Narrated al-Miswar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) slaughtered (the Hady) before he had his head shaved and then he ordered his Companions to do the same.
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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, there is a narrative/account of what the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid when he was prevented from completing the ‘Umrah of al-Hubaydeeyah, when the Prophet ﷺset out to perform the ‘Umrah in the sixth year after the Hijrah. However, the polytheists prevented him ﷺ from arriving in Makkah. As a result, he ﷺ abandoned this ‘Umrah, and after that ratified his accord with the people of Makkah, which is known as the Treaty of al-Hubaydeeyah.
al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (ra) reports that when the Prophet ﷺreleased himself from the state of Ihraam that he assumed for Hajj, he ﷺbegan to slaughter the 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. Then, after slaughtering the hady, he ﷺshaved his noble head and ordered the Companions to do the same. Shaving the head or cutting the hair is the last rite of ‘Umrah, and it requires one to release themself from the state of Ihraam.
This hadeeth explains how the muhsar should release himself from the state of ihraam..

1821

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Qataadah: My father set out (for Makkah) in the year of Al-Hudaybiyyah, and his companions assumed Ihraam, but he did not. At that time, the Prophet (ﷺ) was informed that an enemy wanted to attack him, so the Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded onwards. While my father was among his companions, some of them laughed among themselves. (My father said), "I looked up and saw an onager. I attacked, stabbed, and caught it. I then sought my companions' help, but they refused to help me. (Later) we all ate its meat. We were afraid that we might be left behind (separated) from the Prophet (ﷺ), so I went in search of the Prophet (ﷺ) and made my horse to run at a galloping speed at times and let it go slow at an ordinary speed at other times till I met a man from the tribe of Bani Ghifar at midnight. I asked him, "Where did you leave the Prophet (ﷺ) ?" He replied, "I left him at Ta'hun and he had the intention of having the midday rest at As-Suqya. I followed the trace and joined the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Your people (companions) send you their compliments, and (ask for) Allah's Blessings upon you. They are afraid lest they may be left behind; so please wait for them.' I added, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I hunted an onager and some of its meat is with me. The Prophet (ﷺ) told the people to eat it though all of them were in the state of Ihraam."
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Commentary : There are legal rulings and etiquettes that the one who is in his state of Ihraam must observe until his acts of worship are completed in the most perfect manner according to the will of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic. One of these legal provisions is the prohibition of hunting wild game while in the state of Ihraam; as Allah, The Almighty says: {O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of Ihraam} [Quan 5:95]
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Qataadah narrates that his father, AbooQadaadah al-Haarith ibn Rabee‘ee al-Ansaaree (ra) had set out with the Prophet ﷺand his Companions (ras) during the year of al-Hudaybiyyah, which was in the sixth year after Hijrah when they had intended to perform ‘Umrah. Al-Hudaybiyyah 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.
When news reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺthat an enemy from among the polytheists was intending to attack him ﷺ, The Prophet ﷺ sent AbooQataadah (ra) with a group of his companions (ras) so that he could gather information concerning this enemy. The Companions (ras) in this group were in the state of ihraam for ‘the Umrah, whereas AbooQataadah was not because they were anticipating an ambush, so he feared that he might have to fight and, if he was in this sanctified state, it would have prevented him from doing that [combat] to some extent. While he (ra) was among his companions, he saw them laughing amongst themselves; then after he looked up and saw an onager. Rather, their laughter was out of astonishment that he would rise up and hunt in their midst, despite not being exposed to it directly. Nor was their laughter an indication from them to urge AbooQataadah to hunt. So, when AbooQataadah (ra) caught sight of it, he rode his horse in pursuit of this game. He (ra) sought help from his companions with some of his matters related to the hunt, but they refused to help him because they knew that it was not permissible to hunt while in the state of ihraam.
Then, AbooQataadah reported that he pounced on the onager; then proceeded to stab it, and caused it to lie in its place, motionless. He requested of them to help him carry and transport the onager, but they refused. Then, however, they took part in eating from it; and after they ate, they had doubts on the permissibility of eating from it because: they were in the state of Ihraam for Hajj and doubted whether or not they had indirectly partaken in the hunting. So, they asked the Prophet ﷺabout the legal ruling of eating from it. His statement in the narration: “We feared that we would be cut off” means: ‘We will be cut off and separated from The Prophet ﷺ because he ﷺ had left before them. AbooQataadah set out to search for The Prophet ﷺ, when he rode his horse in a swift manner at times, and let it proceed along gently at other times. Then he met a man from tribe of Banee al-Ghifaar and proceeded to ask him the whereabouts of The Prophet ﷺ. The man told him that the Prophet ﷺ was at Ta‘han, which is a water spring about three miles from al-Suqyaa on the path to Makkah. After, he related that he ﷺ had intention to take a siesta at a place named al-Suqyaa, which is a connecting suburban town that lies between Makkah and al-Madeenah. So AbooQataadah (ra) met him ﷺthere and informed The Prophet ﷺ that his Companions (ras) had sent their salutations and asked him ﷺ to wait for them so that the enemy would not intercept them and separate them from him ﷺ. Shortly after, he (ra) told the Messenger of Allah ﷺ what had happened with regards to hunting the onager, which is permissible, and not prohibited in any religious rites, and that his companions ate from it with him while they were in the state of Ihraam for pilgrimage. The Prophet ﷺapproved their actions and told him that it was permissible for them to eat from the lawful game and directed those who were present to eat from what AbooQataadah brought along with him.
This hadeeth shows the permissibility of eating a wild donkey. And it explains that it is permissible for the pilgrims to eat from game which has been hunted, when the one who hunts, it is permitted to do so [i.e., not be in a state of ihraam], without the pilgrim helping him with anything.
It illustrates that we should exhibit kindness and act benevolently with friends and companions while traveling. And lastly, it shows the permissibility of sending salutations and the Islamic greeting of peace to those who are not present..

