Narrated ‘Amr ibn Dinaar that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Thoo al-Majaaz and `Ukaath were the markets of the people during the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When the people embraced Islam, they disliked to do bargaining there till the following ayaat were revealed: {There is no harm for you If you seek of the bounty of your Lord (during Hajj by trading, etc.)} (Quran 2:198)
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Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, which Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺdetailed all that which is lawful for the pilgrim during his Ihraam. Then, 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, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Thoo Majaaz and ‘Ukaath were the two marketplaces for the people in the time of ignorance (i.e. before Islam). Thoo Majaaz is a place located beside ‘Arafah, It has been said: it is in Minaa. As for ‘Ukaath, it is behind Qarn al-Manaazil, 44km away on the road to San’aa of Yemen. When Islam came, it seems that the Muslims disliked trading during the days of Hajj just like the polytheists and out of their fear of falling into the sin, for becoming busy on the days of the rites of pilgrimage with something else besides the worship, until the statement of Allah Almighty was revealed, {There is no blame on you for seeking the bounty of Your Lord [during Hajj]} [Al-Baqarah: 198], meaning: there is no sin at all in seeking the permissible sustenance by trading and so on during Hajj as grace and sustenance from Allah, the Sublime, and this is a generous bounty from Allah, the Sublime, on them.
A group of Arabs during the period of ignorance thought it was sinful to trade during the days of Hajj. When the ten days of Thoo al-Hijjah entered, they would withhold themselves from buying and selling. No market would be erected for them. They called those who left with them for trade as helpers. They would say: those are ad-Daajj and they are not Haajj. Ad-Daajj: followers and helpers, and Haajj: pilgrims.
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible for one in Ihraam to buy and sell, and that it is allowed to trade in the marketplaces that existed during the time of ignorance and of the polytheists.

1773

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."
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Commentary : Allah, the Mighty and Majestic has made acts of obedience and all acts of goodness as expiations for the sins and elevators of ranks. Among the most majestic of acts of obedience and the highest of them in ranks are Hajj and ‘Umrah.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺinforms us of the virtue of the worship of Hajj and ‘Umrah. As for ‘Umrah, the Prophet ﷺhas spoken about it, “‘Umrah to ‘Umrah is an act of expiation for all the sins that have occurred between them,” meaning: one who performs two ‘Umrahs consecutively, these two ‘Umrahs become a means of expiation of the minor sins that have been committed between them and of not being taken to task by them on the Day of Judgement. ‘Umrah: is devotional worship to Allah Almighty by assuming the Ihraam from the Meeqaat and by performing the Tawaaf of the House, walking between the Safaa and Marwah and by exiting the Ihraam by shaving the head or by shortening the hair. As for the Hajj, it is the intention to visit the Sacred Monuments in order to perform the Hajj rites at a specific place and specific time for the devotional worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Then, the Prophet ﷺhighlighted that the reward of a “Mabroor” Hajj is nothing but Paradise. Mabroor is that [righteous] act with which no sin has been intermixed or it is a pure and accepted act that is free from showing off and acquiring fame, while its pillars and its obligatory acts have been realised within it. The reward of this Hajj before Allah is only Paradise.
This hadeeth contains encouragement to perform ‘Umrah more often..

1774

Narrated Ibn Jurayj: `Ikrimah ibn Khaalid asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about performing `Umrah before Hajj. Ibn `Umar replied, "There is no harm in it." `Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Umar also said, 'The Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah before performing Hajj.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Sublime and High, has commanded us to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah. Allah states, {Complete the Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah.} [Al-Baqarah, 2: 196]
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee ‘Ikrimah ibn Khaalid ibn al-‘Aasee al-Makhzoomee asked the Companion, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the performance of ‘Umrah before performing the obligation of Hajj, while he does not intend thereby to perform Tamattu’. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) answered that there was nothing wrong in performing ‘Umrah before the Hajj. When a Muslim has not performed Hajj and is able to perform ‘Umrah [first], then there is no blame on him,” because the Prophet ﷺdid that; he performed ‘Umrah before performing Hajj. According to the hadeeth in Sunan Aboo Dawood, it reads, “Yes, of course. What stops you from doing that? The Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed all his ‘Umrahs before his Hajj and we too performed ‘Umrah.”
‘Umrah is different from Hajj. ‘Umrah: is a devotional act of worship for Allah which is done by performing the Tawaaf of the House, performing the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and exiting from it by shaving the head or having a haircut. It does not have a specified time in a year. As for Hajj, it entails intending to visit the Sacred Monuments to perform the rites at a specified place and time as a devotional act of worship for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
This hadeeth encourages us to hasten to perform the acts of obedience whenever it is easy for us to do it. .

1775

Narrated Mujaahid: ‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr and I entered the Mosque (of the Prophet) and saw `Abdullah ibn `Umar sitting near the dwelling place of ‘Aaishah and some people were offering the Duhaa prayer. We asked him about their prayer, and he replied that it was an innovation. He (‘Urwah) then asked him how many times the Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah. He replied, 'Four times; one of them was in the month of Rajab." We disliked to argue with him. Then, we heard `’Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, cleaning her teeth with Siwaak in the dwelling place. 'Urwah said, "O Mother! O Mother of the Believers! Don't you hear what Aboo `Abd al-Rahmaan is saying?" She said, "What does he say?" 'Urwah said, "He says that Allah's Messenger ﷺ performed four `Umrah and one of them was in the month of Rajab." `’Aaishah said, "May Allah be merciful to Aboo `Abd al-Rahmaan! The Prophet ﷺ did not perform any `Umrah except that he was with him, and he never performed any `Umrah in Rajab."
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Commentary : Muslims in the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would sometimes differ in some [secondary] issues, however, they maintained decorum in disagreements which the Prophet ﷺtaught them. They did not overstep the limits in clarifying the truth, presenting it, and refuting the error.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Mujaahid ibn Jabr reports that a disagreement ensued between the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the time of one ‘Umrah that the Prophet ﷺperformed. He explains that he entered with ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr the Prophet’s Mosque where they found ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sitting and reclining towards the wall of the room of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and found some people offering the forenoon prayer in the Mosque. They asked him about the ruling of this prayer, and he informed that gathering the Mosque to offer in this form is an innovation that contradicts the Sunnah, and not that the prayer per se is an innovation. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) only criticised praying it continuously, offering it in the Mosque, and its performance in congregation. He did not deny that offering the forenoon prayer is from the Sunnah. It is well established in the two Saheeh Books and in other Hadeeth books that the Prophet ﷺperformed the forenoon prayer (Duhaa Prayer) and also encouraged its performance. The original meaning of religious innovation is to introduce that which did not exist before , i.e. innovating something without having a previous example for it. With that said, if anything of that sort happens in religion that is against the Sunnah upon which the Muslims have approved, and it does not have a foundation in the Book [of Allah] and the Sunnah, then that is a dispraised innovation that is void of goodness and we are discouraged and prohibited from doing it. As this will entail bringing a new thing into religion after its perfection. However, anything of the innovation that does not contradict the principles of Islamic law and the Sunnah, is a good innovation. This understanding is applied to the statement of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the Taraaweeh prayer when he described it as an innovation.
Then, ‘Urwah asked about how many times the Prophet ﷺperformed ‘Umrah. To which, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he ﷺperformed it four times, and one of them he performed it in the month of Rajab. They both disliked arguing with him about it so, they handed over the task of responding to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
After that, Mujaahid mentioned that he and ‘Urwah heard the sound created by the movement of the teeth cleaning twig on the teeth of ‘Aaishah, the Mother of the Believers, coming from her apartment. Thereupon, ‘Urawah called his maternal aunt ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with a raised voice asking her about the statement of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the ‘Umrah of the Prophet ﷺand that one of them happened to be in Rajab. ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) responded to him by saying, “May Allah have mercy on Aboo ‘Abd al-Rahmaan.” The reason she addressed him with his nickname is to show reverence to him, and she supplicated for him as an inference that he had forgotten. Then, she remarked that the Messenger of Allah ﷺIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was present with the Prophet ﷺin all the ‘Umrahs he ﷺperformed. For this reason, she is surprised of hearing that he said one of them was in the month of Rajab. Her statement was made in order to intensify the emphasis on Ibn ‘Umar’s forgetfulness regarding this matter. She only objected to the part of his statement “that one of them was in Rajab.” In a different version of the hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Muslim, ‘Urwah commented by saying, “[She said that] while Ibn ‘Umar listening. However, he did not say, “yes,” nor “no,” rather he remained silent.” The fact that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not respond to her statement, confirms the authenticity of the statement of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and that definitely an error and forgetfulness had ensued from him.
The hadeeth shows that the one who is more knowledgeable about a subject matter should correct the mistake of others regarding the matter, even if the other person is a scholar.
It shows that even a benevolent, perfect, virtuous person may forget some of the Sunnah he has heard or witnessed.
It highlights the sound knowledge of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and her knowledge of the Sunnah and the conditions of the Prophet ﷺ..

