Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ passed by some people of the tribe of Banee Aslam who were practicing archery. The Prophet said, "O BaneeIsma‘eel! Practice archery as your father Isma‘eel was a great archer. Keep on throwing arrows and I am with Banee so-and-so." So, one of the parties ceased throwing. Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Why do you not throw?" They replied, "How should we throw while you are with them (i.e., on their side)?" On that the Prophetﷺsaid, "Throw, and I am with all of you."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows.} [Quran 8:60]. In this ayah, Allah, Exalted is He, commands Muslims to be well-prepared for meeting their enemy and the enemies of Allah, Exalted is He, by harnessing all the means of force available to them. Given the fact that archery was one of the most important means of force at that time, the Prophet ﷺ urged Muslims to practice it and strongly encouraged learning and mastering archery.
In this hadeeth, it was narrated that the Prophetﷺ passed by some people of the tribe of Banee Aslam who were practicing archery. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Nafar, meaning a number from three to ten men. These men were practicing archery and shooting arrows (in some sort of a competition). The Prophet said, "O BaneeIsma‘eel!” He ﷺ referred to Prophet Ismaa‘eel (Ishamel) because all Arabs are his descendants and he mastered archery. He ﷺ added: “Practice archery as your father Isma‘eel was a great archer. Keep on throwing arrows and I am with Banee so-and-so," referring to one of the two parties (teams). The hadeeth recorded by Ibn Hibbaan on the authority of AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) reads: “… and throw and I am with Ibn Al-Adra‘,” whose name was Mihjan ibn Al-Adra‘, and it was also said that his name was Dhakwaan and his nickname was Ibn Al-Adra‘.
So, one of the parties ceased throwing, upon hearing the Prophet’s ﷺstatement. He ﷺ said, "Why do you not throw?" They replied, "How should we throw while you are with them (i.e., on their side)?" They feared that it would be inappropriate to carry on and defeat them, and thus the team aided by the Prophet ﷺ should lose, out of their politeness towards the Prophet ﷺ. Their statement may also mean, ‘How could we compete with a team that you are supporting?’ Thereupon, the Prophetﷺsaid, "Throw, and I am with all of you." He ﷺ urged them to continue with practicing and competing inarchery. The Prophet’s statement guided them to correct their intention.
The hadeeth highlights that Muslims highly revered the Prophet ﷺ..

2900

AbooUsayd Al-Saa‘idee(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
On the day (of the battle) of Badr when we stood in rows against (the army of) Quraysh and they stood in rows against us, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "When they do come near you, throw arrows at them."
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Commentary :
The Great Battle of Badr was the first battle between the Prophet ﷺ and the disbelievers, and it served as the criterion between (truth and falsehood, and between) belief and disbelief. Therefore, Allah, Exalted is He, called it ‘the Day of Al-Furqaan (lit., criterion),’ and the people of Badr, meaning those who participated in the battle, were blessed with the forgiveness of their sins, as stated by the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ instructed his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as their leader in the Battle of Badr, while they were standing in rows against (the army of) Quraysh. He ﷺsaid, "When they come near you, throw arrows at them,” meaning shoot your arrows (only) when they become near enough, within the range of your arrows, but not too close, within engagement range. The Prophet ﷺ commanded them to fire arrows at their enemies when they became within engagement range of the arrows to ensure that they would most likely hit them.Were they to shoot their arrows while they were out of their range, it would be a waste of arrows, especially given that the number of the disbelievers’ army was three times the number of the Muslims’ army! Therefore, shooting arrows at the disbelievers would help the Muslims deflect and hinder their attack.
The Battle of Badr took place in Ramadan in 2 A.H., and Allah, Exalted is He, granted the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions(may Allah be pleased with them) victory over the disbelievers of Quraysh.
The hadeeth urges Muslimsto learn archery and martial arts.
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2901

