2069

Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered to the Prophet ﷺ barley bread with some rancid fat on it. The Prophet ﷺ had had pawned his armor with a Jew in Al-Madeenah for some barley for his family. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him saying, "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Saa‘ of wheat or food grains for the evening meal,” although he ﷺ has nine wives to look after..

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ led one of the most ascetic lives, and he ﷺ was content with his little share of Rizq (i.e., provision), and generously spent all the spoils of war conferred upon him by Allah, Exalted is He, on the poor and needy and in the Cause of Allah.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ was once invited over by a Jew - as recorded in Musnad Ahmad – for a meal of barley bread with some rancid fat on it. He ﷺ accepted his invitation and graciously ate that food.
He ﷺ once bought some barley from a Jew for a deferred price, and pawned him his armor that he ﷺ used as protection in war in return for that, because there was no food left in his house. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet ﷺ say: "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Saa‘ of wheat or food grains for the evening meal." It means, ‘There had no wheat or barley left in their houses.’ It is noteworthy that he ﷺ did not say those words out of resentment, nor was he complaining, Allah forbid. Rather, he ﷺ said so as a justification for accepting the invitation over such humble food, and for pawning his armor with the Jew.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He ﷺ had nine wives (to look after),” meaning: while he ﷺ had nine wives, who were in dire need of food, and this clarifies the reason for his purchase of barley on credit and pawning his armor.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to sell and buy food or other commodities on credit.
It is also inferred therefrom that a noble and knowledgeable man should buy his own needs, even if he has someone else to shoulder this task, because all the believers were keen on fulfilling the Prophet’s needs, seeking to win his pleasure and earn rewards for their Hereafter (yet he ﷺ undertook such tasks himself).
It is also deduced from it the permissibility of accepting an invitation for small (and humble) food.
The permissibility of engaging in sales transactions and pawning items of wealth with the People of the Book (i.e., the Christians and Jews) is also deduced from the hadeeth..

2070

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When Aboo Bakr Al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen as the Caliph, he said, "My people know that my earnings from trade were adequate to provide for my family, and as I will be busy serving the Muslim nation; my family will eat from the Public Treasury, and I will practice the profession of serving Muslims (and governing their affairs).".

Commentary :
Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first rightly guided Caliph, the Minister of the Prophet ﷺ, and his Companion during the migration to Al-Madeenah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first free man to embrace Islam and was endowed with the biggest share of faith and ascetism among all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the most beloved people to the Prophet ﷺ and was nicknamed ‘Al-Siddeeq’ because he strongly believed in the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen as the Caliph after the Prophet’s ﷺdeath, in 11 A.H., he (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Muslims knew that his earnings from trade before he became the Caliph, were adequate to provide for his family from his personal wealth.But after becoming Caliph and being preoccupied with serving Muslims and governing their affairs, he had no time to practice trade as a profession to provide for himself and his dependents (i.e., those for whom he was obliged to provide for as per the laws of Islam). He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed people that he would take an allowance from the Public Treasury to provide for his family and dependents, because he would be busy governing people’s affairs and he still needed to provide for himself and his family. He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed them that he would put his expertise (as a skilled trader) and profession to use in the service of Muslims, in return for which he would be given that allowance. He (may Allah be pleased with him) willingly committed himself to putting his expertise as a skillful trader to use in the service of Muslims by trading with the public funds to compensate Muslims for the allowance that was allocated for him, or more, to be paid from the generated profits. He (may Allah be pleased with him) voluntarily committed himself to do so and it was not one of his duties as the Caliph.
Ibn Sa‘d narrated in Al-Tabaqaat on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: “When Aboo Bakr fell terminally ill, he said on his deathbed, ‘Take stock of my personal fortune that I have acquired since becoming the Caliph, and hand it over to the new Caliph.” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “When he (may Allah be pleased with him) died, we did as he commanded and took stock of a servant who used to carry his boys and a camel used to water his garden. We handed these assets over to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in pursuance of Aboo Bakr’s will. On seeing that, ‘Umar, the new Caliph wept and said, ‘O Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), you have made the task of your successor most difficult.’"
The hadeeth highlights the virtues and merits of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), indicating his asceticism and matchless mindfulness of Allah.
It also underlines the virtue of working and earning a living to meet one’s needs and those of his dependents.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to defend oneself against doubts and fend off (potential) accusations, even if they are false.
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2076