1778

Narrated Qataadah: I asked Anas how many times the Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah. He replied, "Four times. 1. `Umrah of Hudaybiyyah in Thoo al-Qa’dah when the polytheists hindered him; 2. `Umrah in the following year in Thoo al-Qa’dah after the peace treaty with them (the polytheists); 3. `Umrah from Al-Ja'rraanah where he distributed the war booty." I think he meant the booty (of the battle) of Hunayn. I asked, "How many times did he perform Hajj?" He (Anas) replied, "Once. "
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Commentary : Hajj and ‘Umrah are among the most rewarding acts of worship that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas keen on. He ﷺappreciated the ‘Umrah so much that he performed it multiple times.
In this hadeeth, the Taab’iee Qataadah ibn Di’aamah reports that he asked the Companion, Anas ibn Maalik, (may Allah be pleased with him) about the number of the ‘Umrahs of the Prophet ﷺ. ‘Umrah: is a devotional act of worship for the sake of Allah by entering into the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat, doing the Tawaaf around the House and the ritual walking between the Safaa and Marwah, and exiting it by shaving the head or cutting the hair short. It is an act of worship that does not have any limited time during the year.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) answered that he ﷺperformed four ‘Umrahs. The first one was the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaibiyyah in Thoo al-Qa’dah in the sixth year of the Hijrah when the polytheists prevented him from performing it, thus he and his Companions could not reach the House. Hence, they exited their Ihraam and this was considered an ‘Umrah for them. It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas encircled. He shaved his head and had a sexual relationship with his wives, and he slaughtered his sacrificial animals until he performed the ‘Umrah in the following year. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]. Al-Hudaibiyyah is a big town closer to Makkah towards the side of Al-Madeenah. The place has been called after the name of the well there. Now, it is a valley at a distance of 22km from Makkah on the way to Jeddah. The name al-Hudaibiyyah became famous in the Sunnah for the treaty which was made between the Prophet and Quraysh.
The second one was ‘Umrah al-Qadaa, which was based upon the reconciliation and agreement the Prophet ﷺmade with the polytheists that he will head back from al-Hudaibiyyah and will return the following year. The return happened in Thoo al-Qa’dah in the seventh year of the Hijrah. It is also known as ‘Umrah al-Qadiyyah, and the reason why it was named as ‘Umrah al-Qadaa’ and al-Qadiyyah is that the Prophet ﷺmade a pact with Quraysh and not because it happened as a Qadaa’ (makeup) of the ‘Umrah which the Prophet was prevented from performing. Had that been the case, then both would have been classified as a single ‘Umrah.
The third ‘one was the ‘Umrah of al-Ji’irraanah, which happened in a place called al-Ji’irraanah, located between Makkah and at-Taaif, seven miles (11km) away from Makkah. The Prophet ﷺhalted at it when he was returning to Al-Madeenah from the battle of Hunayn wherein he distributed the spoils of Hunayn – that is a valley three miles away from Makkah. Then, he entered into the state of Ihraam from there and entered Makkah at night. He ﷺ performed the rites of ‘Umrah. Then, he returned to al-Ji’irraanah. Thus, he became a night-spender there. Hence, it was named as ‘Umrah al-Ji’irraanah. This happened in the eighth year of the Hijrah.
The fourth ‘one was dropped out from this narration; however, it was mentioned in another narration by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. This is the ‘Umrah that was done with his Hajj – the Farewell Hajj – in the tenth year of the Hijrah. He ﷺperformed Hajj al-Qiraan where ‘Umrah and Hajj were done with one Ihraam. It was said: the fourth ‘Umrah is indirectly mentioned in this hadeeth when he mentioned that he performed the Hajj only once, given that the Prophet ﷺwas a Qaarin (the performer of the Qiraan-kind of Hajj).
Qataadah happened to ask Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), “How many times did the Prophetﷺ perform the Hajj?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that the Prophet ﷺonly performed Hajj once and that was in the tenth year of the Hijrah. It is well-known as the Farewell Hajj..

1787

Narrated ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr: `Aaishah (raa) said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The people are returning after performing Hajj and `Umrah, but I am returning with one only?" He said, "Wait till you become clean from your menses and then go to al-Tan`eem, assume Ihraam (and after performing `Umrah) join us at such-and-such a place. But it (i.e., the reward of `Umrah) is according to your expenses or the hardship (which you will undergo while performing it).
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Commentary : The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺdemonstrated the rites of the Pilgrimage by his words and actions. The Companions (ras) have narrated them to us - so that we may be able to live, abide, and implement them on our own observance of Hajj.
In this hadeeth, The Mother of the Believers - ‘Aa’ishah (raa) - reports on some of what happened during the Farewell Pilgrimage. The text of this hadeeth is a part of a longer narration in which she (raa) had narrated about the time when they (i.e., the Companions) departed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺwithout any intention to do anything else, except for performing the Hajj. So, when they arrived at Makkah, he ﷺ ordered that whoever did not bring along a sacrificial offering from outside of Makkah and its Sacred Precinct to release themselves from the state of ihraam (which is the hallowed mode of being that a pilgrim enters when embarking on the Hajj or ‘Umrah) after: circumambulating the Ka‘bah, performing the ritual walk between al-Safaa and al-Marwah, and shaving or cutting their hair when performing an ‘Umrah (rather than only a Hajj) to the eighth of Thoo al-Hijjah which is the Day of Quenching Thirst (Tarwiyah). Thereafter, they entered into the state of Ihraam for Hajj. As for ‘Aa’ishah (raa), the onset of her menses which occurred at night while they were at Saraf - which is the name of an area situated about ten miles from Makkah - had prevented her from entering Makkah. She was in a state of ihraam for ‘Umrah, while also initially entering this state with the intention of performing the Hajj as well, thus becoming a pilgrim who performs the Holy Pilgrimage by combining the Hajj and ‘Umrah with a single intention and state of sanctity throughout the whole pilgrimage. Thus, she (raa) didn’t perform the circumambulations for ‘Umrah around the Ka‘bah, due to the onset of her menses which had prevented her from doing so. As for the Farewell Circumambulation, she performed it on the Day of Sacrifice [i.e. the 10th day of ThooHijjah]. So, she (raa) complained to The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and explained that the reason for her sadness was due to the people returning with the completion of two separate rites of worship - namely, Hajj and ‘Umrah - while evidently she was returning with only one. She (raa) highly desired for both, due to her desire to increase her actions of worship - as was the case for all of the Mothers of the Believers (raa) and other Companions (ras). Thereafter, The Prophet ﷺ said to her (raa): “Wait until you are ritually pure from your menses, then set out to al-Tan‘eem”, which is a place about three or four miles from Makkah and is the closest non-sacred area near the Holy Masjid of Makkah. It was called that because the mountain, Jabal Nu’aym, is to its right. And to its left is another mountain named Jabal Naa’im; and the valley’s name therein is Na‘maan. Then he ﷺsaid to her: “Assume the state of a pilgrim’s sanctity”, meaning: “Enter into the state of ihraam, recite the Talbiyah (a prayer that is uttered by the pilgrim as a statement that they are intending to perform the Holy Pilgrimage for Allah alone) and perform the ‘Umrah.” Then, The Prophet ﷺsent her (raa) with her brother, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakr (ra). Thereafter, he ﷺsaid to Lady ‘Aa’ishah (raa): ‘Then proceed and join us at such and such a place’; intending al-‘Abtah by this statement, which is the place where the Messenger of Allah ﷺstayed after departing from Minaa; and set off, returning to al-Madeenah. It is called al-Muhassib, and it is an expansive place which spans between: Makkah, Minaa, and the Two Mountains; as well as to the cemeteries in the area. It was called this because of the gravel that collected there due to the strong torrents depositing them there. Now, it is called al-Ja‘fariyyah, and is a dependent region subsumed under the Jummayzah district. Then, The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “However, it is in proportion to your expenses, or hardship.” That is to say: that the reward regarding the performance of ‘Umrah is commensurate with the hardship, toil, fatigue, and struggles faced; along with the expenses incurred during it. So, the more money that is spent and effort expended; the greater the reward, which is then given from Allah, The Almighty. Some of the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the rewards for worship are multiplied by the exertion that one puts forth and expenses spent during it. And lastly, it shows the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj..

1791

Narrated `Abdullah bin Aboo Awfaa: "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed `Umrah and we too performed `Umrah along with him. When he entered Makkah, he performed the Tawaaf (round the Ka`bah) and we too performed it along with him, and then he came to As-Safaa and Al-Marwah (i.e., performed the rite of brisk walking) and we also did it along with him. We were shielding him from the people of Makkah lest they may hit him with an arrow." One of my friends asked him (i.e., `Abdullah bin Awfaa), "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) enter the Ka`bah (during that `Umrah)?" He replied in the negative. Then he said, "What did he (the Prophet ﷺ) say about Khadeejah (raa)?" He (Abdullah bin `Awfaa) said, "(He said) 'Give Khadeejah the good tidings that she will have a palace made of Qasab in Paradise and there will be neither noise nor any trouble in it."
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Commentary : The Companions (ras) loved the Messenger of Allah more than they loved themselves; so, they were eager to be near him at his home and during his ﷺtravels; and they (ras) were willing to offer their lives in sacrifice for him ﷺ. In this hadith, ‘Abd Allah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) reports that they were performing ‘Umrah with The Prophet ﷺ, and that was during the ‘Umrah that was made up when the polytheists had prevented The Prophet ﷺ from offering the ‘Umrah in the year when the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed during the sixth year after Hijrah, when he ﷺ made peace with them with the condition that he ﷺ and the Muslims could return to the city of Makkah for ‘Umrah the next year - which took place in the month of Thoo al-Qa‘dah in the seventh year after Hijrah. So, when The Messenger of Allah entered Makkah, he ﷺcircumambulated the Ka‘bah seven times. Likewise, the Companions (ras) did so with him ﷺ. Thereafter, he ﷺ performed the ritual walk between al-Safaa and Marwah, and they (ras) did so with him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺbegan the first lap of this rite by walking from the hill of Safaa to hill of Marwah, and the second round is opposite of that i.e., from Marwah to Safaa. The third round is similar to the first, and so forth until the rite of the ritual walk is completed on the seventh lap. The Companions (ras) used to gather around The Prophet ﷺ and shield him from the polytheistic people of Makkah during their circumambulation of the Ka‘bah and ritualistic walk; out of fear that they would throw something and injure The Prophet ﷺ. Then, a man asked the narrator of this hadeeth about whether or not The Messenger of Allah had entered the Ka‘bah on this ‘Umrah; to which he responded that he ﷺ didn’t enter it at that time. In this hadeeth, the man who had asked ‘Abd Allah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) then proceeded to inquire about what The Prophet ﷺ said about Khadeejah (raa). To this, Ibn Abee ‘Awfaa (ra) reports that The Prophet ﷺ said: “Bear good tidings that Khadeejah (ra) will have a house in Paradise made of brilliant pearls.” That is to say: a palace in Paradise which is made out of hollowed pearls and sapphires. “and there will be no tumult, nor difficulty therein.” Meaning: There will be no crying from the people of this world in it, nor hardship befalling its occupant; because there is no house of this world in which its people come together; except that there is turmoil and uproar between them, and its amelioration and adjustment is only temporarily achieved through toil and hardship. So, he ﷺ related that Khadeejah’s (raa) - The Mother of the Believers - palaces in Paradise differ from what the aforementioned; there is no semblance of the ruin that afflicts the people of this world. Likewise, the rest of the houses of the people in Paradise will not have any manifestations of spiritual or physical hardship. The reason why these two qualities which mentioned in the portion of the hadeeth which states: “...and there will be no tumult, nor difficulty therein” are negated is that when The Prophet ﷺcalled for faith and belief in Allah, Lady Khadeejah (raa) responded willingly, and didn’t require him ﷺto raise a sound, nor was there any dispute or hardship in it. Rather, she (raa): removed every hardship for him ﷺ, kept him ﷺ company in every moment of loneliness, and made every difficulty easy for him ﷺ. So, it is suitable that her home which her Lord brought word of corresponds to the qualities equivalent to that. One of the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights the merit of The Mother of the Believers, Khadeejah (raa), and her glad tidings and place in Paradise..

1796

Narrated `Abdullah the slave of Asma bint Aboo Bakr: I used to hear Asmaa', whenever she passed by Al-Hajoon, saying, "May the prayers of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad. Once we dismounted here with him, and at that time we were traveling with light luggage; we had a few riding animals and a little food ration. I, my sister, `Aaishah, Al-Zubayr and such and such persons performed `Umrah, and when we had passed our hands over the Ka`bah, (i.e., performed Tawaaf round the Ka`bah and between Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah) we finished our Ihraam. Later on, and we assumed Ihraam for Hajj the same evening.".

