Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether the round wall (near Ka`bah) was part of the Ka`bah. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the affirmative. I further said, "What is wrong with them, why have they not included it in the building of the Ka`bah?" He (ﷺ) said, "This is because your people (Quraysh) ran short of money (so they could not include it inside the building of Ka`bah)?" I asked, "What about its gate? Why is it so high?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Your people did this so as to admit into it whomever they liked and prevent whomever they liked. Were your people not close to the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance (i.e., they have recently embraced Islam) and were I not afraid that they would deny it, surely I would have included the (area of the) wall inside the building of the Ka`bah and I would have lowered its gate to the level of the ground."
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Commentary : The Hijr of Ismaa’eel is the curved construction round the Ka’bah, facing the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamaanee. It is in the form of a semi-circle adjoining the two corners, al-Rukn al-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee. The Prophet refrained from touching or kissing the other two corners, the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamaanee, because they were not built according to the correct structure of the House.
In this hadeeth ‘Aaishah (raa) relates that she asked the Prophet ﷺabout the Ka’bah and whether the Hijr of Ismaa’eel is part of it or not. He ﷺexplained to her that it is part of the Ka’bah due to the foundation of its wall, but what happened was that Quraysh could not afford to include it and build the Ka’bah on all the foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) when they rebuilt the Ka’bah due to lack of funds. The Prophet ﷺadded that had Quraysh not been new to Islam and fearing they may leave Islam because of it, he ﷺwould have restored it to the foundations of Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), and he ﷺwould have built it anew on all its foundations, included the Hijr of Ismaa’eel, and lowered its gate to the level of the ground. This is because they made the gate so high to have control who would enter it i.e., they have power to allow whoever they like and forbid whoever they wish. It is reported in the authentic hadeeth that he ﷺsaid: “I would have placed two doors for it, one door for people to enter and the other door for them to exit.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it serves as evidence for perpetrating the lesser of two evils to repel the greater of them. This is because the harm done from making no changes to the construction of the Ka’bah is lesser than the dissension that may be caused by this and having some Muslims turning away from Islam.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to deal tactfully with people in matters of religion - other than the obligatory acts - by leaving and removing from the people that which they deny (i.e., things they view as the norm and not aware of its opposite).
It also shows that people may not be blocked from the House..

1586

Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): The Prophet (ﷺ) told her, “O ‘Aaishah! Were it not for the fact that your people being in the closest era to pre-Islam, I would have commanded that the House be demolished, and I would have incorporated into it what was left out of it. I would have made its (door) in level with the ground and I would have made two doors for it, an eastern door and a western door. I would have taken it to the foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). (One of the narrators said:) “This is what motivated Ibn al-Zubayr (ra) to knock it down. Yazeed said: "I saw Ibn Al-Zubayr (ra) when he knocked it down and rebuilt it and included part of the Hijr in it. And I saw the foundation of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) stones like the humps of camels. Jareer says, “I asked him, ‘Where is its place?’ He replied, ‘I will show you now.’ I entered al-Hijr with him and he pointed towards a place and said, ‘There it is.’ Jareer says, “I estimated the distance from al-Hijr to be six-cubit foot or something similar to it.”
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Commentary : The description of the construction of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) of the House was that it was curved around the two corners of al-Rukn ash-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee; thus, the Hijr of Ismaa’eel was a part of it, and it had two corners, which are the two Yamaanee corners. But when Quraysh built it in the pre-Islamic era, they made four corners for it, and placed the Hijr of Ismaa’eel behind it, as they wanted to perfectly complete the circumambulation of the Ka’bah, and it is in the form of a semi-circle adjoining the two corners, al-Rukn al-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee. Hence, al-Hijr is part of the Ka’bah.

In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah raa reports that the Prophet ﷺ informed her that were Quraysh not closer in time to disbelief (i.e., they are new to Islam) and were there no fear of the hearts denying the act, then he would have commanded to demolish the Ka’bah and would have rebuilt in upon the original foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and would have inserted into it what was left out of it and bring the floor closer to the ground, and would have placed two doors for it, an eastern door and a western door, so people could enter from one of them and exit from the other. This hadeeth is the evidence upon which Ibn al-Zubayr (ra) relied to demolish the Ka’bah and rebuild it during his reign on Hijaaz.