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
While some Ethiopians were playing in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came in, picked up a stone and hit them with it. On that the Prophetﷺ said, "O ‘Umar! Allow them (to play)." Ma‘mar (the sub-narrator) added that they were playing in the Mosque.
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Commentary :
Training for war and making the proper preparations for meeting the enemy are recommended, because it is part of the enjoined preparation of power (and steeds of war) stated in the ayah that reads (what means): {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows.} [Quran 8:60].
In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah narrated that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with them) came into the Prophet’s Mosque once while some Ethiopians were playing in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) picked up a stone and hit them with it. On that the Prophetﷺ said, "O ‘Umar! Allow them (to play)." The Prophet ﷺ said so because he believed that their recreational activity was beneficial for Muslims, as it involved training and getting ready for fighting.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that whoever acts on his own personal reasoning and commits a mistake, should not be blamed, because the Prophet ﷺ did not rebuke ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in that incident..

2902

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
AbooTalhah and the Prophetﷺ used to shield themselves with one shield. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) was a good archer, and when he threw (his arrows) the Prophetﷺwould look at the target of his arrows.
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Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the perfect example and optimal role model role model in resolve, courage, and bravery, at times of both peace and war.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ and AbooTalhah Zayd ibn Sahl Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) used to shield themselves with one shield in the Battle of Uhud, because AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) was a good archer, who needed someone to hold the shield while he shot the arrows, with both his hands busy. The Prophet ﷺ would hold the shield (while AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) shot the arrows), lest the enemy should shoot back at him. This reflected the humbleness of the Prophet ﷺ and his keenness to participate personally in Jihaad (side by side with the Muslim fighters). He ﷺ was the bravest of all people; whenever the fighting intensified, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)used to shield themselves behind the Prophet ﷺ. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him)was one of the best archers, and therefore whenever he threw (his arrows), the Prophetﷺwould look at the target of his arrows, to verify that the arrows hit the enemies. He ﷺ would raise his head to see the target of his arrows. It was recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that when the Prophet ﷺ started looking at the enemy by raising his head, AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger! Let my parents be sacrificed for your sake! Please do not raise your head and make it visible, lest an arrow of the enemy should hit you. Let my neck and chest be wounded instead of yours."
The hadeeth underlines the virtues of AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him).
It also urges Muslimsto learn archery and martial arts..

2904

‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The properties of Banee Al-Nadeer which Allah, Exalted is He, had transferred to His Messenger ﷺ as Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by whatever Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting) were not gained by Muslims with their horses and camels. The properties, therefore, belonged especially to Allah's Messenger ﷺ who used to give his family their yearly expenditure and spend what remained thereof on arms and horses to be used in Allah's Cause.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ led an ascetic life in the worldly sense, although Allah, Exalted is He, conferred upon him riches, and made lawful for him the spoils of war. He ﷺ always kept the worldly pleasures in his hands, not in his heart. He ﷺ did not keep any savings except for the provisions for his own household in order to (shoulder his task and) tend to their needs (as enjoined).
In this hadeeth, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the properties of Banee Al-Nadeer which Allah, Exalted is He, had granted to Muslims as Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting) were not gained by Muslims with their horses and camels. This means that the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not fight against Banee Al-Nadeer, but Allah, Exalted is He, cast terror into their hearts in awe of the Prophet ﷺ. Banee Al-Nadeer was a Jewish tribe which had settled in thesouth of Al-Madeenah. The Prophet ﷺ laid siege to them and expelled them from Al-Madeenah on account of their betrayal in 3 A.H. It was also said that this took place in Rabee‘ Al-Awwal, 4 A.H. Their properties and weapons belonged especially to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, and none of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had a share of such war-gains, because the disposal of the Fay’ was solely determined by the Prophet ﷺ as he saw fit, unlike the spoils of war (which were divided among the fighters). He ﷺ used to give his family their yearly expenditure and spend what remained thereof on arms and horses to be used for Jihaad in Allah's Cause.
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2906