Commentary : The Companions (ras) accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Farewell Pilgrimage; so, they learned from him the rites, and conveyed them to the rest so that we could have an insight into one of the ordinances of our religion.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Kaysaan, the freed slave of ‘Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (ras) reports that whenever she (i.e. ‘Asmaa’) passed by al-Hajoon, she would say: “May the prayers of Allah be upon His Messenger, Muhammad - here is where we dismounted and stopped for a rest.” That was during the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah. al-Hajoon is a place near Makkah and is a mountain overlooking al-Muhassab and is about a mile and a half away from The Sacred House of Allah.
Then, she (raa) recalled their condition on the day that they dismounted and stopped with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; and that the mounts which they were riding were few in number, the luggage they were carrying was light, and the food which they took along as provisions amounted to little. This was intended to be a comparison to the poverty and dire straits they were in at the time of her recollection.
After, she (raa) relates that she had performed ‘Umrah with her sister, The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, her husband al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwaam, and some others (ras). It is as if she mentioned the names of the individuals who did not bring along a sacrificial offering with them; since it has been established that the Prophet ﷺhad ordered those who did not carry along a sacrificial animal to rescind the Hajj for an ‘Umrah, then to prepare themselves and begin and enter into a new state of Ihraam for the Pilgrimage.
Once they performed Tawaaf round the Ka‘bah, they released themselves from their ‘Umrah. The meaning of her statement: “When we passed our hands over the Ka‘bah, we released ourselves from the state of Ihraam we had for our pilgrimage” refers to ‘passing our hands over its (i.e., The Ka‘bah) corner, which is The Black Stone. ‘Asmaa’ (raa) withheld anything in this narration related to the circumambulations around the Ka‘bah, and also did not mention the ritualistic walk performed between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and cutting the hair for the sake of brevity. Or, because these are widely known rites that are performed during an ‘Umrah. Then, they entered the state of Ihraam for Hajj after that, on the Day of Quenching Thirst, which is the eighth day of Thoo al-Hijjah. By doing so, they offered the ‘Umrah in conjunction with the Hajj; however, the ‘Umrah was offered just before the commencement of Hajj. The Arabic word al-‘ashiyy (i.e., the evening) mentioned in the hadeeth refers to the end of the day, or from sunset to dawn. It has also been said by others: that it could also mean until the sun sets.
It has been established that Lady, ‘Aa’ishah (raa) did not perform Tawaaf round the Ka‘bah because she was on her menses that day; as is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, in a hadeeth narrated by her - where she relates: “I was one of those people who was performing ‘Umrah; however, I got my menses before entering Makkah, and had menstruated until the Day of ‘Arafah. Then, I complained about this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to which he ﷺ replied: ‘Discontinue your ‘Umrah, undo the hair on your head and comb it. Then, prepare yourself and enter into the state of Ihraam for Hajj.” ‘Asmaa’ (raa) did not exclude her [i.e., ‘Aa’ishah (raa)] in the hadeeth either due to the fact that the story regarding her menses was well-known or she had forgotten to exclude her in the narration..

1798

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Makkah, some boys of the tribe of Banee `Abd al-Muttalib went to receive him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) made one of them ride in front of him and the other behind him.
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Commentary : All of the hearts of all of the Companions, both young and old, were attached to the Messenger of Allah ﷺdue to his most excellent disposition, nobility and utmost kindness, and what Allah bestowed upon him. He, The Most Exalted, guided the hearts of the worshippers to him ﷺ. This hadeeth demonstrates some of his character towards them.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that when the Prophet ﷺarrived at Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, which was in the eighth year after Hijrah, a group of young boys set out to receive him ﷺ. These young boys were from Banee ‘Abd al-Muttalib, whom was the Prophet’s grandfather. Then, he ﷺ placed one of them in front of him, and the others behind him upon the back of the riding animal. This is an indication to their delight and joy for seeing the Prophet ﷺ; and likewise, it highlights his ﷺ pleasure and happiness with them. This was due to his ﷺ modesty and beautiful fidelity.
This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of receiving those arriving from Hajj, battle, or lawful travel as a means to honour and respect them and reacquaint themselves with them.
And lastly, it shows that two or more people can ride on an animal; if the riding animal is capable and it is humane to do so..

1800

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) never entered upon his family from a journey at night. He used to return either in the morning or in the afternoon.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺexhibited the most pious examples of excellent comportment, and good relations between a man and his wife.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺwould never return to his family if he arrived from a journey at night. Rather, he ﷺwould come in the morning - which is from when the Dawn Prayer enters to sunrise - and the afternoon, which is from noon when sun reaches its zenith in the sky - i.e., the time when the Midday Prayer enters - to when it sets.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺdid that because a man’s arrival at night oftentimes comes as a surprise to his wife, and she may not be ready to receive and welcome her husband, as he had been away from her for a while. So, it is fitting that he ﷺ didn’t come to her suddenly at night. The Prophet ﷺ - as attested in Saheeh Muslim in a hadeeth narrated by Jaabir (ra) - had prohibited a man from: coming to his family at night, suspecting their treachery, or seek out their misgivings. That is to say: to believe that they are traitors, reveal their faults, and unveils whether or not they have been disloyal. Thus, it is strongly disliked for the one who travels away from his home for a long period of time to come to his wife suddenly in the depths of night. As for the one whose journey is nearby, and his wife expects his arrival; it should be fine for him to return home at night..

1802

Narrated Anas (ra: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of al-Madeenah, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster."
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Commentary : The enlightened city of al-Madeenah was one of the most beloved cities to the Prophet ﷺ; as it is the place he ﷺ emigrated to, and the site from which he ﷺreceived aid and support, in which he established an Islamic sovereignty that, from it, spread to all of the surrounding Arab and non-Arab lands.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) expounds on some of the manifestations of the Prophet’s love for this city. He (ra) reports that whenever the Prophet ﷺ arrived from his travels and saw the steps of al-Madeenah - which are its elevated paths which lead to the city- he ﷺ would make his she-camel hasten its pace along its way. If he was mounted on a riding animal other than a she-camel, even then he ﷺ would urge it to hasten its pace; so that he would arrive at al-Madeenah quickly; it was out of his fervent love anddesirefor being in the city, because it is his home, and therein reside his family and children who are the most beloved of people to him ﷺ. Allah has formed the souls of man to love and long for their homelands. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did that, and in doing so proved to be the most noble exemplar and ordered his community to hasten in their return to their families at the end of their travels.
This hadeeth highlights the merit of the enlightened city of al-Madeenah and its denizens and exemplifies the love and longing the Prophet ﷺhad for it..

1803

Narrated Aboo Is-haaq: I heard al-Baraa' saying, "This ayah was revealed regarding us, for the Ansaar on returning from Hajj never entered their houses through the proper doors but from behind. One of the Ansaar came and entered through the door, and he was taunted for it. Therefore, the following was revealed: -- {It is not righteousness that you enter the houses from the back, But the righteous man is He who fears Allah, Obeys His order and keeps away from What He has forbidden So, enter houses through the proper doors.} (Quran 2:189)
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Commentary : One of the wisdoms of Allah, The Almighty is that He didn’t reveal The Noble Qur’aan all at once. Rather, He sent it down gradually, according to the progression in what Allah intended of it in building up and educating the Muslim community. He, The Most Exalted, revealed it as a treatment for sinful habits, and a resolution for problems that have occurred, and events which may come about in the future.
In this hadith, al-Baraa‘ ibn ‘Aazib (ra) relates that when the Ansaar, before Islam, had returned from performing the Hajj or ‘Umrah, they wouldn’t enter their homes through their front doors. But rather, they would enter them from the backs of their homes - as this was what many Arabs used to do. So, they would scale the walls of their homes from behind, or create an opening along the wall and enter it that way. They used to view that violating or omitting this practice as a major disgrace, and saw their own action as one of righteousness and piety. So, when Islam came to their (i.e. The Ansaar’s) lands, a man from amongst them entered through the front door of his house instead; for which the Ansaar censured him for that. Then, Allah The Almighty, revealed through His Words the following ayah: “Enter your preferred English translation for Q2:189 here.” Thus, Allah, The Almighty, had informed them that this act which they believed to be pious, was in actuality void of any good. Rather, actual piety is when the servant is fully aware of His Mighty and Majestic Lord; by complying with His commands, abstaining from what He has prohibited, and not devoting themself to anything which Allah, The Most High, did not legislate. Therefore, He ordered for them to arrive and enter their houses through the main doors, just as what is the norm today, and which would eventually become customary for them, as there is no evidence prohibiting that during the time when one is in a state of sanctity for Hajj or ‘Umrah. So, the people abandoned this practice, and began to enter their homes through their doors instead.
This hadeeth highlights that the customs of people do not make what is unlawful permissible. And that when Allah, The Almighty, prohibits anything, He opens for His servants something which is permissible to take its place; for when He disallowed them from coming to their homes and entering them from behind, He made it abundantly clear as to what action should take its place.

1804

Narrated AbooHurayrah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Traveling is a kind of torture as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping properly. So, when one's needs are fulfilled, one should return quickly to one's family."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ did not omit a single good, whether it be something upright in religion or of this world; except that he ﷺ would always direct others to it and urge them towards it. He ﷺ never left any evil which would harm the believer in his religious or temporal affairs; except that he ﷺ warned them to take heed against it.
In this hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺmentioned that traveling to another land other than the one which he resides in is a type of hardship. What is intended by this reference is a worldly suffering. Then, he ﷺ explained this further with his ﷺ statement: “as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping,” namely, the completion of the aforementioned, along with the pleasure that comes from it; due to some of the struggles one can face in their travels, such as: the heat, the cold, fear, the separation from family and friends, and the harshness of life. So, the traveller delays his eating and sleeping from their usual and prescribed time - and oftentimes does not receive a sufficient amount or derive the usual pleasure which comes from these necessities of life.
Then, the Prophet ﷺadvised the traveller who has fulfilled the need for which he is journeying for and has finished with it; that it is incumbent upon them to hasten and return to their homeland and family; for the sake of curtailing these hardships which will continue on his journey, and to make up for the suffering that afflicted him in the interim - and then obtain, repose, and gentleness with his family thereafter. This was expressed with an avidity, which is the rhetorical purpose that was intended behind it; implying by a mode of expression that traveling for a worldly purpose is akin to a trade-off; leaving aside, however, obligatory travelling, such as the Hajj or a military expedition.
The notion that travelling is a form of torment does not prevent it from being beneficial and therapeutic for the vast majority of people; because movement and physical exercise are beneficial, especially for the people of ease and luxury. It's like a bitter medicine that remedies one’s health, even if taking it is disliked.
This hadeeth highlights that it is strongly disliked to go abroad away from his family without a need. It urges the traveller to hasten in returning from their travels to their family, especially those who are feared to pass away during his absence.
It shows that living with one’s family is an aiding comfort in upholding the interests both in religion and worldly affairs.
And lastly, it encourages one to stay where they are; so that their social circles and other groups of people do not miss him, and that the obligatory rights due to their family and close relatives are observed..

