Narrated Umm ‘Attiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her): A sheep was sent to me (in charity) and I sent some of it to `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophetﷺ asked `Aishah for something to eat. `Aisha replied that there was nothing except what Nusaybah Al-Ansaariyyah had sent of that sheep. The Prophet ﷺ said to her, "Bring it as it has reached its place.".

Commentary : One of the special characteristics that the Prophet ﷺand his noble family had was that they would eat from food that was offered as a gift, and not from what was given as alms.
In this hadeeth, Umm ʿAṭṭiyyah al-Ansaariyyah- whose name is Nusaybah - reports that a sheep was sent as a form of charity to her. The sender was the Prophet ﷺ as mentioned in a narration reported in Saheeh Muslim, where said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me a sheep from the alms. I sent some of it to A’ishah”, meaning: as a gift to her, and not as alms. So, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and asked her about the food, she said: ‘No, it was nothing except what Nusaybah had sent from this sheep.’ To which, he ﷺresponded, ‘Bring it here; for it has reached its proper place.’ Then, he ﷺ explained that when it was charity, it was permissible for her to dispose of it to the poor by way of sale or gift; for the validity of it being in his possession [could be established.] So, when Nusaybah (may Allah be pleased with her) gifted it to ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) some of the sheep - it was judged for her with the ruling of a gift. Thus, It shifted from the meaning of charity from being in the possession of the giver, and transferred to the meaning of a lawful gift for the Prophet ﷺ.
He ﷺ would only eat what came as a gift, and not what was offered as charity, as a form of honour and etiquette because gifts bring hearts closer and make people love each other, and it is permissible to be rewarded the sender of the gift with something similar or better than it so that no one has favour over the other and no one feels humiliated. All this is not possible with charity, because it is the filth of the people in which they purge the wealth of its impurity.
One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is it shows that things that are forbidden for known reasons become lawfulif those reasons are removed..

1448

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to me what Allah had instructed His Messenger ﷺ to do regarding the one who had to pay one Bint Makhaad (i.e., one year-old she-camel) as Zakat, and he did not have it but had gotten a Bint Laboon (two-year-old she-camel). He wrote that it could be accepted from him as Zakat, and the collector of Zakat would return him 20 Dirhams or two sheep; and if the Zakat payer had not a Bint Makhaad, but he had Ibn Laboon (a two-year-old he-camel) then it could be accepted as his Zakat, but he would not be paid anything .

1450

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote for him, zakat regulations which Allah's Messenger ﷺ had made compulsory, and wrote that one should neither collect various portions (of the livestock) nor divide the livestock into various portions in order to avoid paying zakat..

1451

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to me what Allah's Messenger ﷺ has made compulsory regarding zakat. It reads: If the property of two persons is mixed, but they are not partners, its zakat is to be paid as a whole, and then they can settle the differences. .

1452

Narrated Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him): A Nomad asked Allah's Messenger ﷺ about the emigration. The Prophet ﷺ said, "May Allah have mercy on you! The matter of emigration is very hard. Have you got camels? Do you pay their Zakat?" The Arab nomad said, "Yes, I have camels and I pay their Zakat." The Prophet ﷺ said, Work beyond the villages and towns, and Allah will not decrease (waste) any of your good deeds.".

Commentary : At the beginning of Islam, it was obligatory upon Muslims to emigrate to al-Madeenah to flee the lands of disbelief, protect their religion, and support the Prophet ﷺ and spread the message of Islam. The best of believers were those who emigrated to him ﷺ and fulfilled the rights of emigration. However, there were some Muslims who could not emigrate due to valid excuses; therefore, Allah facilitated for them another path for good deeds.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that a nomad, which is the term used to refer to Arabs who lived in deserts, asked the Prophet ﷺ to give him the pledge to emigrate to al-Madeenah i.e., to leave his family and homeland and relocate to al-Madeenah to be in the company of the Prophet ﷺ. However, the Prophet ﷺ feared that he would not manage or be able to fulfill its rights; thus, gives it up. For this reason, he ﷺ said to him: “Wayhak” (lit. woe to you), an Arabic phrase used to show compassion and concern for the addressee and explained to him that fulfilling the rights of emigration is too difficult and only a few can fulfill them. It seems the Prophet ﷺ could notice the inability of the man to handle it; thus, he declined his request. Then, he ﷺ asked him if he had any camels that he pays its zakat. The man’s answer was positive and upon which the Prophet ﷺ guided him to do good deeds in his homeland for wherever he would be, his good deeds would benefit him and his reward would not be decreased. It is as if the Prophet ﷺ wanted to say to him: It does not matter where you reside so long as you are fulfilling the obligation that Allah imposed upon you and your family. Allah will not decrease the reward of your good deeds, regardless of your residence.
It has been said that this incident occurred after the conquest of Makkah on which he ﷺ said: “there is no emigration after the conquest [of Makkah].” It was said that emigration was only obligatory upon the Muslims who lived in Makkah. As for the Muslims living in other areas, it was only recommended and liked. It was said: Emigration was obligatory upon the Muslims who lived in rural areas and not upon the people of the desert. It was said that emigration was only obligatory if some of the residents of the town entered Islam while the rest remained on their disbelief. This is so that the Muslims would not be subject to the rulings pertaining to disbelievers. If everyone in the town entered Islam, then emigration is no longer obligatory.
This hadeeth highlights the merit of emigration and emigrants, and shows the virtue of paying zakat on camels and the hastening to do good deeds..

