Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates).
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Commentary :
Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between the sellers and the buyers are among the objectives of theLaws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between the buyers and sellers.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling only the unpicked fruits or dates (rather than the fruits and trees altogether) before they appear fully ripe and ready for consumption, by becomingred or yellow or showing any other sign of ripeness. This is because when the fruits ripen, they become safe from potential loss or defects due to pests that may destroy or reduce the yield. In fact, the prohibition of such a sales transaction serves the best interests of both the buyer and seller. It benefits the seller, because the price paid for the unripe fruits is lower; he could sell them for a higher price if he waited until they are fully ripe. Therefore, hastening to sell the unripe crops may cause him to miss out on obtaining more earnings, and hastening to make small profits (rather than waiting to make big ones) implies a waste of wealth. Moreover, the unripe fruits may go bad and spoil before they ripen, and thus a seller would have unlawfully devoured the wealth of his Muslim brother. It also benefits the buyer, because when he buys the unripe fruits, he may lose his money if the quality of the purchased fruits turns out to be less than what was expected, and thus he would be risking the loss of his money. In addition, there is another benefit accruing to both parties, for the prohibition of this sale eliminates potential disputes and discord that may be caused between them were the sold fruits to go bad and spoil.
The Prophet ﷺ also forbade the sale of dates, after they appear ripe and ready for consumption, for dates. Rather, dates should be sold for Dinar, Dirham, or other trade goods, to avoid falling into Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity). It involves the sale of gold for gold, silver for silver, or food for food with excess, and it is deemed prohibited as per the laws of Islam with regard to six categories of commodity, as recorded in Saheeh Muslim. TheProphet ﷺ said: “Gold may be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt, like by like, provided that the payment is made hand to hand. If the exchanged commodities are dissimilar, sell as you wish as long as the payment is made on the spot.”
The Prophet ﷺ later deemed allowable one form of this sale, namely Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah or ‘Araayaa (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated measure of picked and ripe fruits on the ground based on dry measurement). It is a sale whereby the owner of an orchard grants a poor person, who has no palm trees of his own nor cash to buy fresh dates for his household consumption, the (fresh) dates of his palm tree in return for a payment of surplus dry dates. It is a barter of the owner’s fresh dates of one or two palm trees for instance, for an estimated weight of surplus dry dates provided by the poor person, to avail himself of fresh dates like those who could afford buying them. This transaction was deemed allowable because some people had no palm trees or money during the season of fresh dates and wished to feed their dependents therefrom. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ gave them that legal concession, to conduct the sale of ‘Arayah for an estimated weight of dry dates, provided that they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and the Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
The hadeeth highlights how Islam promotes ease and facilitation and eliminates inconvenience for people.

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2191

Sahl ibn Abee Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade the sale of fruits (fresh dates) for dry dates but allowed the sale of fruits on the ‘Ariyyah by estimation and their new owners might eat their fresh dates. Sufyaan (in another narration) said, "I told Yahyaa (a sub-narrator) when I was a mere boy, people of Makkah used to say that the Prophet ﷺ allowed them to conduct the sale of ‘Ariyyah by estimation.' Yahyaa asked, 'How did the people of Makkah know about it?' I replied, 'They narrated it (from the Prophet ﷺ) on the authority of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him).' On that, Yahyaa kept quiet." Sufyaan said, "I meant that Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) from the people of Al-Madeenah." Sufyaan was asked whether or not there was a reference in Jaabir's narration any prohibition of selling fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., they become fully ripen and free of any dangers of being spoilt or blighted). He replied that there was none..