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

Commentary :
The wise Laws of Islam is keen to foster good relations between Muslims in their interactions and transactions, reflecting the enjoined solidarity, interdependence, love, and cooperation.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to confer His mercy on those who display leniency, which denotes facilitation, (making) concession, overlooking, kindness, and lack of rigidity, in three contexts or situations. First, a seller should be lenient and should not be adamant at his price, but should rather be willing to give up some of his rights. Second, a buyer should be lenient and not undervalue the commodity and insist on buying it for a low price. Third, a creditor should be lenient when claiming his money. He should not make it difficult for poor debtors, but should rather gently and leniently claim his money and give respite to insolvent debtors (until they become able to repay).
The hadeeth urges Muslims to opt for forgiveness, good treatment, embodying noble morals, and avoiding dissention in financial transactions.
It also promotes relieving people of hardship when claiming one’s money and pardoning them (i.e., remitting their debts by way of charity).
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2079

Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Both parties in a business transaction have a right to rescind it so long as they have not separated; and if they tell the truth and make everything clear to each other (i.e., a seller speaks the truth with regard to the defects of the purchased commodity, if any, and a buyer speaks the truth with regard to the money) they will be blessed in their transaction, but if they conceal anything and lie, the blessing on their transaction will be eliminated. ".

Commentary :
Since people tend to engage in sales transactions without deliberate thinking, and a seller or buyer may regret missing out on some of his goals, the wise Shareer‘ah granted both parties a period in which they could rescind the contract (and undo their transaction).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ made mention of such a period when he said: “Both parties in a business transaction have a right to rescind it so long as they have not separated.” This means that both the buyer and the seller are given an inalienable right to repudiate the transaction or contract as long as they have not separated, meaning to physically leave the meeting place where they concluded the contract. The Prophet ﷺ underlined that if both parties tell the truth and make everything clear to each other, regarding the price, the description of the purchased commodity, and the like, and clarify any defect, they will be blessed in their transaction. This means that they would obtain greater benefits from such transactions and prices, and both parties would get to recieve the blessing of Allah; a seller would obtain such blessing in the price and the buyer in the purchased commodity. However, if they conceal anything and lie, their transaction will be void of blessings. An example of such concealment is when a seller conceals the defects of the commodity, and the buyer conceals the defect of the price and they lie to one another, regarding the description of the commodity on the part of the seller, and the payment of the price on the part of the buyer.Or the buyer claims to agree on buying the commodity for less than the agreed-upon price and deceives the seller until the time of concluding the sale should come. A buyer may also lie to the seller regarding the reason of the purchase to lower its price, contrary to the truth. Thus, both parties would conceal something from the other and each would be cheating the other from what he owed in the exchange. A common example of the buyer’s lies is when he tries to lower the price of a piece of land by claiming to buy it to build a mosque on it, and after concluding the sale, he would build himself a house instead, and had originally lied merely to lower the price. The Prophet ﷺ underlined that the blessing of such business transactions would be eliminated, meaning it would be devoid of increase and growth due to their mutual lying and deceit.
The hadeeth evidences the Khiyaar Al-Majlis (i.e., an option whereby the parties have right to unilaterally withdraw from a contract as long as the parties do not leave the session of contract) for both the buyer and seller, to repudiate or retain the concluded sale.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that the designated period for availing of this option (Khiyaar Al-Majlis) is after concluding the sale and until the two parties leave the contracting session.
It is also inferred therefrom that a sale becomes binding once the two contracting parties physically leave the contracting session.
The hadeeth also highlights the obligation of adhering to honesty and truthfulness in sales transactions.
It is also deduced therefrom that (blessed) worldly gains can only be attained by good-doing, and that the ominousness of sins and acts of disobedience causes one to miss out on what is good in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
The hadeeth also underlines the virtue of truthfulness, and urges Muslims to adhere to it, and highlights that it is a reason for having one’s earnings blessed.
The hadeeth dispraises lying, urges Muslims to abandon it, and underlines that it is a reason for having one’s earnings deprived of blessing.
It also highlights that the performance of good deeds to attain reward in the Hereafter ensures attainment of what is good in this worldly life and the Hereafter as well.
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2080

Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We used to be given mixed dates (from the spoils of war) and used to sell (barter) two Saa‘s of those mixed dates for one Saa‘ (of good-quality dates). The Prophet ﷺ said (to us), "No (bartering of) two Saa‘s for one Saa‘ nor two Dirhams for one Dirham is permissible", (as it involves Ribaa). .