1823

Narrated AbooQataadah (ra): We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) at a place called Al-Qaahah and some of us had assumed Ihraam while the others had not. I noticed that some of my companions were watching something, so I looked up and saw an onager. (I rode my horse and took the spear and whip) but my whip fell down (and I asked them to pick it up for me) but they said, "We will not help you by any means as we are in a state of Ihraam." So, I picked up the whip myself and attacked the onager from behind a hillock and slaughtered it and brought it to my companions. Some of them said, "Eat it." While some others said, "Do not eat it." So, I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who was ahead of us and asked him about it, He replied, "Eat it as it is lawful.”
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Commentary : There are legal rulings and etiquettes that the pilgrim must observe until his acts of worship are completed in the most perfect manner according to the will of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic. One of these legal provisions is the prohibition of hunting wild game while in the sacred state that one enters for the Holy Pilgrimage; as Allah, the Almighty says: {O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of Ihraam} [Quan 5:95]”.
In this hadeeth, AbooQataadah, al-Haarith ibn Rib’ee al-Ansaaree (ra) reports he and other people set out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the ‘Umrah of al-Hudaybiyyah in the sixth year after Hijrah. However, on their way to Makkah, word had reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺthat an enemy from among the polytheists was intending to attack him. In response, the Prophet ﷺ sent AbooQataadah (ra) with a group of people so that he could gather information concerning this enemy. When they were at al-Qaahah, which is a place close to al-Madeenah, he noticed his companions looking at an onager. AbooQataadah (ra) and some of the other Companions (ras) were not in the state of Ihraam, while some of the others were. AbooQataadah (ra) hurriedly set out to hunt it, then his whip fell out of his grasp; so, he asked them to hand him his whip, but they refused because they were in the state of Ihraam at the time, but they did not offer any suggestion or assistance in killing the game, including any indication or means that would contribute to the act in any way, shape or form. AbooQataadah took the whip himself and came up to the donkey from behind a hillock - which is a mound that rises up from the ground - then attacked and slaughtered it, then carried it to his companions. His companions who were in the state of Ihraam disagreed over this; some of them thought it was permissible to eat from it, while others deemed it impermissible due to the fact they were in a state of ihraam and doubted whether or not they had indirectly partaken in the hunting. Thereupon, AbooQataadah (ra) went out seeking the Prophet ﷺ, since he ﷺ had left before them. He asked him ﷺ about the matter, to which he responded by stating that they could eat from it, because the meat is lawful for them to consume as long as they did not partake in the hunting in any shape or form.
This hadeeth shows the permissibility of eating a wild donkey. And it explains that it is permissible for the one in Inhraam to eat from game which has been hunted, when the one who hunts it, is permitted to do so [i.e., not be in a state of ihraam];without the one in the state of Ihraam helping him with anything..

1825

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) from Al-Sa'b ibn Jath-thaamah Al-Laythee that the latter presented an onager to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while he was at Al-Abwaa or at Waddaan, and he (ﷺ)refused it. On noticing the signs of some unpleasant feeling of disappointment on his face, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "I have only returned it because I am in the state of Ihraam."
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Commentary : There are legal rulings and etiquettes that the pilgrim must observe until his acts of worship are completed in the most perfect manner according to the will of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic. One of these legal provisions is the prohibition of hunting wild game while in the sacred state that one enters for the Holy Pilgrimage; as Allah, the Almighty says: {O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of Ihraam} [Quan 5:95]”.
In this hadeeth, al-Sa‘b ibn Jath-thaamah (ra) narrates that the Prophet ﷺrefused some meat of a wild donkey that he had offered him ﷺwhile they were at al-Abwaa’ - or Waddaan - which are two places located between Makkah and about two hundred and fifty kilometres southwest from al-Madeenah.
The Prophet ﷺ explained to him as to why he did this by saying: “I have entered the state of ihraam, which serves as one of the many beautiful demonstrations of his noble character because he ﷺ said this when he noticed al-Sa‘b’s face change to one of sadness when he ﷺ rejected al-Sa’b’s offering. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made it clear to him that he did not refuse it for any other reason other than because he was in the state of ihraam and did not eat slaughtered game while in that sacred mode of being.
The Prophet’s ﷺrefusal to accept the offering of onager from al-Sa‘b ibn Jaththaamah (ra) does not contradict his acceptance when he (ﷺ)ate from the wild donkey which AbooQataadah (ra) hunted. This is because the difference between these two situations is that AbooQataadah did not hunt the donkey for the Prophet (ﷺ), rather AbooQataadah (ra) hunted it for himself. Then his companions ate with him, and the Prophet ﷺ ate from it. As opposed to al-Sa‘b ibn Jatht-haamah (ra) who hunted the donkey for the Prophet ﷺ. And for that reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ refused to accept his offering or eat from it; because the one in state of Ihraam should not hunt while they are in the state of Ihraam, nor eat from game that he hunted, which would be forbidden or permissible for him under normal circumstances.
This hadeeth urges the one who refuses to accept a gift and the like to clarify and offer a legitimate excuse to the one presenting the gift as a means to soothe their heart.
It illustrates the noble character of our beloved Prophet ﷺ, and his ﷺ beautiful conduct that he exhibited towards his Companions (ras).
It shows the permissibility of eating a wild donkey. And lastly, it explains that it is permissible for the pilgrims to eat from game which has been hunted, when the one who hunts it, is permitted to do so [i.e., not be in a state of ihraam];without the one in Ihraam helping him with anything..