1454

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent me to (collect the Zakat from) al-Bahrayn, he wrote to me the following: “By the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. These are the orders for compulsory alms (Zakat) which Allah's Messenger ﷺ had made obligatory for every Muslim, and which Allah had ordered His Messenger to observe: Whoever amongst the Muslims is asked to pay Zakat accordingly, he should pay it (to the Zakat collector) and whoever is asked more than that (what is specified in this order) he should not pay it; for twenty-four camels or less, one ewe is to be paid as Zakat; for every five camels, one sheep is to be paid, and if there are between twenty-five to thirty-five camels, a one year old she-camel (Bint Makhaad) is to be paid; and if they are between thirty-six to forty-five (camels), one two-years old she-camel (Bint Laboon) is to be paid; and if they are between forty-six to sixty (camels), one three years old she-camel (Hiqqah) is to be paid; and if the number is between sixty-one to seventy-five (camels), one four-years old she-camel (Jadha’ah) is to be paid; and if the number is between seventy-six to ninety (camels), two she-camels aged 2 years (Bint Laboons) are to be paid; and if they are from ninety-one to one-hundred and twenty (camels), two three years old she-camel (Hiqqahs) are to be paid; and if they are over one-hundred and-twenty (camels), for every forty (over one-hundred-and-twenty) one two years she-came (Bint Laboon) is to be paid, and for every fifty camels (over one-hundred-and-twenty) one three years she-camel (Hiqqah) is to be paid; and whoever has got only four camels, has to pay nothing as Zakat, but if the owner of these four camels wants to give something, he can. If the number of camels increases to five, the owner has to pay one sheep as Zakat. As regards the Zakat for the (flock) of sheep; if they are between forty and one-hundred-and-twenty sheep, one sheep is to be paid; and if they are between one-hundred-and-twenty to two hundred (sheep), two sheep are to be paid; and if they are between two-hundred to three-hundred (sheep), three sheep are to be paid; and for over three-hundred sheep, for every extra hundred sheep, one sheep is to be paid as Zakat. And if somebody has got less than forty sheep, no Zakat is required, but if he wants to give, he can. For silver, the Zakat is one-fortieth of the lot (i.e. 2.5%), and if it is less than one-hundred Dirhams, Zakat is not required, but if the owner wants to pay, he can.'..

Commentary : Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam that Allah has dictated upon those whose savings exceed the specified threshold. It is taken from the wealthy and given to the poor (i.e., all those who are eligible to receive it according to the Quran). Allah and His Messenger explained all the rulings and details pertaining to this obligatory act of worship to protect the wealthy ones from injustice and protect the rights of those who are in need.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote him a letter in which he explained the due zakat on livestock that Allah’s Messenger made compulsory upon Muslims. This letter was penned after Abu Bakr appointed Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) to collect the zakat from the people in al-Bahrayn, which is a region that includes, today, the kingdom of Bahrain as well as Al-Ihsaa and al-Qateef in the eastern parts of Saudi Arabia. The reason Aboo Bakr penned this letter to Anas (may Allah be pleased with them) is to use it as reference and consult to calculate the zakat [on livestock] and identify those who are obliged to pay it.
He started the letter with the Basmalah and then explained that the obligatory alms (zakat) are that which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ made obligatory for Muslims and which Allah has ordered His Messenger to collect from the Muslims whose savings exceed a set threshold. This prelude was necessary to clarify that the calculations mentioned afterwards in the letter are not of Aboo Bakr. He explained to Anas from whom he should take zakat and that if the zakat demanded, he should pay it, and whoever is demanded to pay more than the required zakat, then they are not obliged to pay that which is above the zakat, and they may decline the request. The calculation of zakat, according to this letter, is as follows:
Camels:(i) From 5 to 24, one ewe on every five camels;(ii) from 25 to 35, one she-camel that completed one year in age, or in its absence one, one she-camel that completed two years in age and has not yet completed three years in age and in this case the zakat collector should pay the zakat payer 20 dirhams or two sheep to compensate him for the difference. In the event where the zakat payer has no she-camel that completed two years in age and has not yet completed three years but has instead a male-camel who completed 2 years in age and did not complete 3 years in age as yet, the zakat collector should take it without taking anything else from the zakat payer, according to the report recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree; (iii) from 36 to 45, the zakat is one she-camel that completed the age of two years i.e., this she-camel is called in Arabic Bint Laboon (lit. daughter of a milky camel) and the reason it is called as such is that its mother gave birth to more than one thus it started to have milk. As for the male-camel, he is referred to as Ibn Laboon;(iv) from 46 to 60, one she-camel that completed the age of three years and it is called in Arabic Hiqqah because by this age it can be mounted, carry luggage, and is capable of mating; (v) from 61 to 75, one she-camel that completed four years in age and it is called in Arabic Jadh’ah because of the falling of her milk teeth, (vi) from 76 to 90, two she-camels that completed the age of two years, (vii) from 91 to 120: two she-camels that completed the age of threeyears (viii) and over 120, the zakat is one she-camel that completed the age of three years on every forty camels and one three-year-old on every fifty camels i.e., for 121 to 129, three she-camels aged two years, and for 130 to 139, one she-camel aged three years and two she-camels aged two years, for 140 to 149, two she-camels aged three years and one she-camel aged two years, for 150-159, three she-camels aged three years, for 160 to 169, four she-camels aged two years, for 170 to 179, three she-camels aged two years and one she-camel aged three years, for 180-189, two she-camels aged two years and two she-camels aged three years, for 190-199, three she-camels aged three years and one she-camel aged two years, for 200 to 209, four she-camels aged three years or five she-camels aged two years, and so forth. The same calculation is used for whatever is more than 209, so as the zakat on each fifty camels will be one she-camel aged three years, and on each forty camels will be one she-camel aged two years.
The letter specifies the zakat due on camels if they are less than 24. If the number is less than five, there is no zakat due, and if the number is five, the zakat is only one sheep, and so forth until the number reaches 24 as explained above.
Sheep: Below 40 sheep, there is no zakat. From 40 to 120, one ewe, from 121 to 200, two ewes, from 200 to 300, three ewes and over 300, one ewe on every hundred sheep.