Yazeed ibn Roomaan, at-Taabee’ee, one of the sub-narrators of this hadeeth, mentions that he witnessed Ibn al-Zubayr (ra) demolishing the Ka’bah as he undertook the task of demolishing it until he razed it to the ground and when he rebuilt it. This event happened in the 65th year of Hijrah. He inserted in it five-cubit foot of Hijr Ismaa’eel. Yazeed explains that he saw the foundations of Ibraaheem and described that they were made of stones that looked like the humps of the camels.
Jareer bin Haazim asked Yazeed ibn Roomaan to inform him about the place of the foundations?’ He replied that he would show it to him; so, he entered entered al-Hijr with him and then pointed to a place of it and said, ‘Here it is.’ Jareer reported that he estimated the distance referred to from the Hijr as six-cubit foot or so. It is reported in Saheeh Muslim from the narration of the Taabi’ee ‘Ataa’ ibn Abee Rabaah that when Al-Hajjaaj killed Ibn al-Zubayr (ra), he demolished the building, and returned it to the foundations of Quraysh and it is still, until now, upon those foundations.
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it serves as evidence for perpetrating the lesser of two evils to repel the greater of them. This is because the harm done from making no changes to the construction of the Ka’bah is lesser than the dissension that may be caused by this and having some Muslims turning away from Islam.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to deal tactfully with people in matters of religion - other than the obligatory acts - by leaving and removing from the people that which they deny (i.e., things they view as the norm and not aware of its opposite).
It shows that the ruler should strive to establish the religion of Islam and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
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1587

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas ra: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day of the conquest of Makkah, “Verily, Allah made this city sacred; its thorns will not to be cut, its game will not be repulsed, and the things dropped will be picked up only by one who makes a public announcement of it.”.

Commentary : Makkah is the most beloved land to Allah, Most high, which He has venerated it in the hearts of His believing servants. He legislated exclusive injunctions for Makkah and protected it from the evil of the disbelievers. It is one of the best places on earth, hence, the conquest of Makkah, which took place in the eighth year of the Hijrah, was a great conquest for Islam and Muslims.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbaas ra reports that the Prophet ﷺproclaimed on the conquest of Makkah that Allah has made Makkah sacred i.e., no fighting on its land is allowed. The only exemption was given to the Prophet ﷺto conquer it and eradicate disbelief from the holy land. Thereafter, its sanctity was reactivated as reported in the authentic hadeeths of Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. Part of the sanctity of this land is that: neither its thorns nor its trees will be cut or broken, nor its game will be disturbed from its place, let alone hunting it, and any lost property found there will only be picked up by one who intends to announce about it and looks after it for its owner, thereafter, returns it to him when he shows up.. This is known in religion as Luqatah, which refers to the lost property which a person may find on the road whose owner is unknown.
One of the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about the strong emphasis on the sanctity of Makkah and the strict warning against committing any forbidden act in it..

1588

Narrated Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him): I said: “O Allah's Messenger! Which house of yours will you choose to stay in Makkah?” He (ﷺ) replied, "Has ‘Aqeel left any property or houses in Makkah?” It happened that ‘Aqeel along with Taalib had inherited the property of Aboo Taalib, whereas Ja’far and ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them) did not inherit anything as they were Muslims and the other two were disbelievers. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “A believer may not inherit (anything) from a disbeliever.” Ibn Shihaab, (a sub-narrator) said, “They (`Umar and others) derived the above verdict from Allah's Statement: {Verily! those who believed and emigrated and strove with their life And property in Allah's Cause, And those who helped (the emigrants), and gave them their places to live in, these are (all) allies to one another.} (Quran 8.72)”
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺhas set himself as a perfect example for us in all acts of worship, dealing, and transactions, including the application of the provisions of inheritance between a Muslim and a disbeliever. He ﷺclarified that Muslims cannot inherit their disbelieving relatives.
In this hadeeth, Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)at the conquest of Makkah in the eighth year of the Hijrah about which of his homes in Makkah that he left before his emigration to al-Madeenah. The Prophet ﷺexplained to him that he is not entitled to any of the properties that belonged to Aboo Taalib or any other of his relatives in Makkah because a believer cannot inherit an infidel.
The narrator – perhaps Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) – has explained the meaning of his statement. He mentioned that when Aboo Taalib, the uncle of the Prophet ﷺdied, his two sons inherited his wealth: ‘Aqeel and Taalib, and they both took over all his property comprising of several houses, while Ja’far and ‘Alee, the two believing men did not inherit from him. If they were the heirs, then the Prophet ﷺwould have stayed in their houses as they would be as if they are his properties because he knew that they (Ja’far and ‘Alee) preferred him to themselves.
‘Umar bin Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “A believer cannot inherit from a disbeliever.” i.e., he made this statement based on the words of the Prophet ﷺwho confirmed that ‘Alee and Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with them) did not inherit from Abu Talib.
Ibn Shihaab al-Zuhree commented on this by saying, “They used to adopt this view based on their interpretation of the following Statement of Allah, {Those who believe and have emigrated and struggled with their wealth and themselves in the path of Allah and those who sheltered and helped, those, some of whom are allies of others.} [Quran 8:72]. They interpreted alliance in this ayah to mean the entitlement to inheritance. The ayah goes to read: {But those who believed and did not emigrate - for you there is no support of them until they emigrate. And if they seek help from you for the religion, then you must help, except against a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty. And Allah is Seeing of what you do.And those who disbelieved are allies of one another. If you do not do so [i.e., ally yourselves with other believers], there will be fitnah [i.e., disbelief and oppression] on earth and great corruption. [Quran 8:72-73]. The meaning of this is that those who believed in Allah but did not emigrate from the lands of disbelief to the lands of Islam, you do not have to - O believers - help them, and protect them, until they emigrate in the path of Allah. However, if the disbelievers wronged them, then they demanded help from you; then, aid them against their enemy, unless there is a covenant between you and the enemy which they have not broken. Allah is watchful of the acts that you do, nothing of your deeds is hidden from Him and He will reward you for them. As for those who disbelieve, disbelief brings them all together and thus aid each other. With that said, no believer may not ally with them, and if the Muslims do not ally with the believers and hate the disbelievers, then there will be strife for the believers, wherein they will not find anyone from their brethren who can help them in religion. Even worse, a great corruption on earth will ensue by preventing people from the path of Allah.
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning that it is permissible to allow the houses and property of Makkah to be inherited.
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1589