1826

Narrated ‘Abdulllah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is not sinful of a person in state of Ihraam to kill five kinds of animals."
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Commentary : Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger ﷺhave explained what is permissible for the person who is in the state of Ihraam to partake in, and what is prohibited to him. And all this has been transmitted to us by the noble and renowned Companions (ras).
In this hadeeth, The Prophet ﷺ states that there are five types of animals which are permissible for the one in Ihraam to kill in the Sanctuary of Makkah, and there is no sin, interdiction, or punishment for doing so. Although it is understood that the ruling which has been mentioned in this narration restricts it to five, it does not really let us know what that limitation encompasses, despite alluding to the number of animals which have been restricted. It is possible that the Prophet ﷺsaid it (i.e., the ruling itself) first, and afterwards indicated that only five take part in the legal ruling. These five types of animals have been mentioned in another narration reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. And they are:
The crow, which is a black bird that is well known, and it pecks at the backs and eyes of camels, and steals people’s food.
The kite, which is a type of bird that snatches people’s food away.
The mouse, and what is intended here are house mice, which are vermin that cause damage, spread disease, and the like.
The scorpion, which is a small insect that has eight legs, and its eyes are on its back. It can sting and cause great pain, and some of its stings have proven fatal.
And the mordacious dog, which is any canine that frightens, wounds, and aggressively attacks people.

So, for these five types, there is no sin acquired by the person who is in the state of Ihraam if they were to kill them within the Sanctuary of Makkah, and permission has been given to kill them because they can bring harm or injury to the people.
He ﷺmentioned the rabid dog in order to warn the people of what harm it may cause to the body with regard to an encounter and struggle with the animal. The mordacious dog is any canine which frantically tears up its prey; and for this reason, a dog is called a kalb in Arabic - since in the Arabic language, the root letters k - l - b oftentimes connote the meaning of something or someone being ravenous, rabid, crazy, or frenzied, which are prominent characteristics of a rabid dog. And he ﷺ mentioned the scorpion in order to warn the people of what harm could happen to the body were it to be stung by it unexpectedly. Likewise, he ﷺ mentioned the kite and crow, which often lurk out in the open and clearly visible, as a means to warn others about the unanticipated damage or loss that could occur to one’s possessions. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned the mouse to warn against what damage and harm they cause to property, which oftentimes occurs out of sight. Or, it was todraw one’s attention to every type of animal which is closest to it in likeness, in order to serve as a warning against those kinds of animals that are above it with respect to harm or injury, while simultaneously indicating whatever creatures that may be similar to it. So, his wording concerning the kite and crow is also a warning against the falcon and the like. And for the mouse, it acts as an admonition against other vermin that causes harm. Similarly, for the scorpion, a warning against the snake. And lastly, for the rabid dog, a caution against predatory animals which are abovethem in severity and peril..

1830

Narrated ‘Abdullah (ra): While we were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) in a cave at Minaa, when the surah of “Wal-Mursalaat” was revealed, and he (ﷺ) recited it, and I heard and learned it directly from the Prophet’s (ﷺ) mouth while his (ﷺ) mouth was still moist, and his (ﷺ) saliva had not dried out. Suddenly, a snake sprang at us, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said (ordered us): "Kill it." We ran to kill it, but it escaped quickly. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It has escaped your evil and you too have escaped its evil."
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Commentary : Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger ﷺhave explained what is permissible for the pilgrim to partake in, and what is prohibited to him. And all this has been transmitted to us by the noble Companions (ras).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (ra) reports that they were with the Prophet ﷺin a cave near Minaa; which indicates that they were in the state of Ihraam. Minaa is a valley near the Sacred Precinct of Makkah that the pilgrims descend into, in order to remain there on the eighth day of Thooo al-Hijjah (i.e., the first day of Hajj) and throw their pebbles at the three pillars (the jamaraat) there on the three days after ‘Eid (i.e., the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Thoo al-Hijjah). And while Ibn Mas’ood was with him, the surah al-Mursalaat was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. He (ra) related that he heard and learned it directly from the Prophet’s ﷺ mouth while his ﷺ mouth was still moist, and his ﷺ saliva had not dried out. This is a metaphor for how fast they learned immediately right after they heard him ﷺreciting, and without any delay or hesitation.
Suddenly, a snake descended upon them unexpectedly and sprang towards them. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺurged them to kill it. In another narration transmitted in Saheeh Muslim, it is reported: “that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered a person who has assumed Ihraam to kill a snake near Minaa.” This confirms that they were wearing the garments that are worn when one is in a state of Ihraam. Upon hearing the order of the Prophet ﷺ, they hastened towards it - in compliance with the Messenger of Allah’s ﷺ command - so that they could kill it. But they were not able to seize it, and the snake was able to escape. The Prophet ﷺsaid to them that it was shielded from your viciousness, as you had been safeguarded from its. That is to say that: Allah preserved it from you all, just as He preserved you all from it. And it was not harmed by you, just as you were not harmed by it.
In this moment, the Prophet ﷺwas amicable in his speech and had removed whatever came to their minds; because there is no doubt that when the Companions (ras) hastened towards the serpent, and it slipped past them; something came to their minds and blamed themselves, thinking: “How did we not notice it, then do what the Prophet ﷺhad commanded us?! Thereupon, he ﷺexplained to them that it was shielded from your viciousness, and you too have been safeguarded from its viciousness.
This hadeeth explains the time and place when surah al-Mursalaat was revealed.
It highlights the permissibility of the one in Ihraam removing anything which poses a harm to himself or those around him.
And lastly, it shows the permissibility of killing a snake in the Holy Sanctuary..