Zakat on livestock is only limited to animals that gaze for the most part of the year. As for the livestock that are foddered are not eligible for the zakat mentioned in the above calculations. They are subject to zakat according to the calculations made for property and merchandises. There is no zakat on sheep if they are less than forty heads except their owner wishes to pay zakat on them voluntarily.
Silver: Zakat is obligatory on silver, and it is given by paying 2.5 %, i.e., a quarter of a tenth, if it reaches the set threshold, which is about 295 grams [and one lunar year has passed over possessing it]. The threshold of silver is mentioned in the part of the letter where it reads: “For silver, the Zakat is one-fortieth of the lot (i.e., 2.5%), and if its value is less than two-hundred Dirhams, Zakat is not required, but if the owner wants to pay, he can.” The part where it says, “if it is less than one-hundred Dirhams, Zakat is not required,” may give the impression that if it is above 190 and less than 200 Dirhams, zakat is required. However, this is a wrong assumption, because 190 is specifically mentioned since the number is counted in tens, and 200 is the following count; thus, it was mentioned to indicate that no zakat is required if it is less than 200 Dirhams. This is supported by the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no zakat to pay on less than five awaaq (plural of Uwqiyyah) of silver, but the owner wants to pay, he can.” And it is known that one Uwqiyyah equals forty Dirhams.
The intended meaning of the part “but the owner wants to pay, he can” is that the owner can voluntarily give away part of it as he is not required to do so, and in this case, it will be accepted and taken from him. This indicates that if the owner wants willingly and happily to give more and better than what he is required to pay, it will be accepted and taken from him.
From the benefits of this hadeeth are learning the zakat payable on camels, sheep, and silver, and that zakat on tangible property to be paid to the Imaam (i.e. ruler of Muslims).
The hadeeth shows that Islam is a religion that is well-structured and systemised in its rulings and obligations. It does not oppress or does injustice to anyone and does not transgress the rights of others.
It highlights the significance of zakat in Islam and the keen interest of the Prophet ﷺ to give a detailed account of its rulings, and it shows that zakat is not waived on the number of livestock that falls between each two thresholds..

1455

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to me what Allah's Messenger ﷺ has made compulsory regarding zakat. It reads: Neither an old nor a one-eyed animal, nor a ram may be taken as Zakat except if the Zakat collector wishes (to take it)..

Commentary : Zakat is one of the obligations that Allah has imposed upon those whose savings exceed the specified threshold. It is taken from the wealthy and given to the poor (i.e., all those who are eligible to receive it according to the Quran). Allah and His Messenger ﷺexplained all the rulings and details pertaining to this obligatory act of worship to protect the wealthy ones from injustice and protect the rights of those who are in need.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote him a letter in which he explained the due zakat on livestock that Allah’s Messenger made compulsory upon Muslims. This letter was penned after Abu Bakr delegated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) to collect the zakat from the people in al-Bahrayn, which is a region that includes, today, the kingdom of Bahrain as well as Al-Ihsaa and al-Qateef in the eastern parts of Saudi Arabia.
According to this letter - as it is mentioned in this hadeeth – the following type of sheep cannot be accepted as zakat: (i) old sheep whose teeth has fallen, (ii) sheep whose one of its eyes is blind, (iii) sheep that have health problems and defects that would disqualify it as a sacrificial animal (i.e., Udhiyyah) such as limping, fatigue or sick sheep, (iv) rams (i.e., male-sheep and male-goats) except of the zakat collector agrees to take it because of it has much meat or fat.
This hadeeth states that it is impermissible to take out defected or undesired property as zakat, and that the zakat collector has the authority to accept or decline zakat that does not meet the criteria that religion has specified. .