1809

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from performing (`Umrah) Therefore, he shaved his head, had sexual relations with his wives, slaughtered his Hady, and performed ‘Umrah in the following year.
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Commentary : Obstruction with reference to the Hajj and ‘Umrah refers to being prevented and impeded from approaching the Sacred Mosque in Makkah by an enemy, illness, or something else. If a Muslim intended to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah; and then is detained from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah; then he is a muhsar, which is a technical term used for someone facing a situation similar to what has been aforementioned and is obstructed from completing their pilgrimage.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad been prevented from performing the ‘Umrah that he came to offer in the year of Hudaybiyah, which was in the sixth year after Hijrah, when the polytheists inhibited him ﷺfrom entering Makkah that year. So, when The Prophet ﷺ was obstructed, and prevented from completing his ‘Umrah, he ﷺ released himself from it at the place where he was prevented from carrying on at Hudaybiyyah - which is a large village near Makkah, that borders the city. It was named after a well that was there before, and now there is a valley between it and Makkah about twenty-two kilometres on the way to Jeddah - So after leaving his ﷺ ‘Umrah, he slaughtered his Hady - which is a name for the sacrificial animal - whether it be: a camel, cow, sheep, or goat - that is offered and slaughtered in the Sacred Precinct. Thereafter, “he shaved his head,” and this is another one of the last rites of ‘Umrah and it requires one to release themselves from the state of Ihraam. Then, he ﷺ had intimate relations with his wives i.e., that their sexual intercourse was lawful for him, or that he ﷺinitiated the act. The narrator only mentioned this to confirm that he ﷺhad released himself from the state of Ihraam one enters for the pilgrimage.
Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺreturned to perform ‘Umrah the next year, which occurred in the seventh year after Hijrah, while it was known as the Make Up ‘Umrah and it has also been called the ‘Umrah of the Judgment. It has been called the Make Up ‘Umrah and The ‘Umrah of the Judgment because he ﷺbecause he ﷺforced Quraysh to accept the terms of the treaty that was signed there, and not because it had been performed as a make-up for the ‘Umrah which was prevented in the previous year..

1810

Narrated Saalim: Ibn`Umar (ra) used to say, "Is not (the following of) the tradition of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sufficient for you? If anyone of you is prevented from performing Hajj, he should perform the Tawaaf of the Ka`bah and the brisk walking between al-Safaa and al-Marwah and then exit the Ihraam as then everything will become legal for him which was illegal for him (during the state of Ihraam), and he can perform Hajj in a following year and he should slaughter a Hady or fast in case he cannot afford the Hady."
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Commentary : Obstruction with reference to the Hajj and ‘Umrah refers to being prevented and impeded from approaching The Holy Mosque in Makkah by an enemy, illness, or something else. If a Muslim intended to perform the Holy Pilgrimage or ‘Umrah; and then is detained from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah; then he is a muhsar, which is a technical term used for someone facing a situation similar to what has been aforementioned, and is obstructed from completing their pilgrimage.
In this hadeeth, Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reports that his father, ‘Adullagh ibn ‘Umar (ra) used to say: “Is not what came from the traditions and practices of your Prophet ﷺsufficient for you? If anyone of you have been obstructed, and prevented from performing one of Hajj’s most essential integrals - which is standing at ‘Arafah - due to one of the legitimate excuses; but somehow managed to enter Makkah; then it is incumbent upon him to abandon his ‘Umrah, and then perform the circumambulation round the Ka‘bah, perform the ritual walk between al-Safaa and al-Marwah if he is able to do that, shaves or cuts his hair, and then takes off the garments one wears while in the state of Ihraam required for Hajj. Thereafter, everything that is normally licit for him becomes permissible, even intercourse with his wife. He may continue to be released from his Ihraam for Hajj until he performs his Hajj the following year. It is incumbent upon the one who is prevented from completing the pilgrimage (i.e. a muhsar) to slaughter a hady - which is a camel, cow, sheep, or goat - that is offered and slaughtered as a sacrifice in the Sacred Precinct. And if he is not able to find a sacrificial animal, he must fast for ten days; three days on the Hajj, and seven when he returns.
Ibn ‘Umar (ra) made the legal ruling in regard to obstruction during the Hajj and ‘Umrah the same; because The Prophet ﷺ wasn’t ever prevented from performing the Holy Pilgrimage; but he was impeded on the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaybiyah in the sixth year after Hijrah. So, Ibn ‘Umar drew a legal analogy by comparing the Hajj to the ‘Umrah. And this analogy is based on the time when one releases himself from the consecrated state of Hajj, which hasn’t been stipulated when one was prevented from completing it. Yet, if it was stipulated, it is still permissible, and nothing additional would be obligatory upon him; due to what has been narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, in a report narrated by The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (raa), who relates that: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to see Dubaa‘ah bint al-Zubayr and said to her: ‘Perhaps you wish to perform the Hajj?’ She replied: ‘By Allah, I am not well, and am often in constant agony.’ So, he ﷺsaid to her: “Perform the Holy Pilgrimage, but condition it first it by saying: ‘O Allah, I shall release myself from the consecrated state of Hajj (i.e.ihraam) wherever you detain me.”
One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it presents a proof of legal analogy since this method of reasoning was utilised by the Companions (ras)..

805

An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘ān al-Kilābi reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment, preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened them to three things, which I did not forget afterward. He said: "As if they were two clouds, or two black canopies with 'sharq' (light) between them, or as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for their companion.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it and act upon it, for it is the extended rope of Allah, and it leads to salvation on the Day of Judgment, particularly Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān, given their great status.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth," i.e., those who recite the Qur'an, have faith in its information and believe it, and act upon its rulings. The Qur'an will be an argument for those people on the Day of Judgment. Excluded from this are those who do not believe in its information or establish its limits; the Qur'an will be an argument against them. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "The Qur'an is an argument for you or against you." This is supported by the verse that reads: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29]
And by the Prophet's words: "preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān," i.e., they come ahead of the Qur'an. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān to three things, saying: "As if they were two clouds"; in Arabic "Ghamamatān", which means two clouds or two white clouds. A cloud is called such because it clouds the sky and conceals it. "or two canopies," i.e., two clouds that shade their companion from the heat of this situation of standing. He described these two clouds as 'black' because they are thick and piled upon each other. "with 'sharq' between them," i.e., light. The light of 'sharq' is the sun. This indicates that they, albeit thick, do not conceal light. It was said: Sharq means rift, i.e., a gap and break between them. This is like separating every two Surahs in the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) with Basmalah (mentioning Allah's name). "or as if they were two flocks," i.e., two herds or two groups. "of birds in ranks," i.e., extending their wings and being linked to one another. The intended meaning is that they will protect their reciter from the heat of this situation of standing and the distress of the Day of Judgment. 'pleading' i.e., pushing against Hellfire and its keepers or pleading for him in intercession or when he is questioned, when his tongue keeps silent, his lips are distraught, and his arguments are lost. Their companion means: He who acts upon them and what they contain, of rulings and legislations, whether he is a memorizer or a reciter of them.
In the Hadīth: Urging the recitation of the Qur'an and acting upon it; and the merit of Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān..

806

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: As Gabriel (Jibrīl) was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he heard a creak from above. So, he raised his head and said: "That is a gate in the heavens that was opened today; it had never been opened before today." An angel descended from it. He said: "That is an angel that descended to earth; he had never descended before this day." He gave the greeting of peace and said: "Have glad tidings with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it.".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth a divine gift is mentioned for those who recite Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Gabriel (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation, was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the version by An-Nasā’i: "As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting and Gabriel (peace be upon him) was with him." This means that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), including Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), about Gabriel (peace be upon him) sitting with him. "he heard" refers to Gabriel (peace be upon him), and it is also probable the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the one who "heard a creak from above," i.e., in heaven. A creak is a sound released because of the movement of something. Gabriel (peace be upon him) - or the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - raised his head to look at the source of this sound. Gabriel (peace be upon him) said that this is a gate in the heaven of the world, which was opened today and had never been opened except today; and an angel descended from it to the earth, and he had never descended before today. This is all to prepare for something great. Indeed, the opening of one of the gates of the heaven for the first time and the descent of an angel other than Gabriel to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for the first time points to the significance of the matter for which he was sent. When the angel descended, he greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said to him: "Have glad tidings" - glad tidings are only given about good things - "with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah," i.e., their special reward of their recitation was not given beforehand; otherwise, the entire Qur'an was not given to any prophet before him. Surat al-Fātihah was endowed with this particular merit because it summarizes all the meanings of Imān (faith), Islam, and Ihsān (excellence). It comprises the fundamentals of the Fiqhi rules and knowledge principles. And the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah, beginning from {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers...} to the end of the Surah, are endowed with this particular merit because they contain praise for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This is because they comply with their content and submit to their meanings and for their supplication to Allah Almighty and return to Him in all their affairs; and also, because those verses contain the response to their supplications after they were taught to them and they said them, and so He made things easier for them and forgave and supported them.
Then, the angel said: "You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it." This stems from the great bounty of Allah towards His Prophet and his Ummah. He called them two lights because the recitation of each verse in them brings light to the reciter that illuminates his way and leads him to the right path and the true course, given the sublime meanings contained therein, which include acknowledgment of the Lordship and absolute resort to Allah with the great supplication using their words.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great status of Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah and urging their recitation.
And in it: Pointing out that there are angel messengers to the prophets other than Gabriel
And in it: Showing the honorable status of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with his Lord, as He honored him with such things that He did not honor the previous prophets with, giving him these two lights
And in it: Affirming the existence of the gates of heaven, that they are opened and closed, and that some angels do not descend to earth except for such glad tidings.