1831

Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called the lizard afuwaysiq, but I did not hear him ordering it to be killed."
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Commentary : Islam commands us to be benevolent towards animals, and our religion has prohibited us from killing them in vain, or without some benefit. At the same time, however, it also protects the interests of the people from harm and damages.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’isha (raa), mentions that the Prophet ﷺcalled the desert gecko with a leprous complexion, a fuwaysiq. The desert gecko is a small, crawling reptile that looks similar to a crocodile that climbs up walls; and is known to the general public who speak Arabic as al-burs. The Arabic word, fuwaysiq, is the diminutive form for the Arabic word which connotes the meaning of: ‘a transgressor or immoral person’. It is an exaggerated diminution of something which is contemptible, censured, and noxious. The Prophet ﷺ has designated some creatures as ‘transgressors’ because they go out to people and bring detriment or harm to them, or to other animals; including forms of harm that cannot be avoided.
‘Aa’isha (raa) then reports that she never heard the Prophet ﷺorder for the desert gecko to be killed. There is no pretext for this however, as it is not necessary that just because she did not hear it, that it (i.e., the order) did not happen at all. Others have heard the order issued, as it has been transmitted in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim in the hadeeth narrated by Sa’d ibn Abee Waqqaas (ra), who relates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered for the geckos to be killed and called them noxious little creatures. So, it would have been killed both in regions outside the Sacred Precinct, as well as within the Sanctuary of Makkah.
This hadeeth shows the permissibility of killing harmful animals, even if it occurs within the Sanctuary of Makkah..

1834

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): On the Day of the Conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is no more emigration (from Makkah), but Jihad and intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihad, you should go immediately. No doubt, Allah has made this place (Makkah) a sanctuary since the creation of the heavens and the earth and will remain a sanctuary till the Day of Resurrection as Allah has ordained its sanctity. Fighting was not permissible in it for anyone before me, and even for me it was allowed only for a portion of a day. So, it is a sanctuary with Allah's sanctity till the Day of Resurrection. Its thorns should not be uprooted, and its game should not be chased; and its luqatah (fallen things) should not be picked up except by one who would announce that publicly, and its vegetation (grass etc.) should not be cut." Al-`Abbaas said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Except theithkhir, (for it is used by their blacksmiths and for their domestic purposes)." So, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Except the ithkhir."
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Commentary : The emigration from Makkah to al-Madeenah was necessary for the believers at the beginning of Islam; it came as a victory for the religion, and as a form of protection for the Muslims. Hence, the Prophet ﷺemigrated, along with his Companions (ras).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) narrates that on the Day of the Conquest of Makkah - which occurred in the eighth year after Hijrah - the Prophet ﷺhad related that there is no more emigration from Makkah to al-Madeenah after the conquest; and that is because, in the beginning, the believers were ordered to flee from the persecution and abuse of the disbelievers; for fear that they would turn away from their religion and return to one of disbelief. As for after the conquest of Makkah and emergence of Islam, there was not a reason for them to return for an emigration, because the believers became secure in themselves, worshipping their Lord as He wills, when He wills, and wheresoever He wills. However, in reality, the rule for emigration remains for those who have embraced Islam in the abode of disbelief and cannot practice or believe in their religion openly and are able to leave from there. The Prophet ﷺthen said: “...Aside from combat and intentions.” That is to say: ‘...aside from: the possibility that you may have to repel the polytheists in battle, and an upright intention for the good; by which you may attain the virtues that are shared in the concept of the emigration that was required, so that you could separateyourself from the false group, that blackness does not increase over their hearts, and to uplift the Word of Allah and proclaim His religion.’ This sentence includes a prophecy from The Prophet ﷺproclaiming that Makkah will always remain an abode of Islam forever, because he ﷺnegated the emigration there after its conquest. This indicates the city of Makkah will not return to an abode of disbelief again since the religious emigration is always from a land of disbelief to an abode of Islam.
Then, The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: “...whenever you are called upon, you must take heed and go.” Meaning: ‘Whenever the leader summons you to a battle to fight the disbelievers, then take heed and set out with him.’
Afterwards, he ﷺstates that the venerable city of Makkah was made sacrosanct by Allah on the day He created the heavens and earth; and its sanctification is an ancient matter which came from a previous set of laws; and not from what the Prophet ﷺbrought forth nor is pertinent to his revelation. It is possible that the meaning is: rather, He created the land of Makkah at the time when He created Makkah sacred. This sanctity will continue until the Day of Resurrection and remain eternal thereafter. It is reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd (ra) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Verily, Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) declared that Makkah was sacred, and made supplication for its people.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]. It is possible that there is a connection between these two hadeeths because its sanctity was established on the day that Allah, The Almighty, created the heavens and earth; then its sacredness was concealed and maintained as such until the time of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). Then, He made it appear and made it known to others, not that He initiated its sanctity at that moment. Another possible interpretation is that the consecration was attributed to Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) in as much as he conveyed it, because The Lawgiver of every law and ruling is Allah, The Almighty; and His Prophets convey them. Moreover, just as they are attributed to Allah, The Almighty with respect to Him being the Lawgiver; it is attributed to the messengers because the laws are heard from them and are conveyed and made clear by their tongues.
The Prophet ﷺ then relates that fighting is not permissible within the Sacred Precinct for anyone before him ﷺ. Allah, The Mighty and Majestic had only designated that for him except that it was only for an hour of the day. Thereafter, the sanctity of Makkah returned just as it was. So it is, and always will be a holy place with Allah’s sanctity until the Day of Resurrection. There is a reason explaining this exception which has been narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and that is due to: “some people from the Khuzaa‘ah tribe had killed a man from the tribe of Banee Layth during the Year of the Conquest of Makkah as an act of retaliation for someone they had killed. This incident was then reported to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Thereupon, he (ﷺ)mounted his camel and delivered an address, saying: ‘Verily, Allah, The Mighty and Majestic held back the elephant from Makkah, and made His Messenger and believers prevail over them.” That is to say: ‘Allah prevented and safeguarded Makkah from the elephant of Abrahah al-Habashee who brought it along to destroy the Ka’bah. And He granted His Messenger, Muhammad, and His Companions (ras) the power to triumph over their dominion and overcome their people.’ Then, he ﷺ elaborated on the sanctity of this city further by saying: “its thorns shall not be severed”, i.e., ‘...shall not be cut.’ The mention of thorns is an indication that something else which does not cause harm is more likely, as this is something which specifically brings about harm. With that said, it is permissible to cut or uproot it, as seen by analogy when we compare it to the permissibility of killing the five noxious types of animals, all of which are pernicious in one form or another, in the Sanctuary of Makkah. In a narration transmitted in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, a different wording in the hadeeth can be seen as follows: “..its shrubbery shall not be cut.” So, their branches may not be broken or cut.
“...and its game shall not be startled or caused to flee”, meaning, that its game shall not be driven away from its place or be bothered, and it is not permissible to hunt them.
“...and items which are lost and found (i.e., luqatah) may not be picked up by anyone, except by one who would announce it publicly.” So, one cannot use or acquire something which has been lost or left behind by somebody in Makkah as one can doat places other than Makkah; except by someone who announces it publicly and declares that he has it in his possession until its owner comes and retrieves it; and lastly, that the individual does not pick it up take it for the sake of ownership. The luqatah is something, such as lost money, which a person finds on the road and its owner is not known.
“...and its lush herbage shall be cut or removed.” Thus, its plants, its trees - whether they be old or young, nor the short, lush, and moist herbage should not be cut or uprooted.
Then, al-‘Abbaas, the narrator’s father (ras), urged that the Prophet ﷺto permit them to cultivate and use ithkhir, which is a broad-leaved herbaceous plant that belongs to the Poaceae couch grass family. It has a fragrant, lemony scent; and its flowers are used as an infusion in drinks, such as tea.
“..for it is utilized by their qayn.” The Arabic word: qayn, that is mentioned in this hadeeth means blacksmiths; and in the past, they used the ithkhir when kindling the fire. It was useful for them in burning it, without the need of using firewood, which is a scarce commodity in the desert. People also used it for roofing their homes, as well as their graves. The idea here being that the ithkhir was used for their homes during their life and death. Then, The Prophet ﷺresponded to him regarding that and permitted them to cultivate and use the blessed plant.
This hadeeth shows that Allah, The Almighty glorifies and venerates the honourable city of Makkah. And fighting therein is prohibited. And it shows that Makkah was conquered by force, not by peace..

