It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do you see this qiblah of mine here? By Allah, your khushu‘ [proper focus and humility] and your bowing are not hidden from me, for indeed I see you behind my back.”.

Commentary : Khushu‘ (proper focus and humility) forms the essence of prayer; by means of khushu‘ the worshipper will be calm and unhurried in his prayer, and will turn more wholeheartedly to Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught the Muslims the etiquette of prayer and what is most important when praying, so that their prayer might be perfected.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked his companions: “Do you see this qiblah of mine here?” This is a question objecting to what they might think when he is facing towards the qiblah. In other words: do you think that I do not see what you do, because my qiblah is in this direction, and the one who faces towards something turns his back towards what is behind him. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that what he could see was not limited to one direction; he swore by Allah that he could see who was focusing properly in his prayer, and who was not, behind him. His intention in saying that was to urge them to focus properly, with humility, and bow properly in the prayer. What his words “for indeed I see you behind my back” meant was that Allah (may He be exalted) had created in him the ability to see those who were standing behind him. This is something that was unique to him, and he was able to see them in a real sense, which was something extraordinary. He was also granted other extraordinary abilities apart from this, and that is not contrary to rational thinking or to any religious text; rather there are religious texts that confirm that, and we must believe in it.
It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw them through what was revealed to him about their actions and how they performed the prayer, because seeing may mean knowing and believing.
What he meant when he said that was: Focus properly in the prayer, with humility, and do the essential parts thereof properly, as if I am watching you and directing you to do it correctly, for I see your actions in prayer behind me when I am standing and leading you in prayer and you are behind me, just as I see you when I am looking at you in front of me.
This hadith is one of the proofs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

419

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in prayer, then he ascended the minbar and said regarding the prayer and bowing: “Indeed I can see you behind me as I see you [now].”.

Commentary : Khushu‘ (proper focus and humility) form the essence of prayer; by means of khushu‘ the worshipper will be calm and unhurried in his prayer, and will turn more wholeheartedly to Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught the Muslims the etiquette of prayer and what is most important when praying, so that their prayer might be perfected.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led them in prayer, then he ascended the minbar and spoke regarding the prayer and bowing, meaning that he exhorted them with regard to the prayer and bowing. He singled out bowing for mention, even though it is included in the prayer, because he wanted to pay extra attention to it, either because it is the greatest of the essential parts of the prayer, based on the fact that if a latecomer to a congregational prayer catches up with bowing, he has caught up with that entire rak‘ah, or because he knew that they were falling short in bowing, so he mentioned it in order to highlight their shortcomings in it. Then he said: “Indeed I can see you behind me as I see you [now].” This was one of his miracles and unique characteristics, and one of the proofs of his prophethood. What is meant is that Allah (may He be exalted) had created in him the ability to know what was happening behind him, and his seeing meant knowing in a true sense what was happening, by extraordinary means. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was granted many extraordinary feats and events in addition to this, and nothing in that is contrary to rational thinking or religious texts, rather the religious texts speak of such miracles and extraordinary events, so we must believe in them.
It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw them through what was revealed to him about their actions and how they performed the prayer, because seeing may mean knowing and believing.
What he meant when he said that was: Focus properly in the prayer, with humility, and bow and do the essential parts thereof properly, as if I am watching you and directing you to do it correctly, for I see your actions in prayer behind me when I am standing and leading you in prayer and you are behind me, just as I see you when I am looking at you in front of me.
This hadith urges us to offer the prayer in the manner enjoined by Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
It is also one of the proofs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

420

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held a race between horses that had been made lean, starting from al-Hafya’ and ending at Thaniyyat al-Wada‘, and another race between horses that had not been made lean, starting from Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ and ending at the mosque of Banu Zurayq. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of those who took part in these races..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prescribed for his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that by means of which they could attain some pleasures of this world and would also have a good impact on their faith and their hereafter. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held a race between horses that had been made lean, which means that they were fed until they grew fat and strong, then their feed was reduced, giving them just enough to survive, and they were put in an enclosed space and covered with blankets until they became hot and sweated. Then when the sweat dried, their flesh would be reduced and they would be able to run fast. The course of the race began at al-Hafya’, which is a place near Madinah, to the west of Mount Uhud, and ended at Thaniyyat al-Wada‘; a thaniyyah is a path through the mountains, and it was called Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ [lit. the mountain pass of farewell] because when someone departed from Madinah, his family would take him to that mountain pass, then they would bid farewell to him in that place, and go back home. Between Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ and al-Hafya’ there is a distance of five miles or more (approximately 8 km). He also held a race between heavy horses that had not been made lean, from Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ to the mosque of Banu Zurayq, who were a tribe of the Ansar. The mosque was named after them by way of describing which mosque it was, not that they owned it. Between Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ and the mosque of Banu Zurayq there was a distance of one kilometre. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who took part in these horse races.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to attribute a mosque to the one who built it or the one who prays in it, and to name it after him, and that it is valid to attribute righteous deeds to their doers.
It indicates that it is permissible to make horses lean and to train them to run, preparing them to make the word of Allah (may He be exalted) supreme and to support His religion.
It indicates that it is permissible to make animals go hungry for a good purpose, not by way of cruelty.
It indicates that it is essential to state the distance and the length of the course in horse races..