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “Allah’s Messenger ﷺstated when he came to Makkah, “Our encampment tomorrow, Allah-willing, will be at Khayf Banee Kinaanah where they (the pagans) took an oath between themselves on disbelief.””
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Commentary : The Farewell Hajj was in the tenth year of the Hijrah, and during which the Prophet ﷺexplained all the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah, including that which is recommended acts and considered from their etiquettes.
In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺinformed them after he had returned from Mina after completing the rite of throwing the stoning and he headed to the Sacred House for the farewell tawaaf round the Ka’bah that he ﷺwill halt at the Khayf of Banee Kinaanah, known today as al-Muhassab, which is located at the beginning part of the flat land of Makkah, and is now situated in the outskirts of Makkah in the so-called Qasr al-Saqqaaf. This place was where the disbelievers of Quraysh allied with each other before on disbelief, and they allied with each other in their disassociation from Banee Haashim and Banee al-Mutallib, and rejecting any peace treaty with them, and that they will exile the Prophet ﷺ, Banee Haashim, and Banee al-Muttalib from Makkah and drive them to this valley. This valley is Khayf Banee Kinaanah, and they wrote between them the famous sheet, wherein they penned all different kinds of falsehood, breaking of ties of kinship and disbelief. However, Allah, Exalted be He, sent termites which ate all the points of agreement therein about disbelief, severing ties of kinship, and falsehood, and left intact that which was about the remembrance of Allah. His saying: “Allah willing,” is to seek Allah’s blessings and comply with the command of Allah in the Quran.
The scholars differed as to the reason for the encampment of the Prophet ﷺin this place. It was said: It was a halting that was a following part of the rituals, and so it is a Sunnah, which is the view of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with her). And it was said: It is not a Sunnah, based on the hadeeth in Sunan Aboo Daawood - whose origin is found in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree – where ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺhalted at al-Muhassab only so that it is facilitating to come out, and it is not a Sunnah; hence, whoever wills can halt at it, and whoever wills can avoid encamping at it.” With that said, it shows that his halting at al-Abtah was because it would be easier and faster for him to depart from there to al-Madeenah, and so that those who are slow and those who have valid excuses would be equal, so that they spend the night there and depart at the last part of the night, and their departure be together towards al-Madeenah..

1590

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (ra): The Prophet ﷺstated the next day, the day of ritual slaughtering while he was at Mina, “We are halting tomorrow at Khayf Bani Kinaanah where they mutually took an oath on disbelief, he meant thereby al-Muhassab.” That is because Quraysh and Kinaanah both allied with each other against Bani Haashim and Bani Abdul al-Muttalib – or Bani al-Muttalib – that they will not intermarry with them and will not mutually do business with them until they surrender the Prophet ﷺto them..

