Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered Makkah in the year of its Conquest wearing a Mighfar on his head and when the Prophet (ﷺ) took it off, a person came and said, "Ibn Khatal is holding the covering of the Ka`bah (taking refuge in the Ka`bah)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Kill him."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims departed from Makkah oppressed, then returned as victors after the Quraysh violated the covenant which existed between them and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as stipulated in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. The Conquest of Makkah is the greatest victory of the Muslims and heralded that the sun of disbelief and polytheism has set in the Arabian Peninsula.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that when the Prophet ﷺentered Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, - which is the eighth year after Hijrah - he had a mighfar on his head, which is a protective helmet with a piece of chain mail connected to it, which warriors wear in combat in order to protect themselves. It has been transmitted on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (ra) that on the Day of the Conquest, the Messenger of Allah ﷺentered Makkah wearing a black turban.” [Saheeh Muslim]. It is possible that the helmet was above the turban, protecting his noble head from the rust of iron, or that the turban was over the helmet and chain mail. Or that he ﷺ first entered the city with the helmet on his head, then removed it and put on the turban after that, and each of the narrators reported what they saw.

After the Prophet ﷺ took off the helmet, a man - whose name is Aboo Barzah Nadlah ibn ‘Ubayd al-Aslamee (ra) or Sa’eed ibn Hurayth (ra) - came to him ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Ibn Khatal is clinging to the curtain of the Ka‘bah.” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ issued his order to kill him.

Ibn Khatal’s name used to be ‘Abd al-‘Uzzaa in the time of ignorance before the Islam. He was from the tribe of Banee Taym ibn Fihr ibn Ghaalib. When he embraced Islam, the Messenger of Allah ﷺnamed him ‘Abdullah, and his given name was Khatal ‘Abd Manaaf. The word Khatal was his epithet because one of his jawbones was lower than the other.

The Prophet ﷺhad sent Ibn Khatal to a place with a man who was one of the Ansaar, to collect alms, and was invested with authority over the other man. But when they both were on the way, Ibn Khatal killed the man who was with him from the Ansaar, took his money and belongings. When he returned to Makkah, he brought along two singing female slaves who sang insults about the Prophet ﷺ. Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ had excluded him from the amnesty which he ﷺ had offered to those who entered the Sacred Mosque during the Conquest of Makkah. He ﷺhad ordered for Ibn Khatal to be killed, even if he was found clinging to the curtains of the Ka‘bah. As a result, Aboo Barzah (ra) killed him, with Sa’eed ibn Hurayth (raa) participating in the act. It may have been Sa’eed ibn Thu’ayb or al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwaam (ras). Ibn Khatal was executed between the site where Ibraheem (as) stood near the Ka‘bah (i.e., the maqam of Ibraheem) and the well of Zamzam; and it was done so for the treacherous acts he committed while being a legally responsible member of the early Islamic community. Therefore, he was executed in retribution for the blood of the Muslim he killed, and then later apostatized from the religion, which was analogous to high treason.

This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of entering Makkah without being in the consecrated state one enters for Hajj or ‘Umrah (i.e., Ihraam).

It shows the permissibility of administering the fixed punishments (Hudood) and retributions (Qisaas) in Makkah.

It also shows that the Ka‘bah does not protect the offender, nor does it prevent the local leadership from issuing an obligatory fixed punishment.

It also highlights the permissibility of wearing a mighfar, and other instruments of war in case of fear of engaging with the enemy, and that does not contradict one’s complete reliance and trust in Allah.

And lastly, it establishes the permissibility of informing the authorities of corrupt people, and that this is not considered a prohibited form of backbiting and talebearing..

1852

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): A woman from the tribe of Juhaynah came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "My mother had vowed to perform Hajj, but she died before performing it. May I perform Hajj on my mother's behalf?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Perform Hajj on her behalf. Had there been a debt on your mother, would you have paid it or not? So, pay Allah's debt as He has more right to be paid."
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Commentary : The vow is an act of worship and pious deed that should not be done for anyone except Allah. He, The Mighty and Majestic, has praised the worship of His righteous servants; promised them rewards and recompense; and mentioned that some of their qualities is fulfilling their vows when He says: {They fulfil their vows} [Quran 76:7].

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that a woman from the Juhaynah tribe came and asked the Prophet ﷺ about the legal verdict for completing the Hajj on behalf of her mother who died yet vowed to perform it but did not complete it before her passing. The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “Perform the Hajj on her behalf.” Then, the Prophet ﷺlikened the Hajj that her mother owes to a debt, and it is incumbent to fulfil it, because it is a right due to a person; and the fulfilment of a vow is a right that Allah, The Almighty has over His creation. Therefore, fulfilling His right is more binding and deserving to observe than the rights of man.

Perhaps, the Prophet ﷺallowed her to perform the Hajj on behalf of her mother with the understanding that the woman had already performed the obligatory Hajj for herself first; and then desired to perform it on behalf of her mother. This is based on a hadeeth transmitted by Aboo Daawood, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra), who narrates: “that the Prophet ﷺonce heard a man say: ‘Here I am O Allah on behalf of Shubrumah.” To which, The Messenger of Allah ﷺasked: “Who is Shubrumah?” The man replied: ‘A brother or close relative of mine.’ He ﷺ said in return: “Have you performed the Hajj on behalf of yourself?” The man said: ‘No.’ The Prophet then said: ‘Perform the Hajj for yourself, then perform it on Shubrumah’s behalf.” In some wordings of the hadeeth, it has been related: “This Hajj is for yourself, then perform the pilgrimage on behalf of Shubrumah.”