809

Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur’an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it, as it is the extended rope of Allah, causing tranquility of the soul and an abundance of rewards, and it protects a servant from the distresses and trials of worldly life and the horrors and hardships on the Day of Judgment.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf, Allah will guard, protect, and preserve him from the trial of the Dajjāl, who will emerge at the end of time and claim to be God. The Dajjāl originally refers to someone who often engages in lying and deception. His emergence is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment, and his trial is the gravest on earth from the creation of Adam to the coming of the Hour, as Allah Almighty will enable him to perform some miracles whereby he will mislead his followers. Verily, the memorization of these verses is a cause of protection against the Dajjāl. It was said: This is due to the wonders and miracles existing in these verses. So, whoever knows them will not wonder at the matter of the Dajjāl or be misled by him; and he will patiently endure the trials of the Dajjāl and his apparent bliss and punishment; or that the protection from the Dajjāl is granted by Allah to those who memorize these verses.
Also, there are means of protection against the trial of the Dajjāl, which are not mentioned in this Hadīth, but are authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in other Hadīths: Knowing the names and attributes of Allah, which makes one know that the Dajjāl is a human being who eats and drinks, and Allah is far Exalted above that; the Dajjāl is one-eyed, whereas Allah is not one-eyed; and no one sees his Lord until he dies, whereas the people, including the believers and disbelievers, will see the Dajjāl when he emerges. It also includes the pursuit of Allah's refuge from the trial of the Dajjāl, particularly in prayer, as reported in a Hadīth by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the Two Sahīh Collections that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in prayer: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjāl." And it also includes fleeing and turning away from the Dajjāl, for those who will be present at his time, given the suspicions and amazing supernatural incidents that appear with him and by which a person might be tempted.
In the Hadīth: The merit of the ten verses at the beginning of Surat al-Kahf.
And in it: Clarifying that the trial of the Dajjāl is so severe that protection against him is needed.

810

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]. Thereupon, he struck me on the chest and said: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir!".

Commentary : The glorious Qur'an is the strong rope of Allah and His straight path. Its recitation brings goodness and blessing and affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of reward. Allah endowed some of its Surahs and verses with a special merit.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day asked him: "O Abu al-Mundhir", a surname for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him). "Do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" i.e., in terms of the reward and benefit for its reciter in this world and the Hereafter. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said: Allah and His Messenger know best." This stems from the Companions' politeness towards the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: ’Ubayy knew which verse was the greatest when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about it, but he did not reply out of respect, modesty, and politeness towards him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). If he had answered him the first time he asked him, he would have thus displayed his knowledge. He also probably did not give the answer because he expected that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would probably tell him that another verse is greater than that or inform him of some other benefit. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated the question, he knew that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted him to answer and wanted to test his memorization and information. Thereupon, he answered him that the greatest verse - as far as he knew - is the one that reads: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursī [footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255] It is called the verse of Kursī. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved his answer and accepted it as correct, and he struck with his honorable hand on the chest of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him). This behavior on the Prophet's part was done by way of gentleness, given his approval and acceptance of this answer and his admiration of the answerer. He said to him: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir," i.e., may knowledge be blissful for you. This is meant as a supplication for him to find knowledge easily and be versed therein.
The verse of Kursī is the greatest verse in the Qur'an because it combines such fundamental divine names and attributes that are not combined in any other verse. In it, Allah Almighty describes Himself as the worshiped God other than Whom none is truly worthy of worship. He alone is worthy of worship, out of love and exaltation for Him, given the perfection of His attributes. To Him belongs the complete life, which was not preceded by non-existence, will not be followed by an end, and entails all attributes of perfection. He is Self-Sustaining and does not need anyone, and He undertakes the affairs of His creation, including sustenance and other things. All creatures stand in need of Him and cannot exist without Him. His support of their existence entails all actions of perfection. Part of the perfection of His life and sustainability is that He does not suffer drowsiness or get overcome by sleep, and He is the sole Possessor of all that is in the universe. No one dares to intercede with Him unless He gives him permission. He is the One Who knows all the affairs of His creation; past, present, and future, and all else do not possess anything of Allah's knowledge whatsoever except what He taught them, by His will. His Kursī - the place of His feet - encompassed the heavens and the earth, despite their vastness and greatness, and their preservation is not heavy or hard for Him; rather, this is something easy and simple for Him, Exalted be He. He is the Possessor of absolute exaltedness above all His creation. He is Exalted by His Essence above His Throne and High above His creation by His absolute power and perfect attributes. He is the Possessor of absolute greatness in His Essence, attributes, and authority, and all other than Him are humble before Him and so little next to Him. Nothing is greater than Him, Exalted, Glorified, and Blessed be He.
In the Hadīth: A great merit for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him).
And in it: Praising a person to his face, if it serves a good purpose and if self-admiration is not feared, and so on
And in it: The knowledgeable person's great respect for his virtuous companions.

811

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" They said: "How does one recite a third of the Qur'an? He said: "{Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals a third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing, as it is the strong rope of Allah, and it affords tranquility of the soul and abundant reward. Allah Almighty has particularly endowed Surat al-Ikhlās with great merit.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asks his Companions, by way of teaching them: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" Since this is hard to do, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wondered and asked him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): How does one recite one-third of the Qur'an in a night?! In response to them, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the recitation of Surat al-Ikhlās {Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals the recitation of one-third of the Qur'an. So, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd (monotheism), and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one-third based on this consideration. In a version of the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās
And in it: The vast bounty of Allah Almighty towards His servants, as He made the recitation of a short Surah equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an.

811

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an.".

812

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'an." So, there gathered those who gathered. Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he went back in. We said to one another: "I think this is a revelation that came to him from heaven. That is why he went in." Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and said: "Indeed, I said to you that I would recite to you one-third of the Qur'an, and it is indeed equal to one-third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Surat al-Ikhlās is a great surah despite its few words, as it contains great and sublime meanings. In it, the meaning of Tawhīd (monotheism) for Allah is refined, worship is solely devoted to Him, and refuge is sought with Him alone, and the son and father are negated from Him, Exalted be He. This is one of the fundamental topics to which the Qur'an refers.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: 'Gather together' i.e., come together. This command indicates that he will inform them about something important, namely that he will really recite to them one-third of the Qur'an, or what equals its third in terms of the meaning and reward. So, there gathered those who gathered from among the people. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited to them Surat al-Ikhlās only: {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he entered his room. When they saw that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited nothing but this Surah and did not recite one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the amount and the number of verses, they thought that he entered because the revelation was coming down to him and that he would thereafter come out and recite to them the rest of the third of the Qur'an. Then, when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out, it was as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) knew what they were thinking about and that they were waiting to hear from him the rest of the third of the Qur'an. So, he informed them that Surat al-Ikhlās equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward. Thus, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd, and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one third based on this consideration. In a version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: The good way in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions, and the Companions' politeness towards him
And in it: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās and that it equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward and recompense.

814

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?! They are: {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?!" This is an exclamatory question, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wondered at the great merit of these verses, the like of whose meanings and blessings were not revealed in other Surahs to him before. Then, he identified those verses, saying that they are the two Surahs: "{Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}" They are the two refuge-seeking Surahs. They mention the pursuit of refuge, resorting, and asking for protection from Allah, the Lord of creation and the Lord of mankind. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used these two Surahs in seeking refuge with Allah Almighty and performing Ruqyah (faith healing) for himself.
Surat al-Falaq contains the verses that read: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak, from the harm of all what He has created; from the harm of the darkening night when it spreads around, from the harm of the sorceresses who blow on knots, and from the harm of the envier when he envies."} The meaning is: Say, O you, the Messenger—I resort to the Lord of the Morning. The Surah begins by describing the One with whom refuge is sought as the Lord of the Daybreak, for this is the time for the outpouring of lights and the descent of goodness and blessings. I seek refuge in this Lord, Who possesses this description, from what is harmful among the creatures. He solely attributes to the One with Whom refuge is sought what He created. He begins with the general words: {from the harm of all what He has created}, i.e., from the evil of His creation, the evil committed by the accountable servants in the form of sins and mutual harm among themselves, and what is done by unaccountable creatures of animals, such as the predatory beasts and insects, by eating, nipping, stinging, and biting, and the different kinds of harm Allah caused to exist in other than animals, like burning in the fire and killing by poison.
Then, He follows it with that whose harm is more hidden in terms of time, and it is the opposite of the break of the day, namely the coming of darkness, with His words: {from the harm of darkening [night] when it spreads around.} This is because harm spreads more easily at this time and getting rid of it becomes more difficult.
He particularly mentions the time in which wickedness is hidden, like the sorceresses who blow on knots and the enviers, and He links the envier with the conditional {when he envies}, because when an envier displays his envy, his evil and harm becomes more effective. Allah combines the evils in this Surah and concludes them with envy, so that it should be known that it is the meanest trait.
And Surat an-Nis is the verses that reads: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the harm of the lurking whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind, from among jinn and mankind."} [Surat an-Nās: 1-6] The meaning: Say - O you the Messenger -: I resort to the Lord of mankind and seek refuge in Him. He is the Sovereign of mankind and does whatever He wills to them. There is no other sovereign for them but Him and no true deity for them but Him. I seek refuge in Him from the evil of the devil who throws his whisperings to man if he fails to remember Allah and he goes backwards if he remembers Him. He throws his whisperings into the hearts of people. Such a whisperer could be among humankind and jinns alike.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great significance of the two refuge-seeking Surahs
And in it: Pointing out that there is nothing in the Qur’an like the two refuge-seeking Surahs in terms of the meanings, blessings, and pursuit of Allah's refuge through them.

817

‘Āmir ibn Wāthila reported: Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abdul-Hārith met ‘Umar at ‘Usfān, and ‘Umar had employed him as a governor of Makkah. He said: "Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of the valley?" He said: "Ibn Abza." He said: "Who is Ibn Abza?" He said: "He is one of our freed slaves." He said: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" He said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty and he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance." ‘Umar said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book some people and degrades others.'".