1456

Narrated Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah! If they (pay me the Zakat and) withhold even a young (female) goat which they used to pay during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, I will fight with them for it." `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "It was nothing but Allah Who opened Abu Bakr's heart towards the decision to fight, and I came to know that his decision was right.".

Commentary : The Imaam (ruler) and Caliph is the one responsible for managing the affairs of the Muslim nation, including the collection of zakat. Not only has he the authority to force people to pay their zakat, but also to fight with those who refuse to pay it.
This hadeeth is a part of a long story that is mentioned in another hadeeth wherein Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) assuming the position of the Caliph of Muslims, some Arabs apostatized and others refused to pay the zakat. Following those events, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to dispatch military campaigns to fight with them and force them to pay the zakat. However, ‘Umar ibn al-Khataab (may Allah be pleased with him) felt uneasy about it and could not entertain the idea of fighting and shedding the blood of people who testify that there is no god worthy of worship. So, he said to Abu Bakr: 'O Abu Bakr, how can you fight the people when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say (there is none worthy of worship except Allah). Whoever says it, his life and his property are safe from me, except for its right, and their reckoning will be with Allah?' However, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that they have to pay the zakat and that it is as obligatory as the [five daily] prayers. He explained to ‘Umar that they have to fulfill the obligation of zakat and denying it is akin to denying the five daily prayers. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I will surely fight those who separate prayer and zakat, for zakat is what is due on wealth.” Then, he swore by Allah that if anyone withholds from him a small-she-goat that they used to give to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ he will fight them. In a different version of the hadeeth, it reads a robe instead of a she-goat, which he said it to signify the seriousness of the matter. He wanted to make it clear that he would fight whoever withholds anything, regardless how trivial it is, they used to pay to the Prophet ﷺ. This is because the obligation of zakat is from what is known from Islam by necessity, and whoever denies or rejects something known from Islam by necessity will be fought. Zakat is a right due on wealth and refusing to pay it means denying one of the fundamental rights of Islam. If a person refuses to pay it, he should be fought just like how a person who denies the five daily prayers should be fought. Upon hearing the justification of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Umar became convinced and supported his decision of fighting them, and that it is the correct ruling that is established in the Quran and the Sunnah.
This hadeeth highlights the sound judgment and understanding of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and his courage and firmness in the truth, and the objectivity of ‘Umar (may Alah be pleased with him) and his aptness to accept the truth once he knows it..

1460

Narrated Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him): I went to the Prophet ﷺ and he said: “By Allah in Whose Hands my life is (or probably said, 'By Allah, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped) If any man has camels, cattle, or sheep on which he does not pay what is due, they will be produced as large and fat as can be on the Day of Resurrection and will trample him with their hoofs and gore him with their horns. As often as the last of them pass him the first of them will be brought back to him until judgment is pronounced among mankind.”.

Commentary : Zakat is one of the obligations that Allah has imposed upon those whose savings exceed the specified threshold. It is taken from the wealthy and given to the poor (i.e., all those who are eligible to receive it according to the Quran). Whoever thanks Allah, Exalted be He, by fulfilling this obligation and paying his zakat to those who deserve it will be given a reward that is complete; and whoever fails to fulfill this obligation will earn nothing but loss and failure in this life and the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he visited the Prophet ﷺ one day, and he heard him ﷺ swears by Allah, Exalted be He, the One in His Hand all souls, or, 'by Allah, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped’ that whoever does not pay zakat on livestock (such as camels, cows, and sheep), they will be produced as large and fat as can be on the Day of Resurrection, because the condition of cattle varies i.e., they could be fat, fatigue, small or large, and then those with hoofs (i.e., camels) will trample him and those with horns will gore him to cause his as much pain as possible. They will be subject to this punishment while the creation is standing in the land of resurrection, and it will continue until the reckoning of the people is over.
From the benefits of this hadeeth is that not thanking Allah’s blessings and failing to fulfill His right in them will make us subject to punishment and hardship on the Day of Judgment.
The hadeeth indicates that Allah, Exalted be He, will resurrect the camels, cows and sheep whose zakat was withheld to punish their owners with them.
It shows the great punishment that is made for those who withhold zakat, and that some sinners will be subject to a special punishment on the Day of Judgment before the reckoning of the people is over..

