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.'' ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah narrated this Hadīth to Abu ’Umāmah, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, Abu Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about what you are saying. Will a man be getting all of this on one occasion?" ‘Amr said: "O Abu ’Umāmah, I am old in age, weak in bones, and close to death. I do not need to tell lies about Allah or the Messenger of Allah. Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times - I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that.".

Commentary : Islam emerged in a world filled with oppression, Shirk (polytheism), and ignorance. The brightness of its teachings was strange to those who lived in complete darkness. Its earlier followers suffered severe tribulations, as they were very few and their enemies regarded them as weak and humiliated, and they would subject them to subjugation and harm, for they did not possess the means of protection either by being large in number or by strength. This was before Allah Almighty endowed them with Hijrah (emigration) to Madīnah, where He provided them with refuge, empowered them, helped them, and made them victorious over their enemies. In this Hadīth, the Companion ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him)—who was the half-brother of Abu Dharr from the mother's side; their mother was Ramlah, from Banu al-Waqī‘ah ibn Harām ibn Ghifār, and he was from Banu Sulaym—says that in Jāhiliyyah, people were polytheists. It was called as such due to the prevalence of their ignorance. He used to think that people were misguided and did not follow anything of the truth or the religion that would benefit them with Allah Almighty. "as they worshipped idols." An idol is anything worshiped apart from Allah, be it made of stone, wood, or trees, and whether it takes the form of a human being or not. Later, he heard about the emergence of a man - meaning the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - in Makkah who was telling new things concerning Allah Almighty, i.e., the new things related to the prophethood, the message, and the revelation of Allah to him, and the command He sent to him about Tawhīd (monotheism) and the falsity of associating partners with Allah Almighty. So, he mounted his riding animal and traveled to Makkah to learn about the affair of this Prophet. He found the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) hiding from the disbelievers because they were aggressive to him. So, he searched for him in Makkah in a gentle and kind manner so that the Quraysh disbelievers would not repel him, until he found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "What are you?" i.e., what about your condition and your affair? He did not say, "Who are you?" because he did not want to ask about himself but about his traits. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "I am a Prophet," one of the prophets of Allah, as Allah sent revelation to me. He asked him about the reality that distinguishes a prophet from others, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him that Allah sent him to all humankind. He further asked him: "What did He send you with?" In reply, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that He sent him with a message of upholding the ties of kinship, who are a person's relatives and all those who are related to him by blood, whether he is an inheritor of them or not. The tie becomes more affirmed if they have a closer blood relationship. The Prophet's response here was appropriate for the questioner or considering the time and condition. The upholding of kinship ties is probably singled out in consideration of the condition of the Arabs, or because other obligations had not yet been prescribed. And he informed him that Allah Almighty sent him with a message of breaking and destroying the idols, prohibiting the devotion of worship to them, and that oneness must be attributed to Allah alone and worship be devoted to Him alone, not associating any of the creation as partners with Him. ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Who is with you on that" Tawhīd and religion? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A free man and a slave man." ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at the time had with him Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the free man, and Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the slave man, among those who believed in him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), believed his message, and followed his religion. ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "I shall follow you" and this religion, referring to his conversion to Islam. Hence, I shall accompany you and be with you in this position you are in. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You cannot do that on this day of yours," i.e., at the present time. This is due to the weakness of the Muslims. It is feared that you will be harmed by the Qurayshi disbelievers. He did not reject his conversion to Islam, but rejected the idea that he would remain with him, citing as the reason for that the few supporters of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the strength of the disbelievers and the severe animosity they displayed. So, he ordered him to go back to his people, remain among them, and continue to be Muslim, and when he hears about the dominance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his victory over the polytheists and the spread of his call across the land, he should come to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This is an example of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talking about future and unseen things, and it falls under the signs of his prophethood (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to his people Banu Sulaym. Then, after a while, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated to Madīnah after staying in Makkah as a prophet for thirteen years, calling people to Tawhīd and the abandonment of Shirk. Meanwhile, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was living among his people. So, he began to look out for news about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in Madīnah, asking travelers who would pass him by. This continued until there came a group, between three and nine persons, from the people of Yathrib, which was the old name for Madīnah, before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) changed it to Taybah and Tābah. He asked them: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" He posed the question in this way so as to conceal his condition from whom he asked, lest they might be enemies of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and so they would not tell him the truth, if they knew he was following his religion. This reflects the good understanding, wisdom, and intelligence of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him). They answered him: People are hastening to him to follow his religion and enter Islam. "His people wanted to," i.e., the Quraysh disbelievers wanted to "kill him" by various methods of cunning and deception, "but they could not." Rather, Allah turned their plots back on their necks and protected His Prophet from that. It was said: This is intended to refer to what the Quraysh tribe plotted against the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after his Hijrah, including the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, and Al-Ahzāb, and others. But they could not eliminate him, as Allah Almighty granted him victory over them. Also, the intended meaning is probably what Allah Almighty mentions in the verse that reads: {And [remember] when the disbelievers plotted against you to take you as captive, kill you, or expel you. They plan, and Allah also plans, but Allah is the Best of those who plan.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 30] This is when they plotted against him in these ways. So, Allah permitted him to immigrate, and after he went to Madīnah, Allah Almighty revealed to him "Surat al-Anfāl" wherein He mentions His favors upon him and the affliction he had suffered.
