logo

| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
1730
Narrated Mu’aawiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him): I cut short the hair of Allah's Messenger ﷺ with a sharp-edged arrow..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas clarified the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah with his sayings and doings, and thereafter, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them in full detail, to the point that people are clearly aware of their worship.
In this hadeeth, Mu’aawiyah ibn Aboo Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he shortened the hair of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.Perhaps, that may be during his exiting the Ihraam of the ‘Umrah of al-Ji’irraanah, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed it when he conquered Makkah. It was called with that name because the Prophet ﷺentered Makkah at night and he performed the rites of ‘Umrah. Then, he left it at night and spent the night at al-Ji’irraanah, until he witnessed the morning there and until the sun of the next day inclined. Then, he ﷺheaded to Al-Madeenah. This happened in the eighth year of the Hijrah. He shortened his hair using Mishqas (sharp-edged arrow), which is the long and tall part of an arrow. This shows us that it is permissible to suffice with shortening the hair, even when shaving the head is better, which is applicable to both the Hajji and the ‘Umrah. Except that it is better for the one performing the Tamattu’-kind of Hajj to shorten the hair for the ‘Umrah and to shave it completely for the Hajj, so that shaving the head happens in the most perfect act of both acts of worship. 
Shaving the head is prescribed only for men while women are ordered to cut from their hair, so they exit their Ihraam. The acts of shaving and cutting the hair are from the rites of Hajj with which the pilgrim exits his Ihraam. It takes place after throwing the Jamrah of ‘Aqabah, after slaughtering his Hady, if he had it, and before the Tawaaf of Ifaadah. It takes place in ‘Umrah after completing the ritual walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah.
This hadeeth highlights the legality of shortening the hair when exiting from the rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah..

1731
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): When the Prophet ﷺ came to Makkah, he ordered his Companions to perform Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah, to finish their Ihraam and get their hair shaved off or cut short.
.

Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺexplained its rituals with his words and actions, and the honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that when the Prophet ﷺarrived at Makkah with the intention to perform the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah, he commanded his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who did not bring the sacrificial animals with them to Makkah from outside the boundaries (Meeqaat) or from their own hometowns – just as what the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid – to perform the rites of ‘Umrah. He ﷺordered them to perform seven rounds of Tawaaf aaround the Ka’bah, do the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and then either get their heads shaved or shorten their hair. Thereby, they can exit from their Ihraam and wait until it is the time of Hajj [known as the Tamattu’-form of Hajj]. So, on the Day of Tarwiyah, they should assume the Ihraam for Hajj from their respective places and perform the rites of Hajj. The best option for one performing Tamattu’ is to shorten his hair to exit the Ihraam for ‘Umrah and to shave his head to exit his Ihraam for Hajj, in order to allow shaving the head to happen in the most complete act of the two acts of worship.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺdid not perform this kind of Hajj, rather he performed the Qiraan-kind of Hajj by inserting the ‘Umrah into the Hajj. This was by performing the Tawaaf of the House on his first arrival and performing the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah. He remained in his Ihraam until he slaughtered the sacrificial animals after completing his Hajj. That is because he took the sacrificial animals along with him from Thoo al-Hulayfah.
This hadeeth shows that pilgrims who do not bring along with them Hady are prescribed to perform Hajj al-Tamattu’..

1732
Narrated Nafi' that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed only one Tawaaf. He would take an afternoon nap and then return to Mina. That was on the day of Nahr (slaughtering)..

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth Naafi’, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar reports that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to perform Tawaaf once, that is, Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. It is also known as Tawaaf al-Ziyaarah (Tawaaf of Visit) because the pilgrim comes from Minaa to visit the Sacred House and he does not reside in Makkah. Instead, he returns to spend the night at Minaa – on the Day of Sacrifice (Day of Nahr), the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah, then he has a siesta in Makkah. The siesta here means to have some rest during the midday, even if is not accompanied by sleep. Then, he again returns to Minaa at the time of Thuhr, because the daylight hours were long. Minaa is a valley near the Sanctuary of Makkah wherein the pilgrims halt to spend the night there on the Day of Tarwiyah and the days of Tashreeq and perform the rite of throwing the pebbles.
It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺleft [for Makkah] on the Day of Sacrifice and then he returned and performed Thuhr at Minaa. [Saheeh Muslim]. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would wait through having a siesta for the time in which the Prophet ﷺreturned to Minaa. That was because ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to follow the Prophet ﷺin all his actions both on journeys and at home.
This hadeeth highlights the legality of performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice during the daytime..