1836

Narrated Ibn Buhaynah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ), while in the state of Ihraam, was cupped at the middle of his head at Lahaa Jamal.
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Commentary : Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger ﷺhave explained what is permissible for the one who has assumed Ihraam to partake in, and what is prohibited to him. And all this have been transmitted to us by The Noble Companions (ras).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Buhaynah (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺgot himself cupped while he was dressed in the garments for the consecrated state one enters for Hajj or ‘Umrah. The cupping (i.e., hijaamah) was done at the middle of his ﷺnoble head. Cupping is one of the medical methods used in extracting bad blood from the body for treatment. The narrator’s statement: “at Lahaa Jamal” refers to a place along the route to Makkah and is about seven miles away from al-Madeenah.
This hadeeth highlights that the one in Ihraam is allowed to seek medical treatment from whatever disease or malady that may present itself in his body; with the hope that the permissible medicines and treatments will ward what is disliked or harmful from the body..

1837

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) marriedMaymoonah (raa) while he was in the state of Ihraam.
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Commentary : Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger ﷺhave explained what is permissible for the one who is in the state of Ihraam to partake in, and what is prohibited to him. And all this have been transmitted to us by the noble Companions (ras).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) narrates that the Prophet ﷺmarried The Mother of the Believers, Maymoonah bint al-Haarith al-Hilaaliyyah (raa) while he ﷺwas in the state of Ihraam for ‘Umrah. This exemplifiesthe permissibility of marrying while in a state of Ihraam, whereas it has been proven by other reports that the Prophet ﷺforbade marriage while one being in a state of Ihraam. One of which has been transmitted in Saheeh Muslim, in a report narrated by ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (ra) who states that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The one who is in the state of Ihraam may not marry, nor offer someone in marriage, nor seek a betrothal.” Also, Maymoonah (raa) herself had narrated that the Prophet ﷺ married her when it was permissible to do so, as transmitted in Saheeh Muslim. It has been said that: Maymoonah (raa) was more knowledgeable over the matter than anyone else and had reported on her status and how the matter was dealt with regarding that contract. For that reason, it is more befitting to accept her hadeeth more than the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra); since she was the most knowledgeable about her status and that of the Prophet ﷺ, especially when we consider that she mentioned the location of where the contract and marriage had occurred.
It was said that the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas may be understood as saying that the Prophet ﷺmarried her (raa) within the sanctuary of Makkah or during a sacred month, which is permissible to do so. The Arabic word that often refers to the one who is within the sanctuary of Makkah or in any of the sacred months is the word: muhrim, even if the person is not in a state of Ihraam. This term is a common and well-known aspect of the language. And others offered different interpretations. .