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has permitted selling, but deemed Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) forbidden. In fact, the consumption of Ribaa is one of the major sins and destructive evil deeds and it was deemed forbidden in all the previous divine laws, given the evils and social and economic damages it incurs.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they were given mixed dates (from the spoils of war), which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to distribute to Muslims. Such dates were a mixture of various types of date fruits (of different qualities). They used to sell every two Saa‘s (the Saa‘ was a dry measure used for agricultural produce by the Arabs during the Prophet's ﷺlifetime) of such mixed dates, which were of poor quality, for one Saa‘ of good-quality dates. The Saa’ equaled four Mudds, and the Mudd equaled the measure of two open medium-sized handfuls. The Mudd approximately equals (509) grams in the lowest estimate, and (1072) grams in the highest estimate. The Saa’, on the other hand, is equivalent to between 2036 and 4288 grams.
The Prophet ﷺ forbade them from such a sale, and told them that it was not permissible to sell two Saa‘s of mixed dates for one Saa‘ of good-quality dates, despite the difference in quality, because the exchanged commodities in this barter would be the same; they were both dates. He ﷺ also forbade them from selling two Dirhams of old or poor-quality silver for one Dirham of good-quality silver because they are of the same kind (silver). This transaction was known as Ribaa Al-Fadhl, which involved an exchange or sale transaction in trade which effectively results in charging ‘interest’ through the exchange of the same commodity, but of a different quality or quantity, and this is prohibited as per the laws of Islam.
He ﷺ instructed them instead to sell any given type of date for a monetary value and then buy with that money whatever they wished. Thus, they would avoid taking excess in exchange of a given commodity in the event of a barter of two similar commodities, and the Ribaa involved in such a transaction.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that ignorance of a prohibition warrants pardon until one obtains knowledge of it.
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2081

Aboo Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A man from the Ansaar named Aboo Shu‘ayb, came and told his butcher-servant, "Prepare a meal sufficient for five persons, for I want to invite the Prophet ﷺ along with four other persons as I saw signs of hunger on his face." Aboo Shu‘ayb invited them and another person came along with them. The Prophet ﷺ said (to Aboo Shu‘ayb), “This man followed us, so if you allow him, he will join us, and if you want him to return, he will go back.” Aboo Shu‘ayb said, "No, I have allowed him (i.e. he, too, is welcomed to join you for the meal)..

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) loved the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dearly, and their love for him made themkeenly keep his company, and hastento please him and fulfill his needs.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Mas‘ood ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when Aboo Shu‘ayb Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) saw the signs of hunger on the Prophet’s face, he said to his servant (or a hired butcher as narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim), “Prepare some food that is sufficient for five persons; one of them is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared a meal for five people because he knew that some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would most likely come along with the Prophet ﷺ. It is also possible that he saw the Prophet ﷺ sitting with four people at that time and he (may Allah be pleased with him) invited them over for the meal, but a sixth man came along uninvited. The Prophet ﷺ asked the host, Aboo Shu‘ayb (may Allah be pleased with him), for his permission to clarify this sixth guest’s situation and spare him and the host any inconvenience, because he came uninvited. Aboo Shu‘ayb (may Allah be pleased with him) gave his consent and welcomed the uninvited guest.
The Prophet ﷺ did not give permission to that guest except after obtaining the host’s consent first, contrary to the situation when he ﷺ invited many people over to join him for the meal prepared by Aboo Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him), without seeking Aboo Talhah’s permission, as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. This is because Aboo Shau‘ayb limited his invitation to five people as he said to his servant, ‘prepare a meal that is sufficient for five people.’ This serves as a thoughtfulgesture on the part of the Prophet ﷺ, teaching us that when a host invites over a specified number of guests, they should abide by that number, and must not bring others along without hispermission.
The hadeeth teaches us that an aspect of showing hospitality to a guest is to invite those in his company as well.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that whoever wishes to invite a group of people over for a meal should prepare for them enough food, and should not serve them a small amount of food (causing theminconvenience).
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable for someone to join a group of people and accompany them to the place of their destination; had it been prohibited, the Prophet ﷺ would have forbidden the man who followed him, and would have commanded him to go back. What is forbidden is to enter someone’s house and show up uninvited without the permission and consent of the host.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that when one of the invited guests seeks the host’s permission to bring someone else with him, the host should give his permission, like what Aboo Shu‘ayb (may Allah be pleased with him) did, and it is indicative of his refined moral character.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is forbidden to eat someone's food without his permission.
The hadeeth also highlights the lawfulness of working and making a living as a butcher.
It is also deduced that a ruler, a noble, or old person is urged to considerately accept the invitation of those of inferior status.
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2084