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺcame to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu‘aath (i.e., a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansaar: the Khazraj and Aws, before Islam.) The Prophetﷺreclined on the bed and turned his face to the other side. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and scolded me and said disapprovingly, "Instrument of Satan in the presence of Allah's Messenger ﷺ Thereupon, Allah's Messenger ﷺ turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became inattentive, I waved the two girls to go away and they left. It was the Day of ‘Eid when black men used to play with leather shields and spears. Either I requested Allah's Messenger ﷺ or he himself asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then he ﷺ let me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on, O BaneeArfidah (i.e., black people)!" When I got tired, he ﷺ asked me if that was enough. I replied in the affirmative and he ﷺ told me to leave.
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Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best of all people to his wives as reflected in his good treatment and kindness towards them.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺcame to her house while two girls were singing beside her the songs of Bu‘aath (i.e., a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansaar: the Khazraj and Aws, before Islam). Bu‘aath was the name of the fortress that witnessed a massive war between the Khazraj and the Aws tribes which ended with the victory of Aws. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, conferred upon them peace and reconciliation, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ. Heﷺreclined on the bed and turned his face to the other side, because his refined status entailed that he ﷺ should refrain from listening to singing. However, the fact that the Prophet ﷺ abstained from forbidding it proves that it is permissible according to his tacit approval, for he ﷺ would not approve what is impermissible. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came in and scolded her, based on his knowledge of the prohibition of singing and musical instruments. He (may Allah be pleased with him) disapprovingly said, "Instrument of Satan in the presence of Allah's Messenger ﷺ!” Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was referring to their singing or the Duff (i.e., a tambourine-like instrument without bells) that they used. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Mizmaarah or Mizmaar (i.e., wind instrument), derived from the word Zameer which denotes whistling or hissing, and it is used to refer to pleasant melody or singing. He (may Allah be pleased with him) attributed it to Satan because it distracts the heart from the remembrance of Allah, Exalted is He. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know that the Prophet ﷺ had (tacitly) approved it before making this remark, for he (may Allah be pleased with him) entered abruptly, found him reclined on the bed, and assumed that he ﷺ was sleeping. He (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade this act, and thereupon the Prophet ﷺ turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." It was a Day of ‘Eid, which is a festive occasion that is prescribed by the religion and therefore celebrating it should not be forbidden, and also this act falls under the category of permissible recreational activities that do not prompt the ‘self’ to do what is improper and unbecoming.
When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) or the Prophet ﷺ became inattentive, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) waved the two girls to go away and they left. She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “It was the Day of ‘Eid when Black men used to play with leather shields and spears. Either I requested Allah's Messenger ﷺ or he himself asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then he ﷺ let me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on, O BaneeArfidah (i.e., black people)!" It was also said that it was the name of their great forefather. When she (may Allah be pleased with her)got bored, he ﷺ asked her if that was enough. She (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative and he ﷺ told her to leave.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Muslims are urged to make less restrictions for their wives and children in terms of provisions, and allow them to engage in prescribed recreational activities on festive occasions to enjoy the celebrations and that what may not be pardonable on other days of the year may be pardonable on the days of ‘Eid (as long as it is permissible as per the law of Islam).
It is inferred from the hadeeth that a father is entitled to discipline his daughter in the presence of her husband; one of the father’s duties is disciplining his children and it is prescribed for a husband to show kindness towards his wife.
It is also deduced that it is allowable to witness the prescribed recreational activities..

2909

AbooUmaamah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that some people conquered many countries and their swords were decorated neither with gold nor silver, but they were decorated with leather, lead, and iron..

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ taught and educated the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) well and instilled within them the moral values of courage and sacrifice of one’s own life and wealth in Allah’s Cause. He ﷺ also taught them to find pride in and drive strength from their faith in Allah, Exalted is He, to confront whoever waged war against Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, AbooUmaamahSudayy ibn ‘Ajlaan Al-Baahilee(may Allah be pleased with him)said that when Allah, Exalted is He, blessed a group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) with conquering many countries, their swords were decorated neither with gold nor silver, like people’s swords at those times. Rather, they were decorated with untanned leather, lead, and iron.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not adorn their weapons with gold or anything similar, for they dispensed with striking awe in their enemies by means of outward appearances (i.e., demonstrations of force), and rather struck awe in their hearts by means of their true faith in Allah, Exalted is He. However, this does not entail that it is impermissible to adorn the swords with gold and silver, to strike awe and terror in the hearts of the enemies of Allah, Exalted is He, and infuriate them. Rather, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)were contented with their strength and power to defeat their enemies rather than terrorizing them by means of such ornaments..