Commentary : The polytheists of Makkah did harm the Prophet ﷺand those who believed in him with all different kinds of harm to the extent that the tribe of the Prophet ﷺand his immediate family members were not spared of their harms, including those who embraced Islam amongst them and those who had not embraced it. Quraysh and Kinaanah penned a sheet wherein they agreed to oppose and harm Banee Haashim and Banee Abdul Muttalib i.e., Quraysh and Kinaanah agreed that they will not marry a woman from Banee Haashim and Banee ‘Abd al-Muttalib, and that they will not marry them a woman from among them, that they will not trade with them or buy from them and will not intermingle with them and there will be nothing at all between them.
This hadeeth shows that the Prophet ﷺpointed out the place where they mutually took an oath, i.e., mutually agreed therein to harm the Prophet ﷺand to hold tight to disbelief. The Prophet ﷺtold his Companions on the Day of Slaughtering in Hajj, “We are halting tomorrow at Khayf Banee Kinaanah.” Khayf means a valley, and it refers to the valley of al-Muhassab, which is located between Makkah and Mina. i.e., it is the beginning area of the plains of Makkah, which is now found at the outskirts of Makkah, and it is called Qasr as-Saqqaaf.
The Farewell Hajj was in the tenth year of the Hijrah, and during which the Prophet ﷺexplained all the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah, including that which is recommended acts and considered from their etiquettes.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺinformed them after he had returned from Mina after completing the rite of throwing the stoning and he headed to the Sacred House for the farewell tawaaf round the Ka’bah that he ﷺwill halt at the Khayf of Banee Kinaanah, known today as al-Muhassab, which is located at the beginning part of the flat land of Makkah, and is now situated in the outskirts of Makkah in the so-called Qasr al-Saqqaaf. This place was where the disbelievers of Quraysh allied with each other before on disbelief, and they allied with each other in their disassociation from Banee Haashim and Banee al-Mutallib, and rejecting any peace treaty with them, and that they will exile the Prophet ﷺ, Banee Haashim, and Banee al-Muttalib from Makkah and drive them to this valley. This valley is Khayf Banee Kinaanah, and they wrote between them the famous sheet, wherein they penned all different kinds of falsehood, breaking of ties of kinship and disbelief. However, Allah, Exalted be He, sent termites which ate all the points of agreement therein about disbelief, severing ties of kinship, and falsehood, and left intact that which was about the remembrance of Allah. His saying: “Allah willing,” is to seek Allah’s blessings and comply with the command of Allah in the Quran.
The scholars differed as to the reason for the encampment of the Prophet ﷺin this place. It was said: It was a halting that was a following part of the rituals, and so it is a Sunnah, which is the view of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with her). And it was said: It is not a Sunnah, based on the hadeeth in Sunan Aboo Daawood - whose origin is found in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree – where ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺhalted at al-Muhassab only so that it is facilitating to come out, and it is not a Sunnah; hence, whoever wills can halt at it, and whoever wills can avoid encamping at it.” With that said, it shows that his halting at al-Abtah was because it would be easier and faster for him to depart from there to al-Madeenah, and so that those who are slow and those who have valid excuses would be equal, so that they spend the night there and depart at the last part of the night, and their departure be together towards al-Madeenah.
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1591

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The Ka’bah will be demolished by a man with thin legs from Abyssinia.”.

Commentary : In this hadeeth the Prophet ﷺinfo that that there will be trials towards the end of time and that the sanctity of sacred places will be violated.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ - who is the truthful and whose truthfulness is attested – informs us that a man with two thin legs from Abyssinia will be the one who will demolish the Ka’bah near the time of the Hour. The Abyssinians are black people from an African race. The word used to describe that his two legs will be thin is a belittling word for shank, meaning, one with two weak shanks. The belittling word is for humiliating purposes. It means it will be a person who is weak, and slim with no status. As if it is intended to say, “The sacredness of this glorified House will be violated by this lowlife despicable ugly person! It is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺstated, “As if I can envisage him to be black, hen-toed, who will remove brick by brick.”
Abyssinians will be the ones who will excavate the treasure of the Ka’bah, which is buried under the Ka’bah. It was said that it is a treasure created in it. It was also said that it is what the guardians of the Ka’bah used to accumulate of the gifts, and then they used place under the Ka’bah.
This hadeeth does not contradict with the ayah, {Have We not established for them a safe haven ˹in Makkah˺.} (Quran 28: 57) because its meaning is that: it is a safe haven until the closest time to the Day of Judgment and the ruination of earth at a time when there will be no Muslim on the face of earth. It is said that the story of the man with two thin legs is an exception or that Allah has made it a safe sanctuary given how it is often the case, because there were incidents where the sanctuary of Makkah was violated like the case of Ibn al-Zubayr and the story of al-Qaraamitah and the likes. It was said that the meaning of making it a safe sanctuary is in fact the command to ensure it is so i.e., it is incumbent upon the Muslims to grant safety to people and not to show aggression to anyone therein.
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning about the prophesy of the Prophet ﷺregarding what will happen towards the end of time, which is one of the signs of his prophethood. It is part of the unseen matters concerning which it is obligatory to believe and affirm. Likewise, we are required to believe and affirm all the unseen events that they are proven to be authentic from the Prophet ﷺ..

1592

Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): The people used to fast on 'Ashura (the tenth day of the month of Muharram) before the fasting of Ramadan was made obligatory. And on that day the Ka`bah used to be covered with a cover. When Allah made the fasting of the month of Ramadan compulsory, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever wishes to fast (on the day of 'Aashooraa') may do so; and whoever wishes to leave it can do so.".

Commentary : The Jews used to fast on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, which is the tenth day of the month of Muharram, as a form of venerating the day in which Allah saved Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) from the clasps of Pharoah and of thanking Allah for this favour. The Prophet ﷺrecommended that Muslims fast the day, albeit with opposing the way Jews fast it by prescribing an additional fast of a day before it. The fast of the day of ‘Aashooraa’ underwent different phases of legislation. It is reported on the authority of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that people used to fast on the day of ‘Aashooraa’ before Allah made the fasting of Ramadan obligatory upon them, and when He made the fasting of the month of Ramadan obligatory upon them in the second year of Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺmade it optional i.e., people have the choice either to fast it or forgo it. It has been mentioned concerning the virtue of its fast, that it expiates the sins of the year that has passed. It is reported in Saheeh Muslim that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Sunnah is to fast the nineth day with it, for the purpose of opposing the Jews.”
During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, the ‘Ka’bah would be shrouded on this day i.e., they would shroud its stone bricks and wall with veils and fabrics. Quraysh was the one responsible for the task of shrouding it during that period because the Prophet ﷺthen was in al-Madeenah and he ﷺonly took control of the Ka’bah after the conquest of Makkah in the eighth year of the Hijrah. The Prophet ﷺconfirmed the practice of shrouding it on this day, which has been the practice of Muslims until today, despite the different timings for it. Nowadays, it is shrouded during the season of Hajj straight after the pilgrims making their way to the mount of ‘Arafaat. Its shrouding is among the exhibits of reverence and showing honour for the House of Allah.
The statement of ‘Aaishah in the hadeeth that ‘They used to fast on ‘Aashooraa before Ramadan was made obligatory,’ benefits the possibility that fasting the day of ‘Aashooraa’ was compulsory and obligatory in nature, before Ramadan became mandatory, then the injunction was abrogated to the grade of desirability and recommendation. It was said that this was only an emphasis to fast and was not an obligatory injunction due to the agreed-upon hadeeth of Mu’aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him) wherein the Prophet ﷺstated, “This is the day of ‘Aashooraa, Allah has not enjoined its fasting on you, but I am fasting it. You have the choice either to fast or not to fast (on this day).'.”
From the benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning about the significance of the day of ‘Aashooraa and the veneration of the Muslims for it..

1593

Narrated Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The people will continue performing Hajj and `Umrah to the Ka`bah even after the appearance of Gog and Magog." Narrated ‘Abd al-Rahmaan from Shu`bah: The Hour (Day of Judgment) will not be established till the Hajj (to the Ka`bah) is abandoned..

Commentary : Gog and Magog are those who Dhu al-Qarnayn constructed a dam as a barrier to keep them away from people, as mentioned in the Statement of Allah, the Most Exalted, {But assist me with resources, I will build a barrier between you and them.} (Quran 18: 95). Their appearance from behind this barrier or dam is one of the major signs of the Hour.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺprophesises that Muslims in the end of time will continue to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah after the demise of Gog and Magog and after their corruption on earth.
It is reported in another hadeeth that the Prophet ﷺsaid, “The Hour will not be established until the Hajj (pilgrimage) of the House stops.” That is to say, the Day of Judgment will not be established while there is on earth a person who believes in Allah Almighty and Majestic, which explains the reason why Hajj will cease to exist. It is reported on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid, “The Last Hour will not be established until no one on earth will utter the word “Allah”.” It is possible to reconcile between both hadeeths by saying that it is not necessary that performing Hajj after the advent of Gog and Magog means that it will constantly continue until the establishment of the Last Hour. Rather, people will stop performing Hajj at a time just before the Last Hour.
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning about the prophesy of the Prophet ﷺconcerning some of the matters of the unseen, which is one of the signs of his prophethood..

1594

Narrated Aboo Waa’il: (One day) I sat along with Shaybah on the chair inside the Ka`bah. He (Shaybah) said, "No doubt, `Umar sat at this place and said, 'I intended not to leave any yellow (i.e. gold) or white (i.e. silver) (inside the Ka`bah) undistributed.' I said (to `Umar), 'But your two companions (i.e. The Prophet (ﷺ) and Aboo Bakr) did not do so.' `Umar said, they are the two persons whom I always follow.' ".