421

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Some wealth from al-Bahrain was brought to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said: “Display it in the mosque.” It was the largest amount of wealth ever brought to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to pray, and he did not pay any attention to it. When he had finished the prayer, he sat by it, and he did not see anyone but he gave him something. Then al-‘Abbas came to him and said: O Messenger of Allah, give me something, for I paid ransom for myself and for ‘Aqil. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Take.” So he scooped up some wealth into his garment, then he tried to lift it, but he could not. He said: O Messenger of Allah, tell someone to lift it up for me. He said: “No.” He said: Then lift it up onto me yourself. He said: “No.” So he reduced it, then he tried to lift it up, and he said: O Messenger of Allah, tell someone to lift it up onto me. He said: “No.” He said: Then lift it up onto me yourself. He said: “No.” Then he reduced it some more, then he lifted it up onto his back, and left. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) kept watching him until he disappeared from our view, because he was astonished at how much he wanted to have of it. And the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not leave until there was not even a single dirham left of it..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned his ummah against accumulating worldly gains, and said that those who acquire a great deal of wealth in this world will be those among the people who have the least share of reward on the Day of Resurrection, except those who pay what is due on wealth [i.e., zakah and charity]. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the least interested of people in worldly gains.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the wealth of al-Bahrain – meaning the land tax [kharaj] that was imposed on the Magians of Hajar, which was a region in the land of al-Bahrain – was brought by Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him); it had been sent by al-‘Ala’ ibn al-Hadrami from al-Bahrain. The total amount was eighty thousand dirhams. The name al-Bahrain in ancient times referred to the region that now includes [the island of] Bahrain, al-Ahsa’ and al-Qatif, in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to display that wealth in the mosque; this wealth was the largest amount that had been brought to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to pray without paying any attention to it or looking at it, in order to show his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that wealth was not something to be concerned about, and it should not distract one from prayer and faith. When he had finished his prayer, he sat, and he did not see anyone but he gave him some of that wealth. Then al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him), the paternal uncle of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), came to him and said: Give me something, for I ransomed myself and ‘Aqil – meaning that he had paid the ransom for himself and for ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib when they were taken prisoner on the day of Badr. It was said that he paid a ransom of eighty uqiyahs of gold, or that he paid one thousand dinars. What he meant was that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) should compensate him for the wealth that he had lost.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Take.” So al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) scooped up a great deal with his hands, and placed it in his garment. Then he tried to lift it up, but he was not able to do so. So he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to instruct one of those present to lift it up onto him so that he could carry it. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refused to instruct anyone to do that. So al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to lift it up onto him himself, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refused to do that. Al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) threw some of it aside, so that he would be able to carry it, then he tried to lift it but he was not able to do so. He told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to instruct someone to lift it up onto him, but he refused, and he also refused to lift it onto him himself. So al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) put back some more of it, then he lifted it onto his back – the Arabic word translated here as back refers to the part of the back between the shoulders – then he left. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) kept watching him until he went away and disappeared from view. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was astonished at how keen al-‘Abbas was to acquire wealth. The only reason he did not instruct anyone to lift the wealth onto al-‘Abbas’s back was – and Allah knows best –that he wanted to deter this eagerness to take too much wealth that al-‘Abbas demonstrated, and so that he would not take more than he needed of worldly gains, and would limit himself to what was sufficient for him, as he himself used to do.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not get up and leave until he had shared out all the wealth, and not a single dirham of it was left. This was his usual habit.
This hadith indicates that the wealth of al-fay’ [booty seized without fighting] may be given to both rich and poor.
It highlights how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked down on worldly gains and glamour, no matter how great they were.
It indicates that one may be astonished at the eagerness of someone who is keen to acquire wealth and to acquire a great deal of it.
It indicates that it is permissible to share out fay’ in the mosque, and to put it in the mosque..