This hadeeth shows the permissibility of performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased and the permissibility of vowing to perform the Hajj.

It highlights the permissibility that one can make analogies and offering examples so that the person listening can makes themselves clearer and make an impact on the minds of those listening and make it easier for them to understand.

It shows that likening something that is dissimilar can be equivocated to something that is agreed upon.

It highlights that it is recommended for the scholar who is issuing fatwa to warn others with regard to the evidence he provides, if it results in a benefit and is more appeasing to the inquirer and encouraging that he will comply.

And lastly, it strongly encourages filial piety, reverence, and devotion to parents by fulfilling their vows and debts..

1857

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): I came riding on my she-ass and had (just) then attained the age of puberty. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was praying at Minaa. I passed in front of a part of the first row and then dismounted from it, and the animal started grazing. I aligned with the people behind Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (The sub-narrator added that happened in Minaa during the Prophet's Farewell Hajj)
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Commentary : The noble Companions (ras) were eager to be close to the Prophet ﷺ and ensured to accompany him ﷺ at his residence and travels. They transmitted to us what they observed and what transpired amongst them in his presence so that we can take lessons and embrace the examples provided by him.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that he set out to perform the Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, which was on the Farewell Pilgrimage that occurred in the tenth year after Hijrah. He clarifies that he was approaching the age of puberty; that is to say: just a short time before he reached puberty. He was thirteen years and a few months old at that time.

He came to the Prophet ﷺ, who was at the time standing and leading the prayer at Minaa - which is a valley near the Sacred Precinct of Makkah that the pilgrims descend into for the purpose of staying overnight on the Day of Quenching Thirst (i.e. the first day of Hajj, alias Day of Tarwiyah), and the three days after Eid al-Ad-haa in order to throw their pebbles at the three pillars which are known as the Jamaraat - while riding a female donkey (Arabic: ataan) - which is a name of a genus of donkeys that is used for both male and female donkeys - then he passed in between the first prayer row with the donkey; and that was because the Prophet ﷺ served as a barrier for those praying behind him ﷺ. In a report transmitted by al-Bukhaaree, it has been narrated that “he ﷺ led the people in prayer at Minaa without a barricade in front of him” Then, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) dismounted from the she-ass and stood with the people in the row behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺand made the animal walk so that it could graze and eat. And he (ra) added in a narration reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that: “no one objected to me about it.”

This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of children performing the Hajj. And it shows that the barrier utilized by the prayer leader is a barrier for those praying behind him, or that the prayer leader, himself, is one for those who stand behind him in prayer.

And lastly, it highlights that we may endure some unpleasant scenarios when the benefits that result in the outcome may outweigh the harm..

1858

Narrated ‘Aaishah raa: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told me, “If your people were not closer to the era of disbelief, I would have demolished the House and would have built it on the foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) – as Quraysh shortened its construction – and I would have made a back door for it.”
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Commentary : The description of the construction of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) of the House was that it was curved around the two corners of al-Rukn al-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee; thus, the Hijr of Ismaa’eel was a part of it, and it had two corners, which are the two Yamaanee corners. But when Quraysh built it in the pre-Islamic era, they made four corners for it, and placed the Hijr of Ismaa’eel behind it, as they wanted to perfectly complete the circumambulation of the Ka’bah, and it is in the form of a semi-circle adjoining the two corners, al-Rukn al-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee. Hence, al-Hijr is part of the Ka’bah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah raa reports that the Prophet ﷺinformed her that were Quraysh not new to Islam (i.e., they are still not yet firm in Islam and completely detached from the traces of the pre-Islam) and were there no fear of the hearts denying it, then he ﷺwould have demolished the Sacred House and would have rebuilt it upon the original foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). The Prophet ﷺadded that he ﷺwould have placed a back exit, meaning, a back door. It is reported in the authentic hadeeth that he ﷺsaid: “I would have placed two doors for it, one door for people to enter and the other door for them to exit.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
He ﷺmentioned to her that Quraysh shortened the construction of the House, meaning, they reduced it to its presently built size and did not build the full House upon the original foundations of Ibraaheem; due to the shortage of funds which they collected to complete its construction. This is because they had stipulated beforehand that the money that will be used to construct the Ka’bah will be the purest of wealth and that it will not contain in it any money earned from prohibited or evil sources.
This hadeeth serves as evidence for perpetrating the lesser of two evils in order to repel the greater of them – that is to say, making no changes to the current construction of the Ka’bah is less in harm than the dissension of some Muslims and their turning away from their religion.
It also serves as a proof for the famous maxim: “Repelling the harm takes priority over obtaining benefits.”
From the other benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning that it is permissible to deal tactfully with people in matters of religion - other than the obligatory acts by leaving and removing from the people that which they deny (i.e., things they view as the norm and not aware of its opposite)..

1858

Narrated al-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed: (While in the company of my parents) I was made to perform Hajj with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I was a seven-year-old boy then.
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Commentary : Islam places conditions on legal accountability, and mandatory obligations upon the Muslim, including that he performs the Hajj if he has attained puberty, is of sound mind, free, and is able to do so.

In this hadeeth, al-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed (ra) reports that he was one of those who went for Hajj while still a young boy, and he was seven years old at the time he performed it. He mentions that he did it with the Prophet ﷺduring the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah. Thus, the pilgrimage is valid for a child, and he will be rewarded for it; however, it does not suffice him as a fulfilment of the religious duty in performing the Hajj itself.

