Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): I was menstruating when I reached Makkah; thus, I neither performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah nor the Tawaaf between al-Safaa and al-Marwah. I informed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it, and he replied, "Perform all the rites of Hajj like the other pilgrims, but do not perform Tawaaf round the Ka`bah till you get clean (from your menses)."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexplained the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah in words and action. The Companions (ras) transmitted all that to us, including the rulings related to women like menses.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah (raa), the Mother of the Believers, reports that she was menstruating during the Farewell Hajj, which occurred in the 10th year of Hijrah. For that reason, she refrained from performing Tawaaf round the Ka’bah and between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and did not perform ‘Umrah or Hajj just like the rest of people. She raised her issue to the Prophet ﷺwho ordered her to perform all the rites of Hajj like the other pilgrims, like standing on the mountain of ‘Arafaat, Muzdalifah and spending the night in Minaa) and to refrain from performing Tawaaf round the Ka`bah till she gets clean from your menses.
According to a narration in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, she (raa) said after completing Hajj, “O Messenger of Allah! All of you are returning with the Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only." So, the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (ra) to accompany her to Tan’eem and thus she performed the `Umrah after the Hajj.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about how Islam eases the rulings of Hajj for menstruating women and allowing her to delay the Tawaaf until she becomes clean..

1651

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions assumed Ihraam for Hajj and none except the Prophet ﷺand Talhah had the Hady (sacrificial animal) with them. `Alee arrived from Yemen and had his Hady with him. `Alee said, "I have assumed Ihraam for what the Prophet (ﷺ) has done." The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered his Companions to perform the `Umrah with the lhraam which they had assumed, and after finishing Tawaaf (of Ka`bah, al-Safaa and al-Marwah) to cut short their hair, and to finish their lhraam except those who had Hady with them. They (the people) said, "How can we proceed to Minaa (for Hajj) after having sexual relations with our wives?" When that news reached the Prophet (ﷺ), he said, "If I had formerly known what I came to know lately, I would not have brought the Hady with me. Had there been no Hady with me, I would have finished the state of lhraam." `Aaishah (raa) got her menses, so she performed all the ceremonies of Hajj except Tawaaf of the Ka`bah, and when she got clean (from her menses), she performed Tawaaf of the Ka`bah. She said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! (All of you) are returning with the Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only." So, the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (ra) to accompany her to Tan`eem and thus she performed the `Umrah after the Hajj..

Commentary : There are three ways for performing Hajj: (1) Tamattu’: It is when the pilgrim enters the state of Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, namely Shawwaal, Dhu al-Qa’dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah. And after completing the ‘Umrah, he exits his Ihraam and then enters the Ihraam again in the same year to perform Hajj. (2) Al-Qiraan: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform both ‘Umrah and Hajj together. (3) Al-Ifraad: It is when the pilgrim enters the Ihraam with the intention to perform Hajj only.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ib ‘Abdullah (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺand his Companions assumed Ihraam for Hajj in the Farewell Hajj, which was in the 10th year of Hijrah. None of them had Hady with him except the Prophet ﷺand Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah (ra). The Hady is the name of the animals that pilgrims bring along with them to slaughter in the Haram as sacrificial animals, which include camels, cows, sheep and goats.
At that time, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (ra) was in Yemen because the Prophet ﷺsent him to serve there as a judge and to collect the zakat. So, he travelled to Makkah to perform Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, and he brought with him Hady. He (ra) assumed Ihraam on his way to Makkah so the Prophet ﷺasked him about the intention of his Ihraam. His answer was that he assumed Ihraam with an intention as that of the Prophet ﷺ. It happened that the Prophet ﷺwas one of the pilgrims who had Hady with them; thus, he entered the Ihraam with the intention to perform ‘Umrah and Hajj together. The Prophet ﷺordered those who did not bring along Hady with them to exit Ihraam after completing the ‘Umrah and enter a new Ihraam for Hajj on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
This made some of the Companions (ras) feel uneasy that they exit Ihraam while the Prophet ﷺkeep his Ihraam, and they wondered how it is possible to exit Ihraam and then assume Ihraam for Hajj on the Day of Tarwiyah! Upon knowing this, the Prophet ﷺsaid to them: “Had there been no Hady with me, I would have finished the state of lhraam” i.e., If I came to know about this from the beginning, I would have not brought with me the Hady so I could exit Ihraam after ‘Umrah and then enter a new Ihraam for Hajj. By this, the Prophet ﷺexplained to them that if he did not have the Hady, he would have done the same.
Upon entering Makkah, ‘Aaishah (raa) menstruated, and so she followed the instructions of the Prophet ﷺto perform the rites of Hajj except the Tawaaf round the Ka’bah. And after she became clean from menses, she performed Tawaaf round the Ka’bah. However, as the Muslims are preparing to depart Makkah, she said to the Prophet ﷺ: “(All of you) are returning with the Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning after performing Hajj only” So, the Prophet ﷺordered her brother, `Abd al-Rahmaan bin Aboo Bakr (ra), to accompany her to Tan`eem, which is situated about 6 km from Makkah and the closest point to enter Ihraam for those who are in Makkah – although people may enter Ihraam from any of the designated places.
This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about how Islam eases the rulings of Hajj for menstruating women and allowing her to delay the Tawaaf until she becomes clean. And it shows the mercy and compassion of the Prophet ﷺtowards women and his kind treatment with them.
The hadeeth shows that if a person is in Makkah and wants to enter Ihraam, he should go to the point of Ihraam outside Makkah and enter Ihraam for ‘Umrah from there.
It also shows that a woman may not travel except with one of her Mahram men..