Commentary : The Ka’bah is the Sacred House of Allah; thus, it is not allowed to mess around with it and its possessions. All the Prophets venerated it due to the glorification of Allah of it.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee, Aboo Waa’il, the brother of Ibn Salamah informs that he sat on a chair inside the Ka’bah with Shaybah bin ‘Uthmaan bin Talhah, the guardian and the custodian of the Ka’bah. According to a narration in Sunan Ibn Maajah, it reads, “A man sent me with dirhams as a gift to the House. I entered the House and Shaybah was seated on a chair. I gave them to him. He asked, ‘Are these yours?’ I replied, ‘No. If they were mine, then I would not have brought them to you.’ He said, ‘Since you have stated this, ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab sat on the same sitting place where you are now on.’” He informed him that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) intended not to leave any yellow item or white item (gold and silver) but to distribute it among the people. He meant the treasure that it contained. It is what was gifted to it and what was above the necessity that was stored therein. In the period of ignorance, the people would gift the wealth to the Ka’bah due to its veneration, and this wealth would accumulate therein.
When Shaybah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that his two previous companions – the Prophet ﷺand Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) – did not do that while they saw the treasure of the Ka’bah and its status, although they were in more need of wealth [for distribution] than ‘Umar, yet they did not disturb it and neither did they distribute it among the poor. On this, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked, “They are two perfect persons from whose deeds I would not dissent, rather I would follow them instead.”
It was said that it is possible that the Prophet ﷺleft it there only in consideration with Quraysh just as he ﷺleft the reconstruction of the Ka’bah upon the foundations of Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him).” This position is corroborated by one report narrated in Saheeh Muslim from the hadeeth of ‘Aaishah concerning the rebuilding of the Ka’bah (on its original foundations), “I would have spent the treasure of the Ka’bah in the path of Allah.” Based on this, its expenditure [in the path of Allah] is permissible just as it was permissible for ‘Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuilding it upon the foundations of Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), since the cause of prohibition no longer exists. The Prophet’s statement, “in the path of Allah,” can mean to spend on the good cause for the welfare of the Muslims or the refurbishment of the Ka’bah itself.
From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning that we should imitate and empathise with the deeds of the Prophets and the righteous.
This hadeeth shows the following of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺand his footsteps in his deeds.
It also highlights that it is important to venerate the Ka’bah and all those things that are related to it..

1595

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I can envisage him as a bowlegged black person, dismantling it [the Ka’bah] brick by brick.”
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺwould foretell people about some events that will occur in the future and explains to them that trials and tribulations like the violation of the sanctities of sacred places will take place towards the end of time.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺtells us that among the events that will occur in the future is that the Ka’bah will be demolished at the hand of a bowlegged black person. This man will dismantle it brick by brick i.e., this is a description of the method of demolition to indicate that he will remove it completely while he has full power and authority to an extent that he will uproot its stones and will break it one after the other!
It is reported on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, “The Ka’bah will be ruined by a bowlegged man from the Abyssinians.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]. Then, the Prophet ﷺmentions that the House will be visited for pilgrimage after the advent of Gog and Magog and that Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) will perform Hajj and ‘Umrah after that. From the collection of all that it became known that the attack on the Ka’bah and its demolition will occur after the appearance of Gog and Magog and after the time of Jesus (peace be upon him), and that will happen in the end of times closer to the establishment of the Last Hour. And Allah knows best.
This hadeeth does not contradict with the ayah: {Have We not establish for them a haven [in Makkah].} (Quran 28:57) because it means that it will continue to be a haven for people until the approach of the Hour and ruination of the world, at a time when there will be not even be one Muslim on the face of earth. It is said that the story of the man with two thin legs is an exception or that Allah has made it a safe sanctuary given how it is often the case, because there were incidents where the sanctuary of Makkah was violated like the case of Ibn al-Zubayr and the story of al-Qaraamitah and the likes. It was said that the meaning of making it a safe sanctuary is in fact the command to ensure it is so i.e., it is incumbent upon the Muslims to grant safety to people and not to show aggression to anyone therein.
This hadeeth shows that the Prophet ﷺforetold us about some of the unseen matters that will happen in the future, which is considered among the signs of his prophethood ﷺ..