It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) that a woman lifted one of her children and called out: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is there a Hajj for this [little] one?’ He ﷺresponded by saying: ‘Yes, and you will be rewarded” [Saheeh Muslim].

One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth, is learning the permissibility and validity of a child performing the Pilgrimage..

1860

Narrated Ibraaheem from his father from his grandfather that 'Umar(ra) in his last Hajj allowed the wives of the Prophet(ﷺ) to perform Hajj and he sent with them 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan(ra) and 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf(ra) as escorts..

Commentary : ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (ra) was firm about the truth, and did not fear the censure of the rebuker for the sake of Allah. If the truth appeared in something other than what he deemed correct, he (ra) would relinquish his position immediately.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (i.e. one of the early successors to the noble Companions (ras)) Ibraaheem ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf reports that the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (ra) allowed the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ)to go on Hajj during the last one that he (ra) performed, since ‘Umar (ra) did not permit them to go on Hajj after he became the Caliph of the Muslims, based on what The Almighty says: {and remain in your homes} [Quran 33:33]. He used to believe that it was prohibited for them to travel initially. Then, its permissibility became apparent to him, so he allowed them to do so towards the end of his caliphate. So, they set out to perform the Hajj, except for two of the Mothers of the Believers: Zaynab bint Jahsh (raa) and Sawdah bint Zam‘ah (raa). Thus, The Prophet’s wives performed the pilgrimage, except for them; as they both said: “No beast shall move us after the Messenger of Allah said: This is your Hajj, afterwards stay at home and recline on the tops of mats,” as has been mentioned in the Musnad of Ahmad. The mat referred to in the hadeeth is called Husr in Arabic, which is a mat woven and made out of palm leaves and the like and was spread out and used to furnish the home. What is meant by this statement: is that this Hajj was the one that they should obligatorily perform during their lives; and after completing it; they should remain in their homes and sit atop the furnished mats in their homes; and not leave unnecessarily. Some of the Mothers of the Believers interpreted that what was meant by the hadeeth is that nothing was obligatory upon them other than this pilgrimage. But anything more than that was considered supererogatory. This understanding is reaffirmed by the hadeeth narrated by the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishaa (raa), who relates: “Rather, the best struggle for you, women, is to partake in the performance of the Hajj, and complete it as I have performed it.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab sent ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (ras) along with them when he permitted them to offer the pilgrimage. Trustworthy women also accompanied the wives on their Hajj, and they took the place of a mahram. The other interpretation is that it may be seen that every man is a mahram to them because they are the Mothers of the Believers. ‘Uthmaan used to call out to those around and announce: “No one is to approach them, nor extend a gaze upon them at all, except for a blink of an eye while they are in their howdahs atop of their camels,” as it is mentioned in al-Sunnah al-Kabeer by Imam al-Bayhaqee..

1862

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A woman may not travel, unless she is accompanied by a mahram, and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Mahram." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger! I intend to go with the such-and-such army, but my wife wants to perform Hajj." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Go along with her (to Hajj).
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Commentary : Women have a significant position in Islam. The religion raises her status, safeguards her, and orders for her: care, support, and patronage in all situations, whether it be in the city, or during travel.

In this hadeeth, there is an illustration of Islam’s protection for women, and its care and concern for them; where the Prophet ﷺ said: “A woman may not travel, unless she is accompanied by a mahram.” A mahram for a woman is anyone who is permanently forbidden from marrying her due to a permitted reason, such as the father, son, the nephews of fellow siblings, the paternal uncle, the maternal uncle, and the like. So, anything designated as travel is forbidden for a woman without having a husband or mahram in her company.

The Prophet ﷺadded that nor may a man come up to her unless a mahram is with her to show that it is not permissible for a marriageable man to be alone with her; unless one of her mahram is with her because blocking the means to evil is a legitimate objective. Preventing travel and the possibility of marriageable men being alone with women blocks countless means in which wrongdoing may occur, and prevents the temptation of women, which is the strongest trial for men.

Upon hearing this prohibition, one of the Companions (ra)- and he wanted to head out to battle with the Messenger ﷺ - said to the Prophet ﷺ that his wife wanted to perform the Hajj, while he desired to set out for battle against the enemy. So, which concern should he tend to? The Prophet ﷺbided him to set out with his wife and perform the Hajj, so that he may act as a mahram for her and that she may be able to fulfil the obligatory religious duty incumbent upon her. This is because warding off and repelling the enemy is a communal obligation; whereas if it was an individual obligation, it would have taken precedence over departing with her, as can be understood from the authentic hadeeths.

This hadeeth highlights that avoiding corruption takes precedence over bringing about benefits and the good.

It explicitly highlights the prohibition of being alone with marriageable people.

It shows that a man performing Hajj with his wife when she desires to go is superior to his travels in preparation for combat, and that we should give precedence and take caution and care over the most important concerns and distinguish them from matters which conflict with them.

And lastly, it encourages the leader to be on the lookout for the interest of his people.
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1863

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) returned after performing his Hajj, he asked Umm Sinaan Al-Ansaaree, "What did prevent you from performing Hajj?" She replied, "Father of so-and-so (i.e., her husband) had two camels and he performed Hajj on one of them, and the second is used for the irrigation of our land." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to her), "Perform `Umrah in the month of Ramadan, as it is equivalent to Hajj or Hajj with me (in reward).
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Commentary : It was the Prophet’s ﷺnoble nature to engage with his Companions and reverently inquiring about their performance of what was obligatory upon them and urge them towards good deeds.