422

It was narrated from Ishaq ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Abi Talhah that he heard Anas say: I found the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the mosque, and some people were with him. I stood there and he said to me: “Did Abu Talhah send you?” I said: Yes. He said: “[Is he inviting me] to eat?” I said: Yes. He said to those who were with him: “Let’s go!” He set out, and I set out ahead of them..

Commentary : This text is an abridgement of a lengthy hadith the authenticity of which is agreed upon. During the battle of al-Khandaq, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) suffered greatly from hunger and exhaustion, to the extent that that showed in the voice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as it sounded weak. Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) sensed hunger in the voice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He told his wife Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was hungry, and asked her whether she had any food. She brought out some baked loaves of barley flour, then she brought out a scarf and put the bread together and wrapped it in the scarf. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) – whose mother was Umm Sulaym – said: Then she tucked it under my arm, to hide it, and sent me to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) did what she did because there was so little bread and food. The apparent meaning of that report indicates that she sent the food to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other reports in al-Sahihayn, it says that she prepared food, and Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to invite him to come and eat some of that food. Perhaps this version is in harmony with the text, and perhaps the story of offering food to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) happened on two separate occasions.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and found him sitting in the mosque with his companions. He stood waiting for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to be alone, so that he could give him the bread, because it was not enough for his companions. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw him standing there, he said to him: “Did Abu Talhah send you?” Anas replied: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “[Is he inviting me] to eat?” Anas said: Yes. This was one of his miracles and a sign of his prophethood, that he told Anas why he had come before Anas even spoke. Abu Talhah’s full name was Zayd ibn Sahl al-Ansari, one of the leaders who had been present at the pledge of al-‘Aqabah; he was the husband of the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with them all).
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought his companions to the house of Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) to eat with him, because they were very hungry and exhausted. This is an example of the Prophet’s etiquette and kind treatment of his companions, as he did not keep that invitation to himself; rather the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought them to eat with Abu Talhah even though his food was little, because he knew that it would be sufficient for all of them, by virtue of his barakah and what Allah (may He be exalted) had granted uniquely to him of honour and virtue. This was another sign of his prophethood.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out, along with his companions, and Anas was walking quickly ahead of them, to bring this news to Abu Talhah. So he came to him and told him, and Abu Talhah told his wife Umm Sulaym about the news, and that they did not have enough food for the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Umm Sulaym referred the matter to Allah, which is indicative of her strong faith and religious commitment. Abu Talhah went out to welcome the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then they came in to where Umm Sulaym was. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Umm Sulaym, bring me what you have”, asking her to bring to him what she had of bread. When she brought it, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed that it be broken into pieces, then Umm Sulaym squeezed a round leather vessel of ghee and honey over the bread, like a condiment. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said whatever he wanted to say concerning it, and he offered supplication that the food be blessed. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to Abu Talhah: “Give permission to ten men to come in.” That was because the place was not big enough to hold all the people. Permission was given to them, and they came and ate until they were full, then they left. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Give permission to another ten to come in.” And it carried on like that until all the people – of whom there were seventy or eighty men – had eaten their fill, by the blessing of the supplication of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, we see that if someone is invited to a meal and knows that the host will not mind if he brings someone else with him, and that the food will be sufficient, then there is nothing wrong with him bringing that other person with him. .

428

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah and halted in A‘la al-Madinah, among a tribe called Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed among them for fourteen days, then he sent for Banul Najjar, who came armed with their swords. It is as if I can see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on his mount, with Abu Bakr riding behind him, and Banul Najjar all around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. He liked to pray wherever he was when the time for prayer came, and he would pray in sheepfolds. He issued instructions that the mosque be built, and he sent for a group of Banul Najjar and said: “O Banul Najjar, name your price for this garden of yours.” They said: No, by Allah, we will not ask for any price for it, except [reward] from Allah. Anas said: There was in [that garden] what I am going to tell you: there were some graves of the polytheists, and a ruin, and some palm trees. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) issued orders that the graves be dug up, the ruin be levelled, and the palm trees cut down; [the trunks of the palm trees] were lined up to make a wall in the direction of the qiblah of the mosque, and they made its other two supporting walls of stone. They brought stones whilst reciting rajaz verse, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was with them and was saying: “O Allah, there is no good except the good of the hereafter; have mercy on the Ansar and the Muhajirin.”.