Commentary :
Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between the sellers and the buyers are among the objectives of the Laws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between buyers and sellers.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade selling only unpicked dates for an estimated equivalent weight of dry dates, known as the Muzaabanah sale (i.e., a sale that involves the exchange of fresh fruits for dry ones, where the quantity of the dry fruits is actually known, by precise measurement, but the quantity of the fresh fruits to be handed over in exchange is estimated while they are in their unpicked state on trees), but excluded one form of such a sale known as Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated amount of picked and ripe fruits on the ground based on dry measurement). It is a sale whereby a poor person buys the unpicked dates of palm trees, after they appear to be ripe and ready for consumption, to eat therefrom whenever he wishes, in return for an estimated payment of dry dates on the ground. This transaction was deemed allowable because some people had no palm trees of their own, or money during the season of fresh dates, and they wished to feed their dependents therefrom.The Prophet ﷺ gave them that legal concession out of his compassion to them. He ﷺ deemed it allowable to conduct this form of that sale for an estimation of their equal weight of dry dates, provided they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim.A Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
‘Alee ibn ‘Abdullah - one of the narrators of the hadeeth - told them that Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah narrated this hadeeth to them with two different wordings conveying the same meaning. Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah reported that he said to Yahyaa ibn Sa’eed Al-Ansaaree what had happened with him when he was a little boy, to indicate that he started seeking knowledge at a very young age, and that as a young seeker of knowledge used to debate and discuss with his teachers. Sufyaan said: “People of Makkah used to say that the Prophet ﷺ allowed for them the sale of ‘Arayaa (trees) by estimation.” Yahyaa asked about the supportive hadeeth text on which they relied in this regard, 'How did the people of Makkah know about it?' Sufyaan replied that they narrated such a hadeeth on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him). On that, Yahyaa kept quiet. In fact, Sufyaan made mention of the narrator of this hadeeth because he, i.e., Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), belonged to the people of Al-Madeenah. Thus, he underlined that the supportive hadeeth was narrated by the people of Al-Madeenah. The difference between the narration reported by Yahyaa ibn Sa’eed and that reported by the people of Makkah was that Yahyaa ibn Sa’eed limited the relevant legal concession in Bay‘ Al-‘Araayaa to estimation without weighing or measuring, and that the buyer must eat the dates fresh. As for the narration reported on the authority of Sufyaan from the people of Makkah, it did not specify such conditions, and indicated that Bay‘ Al-‘Araayaa was deemed allowable without any of these restrictions or conditions. Yahyaa could have said to Sufyaan that the people of Al-Madeenah held that such-and-such restrictions or conditions were stipulated; therefore,that which is general should be made subject to that which is restricted and specific i.e., applying a specific requirement on that which is general. The specification of the condition of estimation without weighing or measuring in the relevant narration is based on an addition made by a narrator, judged as Haafith (i.e., a title, lit. memorizer of hadeeth, awarded to a Hadeeth scholar after he had memorized thousands of hadeeths along with their chains of narration) by Hadeeth scholars, and therefore is essentially approved.Overall, the most likely correct opinion regarding the specification of being eaten fresh is that it is not a condition for the validity of this sale transaction but was rather mentioned to describe their actual situation.
Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah was asked whether or not there was any reference to the prohibition of selling fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., becoming fully ripe) in Jaabir's narration, and he replied that there was none, meaning that the hadeeth did not state the prohibition of selling fruits before they ripen and become ready for consumption, although this is true according to another version of that hadeeth reported by other narrators.
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2193

Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "During the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, people used to trade with fruits. When they cut their date-fruits and the purchasers came to receive their rights, a seller would say, 'My dates have gone bad and got rotten; they are blighted with diseases, or afflicted with Qushaam (i.e., a disease which causes the fruit to fall before ripening).' People used to go on complaining of defects in their purchases. Therefore, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Do not sell the fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., they appear to be fully ripe and free of any dangers of being spoilt or blighted), by way of advice, for they disputed too much." [Another version of the hadeeth reads: Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) used not to sell the fruits of his land till Pleiades appeared and one could distinguish the yellow (unripe) fruits from the red (fully ripe) ones..

Commentary : Preventing cheating in sales and avoiding potential disputes between buyers and sellers are among the objectives of the Laws of Islam. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some sales that could lead to cheating and deception, or cause potential disputes between the two parties.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that people during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ used to sell the unpicked fruits or dates before they were fully ripe and ready for consumption, as judged by showing signs of ripeness in terms of color or shape. When they cut their date-fruits and the purchasers came to receive their rights, the seller would say, 'My dates have gone rotten, they are blighted with such-and-such diseases; they are afflicted with Qushaam (i.e., a disease which causes the fruit to fall before ripening).' Therefore, when their disputes increased, Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade selling fruits before their benefit is evident (i.e., they appear to be fully ripe, by means of color or shape or any other sign of ripeness. Then, the fruits would be safe from being spoilt or blighted with pests that may destroy or reduce the yield).
As for his saying, “Do not sell …,” it means that it is prohibited to sell the fruits except after these signs of ripeness are evident.
His saying, “by way of advice, for they disputed too much,” means that they were urged to refrain from buying any unpicked fruits until the whole yield was fully ripe, to avoid potential disputes. It was said that this was an interpretation made by some reporters of the hadeeth and was not part of the Prophet’s saying. This might have been the case in the beginning, and afterward the Prophet ﷺ decisively and explicitly forbade such sales. It was narrated on the authority of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of dates until they become fully ripe, as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim.
Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) used to act upon this prohibition; he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not sell the fruits of his palm trees till Pleiades appeared, marking the beginning of summer, when the wheatear became hot in Hijaaz and fruits became fully ripe. The Laws of Islam-approved criterion is the ripeness of the dates and the appearance of the Pleiades was a mere sign of the season of such ripeness.
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2198