1838

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra): A man stood up and asked, "O Allah's Messenger! What clothes may be worn in the state of Ihraam?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Do not wear long flowing shirts or trousers, or turbans, or a hooded cloak; but if somebody has no shoes, he can wear leather stockings provided they are cut short off the ankles, and also, do not wear anything perfumed with al-wars or saffron, and the woman in the state of Ihraam may not ear niqaab, or wear gloves."
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Commentary : Allah The Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger (ﷺ) have clarified what is permissible for the pilgrim to partake in, and what is prohibited to him. And all this has been transmitted to us by the noble Companions (ras).

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra) mentions that a man came to the Prophet (ﷺ)and asked him what garments should be worn while one is in the consecrated state (i.e., Ihraam) for Hajj or ‘Umrah. The Prophet (ﷺ)responded to him by mentioning which types of clothes are impermissible to be worn, because the items that are forbidden is limited, so they can be clarified well enough. As for things that are permissible in the state of Ihraam, they are more numerous than those that are restricted. For that reason, the Prophet ﷺdid not list or make a reference to that which is impermissible during the state of Ihraam when mentioning what is prohibited. It is as if he ﷺwanted to say to him, just avoid these things, and feel free to wear anything else.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺmentioned what was prohibited and began by saying: “Do not wear the long flowing shirt (i.e., qamees)” which is a garment that is tailor-made to go over the body and has sleeves. It is put on from above, so it goes over the two arms, and covers the body and private areas.

As for the trouser, it is a piece of clothing which mostly covers what is between the naval to the two knees. It surrounds each one of the legs separately and is worn on from the bottom part of the body, in which the feet enter first, and covers the private areas, and the surrounding area above it a bit.

The turban is a long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head. As for the hooded cloak, in English, it is also known as a burnoose. It is a garment that surrounds the head and body. The Arabic term, burnos, that is used in this hadeeth is often used to refer to any type of garment to which a hood is attached to it.

The pilgrim also should not wear khuffs, which is worn over the feet as a covering, is made out of leather (these are most commonly known as leather socks) and differs from a pair of leather sandals (i.e., na’l) - as these do not cover the feet, nor the upper side of them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: “...except the one who does not own any sandals. He may wear the leather socks, on condition that he cuts them below the ankles.” With that said, if one wants to wear the khuffs - provided that he does not own a pair of sandals - then he must cut them so that they are lower than the point of the ankles; in order to bring them closer in appearance to sandals. For clarification, the ankle point being addressed here is where the protruding bones occur at the connection point between the lower leg and foot. These afore-mentioned things are prohibitions which are pertinent to men, and not women.

The Prophet ﷺthen added: “Do not wear anything which has been touched or perfumed by saffron or al-wars.” Saffron are pleasant-smelling plants which were used as a perfume, and dye in previous times. As for al-wars, they are yellowish, sweet-smelling plants from Yemen that possess a substance which is used to dye clothes. This prohibition is applicable to both men and women.

He ﷺthen said: “...and the woman who is in the consecrated state for pilgrimage shall not veil her face, nor wear gloves.” The niqaab is a veil which drops down over the face, or under the eyes, so that the woman may cover her face and open her eyes to the point that she can see. The gloves being discussed here refer to anything that women would wear on their hands, and covers the fingers, palms, and forearms.

What is meant here is that it is prohibited for women in Ihraam to wear a niqaab and gloves. As for anything other than the niqaab and gloves, which cover the face and hands, such as the khimaar (i.e., a veil that is worn by women that covers the whole face, including the eyes) and the like. A woman may cover her face and hands with khimaar in the presence of non-mahram men, regardless of whether they are near or opposite of them; as narrated by Al-Haakim in his work, al-Mustadrak, on the authority of ‘Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (raa) who relates that she used to cover her face while in a consecrated state for pilgrimage. The text in this hadeeth specifically forbids a woman from wearing a face veil or gloves, not from the act of covering the face and hands itself.

One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that we should try in earnest to offer more information than that which is requested by the inquirer, so it serves his best benefit..

1839

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): A man was crushed to death by his she-camel and was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "Give him a bath and shroud him, but do not cover his head, and do not bring any perfume near to him, as he will be resurrected reciting Talbiyah."
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Commentary : The Day of Resurrection is the day of recompense for one’s deeds and intentions in this worldly abode, and the reward for them will equate to the deed. Allah, The Almighty, will resurrect every human in accordance with the belief or deeds they had when he died, and He will recompense them for it respectively.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that a man on pilgrimage was crushed by his she-camel. That is to say that his neck was broken after he fell from on top of his mount. This occurred on the Day of ‘Arafah, on the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah, as has been transmitted in a narration found in both Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. So, they brought him to the Prophet ﷺto ask him how to wash and shroud him. The Prophet ﷺ told them to wash and shroud him, which is a matter that all of the deceased have in common. Then, he ﷺmade special mention of two legal rulings which differ from the rest that are applicable to the rest of the deceased Muslims; and these exceptions are: that they do not cover his head, and that they do not place any perfume on him.