1652

Narrated Hafsah: 'We used to forbid the ‘Awaatiq (young women) to go out for the two `Eid prayers. A woman came and stayed at the palace of Banee Khalaf, and she narrated about her sister whose husband took part in twelve battles along with the Prophet (ﷺ) and her sister was with her husband in six (out of these twelve). She (the woman's sister) said, "We used to treat the wounded, look after the patients and once I asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'Is there any harm for any of us to stay at home if she does not have a veil?' He said, 'She should cover herself with the veil of her female companion and should participate in the good deeds and in the religious gathering of the Muslims.' When Umm `Atiyyah (raa) came, I asked her whether she had heard it from the Prophet (ﷺ). She replied, "Yes. May my father be sacrificed for him (the Prophet)! (Whenever she mentioned the Prophet (ﷺ) she used to say, 'May my father be sacrificed for him) I have heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'The ‘Awaatiq and the girls who stay often screened or the ‘Awaatiq who often stay screened and the menstruating women should come out and participate in the good deeds as well as the religious gathering of the believers but the menstruating women should keep away from the Musallaa (praying place).' " Hafsah (raa) asked Umm `Atiyyah surprisingly, "Do you say the menstruating women?" She replied, "Does not a menstruating woman attend `Arafaat (Hajj) and such and such (other deeds)?".

Commentary : Islam has honoured women and made them a natural partner to men. It has defined their rights and responsibilities, and the rulings pertaining to them like menses, post-partum blooding, seclusion with the opposite gender, attending public gatherings, and so on.
In this hadeeth, Hafsah bintSeereen mentions that they used to forbid young women from attending the two ‘Eid prayers. The Arabic word used in the narration to describe the young women is ‘Awaatiq (lit. freed). It means females who have just reached puberty but are not yet married and still live at their family’s house. The relevance of the name to their condition is that at such age she can depend on herself, and her parent no longer needs to serve her and fulfil her needs outside the house. Another possible meaning is that it refers to the young girl that is so loved by her parents. Hafsah further says that a woman came to al-Basrah and stayed at the palace of Banee Khalaf, the grandfather of Talhah al-Talhaat, and she narrated about her sister (i.e., Umm Atiyyah) whose husband took part in twelve battles along with the Prophet (ﷺ), and her sister was with her husband in six out of these twelve. Then she mentioned that her sister said that they used to treat the wounded, look after the patients. And one time, she asked the Prophet ﷺif it is sinful for a woman to stay at home, and does not attend these gatherings, because she does not have a veil to wear when she goes out. The Prophet ﷺtold her that in this case, she should borrow a veil from her friend to cover herself and participate in the good deeds and in the religious gathering of the Muslims like the ‘Eid prayer.
Hafsah then mentioned that people inquired from Umm ‘Atiyyah (raa) about the hadeeth she related so she confirmed that she heard it directly from the Prophet ﷺand said: “May my father be sacrificed for him” and added that he ﷺstated that let out the ‘Awaatiq (plural of ‘Aatiq) which is the young girl who reached puberty or is about to reach puberty or in an age suitable for marriage or the one who is highly valued by her parents or who is freed from fulfilling the needs of the family outside the house. It appears that they used to forbid these young girls from leaving the house because of the corruption that was present at their time. The Companions (ras) however held the view that the ruling that was practised during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺshould not change despite all that.
The Prophet ﷺordered that even unmarried virgin girls who stay in the house far from the eyes of people should go out to attend the ‘Eid prayer. The order to attend the religious gatherings of Muslims included menstruating women, but they have to keep away from the place where the ‘Eid prayer is established. Upon hearing this, Umm ‘Atiyyah was surprised that menstruating women should attend too! The Prophet ﷺexplained to her that she can and reminded that menstruating women attend ‘Arafaat and the other rites of Hajj.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning that menstruating women can attend all the rites of Hajj except Tawaaf.
The hadeeth shows that woman can treat the wounded, look after the patients in times of war.
It shows us that the Companions (ras) used to correct the misconceptions and mistakes of the Taab’ieen..

1653

Narrated ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’: I asked Anas ibn Maalik (ra), "Tell me what you remember from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (regarding these questions): Where did he offer the Thuhr and `Asr prayers on the day of Tarwiyah (8th day of Dhoo al- Hijjah)?" He replied: "He (ﷺ) offered these prayers at Minaa." I asked, "Where did he offer the `Asr prayer on the day of Nafr (i.e., departure from Mina on the 12th or 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah)?" He replied, "At Al- Abtah," and then added, "You should do as your chiefs do.".

Commentary : Hajj is an act of worship that cannot be sanctioned except on the basis of textual evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah to that effect. The Prophet ﷺclarified the rulings pertaining to Hajj and explained that which is allowed and that which is not, and which actions can be delayed or in advance, and what can be open and flexible. The Companions (ras) transmitted all that to the next generation who in their turn transmitted to the people after them and so on. They even offered advice to people about what to do when some rulers make changes to the time and place of certain actions, which are considered flexible in such sense.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’ reports that he asked Anas ibn Maalik (ra) to narrate to him from the Prophet ﷺsomething he understood and comprehended. He asked him about the place where the Prophet ﷺprayed Thuhr and ‘Asr on the 8th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, a.k.a. the Day of Tarwiyah which is named as such because pilgrims drink and take their water supplied on that day preparing for standing at ‘Arafah. Anas ibn Maalik (ra) replied that he ﷺoffered the prayers in Minaa, which is a valley surrounded by mountains, located in the east of Makkah between Makkah and ‘Arafah and is about 6 km from the Sacred Mosque. It is the place where the rite of throwing the stones in Hajj.
Then, he asked about the place where the Prophet ﷺprayed in the Day of Nafr, which is the day on which pilgrims return from Minaa to Makkah, which happens on the 3rd day of Tashreed. Anas ibn Maalik (ra) replied that he prayed in al-Abtah, alias al-Muhassib, a place that is known for its small pebbles, and is originally the valley of Makkah, in the south of the Haram, in front of the mountain of Thawr, which is a part of Minaa.
Then, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) ordered him to do like his rulers do and pray where they pray, which indicates that the rulers at that time did not pray Thuhr at a particular place and that it is an open matter so people can pray where they like and leave whenever they want. This also indicates that what he (ra) reported from the Prophet ﷺis not considered one of the rites of Hajj that pilgrims are obliged to do, and it is said that it is one of the rites.
The reason he (ra) ordered him not to oppose the rulers in order to avoid division and possible corruption..

1654

Narrated ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’: I went to Minaa on the Day of Tarwiyah, so I met Anas ibn Maalik (ra) mounting his donkey. I asked him about the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed Thuhr on this day. He said, look where your rulers pray and pray there for it is better..

Commentary : The Hajj is an act of worship that cannot be sanctioned except on the basis of textual evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah to that effect. The Prophet ﷺclarified the rulings pertaining to Hajj and explained that which is allowed and that which is not, and which actions can be delayed or in advance, and what can be open and flexible. The Companions (ras) transmitted all that to the next generation who in their turn transmitted to the people after them and so on. They even offered advice to people about what to do when some rulers make changes to the time and place of certain actions, which are considered flexible in such sense.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’ reports that he went to Minaa on the Day of Tarwiyah, which is the 8th of Thoo al-Hijjah. On his way to Minaa, he met Anas ibn Maalik (ra) riding his donkey and heading also to Minaa. He asked him about the place where the Prophet ﷺprayed on the 8th of Thoo al-Hijjah, so he answered him that he should pray where his rulers pray. His statement was to show that it is permissible to pray it anywhere and that it is an open matter so people can pray in any place that is more convenient to them. While it is better and more recommended to pray where the Prophet ﷺoffered the Thuhr and ‘Asr prayers, but he (ra) wanted to show that it is not obligatory..

1655

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered a two-units prayer at Minaa. Abu Bakr, `Umar, and `Uthmaan (ras), (during the early years of his caliphate) followed the same practice..

1656

Narrated Haaritha ibn Wahb al-Khuzaa’ee (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) led us in a two-units prayer at Minaa, although our number was more than ever and we were in better security than ever..

1657

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): I offered two units’ prayer with the Prophet ﷺ (at Minaa), and similarly with Aboo Bakr and with `Umar (ras), and then you differed in opinions. I wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four units accepted (by Allah)..

Commentary : The Hajj has its own rulings and some of which are so unique that it gives pilgrims concessions in certain acts of worship like shortening the prayer, and it lifts hardship by allowing certain rites to be shifted to perform them before other rites, and so on.
‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood (ra) reports that he was with the Prophet ﷺin the Farewell Hajj and that he prayed behind him in Minaa the four-units prayers, namely Thuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishaa. He (ra) adds that he ﷺshortened them and offered each one of them as a two units prayer. Minaa is a valley surrounded by mountains, located in the east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Mount of ‘Arafah, about 6 km away from the Sacred Mosque, and it is the site where the rite of throwing stones is performed. He continued to explain that he prayed behind Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (ras) and they did the same i.e., they shortened the four-units prayers.
His statement: "Then you differed in opinions" refers to what ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Afaan (ra) did in the second half of his ruling, when he stopped shortening the four-units prayers in Minaa.
It is said that ‘Uthmaan (ra) opted for offering the four-units prayers without shortening them because he decided to live in the Taaif. By this, he considered him a resident hence cannot benefit from the concession of shortening prayers as he held the view that the concession of shortening prayers in Minaa is only for the travelling pilgrims. It is also said that he did not take the concession and insisted on offering the four units prayers without shortening them for the public good i.e., at that time he noticed that the number of Muslims had dramatically increased after the large groups of people entering Islam and many of the pilgrims were new Muslims who did not know well the rulings and laws of Islam. He feared that the ignorant ones among them would think that the four units prayers consist of two units.
As for the statement of Ibn Mas’ood (ra) said: "Wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four units accepted (by Allah)", it is intended to mean that ‘Uthmaan (ra) should have shortened the prayer and followed the way of Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar (ras) because it agrees with the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. While Ibn Mas’ood, (ra) held the view that it is better to shorten the prayer, he held the view that it is permissible not offer the four units prayer without shortening it in Minaa. This is evident because he prayed behind ‘Uthmaan (ras) and if he held the view that shortening the prayer is obligatory, he would have refused to offer the four units prayer behind ‘Uthaman without shortening it.
From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning about the eagerness and insistence of the Companions (ras) to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
This hadeeth shows that little work that corresponds to the Sunnah is more likely to be accepted. .

1684

Narrated 'Amr ibn Maymoon: I saw `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) offering the Fajr prayer at Jam'; then he got up and said, "The polytheists did not use to depart (from Jam') till the sun had risen, and they used to say, 'Let the sun to shine on Thabeer (a mountain).' However, the Prophet ﷺ contradicted them and departed from Jam' before sunrise."
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Commentary : Opposing the polytheists is a religious requirement, which the Prophet ﷺused to emphasize and encourage. All the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) followed his guidance concerning that.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi'ee, 'Amr ibn Maymoon, reports that he witnessed 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was in Hajj offering the Fajr prayer at al-Muzdalifah. Al-Muzdalifah is the name for a place where the pilgrims encamp for the night after departing from 'Arafaat and spend the night of the tenth of Thoo al-Hijjah there. The site contains the al-Mash'ar al-Haraam, and it is about 12 km away from 'Arafah and is next to the monument of Minaa. Al-Muzdalifah is also known as Jam' (combining) because two prayers, Maghrib and 'Ishaa, are combined therein. It is said that it has been given that name due to the action of its [temporary] residents because they congregate therein and they "Yazdalifoon" (get closer) to their Lord; meaning, they draw closer to Him by remaining therein [for His sake]. It was also said that the reason to name it as thus was something else.
Then, 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified to the people that the polytheists did not use to march out of al-Muzalifah to Minaa until the sunrise and they would utter, "Brighten up, Thabeer!" Thabeer is a mountain in al-Muzdalifah toward the left of the path going to Minaa and towards the right path going to 'Arafaat. The meaning of this utterance: Let the sun rise upon you, O Thabeer! So that we can pour out from Muzdalifah to Minaa. Thus, the Prophet ﷺopposed them concerning this practice and he departed from 'Arafaat when the morning had tuned golden and the daylight had appeared, however, before the sunrise.
This hadeeth denotes the time to move out of Muzdalifah and march on to Minaa which is during the golden hour of the morning [before the sunrise]..

1685

Narrated Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ made Al-Fadl ride behind him, and Al-Fadl informed that he ﷺ kept on reciting Talbiyah till he did the rite of throwing of the pebbles.
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Commentary : Reciting the 'Talbiyah' is among the manifested rites of Hajj, which should be pronounced loudly as a demonstration of such a significant rite. It contains the announcement of Tawheed being reserved for Allah Only, the Mighty and Majestic. And when a Muslim recites it, then the plants and unanimated objects would recite it along with him.
In this hadeeth, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet ﷺmade al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbaas ride behind him on the same animal. This happened after he had offered the Fajr prayer at Muzdalifah on the morning of the Day of Sacrifice (The Day of Nahr), the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. He remained there until the morning turned golden, before the sunrise, then he mounted his ride heading towards Minaa. Al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that the Messenger ﷺkept on reciting Labbayka until he performed the stoning rite of Jamarah al-‘Aqabah, this is a big stone pillar in the western side of Minaa adjacent to Makkah. The wording of the Talbiyah is: Labbayka, Allahumma Labbayka. Labbayka Laa Shareeka Laka Labbayka. Innal Hamda wan Ni’matah Laka wal Mulk. Laa Shareek Lak. [At Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service. I am at Your service, You have no partner, I am at Your service. Verily, all praises and bounties belong to You and also the dominion, You have no partner]. The pronouncement of the Talbiyah starts from the time of adorning [and making intention of] the Ihraam.
This hadeeth demonstrates the humbleness of the Prophet ﷺ and shows that it is permissible for two people to mount an animal at the same time if it is able to take that load..

1688

Narrated Aboo Jamrah: I asked Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about Hajj-at-Tamattu`. He ordered me to perform it. I asked him about the Hady (sacrificial animal of pilgrims). He said, "You have to slaughter a camel, a cow or a sheep, or you may share the Hady with the others." It seemed that some people disliked it (Hajj-at-Tamattu`). I slept and dreamt as if a person was announcing: "Hajj Mabroor and accepted Mut'ah (Hajj-at-Tamattu`)." I went to Ibn `Abbaas and narrated it to him. He said, "Allah is Greater. (That was) the tradition of Aboo Al-Qaasim (i.e.the Prophetﷺ).
According to another narration the call in the dream was. "An accepted `Umrah and Hajj-Mabroor."
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1689

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw a man driving his Badanah (sacrificial camel). He said, "Ride on it." The man said, "It is a Badanah." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Ride on it." He (the man) said, "It is a Badanah." The Prophet said, "Ride on it." Furthermore, on the second or the third time he (the Prophet ﷺ ) added, "Woe to you."
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Commentary : Allah Almighty sent His Prophet, Muhammad ﷺas a mercy for the world and made adherence to his commands and refraining from all that which he prohibited a means of salvation in this world and the hereafter. His method was to make the acts of worship and people's lives easy to handle.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaw a man walking on his feet and he was driving a "badanah" which he took to the Sacred House in order to sacrifice and get closer thereby to Allah. A Badanah is an animal, especially from the camels. It was said: "Budun" [plural of badanah] can be used for both the camels and cows. The Messenger of Allah ﷺordered him to ride it so he can rest from the tiredness he got from the hardship of walking. The man informed him that the animal was a badanah that he had driven to the Ka'bah and to express that he should not ride it. However, the Prophet ﷺtold him the second or the third time, "Ride on it, woe unto you! The real meaning of the Arabic word Wayl (lit. Woe] severe punishment; however, that is not what is meant here. The Prophet ﷺintended to be verbally harsh on him so that he rides it.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to ride the Hady, and it encourages us to hasten to uphold the commandments of Allah and His Messenger, and it contains a reprimand and rebuke against the one who does not hasten towards adhering them..

1691

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): During the last Hajj of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, he performed `Umrah and Hajj together in one Ihraam [Hajj al-Tamattu']. He ﷺdrove his Hady along with him from Thoo al-Hulayfah. Allah's Messenger ﷺ started by assuming Ihraam for `Umrah and then for Hajj. And the people, too, performed the `Umrah and then Hajj along with the Prophet ﷺ. Some of them brought the Hady and drove it along with them, while the others did not. So, when the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Makkah, he said to the people, "Whoever among you has driven the Hady, should not finish his Ihraam till he completes his Hajj. And whoever among you has not (driven) the Hady with him, should perform Tawaaf of the Ka'bah and the Tawaaf between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah, then cut short his hair and finish his Ihraam. And he should later assume Ihraam for Hajj, but he must offer a Hady (sacrifice); if anyone cannot afford a Hady, he should fast for three days during the Hajj and seven days when he returns home. The Prophet ﷺ performed Tawaaf of the Ka'bah on his arrival (at Makkah); he touched the (Black Stone) corner first of all, and then walked with a high pace during the first three rounds of Tawaaf around the Ka'bah, and during the last four rounds, he walked with normal pace. After finishing Tawaaf around the Ka'bah, he offered a two units prayer at the Maqaam of Ibraaheem, and after finishing the prayer he went to Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah and walked seven rounds between them and did not do any deed forbidden because of Ihraam, till he finished all the ceremonies of his Hajj and sacrificed his Hady on the Day of Nahr (10th day of Thoo al-Hijjah). He then hastened onwards (to Makkah) and performed Tawaaf of the Ka'bah and then everything that was forbidden because of Ihraam became permissible. Those who took and drove the Hady with them did the same as Allah's Messenger ﷺ.
Narrated 'Urwah: 'Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told him that the Prophet ﷺ did Hajj al-Tamattu' and so did the people who were with him too, just like the narration that Saalim reported from Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet ﷺ.
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar among the pillars of Islam, and the Prophet ﷺhas explained all the rites and rituals of Hajj both verbally and practically. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us as they learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) relates a part of the guidance of the Prophet ﷺin the Farewell Hajj, which happened in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He explains that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed Hajj al-Tamattu' during the Farewell Hajj by incorporating the 'Umrah into the Hajj, while it is well known that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed Hajj al-Qiraan, that is, that he combined the Hajj and 'Umrah within one Ihraam. Thus, based on that, the word Tamattu' used here is the linguistic meaning of Tamattu'. The meaning of it is that the Prophet ﷺinitially entered the Ihraam for Hajj only but afterwards, he intended to perform 'Umrah too; thus, he ﷺbecame the performer of the Qiraan-type of Hajj. The Qiraan in this case entails the linguistic meaning of Tamattu' (i.e. enjoying benefit) and the technical meaning in religion because he is incorporating 'Umrah into the actions of Hajj in the sense that he enjoyed the unison of the Meeqaat [the boundary from which the Ihraam is adorned for pilgrimage], Ihraam and rituals. This explicitly indicates that the Prophet ﷺwas a Qaarin and that the meaning of Tamattu' in this context is Qiraan. The proof on this is his statement: "Anyone among you who has driven the sacrificial animal, then he is not allowed to do anything that has been prohibited for him [due to being in the state of Ihraam] until he completes his Hajj,". He ﷺsaid it while he ﷺwas among those who had driven the sacrificial animals to the Haram of Makkah.
Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Prophet ﷺdrove with him the Hady – a name given to the animal that is presented and sacrificed at the Haram of Makkah among the camels, cows, sheep and goats – from Thoo al-Hulayfah. Altogether, there were sixty-four sacrificial animals. Thoo al-Hulayfah is the boundary [Meeqaat] of the people of Al-Madeenah and also those outsiders who are in transit therefrom. Now, the place is known as Aabaar' Alee, a well-known location right at the onset of the road of Al-Madeenah that takes one to Makkah. The distance between it and Al-Madeenah is about 13 km and between it and Makkah is approximately 408 km, and it is the farthest of all the boundaries from Makkah.
The statement of Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), "Allah’s Messenger ﷺ started by assuming Ihraam for `Umrah and then for Hajj” is understood to mean reciting Talbiyah during the Ihraam. It is reported on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “Labbayka for the ‘Umrah and Hajj.” [Saheeh Muslim]. This however does not mean that he assumed the Ihraam for ‘Umrah first, then he entered the Ihraam for ‘Umrah later.
His statement, “And the people, too, performed the `Umrah and then Hajj along with the Prophet ﷺ” means, later on, many or most of them had assumed the state of Ihraam for Hajj only at first, then they changed that intention by intending the ‘Umrah instead and then assumed Ihraam separately for Hajj. These people were the pilgrims who did not drive Hady along with them.
Hence, when the Prophet ﷺentered Makkah, he ﷺproclaimed to the people that whoever among them has driven the sacrificial animal with him, then he cannot enjoy any part of what is prohibited for him among the sanctions of Ihraam, thus, he remains in his full Ihraam until he completes his Hajj. That is due to the Statement of Allah, {Do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal reaches its destination of slaughter.} [Al-Baqarah, 2:196]. As for those who have not driven the sacrificial animal, they need to perform Tawaaf as part of the rites of the ‘Umrah and perform the ritual walking between the Safaa and al-Marwah and then cut their hair short to exit from the Ihraam thereby. Thereupon, it will be permissible for them to do whatever was previously prohibited in the state of Ihraam, such as using fragrances, wearing normal clothes [for men], intimately approaching wives, hunting and so on. The Prophet ﷺordered them to shorten their hair rather than to shave it all off, whereas, shaving the head is better, so that some hair is left to shave it all off when exiting their Ihraam for the Hajj.
The Prophet’s statement, “and should later assume Ihraam for Hajj” means that they should assume Ihraam for Hajj on the Day of Quenching Thirst on the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. It does not mean that they should assume Ihraam for Hajj straight after exiting the Ihraam of ‘Umrah.
As for the one who does not find a sacrificial animal, or its value or its value has increased above the value of the similar animal or that its owner does not want to sell it, then in that instance, let him fast for three days in the Hajj after assuming its Ihraam and for seven days after returning to his family in his city or to the place where he resides.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed the Tawaaf when he came to Makkah, known as the Circumambulation of Arrival (Tawaaf al-Qudoom) and performed the Istilaam of the Rukn right in the beginning, that is, the Black Stone. Istilaam means to touch the stone and kiss it. That happened straight as he arrived before doing anything else. Then, he ﷺwalked fast and hastened in the first three rounds and walked normally in the last four rounds of Tawaaf. After completing the Tawaaf, he ﷺoffered a two-units prayer at the standing place (Maqaam) of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). After completing the prayer, he moved from his place and headed to perform the ritual walking between the Safaa and al-Marwah seven times, starting his first circuit from the Safaa and finishing at the Marwah. The second circuit is the opposite of the first one, which goes from the Marwah to the Safaa. The third circuit is like the first one, and thus until the circuit is complete during the seventh circuit.
The Prophet ﷺremained in the state of Ihraam until he completed his Hajj. He sacrificed the animal on the day of ‘Eid, and he performed the Tawaaf of Ifaadah, that is because he drove the sacrificial animal with him; otherwise, he ﷺwould have exited from the Ihraam of ‘Umrah just as he ordered his Companions to do. Everyone who drove their sacrificial animals did exactly as the Prophet ﷺdid, i.e. they did not temporarily cancel their Ihraam of Hajj by completing the ‘Umrah and then wait to Hajj time. As a result, the Prophet ﷺalongside some other people performed Qiraan, while the other group performed Tamattu’ instead.
One of the benefits of this hadeeth as well is that it reveals the legality of performing Hajj in the forms of either Qiraan or Tamattu’ and intending Tamattu’ for the one who has performed Hajj in the Qiraan form or Ifraad form.
It also reveals the legality of walking fast in the three first circuits of the Tawaaf aaround the Ka’bah..

1694

Narrated al-Maysoor ibn Makhramah and Marwaan: The Prophet ﷺ set out from Al-Madeenah with over one thousand of his Companions (at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah) and when they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah, the Prophet ﷺ garlanded his Hady and marked it and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexplained the rulings pertaining to Hajj and ‘Umrah and their recommended acts and etiquettes both verbally and practically. And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted all that they heard and witnessed from him ﷺconcerning this.
In this hadeeth, al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Taabi’ee, Marwaan ibn al-Hakam report that the Prophet ﷺleft Al-Madeenah during the year of al-Hudaibiyyah – the sixth year of the Hijrah – intending to perform ‘Umrah and not to fight. He ﷺwas accompanied by over ten hundred [, i.e. over a thousand] of his Companions. The Arabic word Bid’ used in the hadeeth to indicate their number encompasses the number from three to nine. [Hence, here, the word Bid’ (over) could mean anywhere between thirteen hundred to nineteen hundred]. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him)mentioned that they were a thousand and three hundred (thirteen hundred) in number; and the other time, he stated that they were fourteen hundred; and again, the third time, he stated that they were fifteen hundred [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]. When they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah - now, it is known as Aabaar ‘Alee, a well-known location right at the onset of the road of Al-Madeenah that takes one to Makkah. The distance between it and Al-Madeenah is about 13 km and between it and Makkah is approximately 408 km, it is the farthest of all the boundaries from Makkah. It is the boundary [Meeqaat] of the people of Al-Madeenah and those who go for Hajj or ‘Umrah and pass by Al-Madeenah. The Prophet ﷺgarlanded the sacrificial animal and marked it [for identification]. The Arabic root word Taqleed [used in the hadeeth]: means to place garlands on the necks of the sacrificial animals so they are identified from others. Those garlands could be made from [a strip of] leather or socks and so on. The Arabic word Ish’aar [also used in the hadeeth]: means that the hump [or the back] of the big animal is slightly stabbed with a knife or any other [sharp] object until its blood flows. The benefit of performing Ish’aar: is to notify that it has now become a sacrificial animal, thus the poor who need it [its meat] may follow it and if it is intermixed with other animals, it can be distinguished or if it is lost, it can be located and besides this. It also indicates the veneration of the religious rites and encouragement to others to adopt them.
On this occasion, the Prophet ﷺhad assumed the Ihraam for ‘Umrah, however, the polytheists prevented him from performing it. Then, the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah took place and the Prophet ﷺsettled this ‘Umrah of his in the following year (the seventh year of the Hijrah), hence, it was named as ‘Umrah al-Qadaa’. In Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that “The Prophet ﷺwas blockaded [from advancing further], hence he shaved his head, had sexual intercourse with his wives, sacrificed the sacrificial animals, and then he performed the ‘Umrah in the following year.”
This hadeeth highlights the legality of garlanding the sacrificial animals and marking them, for the purpose of identification.
It shows that it is permissible to assume Ihraam for the ‘Umrah alone..

