It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?” And he spoke so sternly about that that he said: “They should certainly stop that, lest their eyesight be snatched away.”.

Commentary : The best is for the worshipper to look at his place of prostration; this is more appropriate so that he can focus on his prayer, and makes it less likely that he will be distracted by other things. It will stop his gaze wandering, and help him to focus and maintain humility in prayer.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against looking up to heaven whilst praying, using very stern words, but at the same time being tactful. Therefore he said, “What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) often said, “What is the matter with people who do such and such?” not mentioning them by name, so as to respect their privacy and spare them embarrassment and shame. Rather he spoke about what he wanted to convey without mentioning them by name, so that they would understand what he meant and comply with it. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against lifting one’s gaze to heaven whilst praying by saying: “They should certainly stop that, lest their eyesight be snatched away.” In other words, either they should stop doing that, or else Allah will snatch away their eyesight, and it will not be returned to them, which refers to them becoming blind. This phrase points to an emphatic prohibition and a stern warning against doing that.
The reason for the prohibition on lifting the gaze to heaven whilst praying is that it is a kind of turning away from the qiblah which Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has chosen for the one who prays, and it makes him look as if he is not praying.
This hadith highlights the stern warning that is addressed to the one who lifts his gaze to heaven that his eyesight may be snatched away.
It indicates that it is permissible to use harsh words of rebuke to deter one who is committing sin.
It indicates that the one who is committing sin may be rebuked and exhorted without mentioning him by name in front of other people. .

751

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about turning the head whilst praying. He said: “That is something that the Shaytan steals from a person’s prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and is an act of worship that is both physical and spiritual. The Muslim should perform it with total humility and focus, and not let the Shaytan have any share of it, so that his prayer will not be rendered invalid and so that nothing will be detracted from the reward for it.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about turning the head whilst praying. Turning the head means moving the face and turning it right or left whilst praying. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered by saying that this is something that the Shaytan steals from a person’s prayer. The word translated here as stealing refers to taking or snatching something quickly. What is meant is that turning of the head is something that the Shaytan steals and snatches from the Muslim’s prayer in order to distract him from focusing and showing humility in the prayer. Thus something will be detracted his reward, and that may lead to what is worse than that, namely the prayer being rendered invalid altogether. This indicates that it is prohibited to turn the head whilst praying. .

755

It was narrated that Jabir ibn Samurah said: The people of Kufah complained about Sa‘d to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), so he dismissed him and appointed ‘Ammar as their governor instead. Then they complained to the extent that they said that he [Sa‘d] did not pray properly. So ‘Umar sent for him and said: O Abu Ishaq, these people are saying that you do not pray properly. Abu Ishaq said: By Allah, I used to lead them in prayer and my prayer was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to lead the prayer, and I did not fall short in this in the slightest. When I led them in ‘Isha’ prayer, I made the first two rak‘ahs long and I made the last two rak‘ahs short. ‘Umar said: This is what we think of you, O Abu Ishaq. Then he sent a man, or some men, with him to Kufah, to ask the people of Kufah about him, and he did not omit any mosque but he asked the people there about him, and they spoke well of him, until he went to a mosque belonging to Banu ‘Abs. There a man whose name was Usamah ibn Qatadah, and he was known by the kunyah Abu Sa‘dah, stood up and said: As you are adjuring us by Allah, I am bound to tell you that Sa‘d did not lead us in campaigns, he did not share out the booty equally, and he was not just when passing judgement. Sa‘d said: By Allah, I shall certainly pray for three things: O Allah, if this slave of Yours is lying, and the reason he said that is to show off and seek a reputation, then cause him to live a long life, make him live in poverty for a long time, and put him to trial and temptation. Later on, when the man who said that was asked what had happened, he would say: I am a very old man who has been subjected to trial and temptation. I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d. ‘Abd al-Malik said: I saw him later on; his eyebrows had fallen over his eyes because of old age, and when he saw young women in the street, he would try to say sweet words to them. .