2920

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf and Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ about the lice (that caused itching) so he ﷺ allowed them to wear silken clothes. I saw them wearing such clothes in the battles.
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Commentary :
Fostering ease and eliminating inconvenience are among the key principles of our true religion, and the greater the hardship, the greater the facilitation and elimination of inconvenience enjoined by Islam.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)narrated that ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf and Al-Zubayr ibn Al-‘Awwaam(may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ about lice (that caused them itchiness). Another version of the hadeeth compiled in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “… because of an itching from which they suffered,” and it seems that such itching was caused by the lice. It is also possible that the reason was the itchiness for one of them and the lice for the other. Accordingly, the Prophet ﷺ gave them a legal concession to wear silken clothes, because silk was more suitable to their skin condition. It was narrated in Sunan Aboo Daawood that the Prophet ﷺ took hold of some silk in his right hand and some gold in his left, then said: “These two are forbidden for the males of my Ummah.”
In that incident, the Prophet ﷺ gave them a legal concession because of their problems (i.e., itchiness).
The hadeeth urges Muslims to seek medical treatment and remedies for their health problems.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that availing oneself of the available means does not contradict true reliance on Allah, Exalted is He. .

2926

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The Last Hour will not come until you fight against the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so (come and) kill him.’”
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Commentary :
The rancor harbored by the Jews and their hostility towards Islam and Muslims have existed since the advent of Islam and will continue until the Last Hour should come. Allah, Exalted is He, decreed that the supporters of truth should prevail, even if the oppression of the Jews continues for a long time and their dominion grows stronger.
In this Hadeeth, the truthful Prophet of Allah ﷺ mentioned one of the signs of the Last Hour; a war shall take place between Muslims and Jews. Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, addressing his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and all following Muslim generations until the end of the world, "The Last Hour will not come until you fight against the Jews.” This war will take place after the advent of Prophet ‘Eesa (Jesus) and Muslims will be his supporters in this war,while the Jews will support Al-Dajjaal (i.e., the Antichrist). During this war, everything will cooperate with Muslim fighters, even inanimate objects like stones. Whenever a Jew would hide behind any object, it would speak and say to the Muslims, “O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so (come and) kill him.”Inanimate objects will reveal the truth and help Muslims (defeat the Jews).
The version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “… except for the Gharqad (i.e.,Boxthorn or Lycium) tree, for it is the tree of the Jews.” Gharqad trees (known as Boxthorn or Lycium) famously grow in Jerusalem. During the war between Prophet ‘Eesa (Jesus),accompanied by the Muslims on one side, and Al-Dajjaal (i.e., the Antichrist), accompanied by the Jews on the other, these trees shallshelter the soldiers of the Dajjaal, i.e., the Jews. The hadeeth means that that everything (even inanimate objects) will cooperate with Muslims to defeat and kill the Jews, the soldiers of the Dajjaal, except the Gharqad trees, and therefore they are attributed to the Jews in this sense.
The hadeeth evidences that Islam will last until the Day of Resurrection and shall triumph over all its enemies.
It also highlights a sign proving the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ..

2929

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophetﷺ said, "The Last Hour will not come till you fight against people wearing shoes made of hair; and the Last Hour will come till you fight against people whose faces look like shields coated with leather." (AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "They will be) small-eyed, flat nosed, and their faces will look like shields coated with leather.”)
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ explained on many occasions the signs of the Last Hour and the horrors that will take place before the Day of Resurrection, so that Muslims should take the needed precautions, prepare themselves for those (harsh) times, and increase their faith and certitude in their Prophet ﷺ and his truthfulness.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us of some signs indicating the approach of the Last Hour, one of which will be that Muslims shall fight against people wearing shoes made of hair. It could also mean that they shall lengthen their hair so much that it would reach their shoes! Another description of such people is that their faces shall look like shields coated with leather used to protect the fighters from sword strikes on the battlefield. The meaning is that these people’s faces are large, round, and fat. The hadeeth also underlined that these people are small-eyed and have long noses, meaning that their noses are short, with thick and flat tips.
Perhaps these descriptions applied to the Tatars and the Mongols, who swept the Muslim world in the middle of the seventh century A.H., because of the precise physical descriptions that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave in this hadeeth (matching their physical description); they fought against Muslims and their onslaught swept many countries, instilling fear and terror in people’s hearts, as if they were Yajooj and Majooj (Gog and Magog). It is noteworthy that many of the Tatars and the Mongols embraced Islam afterwards.
The hadeeth highlights a sign proving the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ..