1733
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): We performed Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ and performed Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah on the Day of Nahr (slaughtering). Safiyyah got her menses and the Prophet ﷺdesired from her what a husband desires from his wife. I said to him, "O Allah's Messenger! She is having her menses." He said, " Is she going to stop us [from travelling]?" We informed him that she had performed Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah on the Day of Nahr. He said, "(Then you can) depart."
.

Commentary : Tawaaf al-Ifaadah is a pillar among the pillars of Islam and being pure is a precondition for the validity of Tawaaf.  When a woman menstruates before performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah, then she should not leave until she has attained purity, thereafter, she should perform Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. This is different from Tawaaf al-Widaa’ (the Farewell Tawaaf), which drops from her, just as this hadeeth clarifies.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of Believers ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) performed the Farewell Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, they performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice, that is on the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. Then, the Mother of the Believers, Safiyyah bint Huyayy (may Allah be pleased with her) menstruated after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. The Prophet ﷺdesired from her what a husband desires from his wife. This is an allusion to the intention of performing sexual intercourse. This happened when his wives sought permission from him concerning the performance of Tawaaf al-Ifaadah and he ﷺhad given them the permission. He thought that she had already performed the Tawaaf with them and had exited the second time, which makes it permissible thereafter for a man to come to his wife. When he was told that she was menstruating, he thought that she might have started menstruating before that to the extent that he refused her to perform Tawaaf al-Ifaadah in that account. Hence, the Prophet ﷺinquired concerning that saying, “Is she going to stop us [from travelling]?” Meaning: Are we going to be forced to stay behind until she attains the purity and performs Tawaaf al-Ifaadah? He was told, “Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) has already performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah,” or that ‘Aaishah notified him that she had already performed the Tawaaf with them. When he came to know about that, the concern that he had of staying behind and waiting until she attains purity and performs Tawaaf al-Ifaadah ceased to exist. He ﷺthen permitted them to travel and allowed Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) to forgo Tawaaf al-Wadaa’..

1737
Narrated ‘Issaa ibn Talhah: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr in al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he witnessed the Prophet ﷺ when he was delivering the sermon on the Day of Nahr. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: A man stood up and said, "I thought that such and such was to be done before such and such. I got my hair shaved before slaughtering." (Another said), "I slaughtered the Hady before throwing the pebbles." The people asked about many similar things, and the Prophet ﷺ responded to them by saying, "Do it (now) and there is no harm in all these cases." Whenever the Prophet ﷺ was asked about anything on that day, he replied, "Do it and there is no burden upon you."
.

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the Farewell Pilgrimage, and they learned the rituals of Hajj directly from him ﷺ, as prescribed by his words and actions. They ensured to ask him ﷺabout all that they did not know and request clarification on whatever they found problematic.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he was with the Prophet ﷺand saw him on the Farewell Hajj in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He explained that the Prophet ﷺstood delivering the sermon on his she-camel at Jamrah in Minaa after the midday of the Day of Sacrifice. So, the pilgrims approached him asking him about the rulings of certain things that they needed to know regarding the actions and rites of Hajj. Some people asked him about the ruling of bringing forward some of the acts of Hajj on this day before others. One man asked him about his situation where he was unmindful and forgot, hence, ended up going against the chronological order of the rites. So, he shaved his head, before slaughtering. Another person inquired about his case as he slaughtered the sacrificial animal before throwing the pebbles at Jamarah al-‘Aqabah. The Prophet ﷺresponded to both of them by saying, “Do it and there is no burden upon you,” meaning: there is no sin or penalty upon you. On that day, he ﷺwas not asked about anything that was brought forward whereas it should have been delayed or anything that was delayed while it should have been brought forward among the rites of that day, but he replied to the inquirer saying:  Do it and it is sufficient what you have already done and there is no problem for you in bringing it forward or delaying it.
This hadeeth shows that one should ask a scholar in all his conditions, even if he is busy, riding, walking, or standing.
It highlights the easement of Islamic law concerning the order and arrangement of the acts of Hajj on the Day of Sacrifice.
It teaches us that a Muslim should learn the rulings of his religion by asking the people of knowledge, and he should not do an action unless he is aware of its ruling..

1746
Narrated Wabarah: I asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), "When should I throw the pebbles?" He replied, "When your leader does that." I asked him again the same question. He replied, "We used to wait till the sun declined and then we would do the rite of throwing pebbles.
.

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Wabarah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Misally reports that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the time for the stoning of the pebbles during the days of Tashreeq, namely the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah. The pilgrim should start with the First Jamrah, the Second Jamrah, and then the Jamrah of al-‘Aqabah. His answer was that one should do it when the leader of Hajj starts throwing the pebbles. That was because he feared that people would oppose him and that would lead to a fitnah, although the matter is open and flexible. It is possible that he feared upon him that if he opposed the leader, then he would be subjected to harm from him. When he repeated the inquiry upon him, then it was not possible for him to conceal, he informed him of what they used to do in the night of the Prophet ﷺ. He informed him that they would lie in wait and wait for the midday and start stoning after the midday, that is, when the sun inclines from the zenith, which is the time for the Thuhr prayer.
This hadeeth emphasises the obedience of the leaders in those matters that do not contain the disobedience of Allah.
It teaches us to repeat the question to the scholar when he has not addressed the question, and that doing so is not considered being impolite..

1750
Narrated al-A’mash: I heard Al-Hajjaaj saying on the pulpit, "The Surah in which Al-Baqarah (the cow) is mentioned and the Surah in which the family of `Imran is mentioned and the Sura in which the women (An-Nisaa) is mentioned." I mentioned this to Ibraaheem, and he said, `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed told me, 'I was with Ibn Mas`ood, when he did the throwing of Jamrah al-‘Aqabah. He went down the middle of the valley, and when he came near the tree (which was near the Jamrah) he stood opposite to it and threw seven small pebbles and said: 'Allahu-Akbar' on throwing every pebble.' Then he said, 'By Him, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped, here (at this place) stood the one on whom Sura al-Baqarah was revealed (i.e. Allah's Messenger ﷺ).'"
.

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Taab’iee al-A’mash, Sulaymaan ibn Mihraan reports that he heard al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf al-Thaqafee, the governor of Iraq during the Umayyad period, saying on the pulpit, “The Surah wherein al-Baqarah [the Cow] is mentioned, the Surah wherein Aal ‘Imraan is mentioned and the Surah in which an-Nisaa’ [the women] are mentioned.” He did not say Surah al-Baqarah [the Surah of the Cow], Surah Aaal ‘Imraan and Surah al-Nisaa’ [the Surah of the Women]. In a narration recorded by al-Nasaaee, it reads, “I heard al-Hajjaaj say, ‘Do not say Surah al-Baqarah, say instead, the Surah wherein al-Baqarah is mentioned.”
Al-A’mash mentioned what he had heard from al-Hajjaaj to Ibraaheem an-Nakha’i to clarify the correct. Al-A’mash did not mean to narrate from al-Hajjaaj.  He was not meant to do that, but he wanted to tell the story instead and to clarify the mistake of al-Hajjaaj concerning it with what is established from the person who is referred to regarding it. Ibraaheem narrated to him that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed told him that he had performed Hajj with ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) and he was with him when he pelted Jamarah al-‘Aqabah on the Day of Sacrifice, which is on the tenth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. This is the biggest Jamarah and it is situated in the last part of Minaa in the direction of Makkah. It is not an integral part of Minaa, rather it is a borderline from the direction of Makkah. He said: “He went inside the valley” , i.e. he stood in the middle of it, until when he was beside the tree, and he faced it - and this tree does not exist now - he came to it from its width. He threw seven pebbles at the Jamrah, saying: “Allah is the Greatest” with every pebble he threw, and in the narration of Muslim: “I said: O Aboo ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, but the people are throwing it from above it?!” He replied, “From here” - and he pointed to the belly of the valley – “the one to whom Surah Al-Baqarah ﷺwas revealed stood here,” and Ibn Mas’ood swore to that by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, confirming what he said and what he transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ.
The specification by ibn Mas’ood of Surah al-Baqarah in terms of mentioning it in his oath without mentioning the other Surahs was as it has been said: He was pointing to the fact that many rulings concerning the Hajj are mentioned therein. As if he was saying: This is the station wherein the rites of Hajj were revealed, notifying thereby that the actions of Hajj cannot be sanctioned except on the basis of textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnah to that effect. It was said:  He mentioned it [the Surah] because of its length and its merit and the abundant rulings it covers.
The reason Ibraaheem al-Nakh’ee mentioned this hadeeth was to highlight the explicit statement of Ibn Mas’ood concerning the use of: “Surah al-Baqarah,” and that he did not say, “The Surah in which al-Baqarah is mentioned” as al-Hajjaaj al-Thaqafee claimed. 
This hadeeth refutes the claim of al-Hajjaaj and debunks the statement of all those who said, “One should not say Surah al-Baqarah, instead, it should be said, “The Surah in which al-Baqarah is mentioned.”
This hadeeth shows that the pebbles are pelted from the belly of the valley and that Takbeer should be said with every pebble used [for pelting].
It highlights the legality of taking an oath in order to emphasise the statement.
It also shows that the people of knowledge should deny and refute the leaders in a way that is appropriate..

1751
Narrated Ibn `Umar that he used to do the al-Jamrah al-Dunya (the Jamra near to the Khayf Mosque) with seven small stones and used to recite Takbeer on throwing every pebble. He then would go ahead till he reached the level ground where he would stand facing the Qiblah for a long time to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands (while invoking). Then he would throw the Second Jamrah and then he would go to the left towards the middle ground, where he would stand facing the Qiblah. He would remain standing there for a long period to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands and would stand there for a long period. Then he would throw Jamrah al-‘Aqabah from the middle of the valley, but he would not stay by it, and then he would leave and say, "I saw the Prophet ﷺ doing like this."
.

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reports that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pelt the closest pillars on the days of Tashreeq using seven pebbles. In Arabic, this Jamrah is known as al-Dunyaa (closest) because it happens to be the closest of all the Jamarat to Minaa and the farthest from Makkah, and it is also known as as-Sughraa (the smallest). It is the first one after Masjid al-Khayf at Minaa. He explained that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pronounce Takbeer after pelting each pebble. After, he would go to a distance from it until he used to halt at the plain surface of the belly of the valley so as to be safe from the flying pebbles that are used to pelt, he would stand facing the Qiblah and his back facing the Jamrah. He would stand up for a long time supplicating to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, lifting his hands up in supplication. Then, he would pelt the middle Jamrah. Then, he would head towards its north and would descend to the plain surface of the belly of the valley, meaning: the middle of it as he did for the first Jamrah. He would stand for a long time, facing towards the Qiblah, at a place where pelting does not reach him, supplicating to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, lifting his hands up. After this, he would pelt Jamarah al-‘Aqabah away from the belly of the valley. It is also known as al-al-Jamarah al-Kubraa. It is situated at the last part of Minaa in the direction of Makkah. It is not inside [the boundaries of] Minaa. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would leave after pelting it and would not stand up to supplicate there unlike what he did at the two former Jamaraat. Then, he informed that he previously saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺdoing exactly what he did.
This hadeeth demonstrates the legality of pronouncing Takbeer during pelting the pebbles.
It also shows the permissibility of lifting the hands in prayer after pelting the two pillars, the small and the middle ones..

1754
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): 'I perfumed Allah's Messenger ﷺ with my own hands before finishing his Ihraam while yet he has not performed Tawaaf-al- Ifaadah.' She spread her hands (while saying so.)"
.

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. The Messenger ﷺloved perfume and used it excessively at all times, as it was from the things that was made beloved to him of the worldly matters.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she applied the fragrance with her hands on the Prophet ﷺwhen he assumed the Ihraam, meaning she applied fragrance on him before entering the state of Ihraam and after exiting from his Ihraam in Hajj before performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. This refers to the first exit from one’s Ihraam after pelting Jamarah al-‘Aqabah and shaving the hair or shortening the hair.
The narrator of the hadeeth says – describing the act of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), “She spread her hands,” as if she was relating what she did by practically demonstrating it. It was said: she did that to exaggerate the happening as a refutation against those who negated that because Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to criticise the application of perfume before the Ihraam.
This hadeeth teaches us that wearing perfume is among the prohibited things of Ihraam. However, it is permitted to use it before entering into the state of Ihraam even if its effects remain after the entrance into the state of Ihraam..

1756
Narrated Qataadah: The Prophet ﷺ offered the Thuhr, `Asr, Maghrib, and the `Isha' prayers and slept for a while at a place called Al-Muhassab and then rode his mount and headed to the Ka’bah and performed Tawaaf around it.
.

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports a part of the guidance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the Farewell Hajj, which was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He mentioned that the Prophet ﷺoffered the Thuhr and ‘Asr prayers and Maghrib and ‘Ishaa at al-Muhassab, which is an open and wide area between Makkah and Minaa and it is called Khayf Banee Kinaanah. It is now found in the outer boundaries of Makkah at a place as Qasr al-Saqqaaf.
After, the prophet ﷺslept for a short time after pelting the pebbles and moving out of Minaa. Then, he mounted his ride and headed from al-Muhassab towards the Ka’bah and performed the Farewell Tawaaf around it. This is the last Tawaaf that is performed by the pilgrim before his departure from Makkah.
There are different opinions conceding the halting of the Prophet ﷺat al-Muhassab. It was said: he halted there because it is an act connected to the rites of pilgrimage, and it is a Sunnah, which is the view of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Aboo Dawood recorded a hadeeth– whose original source is found in the two Saheeh Books – that ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺonly alighted at al-Muhassab so that it might be easier for him to proceed (to Medina). It is not a Sunnah. Anyone who desires may alight there, and anyone who does not want may not alight.”.

1758
Narrated ‘Ikrimah: The people of Al-Madeenah asked Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about a woman who got her menses after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. He said, "She could depart (from Makkah)." They said, "We will not act on your verdict and ignore the verdict of Zayd." Ibn `Abbaas said, "When you reach Al-Madeenah, inquire about it." So, when they reached Al-Madeenah, they asked (about that). One of those whom they asked was Umm Sulaym. She told them the narration of Safiyyah.
.

Commentary : Allah Almighty states, {Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.} [Al-Baqarah: 185]. And Allah also states, {He laid upon you no hardship in religion.}  [Al-Hajj: 78]. This was explicitly demonstrated in the rites of Hajj in terms of making their actions and rites easier upon the people and uplifting hardship from them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbaas, reports that some of the people of All-Madeenah asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) about a woman who has performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice, and then she menstruated after that. What should she do?   He replied to them, “She could depart,” meaning, she can depart Makkah and return to her country without performing the Farewell Tawaaf. They informed him that they will not follow his statement and forgo the statement of Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) whose view was that she should not leave. Rather, she should wait until she is pure so that she can perform the Farewell Tawaaf.
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) responded to them, “When you return to Al-Madeenah, ask its citizens concerning this issue.”  When they returned, they asked them. Umm Sulaym bint Milhaan – she is the mother of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) - was amongst those who were asked. She mentioned to them the hadeeth of Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, when she also menstruated. This hadeeth is recorded in Saheeh  al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim – and the wordings here are of Muslim - wherein ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Safiyyah bint Huyayy menstruated after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. I made a mention of her menses to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, whereupon Allah's Messenger ﷺ remarked: Well, then she will detain us. I said: O Messenger of Allah! She has performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah and circumambulated the House, and it was after this that she entered the period of menses. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: (If it is so), then proceed forth.” So, the Prophet ﷺpermitted her to depart without performing the farewell Tawaaf.
It is reported on the authority of Taawoos that he said: I was in the company of Ibn Abbaas when Zayd ibn Thaabit said: Do you give the verdict that the woman who is in menses is allowed to go without performing the last circumambulation of the House? Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Ask so-and-so – who was a woman of the Ansaar - to see if Allah's Messenger ﷺ had commanded her to do it. Zayd ibn Thaabit (went to that woman and after getting this verdict attested by her) came back to Ibn Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) laughing and said: I did not find you but telling the truth.” Thereupon, Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) retracted from his fatwa.
This hadeeth shows that some of the rulings may not be known to some of the scholars..

1760
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): “A menstruating woman was allowed to leave Makkah if she had done Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah.”
Tawoos (a sub-narrator) said, "I heard Ibn `Umar saying that she should not depart. Then later I heard him saying that the Prophet ﷺ had allowed them (menstruating women) to depart."
.

Commentary : Allah Almighty states, {Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.}  [Al-Baqarah: 185].   And Allah also states, {He laid upon you no hardship in religion.}  [Al-Hajj: 78]. This was explicitly demonstrated in the rites of Hajj in terms of making their actions and rites easier upon the people and uplifting hardship from them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that menstruating women who performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah to depart Makkah and return to their city without performing the Farewell Tawaaf. In a different version of the hadeeth, it reads: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺhas allowed…” [Sunan al-Nasaa’iee]
After relating this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee, Taawoos ibn Kaisaan related that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), in the beginning, opined that when a woman menstruates after she has performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice, she is not allowed to return to her city until she attains the purity and then she performs the Farewell Tawaaf. However, afterwards, he retracted from that position after learning that the Prophet ﷺhad granted them the permission to travel without performing the Farewell Tawaaf. 
It is reported on the authority of Taawoos al-Yamaanee that he heard ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was being asked about not allowing the women to perform Tawaaf if they menstruate after they have already performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah on the Day of Sacrifice. He answered: ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to mention the permission given by the Messenger of Allah ﷺfor the women. And this incident happened a year before the demise of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).” [Sunan al-Nasaa’iee al-Kubraa and others]. This narration clarifies the retraction of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from his previous fatwa.
This hadeeth shows that sometimes some rulings may not be known to some scholars.
It highlights the keenness of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to follow the Sunnah and to return to the truth..

1762
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): We set out with the Prophet ﷺ with the intention of performing Hajj only. The Prophet ﷺ reached Makkah and performed Tawaaf around the Ka’bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah and did not exit his Ihraam, because he had the Hady with him. His Companions and his wives performed Tawaaf (around the Ka’bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah), while those who had no Hady with them finished their Ihraam. I had my menses and performed all the rites of Hajj. On the Night of Hasba (night of departure), I said, "O Allah's Messenger! All your Companions are returning with Hajj and `Umrah except me." He asked me, "Didn't you perform Tawaaf around the Ka’bah (‘Umrah) when you reached Makkah?" I said, "No." He said, "Go to Tan`eem with your brother `Abd al-Rahmaan and assume Ihraam for `Umrah and I will wait for you at such and such a place." So, I went with `Abd al-Rahmaan to the Tan`eem and assumed Ihraam for `Umrah from there. Then Safiyyah bint Huyay got her menses. The Prophet ﷺ said, " 'Aqra Halqa! You will detain us! Did not you perform Tawaaf-al-Ifaadah on the Day of Nahr?" She said, "Yes, I did." He said, "Then there is no harm, you can depart." So, I met the Prophet ﷺ when he was ascending the heights towards Makkah and I was descending, or vice-versa.
.

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺhas explained its rites by his statements and actions. His honourable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted them to us just as they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) travelled with the Prophet ﷺto partake in the Farewell Hajj, which occurred in the tenth year of the Hijrah, and that they only intended to perform Hajj. The reason she did not mention the ‘Umrah is because of the common belief at that time that ‘Umrah may not be performed during the months of Hajj. When they reached Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ, his wives and Companions performed the Tawaaf of ‘Umrah and performed the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah. However, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not perform the Tawaaf of ‘Umrah due to her menstruation. The Prophet ﷺordered those who had not brought the sacrificial animal from outside Makkah to exit their Ihraam after completing the rites of ‘Umrah and wait until the rites of Hajj start (i.e. Hajj al-Tamattu’). His wives had not driven the sacrificial animals with them; hence, they exited their Ihraam, and ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was among them. However, the fact that she menstruated on the night she entered Makkah prevented her from exiting the Ihraam. As she was in the state of Ihraam of the ‘Umrah, she added Hajj to it, thus, the type of Hajj she intended was Hajj al-Qiraan.
Her menstruation commenced at Sarif just before entering Makkah – Sarif is the name of a piece of land situated ten miles away from Makkah. As a result, she did not perform Tawaaf al-‘Umrah due to the impediment caused by the menstruation. As for Tawaaf al-Ifaadah, she had performed it on the Day of Sacrifice.  And they all performed the acts of Hajj completely.
The statement of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “When it was the night of al-Hasbah” refers to the night when they halted at al-Muhassab, which is the place where they stopped at after departing from Minaa to the outside of Makkah. It is a wide area between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, between the two hills towards the cemetery.  It is known as al-Muhassab (plural of hasbah, which means pebble) due to the congregation of gravel caused by the floods that carry it there. It is also known as al-Abatah, and today, it is called al-Ja’fariyyah, which is part of the region of al-Jummayzah. She complained to the Prophet ﷺabout how people will return with an ‘Umrah completely independent from the Hajj, while she will return with a Hajj only without an ‘Umrah. This was because she was keen of doing it, to increase the good deeds like the rest of the mothers of the believers and the Companions who changed their Ihraam for Hajj to become for ‘Umrah and after completing the ‘Umrah exited their Ihraam on the Day of Tarwiyah. After, they assumed the Ihraam of Hajj on the Day of Tarwiyah from Makkah. They acquired thereby an independent Hajj as well as an independent ‘Umrah. As for ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she obtained an ‘Umrah inserted into Hajj , i.e. Hajj al-Qiraan, all the while, she desired to perform an independent ‘Umrah like the rest of people.
As a result, the Prophet ﷺ ordered ‘Aaishah to go with her brother ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) to al-Tan’eem in order to enter the Ihraam of ‘Umrah, to comfort her. The Tan’eem is a place that is three or four miles away from Makkah, the closest outer boundary to the House. It is known as al-Tan’eem because to its right lies the mount of Nu’aym and to its left, Mount Naa’im, and the valley is known as Na’maan. He ﷺmade their return to al-Muhassab as the agreed place to meet after completing her ‘Umrah.
The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), relates that Safiyyah bint Huyyay (may Allah be pleased with her) menstruated and that was after performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. However, the Prophet ﷺthought that she menstruated before Tawaaf al-Ifaadah. Thereupon, he ﷺsaid, “’Aqra Halqa.” The literal meaning of which is: May God infest her with a wound and may she have pain in her throat. However, it is used as an idiom that Arabs use without intending its literal meaning or intending it as a supplication. It is just a phrase concerning which the Arabs have been accommodative and they use it whilst not intending its real meaning. This is like their other statement, “Taribat Yadaah,” [may his hands become soiled] and so on. Whence the Prophet ﷺquestioned saying, “is she going to hold us?” Meaning: Are we going to be forced to stay until she has purified and performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah? He was told, “Safiyyah has already performed Tawaaf al-Ifaadah or ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) notified him that she had performed the Tawaaf with them. When he ﷺlearned about that, then what he was worried about concerning the stay until she purifies so as to perform Tawaaf al-Ifaadah was removed from him.  He permitted them to travel and granted permission to the mother of the believers, Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), to forgo the Farewell Tawaaf. 
Then, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that after she had completed the rites of ‘Umrah, the Prophet ﷺmet her at al-Muhassab while he had started walking from Makkah. At that point of time, she met him while she was descending to it or she was ascending, and he was descending to it.
This hadeeth shows that menstruating women are waived from the Farewell Tawaaf.
It shows the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj. 
It also infers to the precondition of being in the state of purity for the performance of Tawaaf. Hence, a menstruating woman is not permitted to perform the Tawaaf around the Ka’bah until she attains purity..