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has instructed the believer to pay attention to all his duties and obligations. So he should pay attention to the obligatory worship that is required of him, and do it as Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has enjoined. He should pay due attention to the job or task that has been assigned to him, and do it as he has been instructed to do it and as it should be done. He should pay due attention to giving other people their rights, and take his own rights in full, without anything being detracted from them. So he should not wrong others and he should not be wronged himself.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people of Kufah complained to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was the governor of Kufah. So ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) dismissed him in order to calm the people down and avoid turmoil, even though he trusted him, and he replaced him with ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) as their governor. ‘Umar appointed Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas as commander-in-chief to fight the Persians in 14 AH, and Allah granted the conquest of Iraq at his hands. He founded the city of Kufah in 17 AH, and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as governor of the city until he dismissed him in 21 AH, or 20 AH.
Some of the people of Kufah complained about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), making several allegations against him. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) investigated the matter, and found that the allegations were all false. They even said that he did not pray properly, but this was due to their lack of understanding and their ignorance about how the prayer is to be done, not because Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) did not pray properly. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Sa‘d and asked him about their complaints, addressing him by his kunyah: O Abu Ishaq – which was Sa‘d’s kunyah – these people are saying that you do not pray properly. Sa‘d said: By Allah, I used to lead them in prayer and my prayer was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to lead the prayer, and I did not fall short in this in the slightest. When I led them in ‘Isha’ prayer, I made the first two rak‘ahs long – that was because after al-Fatihah he would recite whatever he could of Qur’an – and I made the last two rak‘ahs short – because he would not recite anything after al-Fatihah. It is as if what they criticized in his prayer was his making the recitation lengthy in the first part of the prayer and making it shorter in the second part of the prayer, but those who criticized him for that were ignorant. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) singled out ‘Isha’ prayer for mention, because he thought that their complaint was about this prayer. It was also suggested that what he meant when he referred to ‘Isha’ prayer was both Maghrib and ‘Isha’. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: You have followed the Sunnah in your actions, and you have prayed as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray. This is what we thought you would do.
At the beginning of the hadith, it says that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to question him, then he addressed him as one present: “That is what we think of you, O Abu Ishaq.” This indicates that Sa‘d was not there, then he came. ‘Umar sent one man, or some men, to Iraq with him, who were led by Muhammad ibn Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him). This delegation asked the people of Kufah about Sa‘d. They did not leave any of the mosques of Kufah but they questioned its people about him, and they all spoke well of him and praised him, until he went to a mosque belonging to Banu ‘Abs, who were a tribe of Qays. A man whose name was Usamah ibn Qatadah stood up and said: As you have adjured us and asked us by Allah (may He be exalted) to tell you about Sa‘d, we will tell you that Sa‘d did not go out on campaign in Allah’s cause, he did not share out the booty fairly, and he was not just when judging between people. He said what he said wrongfully and unfairly towards Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him), falsely attributing to him things of which he was innocent. The reason why he stood up and said that was that he was showing off and seeking a reputation. So Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed against him, saying: By Allah, I shall certainly pray for three things: O Allah, if this slave of Yours is lying, and the reason he said that is to show off and seek a reputation, then cause him to live a long life, make him live in poverty for a long time, and put him to trial and temptation. So he prayed against him, asking for three things, the first of which was that he would live a long life. What was meant was that he should live so long that he would reach the worst age, when a man’s bones grow weak and he loses his strength. Thus this was a supplication against the man, not for him. In addition to long life, the second supplication was that Allah would make him very poor for a long time, which is the worst and hardest kind of life in this world. And he added a third thing, which was worse than the first two, which was that Allah should subject him to trial and temptation, so he was subjected to the temptation of women. Thus when this man, whom Sa‘d had prayed against, was asked about the bad situation in which he found himself, he would say: I am a very old man who has been tried and tempted. I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d which was answered. His words “a very old man” refer to the fulfilment of the first supplication, “then cause him to live a long life”; his words “who has been tried and tempted” refer to the third supplication. He did not mention the second supplication, “make him live in poverty for a long time”, because it is included in his words, “I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d.”
‘Abd al-Malik – one of the narrators of the hadith; he was the son of ‘Umayr ibn Suwayd al-Kufi – said: I saw him after his eyebrows grew long and fell over his eyes because of old age. He would try to chat to young women in the streets, and say sweet words to them in front of people. This proves that the supplication of Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) was answered, and that his supplication against this man came under the heading of praying against a specific wrongdoer in a manner commensurate with his lack of religious commitment, not praying that he fall into sin. Rather it is praying against him in such a way that leads to an increase in the punishment of the wrongdoer.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) and indicates that he was a person whose supplication would be answered.
It indicates that it is permissible to make the first rak‘ah lengthy and to make the second rak‘ah shorter.
It highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Thus they used to pray as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.
It indicates that warding off mischief takes precedence over attaining good aims. Therefore ‘Umar dismissed Sa‘d even though he was more qualified than those who came after him, in order to put an end to turmoil and ward off mischief.
It indicates that one may address a man of high standing by his kunyah..