Commentary : The Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen that the rulings of Islam should be applied in all corners of the state. Therefore, he used to ask the governors about their conditions and how they acted in different situations, correcting their errors and holding them accountable for them. He would put in a high status the knowledgeable people of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Shar‘i rulings, in compliance with the principles of the honorable Shariah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Āmir ibn Wāthila (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Companion Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), was one of those who embraced Islam at the time of the Conquest of Makkah and was approved by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate as a ruler and governor of Makkah, and stayed there until he died. Nāfi‘ met ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), who stopped at ‘Usfān on the way to Hajj. He called him for a meeting, and he met him in ‘Usfān, a village 80km north of Makkah on the way to Madīnah. When they met, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of Makkah in your place for the period of your absence as you meet the Commander of the Faithful? The valley here refers to the valley of Makkah and Tā’if. He informed him that he had appointed Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abza (may Allah be pleased with him), as a governor over them, a freed slave of Nāfi‘ ibn al-Hārith. He embraced Islam during the Prophet's lifetime and lived in Kufa. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as a governor of Khorasan.
‘Umar said to him, disapprovingly: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" i.e., have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over the people of Makkah, the people of the Sacred City, and the people of nobility and high status?! It was said: ‘Umar's disapproval of his appointment as a governor over them was not because he belittled or disdained him, but because of the non-fulfillment of the purpose behind such an appointment, namely to set people's affairs in order and manage them, which requires the governor appointed over them to be a man of awe, greatness, and noble status in the hearts of the general public. To this end, he should be free and of noble descent and high standing; otherwise, people would disrespect and disobey him. Thus, the objective of such a post would fail.
Clarifying the reason behind appointing him over them, Nafi‘(may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty," i.e., he is a memorizer of it and knowledgeable about its rulings. "And he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance," i.e., about the division of inheritance according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In other words, Allah Almighty elevated this governor over them by virtue of these things, and they know him to be like that, so they would respect and revere him and obey his command; thus, their affairs would be set aright, and their conditions would become stable. Hence, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), liked what he heard about the traits of Ibn Abza and approved the action of Nafi‘ ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), and thereupon said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book" the noble Qur'an "some people." Allah elevates those who believe in it, recite it, and sincerely act according to it. He elevates them in this world, by making them lead a good life, and in the Hereafter, by making them among the people of high ranks along with those upon whom Allah bestowed His favor. "and degrades others,", lowering their status; those are the people who do not believe in it, or believe in it yet neglect it and abandon its application. So, He causes them to live in misery and straits in this world and makes them the lowest of the low in the Hereafter.
In the Hadīth: Putting a freed slave in authority over free people if he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance
And in it: Knowledge and the Qur'an redress the deficiency in one's lineage
And in it: The merit of knowledge
And in it: The approach of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as he used to follow up on his governors and observe how they ruled their subjects, lest they might neglect their rights, and thus, he would be the one to blame, for he was the chief caretaker.
And in it: The merit and honor of the knowledge of inheritance, for it is the knowledge to which Allah Almighty gave high status, as He Himself undertook the division of inheritance in His glorious Book and did not leave it to anyone..

820

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: As I was in the mosque, a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner that I found to be strange. Afterward, a man entered and recited in a manner different from the other. When we finished the prayer, we all went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I said: "This man recited in a manner that I found to be strange, and another man entered and recited in a manner different from his recitation." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them to recite, and when they did so, he expressed approval of both. This made me inclined to disbelieve in him, even to an extent I had never reached in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance). When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) noticed how I was affected, he gave me a pat on the chest. Thereupon, I broke into a sweat and was filled with fear as though I were looking at Allah Almighty. He said to me: "O ’Ubayy, a message was sent to me: Recite the Qur'an in one mode, but I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the second message: Recite it in two modes. I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the third message: Recite it in seven modes. And you may ask Me for something in return for each reply I sent to you. I said: O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah. And I delayed the third request until the Day when all humankind, even including Abraham (Ibrāhīm) (peace be upon him), will seek my intercession. [In a version]: ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b told me that he was sitting in the mosque when a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner... and he related a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions the Qur'an to perfection, and he would recite it to them in modes and manners that suited various dialects, all of which belong to Arabic, to make things easy and simple for the Muslims.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was sitting in the Prophet's Mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not present at the time - and ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the memorizers of the Book of Allah Almighty - as a man entered and prayed. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him recite the Qur'an in a way he found to be strange, i.e., ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know this way of recitation and did not hear it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier man. When they all finished the prayer, they went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in one of his rooms. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): This man recited in a way I found to be strange, as his recitation differed from that of mine. And another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier one. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered both men to recite so that he could hear their recitation and make sure whether it was correct or wrong. The two men recited, and he expressed approval of the recitation of both and said that both were good, or he said to each of them: You have done well. When ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) express approval of their recitation, he thought about denying the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and felt confused and surprised in a way he could not describe and the like of which he had not experienced during Jāhiliyyah, when he was in misguidance and disbelief, which are worthier of this kind of denial. Jāhiliyyah: It is the period during which people were polytheists before the Prophet's mission, and it was called as such because of the prevalence of their ignorance.
When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived that ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) experienced the whisperings and promptings of Satan, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck him with his noble hand on his chest, to reassure him. As a result, sweat flowed from all over the body of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), as if he were looking at Allah out of fear and embarrassment about the devil's whispering that influenced him. This indicates that it was a prompting from the devil, which disappeared immediately after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck with his hand on ’Ubayy's chest, and the sweat overflowed from him.
At this point, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed ’Ubayy - by way of reassuring him and making things clear to him - that Allah Almighty revealed to him that he should recite the Qur'an in one mode, i.e., in one way. "but I replied to Him," i.e., to Allah Almighty through Gabriel (Jibrīl) (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation. "Make matters easy," i.e., he asked Him, Exalted be He, to make the recitation of the Qur'an simple and easy for the Muslim Ummah. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was going back to his Almighty Lord to ask Him to facilitate things for his Ummah, as he is reported to have done regarding prayer. Allah Almighty replied to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the second time: "Recite it in two modes," and on the third time Allah facilitated the matter for the Ummah by its recitation in seven modes. In other words, the Qur'an was revealed in seven ways or seven dialects, intended to make the matter simple and easy. It was said: The Qur'an was first revealed in the language of the Quraysh tribe and the surrounding eloquent Arabs. Then, it was made permissible for the Arabs to recite it in their own languages which they habitually used, along with their different words and rules of parsing. He did not oblige any of them to shift from their language to another because it involved difficulty. This was also for their tribalism and their need for facilitation, so that they could understand the intended meanings. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations such that everyone could change any word to its equivalent in his language. Rather, the criterion in this regard was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, the Almighty Lord said to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "In return for each reply I sent to you," i.e., in return for each time you came back to Me to ask for facilitation and ease for your Ummah and I replied to you, "you may ask Me for something," i.e., an answered supplication, which you should make, and you will not be disappointed or rejected regarding it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah" twice. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the third request until the Day of Judgment. It is the Grand Intercession. All humankind will need his intercession, when everyone will say "myself, myself," even Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).
In the Hadīth: Allah's facilitation of things for the Ummah and His mercy towards them
And in it: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the best among the prophets and all humankind.
And in it: The superiority of Abraham (peace be upon him) over all the other prophets, except for our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
And in it: The Prophet's compassion towards his Ummah
And in it: It shows how much the Companions cared about the Qur'an, defended it, and preserved it and its words as they had heard it, without deviation from it.
And in it: Pointing out that the Qur'an was revealed in seven modes
And in it: Pardoning people for the devil's promptings and not holding them accountable for them
And in it: Showing the noble status of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), for the devil did not gain control over him and so he could not allure him as he allured many others who were predestined by Allah to suffer misery by persisting in denial. Rather, Allah Almighty inspired him to repent through the Prophet's striking on his chest and his supplication for him.
And in it: Establishing the intercession for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

821

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by a pond belonging to Banu Ghifār when Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah Commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in one letter." He said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." He then came to him for the second time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in two letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the third time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in three letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the fourth time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in seven letters, and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right.".

Commentary : The Noble Qur’an is the speech of Allah Almighty revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Allah has made its recitation easy for people so that they reflect upon its verses. A form of this facilitation and flexibility is that Allah has permitted its recitation in seven letters and in Qirā’āt (modes of recitation) that He taught to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who taught them to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who reported these Qirā’at to those who succeeded them.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by "Adā’ah (pond) belonging to Banu Ghifār." Adā’ah: still water. It is said that it is a place in Makkah, as Ghifār was a tribe from Kinānah, and their location was near Makkah. It is also said that it is a place in Madīnah attributed to Banu Ghifār because they settled therein.
Gabriel (peace be upon him) - the angel entrusted with the revelation - came to him and said: "Allah Almighty commands you to recite the Qur'an to your Ummah," referring to the Ummah that responded to his call, "in one letter," i.e. in one manner. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness," i.e. I ask Allah Almighty for His ease, facilitation, and forgiveness for them. The Prophet's request for forgiveness was out of fear of negligence committed on their side regarding how they must recite. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, my Ummah cannot bear that," i.e., they cannot stand to agree on one letter given their different dialects. So, uniting them into one dialect is hard for them and challenging for their tongues. Then, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him for the second time and informed him that Allah Almighty commands him to make his Ummah recite the Qur’an in two letters. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said the same thing he said the first time. Then, Gabriel came to him for the third time and informed him that Allah commands him to make his Ummah recite in three letters. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said what he had said in the two previous times. Then for the fourth time, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur’an in seven letters," thus, each one could recite in the manner that suits him, and that is easy for him, "and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right" and correct and their recitation will be sufficient and valid. His saying: "seven letters", means It was revealed in seven manners or seven dialects, which refers to facilitation and ease. It is said that the Qur'an was first revealed in the language of Quraysh and those who lived next to them from among the eloquent Arabs. Then, the Arabs were allowed to recite it in their usual languages despite the difference between them in words and grammatical rules. None of them was asked to leave his language for another one, given the difficulty involved and the pride they had and to make it easy for them to understand the intended meaning. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations in such a way that everyone would change any word to its equivalent in his language; instead, the criterion here was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth reflects the Prophet's keenness in facilitating and making things easy for his Ummah.
It also sheds light on the mercy of Allah Almighty towards His slaves by lightening their burden and revealing the Qur’an in seven letters..