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Commentary :
Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) is the mother of all evils, and the Laws of Islamhas warned against drinking it and trading in it, because of the harm it incurs on the individual and society.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when the last ayaat of Al-Baqarah chapter were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them for people in the (Prophet's) Mosque. The version of the hadeeth complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim has an addition reading, “about Ribaa.” This narration refers to the ayaat that read (what means): {Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity…[thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.} [Quran 2:275-279]. These ayaat included the prohibition of Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury). Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ deemed trading in Khamr prohibited as well, because it involves selling or buying what is unlawful and leads to falling into the sin of consuming Khamr.
The Arabic word Khamr linguistically denotes covering, because Khamr covers intellect, leading a person to commit other destructive sins.
It is known that the prohibition of Khamr was revealed in the ayaat that reads (what means): {O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. * Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?* And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away – then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification.} [Quran 5:90-92] These ayaat were revealed long before the ayah about the prohibition of Ribaa, which was either the last ayah to be revealed in the Quran or one of the last ones. It is possible that he ﷺ informed them of the prohibition of trading in Khamr when Khamr was deemed prohibited, then informed them of it again after the ayah on Ribaa was revealed, for the sake of laying emphasis on the prohibition in this regard and to ensure that it wasproclaimed more broadly. It is also possible that he ﷺ made mention of them both to indicate that Ribaa and Khamr are equally prohibited. Perhaps those who attended that assembly were absent during the previous one when he ﷺ proclaimed the prohibition of trading in Khamr.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that trading in Khamr is strictly prohibited, since Allah, Exalted is He, coupled it with Ribaa, about which stern warnings have been reported.
The hadeeth also highlights the emphasis laid by the Laws of Islam on the prohibition of Ribaa and Khamr, since the Prophet ﷺ keenly proclaimed such prohibitions in the mosque, emphasizing their gravity..

2086

‘Awn ibn Abee Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: My father bought a slave who practiced Hijaamah (i.e., wet cupping therapy). (My father broke the slave's equipment that he used for cupping). I asked my father why he had done so, and he replied, "The Prophet ﷺ forbade accepting the price of a dog or blood (i.e., fees of Hijaamah), and also forbade the profession of tattooing, getting tattooed and receiving or giving Ribaa, and cursed the image-makers.".