Then, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he came to Madīnah - after the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar - and entered the Prophet's place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He replied: Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah. So, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked to tell him about what Allah taught the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of which ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was ignorant. He also asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to tell him about the prayer and its time. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to offer the morning prayer - and its time begins with the appearance of the true dawn - and then desist from prayer until the sun appears and rises to the height with which prayer is no longer disliked; that's 15 minutes after sunrise, according to modern estimation. This demonstrates the times in which prayer was prohibited, and he explained to him the reason behind this prohibition, saying that the sun rises between two horns of a devil, and at that time the disbelievers who worship the sun prostrate themselves to it. The meaning: The devil adorned to some people the worship of the sun at this time, and he used to take sunrise between the two horns in his head and approach it, and so it would rise between his two horns. And the same happens at the time of sunset. It is as if those who prostrate to the sun do prostrate to him. So, this is meant to keep away from imitation of the disbelievers at their time of prayer. This prohibition pertains to supererogatory prayers whose performance is not associated with a specific reason. A Muslim should not offer them at these two times. As for the missed obligatory prayers, they may be performed at all times of prohibition.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that after that time he could offer as many supererogatory prayers as he wished, as related in the version by Abu Dāwūd, "for the prayer is witnessed and attended," i.e., the angels attend it to write down its reward and bear witness for those who perform it. So, it is closer to acceptance and the attainment of mercy. So, he prays "until the shadow of the lance shrinks," i.e., the shadow rises with the lance or in the lance, and nothing of it remains on the ground. This refers to the Arab martial lance, which is nine mediocre spans long. The lance was particularly mentioned because when the Arabs wanted to know the time, they would erect their lances on the ground and then look at their shadows.
When things no longer have a shadow, one should refrain from offering supererogatory prayers that are not associated with a specific reason, for this time is one in which "Hell is fired up," i.e., it is intensely kindled. "when the shadow becomes longer" towards the east, "then pray" any prayer you want to offer. "for the prayer is witnessed and attended." Continue to pray as much as you wish "until you perform ‘Asr." Then, stop offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr, until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil, and this is a time at which the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it, as previously mentioned.
Then, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about ablution and how to perform it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water," i.e., brings water to perform ablution therewith. "and rinses his mouth" by moving water inside the mouth and then discharging it out. "and nose" by inserting water into the nose and then blowing it out to remove any filth inside. the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose "fall." "Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him," i.e., in the verse that reads: {when you rise up for prayer, wash your faces.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 6] "the sins of his face will fall with water from the edges of his beard." He mentioned the beard in light of what is more common; yet, it also applies to those who have no beard, such as the beardless men or women. "Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows," which are the joints in the middle of the arm, "the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair." He mentioned hair in light of what is more common, yet it also applies to those who have no hair. "Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles" - the two protruding bones at the joint connecting the foot and leg - "the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes." If a person performs ablution in this way and enters the prayer, praises Allah, lauds Him by the well-established attributes, lauds Him by exalting Him above what does not befit Him, and extols Him by ascribing to Him the attributes of glory, might, and honor of which He is worthy; "and empties his heart for Allah," Almighty, i.e., he empties his heart from the impurity of attachment to and reliance upon other than Allah, "he becomes free from his sins" and misdeeds and gets purified from them as he was pure from all sins "on the day his mother gave birth to him."
‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this Hadīth before Abu ’Umāmah, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Abu ’Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about," i.e., consider, ponder, "what you are saying" about this abundant reward in return for this little act in one situation and one place; a man is given this great reward! The wording by An-Nasā’i: "Is all of this given in one situation?!" This does not denote suspicion by Abu ’Umāmah of ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with both of them). It is only wonder at the immensity of Allah's bounty. ‘Amr replied: "O Abu Umāmah, I am old in age," "weak in bones," i.e., my bones have become thin and lean - a reference to his weakness. "and close to death." "I do not need" or am prompted "to tell lies about Allah" Almighty" or the Messenger of Allah" (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning: The usual causes of lying are non-existent in me. I am not a liar. So, "Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times," i.e., he said: four times, until he said: seven times. "I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that." In the version by An-Nasā’i: "My ears heard it, and my heart understood it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." This means he was scrupulous in narrating these words about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Besides, his heart kept it for himself, and he did not undergo forgetfulness. This is all due to keenness to ascertain the validity of the narration.
In the Hadīth: Urging the upholding of kinship ties, as Allah Almighty couples it with Tawhīd
And in it: Supererogatory prayers may be offered at any time, except for the prohibited times.
And in it: Demonstrating the time of the morning prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the times in which it is prohibited to offer non-obligatory prayers
And in it: The merit of performing ablution perfectly
And in it: The merit of Khushū‘ (humility and focus) in prayer
And in it: It is prohibited to imitate the disbelievers in their worship
And in it: Showing the merit of Abu Bakr and Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with both of them), as they embraced Islam ahead of others
And in it: Showing the merit of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his wisdom, for he realized during Jāhiliyyah that people were misguided, as they worshiped idols apart from Allah Almighty, and he embraced Islam early on.
And in it: It points out that a Muslim should ask about the best times and places in which he should seek closeness to his Lord and perform a lot of worship to Him.
And in it: News should be verified, even if the reporter is truthful, for he may undergo forgetfulness or the like..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths