It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith used to show us how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He would do that at a time other than the time of prayer. He stood fully upright and paused, then he bowed perfectly and paused, then he raised his head and stood up straight, pausing for a little while. He led us in a prayer like the prayer of this shaykh of ours, Abu Burayd. When Abu Burayd raised his head from the second prostration, he would sit up straight, then he would get up..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to teach the Muslims about their religion, and prayer was their top priority and foremost concern.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd tells us that Malik ibn al-Huwayrithused to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in practical terms, by demonstrating it to them. The apparent meaning of this report indicates that he (may Allah be pleased with him) showed them how each essential part of the prayer was to be done, and he did not teach them that at the time of prayer; rather it was at a time other than the time of prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the intention of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) began to teach them about the prayer, he stood fully upright, then he bowed properly, meaning that he made his back level, such that if water were to be poured on his back it would stay there, as it says in the hadith ofWabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to the same posture as before he bowed. “For a little while” means that he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, who narrated this hadith, that the prayer of Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it was done, the prayer as done by their shaykh, meaning Abu Burayd. His name was ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, as stated by Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani. When the Sahabi ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his head from the final prostration – which means the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs – he would sit up straight, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would sit up completely, and did not get up from prostration immediately. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest), and it was said that this is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either old age or sickness. It was also said that it is, in fact, intended to be part of the prayer, but it should be brief. Then ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up for the final rak‘ah, to complete his prayer.
This hadith indicates that one should pause and be at ease in each of the essential parts of the prayer.
It indicates that it is encouraged to learn and teach others.
It indicates that the jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

806

It was narrated from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and ‘Ata’ ibn Yazid al-Laythi that Abu Hurayrah told them that some people said: O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full and there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No. He said: “You will surely see Him like that. The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection, and He will say: ‘Whoever used to worship something, let him follow it.’ So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, some of them will follow the false gods, then there will remain this ummah, including its hypocrites. Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say: ‘We will stay here until our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.’ Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say: ‘You are [indeed] our Lord.’ He will call them, and the sirat (bridge) will be set up over Hell, and I will be the first of the Messengers to cross it with his ummah. On that Day, no one will speak except the Messengers, and the words of the Messengers on that Day will be: ‘O Allah, grant safety, grant safety.’ In Hell there will be hookslike the thorns of al-sa‘dan; have you seen the thorns of al-sa‘dan?” They said: Yes. He said: “They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, but no one knows how big they are except Allah. They will snatch the people on the basis of their deeds. Some of them will be doomed by their deeds, and some of them will be cut into tiny pieces, then saved. Then when Allah wants to show mercy to whomever He wills of the people of Hell, Allah will command the angels to bring forth anyone who used to worship Allah. So they will bring them forth, and they will recognize them by the marks of prostration, for Allah has prohibited the Fire to consume the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, and all of the son of Adam will be consumed by the Fire except the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned to cinders, then the water of life will be poured onto them, and they will grow like a seed grows in the mud left by a flood. Then Allah will finish judging between the people, and there will be left a man between Paradise and Hell – he will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – with his face turned towards Hell. He will say: ‘O Lord, turn my face away from Hell, for its smell is poisoning me and its flames are burning me.’ He will say: ‘If that is done for you, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: ‘No, by Your glory.’ And he will give Allah whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. And when He turns him towards Paradise and he sees its beauty and opulence, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, bring me closer to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had asked for?’ He will say:’ O Lord, I hope that I am not going to be the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah will say: ‘If you are given that, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: No, by Your glory, I will not ask for anything else.’ And he will give his Lord whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then He will bring him closer to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty, and what it contains of delights and happiness, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, admit me to Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had been given?’ He will say: ‘O Lord, do not make me the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will smile at him, then He will give him permission to enter Paradise. Then he will say: ‘Wish.’ So he will wish until, when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say: ‘What about such and such?’thus his Lord will remind him, until when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be exalted) will say: ‘You will have this and as much again.’” Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will say: ‘You will have this and ten times as much.’” Abu Hurayrah said: I do not remember anything from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except that he said “You will have this and as much again.” Abu Sa‘id said: I heard him say: “You will have this and ten times as much.”.

Commentary : The believers’ seeing their Lord on the Day of Resurrection will be the greatest blessing that is granted to them. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to learn more about this and they asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about it, as we see in this hadith, in which Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He responded with a clear explanation that left no room for doubt about their seeing Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection. He said: Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full, when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. Then he asked them: Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No. So he said: You will surely see Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in like manner, beyond a doubt, very clearly. This was comparing the clarity of seeing, not comparing the two objects seen, for there is nothing like unto Allah (may He be glorified).
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of different types of people and what their situation will be on the Day of Resurrection, for just as people differ in terms of their beliefs in this world, by the same token their situations will differ on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah (may He be exalted) will say to them: Whoever used to worship something, let him follow what he used to worship. So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, and some of them will follow the false gods. The word tawaghit (sing. taghut; translated here as false gods) refers to the Shaytan, idols and every leader of misguidance, or everything that was worshipped besides Allah and was content with that, and barred people from worshipping Allah. There will remain the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), including its hypocrites. As the hypocrites tried to conceal themselves by pretending to belong to this ummah in this world, in the hereafter they will follow them when reality becomes clear to them, hoping to benefit thereby, until {a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment} [al-Hadid 57:13]. It may be that they will be gathered with them because of what they showed outwardly of being Muslim, so they will be kept as they are until Allah distinguishes between the good and the bad. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will come to them, and His coming will be in a manner befitting His essence, without interpreting the matter in a manner other than it appears to be, or denying it, or likening His attributes to those of His creation – but it will be in a manner other than what they know of Him, as a test from Him, to differentiate between them and those who used to worship others. Then He will say: I am your Lord. But they will seek refuge with Allah from Him, because He will not have appeared to them with the attributes that they recognize; rather He will appear with attributes that no one knows except Him (may He be exalted), because with them will be the hypocrites who do not deserve to see Him, and they will be prevented from seeing their Lord. So they will say: We will stay here until our Lord appears to us, and when our Lord appears, we will recognize Him. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will appear to them, with the attributes that are known to them, after the believershave become distinct from the hypocrites. Then He will say to them: I am your Lord. When they see that, they will recognize Him (may He be exalted) thereby, so they will say: You are [indeed] our Lord.
Then the Lord will call them, and the Sirat will be set up across the middle of Hell, or over it. The Siratis a bridge that will extend over the top of Hell; it will be narrower than a hair and sharper than a sword. The people will cross it on the Day of Resurrection, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will be the first of the Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) to cross the Sirat, along with his ummah. The supplication of the Messengers at that time will be: “O Allah, grant safety,” out of pity and compassion for them. In Hell there will be many-branched hooks of iron on which people’s flesh will be caught. They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, which is a thorny plant that is good for camels to graze on; it is mentioned by way of comparison. It will snatch people quickly, because of their bad deeds, or according to their deeds. Some of them will be doomed, and some of them will be cut into small pieces like mustard seeds; in other words, the hooks of the Sirat will cut them into pieces until they fall into the Fire. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will save from it whoever used to worship Allah alone, namely the sincere believers, for the disbeliever will never be saved from it and will abide therein for eternity.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that on the Day of Resurrection, the angels will recognize the believers by the marks of prostration, for the Fire will not consume the marks of prostration. There is a difference of scholarly opinion as to what is meant by the marks of prostration. It was said that it is the seven parts of the body (the forehead, the two hands, the two knees, and the two feet). It was also said that what is meant is the forehead only, and this is supported by what is mentioned in the report narrated by Muslim: “Then some people will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned in it, except for their faces.” They will be brought forth from the Fire having been burned and turned black, then the water of life will be poured over them; whoever drinks it or has it poured over him will never die. Then they will grow as a seed grows in mud and the like, which is what is meant by the mud left by a flood; this phrase refers to mud and other things carried by floodwaters. The word translated here as seed refers to the seeds of desert plants that are not used for food. His growth is likened to the growth of the seed of desert plants, because they are white and grow quickly.
Then Allah will judge between people, and one man – who will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – will remain between Paradise and Hell, facing towards the Fire. He will say: O Lord, turn my face away from the Fire, for its stench is killing me, meaning that it has poisoned and destroyed me, for it is like poison in my nose, and its flames have burned me, referring to its extreme heat. Allah (may He be exalted) will say: Perhaps if I do what you want for you, you will aspire and ask for more. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will turn his face away from the Fire. Then when he is facing towards Paradise, he will see its beauty and opulence, so he will say: O Lord, bring me nearer to the gate of Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Did you not give your promise and oath that you would not ask for anything except what you already asked for? He will say: O Lord, I gave you my promises, but Your generosity raised my hopes; I do not want to be the most wretched of Your creation. If you leave me in this situation, and do not admit me to Paradise, I will surely be the most wretched of Your creation. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will smile at him in a manner that is befitting to Him, without interpreting that in a manner other than the apparent meaning, and without denying it or likening Allah to His creation. Our Lord will say to him: Perhaps if I grant you what you want, you will ask for something else. Allah (may He be exalted) will only say that, although He knows best what has happened and will happen, so as to show how the son of Adam breaks his promises. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah will bring him close to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty and what it contains of splendors and delights, he will be dazzled. He will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, out of shyness before his Lord, then he will ask his Lord to admit him to Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! The word wayhaka (translated here as woe to you) is a word of compassion, whereas the word waylaka (which may also be translated as woe to you) is a word of punishment. And it was said that they both mean the same thing. Treachery means failing to fulfil promises. This man will not break his promise out of ignorance; rather he will do that because he will be aware that breaking his promise in this case is more appropriate than keeping it, because asking of his Lord is more appropriate than fulfilling his oath.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that Allah will give this man permission to enter Paradise, then He will say: Wish. So the man will wish until, when he runs out of wishes and has told his Lord everything that he wants and hopes for, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: You will have what you wish for and as much again. When Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was in the gathering in which Abu Hurayrah narrated this hadith –heard that, he told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “You will have this, and ten times as much.” It was said concerning this that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) initially told the people what is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, then Allah, by His generosity, increased what He will give to this person, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of that, and Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated it from him, but Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not hear that.
This hadith affirms that the believers will see their Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection.
It indicates that prayer is the best of deeds, because of what it involves of bowing and prostration, for the Fire will not consume the mark of prostration.
It affirms the existence of the Sirat, and that the believers will cross it.
It highlights the virtue of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his ummah, for they will be the first to cross the Sirat, before all other nations.
It indicates that some of the believers will be punished by being admitted to Hell, then Allah (may He be exalted) will show mercy to them by bringing them forth from it.
It indicates that the punishment of the believer will be different from the punishment of the disbeliever, because it will not include all of their bodies; rather the mark of prostration will be safe, and will be a sign for them, by which the intercessors will recognize them and bring them forth from the Fire.
It affirms some characteristics that are unique to the Essence of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Ahl al-Sunnah affirm for Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) what He has affirmed for Himself, without likening Him to His creation, or discussing how those attributes are, and without denying them or misinterpreting them. Rather they accept this and say: We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord..

812

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the two hands, the two knees, and the toes of the two feet, and we should not tie up our garments or hair.”.

Commentary : Prostration is an important and essential part of the prayer, and is a way in which a person shows submission and humility to his Lord. Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined it in several places in His holy Book.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains the correct way to prostrate. He tells us that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) commanded him to prostrate on seven “bones”, meaning bones of the body. These seven parts are the forehead, which is the part of the face above the nose and eyes, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed to his nose, explaining that the forehead and nose together form one of these seven, and confirming that the one who prostrates should make his nose touch the ground. [These seven] also include the two hands, the two knees and the toes of the two feet and what is next to them. The two hands, the two knees and the two feet are the other six parts. And we should not tie up our garments or hair. Tying up the garment means tucking it up so that it will not drop or hang down. Tying up the hair means tying it with something so that it will not drop down and fall loose. What is meant is that we should not tuck up our hair or garments when prostrating on the ground in order to protect them; rather we should leave them as they are, so that they will fall on the ground and prostrate with the other parts of the body. The wisdom behind that is that if a person lifts up his garment and hair, and prevents them from touching the ground, he will be like one who is arrogant. It was also said that the hair will prostrate with the head if it is not tied up or wrapped up..

813

It was narrated that AbuSalamah said: I went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and said: Will you not come out with us to the palm trees so that we may talk? So he came out. I said: Tell me what you heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Laylat al-Qadr. He said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observedi‘tikaffor the first ten days of Ramadan, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. ThenJibril came to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So he observed i‘tikaf for the middle ten days, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. Then Jibrilcame to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up to address us on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, and said: “Whoever was observing i‘tikafwith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), let him come back, for Laylat al-Qadr was shown to me, but I was caused to forget it. It is in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, and I saw myself [in a dream] prostrating in mud and water.” The roof of the mosque was made of palm branches, and we did not see anything in the sky, then asmall cloud came and it rained, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in prayer,then I saw the traces of mud and water on the face of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and on the tip of his nose, in fulfillment of his dream..

Commentary : The month of Ramadan is the greatest of months in the sight of Allah (may He be exalted), and the greatest of its nights is Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) strove hard in seeking it and trying to determine which night it was. There are many reports that speak of when that night occurs, including this hadith, in which the Tabi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awfnarrates that he went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to go with him to a piece of land in which there were palm trees, and he asked him to tell him what he had heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about whenLaylat al-Qadr occurs. He told him that one year, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days of Ramadan. Then after that Jibril came to him and told him: Laylat al-Qadr, that you are seeking, is in the nights yet to come. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaffor the middle ten nights, and the Sahabah observed i‘tikaf with him. On the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, Jibril came to him a second time, and told him something similar to what he had said the first time, referring to the last ten nights of the month. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed his companions, saying: Let whoever has observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days or the middle ten days, and has left the mosque, come back, for I have been told about Laylat al-Qadr, or I have been told when it will be – for Jibril (peace be upon him) had told him when it would be that year, but he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told his companions that he had forgotten it;however, he was certain that it would be in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, which would be the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, one of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of the sign of that night in that year, on the basis of a dream that he had seen, and the dreams of the prophets are true. He dreamt that he was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The roof of the Prophet’s Mosque was made of palm branches, and nothing appeared in the sky to suggest that it was going to rain, then suddenly asmall cloud appeared – referring to a thin piece of cloud, then rain fell and the Muslims prayed, and the Prophet’s dream about prostrating in water and mud was fulfilled. The traces of mud appeared on the forehead of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and on the tip of his nose. This happened on the morning of the twentieth, which was the night before the twenty-first, as it says in a report narrated in al-Sahihayn. Thus the dream of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came true.
This hadith indicates that we are encouraged to seek out Laylat al-Qadr and make the most of it by doing righteous deeds, because of what this brings of increased virtue and reward.
It indicates that we are encouraged to observe i‘tikaf in Ramadan.
It confirms that when prostrating, we should make sure that the forehead and nose touch the ground. .

818

It was narrated from Abu Qilabah that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith said to his companions: Shall I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? And that was at a time that was not the time for prayer. He stood up, then he bowed and said takbir, then he raised his head and stood,pausing for a little while. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while. And he prayed a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah, this shaykh of ours. Ayyub said: He used to do something that I never saw them do: he would sit in the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. He said: We came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and he said: “When you go back to your families, pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time; pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time…When it is time to pray, let one of you give the call to prayer, and let the oldest of you lead you in the prayer.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit them to those who came after them, especially the prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to his companions how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: Shall I not show you how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed? This was not at the time for an obligatory prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the aim of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) started to pray, he stood and said the takbir to start the prayer (takbirat al-ihram). Then he bowed and said takbir; the takbir for bowing came after it, not before it. Then he raised his head and stood, pausing for a little while between bowing and prostrating. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while between the two prostrations, then he did the second prostration.
The Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd narrated that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was their shaykh and imam.
Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who narrated this hadith from Abu Qilabah and was one of the students of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) – said that he used to do something that he did not see anyone else do, which was that he used to sit briefly between the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. What is meant is that he used to sit briefly, after the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs, then stand up after that. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or because of sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
Then Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) told them, after finishing his prayer, that they came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after they had become Muslim, and they stayed with him. When they asked his permission to go back to their families, he gave them permission and told them the times of the prayers when they must pray. Then he instructed them, when the time for prayer began, whether they were at home or travelling, that one of them should give the call to prayer and that the oldest of them should lead them in the prayer.
We may reconcile between this and the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “The people should be led in prayer by the one who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah”– which is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) – by noting that giving precedence on the basis of age is applicable when the people praying are all equal in terms of knowledge of Qur’an and recitation. This may be understood from the story in this case, because they had become Muslim and migrated together, and they had all accompanied the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and they were equal in terms of what they had learned from him, so there was no criteria to determine who should lead the prayer except age.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible.
It indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) varied in their knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that some of them had knowledge that others did not have.
It indicates that prayer may be done at a time other than the time for prayer, for the purpose of teaching.
It indicates that the Muslim should be keen to teach his family about how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed..

821

It was narrated from Thabit that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will do my best to lead you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lead us in prayer. Thabit said: Anas ibn Malik used to do something that I have not seen you do. When he raised his head from bowing, he would stand for so long that one would think that he had forgotten, and [he would sit up] between the prostrations for so long that one would think that he had forgotten..

823

It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith al-Laythi told us that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying, and in the odd-numbered rak‘ahsof his prayer, he did not get up until he had first sat up straight..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, then they were keen to teach this to the Muslims who came after them.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) – who used to watch the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he prayed, so that he could learn how he prayed and teach it to those who came after him – tells us that in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer – meaning the first and third rak‘ahs – the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not get up to start the following rak‘ah straight after prostrating in these odd-numbered rak‘ahs. Rather he would sit briefly, which is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. And it was said that it is in fact part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

825

It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn al-Harith said: Abu Sa‘id led us in prayer and recited the takbir out loud when he lifted his head from prostration, when he prostrated, when he raised [his head again], and when he stood up following the [first] two rak‘ahs, and he said: This is what I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) do..

827

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah that he told him that he used to see ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when sitting during the prayer, so I did that too. At that time I was very young, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me not to do that, and said: The Sunnah in prayer is to hold your right foot upright and tuck your left foot underneath you. I said: But you do that. He said: My feet do not carry me. .

Commentary : Conveying the teachings of Islam and teaching them to the people is obligatory upon every Muslim, to the extent of his knowledge and ability, and no Muslim should refuse to convey the teachings even if he is not able to put them into practice himself because of sickness, weakness and the like.
In this hadith, it says that the Tabi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Umar saw his father (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when he sat to recite the tashahhud. This manner of sitting means that a person sits on his buttocks, and tucks his right and left feet under him and sits on them. When his son ‘Abdullah saw him doing that in the prayer, he imitated him and did the same as he did. But Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him not to do that, and when his son said to him,” But you do that,” he told him the reason why he did it, which was that his feet were not able to carry him because of old age or sickness. And he told him that the Sunnah is to sit with the right foot held upright, and to sit on the left foot which is tucked underneath one.
This is the description of sitting to recite the first tashahhud if the prayer consists of four rak‘ahs. In the final tashahhud, the Sunnah is to sit in the manner called tawarruk, because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him): When he [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] sat following the [first] two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot, holding the right foot upright, and when he sat in the final rak‘ah, he pushed his left foot forward a little and held the other foot upright, and sat on his buttocks on the ground..

828

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Halhalah, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Ata’, that he was sitting with a group of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we mentioned the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi said: I know best among you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). I saw him when he said takbir; he lifted his hands level with his shoulders. When he bowed, he placed his hands firmly on his knees, then he made his back straight. When he lifted his head, he stood up straight until each vertebra returned to its place. When he prostrated, he put his hands [on the ground] without resting his forearms on the ground or holding them close to his body, and his toes pointed towards the qiblah. When he sat after the first two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot and held his right foot upright. When he sat in the final rak‘ah, he brought his left foot forward a little underneath him, held his right foot upright, and sat on his buttocks..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch the movements of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow his practice in all things, and to transmit it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) describes how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who were talking about the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I am the one among you who has most knowledge of how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said to him – as is mentioned in a report narrated by Abu Dawud: how is that, for by Allah you did not keep closer to him than us, and you did not accompany him for longer than us? He said: I kept watching him pray until I learned how he prayed. What he meant was that even though he did not accompany the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for the longest time, he made up for that by watching the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until he had memorized how he prayed. Then he began to describe the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He told them that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram), he would raise his hands level with his shoulders, and when he bowed he would place his hands firmly on his knees, then make his back straight, meaning that when he bowed, he kept his back straight, from the neck, without any bend in it. When he lifted his head from bowing, he would stand up straight until each vertebra returned to its place; the vertebrae are the bones of the spine. What is meant is that he would stand up straight after bowing, then pause briefly whilst standing. When he prostrated, he placed his hands on the ground, without resting his forearms on the ground, which is a posture that resembles that of wild animals and the like. He also did not rest his belly on any part of his thighs, or bring his arms in close to the body or hold them underneath his belly. He would make his toes point towards the qiblah. Then [Abu Humayd] described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat between the two prostrations: he would hold his right foot upright and tuck his left foot under him and sit on it. This is the manner of sitting that is called iftirash. When he sat in the final tashahhud, he would bring his left foot forward a little and hold his right foot upright, and he would sit on his buttocks. This is the manner of sitting that is called tawarruk.
This hadith encourages the Muslim to study and seek knowledge, and to verify what is learned by checking with people of knowledge.
It indicates that it is permissible for a man to describe himself as being more knowledgeable than others, if that will not lead to self-admiration and he wants to explain that to others who hear him.
This hadith describes the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how he paused and how he stood up straight in the prayer..

831

It was narrated that Shaqiq ibn Salamah said: ‘Abdullah said: When we prayed behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we said: Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il; peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to us and said: “Indeed Allah is al-Salaam, so when one of you prays, let him say: Al-tahiyyatuLillahiwa’l-salawatuwa’l-tayyibat. Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu. Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah). If you say that, it will include every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth. [Then say:]Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to pray and what supplications to say in the prayer. He has taught us what is to be said and when, including the tashahhud following the first two rak‘ahs and the final tashahhud of every prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in their prayer, in the tashahhud, they used to say, “Peace be upon Allah (al-salaamu ‘ala Allah),” as is clearly stated in another report in al-Sahihayn. Then they would say, “Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il, and peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so,” mentioning the names of other angels. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard them, he turned to face them and said to them: Indeed Allah is al-Salaam – meaning that it is not right to say Peace be upon Allah. He objected to them saying that, and taught them that what they were saying was the opposite of what should be said, for all well-being (salamah) and mercy belongs to Him and comes from Him, for He is the owner and giver thereof. And it was said that he instructed them to direct their salutation of salaam to people, because people are in need of well-being, whereas Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) does not need that. Al-Salaam is one of the names of Allah (may He be exalted), which is indicative of His being free of (salamah) all shortcomings and defects.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them what they should say in the tashahhud. “Al-tahhiyatuLillah (all compliments are due to Allah) – this refers to salutations, or to being free of defects and shortcomings. It was also said that it refers to sovereignty, everlastingness or greatness. It was also said that what is meant by compliments is all types of glory and greatness. What is meant is that all of this belongs to Allah (may He be exalted) by right. “Al-salawat (prayers)” – it was said that what is meant here is the five daily prayers, or all acts of worship, or supplications, or mercy. And it was said that tahiyyat (translated here as compliments) refers to verbal acts of worship and salawat (translated here as prayers) refers to physical acts of worship, and tayyibat (translated here as pure words) refers to financial acts of worship. With regard to the word “wa’l-tayyibat (translated here as ‘and pure words’)”, this refers to a good word, or it refers specifically to the remembrance of Allah (dhikr). It was also said that it refers to righteous deeds in general. “Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu” – salaam here is meant in the sense of greeting; what is meant is that we direct to you greetings and salutations. And it was said that what is meant is well-being and safety, in which case the meaning is: May you be safe from any harm. And it was said that it refers to the name of Allah al-Salaam, in which case the meaning is: May you be blessed by virtue of the divine name al-Salaam. Barakah (blessing) is an increase in goodness. “Al-salaamu ‘alayna (peace be upon us)” is addressed to ourselves; “wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi’l-salihin (and upon the righteous slaves of Allah)” refers to those who obey the commands of Allah and carry out their duties towards Him and towards His slaves. Thus the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them to refer to him separately, because of his honourable status and the great rights that he has over them, then he taught them to mention themselves in particular, because it is more appropriate to be more concerned about themselves. Then he instructed them to send greetings and salutations to all of the righteous, indicating that supplication for the believers should include all of them. Then he told them that when they say “Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah),”the benefit of this salaam will reach every righteous slave on earth or in heaven. This includes the angels, the jinn and humans.
“Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah)” – a report narrated by Abu Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar adds the words “wahdahu la sharikalah (alone, with no partner or associate).” This is testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified), and there is none that is deserving of worship except Him. The words “waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)” are an affirmation that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah is a Messenger from Allah to all people, and that he is the last of the Messengers whom all people are required to obey and follow..

834

It was narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Teach me a supplication that I may offer in my prayer. He said: “Say: Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran, wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (O Allah, indeedI have wronged myself greatly, and no one forgives sins except You, so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).”.

Commentary : No one can avoid falling short in his duty to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and committing some sins. In this hadith, we see a concise supplication that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked him to teach him a supplication that he could offer in his prayer. What appears to be the case is that he wanted something that he could say following the final tashahhud and sending blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: Say: “Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran (O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly),” by committing sins and falling short in my duty to Allah (may He be exalted). “wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta (and no one forgives sins except You)” – and this is an admission of sin and an acknowledgement that sin is the action of the person himself, and it is an admission and acknowledgement that no one forgives sins except Allah, because of His perfect sovereignty. “faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)” – this is like the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {and who can forgive sins except Allah?} [Al ‘Imran 3:135]. This is an affirmation of the oneness of the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted), and seeking His forgiveness by means of this admission.
This supplication is an example of concise speech, as it contains an admission of serious shortcomings – which is the fact that the individual has wronged himself greatly – and seeking the greatest blessing, which is forgiveness and mercy, for forgiveness conceals and erases sins, and mercy is the sending of blessings and granting of good. Thus the former is akin to being drawn away from the Fire and the latter is akin to being admitted to Paradise, and this is the great triumph..

837

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim, the women would get up and leave when he finished his taslim, and he would stay where he was for a while, before he got up to leave..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen that women should not mix with men, and he would take measures to prevent them mixing with men, because of the great mischief that results from that. In this hadith, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim at the end of the prayer, the women would get up as soon as he finished the taslim, and hasten to leave the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not rush to get up. Rather he would stay where he was for a little while after finishing the prayer, so that the women would have the chance to exit the mosque and leave before the men started leaving, lest some of the men who were leaving after the prayer come in close contact with the women. All of this was by way of barring means that could lead to evil, and keeping men and women separated for fear of fitnah (temptation). In congregational prayers, the women’s rows were at the back, with the children’s rows in front of them, and in front of the children were the men’s rows, behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith indicates that the imam should pay attention to the circumstances of those praying behind him, and he should take measures to avoid any situation that could lead to impropriety.
It indicates that one should avoid being in any dubious situation in which one could be accused of mischief.
It indicates that men should not mix with non-mahram women in the streets, let alone in houses..

838

It was narrated that ‘Itban ibn Malik said: We prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we said the taslim when he said the taslim..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them, especially with regard to prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, ‘Itban ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates a report about when to say the taslim when praying behind an imam. He tells us that the taslim of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), when they were praying behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), came at the same time as the taslim of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other words, they would begin to say their salaam after he began to say his salaam and before he finished saying it. And it was said that this is not what is meant; rather what is meant is that they said the taslim straight after he finished his, with no lag, and this was expressed by suggesting this it happened at the same time, because when things come immediately after one another, it is almost like they are happening at the same time..

841

It was narrated from Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr when the people have finished an obligatory prayer is something that used to take place at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And Ibn ‘Abbas said: I used to know that they had finished the prayer when I heard that..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them. Part of the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions was to remember Allah (dhikr) after the prescribed prayers, and to raise their voices in doing that.
In this hadith, Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas(may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr is something that was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), meaning the dhikrs and du‘a’s that followed the prayer, such as seeking forgiveness (istighfar), glorifying Allah (tasbih), praising Him (tahmid) and magnifying Him (takbir), when the people had finished the obligatory prayer. This is something that happened and was practised at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What is meant by finishing the prayer is the taslim. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) would know that the people had finished the prayer when he heard the dhikr. This highlights the fact that it is permissible to say dhikr out loud following the prayer. This hadith may be understood as meaning that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only said it out loud in order to teach the people what to say in dhikr, not that he always did that..

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