822

Abu Wā’il reported: A man called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to ‘Abdullah and said: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter? Do you recite it as 'alif' (first letter of the Arabic alphabet) or as 'yā’' (last letter of the Arabic alphabet) {min mā’in ghayri āsin (of fresh water)} [Surat Muhammad: 15] or: min mā’in ghayri yāsin?" He said: 'Abdullah replied, "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" He said: "Indeed, I do recite the Mufassal (from Surat Qāf till the end of the Qur'an) in one Rak'ah (unit of prayer)." 'Abdullah said: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry! Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones. But if it were to reach the heart and settle therein, then it would be of benefit. The best (acts) of prayer are Rukū' (bowing) and Sujūd (prostration). I am well-acquainted with the Nazhā’ir (pairs of similar Surahs) which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine two Surahs in every Rak'ah." Then, 'Abdullah stood up and 'Alqamah followed him; he came out and said: "He informed me about them." [Another version reads]: A man from Banu Bajīlah came to ‘Abdullah, and he did not say: Nahīk ibn Sinān. [Another version reads]: 'Alqamah came to enter upon him, so we said: "Ask him about the Nazhā’ir that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in one Rak'ah." So, he entered upon him and asked him, then, he came out and said: "Twenty Surahs of the Mufassal according to the order (of the Surahs) set by 'Abdullah.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty commanded reflection upon the Qur’an, as He says: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29] Allah Almighty also says: {Do they not then ponder on the Qur’an?} [Surat an-Nisā’: 82] This is the purpose of its recitation, not just the mere recitation of its letters without understanding or reflection.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi'i Abu Wā’il, brother of Ibn Salamah, reports that a man - and in another version: "from Banu Bajīlah" - called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu' Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter?" i.e., how do you recite this verse in the Qur'an? "Do you recite it as 'alif' or 'yā"? {{min mā’in ghayri āsin} or (min mā’in ghayri yāsin)?" This means: Does the word start with an alif or a yā'? "Āsin" water is water that has a changed taste and color, whereas "Yāsin" water is smelly and stinking water that affects whoever goes in it with its steam. Thereupon, ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" i.e. Have you memorized the whole Qur'an and perfected its words except for this verse and the word you are asking about?! As if he was shocked and rebuking him. Nahīk ibn Sinān gave him an answer denoting how he believed that he had perfected the recitation of the whole Qur’an, as he informed him that he used to recite the Mufassal (short Surahs) in one single Rak‘ah, which indicates the great extent of his memorization and perfection. It is said: The Mufassal starts from Surat Muhammad, and it is said: Surat Qāf, until the end of the Noble Qur’an. It was called so because of the frequent separation between its Surahs with the line "Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful). ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) did not answer his question because he got the impression that he was not seeking guidance; rather, he said to him: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry?!" "Hadhdh" (hasty recitation) means excessive hastiness and extreme speed, i.e., do you recite the Qur’an hastily without reflecting upon it as if you are reciting poetry?! As if Ibn Mas‘ūd was criticizing him for reciting the Mufassal in one single Rak‘ah without reflecting upon and contemplating the verses.
Then, Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones," which is an indirect reference to incomprehension, i.e., there are people who recite the Qur'an without reflecting upon its verses or contemplating its meanings. Hence, it does not reach their hearts through contemplation and humility, and it does not ascend to heaven, and they do not, thus, receive a reward for it. "Turquwah" (collarbone): It is the protruding upper chest bone from the beginning of the shoulder to the bottom of the neck.
Then, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that when the Qur’an is recited in a reflective and contemplative manner, and the heart consequently grasps its meanings and understands its lessons, it becomes of benefit to its reciter, and this is what is required of a Muslim and is the objective of reciting the Qur’an. Then, he clarified to him that the acts of prayer that have a better and bigger reward are more Rukū‘ and Sujūd, not the lengthy recitation in which the reciter does not reflect upon the meanings of the verses.
Then, he taught him, saying: I am well-acquainted with the Surahs, which are called "Nazhā’ir" and which are the Surahs that have similar meanings or have a similar length, that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine in his Rak'ahs during prayer reciting two of them in every Rak'ah.
Ibn Mas‘ūd then stood up and entered his house, followed by the Tābi'i' Alqamah ibn Qays, who wanted to ask him about these Surahs which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine. Then, ‘Alqamah came out and said to the people: Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed me about them.
Another version reads: 'Alqamah informed them that the Nazhā’ir are "twenty Surahs from the Mufassal," i.e., twenty of the small Surahs according to the order of the Mus-haf that was arranged by 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd whose order varied from that of Zayd ibn Thābit. These Surahs were mentioned by Abu Dāwūd on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and they are: Ar-Rahmān and An-Najm in a Rak‘ah, Al-Qamar and Al-Hāqqah in a Rak‘ah, At-Tūr and Adh-Dhāriyāt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Wāqi‘ah and Al-Qalam in a Rak‘ah, Al-Ma‘ārij and An-Nāzi‘āt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Mutaffifīn and ‘Abasa in a Rak‘ah, Al-Muddaththir and Al-Muzzammil in a Rak‘ah, Al-Insān and Al-Qiyāmah in a Rak‘ah, An-Naba’ and Al-Mursalāt in a Rak‘ah, and Ad-Dhukhān and At-Takwīr in a Rak‘ah. If it is said Ad-Dukhān is not from the Mufassal, how did he count it from the Mufassal? The answer: It is a metaphor, as it was mentioned in a version in the Two Sahīh Collections: Eighteen Surahs from the Mufassal and two Surahs from the {Hā Mīm} family.
The Hadīth encourages reflection upon the Qur’an and abstention from reciting it hastily.
It also emphasizes the status and knowledge of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him)..

830

Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer at Al-Mukhammas and said: "This prayer was presented to those before you, but they wasted it. So, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled, and there is no prayer after it until the Shāhid appears." Shāhid: the star..

Commentary : Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The 'Asr prayer has a great merit. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges Muslims to observe it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led some of his Companions in the ‘Asr prayer at Al-Mukhammas, which is the name of a path in Mount ‘Ayr on the way to Makkah. Then, he informed them that the 'Asr prayer was enjoined upon the preceding nations, but they did not observe it properly, not performing it in its due time, taking it lightly, and abandoning it. Then, Allah gave it to the Ummah of Islam, "so, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled"; the first reward is for observing it, unlike those who neglected it, and the second is a recompense for his deed like the rest of prayers. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then forbade them from offering any supererogatory prayer until the sun sets and the "Shāhid", which is the star, appears. It was called "Shāhid" (witness) because it appears and is present at night and because a star does not appear and is not seen except after sunset. This does not contradict the confirmed texts that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Maghrib by sunset, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections and others.
This is a prohibition of prayer at sunset because it was when those who worshipped the sun used to pray. The word "after" here is not meant in a general sense; rather, it is meant to refer to the time of sunset and what is close to it. It is said that the prohibition of prayer during this time is only meant to prohibit delaying the obligatory prayer without a valid excuse until it is performed close to sunset. This prohibition does not include performing obligatory prayers or making up for missed prayers; it is exclusive to the supererogatory prayer.
The Hadīth encourages the observance of prayer.
It also encourages the observance of prayers in their due time.
It clarifies the merit of this Ummah as it carefully maintains a prayer that was not maintained by the preceding nations.
It also points out that the reward of whoever observes the ‘Asr prayer is doubled..

831

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir al-Juhani reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid us from praying or burying our deceased ones at three times: when the sun begins to rise until it is fully risen; when the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon until it passes its zenith; and when the sun starts setting until it fully sets..

Commentary : Allah Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to all humankind as a guide, bringer of good news, and a warner. There is no goodness for them concerning their life or death except that he guided them to it and urged them to do it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to preserve for the Muslims their creed. For example, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from praying or burying their dead at three times, which are: "When the sun begins to rise;" this is at the beginning of its rise and appearance. In modern estimation, this is nearly 15 minutes after sunrise. He forbade this because it is a time in which the sun-worshipers used to pray and prostrate to it, as it is a time in which the the sun rises between the two horns the devil. The second time: "When the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon;" this is at midday, when the sun is in the middle of the sky. This is a time when any standing object at noon no longer has a shadow towards the east or the west, and it is the time of extreme heat. He forbade this timing because Hellfire is flared up during it. The forbidden time continues until the sun passes its zenith for a little towards the west, and there comes the noon at which the time of the Zhuhr prayer comes. The third timing: "and when the sun starts setting," i.e., it moves towards setting until it completely sets, and the disc of the sun disappears. This is a time in which the sun sets between the two horns of the devil. This prohibition does not apply to the obligatory prayers that are performed within their appointed times or as missed prayers; rather,, it applies to supererogatory prayers.
In the Hadīth: The prohibition of praying at these times
And in it: The prohibition of burying the dead at these times.

832

‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: In Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance), I used to think that people were misguided and that they were not on the right path, as they worshipped idols. Then, I heard of a man in Makkah who was telling new things. So, I mounted my camel and went to him. I found that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was hiding, for his people were aggressive toward him. So, I acted gently until I entered his place. I said to him: "Who are you?" He said: "I am a Prophet." I said: "What is a Prophet?" He said: "Allah sent me.'' I said: "What did He send you with?" He said: "He sent me with [a message] of maintaining kinship ties, breaking the idols, and upholding the oneness of Allah without associating anything with him." I said: "Who is with you on that?" He said: "A free man and a slave man.'' He said: At that time only Abu Bakr and Bilāl were with him. I said: "I shall follow you.'' He said: "You cannot do that today. Do you not see my situation and that of the people? However, return to your people, and when you hear that I have succeeded in my mission, come to me.'' So, I went to my people. Later, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to Madīnah. It was until some of my people went to Madīnah that I said: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" They said: "People are hastening to him. His own people wanted to kill him, but they could not." So, I went to Madīnah and entered his place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He said: "Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me of what Allah has taught you, which I am ignorant of. Tell me about prayer." He said: "Perform the morning prayer. Then, do not pray until the sun has risen up to the height of a lance, for when it rises, it rises between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it. Then, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until the shadow of the lance shrinks. Then, do not pray, for at that time Hell is fired up. Then, pray when the shadow becomes longer, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until you perform ‘Asr. Then, do not pray until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it." I further said: "O Prophet, tell me about ablution.'' He said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water and rinses his mouth and nose, the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose will ‘fall’. Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him, the sins of his face fall with water from the edges of his beard. Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows, the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair. Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles, the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes. Then, when he stands up for prayer, praises Allah Almighty, extols Him, glorifies Him as He deserves, and empties his heart for Allah, he becomes free from his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.'' ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah narrated this Hadīth to Abu ’Umāmah, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, Abu Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about what you are saying. Will a man be getting all of this on one occasion?" ‘Amr said: "O Abu ’Umāmah, I am old in age, weak in bones, and close to death. I do not need to tell lies about Allah or the Messenger of Allah. Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times - I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that.".