2930

Aboo Is-haaq narrated:
A man asked Al-Baraa,’ "O Aboo ‘Umaarah! Did you all flee on the day (of the battle) of Hunayn?" He replied, "No, by Allah! Allah's Messenger ﷺ did not flee, but his young, unarmed Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) passed by the archers of the tribe of Hawaazin and Banee Nasr whose arrows hardly missed a target, and they threw arrows at them hardly missing a shot. Muslims retreated towards the Prophet ﷺwhile he was riding his white mule which was being led by his cousin AbooSufyaan ibn Al-Haarith ibn ‘Abd Al-Muttalib(may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophetﷺ dismounted and invoked Allah, Exalted is He, for victory; then he ﷺ said, 'I am the Prophet, without a lie; I am the son of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib,’ and then he ﷺ arranged his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in rows."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was the bravest of all people, and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were the best warriors who displayed the most outstanding steadfastness when meeting their enemies.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (Follower) Aboo Is-haaq ‘Amr ibn ‘Abdullaah Al-Sabee‘eesaid that a man named Qays, according to the version recorded by Ahmad, jokingly asked Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib(may Allah be pleased with him), "O Aboo ‘Umaarah,” i.e. the nickname of Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib(may Allah be pleased with him). “Did you all flee on the day (of the battle) of Hunayn?” The Battle of Hunayn took place in 8 A.H., and Hunayn was a valley near Dhul-Mijaaz, close to Al-Taa’if, fifteen miles from Makkah in the direction of Al-Sharaa’i‘ and Al-Sayl Al-Kabeer. It was said that Hunayn was named after a man named Hunayn ibn Qaathibah.
The question was about all Muslims, including the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and therefore Al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) swore that he ﷺdid not flee, but rather his young unarmed Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who did not even shield themselves with armor or the like, fearlessly passed by the archers of the tribe of Hawaazin and Banee Nasr ibn Mu‘aawiyah, i.e., two Arab tribes renowned for their skill as archers whose arrows hardly missed a target. They shot arrows at the unarmed Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who retreated towards the Prophet ﷺwhile he was riding his white mule that was being led by his cousin AbooSufyaan ibn Al-Haarith ibn ‘Abd Al-Muttalib(may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophetﷺ dismounted and invoked Allah, Exalted is He, imploring Him for victory; saying, “I am the Prophet, without a lie;” meaning that he ﷺ was not a liar to flee, ”I am the son of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib,” and he ﷺ attributed himself directly to his grandfather given his fame (among all Arab tribes). Afterward, he ﷺ arranged his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in rows, to resume fighting. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) fought against the disbelievers, defeated them, and gained many spoils of war in this battle.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Muslims should invoke Allah, Exalted is He, at times of adversity and hardship..