In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺasked Umm Sinaan al-Ansaaree (raa) about the reason she did not partake in Hajj after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage. To which, she told him ﷺthat what had prevented it was that she and her husband, AbooSinaan (ra) did not own any means of transportation except for two camels that carry water for drinking and irrigation. So, her husband went to perform the Hajj with one camel and left the other to irrigate the land which they owned. The Prophet ﷺcomforted her and told her about a deed equal in reward to the Hajj, and that was to perform an ‘Umrah during the month of Ramadan, because an ‘Umrah that is offered in Ramadan is equivalent in its reward to that of the Hajj - or performing the Hajj with him ﷺ, though the narrator doubted that. It does not mean that the ‘Umrah fulfils the necessity of performing the Hajj or takes its place in removing its obligation - even if it appears indicative as such. Rather, it is a mode of hyperbole by strengthening the expression and augmenting a deficiency with something that has been completed (i.e., the pilgrimage itself); in order to encourage its performance. This is similar to what has been reported about the Prophet ﷺstating that [the ayah]: {Say: “He is Allah, who is One and Indivisible} (Quran 112:1) is equivalent to one third of the Quran; where it’s narrated that reciting {Say: “He is Allah, who is One and Indivisible} (Quran 112:1) is equal to the reward of reciting a third of the Quran; but it is not equivalent to reciting a third of the Quran in actuality.

Two benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the reward for doing good deeds increases with an increase of cherishing the sanctity of the time in worship, such as increasing the presence of one’s heart, and developing a sense of purpose and realization of their role in relation to Allah.

And lastly, it highlights the merit of performing ‘Umrah during Ramadan..

1864

Narrated Qaz’ah, the freed slave of Ziyaad: I heard Aboo Sa`eed (ra) -who participated in twelve military missions with the Prophet (ﷺ) -saying, "I heard four things from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (or I narrate them from the Prophet (ﷺ) which won my admiration and appreciation. They are: -1. "No woman should travel without her husband or without a Mahram for a two-days' journey. -2. No fasting is permissible on two days of `Eid al-Fitr, and `Eid al-Ad-ha. -3. No prayer may be offered after two prayers: after the `Asr prayer till the sun sets and after the morning prayer till the sun rises. -4. Not to travel (for the purpose of visiting) except for three mosques: Al-Masjid-al-Haram (in Makkah), my Mosque (in al-Madeenah), and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).”
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Commentary : The Companions (ras) were always eager to be near the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; so that: they could drink and be satiated from his ﷺknowledge and be led by his ﷺguidance. They have transmitted what they have learned from him ﷺto us; so, we may walk in his ﷺ path and follow his guidance. Verily, the Prophet ﷺ taught them all of the best in all of their affairs.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (i.e. one of the early successors to the Noble Companions (ras)) Qaza‘ah, the freed slave of Ziyaad mentions that he heard AbooSa‘eed al-Khudree (ra) - who fought with the Prophet ﷺin twelve military expeditions - relate that the Prophet ﷺsaid four statements that contain legal issues and rulings. These four declarations had left him in a state of awe and wonder. The two verbs in Arabic used in this hadeeth to describe Aboo Sa’eed’s amazement when hearing these statements have the same meaning, which is astonishment. That is because it is permissible in Arabic to repeat the meaning, due to the different pronunciation and wording. The Arabs do this a lot, as a means to add clarity and emphasis in their vernacular. Or the meaning of the verb used (‘aanawahu) could also mean that it caused him to be happy and delighted as well.

The first of these four statements is that a woman is prohibited from traveling for a two days journey (or longer) without her husband or one of her mahram accompanying her. The mahram for a woman is anyone who is permanently forbidden from marrying her due to a permitted reason related to its inviolable nature, like the father, son, the nephews of fellow siblings, the paternal uncle, the maternal uncle, and the like. It is reported on the authority of AbooHurayrah (ra) that the Prophet ﷺsaid: “A journey the length of a day and night.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim] It has also been transmitted in the same aforementioned works in a report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (ra): “a three days journey.” There is no inconsistency or contradiction between them, however, because the wording differed according to the questioners and people directly involved in the correspondence of the reports. And in all of this, there is no definition in the least regarding what the word “travel” here consists of in regard to length. Nor did he ﷺmention a minimum limit of what is implied in the word ‘travel’ here. The upshot is that anything that may be considered as travel is forbidden for a woman without her husband or a mahram accompanying her - whether it is three days, two days, a single day, half of a day, or anything other than that. Likewise, accompanying a woman in any capacity is restricted to her husband or one of her mahram only; because that serves as a measure to safeguard herself, her honour, and wealth; due to her frailty and helplessness. And this is also due to women being a trial and are more likely to be coveted and desired by others, except in what Allah has created in the souls of man: a natural disposition and propensity to avoid forbidden relationships with kin.

The second is about the prohibition to fast on the ‘Eid holidays (i.e. ‘Eid al Fitr and ‘Eid al-Adhaa). He ﷺforbade fasting on ‘Eid al-Fitr, or the day when one ends their fast in Ramadan, so that there could be a separation between the act of fasting and breaking the fast.

And on ‘Eid al-Ad-haa, or the Day of the Sacrifice, because it is the day which Allah has called and invited His servants to host and honour the people of Minaa and others with what He has prescribed for them with regard to slaughtering a sacrificial animal and eating from it - regardless whether the Muslim fasts on these two days due in part to a vow he has made, or chooses to voluntarily fast, or as an act of expiation. And even if he vows to fast on these two days, his pledge is not settled or fulfilled, because it is a vow made in disobedience, since it is explicitly clear that it is prohibited to fast on these days.