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah's Messengerﷺ forbade the sale of fruits till they are almost ripe. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked what is meant by 'are almost ripe.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Till they become red." Allah's Messenger ﷺ further said, "If Allah caused the fruits to go bad and spoil, what right would one have to take the money of his fellow Muslim brother (i.e., the buyer)?"
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2201

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree and Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ appointed somebody as a governor of Khaybar. That governor brought to him an excellent kind of dates (from Khaybar). The Prophet ﷺasked, "Are all the dates of Khaybar like this (i.e., in terms of quality)?" He replied, "By Allah, no, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! But we barter one Saa‘ of this (type of dates) for two Saa‘s of dates of ours and two Saa‘s of it for three of ours." Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Do not do so (as that is a kind of Ribaa) but sell the mixed dates (of inferior quality) for money, and then buy fine (high-quality) dates with that money."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has permitted for His servants to earn their living by trade, but deemed Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) prohibited. Hence, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some commercial transactions lest Muslims should fall into Ribaa, directly or indirectly.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree and Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ appointed Sawaad ibn Ghaziyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) as the governor for Khaybar, a northern area of Al-Madeenah where the fortresses of the Jews were located, and it was conquered after the Pact of Al-Hudaybiyyah on the first of Muharram 7 A.H. Sawaad (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet ﷺ with “Janeeb dates”, high-quality dates, and it was also said that the hadeeth rather referred to Sulb dates. The Prophet ﷺ asked him: "Are all the dates of Khaybar like this (i.e., in terms of quality)?" The man said: “No, Allah, O Messenger of Allah, but we barter one Saa‘ of Janeeb dates for two Saa‘s of dates of ours and two Saa‘s of Janeeb dates for three of ours,” meaning that they exchanged one Saa‘of Janeeb dates for two Saa‘s of low-quality dates, and two Saa‘s of Janeeb dates for three Saa‘s of low-quality dates. The Prophet ﷺ forbade him from doing so and commanded him instead to sell the low-quality dates for Dirhams, and then buy with his money the Janeeb dates, to be done in two separate sale transactions, to avoid falling into Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity).
It was deemed prohibited as per the laws of Islam with regard to six categories of commodity, as recorded in Saheeh Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Gold may be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt, like by like, provided that the payment is made hand to hand. If the exchanged commodities are dissimilar, sell as you wish as long as the payment is made on the spot.”
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prohibited to take excess of weight or measure in an exchange of a homogenous commodity of a different quality or quantity.
It also highlights that when the Prophet ﷺ forbade something that had lawful alternatives, he ﷺ used to refer to such alternatives.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that ignorance of a prohibition warrants pardon until one obtains knowledge of it.
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2207

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messengerﷺforbade Muhaaqalah (i.e., a sale in which grains in ears are sold for dry (processed) grain), Mukhaadharah (i.e., the sale of the unripe crops), Mulaamasah (i.e., a sale which become binding on seller if he just touches the object), Munaabadhah (i.e., a sale which is considered complete if one party just throw his garment to another party), and Muzaabanah (i.e., a sale of fresh fruit for an estimated equivalent weight of dried fruit)..