756

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book.”.

Commentary : Prayer has essential parts and obligatory parts without which it is neither valid nor complete. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) confirms one of the essential parts of the prayer, which is reciting Surat al-Fatihah. He tells us that the prayer of one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (i.e., al-Fatihah) in every rak‘ah is not valid. Therefore reciting al-Fatihah is one of the essential parts of the prayer in every rak‘ah, and the prayer is not valid without it. The imam and the one who is praying on his own must recite it, and the one who is praying behind an imam should listen attentively when the imam recites it in prayers in which recitation is done out loud, because of the hadith narrated by Imam Muslim from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), in which it says: “… then when he – meaning the imam – recites, listen attentively.”
This hadith indicates that it is enjoined to recite al-Fatihah in the prayer..

757

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque, and a man came in and prayed, then he greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam. He returned his greeting, and said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” So the man went back and prayed as he had prayed the first time, then he came and greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam. He said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” This happened three times, then the man said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do any better than that; teach me. So he said: “When you stand to pray, say takbir, then recite whatever you have learned of Qur’an. Then bow, then pause and be at ease in bowing, then rise until you are standing up straight. Then prostrate, then pause and be at ease in prostration. Then sit up, and pause and be at ease whilst sitting. And do that throughout your prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would point out mistakes to the one who did not pray properly, and he would teach him the correct way to offer the prayer.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque, and another man – whose name was Khallad ibn Rafi‘ – came in and prayed, rushing through his prayer. He did not pause and let himself be at ease in his standing, bowing or prostrating. When he had finished praying, he greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam, and he returned his greeting, then he instructed him to repeat this prayer, because it had been rendered invalid by his failing to pause and let himself be at ease in the movements of the prayer. So the man prayed again, but without pausing, because he rushed through his prayer and did not allow enough time to pause and be at ease, or to be able to recite properly the words of Qur’an and dhikr connected to each part of the prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to repeat it three times, and it may be that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to repeat the prayer more than once in the hope that he would pay more attention, because of the possibility that he had done that out of forgetfulness or heedlessness, but by repeating it he might pay heed and do it in the right manner without the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) needing to teach him. Or it may be that he made him repeat it by way of showing how serious the matter was, which would be more effective in teaching him. But Khallad said to him, swearing by Allah: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I do not know how to pray any better than what you have seen, so teach me how to make my prayer correct. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: When you stand up to pray, say the opening takbir, then recite what you have learned of Qur’an, namely Surat al-Fatihah. According to a report narrated by Ahmad from Rifa‘ah ibn Rafi‘ al-Zuraqi he said: “… then recite the Essence of the Book [i.e., al-Fatihah], then recite whatever you wish…” Thus he instructed him to recite, along with al-Fatihah, whatever he was able to of Qur’an.
He said: “Then bow, then pause and be at ease in bowing.” According to the report of Ahmad mentioned above, “when you bow, place your palms on your knees, extend your back and bow properly…” Then raise your head from bowing until you are standing up straight, then prostrate, by placing the forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes firmly on the ground, then pause and be at ease in prostration. Then raise your head from prostration and sit, and pause and be at ease in sitting. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And do that throughout your prayer.” So make sure that you always move at a moderate pace, stand up properly, pause and be at ease when bowing and prostrating, and do not rush in your prayer.
This hadith instructs the Muslim to pause and be at ease in the movements of prayer.
It outlines how to teach people in a gentle manner, without being harsh and rough.
It highlights the good attitude of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his kind treatment of his companions..

759

It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, making the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer and in the second rak‘ah shorter, and he would make the people hear a verse sometimes. In ‘Asr he used to recite the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, making the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer . And he used to make the recitation in the first rak‘ah of Fajr prayer longer, and in the second rak‘ah shorter..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. The Sahabah were keen to follow his teachings in prayer, and transmitted that to those who came after them.
In this hadith, there is a description of one of the characteristics of the Prophet’s prayer, namely his recitation in different prayers. Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and another surah with it, and he used to make the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer, and make it shorter in the second. Sometimes those who were behind him could hear his recitation, so they would know what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting, even though it is a prayer in which recitation is done quietly, because he would make them hear a verse sometimes. Thus they knew what he was reciting. Sometimes they (may Allah be pleased with them) could recognize that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting from the movement of his beard, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari from Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would do the same in ‘Asr and Fajr; in the first two rak‘ahs he would recite the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and another surah with it, and he would make the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer, and shorter in the second, because one’s energy is greater in the first rak‘ah, so it is appropriate to make the second rak‘ah shorter, so as to avoid making people feel tired.
With regard to the amount that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited in each prayer, in Fajr and Zuhr prayer he would recite the long surahs of al-Mufassal, and his recitation would be longer in Fajr than in Zuhr. In ‘Isha’ and ‘Asr he would recite the medium-length surahs of al-Mufassal, and in Maghrib he would recite the short surahs. Al-Mufassal is a group of surahs in the Qur’an ending with Surat al-Nas; there is a difference of opinion as to where it begins. It was said that it begins from Surat al-Hujurat, until the end of the Qur’an; or that it begins from al-Jathiyah, or from Muhammad, or from Qaf, or from al-Fath, or from al-Saffat, or from al-Saff, and there are other views. It is called Mufassal because there are many breaks (fasl) between the surahs, each of which is marked by the Basmalah. And it was said that this is because its surahs have fewer verses, or fewer abrogated verses, and there are other views.
This hadith proves that the first rak‘ah of every prayer should be longer than the second..

761

It was narrated that Abu Ma‘mar said: I said to Khabbab ibn al-Aratt: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recite Qur’an in Zuhr and ‘Asr? He said: Yes. I said: How did you know that he was reciting? He said: By the movement of his beard..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. The Sahabah were keen to follow his teachings in prayer, and transmitted that to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) is asked whether the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited al-Fatihah and another surah in Zuhr and ‘Asr as he did in Maghrib, ‘Isha’ and Fajr, or did he not to recite in those two prayers? Perhaps the reason for this question was that they thought that there was no recitation because the recitation is not done out loud. Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: Yes, he used to recite in Zuhr and ‘Asr. They asked him: How did you know that he was reciting, even though the recitation is done quietly? He replied: By the movement of his beard. In other words, we could tell that he was reciting from the movement of his beard whilst he was standing in prayer.
With regard to the amount that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite, in Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make the recitation longer in the first rak‘ah and shorter in the second. According to a report narrated by Muslim from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer around thirty verses, and in the last two around fifteen verses, or he said: half of that. In ‘Asr, in each of the first two rak‘ahs he would recite around fifteen verses, and in the last two [he would recite] half of that.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to lift one’s gaze and look at the imam, and for the one who is praying behind an imam to look at his imam whilst praying, and pay attention to the imam’s movements when he moves down and up again.
It also indicates that recitation is to be done quietly in Zuhr and ‘Asr..