The third is the prohibition of performing prayer after the afternoon prayer (i.e., ‘Asr) until the sun sets; and after dawn until the sun has risen to the height of a lance; which is close to a quarter, or third of an hour (i.e., fifteen to twenty minutes after sunrise). This is excluding prayers that have reasons as to why they are performed such as the performance of makeup prayers, the supererogatory prayer of greeting the mosque, and the like. The wisdom in prohibiting prayer during these two times is because these are the times when those who worship the sun pray; as well as that these are the two times when Satan approaches the sun, so that it is between his two horns.

And the fourth is the prohibition of setting out to travel anywhere except to the following three mosques: The Sacred Mosque in Makkah, The Prophet’s Mosque in al-Madeenah, and Masjid al-Aqsaa in Jerusalem. It is called Al-Aqsaa due to its distance away from The Sacred Mosque and is often translated as “The Furthest Mosque”.

His ﷺstatement: “Do not fasten the saddles to your camels with an intent to travel anywhere, except to these three sacred mosques” is a negation. It is meant to imply a prohibition and is more emphatic and rhetorical in the Arabic language than an outright, explicit prohibition. It is as if he ﷺis saying: ‘It is not upright to intend merely visiting any place, except for these sites; with the purpose of conferring honour and distinction to what distinguishes them from anywhere else.’

The Arabic word, rihaal, used in this hadeeth is the plural for a seat which is used on a camel; like a saddle is used for a horse; and “fastening the saddles'' is often designated as a metonymic phrase for going on a journey because it was a necessary thing to do in preparation for travel in those times, and is mentioned in a way that addressed the riding animal that most travellers rode in that region of world in those days. Otherwise, there is no difference between riding camels, horses, mules, donkeys, and other contemporary modes of transportation, such as: the airplane, car, and the like.

These three mosques are given preference over others because the first is where the people perform Hajj and is the direction to which they turn for prayer - both for the living and the deceased. The second was founded on piety and was built by the best of creation ﷺ, may Allah increase it in eminence. And the third was the direction of prayer for the previous nations.

This hadeeth highlights the significant position women have in Islam, which the religion raises her status, safeguards her, and orders for her: care, support, and patronage in all situations, whether it be in the city, or during travel.

It explains and mentions the times when prayer is prohibited.

And lastly, it highlights the merit the three sacred mosques have over others..

1865

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) saw an old man walking, supported by his two sons, and asked about him. The people informed him that he had vowed to go on foot (to the Ka`bah). He said, "Allah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself," and ordered him to ride.
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Commentary : Allah does not burden any soul with anything other than what it can bear. The condition for legal responsibility and accountability for any action is knowledge, and the ability to act upon it. This is one of the foundations of Islamic law.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺsaw a very old man whose bones and strength had weakened and had gotten to the point where he was unable to walk except with the help of someone else. He walked while balancing himself between his sons i.e., he walked between both of them, leaning against them in the process. Then, The Prophet ﷺasked about his state: ‘What is the matter with this one who cannot control himself and almost falls to the ground due to sheer exhaustion and fatigue?’ The told him ﷺthat their father vowed to perform the pilgrimage to the House of Allah (i.e., the Ka‘bah) on foot. The Prophet ﷺdisapproved this action of his, and said: ‘Verily, Allah is not in need of this man torturing himself and burdening himself with something that he is incapable of and unable to do; since Allah, The Almighty, says: {Allah intends ease for you, not hardship} [Quran 2:185].” The Prophet ﷺthen ordered him to ride; due to his inability to fulfil his oath. This is a clear demonstration that the purpose of obligatory worship is not to afflict hardship or incapacitate. Rather, it is an indication of compliance and obedience with the command He has given, and no one is more merciful to creation itself than their Creator, The Almighty and Exalted Be He.

This hadeeth shows the facilitation the religion grants in times of need and hardship.

It highlights that the obligations of the religion and their observance is based upon the ability of the servant to act upon them.

And lastly, it demonstrates that Allah, The Almighty, possesses the attribute of Self-Sufficiency; and is Self-Sufficient by His Essence, and all of His creation are in need and dependent upon He, for All Glory is His Alone..

1866

Narrated ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir: My sister vowed to go on foot to the Ka`bah, and she asked me to take the verdict of the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. So, I did, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "She should walk and also should ride.".

Commentary : The vow is when the person makes an action that is not obligatory incumbent upon himself. So, if what was solemnly pledged was something feasible and was a pious deed not consisting of any sin; yet the servant is unable to fulfil it; then it must be fulfilled somehow. The religion grants facilitation and ease in fulfilling what has been vowed.

In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (ra) reports that his sister had vowed to go on foot to the Ka‘bah. And when she felt distressed for not being able to fulfil her pledge, she requested her brother, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (ra) to ask for the Messenger of Allah’s verdict on her behalf, saying: ‘Is it incumbent upon her to fulfil her vow even though she is unable to do so, or no?’ So, when he asked the Prophet ﷺ this question, he ﷺsaid to him: “Let her walk, and ride.” Meaning: let her walk for however long she is able to and let her ride when she is unable to walk.

It was said that: whoever vows to walk, it is not obligatory for him to do so; whether he is able to do so or not, because walking in and of itself is not an act of obedience. Rather, obedience in this regard pertains to reaching to that place one vowed to reach; like The Ancient House (i.e., an epithet for the Ka‘bah, see Quran 22:29 & 33). It is further added that there is no difference between walking and riding, and for that reason, the Prophet ﷺallowed for ‘Uqbah ibn Naafi‘’s sister to ride even though she vowed to walk. As such, this indicates that the vow is not necessary for walking, even if the pledge goes beyond one’s capability in fulfilling it.