Commentary :
Islam came to eradicate the evil traces of the pre-Islamic era and forbid the sales that contravened the Laws of Islam, involved injustice, and yielded no benefits.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) underlined that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the Muhaaqalah sale, which was the sale of wheat while still in its ear in return for a certain known measure of wheat.
He ﷺ also forbade Mukhaadarah, which referred to the sale of crops before they become ripe and ready for consumption.
He ﷺ also forbade Mulaamasah, which referred to a way of selling practiced before Islam whereby a buyer purchased clothes or otherwise without seeing it properly with the condition that he was disentitled to annul the sale after properly seeing the purchased commodity; whenever he touched it, the sale became binding.
He ﷺalso forbade Munaabadhah, which is an Arabic word derived from the root ‘Na-ba-dha’, denoting throwing. It refers to a way of selling practiced before Islam, whereby a buyer said to a seller, ‘I shall buy whatever garment you throw at me for such-and-such a price”.Thus, throwing the commodity at the buyer became the seller’s consent to conclude the purchase, and the buyer became obliged to buy it.
He ﷺ also forbade Muzaabanah, which is a transaction whereby an owner of fruit trees sold his fruit for an estimated equivalent weight of the dried fruit, such as palm fruit for dates or grapes for raisins. The Prophet ﷺ deemed such transactions forbidden, but excluded one form known as Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah (i.e., a sale of unpicked and unripe fruits, usually dates, for an estimated weight of picked and ripe fruit on the ground based on dry measurement).
It was reported that Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession in case of the ‘Ariyyah sale, selling dry dates for fresh ones after measuring them out.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
This refers to a sale whereby the owner of an orchard grants a poor person, who has no palm trees of his own nor cash to buy fresh dates for his household consumption, the (fresh) dates of his palm tree in return for a payment of surplus dry dates made by the poor person. It is a barter of the owner’s fresh dates of one or two palm trees, for instance, for an estimated weight of surplus dates that the poor person had left, to avail himself of the fresh dates like those who could afford to buy them. The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession to conduct the sale of ‘Arayah for an estimated weight of dry dates, provided that they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and the Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
The hadeeth forbade a number of sales and financial transactions that involved Gharar (i.e., risk and uncertainty) and ambiguity.
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2212

Hishaam ibn ‘Urwah narrated on the authority of his father, who heard ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) saying, "Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable.} [Quran 4:6] This ayah was revealed concerning the guardian of the orphans who looks after them and favorably manages their financial affairs. If such guardian is poor, he may avail himself of the orphan’s wealth within what is just and reasonable, (according to his work).
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Commentary : Since an (underage) orphan is unable to manage his own financial affairs, it is prescribed to appoint a guardian to shoulder that task on his behalf, to dispose of his financial (and legal) affairs and preserve his wealth. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the guardian of the orphan to preserve the orphan’s wealth. The Laws of Islam also forbade the guardian from substituting (his) worthless items of wealth for the good and superior items of wealth owned by the orphan under his guardianship.
In this hadeeth,the Mother of Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable.} [Quran 4:6].She (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that it was revealed regarding the orphan's guardian who is entrusted with taking care of him, tending to his needs, and preserving and managing his wealth. The ayah means that if a guardian of an orphan, whose father died before he reached puberty, has personal wealth to fulfill his own needs and dispense with the orphan’s wealth, i.e., not taking fees in return for managing the orphan’s financial affairs on his behalf, he should do so and graciously refrain from taking fees. However, if the guardian is poor, it is allowable for him to avail himself of the orphan’s wealth reasonably, i.e., taking only the fees that he needs without transgressing the proper limits, leading to the loss of the orphan's wealth.
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2213

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption.
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Commentary : The Islamic Laws of Islam fosters whatever preserves people’s interests and perpetuates their mutual amiability, especially partners. Therefore, the Laws of Islam grants the right of Shuf‘ah or pre-emption to a partner and co-owner of a joint property, if the other partner or co-owner wishes to sell his share, according to specific rules and conditions.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah underlined that the Prophet ﷺ affirmed the right of Shuf‘ah or pre-emption in any jointly owned property that is dividable, such as: real estate, land, and the like, but was not divided. The term Shuf‘ah refers to the right of purchasing before others the share of one’s partner and co-owner. If a co-owner is selling his share in a jointly owned house or land for example, the other co-owner has more right to buy this share for the same price. The right of pre-emption is established for any property, be it real estate or land, which is not divided up, but each share is well-defined. If the shares are well-defined and each co-owner knows his share, and ‘the boundaries of the joint property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed,’ the right of pre-emption is not established for any of them, and each is entitled to sell his share to whomever he wishes.
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2217

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Prophet ﷺ Ibraaheem (Abraham) migrated with Sarah and entered a village\townwhere there was a king or a tyrant. (The king) was told that Ibraaheem had entered (the village\town) accompanied by a woman who was one of the most charming women. So, the king sent for Ibraaheem and asked, 'O Ibraaheem! Who is this lady accompanying you?' He replied, 'She is my sister, meaning his sister in faith.' Then Ibraaheem returned to her and said, 'Do not contradict my statement, for I have informed them that you are my sister. By Allah, there are no true believers on this land except you and I.' Then Ibraaheem sent her to the king. When the king tries to approach her, she got up, performed ablution, prayed and said, 'O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messengerand have guarded my private parts from everybody except my husband, then please do not let this pagan overpower me.' On that, the king had a seizure and started moving his legs violently. Seeing the king’s condition, Sarah said, 'O Allah! If he should die, people will say that I have killed him.' The king regained his powerand proceeded towards her but she got up again and performed ablution, prayed and said, 'O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger and have guarded my private parts from all men except my husband, then please do not let this pagan overpower me.' The king again had a seizure and started moving his legs violently. On seeing that state of the king, Sarah said, 'O Allah! If he should die, people will say that I have killed him.' The king got either two or three seizures, and after recovering from the last one he said, 'By Allah! You have sent a devil to me! Take her to Ibraaheem and give her a slave-girl.' So, she came back to Ibraaheem and said, 'Allah humiliated the pagan and gave us a slave-girl for service."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, defends those who believe in Him, and supports them by His grace and kindness, granting them victory over their enemies if they duly relied on Him and declared their utter weakness, powerlessness, and need for His help, support, and strength. Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and his wife Sarah duly relied on Allah, Exalted is He.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ related the story of Ibraaheem Al-Khaleel (i.e., the close friend of Allah) when he travelled with his wife Sarah, who was a charming woman endowed with a remarkable beauty, to a town ruled by a tyrant king. Upon hearing of her beauty, the king summoned Prophet Ibraaheem and asked him about Sarah. Prophet Ibraaheem said: “She is my sister,” meaning his sister in faith. Prophet Ibraaheem did not tell him that she was his wife because he realized that this tyrant wanted Sarah for his own evil intentions. Knowing his reputation, Prophet Ibraaheem knew that he would be reluctant to harm a man’s sister, but would not hesitate to harm his wife! It was also said that he knew that the king would have killed him, taken her away from him, or forced him to divorce her. Afterward, Ibraaheem said to her: “Do not contradict my statement,’ meaning ‘if this king asked you about me, do not say that I am your husband.’ He clarified to her that he was truthful, because she was essentially his sister in faith. He made an oath that there were no true believers in that land except him and her. His intention was to opt for Tawriyyah (i.e., indirect speech; when a speaker says something that has an apparent meaning that the listener would understand, and another hidden meaning that the speaker intends) to spare himself and his wife the evil of this tyrant had he known that she was his wife. His saying “There are no true believers in this land except you and I,” does not contradict the ayah that reads (what means): {And Lut believed him.} [Quran 29:26]. This is because Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) meant that there were no true believers in that town except them, and Prophet Lut was not there with them.
Then, Ibraaheem sent her to the king. The version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “… Ibraaheem stood in prayer,” meaning that he hastened to stand before his Lord in prayer (to seek His help and protection for his wife). When the king approached her, she got up, performed ablution, prayed and said, ‘O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger,’ meaning Prophet Ibraaheem. In fact, she was not doubtful of her belief in him, but mentioned it as an assumption to humble herself. She added: “… and have guarded my private parts from everybody’, meaning guarded herself against sin, ‘and enjoyed that which is lawful with my husband, … do not let this pagan overpower me.’ On that, the king had a seizure,’ meaning he suffered from shortness of breath, was nearly suffocated, his snorting could be heard, ‘and started moving his legs violently,’ out of pain. Seeing the condition of the king, Sarah said, 'O Allah! If he should die, people will say that I have killed him.' Allah, Exalted is He, relieved him of the pain, but after regaining his power, he approached her again! She got up again, performed ablution, recited the same supplication, and he again had a seizure. On seeing that state of the king, Sarah supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to save him lest people would accuse her of killing him, and He relieved him. The king got either two or three seizures, and after recovering from the last one he said, 'By Allah! You have sent a devil to me!’Before Islam, people venerated the Jinn, and attributed to them all supernatural events and actions, and such seizures, which were similar to an epileptic seizure, fit the profile.
He added, ‘Take her to Ibraaheem and give her a slave-girl,’ meaning Hajar, the mother of Prophet Ismaa’eel (Ishmael).
So, she came back to Ibraaheem and said, 'Allah humiliated the pagan and gave us a slave-girl for service.’
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to opt for Tawriyyah and that indirect speech is a safe way to avoid lies.
It is also inferred therefrom the permissibility of beseeching Allah, Exalted is He, by means of one’s good deeds, the greatest of which is one’s faith in Him.
The hadeeth also underlines the protection and help of Allah, Exalted is He, for whoever implores Him sincerely, and that He answers sincere supplications with miracles to foster the supplicant’s faith, and reinforce his belief, submission, and reliance on Allah, Exalted is He.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a gift given by a disbeliever is valid, and that it is permissible to accept it.
It is also inferred that it is allowable to accept a gift offered by unjust kings.
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2219

Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that his father said: ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf said to Suhayb, 'Fear Allah and do not ascribe yourself to somebody other than your father.' Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, 'I would not like to say it even if I were given a great fortune, but I say I was kidnapped in my childhood.’”
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Commentary : Islam assigned a special care and attention to lineages, commanded their preservation and protection, and prescribed laws and legislations to protect them from potential mixing of progeny. One of these laws and legislationsis the prohibition of affiliating oneself to other than his biological father.
In this hadeeth, the Companion ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf warned Suhayb Al-Roomee (may Allah be pleased with them) against attributing himself to other than his biological father, after reminding him to fear Allah, Exalted is He. Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) used to attribute himself to Sinaan ibn Maalik ibn ‘Abd ‘Amr ibn ‘Aqeel, affiliating himself all the way to Al-Nimr ibn Qaasit, and saying that his mother belonged to the Banee Tameem tribe. In fact, he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a non-Arab because he (was captured by the Romans in his early childhood, and) grew up among the Romans, and learned their language.
‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf forbade Suyahb (may Allah be pleased with them) from doing so, assuming that he was attributing himself to other than his real father, being a violation of the Laws of Islam. However, Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to him that he was not attributing himself to other than his real father and said, ‘I would not like to say it even if I were given a great fortune, but I say I was kidnapped in my childhood.’ His father worked for the Persian king Khosrau, who appointed him as a governor of Al-Ubullah (Apologou), located in present-day Mosul in Iraq. The Romans raided the city and captured Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him). He was captured by the Romans in his early childhood and learned their language. He was then bought and brought to Makkah by a man from Kalb tribe, and was then bought and freed by ʻAbdullah ibn Judʻaan.
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2223

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): It was once brought to the attention of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that a certain man sold Khamr (i.e., intoxicants). Furiously, ‘Umar said, "May Allah curse so-and-so! Does not he know that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, 'May Allah curse the Jews; Allah, Exalted is He, had forbidden them from eating the fat of animals but they melted it and sold it."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, deemed Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) forbidden, and the Prophet ﷺ made it clear that the prohibition of Khamr included the prohibition of selling, buying, and carrying it, and the same goes for cunning circumventions of the Laws of Islam ruling, by changing its name and the like.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas stated that it was brought to the attention of the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) that a man sold Khamr, and the man was Samrah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), as recorded in Saheeh Muslim. There are three different opinions regarding how Samrah (may Allah be pleased with him) sold Khamr. First, it was said that he (may Allah be pleased with him) took it from some people who belonged to the People of the Book (i.e., Jews and Christians) as Jizyah, or obtained it as part of his share in the spoils of war or the like, and he sold it to them, believing that it was permissible. Second, it is possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) sold (grape) juice to someone who used to make Khamr for people. Grape juice or grapes may be referred to as Khamr, for they are used to manufacture it. Third, it is also possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) made grape vinegar and sold it, mistakenly believing it to be permissible. Upon knowing that, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was furious and said, "May Allah curse so-and-so,’ meaning ‘may Allah destroy him.’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) did not intend to actually invoke the curse of Allah on him, but this expression was commonly used by the Arabs for reproach. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: ‘Does not he know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'May Allah curse the Jews; Allah, Exalted is He, had forbidden them from eating the fat of animals,’ meaning dead animals or cows and sheep; Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {and of the cattle and the sheep We prohibited to them their fat,} [Quran 6:146],“but they melted it and sold it.” They melted their fat and sold it to cunningly circumvent the divine command. Accordingly, they incurred the curse of Allah, Exalted is He. This is because Allah, Exalted is He, deemed Khamr ritually impure and unlawful. Therefore, it is impermissible to sell, buy, or avail oneself of its price, just like other ritually impure and unlawful objects, such as: dead animals, blood, stool, and urine. This is why the hadeeth likened the one who sells Khamr and avails himself of its price to the Jews who sold the forbidden fat and availed themselves of its price, even though it was prohibited for them to consume such fat and it was deemed ritually impure, just like Khamr and dead animals as per the laws of Islam. Therefore, those who sell Khamr and avail themselves of its price are likened to the Jews who sold fat and availed themselves of its price.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the means and ways leading to what is deemed unlawful as per the laws of Islam are declared unlawful as well.
It is also inferred therefrom the that it is permissible to draw analogies between similar situations.
It is also deduced that when the Laws of Islam deems something unlawful, the same ruling applies to its price.
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2225