Then, the Prophet ﷺexplained that he will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection as a pilgrim reciting the Talbiyah; i.e., that he will be raising his voice and reciting “LabbaykAllahummaLabbayk!” - “Here I am, O Lord, Here I am! - ; this is because the person will be resurrected as he was at death, the consecrated state of pilgrimage (i.e., ihraam) he was in prior did not cease at his death. As such, this is the legal ruling for every pilgrim who dies while in a state of Ihraam.

One benefit that we can derive from this hadeeth is that we should not adorn perfume or cover the heads of those who are in the state of Ihraam; as well as for those who have died while in a state of Ihraam..

1840

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn Hunayn: `Abdullah ibn Al-Abbaas and Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah differed at Al-Abwaa; Ibn `Abbaas said that a person who is in state of Ihraam is allowed to wash his head; while Al-Miswar maintained that he should not do so. `Abdullah bin `Abbaas (ra) sent me to Aboo Ayyoob Al-Ansaaree (ra) and I found him bathing between the two wooden posts (of the well) and was screened with a sheet of cloth. I greeted him and he asked who I was. I replied, "I am `Abdullah bin Hunayn and I have been sent to you by Ibn `Abbaas to ask you how Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to wash his head while in the state of Ihraam." Aboo Ayyoob Al-Ansaaree caught hold of the sheet of cloth and lowered it till his head appeared before me, and then told somebody to pour water on his head. He poured water on his head, and then rubbed his head with his hands by bringing them from back to front and from front to back and said, "I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) doing like this."
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Commentary : The Companions (ras) sometimes differed on some issues, however, they used to treat one another with respect when they disagreed over matters as the Prophet ﷺtaught them.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (i.e. one who comes from the generation after the Companions) ‘Abdullah ibn Hunayn reports that a disagreement arose between two renowned Companions - and two being regarded are: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas and al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (ras) - on the permissibility of the ones in Ihraam washing their head while they were camped at al-Abwaa’, which is a region between Makkah and al-Madeenah, and is situated about 250 kms southwest of al-Madeenah, and it is the site where the Prophet’s ﷺmother is buried.

Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) was of the opinion that it is permissible for a person in Ihraam to wash his head during Hajj or ‘Umrah. As for al-Miswar (ra), he was of the opinion that it was not, so they both elected to seek out Aboo Ayyoob al-Ansaaree (ra)for his counsel on the issue. They sent ‘Abdullah ibn Hunayn to him. He found him bathing between two posts; that is to say: between two posts of a well which has been built and encased on all of its sides, on which a beam was placed between the two posts and had a wheel pulley affixed to it.

Aboo Ayoob (ra) was concealed by a garment of some sort while he was bathing. ‘Abdullah greeted him, introduced himself, and asked him how the Messenger of Allah ﷺwashed his head while in the consecrated state for Ihraam. It is possible that the reason he asked him about the manner in which he ﷺ did it, and not whether he did it or not, is that he saw Aboo Ayoob taking a bath while he was in a state of Ihraam; therefore, he understood that it was permissible. However, he desired nothing more than to return with another benefit; hence, he asked Aboo Ayoob (raa) about how he ﷺ washed up. Aboo Ayoob (ra) answered his question by demonstrating the answer through his actions - which is more impactful than words - so, he placed his hand over the garment that he was screening himself with and brought it down and lowered it until his head appeared. Then, he requested someone to pour water over it, and said: “Pour it” to the person nearby. So, the individual poured the water over his head. Then, he moved both of his hands from the front, and turned them around in reverse over his head. That is to say, he moved both hands from the front of his head to the back, and then went back with them another time towards the front of his head. Then, he told ‘Abdullah ibn Hunayn that he saw the Prophet ﷺwash his head in this manner.

There is no doubt that for the one in Ihraam who had a night emission, it is incumbent upon him to perform a ghusl, which is a full body purification completed by washing over their entire body. However, it seemed that al-Miswar's (ra) dispute was perhaps because he considered concealing the head near water tantamount to covering the head with garments and the like, which is impermissible for the one in a state of Ihraam. Or, he may have feared that when the one in Ihraam washed his head that some hair would fall out; and the one who is in the consecrated state of Ihraam is prohibited from removing his hair. In any case, Aboo Ayoob (ra) explained the method of how the Prophet ﷺ washed his head while in a state of Ihraam, which is the observed Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Two benefits we can derive from this hadeeth is that it shows how the Companions (ras) returned to the evidence as testified in the Sunnah and left their own opinions and independent legal judgements over the matter. And that when the Companions (ras) disagreed over an issue, their evidence was not something that one of them said or contrived of if it was not supported with evidence which from the Quran or the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ..

1841

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering a sermon at `Arafaat saying, " Whoever cannot find a pair of sandals (i.e., na‘l), then let him wear khuffs, and whoever cannot find an Izaar, let him wear some trousers."
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Commentary : Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger ﷺhave explained what is permissible for the pilgrim to partake in, and what is prohibited to him. All this has been transmitted to us by the Companions (ras).

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that he heard the Prophet ﷺdelivering a sermon at ‘Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah. ‘Arafah is a mountain and site where the pilgrims stay on the ninth day of Thoo al-Hijjah, and is approximately 23 kms east of Makkah, and outside its Sacred Precinct.