763

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Umm al-Fadl heard him when he was reciting {By those [winds] sent forth in gusts} [al-Mursalat 77:1]. She said: O my son, by Allah you have reminded me with your recitation of this surah that it was the last thing that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he recited it in Maghrib. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make the recitation longer in some prayers and shorter in others, taking into consideration people’s situations and the time of day. This was narrated in the hadiths which explain what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in each prayer.
This hadith describes what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did when he recited in Maghrib prayer. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Surat al-Mursalat, and his mother Umm al-Fadl – whose name was Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) – heard him and said to him: O my son, you reminded me, with your recitation of Surat al-Mursalat, that it was the last surah I heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when he recited it in Maghrib prayer. At-Tirmidhi narrated, with his isnaad from Umm al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her), that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to us, with a band of cloth tied around his head because of sickness, and prayed Maghrib, and he recited al-Mursalat. And he never prayed it again after that until he met Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
The Sunnah in Maghrib prayer is to make the recitation short. There are many reports about that which indicate that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not make the recitation lengthy in Maghrib; he only made it lengthy sometimes, as Umm al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her) mentions in this hadith.
It was also narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Surat al-A‘raf in Maghrib, as it says in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him); he also recited Surat al-Tur [in Maghrib], as it says in a hadith also narrated by al-Bukhari, from Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would sometimes vary the length of his standing [in prayer] according to circumstances.
The hadith under discussion here indicates that his standing and reciting for a long time is something that happened sometimes.
This hadith describes what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did sometimes with regard to recitation in Maghrib prayer. .

764

It was narrated that Marwan ibn al-Hakam said: Zayd ibn Thabit said to me: Why do you recite short surahs in Maghrib when I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting the longer of the two long surahs?.

Commentary : May Allah be pleased with the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for they were very keen to find out about the sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and to enjoin others to adhere to it and forbid them to go against it.
This hadith tells us that the Sahabi Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Marwan ibn al-Hakam one day, rebuking him: Why do you recite short surahs in Maghrib – referring to the short surahs of al-Mufassal, from the beginning of Surat al-Bayyinah to the end of the Qur’an – when I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting the longer of the two long surahs? What is meant by the two long surahs is al-A‘raf and al-An‘am; the longer of the two is al-A‘raf, so it is as if what he meant here was Surat al-A‘raf.
It was narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Surat al-Mursalat in Maghrib, as it says in the hadith narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Umm al-Fadl Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her); he also recited Surat al-Tur [in Maghrib], as it says in a hadith also narrated by al-Bukhari, from Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would sometimes vary the length of his standing [in prayer] according to circumstances. The hadith under discussion here indicates that this happened sometimes, although in most cases his practice was not to make the recitation in Maghrib lengthy.
This hadith highlights the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to recitation in Maghrib prayer..

765

It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Mut‘im said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting al-Tur in Maghrib..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him) were the keenest of people to follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all of his affairs, and especially in prayer. In this hadith, we see one aspect of the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Maghrib prayer, as Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that he heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting Surat al-Tur after al-Fatihah in Maghrib prayer. It may be that he recited the entire surah, or that he recited part of it. It is proven from him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he recited Surat al-Mursalat in Maghrib prayer, as was narrated in al-Sahihayn from Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her). He also recited Surat al-A‘raf [in Maghrib prayer], as is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). He also recited {Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers…)} [al-Kafirun] and { Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say,He is Allah , [who is] One…)} [al-Ikhlas], as was narrated by Ibn Majah from Ibn ‘Umar; and he recited {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin], as is mentioned in the hadith narrated by Ahmad from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the length of time for which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him stood [in Maghrib prayer] varied from time to time..