Commentary : The migration from Makkah to Madinah took place by the command of Allah to His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That was the beginning of a new stage in the da‘wah (call) and the spread of Islam.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated to Madinah, he halted and stayed in A‘la al-Madinah, which is an area also known as al-‘Awali and al-‘Aliyah. This refers to Quba’ and its environs. Quba’ was the land of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. It was also said that everything on the side of Madinah in the direction of Najd, of villages and populated areas as far as Tihamah, is called al-‘Aliyah, and everything other than that is called al-Safilah.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed with them for fourteen days, then he sent for his maternal uncles, Banul Najjar. They came with their swords on their shoulders, as was their custom when they went to meet one of their prominent figures; or it may be that they came in this manner because they feared that the Jews might harm the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and this was a display of their support for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet’s intention was to move from al-‘Awali to the centre of Madinah and find a place to settle there. So he rode his she-camel, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) rode behind him, which is indicative of the honourable and unique status of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), which none of the other companions shared with him. The men of Banul Najjar, their bravest fighters and nobles, surrounded him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rode until he dismounted and unloaded his luggage in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of Banul Najjar. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to pray wherever he was when the time for prayer came, to show that the entire earth had been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for him. He would pray in sheepfolds, which are enclosures to which the sheep go to sleep, rest and spend the night. This was a concession granted by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), allowing people to pray in the places where sheep gathered, because sheep are peaceful animals that do not harm anyone, and there is blessing in them because they are so peaceful and gentle, and do not move very much, in addition to other benefits. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to build the mosque on the site of a garden belonging to some of Banul Najjar, so he sent word to them and said to them: Name your price for your garden; tell me how much you want for it, so that I can buy it from you. But they swore by Allah that they would seek the reward for that with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), and they did not want any money for it. In this place there were some old graves of the polytheists, a ruin and some palm trees, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) issued orders that the graves of the polytheists be dug up, and the bones and remains be removed to another place. The ruin, in which there were holes, stones, cracks and the like, was to be leveled. It was said that what was meant by levelling the ruin is that the ruined building that is to be demolished will result in piles of rubble on the ground, so there is a need to remove that rubble, then make the ground level. And he issued orders that the palm trees be cut down, then the trunks of the felled trees were lined up to form a wall in the direction of the qiblah of the mosque. They made two other supporting walls of stone; the word translated here as supporting wall refers to anything that supports a structure around it. It is as if they put stones around the wall made of palm trunks. As they worked, they were reciting lines of rajaz verse, like chanting; rajaz is a type of rhythmic speech, like poetry. They did that to energize themselves and make the work go more smoothly. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting lines of rajaz verse with them, and saying: “O Allah, there is no good except the good of the hereafter”, meaning that true goodness is the bliss of the hereafter, because it is eternal, and everything else is temporary; “have mercy on the Ansar and the Muhajirin” – this was a supplication for forgiveness for them. The Ansar were [the tribes of] al-Aws and al-Khazraj who supported him against his enemies, and the Muhajirin were those who migrated from Makkah to Madinah.
There was an issue regarding how to understand the report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited lines of rajaz verse when Allah (may He be exalted) says: {And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry} [Ya-Sin 36:69]. The response to that is that what was not possible for him was to compose poetry of his own; it does not refer to him reciting poetry composed by others. It was not something that he did deliberately, and it was never proven that he composed poetry of his own.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to recite poetry and rajaz verse when working and when on a military campaign, and to use that as a means to energize people and make the work go more smoothly.
It indicates that the one who owns something has more right to name its price.
It indicates that if a graveyard is dug up and the bones of the dead are removed, then it is no longer regarded as a graveyard, and it is permissible to pray there.
It indicates that one should not pray in graveyards, even if they are the graveyards of the polytheists, because that is barring a means that may lead to taking graves as places of worship, because with the passage of time people will forget what the situation was, and there is the fear that it may lead to fitnah and going astray.
It indicates that the graves of the polytheists have no sanctity, and that it is permissible to exhume their bones and remove them from that place, in order to make use of the land, if there is a need for that.
It indicates that it is permissible to cut down palm trees and other trees, if that serves the public interest. .

430

It was narrated that Nafi‘ said: I saw Ibn ‘Umar praying facing towards his camel, and he said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing that..