Commentary : Islam emerged in a world filled with oppression, Shirk (polytheism), and ignorance. The brightness of its teachings was strange to those who lived in complete darkness. Its earlier followers suffered severe tribulations, as they were very few and their enemies regarded them as weak and humiliated, and they would subject them to subjugation and harm, for they did not possess the means of protection either by being large in number or by strength. This was before Allah Almighty endowed them with Hijrah (emigration) to Madīnah, where He provided them with refuge, empowered them, helped them, and made them victorious over their enemies. In this Hadīth, the Companion ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him)—who was the half-brother of Abu Dharr from the mother's side; their mother was Ramlah, from Banu al-Waqī‘ah ibn Harām ibn Ghifār, and he was from Banu Sulaym—says that in Jāhiliyyah, people were polytheists. It was called as such due to the prevalence of their ignorance. He used to think that people were misguided and did not follow anything of the truth or the religion that would benefit them with Allah Almighty. "as they worshipped idols." An idol is anything worshiped apart from Allah, be it made of stone, wood, or trees, and whether it takes the form of a human being or not. Later, he heard about the emergence of a man - meaning the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - in Makkah who was telling new things concerning Allah Almighty, i.e., the new things related to the prophethood, the message, and the revelation of Allah to him, and the command He sent to him about Tawhīd (monotheism) and the falsity of associating partners with Allah Almighty. So, he mounted his riding animal and traveled to Makkah to learn about the affair of this Prophet. He found the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) hiding from the disbelievers because they were aggressive to him. So, he searched for him in Makkah in a gentle and kind manner so that the Quraysh disbelievers would not repel him, until he found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "What are you?" i.e., what about your condition and your affair? He did not say, "Who are you?" because he did not want to ask about himself but about his traits. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "I am a Prophet," one of the prophets of Allah, as Allah sent revelation to me. He asked him about the reality that distinguishes a prophet from others, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him that Allah sent him to all humankind. He further asked him: "What did He send you with?" In reply, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that He sent him with a message of upholding the ties of kinship, who are a person's relatives and all those who are related to him by blood, whether he is an inheritor of them or not. The tie becomes more affirmed if they have a closer blood relationship. The Prophet's response here was appropriate for the questioner or considering the time and condition. The upholding of kinship ties is probably singled out in consideration of the condition of the Arabs, or because other obligations had not yet been prescribed. And he informed him that Allah Almighty sent him with a message of breaking and destroying the idols, prohibiting the devotion of worship to them, and that oneness must be attributed to Allah alone and worship be devoted to Him alone, not associating any of the creation as partners with Him. ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Who is with you on that" Tawhīd and religion? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A free man and a slave man." ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at the time had with him Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the free man, and Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the slave man, among those who believed in him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), believed his message, and followed his religion. ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "I shall follow you" and this religion, referring to his conversion to Islam. Hence, I shall accompany you and be with you in this position you are in. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You cannot do that on this day of yours," i.e., at the present time. This is due to the weakness of the Muslims. It is feared that you will be harmed by the Qurayshi disbelievers. He did not reject his conversion to Islam, but rejected the idea that he would remain with him, citing as the reason for that the few supporters of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the strength of the disbelievers and the severe animosity they displayed. So, he ordered him to go back to his people, remain among them, and continue to be Muslim, and when he hears about the dominance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his victory over the polytheists and the spread of his call across the land, he should come to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This is an example of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talking about future and unseen things, and it falls under the signs of his prophethood (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to his people Banu Sulaym. Then, after a while, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated to Madīnah after staying in Makkah as a prophet for thirteen years, calling people to Tawhīd and the abandonment of Shirk. Meanwhile, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was living among his people. So, he began to look out for news about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in Madīnah, asking travelers who would pass him by. This continued until there came a group, between three and nine persons, from the people of Yathrib, which was the old name for Madīnah, before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) changed it to Taybah and Tābah. He asked them: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" He posed the question in this way so as to conceal his condition from whom he asked, lest they might be enemies of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and so they would not tell him the truth, if they knew he was following his religion. This reflects the good understanding, wisdom, and intelligence of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him). They answered him: People are hastening to him to follow his religion and enter Islam. "His people wanted to," i.e., the Quraysh disbelievers wanted to "kill him" by various methods of cunning and deception, "but they could not." Rather, Allah turned their plots back on their necks and protected His Prophet from that. It was said: This is intended to refer to what the Quraysh tribe plotted against the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after his Hijrah, including the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, and Al-Ahzāb, and others. But they could not eliminate him, as Allah Almighty granted him victory over them. Also, the intended meaning is probably what Allah Almighty mentions in the verse that reads: {And [remember] when the disbelievers plotted against you to take you as captive, kill you, or expel you. They plan, and Allah also plans, but Allah is the Best of those who plan.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 30] This is when they plotted against him in these ways. So, Allah permitted him to immigrate, and after he went to Madīnah, Allah Almighty revealed to him "Surat al-Anfāl" wherein He mentions His favors upon him and the affliction he had suffered.
Then, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he came to Madīnah - after the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar - and entered the Prophet's place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He replied: Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah. So, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked to tell him about what Allah taught the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of which ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was ignorant. He also asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to tell him about the prayer and its time. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to offer the morning prayer - and its time begins with the appearance of the true dawn - and then desist from prayer until the sun appears and rises to the height with which prayer is no longer disliked; that's 15 minutes after sunrise, according to modern estimation. This demonstrates the times in which prayer was prohibited, and he explained to him the reason behind this prohibition, saying that the sun rises between two horns of a devil, and at that time the disbelievers who worship the sun prostrate themselves to it. The meaning: The devil adorned to some people the worship of the sun at this time, and he used to take sunrise between the two horns in his head and approach it, and so it would rise between his two horns. And the same happens at the time of sunset. It is as if those who prostrate to the sun do prostrate to him. So, this is meant to keep away from imitation of the disbelievers at their time of prayer. This prohibition pertains to supererogatory prayers whose performance is not associated with a specific reason. A Muslim should not offer them at these two times. As for the missed obligatory prayers, they may be performed at all times of prohibition.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that after that time he could offer as many supererogatory prayers as he wished, as related in the version by Abu Dāwūd, "for the prayer is witnessed and attended," i.e., the angels attend it to write down its reward and bear witness for those who perform it. So, it is closer to acceptance and the attainment of mercy. So, he prays "until the shadow of the lance shrinks," i.e., the shadow rises with the lance or in the lance, and nothing of it remains on the ground. This refers to the Arab martial lance, which is nine mediocre spans long. The lance was particularly mentioned because when the Arabs wanted to know the time, they would erect their lances on the ground and then look at their shadows.
When things no longer have a shadow, one should refrain from offering supererogatory prayers that are not associated with a specific reason, for this time is one in which "Hell is fired up," i.e., it is intensely kindled. "when the shadow becomes longer" towards the east, "then pray" any prayer you want to offer. "for the prayer is witnessed and attended." Continue to pray as much as you wish "until you perform ‘Asr." Then, stop offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr, until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil, and this is a time at which the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it, as previously mentioned.
Then, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about ablution and how to perform it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water," i.e., brings water to perform ablution therewith. "and rinses his mouth" by moving water inside the mouth and then discharging it out. "and nose" by inserting water into the nose and then blowing it out to remove any filth inside. the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose "fall." "Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him," i.e., in the verse that reads: {when you rise up for prayer, wash your faces.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 6] "the sins of his face will fall with water from the edges of his beard." He mentioned the beard in light of what is more common; yet, it also applies to those who have no beard, such as the beardless men or women. "Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows," which are the joints in the middle of the arm, "the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair." He mentioned hair in light of what is more common, yet it also applies to those who have no hair. "Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles" - the two protruding bones at the joint connecting the foot and leg - "the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes." If a person performs ablution in this way and enters the prayer, praises Allah, lauds Him by the well-established attributes, lauds Him by exalting Him above what does not befit Him, and extols Him by ascribing to Him the attributes of glory, might, and honor of which He is worthy; "and empties his heart for Allah," Almighty, i.e., he empties his heart from the impurity of attachment to and reliance upon other than Allah, "he becomes free from his sins" and misdeeds and gets purified from them as he was pure from all sins "on the day his mother gave birth to him."
‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this Hadīth before Abu ’Umāmah, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Abu ’Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about," i.e., consider, ponder, "what you are saying" about this abundant reward in return for this little act in one situation and one place; a man is given this great reward! The wording by An-Nasā’i: "Is all of this given in one situation?!" This does not denote suspicion by Abu ’Umāmah of ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with both of them). It is only wonder at the immensity of Allah's bounty. ‘Amr replied: "O Abu Umāmah, I am old in age," "weak in bones," i.e., my bones have become thin and lean - a reference to his weakness. "and close to death." "I do not need" or am prompted "to tell lies about Allah" Almighty" or the Messenger of Allah" (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning: The usual causes of lying are non-existent in me. I am not a liar. So, "Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times," i.e., he said: four times, until he said: seven times. "I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that." In the version by An-Nasā’i: "My ears heard it, and my heart understood it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." This means he was scrupulous in narrating these words about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Besides, his heart kept it for himself, and he did not undergo forgetfulness. This is all due to keenness to ascertain the validity of the narration.
In the Hadīth: Urging the upholding of kinship ties, as Allah Almighty couples it with Tawhīd
And in it: Supererogatory prayers may be offered at any time, except for the prohibited times.
And in it: Demonstrating the time of the morning prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the times in which it is prohibited to offer non-obligatory prayers
And in it: The merit of performing ablution perfectly
And in it: The merit of Khushū‘ (humility and focus) in prayer
And in it: It is prohibited to imitate the disbelievers in their worship
And in it: Showing the merit of Abu Bakr and Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with both of them), as they embraced Islam ahead of others
And in it: Showing the merit of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his wisdom, for he realized during Jāhiliyyah that people were misguided, as they worshiped idols apart from Allah Almighty, and he embraced Islam early on.
And in it: It points out that a Muslim should ask about the best times and places in which he should seek closeness to his Lord and perform a lot of worship to Him.
And in it: News should be verified, even if the reporter is truthful, for he may undergo forgetfulness or the like..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."
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Narrated Ibn Jurayj: `Ikrimah ibn Khaalid asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about performing `Umrah before Hajj. Ibn `Umar replied, "There is no harm in it." `Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Umar also said, 'The Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah before performing Hajj.'".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Makkah, some boys of the tribe of Banee `Abd al-Muttalib went to receive him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) made one of them ride in front of him and the other behind him.
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Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) never entered upon his family from a journey at night. He used to return either in the morning or in the afternoon.
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Narrated Anas (ra: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of al-Madeenah, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster."
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Narrated AbooHurayrah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Traveling is a kind of torture as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping properly. So, when one's needs are fulfilled, one should return quickly to one's family."
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from performing (`Umrah) Therefore, he shaved his head, had sexual relations with his wives, slaughtered his Hady, and performed ‘Umrah in the following year.
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Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" They said: "How does one recite a third of the Qur'an? He said: "{Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals a third of the Qur'an.".

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an.".

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise." .

Narrated Ibn Jurayj: `Ikrimah ibn Khaalid asked Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about performing `Umrah before Hajj. Ibn `Umar replied, "There is no harm in it." `Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Umar also said, 'The Prophet ﷺ had performed `Umrah before performing Hajj.'".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Makkah, some boys of the tribe of Banee `Abd al-Muttalib went to receive him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) made one of them ride in front of him and the other behind him. .

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) never entered upon his family from a journey at night. He used to return either in the morning or in the afternoon. .

Narrated Anas (ra: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of al-Madeenah, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster." .

Narrated AbooHurayrah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Traveling is a kind of torture as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping properly. So, when one's needs are fulfilled, one should return quickly to one's family." .

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from performing (`Umrah) Therefore, he shaved his head, had sexual relations with his wives, slaughtered his Hady, and performed ‘Umrah in the following year. .

Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" They said: "How does one recite a third of the Qur'an? He said: "{Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals a third of the Qur'an.".

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an.".

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Makkah, some boys of the tribe of Banee `Abd al-Muttalib went to receive him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) made one of them ride in front of him and the other behind him.
.

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) never entered upon his family from a journey at night. He used to return either in the morning or in the afternoon.
.

Narrated Anas (ra: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of al-Madeenah, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster."
.

Narrated AbooHurayrah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Traveling is a kind of torture as it prevents one from eating, drinking, and sleeping properly. So, when one's needs are fulfilled, one should return quickly to one's family."
.

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from performing (`Umrah) Therefore, he shaved his head, had sexual relations with his wives, slaughtered his Hady, and performed ‘Umrah in the following year.
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