1461

Narrated Anas in Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): "Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) had more property of date-palm trees gardens than any other amongst the Ansaar in al-Madeenah and the most beloved of them to him was Bayruhaa’ garden, which was in front of the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to go there and used to drink from its fresh water." Anas added, "When these ayaat were revealed: --{By no means shall you attain righteousness unless You spend (in charity) of that which you love.} (Quran 3.92) Abu Talhah said to Allah's Messenger: 'O Allah's Messenger! Allah, the Blessed, the Superior says: {By no means shall you attain righteousness, unless you spend (in charity) of that which you love.} And no doubt, Bayruhaa’ garden is the most beloved of all my property to me. I want to give it in charity in Allah's Cause and I expect its reward from Allah. So, spend it wherever Allah makes you think it better.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Well done! This is a profitable property. This is a profitable property. O Abu Talhah! I have heard what you have said, and I think it would be proper if you spend it on your Kith and kin.' Abu Talhah said, I will do so, O Allah's Messenger.' Then Abu Talhah distributed that garden amongst his relatives and his cousins." [According to the report from the route of] Yahya ibn Yahya and Isma’eel narrated from Maalik, it reads: property that brings about reward and benefits to its owner“..

Commentary : Giving away in charity money that is precious to the heart only for the pleasure of Allah is evidence on the sincerity of the person, the truthfulness of his faith, and a means to attain the good in this life and the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Abu Talhah – whose name is Zayd ibn Sahl al-Ansaaree – (may Allah be pleased with him) was the wealthiest man amongst the Ansaar and he had plenty of date-palm trees. The most precious and beloved property to him was the Bayruhaa’ garden in al-Madeenah, opposite to the Mosque of the Prophet. The garden had a fresh water source that the Prophet ﷺ used to attend to drink from. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) adds that after the ayah {By no means shall you attain righteousness unless You spend (in charity) of that which you love} was revealed, Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ and recited the ayah to him. Then, he explained that the most beloved property to his heart was the garden of Bayruhaa’ and that he is giving it away in charity for the sake of Allah while hoping for its reward and good outcome from Allah, Exalted be He, and that he is leaving the decision of where and how to spend it to the Prophet ﷺ so, he can do with it what Allah orders him. The Prophet ﷺ rejoiced and exclaimed his awe of the good initiative of Aboo Talhah, and informed him that this is indeed a profitable property [in terms of Allah’s reward]. In another version, it reads: property that brings about reward and benefits to its owner. It has been said, it means, property that gives its owner reward day and night.
The Prophet ﷺ instructed him to spend it on his relative so he divided it between them. The reason the Prophet ﷺ advised him to do so is that giving charity to relatives gives the person the reward of charity and the reward of joining kinship.
The meaning of the ayah: {By no means shall you attain righteousness unless You spend (in charity) of that which you love} is that you will not attain all the good or attain Allah’s mercy, pleasure, and Paradise until you spend from the money that you favour and love. This includes intangible forms of wealth such as using one’s social status to help people and exerting efforts to do good deeds and putting the life at the service of Allah.
This hadeeth directs us to consult the people of virtue and merit on how to give charity and do good deeds. It shows that a pious person may be described as wealthy or acknowledge his wealth without that being a defect in his piety.
It shows that when the value of charity is high the giver ought to be praised and highlights the merit of Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It shows that giving charity to close relatives who are in need is more rewarding and takes priority. .

1462

Narrated Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him): On `Eid al Fitr or `Eid al-Adha, Allah's Messenger ﷺ went out to the Musalla. After finishing the prayer, he ﷺ delivered the sermon and ordered the people to give alms. He said, "O people! Give alms." Then he ﷺ went towards the women and said: "O women! Give alms, for I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-Fire were you (women)." The women asked, "O Allah's Messenger! What is the reason for it?" He ﷺ replied, "O women! You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion who can make a cautious wise man irrational than you." Then he ﷺ left. When he ﷺ reached his house, Zaynab, the wife of Ibn Mas`ood, came and asked permission to enter. The Prophet ﷺ was informed of her visit so it was said, "O Allah's Messenger! It is Zaynab." He ﷺ asked, 'Which Zaynab?" The reply was that she was the wife of Ibn Mas'ood. He said, "Yes, allow her to enter." And she was admitted. Then she said, "O Prophet of Allah! Today you ordered people to give alms and I had an ornament and intended to give it as alms, but Ibn Mas`ood said that he and his children deserved it more than anybody else." The Prophet ﷺreplied, "Ibn Mas`ood had spoken the truth. Your husband and your children have more right to it than anybody else.".