1597

Narrated ‘Aabis bin Rabee’ah that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Black Stone, he kissed it and then he stated. “Certainly, I am aware that you are just a stone, which does not harm or benefit. Had I not seen the Prophet (ﷺ) kissing you, then I would have not kissed you.”
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Commentary : The Black Stone is an object of reverence which Allah, Exalted be He, brought down from Paradise. The Prophet ﷺused to kiss it, hence, following his guidance we also kiss it, touch it, and point towards it, although, it is a stone that does not avert harm or bring forth benefit.
This hadeeth highlights the total submission of the Companions and the strength of their faith. The Taabi’ee. ‘Aabis bin Rabee’ah reports that ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab (ra) used to kiss the Black Stone, which is a rock set into the southeast corner of the Ka’bah, and it is embedded in a silver frame.
He (ra) did so because he saw the Prophet ﷺkissing it and had he not seen him doing so, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would not have kissed it, because he knew that it is just a rock that does not harm and benefit per se. The only benefit that one can obtain from kissing it is receiving reward through emulating the command of the Prophet ﷺand following the Sunnah of his kissing.That is because Allah has granted some stones virtues over the others, some pieces of lands over the others, and some nights and days over the others. The kissing of the Black Stone has been prescribed as a form of showing respect and veneration to its right and to observationally know who obeys the command and refrains from the prohibition. This is similar to the story of Satan when he was commanded to prostate to Adam (peace be upon him).
It was said: ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) only said that because they were very close in time to the idolatry, and he feared that the ignorant ones will think that touching the Black Stone is the same as what the Arabs used to do in the time of ignorance. He intended to teach them that it is only the exaltation of Allah and adherence to the command of the Prophet intended by the touching of the [Black] Stone and that it is part of the rites of Hajj.
From the benefits of this hadeeth: it contains a great rule about following the Prophet ﷺin all his actions, even if the wisdom therein remains unknown.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to kiss the Black Stone and it is prohibited to kiss any other stones and objects that we are not prescribed to kiss, and there is no mention of them in Islam.
It demonstrates the Sunnah through words and actions, and that it is compulsory on the ruler to hasten to clarify a matter and explain it when he fears about the corruption of someone’s creed due to a certain action..

1598

Narrated Saalim from his father: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the House as well as Usaamah bin Zayd, Bilaal, and ‘Uthmaan bin Talhah (ra). They closed the doors on themselves. When they opened the door, I was the first one to enter. I met Bilaal and asked him, “Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray inside it?” He replied, “Yes, between the two Yamaanee pillars.””.

Commentary : The Ka’bah is the ancient House of Allah that Muslims revere and respect. The Prophet ﷺprayed inside it during the year of the Conquest of Makkah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ, Usaamah bin Zayd, Bilaal, and ‘Uthmaan bin Talhah (may Allah be pleased with them) entered the Ka’bah and closed the door on themselves from inside. When they opened it, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) happened to be the first one to enter it. He asked Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him), “Did the Prophet ﷺperform prayers inside?” He replied, “Yes, he prayed between the two Yamaanee pillars that face towards Yemen.”
It is reported in another hadeeth that, “He ﷺmade one pillar to be on his left and the other pillar to be on his right and three behind him. The House in that time used to stand on six pillars, then he ﷺperformed his prayers.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]. The length between where he prayed and the Qiblah was three cubits, as it is mentioned in Sunan Aboo Daawood.
The scholars reconciliated between this hadeeth and the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree wherein the following is mentioned, “He entered the House and he pronounced takbeer in all its corners and he did not pray in it.” The confirmation of Bilaal takes precedence over the negation of others, because Ibn ‘Abbaas was not with the Prophet ﷺon that day. He attributed his negation to sometimes (narrating from) Usaamah and to sometimes to his brother al-Fadl. It is said that it is possible that the entrance [of the Prophet ﷺ] to the House happened twice, on one occasion he ﷺperformed prayers, while, on the other, he ﷺdid not pray.
From the benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning that it is permissible to enter the Ka’bah and performing prayers therein.
This hadeeth shows the passion and keenness to acquire knowledge and asking about it, and that it is permitted to ask someone who is of lower status while someone of a higher status is present and to find him sufficient.
It highlights the virtue of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) due to his profound eagerness to follow the footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ.
One can also learn from this hadeeth that a companion possessing great virtues would sometimes be absent from the Prophet ﷺduring some virtuous occasions, while someone of a lower rank than him would be present and would come to know what others had not learnt..