Commentary : The qiblah is the direction faced during prayer, in which a person turns to Allah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the worshipper to have a sutrah (screen) so that no one will pass in front of him and interrupt his prayer, especially in open spaces. However, in the case of congregational prayer, if the imam has a sutrah for himself, then he is the sutrah for those who are praying behind him.
In this hadith, Nafi‘, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, narrates that he saw Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) praying, using his camel – the Arabic word refers to a camel used for travelling – as a screen whilst he was praying, so that no one would walk in front of him, between him and the qiblah. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated – and it is as if he was asked about what he had done – that he had seen the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying whilst facing towards his camel, making it like a screen whilst he prayed, and that he was following the example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is different from the issue of praying in camel pens, concerning which it was narrated that that is prohibited – as it was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and others that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “… and do not pray in camel pens.” Rather the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in the direction of the camel, not in the place where it was kept. It cannot be said that if a camel kneels in a place, that place then becomes a pen for it, or a place that is known to be for camels; rather pens are the places that are already prepared and equipped for camels to stay there overnight, and it is known to the people and to the camels themselves that these places are for them, so they naturally go to that place at the end of the day, without any trouble..

432

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Offer some of your prayers in your houses, and do not make them like graves.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to teach his ummah good things, and he would instruct them to do what would be beneficial to them.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslims to offer some of the supererogatory and sunnah prayers – such as Duha, qiyam al-layl, tahajjud and so on – in their houses. His aim was to encourage people to offer supererogatory prayers at home. It is narrated in al-Sahihayn from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best prayer is the prayer that a man offers in his house, except for the prescribed prayers.” That is because this is furthest removed from showing off, and is a precaution against anything that could make the prayers null and void; it brings blessing (barakah) and mercy to the house, attracts angels to the house and drives devils away; thus these houses will be revived with the blessing of the prayer and what it involves of remembering Allah and calling upon Him. Then houses will not be made like graves, as if the people in them are dead and residing in graves. It was said that it may be that what is meant is: do not make your houses places that are only for sleeping, in which you do not pray, for sleep is the brother of death..

437

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah destroy the Jews! They took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very concerned about warning his ummah against falling into shirk, as happened to the nations who came before us, who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah destroy the Jews!” This is a supplication against them, praying that Allah kill them and oppose them. It was said that it is an expression that refers to their being cast far away from mercy, because they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship. They did that either by way of prostrating to them and venerating them; or by taking them as a direction towards which they faced when praying, and turning to it in worship; or because they built places of worship over the graves.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only singled out the Jews for mention here because they were the first people to establish this idea and were the first to take the graves of their prophets as places of worship, so their wrongdoing is worse than that of others, and thus they are more extreme in that regard.
This is a stern warning and prohibition, and teaches the ummah to avoid taking graves as places of worship, because that is a means that may lead to believing in them and worshipping them..