Sa’eed ibn Abee Al-Hasan said: “While I was with Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) a man came and said, "O father of ‘Abbaas! I earn my living by making these images." Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "I will tell you only what I heard from Allah's Messenger ﷺ.I heard him saying, 'Whoever makes an image will be punished by Allah till he brings it back to life, and he will never be able to do so!’ Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said to him, "What a pity! If you insist on taking image-making as a profession, I advise you to make images of trees and any other unanimated objects.”
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Commentary : A Muslim is urged to consume only lawful earnings and keenly seek lawful means of earning a living; a body that has been nourished with what is unlawful deserves to be thrown into Hellfire, as the Prophet ﷺ said.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Sa’eed ibn Abee Al-Hassan related that a man went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), asking him about the lawfulness of his profession through which he earned a living, and he used to make statues and images. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) told him that he would only answer him with what he had heard from the Prophet ﷺ, 'Whoever makes an image will be punished by Allah till he brings it back to life, and he will never be able to do so!’ Allah, Exalted is He, will command the makers of statues and images, to bring back to life the animated beings in their images and statues. These image makers will be punished until they do as commanded, and obviously, they would never be able to bring them back to life! Thus, they would continue to receive such punishment endlessly. Upon hearing that, the man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale, out of fear of such severe punishment. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said to him, ‘What a pity!’ The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which literally means ‘Woe to you’, and may be translated as ‘What a pity’ or ‘May Allah be Merciful to you.’ It was commonly used to remark on a situation of a person who inadvertently incurs a disaster. He (may Allah be pleased with them) added: “If you insist on taking image-making as a profession, I advise you to make images of trees and any other unanimated objects,” for making such images is permissible.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prohibited to make images of animated things and take it as a profession to earn a living.
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2227

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah says, 'I shall be the opponent of three persons on the Day of Resurrection: -1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but proves treacherous. -2. One who sells a free person (as a slave) and consumes the price, -3. And one who employs a laborer and gets the full work done by him but does not pay him his wages.' "
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Commentary : Islam regulates the interactions and transactions between people to preserve their rights, and establish justice in the Muslim community. It sternly warns against unlawful interactions and transactions, urges Muslims to avoid them, and underlines their evil consequences.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that Allah, Exalted is He, said that there are three categories of people who commit evil deeds warranting His wrath on the Day of Resurrection, and this is a stern warning, because whoever has Allah, Exalted is He, as his opponent will inevitably incur utter loss.
The first category is those who make a covenant or swear an oath by the Name of Allah, and then break it. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded Muslims to honor and fulfill their covenants and oaths; He Says (what means): {And fulfill [every] covenant. Indeed, the covenant is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.} [Quran 17:34]. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Every perfidious one will have a standard on the day of resurrection by which he will be recognized.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
The second category includes those who knowingly sell a free Muslim man as a slave, and consume the earnings, meaning availing oneself of such money. The hadeeth made reference to ‘consumption’ in particular because this is the most fundamental way of availing oneself of the earnings, and the need to satisfy one’s hunger may force a person to commitprohibitions and violations of the Laws of Islam. The sin is grave when a Muslim man knowingly sells a free Muslim man as a slave, because all Muslims are held on an equal standing in terms of inviolability and sanctity, and a Muslim has rights over his fellow Muslims: to support him, refrain from doing injustice to him, be sincere to him, and abstain from handing him over to an oppressor. The worst act of injustice to be done to a fellow Muslim is to enslave him or imperil him to such a fate. Whoever sells a free Muslim as a slave, has deprived him of his right to dispose of what Allah, Exalted is He, has deemed lawful to him and forced him into a life of humiliation and slavery; this is why it is a serious sin.
The third category comprises the employers who hire workers to perform certain tasks, and after the work is done, they refuse to pay them the due wages, because such workers had trusted the employers’ honesty. If the employer betrays his trust, Allah, Exalted is He, punishes him Himself, and because the employer availed himself of the worker’s service in return for no compensation; he has unlawfully devoured his wealth. This is one of the worst and most grievous acts of injustice.
It is noteworthy that mentioning the three categories in this hadeeth does not mean that Allah, Exalted is He, will not be the opponent of all wrongdoers, but He wanted to lay a special emphasis on these three categories, given the fact that they all share the heinous trait of treachery, being one of the worst, immoral qualities.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Islam declares selling a free person a serious crime and major sin, because such stern warnings are only associated with major sins.
It is also inferred therefrom that boldly swearing false oaths, breaking covenants and oaths, and denying a hired worker’s wages are grave sins.
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2234