Commentary : Zakat, which Allah has made obligatory, charity, which Allah has encouraged and made optional, are two great deeds that can help us attain safety in this life and the Hereafter. He who has indulged in sins and disobedience should give charity to purify himself from his sins, hoping from Allah, Exalted be He, His blessings and goodness. The Prophet ﷺ would encourage people so often to give charity and explain its virtue and who are most deserving of it.
In this hadeeth, Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ went to the Musalla to offer the Eid prayer on ‘Eid al-Fitr or ‘Eid al-Adhah. The Musalla is a spacious outdoor area, and the location of the Musalla of the Prophet ﷺ was in a known area in al-Madeenah, that is 1000 arms away from the gate of his Mosque. After he ﷺ finished the ‘Eid prayer, he ﷺ addressed the attendees and preached to them about what would benefit them in their worldly life and the Hereafter. The preaching sermon should be short and not lengthy. He ﷺ exhorted to give in charity and then walked to the Musalla of women to exhort and preach them since they were segregated from men and may not have heard his first preach. Or, it is possible that he went to them to give them a special reminder. He reminded them of Paradise and Hellfire and addressed all of them in his speech by saying: O women! Then, he ﷺ ordered them to give away in charity, and explained that he saw during the ascending journey - or in other events – that most of the dwellers of Hellfire were from women. This makes the reason he ordered them to give away in charity is that giving charity increases the scale of good deeds and extinguishes the Lord’s anger. In other words, he ﷺ directed them to a good deed that would save them from Hellfire, hoping that Allah will have mercy on them because of their charity. The women asked the Prophet ﷺ about the reason that made them most of the people in Hellfire. He clarified that it is because of their excessive verbal abuse and cursing or invoking against others to be expelled from Allah’s mercy. The other reason he ﷺ offered was that women are often ungrateful to their husbands i.e., a woman would deny that her husband was ever kind to her whenever she is upset with him or sees from him something not of her liking even if it was a trivial matter. This part of the hadeeth sends women a strong warning against verbal abuse and cursing and warns them against denying the favors and kind treatment of their husbands. Then, he ﷺ described them of being deficient in intelligence and religion and that their influence is so strong such that it can even lure a resolve and sensible man. The latter is used in the form of exaggeration to highlight their strong influence over men to show that if they are determined to do something they would keep argue with men until they do it, regardless of it being right or wrong.
Their deficiency in intellect and religion is explained in the authentic hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, which reads:”They asked, “What is the deficiency of our religion and our intelligence, messenger of God?” He replied, “Is not the testimony of a woman equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They said, “Yes.” Remarking that that pertained to the deficiency of her intelligence, he asked, “Is it not the case that when she menstruates, she neither prays nor fasts?” When they replied, “Yes,” he said, “That pertains to the deficiency of her religion.” The mention of their deficiency of religion and intellect is not to blame them, it is intended to warn men from falling for their temptations, and not as a derogatory remark or to blame them, because it is beyond their power and a part of their innate nature that Allah has created.
After, the Prophet ﷺ left to his house. Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood followed him to his house and asked his permission to enter. The one who informed the Prophet ﷺ of her visit and request to enter upon him was Bilaal ibn Rabaah (may Allah be pleased with him). He ﷺ allowed her to enter after he learned who she was. She informed him ﷺ that her husband, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him), objected when she wanted to giveaway in charity some of her jewelry, and explained that he and their children are more deserving of her charity. The Prophet ﷺ supported the view of Ibn Mas’ood and confirmed that her poor husband and children are more deserving of her charity. He ﷺ, according to the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, further added: “She will have two rewards, the reward for charity and the reward for upholding ties of kinship.”
From the benefits that we could learn from this hadeeth is knowing that cursing and ungratefulness between spouses are admonished.
It shows that the word “kufr” (translation: denying and ungratefulness) can be used to refer to sins that do not take people outside the fold of Islam to highlight its seriousness.
It teaches us that giving a harsh advice could be a way to rid of a quality that is condemned, and encourages us to give charity, particularly to poor and needy relatives, and that charity keeps us away from Allah’s punishment.
It shows that a student can discuss the opinion of his teacher about aspects that he does not understand.
It depicts to us the great character of the Prophet ﷺ, his tolerance, compassion, and kindness. .

1463

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The Muslim does not have to pay zakat on his horse or slave.".

1465

Narrated ‘Ataa’ ibn Yasaar: I heard Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) say: “Once the Prophet ﷺ sat on a pulpit, and we sat around him. Then he ﷺ said, "The things I am afraid of most for your sake (concerning what will befall you after me) is the pleasures and flowers of the world and its beauties which will be made available to you." Somebody said, "O Allah's Messenger! Can the good bring forth evil?" The Prophet ﷺremained silent for a while. It was said to that person, "What is wrong with you? You are talking to the Prophet ﷺ while he is not talking to you." Then we noticed that he ﷺ was receiving revelation. Then the Prophet ﷺ wiped off his sweat and said, "Where is the questioner?" It seemed as if the Prophet ﷺ liked his question. Then he ﷺ said, "Good never brings forth evil. Indeed, it is like what grows in spring which either kills or makes the animals sick, except if an animal eats its full from the fresh vegetation and then faces the sun, and then defecates and urinates, and grazes again. No doubt this wealth is sweet and green. Blessed is the wealth of a Muslim from which he gives to the poor, the orphans and to needy travelers. (Or the Prophet said something similar to it) No doubt, whoever takes it illegally will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied, and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection.".