438

It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been given five things that were not given to any of the prophets before me: I have been supported with fear for a distance of one month; the earth has been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for me, so wherever any man of my ummah is when the time comes to pray, let him pray; war booty has been made permissible for me; each prophet before me was sent exclusively to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all of mankind; and I have been granted intercession..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) granted certain blessings exclusively to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which He did not grant exclusively to any of the prophets before him.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells of these characteristics which were never given in combination to any of the prophets except to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The first is that he was supported with fear for the distance of a month, so fear would be cast in the hearts of his enemies when there was a distance of a month’s journey between him and them, as Allah (may He be exalted) says: {We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah} [Al ‘Imran 3:151]. And Allah said concerning the Battle of Badr: {[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved”} [al-Anfal 8:12].
The second was that the earth was made a place of prostration and a means of purification for him. This is one of the things that were granted exclusively to this ummah. So wherever a man is when the time for prayer comes, he may pray in the place where he is when the time for prayer comes. If he cannot find water, then he may do tayammum with clean earth, or whatever comes under the same ruling as it, then pray, for prayer is not only to be done in the mosques that are built for that purpose, as was the case with previous nations; rather the Muslims may pray wherever they are on earth when the time for prayer comes. This is not contradicted by the fact that prayer is not allowed in certain places on earth, for reasons specific to those places, such as the prohibition on praying in camel pens, graveyards and bathrooms.
Mentioning that tayammum is one of the unique blessings that were granted to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gives the impression that purification with water was not something unique to him that was not granted to other prophets. Rather what is unique to him is tayammum, which was granted to him so as to make things easier when water is not available, or when it is not possible to use it.
The third thing is that war booty was made permissible for him; this refers to what the Muslims capture during their wars with the disbelievers, and everything captured by force from the disbelievers. This was not permitted to the prophets who came before him, as it is narrated in al-Sahihayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “One of the prophets went on a campaign and collected booty, then a fire came to consume it…”
The fourth thing is that he was sent to all of mankind, for he was the last of the prophets. Hence his message was made universal, to reach all of mankind. The prophets before him were sent exclusively to their own people. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a marfu‘ hadith: “I have been sent to all people; the prophets end with me.”
The fifth thing is that he was granted intercession, so he will intercede for the people on the Day of Resurrection at the beginning of the reckoning, which will be the general intercession or the greater intercession, and there are other things that will be exclusive to him on the Day of Resurrection.
The intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) among the other prophets is not the intercession to bring forth the sinners from the Fire, for other prophets and the believers will also have a share of that intercession, as is mentioned in mutawatir texts. Rather the intercession that is unique to him, to the exclusion of the other prophets, is of four types: (i) he will intercede for all people, asking for judgement to be passed among them; (ii) he will intercede for the people of Paradise to be admitted to Paradise; (iii) he will intercede for those who committed major sins among the people of Hell, and it was said that this is something that is granted uniquely to him; (iv) he will intercede for large numbers of his ummah, for he has saved and stored up his intercession for the Day of Resurrection. There are sahih reports which clearly state that this intercession is what is referred to in this hadith, such as the hadith which was narrated by Ahmad from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Tonight I was granted five things that were not granted to anyone before me… The fifth of which is that it was said to me: Ask, for every prophet [before you] asked. But I have delayed my asking until the Day of Resurrection, and it will be for you and for everyone who testifies that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah.”
Some of the scholars mentioned a fifth type of intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which is his intercession for the punishment to be reduced for some of the polytheists, such as his intercession for his uncle Abu Talib. This was granted exclusively to our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And some scholars include a sixth kind of intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), namely his intercession for seventy thousand to enter Paradise without being brought to account.
The one who reflects upon the texts and reports will realize that the characteristics that were granted exclusively to him, to the exclusion of other prophets, are not limited to five. On some occasions he mentioned six, or five, or four, or three, according to what needed to be mentioned.
This hadith highlights the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted.
It also highlights the fact that some of the prophets are superior to others, by the blessing of Allah (may He be exalted)..

439

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that Walidah was a black slave woman belonging to a tribe of the Arabs. They manumitted her, but she remained with them. She said: One of the girls of the tribe went out wearing an adorned red leather scarf. She took it off – or she dropped it – and a kite [a type of bird] flew over and thought that it was meat, so it snatched it up. They looked for it, but they did not find it, so they accused me of taking it. They started to examine her, to the extent that they even examined her private parts. She said: By Allah, I was standing with them when the kite flew by and dropped it, and it fell in their midst. I said: This is what you are accusing me of, and you claimed [that I took it], but I am innocent of that; here it is. Then she came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and became Muslim. ‘A’ishah said: She had a tent – or a small room with a little roof – in the mosque. She used to come to me and talk to me, and she never sat with me but she said: The day of the scarf was one of the wonders of our Lord… But it saved me from the land of disbelief. ‘A’ishah said: I said to her: What is the matter with you? Every time you sit with me, you say this. And then she told me the whole story..