On the contrary, he ﷺordered the very old man to ride in the hadeeth narrated by Anas (ra) in both Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim; he ﷺdid so because the old man was in apparent discomfort. The Prophet ﷺcommanded ‘Uqbah’s sister (raa) to both walk and ride, because she was not described as weak or frail. Thus, it is as if he ﷺordered her to walk if she was able, and to write if she became weak.

This hadeeth highlights the facilitation that the religion grants in times of need and hardship.

And lastly, it highlights that the obligations of the religion and their observance is based upon the ability of the servant to act upon them..

1867

It was narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺsaid, “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from such-and-such place to such-and-such place. Its trees may not be cut, and no innovation may be introducedtherein, and whoever introduces an innovation (in religion) therein, will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people.”.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has made Makkah and Al-Madeenah a superior to other places and lands. He declared Makkah a sacred sanctuary for Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and made it a secure land, and declared Al-Madeenah a sacred sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from such-and-such place to such-and-such place.” This is further explained in the hadeeth of ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), who related: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from ‘Ayr Mountain to Thawr Mountain.” It is related on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary between its two Laabbahs.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
The Arabic word ‘laabah’ means ‘harrah’, which is a stony tract or lava field, whose stones are black, as if they were burned with fire. Al-Madeenah, may Allah perpetuate its security and honor, is located between two harrahs; the Harrah of Waaqim to the east, where the Mosque of Qubaa’ and Waaqim fortress are situated, and the Harrah of Wabarah to the west, where Masjid Al-Qiblatayn is located. ‘Ayr Mountain straddles the southern outskirts of Al-Madeenah and marks its southern boundary, about 8.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. Thawr Mountain, in the northern outskirts, marks the northern boundary, and is about 8 km away from the Prophet’s Mosque. A Saudi official committee has defined the limits of Al-Madeenah sanctuary, and the Madeenah Municipality has installed architectural signs in the shape of the arcs of the Prophet's Mosque to mark the limits of the sanctuary.
The sacredness of Al-Madeenah is manifested in the fact that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable to the extent that no tree may be cut down. As for trees and plants that people grow and plant, it is permissible for people to cut down and eat from them. Hunting animals in Al-Madeenah is also prohibited just like in Makkah, except that there is no expiation required because its sanctuary is not a place for Hajj or ‘Umrah rituals like Makkah. It is narrated on the authority of Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “I declare Al-Madeenah to be sacred throughout the area between its two mountain paths; no blood may be shed therein, weapons may not be carried in it for fighting, and leaves may not be beaten off trees therein except for fodder.” [Saheeh Muslim].
Another aspect of its inviolability is that were a person to perform any act that contravenes Islam, introduce a religious innovation, or commit a major sin therein, he would incur the curse of Allah, i.e., expulsion from His mercy, and the curse of the angels and all people, meaning their supplications against him to be denied Allah’s Mercy. This is a stern warning against such acts, but the intended meaning of the hadeeth’s wording is the prescribed punishment incurred by committing such sins, the first and foremost of which is expulsion from Paradise. However, this curse is not similar to the one incurred by the disbelievers, for they are absolutely denied any chance of receiving the mercy of Allah.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that any act that violates the laws of the religion in Al-Madeenah is considered a major sin.
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1868

It was narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ came to Al-Madeenah and ordered a mosque to be built and said, "O tribe of Al-Najjaar! Give me a price (for your land)!" They said, "We do not want its price except from Allah" (i.e., they wished for a reward from Allah for giving up their land freely). So, the Prophet ﷺ ordered the graves of the pagans to be dug out and the land to be leveled, and the date-palm trees to be cut down. The cut date palms were fixed in the direction of the Qiblah of the mosque..

Commentary :
Building a mosque was the first work the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed after his arrival to Al-Madeenah. This was due to the great importance and significant role of mosques in Islam, being the houses of Allah on earth where prayers are established, and Allah’s remembrance is often mentioned.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that when the Prophet ﷺ migrated from Makkah to Al-Madeenah, the homeland of Islam, he ﷺ commanded that a mosque be built. The land upon which the mosque would be built was originally an orchard owned by someone from the tribe of Al-Najjaar (the tribe to which the maternal uncles of the Prophet ﷺ belonged), of to the Ansaar. He ﷺ summoned them and asked them to estimate the price of their land,so that he could buy it and build the mosque on it. However, they refused to take money in return for the land and told him that they only aspired to the reward of Allah, The Exalted. As the land contained some graves that belonged to the polytheists, their graves were exhumed,since the dead bodies of disbelievers and polytheistsare not given thesanctity of the dead bodies of Muslims. There were also remains of demolished houses; thesewere leveled to the ground. As for the palm trees that were in the land, they were cut down to be used in building the mosque. The trunks of the cut date-palm trees were aligned so as to form the wall facing the Qiblah. The Prophet ﷺ cut down the date-palm trees shortly after his migration to al-Madeenah, whilethe prohibition of cutting the trees of Al-Madeenah - cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim - was only after he ﷺ returned from Khaybar. It is also possible that the prohibition in this regard is limited to cutting down trees to cause corruption, whereas cutting them down for reform purposes (or good reasons) is not deemed prohibited. Another possibility is that the prohibition is confined to the trees that grow naturally rather than those planted by people.
This hadeeth exhibits the virtues and merits of the tribe of Al-Najjaar who belong to the Ansaar.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is not allowed to perform prayers in a graveyard, even if it containss polytheists’ graves, because the prohibition in this regard blocks the way to taking graves as places of prayer. This is because over the course of time, people change, and thus it is feared that people might fall into Fitnah (of taking the graves as places or objects of worship).
It is also inferred from this hadeeth that if the bodies buried in the graveyard are exhumed, and the bones of the dead are taken out, it is no longer considered a graveyard, and thus it is permissible to perform prayer therein.
This hadeeth also serves as evidence on the permissibility of cutting date-palm and other trees for the public interest.
From the other benefits that we can take from this hadeeth is encouraging people tobuild mosques in newly developedareas inhabited by Muslims..