1765
Narrated ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her): It (i.e. Al-Abtah) was a place where the Prophet ﷺ used to camp so that it might be easier for him to depart.
.

Commentary : The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) have accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the journey to perform the Farewell Hajj back and forth, and they transmitted to us all his actions. They explained all that constituted as part of the rituals of Hajj and what did not constitute as thus.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) reports the Prophet’s stay at al-Muhassab after his departure from Minaa on the thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah, the third day of the days of Tashreeq. Al-Muhassab or al-Abtah is a wide valley between Makkah and Minaa, between the two hills towards the cemeteries. It has been given that name due to the accumulation of gravel therein carried by the floodwater that flows towards it. In the current time, it is known as al-Ja’fariyyah, and it is part of the al-Jummayzah district. 
‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that the stay at this valley was not part of the rites of Hajj. It was a halting-place where the Prophet ﷺstayed at because it would be easier for him to depart to Al-Madeenah, so that people can assemble therein and those who are of slow and moderate pace can be on the same level and spend the night there and wake up at early morning so they can all depart together to Al-Madeenah..

1766
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): Staying at Al-Mahassab is not one of the rites of Hajj, but Al-Mahassab is a place where Allah's Messenger ﷺ camped.
.

Commentary : The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) have accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺin the journey to perform the Farewell Hajj back and forth, and they transmitted to us all his actions. They explained all that which constituted as part of the rituals of Hajj and what did not constitute as thus.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that staying at night at al-Muhassab is not part of the rites of Hajj at all. Al-Muhassab is also known as al-Abtah, which is a spacious valley between Makkah and Minaa, between the two hills towards the cemeteries. It has been given that name due to the accumulation of gravel therein carried by the floodwater that flows towards it. Now, it is known as al-Ja’fariyyah and it is part of the al-Jummaizah district. The Prophet ﷺstayed there on the last day of leaving Minaa – that is the third day of the days of Tashreeq – in order to allow people to assemble therein and those who are of slow and moderate pace can be on the same level and spend the night there and wake up at early morning so they can all depart together to Al-Madeenah..

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.".

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, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah Almighty divided the Qur'an into three parts, i.e., sections: One section comprises the stories of the past people, another section contains the Shar‘i (legal) rulings, and the third section includes the belief in Allah's oneness and mention of His attributes. "and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an", which are three. This is the section of Tawhīd and the mention of Allah's attributes. It is because this Surah includes two of the names of Allah Almighty which comprise all the traits of perfection, and they do not occur in any other Surah of the Qur'an. They are: Al-Ahad (the One) and As-Samad (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah which possesses all the attributes of perfection. This is clarified by the fact that "the One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which no one else shares with Him; and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection. This is because He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and the One before Whom all creatures stand in need and Who does not need anyone, Exalted be He. Since this Surah comprises knowledge of the attributes of perfection, it came to be regarded as one-third compared to the complete knowledge of the attributes of Allah's Essence and the attributes of His actions. It is said: It means that the reward for reciting Surat al-Ikhlās gets multiplied until it becomes tantamount to the reward for reciting one-third of the noble Qur'an.
The Hadīth points out the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās..

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..