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, decreed that which is good lawful to His servants, and decreed unlawful that which is evil to them, and this applies to food, beverages, earnings, trade, and others. The Islamic Laws of Islam also urges Muslims to be a gracious and lift themselves above trivial aspirations.
In this hadeeth, ‘Awn ibn Abee Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that his father Abee Juhayfah Wahab ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Suwaa’iy (may Allah be pleased with him)bought a slave who practiced Hijaamah (i.e., wet cupping therapy). He ordered him to break the equipment that he used for cupping, as stated in a narration recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree. His son asked him about the reason for breaking the equipment, and he told him that the Prophet ﷺ had forbidden the price of a dog, i.e., selling a dog, and deemed such earnings unlawful as per the Sheree‘ah, because it is prohibited to own and keep dogs. It has been said that guard and hunting dogs are excluded from this prohibition, because they are beneficial, as stated in the narration reported by Al-Daaraqutnee on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reading: “except for a hunting dog.” Another relevant narration reported by Al-Tirmithee reads: “Except for dogs meant for hunting.”
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ forbade the price of blood, i.e., the fees of Hijaamah. Hijaamah is (a form of alternative medicine) used to remove bad blood from the body. The Prophet ﷺ had Hijaamah performed on him and paid a fee to the Hijaamah therapist, as narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them). Had it been forbidden to pay fees to the Hijaamahtherapist, the Prophet ﷺ would not have had Hijaamah performed on him nor paid fees to thetherapist! Therefore, the hadeeths stating the prohibition of practicing Hijaamah and profiting from it, and declaring the earnings of this profession unlawful, are interpreted as to indicate that such earnings are deemed inferior and urge Muslims to earn their living byother loftier professions, seek superior ways of earning a living, and exhibit fine moral qualities. It is possible that the prohibition was prescribed in the early days of Islam and was later abrogated, when the Prophet ﷺ paid the Hijaamah therapist his fee.
In the hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ also forbade the practice of tattooing and having tattoos. Tattooing means piercing injections into the skin layers, then filling that location with kohl or something else until it turns blue or green. A tattoo is a form of drawing shapes on the body in a different color to a person's skin tone, and people used to use it for beautification purposes. The tattooist is called (in Arabic) ’Waashimah’, and it refers the one who practices tattooing in return for fees or for free, and the one being tattooed is called ’Mawshoomah’. The Prophet ﷺ forbade tattooing because it was practiced by the dissolute and ignorant people and because it involved changing the creation of Allah, Exalted is He.
The Prophet ﷺ forbade dealing in Ribaa for both parties, the payer and recipient of the interest money. Ribaa linguistically means excess, and in Islamic terminology, it is (the measure of excess in one thing when two things are exchanged in some bargain; or), in the case of a loan, an increased amount of the loan at the time of its payment.
There are two kinds of Ribaa; Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., the excess taken in exchange of specific homogenous commodities and encountered in their hand-to-hand purchase and sale or barter transaction), andRibaa Al-Nasee'ah (i.e., increasing the price of an item in return for deferred payment).
The prohibition incorporates both taking and paying Ribaa (interest) money, even if the recipient does not consume Ribaa, and the reference to consumption in this context is due to the fact that it was one of the main sources of income, and most of people’s earnings at the time when this prohibition was revealed were obtained by dealing in Ribaa.
The Prophet ﷺ also cursed the image-makers. The prohibition in this regard applies only to those who make images of animate objects. It was said that the image-makers here are the sculptors who make and carve statues that imitate the creation of Allah, Exalted is He. It was also said they are the ones who make idols for the purpose of worship.
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2087

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Commentary :
Islam laid down etiquette and provisions governing business transactions. Both the buyer and seller are required to acquaint themselves with these provisions and etiquettes, to preserve their religious and worldly interests.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ warns against excessive oaths and swearing too much when selling with the aim to promote one’s commodities. Making an oath, if the person is truthful, may help a seller promote his commodity and conclude the sale, but such sale would bedeprived from Allah’s blessing in the future. Allah, Exalted is He, may cause it to be destroyed by means of theft, burning, drowning, usurpation, plunder, or any other form of destruction by the will of Allah, Exalted is He. Thus, such a seller would be exerting such efforts to earn money and it would be all in vain, and this would be his due punishment from Allah, Exalted is He, for his excessive oaths. In the narration recorded by Muslim on the authority of Aboo Qatadaah Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ said: “Beware of excessive swearing (and making oaths) in sale, because it may promote trade, but this practice will eliminate the earnings’ blessing.” The hadeeth may also mean ‘false oaths’, as clarified in the narration reported by Imaam Ahmad reading: “Taking false oaths may help you conclude a sale transaction, but it takes (blessing) away from the earnings.”
The Arabic words used in the hadeeth are ‘Munaffiqah’ meaning inducive to the promotion of the commodity, and ‘Mumhiqah’, meaning eliminating the blessings. Other variations used in different narrations of the hadeeth are ‘Manfaqah’ derived from the word ‘Al-Nafaaq’, meaning saleability, and ‘Mumhaqah’ meaning deprivation of blessing and a reason for it.
The hadeeth lays emphasis on the gravity of excessive swearing (oaths) by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, and underlines that it must only be done for a need.
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2088

‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A man displayed some goods in the market and swore by Allah that he had been offered so much for that, that which was not offered, and he said so, so as to cheat a Muslim. On that occasion, the following ayah was revealed (which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter…} [Quran 3:77] .