Commentary : Our Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) is most merciful to His slaves, especially the weak and oppressed among them; He supports them against those who wrong them and causes the truth to be manifest sooner or later.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that there was a black slave woman who belonged to one of the Arab tribes. They manumitted her and freed her from slavery, but she remained with them. This former slave woman told the story of how a girl from that tribe went out wearing a red scarf made of leather, that was adorned with strings of pearls; this was something that women wore to adorn themselves. It was also said that it was woven from strips of leather adorned with pearls, and a woman would tie it between her shoulder and waist. The girl dropped the scarf, and a kite – which is a well-known, harmful type of bird; it is permissible to kill this bird both outside and inside the Haram zone – flew by. The kite snatched up the scarf, thinking that it was meat. They looked for this scarf, searching for it and asking about it, but they did not find it, so they accused that former slave woman of stealing it. They came and examined her, to the extent that they even examined her ‘awrah, but Allah (may He be glorified) made known the innocence of this former slave woman. Whilst that was happening, and she was standing with them, the kite flew over them and dropped the scarf from its beak; when it realized that it was not meat, it dropped it in their midst. The former slave woman said to them: This is what you are accusing me of, and you claimed that I stole it, but I am innocent of that. Then this former slave woman came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and became Muslim. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: This former slave woman had a tent or a small and narrow room in the mosque. She used to come to ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her and talk to her, and she never sat with her but she said this line of poetry: “The day of the scarf was one of the wonders of our Lord” meaning that it was a strange and unique incident; “But it saved me from the land of disbelief.” What this line of poetry means is that the trial that she went through when she was accused of stealing and mistreated was the reason why she became Muslim and migrated. The scarf was one reason why she was saved; the day of the scarf was a wonder, because what happened on that day, of the kite snatching up the scarf and her being accused of taking it, was one of the wonders of the age. It was one of the blessings that Allah bestowed upon her, as it became a turning point in her life, taking her from wretchedness to bliss, and it was a cause of her becoming Muslim and being saved, and migrating from the land of disbelief to the land of faith, as the proverb says: “Something harmful may turn out to be beneficial.” When ‘A’ishah asked her about the reason why she used to say those words, she told her this story. What appears to be the case is that this woman only became Muslim after the story of the scarf took place.
This hadith tells us that Allah (may He be exalted) may relieve the distress of the distressed by extraordinary means, even if they are disbelievers, and that Allah’s justice extends to both believers and disbelievers, righteous people and evildoers.
It indicates that it is permissible for the one who does not have a home or a place to sleep at night – whether man or woman – to spend the night in the mosque, so long as there is no risk of fitnah.
It also highlights the virtue of migrating from the land of disbelief, and that the Sunnah is to leave a land in which one is subject to trials and tribulations..

440

It was narrated that Nafi‘ said: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me that when he was young and unmarried, and had no family, he used to sleep in the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The mosque is regarded as a sacred place and is held in high esteem by the Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us what is and is not permissible in the mosque.
In this hadith, Nafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, tells us that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that when he was a young, unmarried man who had no wife – and even though the fact that he had no wife is understood from the word unmarried, it is added here for emphasis – he used to sleep in the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that he used to spend the night there because he did not have a house of his own, or it may be that he used to spend the night in the mosque so that he could be near to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learn from him, and so that he could pray in the mosque whenever he wanted to. It is proven that the ‘Uranis [people from the tribe of ‘Uraynah] used to sleep in the mosque. It is proven in al-Sahihayn that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) slept in the mosque, as did Safwan ibn Umayyah, and the woman who had been accused of stealing a scarf also slept in the mosque; and it is proven that numerous others among the Sahabah also did that. It was narrated that Thumamah ibn Uthal used to sleep in the mosque before he became Muslim. All of that happened at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which indicates that it is permissible to spend the night and to sleep in the mosque, especially for the poor and those who have no home.
This is a call to mosques to be refuges for the poor, especially now, as they are sturdily constructed and are suitable to offer such refuge..

441

It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to the house of Fatimah and did not find ‘Ali there. He said: Where is your cousin? She said: We had an argument and we got angry with one another, so he went out and did not take his siesta here. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to someone: “Go and find out where he is.” That person came back and said: O Messenger of Allah, he is sleeping in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came [to the mosque and found him] laying on his side; his rida’ had slipped on one side, and he had dust on him, so the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to wipe the dust from him, saying: “Get up, Abu Turab; get up, Abu Turab.”.

Commentary : The mosque is regarded as a sacred place and is held in high esteem by the Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us what is and is not permissible in the mosque.
In this hadith, Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to the house of his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) one day, to check on his daughter and see how she was getting on with her husband. He did not find ‘Ali in the house, and that was at a time when the men would usually be at home. So he asked her: Where is your cousin? He did not say, Where is your husband, or your father’s cousin, so as to soften her heart by reminding her of the ties of kinship between them. She told him that something had happened between them, and they had had an argument that led to both of them becoming angry, so he had left, because he wanted to put a stop to the argument, and because going out and keeping away would allow the flames of anger to die down. Hence he did not spend the time of the siesta with her at home. The siesta is a nap that is taken at midday or in the afternoon. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed one of his companions to look for ‘Ali and find out where he was, and he found him in the mosque. So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came and found ‘Ali asleep, laying on his side in the mosque. His garment had fallen from his side, and dust had gotten onto him. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to wipe the dust from him with his hand, saying: Get up, Abu Turab; get up, Abu Turab.
Abu Turab (lit. Father of Dust) was a kunyah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) because he was sleeping on the dust and it had gotten onto his clothes and body. By doing that, he showed kindness to him and calmed his anger; it comforted him whilst carrying an implicit and gentle rebuke, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not rebuke ‘Ali for being angry with his wife; rather he said to him, “Get up,” implying that he should get up and go back to his wife. This is indicative of the Prophet’s good attitude and how gentle he was with people.
This hadith indicates that a father may enter his daughter’s house without the permission of her husband, if he knows that her husband approves of that.
It indicates that one may joke with one who is angry, and call him by a kunyah other than his own, if that will not upset him or make him angry; rather it will comfort him.
It indicates that it is permissible to give someone a kunyah that is not based on his child’s name.
It highlights the great virtue of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
It indicates that it is permissible to sleep in the mosque at any time..