During his sermon, he ﷺsaid: “Whoever cannot find a pair of sandals (i.e., na‘l), then let him wear khuffs.” The sandal is what is worn on the foot when walking, and every part of the foot is protected from the ground and does not cover the foot for the most part. The khuff is what is worn over the foot, and is made out of a soft, thin leather, and are most commonly known as leather socks in English. They cover the ankles and more. The person in Ihraam may wear it after he cuts them below the ankles - for clarification, the ankle point being addressed here is where the protruding bones occur at the connection point between the lower leg and foot- as what has been transmitted in a narration reported by Ibn ‘Umar (ra) in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim.

The Prophet ﷺsaid: “And whoever cannot find an izaar, let him wear some trousers.” The izaar is a piece of cloth which is tightened around the waist and covers what is between the navel and knees. And trousers are a medium sized garment which mostly covers what is between the navel and knees. It surrounds each one of the legs separately and is worn on from the bottom part of the body, in which the feet enter first, and covers the private areas, and the surrounding area above it a bit. The Prophet ﷺ permitted the wearing of trousers for those who cannot find an izaar to wear. But, if he comes across an izaar or sandals, then it is not permissible for him to wear them.

One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning that Islam grants ease and removes difficulties for those who are legally accountable for their actions..

1844

Narrated Al-Baraa (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) assumedIhraam for ‘Umrah in the month of Thoo al-Qa'dah but the people of Makkah refused to admit him into Makkah till he agreed on the condition that he would not bring into Makkah any arms but sheathed.
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Commentary : The Hajj and ‘Umrah are some of the greatest acts of worship for which the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas keen on, and there were many times in which he ﷺ performed ‘Umrah.

In this hadeeth, al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺhad left to perform ‘Umrah in the month of Thoo al-Qa‘dah in the year of al-Hudaybiyah, which is the truce pact that occurred in the sixth year after Hijrah; when the polytheists denied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Muslims the ability to leave from there and enter Makkah to perform the ‘Umrah. The Prophet ﷺmade an agreement with them to allow him to return for ‘Umrah the following year. The Prophet’s concord with them mandated that he could enter the city to perform ‘Umrah the next year without carrying arms, and that they only enter with their swords sheathed in their scabbards as a sign for peace; due to them entering a treaty. This has been called the Made Up ‘Umrah and the ‘Umrah of the Judgment because 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.

This hadeeth shows that it is permissible for the one in Ihraam to carry arms when necessary..

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 al-Miswar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) slaughtered (the Hady) before he had his head shaved and then he ordered his Companions to do the same.
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Narrated ‘Abdulllah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is not sinful of a person in state of Ihraam to kill five kinds of animals."
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called the lizard afuwaysiq, but I did not hear him ordering it to be killed."
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Narrated Ibn Buhaynah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ), while in the state of Ihraam, was cupped at the middle of his head at Lahaa Jamal.
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) marriedMaymoonah (raa) while he was in the state of Ihraam.
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Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): A man was crushed to death by his she-camel and was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "Give him a bath and shroud him, but do not cover his head, and do not bring any perfume near to him, as he will be resurrected reciting Talbiyah."
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering a sermon at `Arafaat saying, " Whoever cannot find a pair of sandals (i.e., na‘l), then let him wear khuffs, and whoever cannot find an Izaar, let him wear some trousers."
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Narrated Al-Baraa (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) assumedIhraam for ‘Umrah in the month of Thoo al-Qa'dah but the people of Makkah refused to admit him into Makkah till he agreed on the condition that he would not bring into Makkah any arms but sheathed.
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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 al-Miswar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) slaughtered (the Hady) before he had his head shaved and then he ordered his Companions to do the same. .

Narrated ‘Abdulllah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is not sinful of a person in state of Ihraam to kill five kinds of animals." .

Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called the lizard afuwaysiq, but I did not hear him ordering it to be killed." .

Narrated Ibn Buhaynah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ), while in the state of Ihraam, was cupped at the middle of his head at Lahaa Jamal. .

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) marriedMaymoonah (raa) while he was in the state of Ihraam. .

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): A man was crushed to death by his she-camel and was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "Give him a bath and shroud him, but do not cover his head, and do not bring any perfume near to him, as he will be resurrected reciting Talbiyah." .

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering a sermon at `Arafaat saying, " Whoever cannot find a pair of sandals (i.e., na‘l), then let him wear khuffs, and whoever cannot find an Izaar, let him wear some trousers." .

Narrated Al-Baraa (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) assumedIhraam for ‘Umrah in the month of Thoo al-Qa'dah but the people of Makkah refused to admit him into Makkah till he agreed on the condition that he would not bring into Makkah any arms but sheathed. .

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 al-Miswar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) slaughtered (the Hady) before he had his head shaved and then he ordered his Companions to do the same.
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Narrated ‘Abdulllah ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is not sinful of a person in state of Ihraam to kill five kinds of animals."
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Narrated ‘Aaishah (raa): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called the lizard afuwaysiq, but I did not hear him ordering it to be killed."
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Narrated Ibn Buhaynah (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ), while in the state of Ihraam, was cupped at the middle of his head at Lahaa Jamal.
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) marriedMaymoonah (raa) while he was in the state of Ihraam.
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Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): A man was crushed to death by his she-camel and was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "Give him a bath and shroud him, but do not cover his head, and do not bring any perfume near to him, as he will be resurrected reciting Talbiyah."
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Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering a sermon at `Arafaat saying, " Whoever cannot find a pair of sandals (i.e., na‘l), then let him wear khuffs, and whoever cannot find an Izaar, let him wear some trousers."
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Narrated Al-Baraa (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) assumedIhraam for ‘Umrah in the month of Thoo al-Qa'dah but the people of Makkah refused to admit him into Makkah till he agreed on the condition that he would not bring into Makkah any arms but sheathed.
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