Commentary :
Swearing oaths is a serious matter, and Islam has laid emphasis on its gravity, especially making false oaths by means of which a person unlawfully takes the money of his fellow Muslim brother.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that a man offered his commodity for sale in the market and falsely swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that he had bought it for such-and-such a price, merely to persuade his fellow Muslim to buy it. On that occasion, the following ayah was revealed. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (that which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter…} [Quran 3:77]. The ayah reads {Those who exchange} because the two parties of a sale transaction exchange the commodity for money,{the covenant of Allah},meaningthe covenant they made to believe in the Prophet ﷺ and fulfill the trusts, {and their [own] oaths for a small price} meaning their false oaths that they take to affirm the desired statements or actions. The intended meaning is that they trade their covenants with Allah and their oaths, with fleeting worldly gains and desires such as money, benefits, and other worldly gains. The price is described here as being small, to indicate its insignificance, for it was traded for breaching the covenant with Allah and taking a false oath. This makes it fundamentally insignificant, no matter how significantit seemed from a worldly perspective, compared to winning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, and fulfilling the covenants made with Him. Then Allah, Exalted is He, stated the punishment designated for the one who commits such a major sin. He Says (that which means): {…will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]. It means, ‘They shall have no share in the bliss tasted by the believers in the Hereafter, and Allah, Exalted is He, will not speak to them about what would please them, but would rather say to them that which will cause distress and disappointment to them.’ The ayah goes on, {or look at them on the Day of Resurrection} meaning that He will not mercifully look at them, {nor will He purify them}, from sins and misdeeds by conferring upon them His forgiveness, nor shall He commend them like He would commend His righteous servants. Rather, He shall be angry with them and will punish them for breaching their covenant with Him, {and they will have a painful punishment}, because of what they committed. This is a stern warning about making false oaths, because such a sin combines many corrupt evil deeds, including: lyingin the name of Allah, deceiving a purchaser into buying his commodity, making up lies for the sake of promoting it, and unlawfully taking the money of the purchaser, described here as a ‘small price’with which he shall not be availed for long in this worldly life.
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2094

Aboo Haazim narrated:
Some men came to Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about the (Prophet’s) pulpit. He replied, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ sent for a woman (Sahl named her) this message: ‘Command your servant-carpenter to make pieces of wood (i.e., a pulpit) for me so that I may sit on it while addressing the people.’ So, she ordered him to make it from the tamarisk (tree) in the forest. He brought it to her and she sent it to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, and he ordered it to be placed in the mosque: so, it was put and he ﷺ sat on it..

Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to deliver his speeches to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) while standing or leaning on a palm-tree trunk.When the number of worshippers in the mosque increased, the Prophet ﷺ thought about taking a wooden pulpit to stand and sit on while delivering his speeches to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
This hadeeth relates the story of the Prophet’sﷺ pulpit. The Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Aboo Haazim Salamah ibn Dinaar stated that some men came to the great Companion Sahl ibn Sa‘d Al-Saa‘dee (may Allah be pleased with him) asking him about the Prophet’s ﷺpulpit and he (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that the Prophet ﷺ sent a message to a woman. Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned her name, but reporters differed regarding it; some said that it was ‘Aa’ishah and others said it was Minaas. She was from the Ansaar, according to the narration cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, or the emigrants according to another narration also recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, and she had a servant-carpenter. The Prophet ﷺ commanded her to order her servant to make the Prophet ﷺ a pulpit to sit on it when delivering his speeches.
It has also been narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) that a woman from the Ansaar said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I have a servant-carpenter; he may make you something to sit on (i.e., pulpit), if you wish.” To reconcile between these narrations, it is possible that she asked the Prophet ﷺ first, and then he ﷺ sent her the reported message, indicating his acceptance of her offer, and commanding her to (order her servant to) make the pulpit for him.
The woman complied with the Prophet’s command and instructed her servant to make the Prophet ﷺ a pulpit from a desert tree called ‘Tarafah’, and the forest was located in Al-‘Awaalee on the route from Al-Madeenah to Al-Shaam, about 14 miles from Al-Madeenah. When the servant finished it, and the woman sent it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he ordered it to be placed in its place in the Prophet’s Mosque, and he ﷺ sat on it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to seek the help of professionals and skilled workers (in various fields) for whatever may bring benefit to Muslims..