Commentary : Allah has willed and predestined with His divine wisdom that this life be a place of tests and trials. Some people fall into its temptation and compete to attain its pleasures, while others realize its reality; thus, they endeavor to attain that which Allah has made for His believing servants in the Hereafter and never be misguided by worldly temptation.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ sat on the pulpit of his Mosque one day and his Companions gathered around him. He ﷺ then expressed his concern about his nation after this worldly life presents its pleasures and flower to them. The intended meaning of pleasures and beauty here is money and wealth, and he ﷺlikened wealth to flowers because flowers wilt and wither quickly to say that worldly pleasures change and wither quickly too.
One man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ how could that which is good brings forth or causes evil! The Prophet ﷺ remained silent for a while and his Companions realised that his silence was because of receiving revelation. After receiving the divine revelation, he ﷺ wiped the sweat of his face because whenever he received revelation, sweat would drop from his forehead. Then, he ﷺ asked about the questioner. It was as if he ﷺ approved the question and commended him for asking such a question. The Prophet ﷺ explained that the good do not bring forth evil – that is to say, when wealth is acquired from lawful sources and is managed and used as Allah orders, it will be considered from the kind of good that only bring forth nothing but goodness. The example of this is Islam; it is all good and brings forth nothing but good. However, there are other kinds of goodness that are not entirely good which could bring forth evil such as money. It is considered good, but it may bring forth evil if earned from unlawful sources or spent unwisely, etc. The same applies to all lawful work that is considered good but becomes evil when it is sought through forbidden means, or the money earned from it is unlawful.
Then, the Prophet ﷺ gave two examples to explain his statement and help his Companions understand how wealth is good, but it can bring forth evil as much as it can bring forth good. The first example was about the plants that grow in spring to explain how the good can turn into evil, and it has been said that spring here refers to the banks of a water-stream. He ﷺ said that what grows in spring or on the banks of a water-stream is good, but some of it still can cause great harm to the livestock that graze it, such as when a sheep consumes a large quantity of grains such that it causes its sickness. The meaning of this example is that it is harmful for a person to focus on acquiring as much wealth as possible to the extent it becomes all he cares about and then spends it in his own pleasure. It is the same as food and drinks; when one eats and drinks more than his need, it will make him feel unwell and comfortless. This example is addressing those who are keen on acquiring wealth and collecting money who withhold the rights of others his wealth (i.e., he does not pay zakat on it or use it to in lawful means). The reason of mentioning spring is that good plants and grass grow in it, which the livestock enjoy so much that they overeat and thus fall sick or causes their death.
The exception made in the example is about the livestock that only eat green plants moderately without exaggeration thus do not become sick because of it. This example is given to demonstrate the case of that which is good and only brings forth that which is good when dealt with appropriately. In this example, the Prophet ﷺ describes the case where livestock consume only good and fresh vegetations and that after they are full, they would roam around under the sunlight to benefit from the warmth. As a result, they would defecate easily, keeping the beneficial elements of the food and defecating that which is harmful. This example is given to describe the person who is moderate in his endeavours to collect and earn lawful money and use it for lawful causes.
Then, the Prophet ﷺ explains that money is desired and loved so much such that people are naturally keen on collecting it just like how we desire and like fruits and fresh vegetables that look nice and taste delicious. If a person pays zakat on his wealth, which he earns from lawful sources, and spends [some of] it on those who are poor and needy, orphans and wayfarers who do not have enough money during his journey, then his wealth will testify in his favour on the Day of Judgment. As for those who earned their wealth unlawfully, Allah will take away the barakah from it and deprive its owner from contentment so that he never feels he has enough even if he is given all the treasures of this world. He will be like a person who eats without ever being satiated, no matter how much food he consumes. On the Day of Judgment, the wealth of this kind of person will testify against him and expose his extravagance, unlawful spending, and strong keen on collecting it.
From the benefits of this hadeeth is learning that the Imaam sits on the pulpit while people sit around him listening to his preaching.
This hadeeth teaches us that we should give examples to clarify meanings so people can easily understand the intended message.
It shows that earning money from unlawful sources are devoid of Allah’s blessings and barakah, and the scholar should warn who listen to him about the temptation of money and similar temptations and explain to them how people may fall into such temptation.
It encourages us to be moderate in spending and collecting money, give away in charity, and avoid withholding our money from good causes.
It highlights that the Sunnah is a divinely inspired, and that one can object or blame someone for asking a question when feared that the question is inappropriate,.