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "If a slave-girl of yours commits Fornication and her sin is proved, she should be lashed, and after that nobody should blame her, and if she commits Fornication the second time, she should be lashed and nobody should blame her after that, and if she commits the offense for the third time and her sin is proved, she should be sold even for a hair rope (i.e., for a very cheap price). "
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Commentary : The Hadd (i.e., the corporal punishment determined by the Islamic Laws of Islam) for Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) prescribed for a slave woman is half of the Hadd prescribed for a free woman. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {But once they are sheltered in marriage (i.e., married), if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women.} [Quran 4:25].
A perpetrator of Fornication is subjected to the prescribed Hadd each time (s)he commits Fornication.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commands the owner of a slave-girl, who commits Fornication and her sin is verified by means of evidence, pregnancy, or confession, to subject her to the prescribed Hadd, i.e., 50 lashes, and she should not be rebuked or blamed afterward for her sin from which she had repented, because the application of the Hadd expiates her sin. If she commits Fornication again, she should be subjected to the Hadd again, and should not be rebuked or blamed for her sin afterward as well. If she commits Fornication for a third time, her master is urged to sell her even for a hair rope (i.e., for a very cheap price), after subjecting her to the Hadd ofFornication. It was not mentioned in the third time because it is understood from the previous references. He is urged to sell her for any price, no matter how low it is. This is meant as to stress that he is strongly advised to sell her and indicate that is not considered a waste of money, because she has become dissolute and rectifying her conduct would be a difficult task. Moreover, a pious Muslim is urged to refrain from keeping the company of dissolute sinners and to keep away from them. Therefore, he is urged to sell such a slave-girl so she would (have a chance for a new beginning in which she would) adhere to chastity with her new master or she would be deterred by his status, kindness, or generosity towards her, or he may marry her off to someone or the like.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a master is entitled to subject his slave to the prescribed Hadd.
It is also inferred therefrom that a sinner must not be blamed or rebuked for his sin, especially if he was subjected to the prescribed Hadd.
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2236

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard Allah's Messengerﷺ in the year of the Conquest of Makkah, saying, "Allah and His Messenger made unlawful the trade of Khamr, dead animals, pigs and idols." People asked, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! What about the fat of dead animals, for it was used for greasing boats and varnishing hides; and people use it for lights?" He ﷺ said, "No, it is lawful." Allah's Messengerﷺ further said, "May Allah curse the Jews, for Allah deemed the fat (of animals) unlawful to them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and consumed its price."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, deemed lawful that which is good, and deemed unlawful that which is evil, with regards to food, beverages, earnings, trade, and so on.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him) informed us that in 8 A.H., during which Makkah was conquered, the Prophet ﷺ prohibited the sale of intoxicants in all its forms, dead animals,some birds, pigs, and idols, i.e., three-dimensional statues, because they are a means leading to Shirk (i.e., associating partners to Allah in worship), whether by imitating Him in creation or worshipping such idols like people did in the pre-Islamic era. People informed the Prophet ﷺ that the fat of dead animals was used for greasing boats and varnishing hides; people would use it for lights. The Prophet ﷺ informed them that this was strictly prohibited because Allah, Exalted is He, deemed dead animals unlawful in His Book. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ said: “May Allah curse the Jews,” meaning, may Allah destroy and curse them, “for Allah deemed the fat (of animals) unlawful to them,’ meaning the fat of dead animals or that of cattle and sheep; Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {and of the cattle and the sheep We prohibited to them their fat,} [Quran 6:146]. “Yet they melted the fat and sold it and consumed its price,” to cunningly circumvent their divine law. Therefore, they incurred the curse of Allah, Exalted is He. This serves as a warning against circumventing the prohibitions like the Children of Israel did.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the means leading to what is prohibited are declared prohibited as well.
It is also inferred therefrom that when something is deemed unlawful as per the laws of Islam, its price is deemed unlawful accordingly.
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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

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates).
.

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption.
.

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

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates). .

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption. .

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.".

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺforbade the selling of fruits before they are ripe, and none of them should be sold except for Dinar or Dirham (i.e., money), except the ‘Arayah trees (, the dates of which could be sold for dates).
.

Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ gave preemption (to a partner) in every joint property, but if the boundaries of the property were demarcated or the ways and streets were fixed, then there was no pre-emption.
.