1599

Narrated Naafi’: Whenever Ibn ‘Umar (ra) entered the Ka’bah, he would proceed ahead keeping the door at his back on entering. He would walk until the distance between him and the wall in front of him would be three cubits. Then he would offer prayers at the place where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)had performed prayers, as Bilaal informed him. There is nothing for anyone to offer prayers in any one the corners of the House which he wishes.
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Commentary : Ibn ‘Umar (ra) was known for his profound love and eagerness to follow the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Naa’fi, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, reports that whenever ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (ra) entered the Ka’bah, he would walk straight ahead and would leave the door behind his back and would proceed until the distance between him and the wall in front of him is of about three cubits, which would give him enough space to pray with ease. He would look for the exact place where the Prophet ﷺprayed, which he came to know about from Bilaal (ra). Then he explained that there is nothing wrong for anyone to perform prayers anywhere inside the Ka’bah if the door is closed. It appears that this statement is made by Naafi’, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, whilst maintaining the possibility that it could be someone else’s statement.
It is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ “made one pillar to be on his left and the other pillar to be on his right and three behind him. The House in that time used to stand on six pillars, then he ﷺperformed his prayers.” The distance between him and the Qiblah was three cubits, as reported in Sunan Aboo Daawood.
The scholars reconciliated between this hadeeth and the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree wherein the following is mentioned, “He entered the House and he pronounced takbeer in all its corners and he did not pray in it.” The confirmation of Bilaal takes precedence over the negation of others, because Ibn ‘Abbaas was not with the Prophet ﷺon that day. He attributed his negation to sometimes (narrating from) Usaamah and to sometimes to his brother al-Fadl. It is said that it is possible that the entrance [of the Prophet ﷺ] to the House happened twice, on one occasion he ﷺperformed prayers, while, on the other, he ﷺdid not pray.
From the benefits to be concluded from this hadeeth is knowing that it is permissible to enter the Ka’bah and pray therein.
The hadeeth shows that whoever arrives first is more entitled to pray at the virtuous spot.
It also shows that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) learn and benefit from each other..

1600

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Abee Awfaa (ra): “The Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed ‘Umrah and did circumambulate round the Ka’bah and offered a two-units-prayer behind the Maqaam of Ibraaheem (the standing place of Ibraaheem) while some of his Companions covered him from people.” A person inquired from him, “Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺenter the Ka’bah? He replied, “No.”
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Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would eagerly observe all the acts of worship, dealings, and interactions of the Prophet ﷺ. As such, they ensured to closely observe how he performed the rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah so as to learn his Sunnah and thereafter to act upon it.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah bin Abee Awfaa (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺperformed his first ‘Umrah, a.k.a. ‘Umrah al-Qadaa’ in the seventh year of Hijrah, before the Conquest of Makkah. In this ‘Umrah, he performed the Tawaaf round the Ka’bah, offered a two-units prayer behind the Maqaam of Ibraaheem whilst some of his Companions veiled him from the front so that no person can cross in front of him while praying. A man asked him, “Did the Messenger of Allah really enter the Ka’bah in this ‘Umrah?” Ibn Abee Awfaa replied, “In this ‘Umrah the Prophet ﷺdid not enter it.”
Entrance into the Ka’bah is not among the rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah, however, who enters it, then that is good for him, whereas, who does not enter it, then there is nothing to blame him for. It is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺentered inside the Ka’bah when he conquered Makkah after removing all the idols and pictures which were placed inside and then he ﷺprayed inside of it. .

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 Ibn ‘Abbaas ra: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day of the conquest of Makkah, “Verily, Allah made this city sacred; its thorns will not to be cut, its game will not be repulsed, and the things dropped will be picked up only by one who makes a public announcement of it.”.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “Allah’s Messenger ﷺstated when he came to Makkah, “Our encampment tomorrow, Allah-willing, will be at Khayf Banee Kinaanah where they (the pagans) took an oath between themselves on disbelief.””
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Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The Ka’bah will be demolished by a man with thin legs from Abyssinia.”.

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I can envisage him as a bowlegged black person, dismantling it [the Ka’bah] brick by brick.”
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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.".

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas ra: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day of the conquest of Makkah, “Verily, Allah made this city sacred; its thorns will not to be cut, its game will not be repulsed, and the things dropped will be picked up only by one who makes a public announcement of it.”.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “Allah’s Messenger ﷺstated when he came to Makkah, “Our encampment tomorrow, Allah-willing, will be at Khayf Banee Kinaanah where they (the pagans) took an oath between themselves on disbelief.”” .

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The Ka’bah will be demolished by a man with thin legs from Abyssinia.”.

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I can envisage him as a bowlegged black person, dismantling it [the Ka’bah] brick by brick.” .

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.".

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “Allah’s Messenger ﷺstated when he came to Makkah, “Our encampment tomorrow, Allah-willing, will be at Khayf Banee Kinaanah where they (the pagans) took an oath between themselves on disbelief.””
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I can envisage him as a bowlegged black person, dismantling it [the Ka’bah] brick by brick.”
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