766

It was narrated that Abu Rafi‘ said: I prayed al-‘atamah [i.e., ‘Isha’] with Abu Hurayrah, and he recited {Idha as-sama’ unshaqqat (When the sky has split [open])} [al-Inshiqaq], and prostrated [during his recitation]. I asked him about that, and he said: I prostrated behind Abu’l-Qasim (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and I will continue to prostrate when reciting [this surah] until I meet him again..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to emulate the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and follow in his footsteps, and to adhere to this until they died.
In this hadith, Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he prayed al-‘atamah, which is ‘Isha’, with Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). They sometimes called ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah (lit. darkness) because it is prayed at night, when it has become dark.
It is narrated that it is not allowed to call ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, as in the hadith narrated by Muslim from ‘Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your prayer; indeed it is ‘Isha’, but they delay milking the camels until it is very dark [yu‘timuna].” Perhaps Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) did not see anything in the words of the hadith to indicate that it was haram, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) called it ‘atamah in another hadith, as we see in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Sahihayn. And it was said concerning this that it was because they called Maghrib prayer ‘Isha’, and ‘Isha’ prayer al-‘atamah, according to the time, and that required the explanation to be discussed using their own terminology sometimes. And it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used these words in order to explain that there is no blame on a person for using them, but that is contrary to what is more appropriate.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) recited, {Idha as-sama’ unshaqqat (When the sky has split [open] …)} [al-Inshiqaq], and prostrated at the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says, {And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]} [al-Inshiqaq 84:21]. Abu Rafi‘ asked him about that, and he replied that he had done this prostration behind Abu’l-Qasim – which is the kunyah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and he would continue to do it for the rest of his life, until he met him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) again.
This verse affirms that there is a prostration of recitation (sajdat al-tilawah) in Surat al-Inshiqaq.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is praying to do the prostration of recitation.
It highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to be steadfast in adhering to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

767

It was narrated from al-Bara’ that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and in one of the rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’ prayer, he recited {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin]..

Commentary : Islamic teachings came to make things easy and not cause hardship to people with regard to acts of worship and other matters, especially when travelling, which usually involves more hardship and difficulty. Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and he led them in praying ‘Isha’ prayer in a shortened form, with two rak‘ahs, in one of which he recited the surah {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin] after reciting al-Fatihah; according to a report narrated by al-Nasa’i, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited it in the first rak‘ah.
Making the standing in prayer brief was the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when praying ‘Isha’, both when travelling and not travelling, out of compassion towards the people. He told Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) not to make the prayer lengthy, as was narrated in al-Sahihayn from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him), when he led the people in prayer and recited Surat al-Baqarah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “O Mu‘adh, are you causing undue hardship to the people?” – he said it three times – “Recite {Wa’sh-shamsi wa duhaha (By the sun and its brightness)} [al-Shams] or {Sabbih isma Rabbik al-A‘la (Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High)} [al-A‘la], and similar surahs. Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in ‘Isha’ prayer {Wa’sh-shamsi wa duhaha (By the sun and its brightness)} [al-Shams] and similar surahs.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to transmit reports of the actions and words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and all his affairs, to his ummah for the purpose of spreading knowledge and encouraging people to act in accordance with his Sunnah..

772

It was narrated from ‘Ata’ that he heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: In every prayer there is recitation. Whatever the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made us hear, we make you hear, and whatever he hid from us, we hide from you. If you do not recite more than the Essence of the Qur’an [al-Fatihah], that is sufficient, but if you recite more, that is better..

Commentary : Conveying Islam and teaching it to people is obligatory for every Muslim, commensurate with his knowledge and ability to do that.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) gives the best example of that and does his duty of conveying Islam and teaching knowledge to the people, and not withholding or concealing knowledge. Here he is speaking about prayer, and he tells us that the worshipper must recite Qur’an in every prayer, but in some of the prayers he must recite out loud, when reciting al-Fatihah and whatever else he can of Qur’an. In other prayers, he must recite quietly, in a low voice. All of that is to be based on the actions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who recited out loud in Fajr prayer, and in the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and he used to recite quietly in all other cases. In the supererogatory night prayers [qiyam al-layl] he sometimes recited quietly and sometimes recited out loud, as is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) followed him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that, and those who came after them followed them. Thus they recited out loud in the parts of the prayer in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud, and they recited quietly in the parts in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited quietly.
Then Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that what is required in terms of recitation is to recite the Essence of the Qur’an, which is al-Fatihah. It is called the Essence of the Qur’an because it includes all the meanings of the Qur’an, and because it is the first surah of the Qur’an. So whoever recites al-Fatihah has done what is required of him, and his prayer is valid, but whoever adds to that recitation whatever he can of Qur’an, that is regarded as supererogatory and the one who does this will be rewarded for it.
This hadith highlights the importance of following the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and avoiding innovation, and being keen to emulate the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that it is obligatory to recite al-Fatihah in every prayer, whether the prayer is one in which recitation is to be done out loud or one in which it is to be done quietly..