1869

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):The Prophet ﷺsaid, "I have made Al-Madeenah a sanctuary between its two (Harrah) mountains." The Prophet ﷺwent to the tribe of Banoo Haarithah and said (to them), "I see that you have gone out of the sanctuary," but looking around, he added, "No, you are still within limits of the sanctuary."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has made Makkah and Al-Madeenah superior to other places and lands. He declared Makkah a sacred and secure sanctuary for Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and declared Al-Madeenah a sacred sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺhighlights the sacredness of Al-Madeenah and defines the limits of itsinviolable sanctuary. He ﷺ said: “I have made Al-Madeenah a sanctuary between its two (Harrahs)mountains.” i.e., it was declared an sanctuary by the Prophet ﷺ just as Makkah was declared an sanctuary by Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). The Arabic word ‘laabah’ or 'harrah’ (used in the previously cited hadeeth) means a stony tract or lava field, whose stones are black, as if they were burned with fire. Al-Madeenah, may Allah perpetuate its security and honor, is located between two harrahs; the Harrah of Waaqim to the east, where the Mosque of Qubaa’ and Waaqim fortress are situated, and the Harrah of Wabarah to the west, where Masjid Al-Qiblatayn is located. ‘Ayr Mountain, about 8.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, straddles the southern outskirts of Al-Madeenah, and constitutes its southern boundary. Thawr Mountain, around 8 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, is located in the northern outskirts and constitutes the northern boundary.A Saudi official committee has defined the limits of Al-Madeenah sanctuary, and the Madeenah Municipality has installed architectural signs in the shape of the arcs of the Prophet's Mosque to mark the limits of the sanctuary.
The sacredness of Al-Madeenah is manifested in the fact that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable, to the extent that no tree may be cut down. As for trees and plants that people grow and plant, it is permissible for people to cut down and eat from them. Hunting animals in Al-Madeenah is also prohibited, just like Makkah, except that there is no expiation required, because its sanctuary is not a place for Hajj or ‘Umrah rituals like Makkah.
Then, the Prophet ﷺ turned towards the people of Banee Haarithah, belonging to the Aws (i.e., one of the main Arab tribes in Al-Madeenah),whose housesat that time were to the west of the current site of Hamzah’s grave. Considering them outside thesanctuary limits,he ﷺ remarked, “I see that you have gone out of the sanctuary.” However,after looking around and verifying their location, he ﷺ added, “No, you are still within the limits of the sanctuary.”
It is deduced from this hadeeth that a scholar may give his opinion based on what he believes to be most likely, then if he comes to know that he erred, he should simply correct himself and follow the truth.

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1870

Narrated ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him):We have nothing except the Book of Allah and this sheet from the Prophet’s words (wherein is written:) “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from the 'Air Mountain to such and such a place, and whoever introduces in it a religious innovation or commits a sin, or gives shelter to such an innovator in it will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people, none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted. And the asylum (of protection) granted by any Muslim is to be secured (respected) by all the other Muslims; and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted, and whoever (freed slave) gives his allegiance and loyalty to other than his manumitters (i.e., take as masters) without their permission incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted.”.

Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent to all people, of different skin colors and ethnicities,Arabs and non-Arabs, and he ﷺ did not single out any given people for compliance with certain provisions of the religion. Allah, Most, High, says: (interpretation of meaning): {O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message.} [Quran 5: 67].

In this hadeeth, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he did not have any (written) rulings of Islam except the Quran, and a sheet of paper on which some rulings were documented, and none of these rulings was made exclusive to him, but rather applied to all Muslims. TheProphet ﷺnever concealed any part of the religion from peopleor singled out some of his family members for its knowledge.