1700

Narrated `Amrah bint `Abd al-Rahmaan had told him, “Ziaad ibn Aboo Sufyaan wrote to `’Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that `Abdullah ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) had stated, ‘Whoever drives Hady (to the Ka’bah), all the things which are illegal for a (pilgrim) become illegal for that person till he slaughters it (i.e. till the 10th of Thoo al-Hijjah).’ “`Amrah added, `’Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) commented, ‘It is not like what Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) had said: I twisted the garlands of the Hady of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ with my own hands. Then Allah’s Messenger ﷺ put them around their necks with his own hands, sending them with my father; yet nothing permitted by Allah was considered illegal for Allah’s Messenger till he slaughtered the Hady.’“
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Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the guidance of the Prophet ﷺin all his statements and actions. Some of them would correct others concerning that.
In this hadeeth, ‘Amrah bint ‘Abdur al-Rahmaan reports that Ziyaad ibn Abee Sufyaan, a.k.a. Ziyaad ibn Abeeh wrote to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) advocates that if a person drives the sacrificial animal, be it from the camels, cows, sheep and goats, to the Sacred house, in order for them to be sacrificed in the Hajj, without him assuming the Ihraam for Hajj and travelling for such purpose; then, all that is prohibited for the pilgrim will be prohibited for him too. With that said, such a person should not wear perfume, have intercourse with his wives, or do other things among the prohibited things of Ihraam. He must remain in that state until his sacrificial animal is slaughtered. However, when the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) heard of the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), she responded to this fatwa stating that it contravened what the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid. She explained that she used to make the garlands – collars – which were placed aaround the necks of the sacrificial animals of the Prophet ﷺwhich he would send forth, while he was not intending Hajj or assuming the Ihraam for Hajj. The Prophet ﷺwould place the garlands on the sacrificial animals with his noble hands, and then send them with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Hajj in the year nine of the Hijrah when the latter performed the Hajj with the people. On the other hand, the Prophet ﷺremained at home and did not commit to the obligations that are imposed upon the person who is in the state of Ihraam and enjoyed all that which is allowed for other besides the one who enters into the state of Ihraam either for the Hajj or ‘Umrah.
This hadeeth shows the legality of sending the sacrificial animals to the Sacred Mosque by the person who has not gone there to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah.
It shows that a high-status person should serve himself by himself, even if there are others who will take care of his needs.
It illustrates the reality of some scholars correcting and responding to other scholars [with proofs]..

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 ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’: I went to Minaa on the Day of Tarwiyah, so I met Anas ibn Maalik (ra) mounting his donkey. I asked him about the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed Thuhr on this day. He said, look where your rulers pray and pray there for it is better..

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered a two-units prayer at Minaa. Abu Bakr, `Umar, and `Uthmaan (ras), (during the early years of his caliphate) followed the same practice..

Narrated Haaritha ibn Wahb al-Khuzaa’ee (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) led us in a two-units prayer at Minaa, although our number was more than ever and we were in better security than ever..

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): I offered two units’ prayer with the Prophet ﷺ (at Minaa), and similarly with Aboo Bakr and with `Umar (ras), and then you differed in opinions. I wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four units accepted (by Allah)..

Narrated Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ made Al-Fadl ride behind him, and Al-Fadl informed that he ﷺ kept on reciting Talbiyah till he did the rite of throwing of the pebbles.
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Narrated al-Maysoor ibn Makhramah and Marwaan: The Prophet ﷺ set out from Al-Madeenah with over one thousand of his Companions (at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah) and when they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah, the Prophet ﷺ garlanded his Hady and marked it and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah.
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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 ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Rufay’: I went to Minaa on the Day of Tarwiyah, so I met Anas ibn Maalik (ra) mounting his donkey. I asked him about the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed Thuhr on this day. He said, look where your rulers pray and pray there for it is better..

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered a two-units prayer at Minaa. Abu Bakr, `Umar, and `Uthmaan (ras), (during the early years of his caliphate) followed the same practice..

Narrated Haaritha ibn Wahb al-Khuzaa’ee (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) led us in a two-units prayer at Minaa, although our number was more than ever and we were in better security than ever..

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): I offered two units’ prayer with the Prophet ﷺ (at Minaa), and similarly with Aboo Bakr and with `Umar (ras), and then you differed in opinions. I wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four units accepted (by Allah)..

Narrated Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ made Al-Fadl ride behind him, and Al-Fadl informed that he ﷺ kept on reciting Talbiyah till he did the rite of throwing of the pebbles. .

Narrated al-Maysoor ibn Makhramah and Marwaan: The Prophet ﷺ set out from Al-Madeenah with over one thousand of his Companions (at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah) and when they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah, the Prophet ﷺ garlanded his Hady and marked it and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah. .

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 Ibn' Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺ made Al-Fadl ride behind him, and Al-Fadl informed that he ﷺ kept on reciting Talbiyah till he did the rite of throwing of the pebbles.
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Narrated al-Maysoor ibn Makhramah and Marwaan: The Prophet ﷺ set out from Al-Madeenah with over one thousand of his Companions (at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah) and when they reached Thoo al-Hulayfah, the Prophet ﷺ garlanded his Hady and marked it and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah.
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