773

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out with a group of his companions, heading towards the market of ‘Ukaz, when the devils had been prevented from hearing news of heaven, and the burning flames had been sent against them. So the devils went back to their people, who said: What is the matter with you? They said: We have been prevented from hearing news of heaven, and burning flames have been sent against us. They said: You have only been prevented from hearing news of heaven because of something new that has happened, so travel throughout the earth, east and west, and find out what has happened to prevent you from hearing news of heaven. Those who headed towards Tihamah went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was in Nakhlah, on his way to the market of Ukaz, and he was leading his companions in praying Fajr. When they heard the Qur’an, they listened to it, then they said: This, by Allah, is what has prevented us from hearing the news of heaven. When they returned to their people, they said: O our people, {Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone} [al-Jinn 72:1-2]. Then Allah revealed to his Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): {Say, [O Muhammad], It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened …} [al-Jinn 72:1]. Thus what the jinn had said was revealed to him..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent to the two races, humankind and the jinn, and with him Allah brought to an end the series of messages, so no one is to be believed with regard to matters of the unseen, or anything transmitted from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), of which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not speak.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the devils used to eavesdrop on heaven before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent. When Allah sent His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), He sent burning flames against the devils; the word shihab (translated here as burning flame) refers to a firebrand that is very bright, as if it is a meteor speeding through the sky. After that, the devils were no longer able to do what they had done before of sitting and eavesdropping on news from heaven. This is what Allah tells us about in the verses in which He says: {And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him} [al-Jinn 72:8-9].
When the devils saw what had happened, and realized that they had been prevented from listening to news from heaven, they said: This must be because of something new that has happened. Their people among the jinn – and it may be that what is meant is their leaders and rulers – said to them: Go and look everywhere, and find out what has happened that has prevented you from listening to news from heaven as you used to do. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was with a group of his companions in the market of ‘Ukaz, which was in some part of Makkah; it was a market at which the Arabs would gather, and they would do trade with one another and recite their poetry, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would go out to them and call them to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). When the jinn set out towards Tihamah, which is a place in Makkah, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in Nakhlah, which is another place in Makkah, and he was leading his companions in Fajr prayer. When the jinn heard the Qur’an, they realized that this was the reason why they were being pelted with burning flames and being prevented from spying on the news of heaven. So they went back to their people and told them about what they had heard of the Qur’an, and Surat al-Jinn was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), telling him about what had happened and what the jinn had said to one another.
This hadith confirms the existence of the jinn, and that they have no knowledge of the unseen or of anything of the news of heaven except what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has told of.
It indicates that recitation is to be done out loud in Fajr prayer.
It indicates that the one who wishes to call people to Allah should go to people in the places where they gather in order to call them and teach them about their religion..

774

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud where he was commanded to recite out loud, and recited quietly where he was commanded to recite quietly. {And never is your Lord forgetful} [Maryam 19:64]. {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern} [al-Ahzaab 33:21].

Commentary : The way to learn about the teachings of Islam is from the Holy Qur’an and the soundly-narrated Prophetic Sunnah. In the Qur’an, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) explained what He wanted to explain, and left other issues to be explained by his Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his Sunnah. The prayer is one of matters that are explained in detail in the Prophet’s Sunnah. This principle is what ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) understood and confirmed in this hadith. He stated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud in prayer where Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to recite out loud, and he recited quietly where Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to recite quietly. This was not because Allah (may He be exalted) had forgotten about that and not mentioned it in the Qur’an – exalted be He far above such a thing. Rather it was because He (may He be exalted) willed that the details of the prayer should be explained by His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whom we are enjoined to follow with regard to what he recited out loud and what he recited quietly, because he is the best pattern or example, whom Allah has commanded us to follow and not differ from his Sunnah. There are many reports which state that recitation should be done out loud in Fajr prayer and the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and it should be done silently in Zuhr and ‘Asr, the last rak‘ah of Maghrib and the third and fourth rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’. Ibn ‘Abbas described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited quietly, and it cannot be said that he did not recite at all, because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was still leading the prayer, so he must have been reciting, whether he did so quietly or out loud. .

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