Then he (may Allah be pleased with him)mentioned some of the rulings that wereon this sheet, saying: “The Prophet ﷺsaid: ‘Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from ‘Aa’ir Mountain to such-and-such place.’ Another hadeeth reads: ‘Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from ‘Ayr Mountain to Thawr Mountain.’ [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. The two names ‘Aa’ir and ‘Ayr are names of the same mountain. In the same vein, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary between its two harrahs.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. The Arabic word ‘laabah’ or ‘harrah’ (used in the previously cited hadeeth) means a stony tract or lava field, whose stones are black, as if they were burned with fire. Al-Madeenah, may Allah perpetuate its security and honor, is located between two harrahs; the harrah of Waaqim to the east, where the Qubaa’ Mosque and Waaqim fortress are situated, and the Harrah of Wabarah to the west, where Masjid Al-Qiblatayn (Mosque of the Two Qiblahs) is located. ‘Ayr Mountain, about 8.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, straddles the southern outskirts of Al-Madeenah, and constitutes its southern boundary., and Thawr Mountain, around 8 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, is located in the northern outskirts and constitutes the northern boundary. A Saudi official committee has defined the limits of Al-Madeenah sanctuary, and the Madeenah Municipality hasinstalled architectural signs in the shape of the arcs of the Prophet's Mosque to mark the limits of the sanctuary.
The sacredness of Madeenah entails that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable (as per the laws of Islam). No animal may be hunted and no tree may be cut down, except those planted by people; it is permissible for them to cut down and eat from such trees only. Even though it is forbidden to hunt in Al-Madeenah (just like in Makkah), there is no prescribed punishment (expiation) for hunting in Al-Madeenah, because, unlike Makkah,it is not a place for performing Hajj or ‘Umrah rituals.
He ﷺ also made mention of the prescribed punishment for performing any act that contravenes Islam (or a religious innovation) or provides support for someone who does so in Al-Madeenah. This includes whoever performs an act that contravenes Islam, commits an offence, does an act of injustice, commits a sin warranting the Hadd (a corporal punishment prescribed by the Sharee`ah), or offers support or refuge toa perpetrator or offender to protect him from his opponent and prevent retaliation.
It also possible that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Muhdath, meaning the religious innovation itself (rather than Muhdith, meaning the one who commits it). Whoever is content with religious innovations, approves of the actions of those who commit them, and does not forbid them, has provided support for those who introduce religious innovations (and therefore the hadeeth applies to him).
Whoever does so has incurred the curse of Allah, i.e., expulsion from His mercy, and the curse of the angels and all people, meaning their supplications against him to be denied the divine mercy. This is a stern warning against such acts, but the intended meaning of the hadeeth’s wording is the prescribed punishment incurred by committing such sin, the first and foremost of which is the expulsion from Paradise. However, this curse is not similar to that incurred by the disbelievers, for they are absolutely denied any chance of receiving the mercy of Allah.
Moreover, Allah does not accept from such a person any ransom to ward off or shield himself from the tormenton the Day of Judgment.
Moreover, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) added that the sheet also included: “\The protection granted by one Muslim is as binding as the one given by them all; men and women, free and slaves alike; there is no difference between them in the slightest. Whenever a Muslim grants protection to someone, it is incumbent on all Muslims to protect him and grant him security. If someone assaults such a person, or breaches a covenant made by a Muslim with him, he has incurred the curse of Allah and thus deserved the punishment of being cursed and rejected, as previously explained.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that whoever gives his Walaa’ (loyalty, i.e., maintaining a relationship of patronage without bondage with one’s manumitter) to other than his real master and manumitter, incurs the curse and rejection as well, because the bond of Walaa’ in Islam is like the bond of lineage, and it is not permissible to forge it. His saying: “Without the permission of his masters” apparently indicates that it is a condition, but it is not actually a condition, because it is not even permissible for him to do so, even if his manumitter gave him permission to offer his Walaa’ to others. Rather, it denotes emphasis on the prohibition of such an act, warning of its invalidity, and underlining the reason for it. This is because were he to seek the permission of his manumitter to give his Walaa’ to another person, he would prevent him, and he would comply.
Shorter and longer versions of the information written in this sheet have been reported.Some of them underlinethe (rulings on the) following topics: blood money, the release of the prisoners of war, that no Muslim may be killed in Qisaas (i.e., retribution) for killing a disbeliever, that the curse of Allah is incurred on those who curse their parents, and many other topics. To reconcile between these hadeeths, it could be said that there was one sheet that included all these narrations and that each of the narrators reported the narrations that they had memorized therefrom.
This hadeeth also refutes the claim of Shiites that ‘Ali ibn Aboo Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him),was someone whom the Prophet ﷺ singled out and entrusted with many secrets of knowledge, rulings of Islam, and treasures of the religion, and that he ﷺdisclosed to the members of his household secrets of knowledge that were exclusive to them!
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that acting in contravention of the Islamic laws in Al-Madeenah is considered a major sin.
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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-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed: (While in the company of my parents) I was made to perform Hajj with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I was a seven-year-old boy then.
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Narrated Ibraaheem from his father from his grandfather that 'Umar(ra) in his last Hajj allowed the wives of the Prophet(ﷺ) to perform Hajj and he sent with them 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan(ra) and 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf(ra) as escorts..

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) saw an old man walking, supported by his two sons, and asked about him. The people informed him that he had vowed to go on foot (to the Ka`bah). He said, "Allah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself," and ordered him to ride.
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Narrated ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir: My sister vowed to go on foot to the Ka`bah, and she asked me to take the verdict of the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. So, I did, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "She should walk and also should ride.".

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-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed: (While in the company of my parents) I was made to perform Hajj with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I was a seven-year-old boy then. .

Narrated Ibraaheem from his father from his grandfather that 'Umar(ra) in his last Hajj allowed the wives of the Prophet(ﷺ) to perform Hajj and he sent with them 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan(ra) and 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf(ra) as escorts..

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) saw an old man walking, supported by his two sons, and asked about him. The people informed him that he had vowed to go on foot (to the Ka`bah). He said, "Allah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself," and ordered him to ride. .

Narrated ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir: My sister vowed to go on foot to the Ka`bah, and she asked me to take the verdict of the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. So, I did, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "She should walk and also should ride.".

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-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed: (While in the company of my parents) I was made to perform Hajj with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I was a seven-year-old boy then.
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Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) saw an old man walking, supported by his two sons, and asked about him. The people informed him that he had vowed to go on foot (to the Ka`bah). He said, "Allah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself," and ordered him to ride.
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