442

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I saw seventy of ashab al-suffah, not one of whom was wearing a rida’; each of them had either an izar or a kisa’ which they tied around their necks; some of them would reach mid-calf, and some would reach the ankles, and the wearer would gather it in his hand, so that his ‘awrah would not be seen..

Commentary : When the Muslims first migrated to Madinah, there were some among the Sahabah who were poor and did not possess any worldly goods, for they had left behind their wealth and their homes, and had fled for the sake of Allah and His Messenger to Madinah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave them shelter in his mosque, and he fed them from what came to him of the provision of Allah and what was given to him as gifts by the wealthy Muslims (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw seventy of ahl al-suffah – who were the poor Muslims among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who had no houses in which to live, and they sought shelter in the suffah, which was a canopy at the back of the Prophet’s Mosque. He narrates that he saw them, and there was not one man among them who was wearing a rida’, which is a garment that covers the upper part of the body only. Rather each of them was wearing either an izar only, which is a garment that covers the lower half of the body, or a kisa’ only, which is a single garment. They tied their kisa’s on their necks, and some of these kisa’s would reach mid-calf, because they were short and would not reach any longer than that. Others of them reach the ankles, below the calves. One of them would gather his garment in his hand, so that his ‘awrah would not be seen. In some reports it says that they used to hold the garment together when praying, for no one among them had two garments, and he pray in it whilst taking precautions so that his ‘awrah would not become uncovered.
This hadith highlights the patience of the early Sahabah in bearing hardships and poverty out of love for Allah and His Messenger, and preferring Islam to disbelief..

443

It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said: I came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was in the mosque – Mis‘ar [one of the narrators] said: I think he said: at mid-morning – and he told me: Pray two rak‘ahs. He owed me something, and he paid it back, giving me more than he owed..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the most compassionate of people towards his companions; he would check on them and help them in their religious and worldly affairs.
There is a story behind this text. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) bought a camel from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah on the way back from the conquest of Makkah, on the basis that he would give him its price when they returned to Madinah. It was also said that he bought it from him on the way back from Tabuk, or that that happened when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was returning from the campaign of Dhat al-Riqa‘.
When Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Madinah, he went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his mosque, to greet him. That happened at the time of mid-morning. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed him warmly and told him to pray two rak‘ahs to “greet the mosque” (tahiyyat al-masjid). Then he paid him what he owed him, which was the price of the camel that he had bought on credit, and he gave him more than he owed him. According to Ibn Majah, Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He kept giving me more, dinar after dinar, and every time he gave me another dinar, he said, “And may Allah forgive you,” until the number reached twenty dinars. When I came to Madinah, I took my camel by the head and brought it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he said: “O Bilal, give him twenty dinars from the war booty.” Then he said: “Go and get your camel, and take it back to your family.” This was by way of honouring Jabir and showing generosity to him, because his father ‘Abdullah ibn Haram (may Allah be pleased with him) had died in the Battle of Uhud, leaving Jabir with sisters to take care of. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to help him to take care of them. Hence he bought the camel from him, so as to avoid embarrassing him, and so that that would be a reason to give him something and show him kindness, without embarrassing him, as is clearly explained in other versions of this hadith. The reports differ concerning the price and the additional amount that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave him.
This hadith indicates that part of paying off debts properly is to repay what is owed with something of better quality or greater quantity, so that the debtor gives the lender more than he took from him. This comes under the heading of dignity and decency.
It highlights the kindness and generosity of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to his companions.
It also indicates that the one who enters the mosque should pray two rak‘ahs as a greeting to the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid)..

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