1466

Narrated Zaynab, the wife of `Abdullah ibn Mas’ood, said, "I was in the Mosque and saw the Prophet ﷺ saying, 'O women! Give alms even from your ornaments.'" Zaynab used to provide for `Abdullah and those orphans who were under her protection. So, she said to `Abdullah, "Will you ask Allah's Messenger ﷺ whether it will be sufficient for me to spend part of the Zakat on you and the orphans who are under my protection?" He replied "Will you yourself ask Allah's Messenger ﷺ? Zaynab added: So, I went to the Prophet ﷺ and I saw there a woman from the Ansaar who was standing at the door (of the Prophet ﷺ with a similar problem as mine. Bilaal passed by us, and we asked him, 'Ask the Prophet ﷺ whether it is permissible for me to spend (the Zakat) on my husband and the orphans under my protection.' And we requested Bilaal not to inform the Prophet ﷺ about us. So, Bilaal went inside and asked the Prophet ﷺ regarding our problem. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Who are those two?" Bilaal replied that she was Zaynab. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Which Zaynab?" Bilal said, "The wife of `Abdullah (ibn Mas`ood)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, (it is sufficient for her) and she will receive a double reward (for that): One for helping relatives, and the other for giving Zakat.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ encouraged giving away in charity, explaining that the most rewarding type of charity is that which we give to our poor and needy relatives. This is because it reinforces solidarity and help those who are in need, let alone it fulfills the joining of kinship.
In this hadeeth, Zaynab the daughter of Mu’aawiyyah – or the daughter of Abee Mu’aawiyyah – the wife of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reports that she saw the Prophet ﷺ in the Mosque and heard him saying to the women: “give alms even from your ornaments” i.e., give away in charity if it was from the ornaments that you beautify yourselves with. At that time, Zaynab was spending on her husband, ‘Abdullah ibn Ma’sood and the orphans who were under her care. It was said the orphans were her nephews i.e., the children of her brother and sister. She asked her husband, Abudllah ibn Mas’ood, to ask Allah’s Messenger ﷺ whether her spending on him, who was a poor man, and her relative orphans would suffice as a charity. However, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) excused himself from this and asked her to ask the Prophet ﷺ directly. The reason he did not like to do it was because of his reverence to the Prophet ﷺ and it was said that asking such a question would make him look like as if he greedy, given the circumstances (i.e., she was spending on him) at that time.
So, she headed to the house of the Prophet ﷺ where she found a woman from the Ansaar waiting outside. The woman had the same inquiry about the charity given to relatives. It has been said that this woman was Zaynab, the wife of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr al-Ansaaree, alias Aboo Mas’ood. She added that while they were outside, Bilaal passed by, so we asked him to pass her question to the Prophet ﷺ about whether spending on her husband and the orphans who were under her care is sufficient and accepted. It has been said that this spending refers to the obligatory spending while others said it refers to the optional spending. If it is the former, then it is understood to refer to that which is not binding upon the giver to give to his relatives. Then, she and the other woman asked not to disclose our names to the Prophet ﷺ i.e., do not say that so and so is asking such and such but rather say there are two women asking such and such. Or it is to say, do not disclose our names if he ﷺ inquired about them, which is not really intended literally since it is obligatory to answer the Prophet ﷺ if he ﷺ inquired about their identity. They only wanted to ensure they would avoid showing off or liked to exercise the best option. After, Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) entered upon the Prophet ﷺ and presented their question to him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ asked Bilaal about the name of both women and to which Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) said, they are named Zaynab. Thereupon, he ﷺ asked about their identity so Bilaal said that it was Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him). He only mentioned one of them as he sufficed by mentioning the one who is older and more virtuous. According to the report mentioned in Sunan al-Nasaa’iee, the name of the other Zaynab was also mentioned, as it reads: Zaynab al-Ansaariyyah. Obviously, Bilaal clarified who they were because it is obligatory to answer the question of the Prophet ﷺ immediately. To which, the Prophet ﷺ explained that it is sufficient and that the wife may give charity to her husband and children, and as a result she will receive two rewards, one for joining kinship and one for charity.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is that spending on relatives and kinship is encouraged and gives us two rewards. It shows that it is permissible for the wife to give away in charity whatever she likes from her own property without the permission of her husband since women gave away in charity their earrings and jewellery.
It establishes the permissibility for the Imaam to preach to women and men speaking with foreign women when there is a valid need, and no temptation is anticipated. This is given based on the act that Bilaal conversed with the two Zaynabs while the Prophet ﷺ was aware of it and he ﷺ did not object..

1467

Narrated Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): I asked: "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Shall I receive a reward if I spend for the sustenance of Aboo Salamah's offspring, and in fact they are also my sons?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Spend on them and you will get a reward for what you spend on them.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ encouraged giving away in charity, explaining that the most rewarding charity is that which we give to our poor and needy relatives. This is because it reinforces solidarity and help those who are in need, let alone it fulfills the joining of kinship.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), whose name is Hind bint Abee Umayyah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, asked the Prophet ﷺ whether she will be rewarded for spending on her children from Aboo Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad who was her [first] husband and then died, and afterwards the Prophet ﷺ married her. Her children were, ‘Umar, Muhammad, Zaynab and Durrah; they were orphans without any source of income. She wanted to say that they are my children and I take care of their financial needs out of my compassion and feeling of responsibility towards them as their mother, not to mention they have more right in my charity than anyone else i.e., because they are orphans and needy, let alone her own children. She was concerned that she would not be rewarded for this good deed since it is driven by her feelings of motherhood. However, the Prophet ﷺ informed her that she will be rewarded for everything she would spend on them.
From the benefits of this hadeeth is that we are rewarded for spending on own children and others, even if this is what our innate nature necessitates. .

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

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to me what Allah's Messenger ﷺ has made compulsory regarding zakat. It reads: Neither an old nor a one-eyed animal, nor a ram may be taken as Zakat except if the Zakat collector wishes (to take it)..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The Muslim does not have to pay zakat on his horse or slave.".

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).".

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.".

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.".