2095

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
A woman from the Ansaar said to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Shall I make something for you to sit on, as I have a servant who is a carpenter?" He ﷺ replied, "If you wish." So, she (may Allah be pleased with him) had a pulpit made for him. When it was Friday the Prophet ﷺ sat on that pulpit. The date-palm trunk near which the Prophet ﷺ used to deliver his speeches cried so much so that it was about to burst. The Prophet ﷺ came down from the pulpit towards the trunk and embraced it and it started groaning like a crying child and then stopped crying. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has cried because of (missing) what it was used to hearing Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) being recited!".

Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to deliver his speeches to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) while standing or leaning on a palm-tree trunk.When the number of worshippers in the mosque increased, the Prophet ﷺconsidered taking a wooden pulpit to stand and sit on while delivering his speeches to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
This hadeeth relates the story of the Prophet’spulpit and indicates theyearning and longing of the palm-tree trunk for the Prophet ﷺ when he left it and ascended the new pulpit.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that a woman from the Ansaar came to the Prophet ﷺ and offered to make him something to sit on while delivering his speeches, for she had a servant who was also a skilled carpenter. The Prophet ﷺ agreed and said to her, ‘If you wish!’
It was narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ sent a message to a woman from the Ansaar, ‘Command your servant-carpenter to make pieces of wood (i.e., a pulpit) for me so that I may sit on it while addressing the people.’ She may have asked the Prophet ﷺ first, and then he ﷺ sent her that message, indicating his acceptance of her offer, and commanding her to (order her servant to) make it for him.
The woman complied with the Prophet’s ﷺcommand and instructed her servant to make the Prophet ﷺ a pulpit. When the servant finished it, the woman sent it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he ordered it to be placed in its place in the mosque. On Friday, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started to use the pulpit instead of the palm-tree trunk on which he ﷺ used to lean during his speeches, and sat on the new pulpit instead. The deserted trunk wept so much so that it was about to burst. It produced a loud groaning sound,indicating its yearning and longing for the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ came down from the pulpit, went to the trunk and embraced it to comfort it. Itstoppedcryinglittle by little like achild does. The Prophet ﷺ clarified the reason for its crying and said, “It has cried because of (missing) what it was used to hearing of Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) being recited!" It means that the trunk longed for listening to the remembrance of Allah by the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ delivered his speeches while standing or leaning on it.
The hadeeth highlights a sign of Prophethood and a miracle with which he ﷺ was aided, having an inanimate object yearn for him and sense his presence and absence.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to stand on an elevated platform while delivering the Khutbah (i.e., Friday speech), and install pulpits in mosques.
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2099

‘Amr said:
Here (i.e., in Makkah) there was a man called Nawwaas and he had camels suffering from a disease causing their thirst to become excessive and unquenchable. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the partner of Nawwaas and bought those camels. The man returned to Nawwaas and told him that he had sold those camels. Nawwaas asked him, "To whom have you sold them?" He replied, "To so-and-so Shaykh (, describing to him how he looked)." Nawwaas said, " Woe to you! By Allah, that Shaykh was Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)." Nawwaas then went to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him, "My partner sold you camels suffering from a disease causing their thirst to become unquenchable and he had not recognized you!" Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him to take them back (i.e., annul the sale and return the camels). When Nawwaas went to take them, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "Leave them there; I am happy with the judgment of Allah's Messenger ﷺ that there is no ‘Adwaa (i.e., contagion and transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah). ".

Commentary :
A Muslim is enjoined to be honest and truthful in all situations, including buying and selling. Sales transactions should be based on clarity and honesty about the merits and flaws of the commodity, to eliminate all chances of cheating, which sows hatred and discord among people.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Amr ibn Dinaar stated that ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) bought camels from a man named Nawwaas and that these camels were infected with a disease known as Hiyaam, making their thirst excessive and unquenchable. It may also refer to a disease that resulted in scabies. It was also said that Al-Heem are thescabby camels painted with tar, and which therefore become thirsty due to the higher body temperature caused by it. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) bought these camels from a partner of Nawaaas, and this partner went to Nawwaas and informed him of the sale.He asked him: “To whom have you sold them?” The partner described the buyer to him, and Nawwaas knew that he was Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).He said to him: “Woe to you! By Allah, that Shaykh was Ibn ‘Umar.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which literally means ‘woe to you,’ indicating rebuke, and it is said in reference to someone who has made a serious mistake. Nawwaas went to Ibn ‘Umar and informed him that his partner had sold him some sick camels without informing him of their flaws prior to the sale. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to take them back, given the circumstances. When Nawwaas went to take them, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Leave them there; I am happy with the judgment of Allah's Messenger ﷺ that there is no ‘Adwa (i.e., contagion and transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah),” meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did so in compliance with the Prophet’s statement, ‘There is no ‘Adwaa.’ The Arabic word used in the hadeeth (‘Adwaa) means contagion and transmission of infectious disease from one patient to another. The Prophet’s statement means that diseases cannot cause infection by themselves without the permission and decree of Allah, Exalted is He.People of the pre-Islamic era believed that diseases could spread from one person to another without the permission of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ negated that false belief and clarified to them that diseases are mere causes that may only have effects by the decree and permission of Allah, who causes illness (and that contagion is a means through which Allah effects His decrees).
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and his (remarkable) compliance with the Prophet’s guidance and judgments, even if it seemed to be harmful.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a sale of a defective commodity is valid as long as the buyer is informed of its flaws and gives his consent.
It is also inferred therefrom that a buyer may return a defective commodity (and annul the transaction) if its defect was concealed by the seller.
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2101

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The example of a good Companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith's bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof.".

Commentary :
Keeping the company of righteous people and attending their gatherings is one of the qualities of goodness, and a way to attain happiness in both the worldly life and the Hereafter. Likewise, keeping the company of wicked and evil people isa sign of wickedness and the path to loss and ruin.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ gave a good similitude of the two categories of people: a good (righteous) companion and a bad (evil) one, to help us better understand the intended meanings, and urge us to adhere to what is good and avoid what is evil. The first category in the hadeeth is the righteous companion, a pious person who directs his companions to Allah, Exalted is He, and guides them to the sayings and deeds that bring them closer to Him. The Prophet ﷺ likened such a good companion to the musk seller. Keeping his company yields benefits in all cases; you either buy musk and perfume from him or simply enjoy the pleasant smell. Likewise, a good companion may bring you some tangible benefits or you may simplyfind comfort and joy in his company.
The second category is the bad companion, who drives those in his company away from Allah, Exalted is He, and all sayings and acts that draw them closer to Him. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ likened a bad companion to blacksmith's bellows (or furnace), meaning to a blacksmith. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth ‘Keer’ means a bag-like device made of thick leather (with handles) that is used to blow air onto a fire to keep the flame burning. Such a blacksmith (who blows air onto a fire) will either burn your body or clothes with the sparks, or make you smell an unpleasant odor, causing you distress and inconvenience. Likewise, a bad companion either causes you direct harm by committing sins with him, and accordingly suffering their burning flames, or by witnessing firsthand his ugly and evil deeds and therefore being dispraised for keeping the company of such a wicked person.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to keep the company of righteous and obedient people, and keep away from wicked and ill-mannered ones.
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2103

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..

Commentary :
A Hijaamah therapist is the one who performs Hijaamah (i.e., wet cupping therapy), which is (a form of alternative medicine) used to remove bad blood from the body by making superficial incisions on the skin using surgical scalpels, and removing the bad blood using a funnel-like device or special cups on the skin to create suction.It is used to treat different types of pain.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) inferred the permissibility of (undertaking) Hijaamah therapy and the lawfulness of its fees from the action of the Prophet ﷺ, because he ﷺ had Hijaamah performed on him and paid thetherapist a fee. Had paying the Hijaamah therapist been impermissible, the Prophet ﷺ would not have had it performed on him nor paid the fee.
The hadeeths about the unlawfulness of the earnings obtained through performing Hijaamah that described such earnings as ‘unlawful’, and indicate their inferiority and urge Muslims to embody noble manners and seek other loftier means of earning a living. It is also possible that the prohibition was prescribed in the early days of Islam and was later abrogated when the Prophet ﷺ paid the Hijjamah therapist the fee.
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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 Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..

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 Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..

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 Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..