2937

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Tufayl ibn ‘Amr Al-Dawsee and his companions came to the Prophet ﷺand said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The people of Daws tribe disobeyed and refused to follow you; invoke Allah, Exalted is He, against them." People said, "The tribe of Daws is (certainly) ruined (i.e., because the Prophet’s supplications are undoubtedly answered)." The Prophetﷺ said, "O Allah! Bless the people of Daws with guidance and guide them to embrace Islam."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was sent as a mercy to the worlds, and he ﷺ loved for all people to be guided to Islam, and did not hasten to supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, against them as long as there was hope for them to embrace Islam.
In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Tufayl ibn ‘Amr Al-Dawsee and his companions came to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenahand said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The people of the tribe of Daws,” an Arab tribe, “disobeyed and refused to follow you; invoke Allah, Exalted is He, against them." Upon hearing so, people said, "The tribe of Daws is (certainly) ruined (i.e., because the Prophet’s supplications are undoubtedly answered)." They thought that the Prophet ﷺ was going to supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, against them and his supplications would not be rejected! The Prophetﷺ said, "O Allah! Bless the people of Daws with guidance, and guide them to embrace Islam,” and migrate to Al-Madeenah. This reflects the Prophet’s refined moral character, mercy, and kindness towards his Ummah. May Allah, Exalted is He, bless him with the most perfect and abundant reward, better than what any other Prophet of Allah was rewarded for guiding his followers (to the truth). It is noteworthy that the Prophet’s supplications against some disbelievers were because their guidance to Islam was not hoped for; their harm and evil were feared; and they had severely abused and persecuted Muslims.
The supplications of the Prophet ﷺwere answered and the tribe of Daws embraced Islam. It was narrated by Al-Bayhaqee in his book Dalaa’il Al-Nubuwwah that the Prophet ﷺ commanded Al-Tufayl(may Allah be pleased with him) toreturn to his people and invite them to Allah, Exalted is He, and urged him to be kind towards them. Al-Tufayl(may Allah be pleased with him) did so until the Prophet ﷺ conquered Khaybar, and then went to Al-Madeenah after seventy or eighty households from the tribe of Daws had embraced Islam.
The hadeeth highlights a sign proving the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ..

2943

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever Allah's Messenger ﷺ attacked some people, he would never attack them till it was dawn. If he ﷺ heard the Adhaan (i.e., call for prayer) he would delay the fight, and if he did not hear the Adhaan, he would attack them immediately after dawn. We reached Khaybar at night.”
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was the best role model and teacher for the Muslim Ummah, and our source of guidance on all matters of peace and war.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)narrated that,“Whenever Allah's Messenger ﷺ attacked any given people, he ﷺ would never attack them till it was dawn. If he ﷺ heard the Adhaan (i.e., call for prayer) he would delay the fight,” as it would be indicative of their Islam, “and if he did not hear the Adhaan,” being a manifest sign of their disbelief, “he ﷺ would attack them immediately after dawn.” This means that whenever the Prophet ﷺ did not know for sure whether a given people had embraced Islam and were edified on it before attacking them, he ﷺ would wait until dawn to see whether or not they would raise the Adhaan. If he ﷺ heard the Adhaan, he ﷺ would refrain from attacking them, otherwise, he ﷺ would proceed.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “We reached Khaybar at night,” to conquer it in 7 A.H. Khaybar was a village inhabited by Jews, about 153 km from Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam. The Prophet ﷺ waited until dawn and then attacked them. It was narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that Allah's Messenger ﷺ reached Khaybar at night, and it was his habit that, whenever he ﷺ reached the enemy at night, he would not attack them till it was morning. When it was morning, the Jews came out with their spades and baskets, and when they saw him (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ), they said, "Muhammad! By Allah! Muhammad and his army have arrived!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Khaybar is (already) destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight them), {then evil is the morning of those who were warned.} [Quran 37:177]."
The hadeeth underlines the Prophet’s precautions before fights, fearing that he ﷺ would mistakenly kill Muslims (when conquering non-Muslim lands)..

2950

Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophetﷺ set out on Thursday for the Battle of Tabook and he used to prefer to set out (i.e., travel) on Thursdays.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to single out certain days with particular acts of worship or good deeds.
In this hadeeth, Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)narrated that the Prophetﷺ used to prefer to travel on Thursdays, and that he ﷺ set out on Thursday for the Battle of Tabook in 9 A.H. to fight against the Romans. Tabook was a town in the far north of the Arabian Peninsula, in the middle of the road to Damascus, about 700 km away from Al-Madeenah. The Battle of Tabook was the last battle in which the Prophet ﷺ personally partook against the Romans.
He ﷺ habitually set out on his journeys for travel or Jihaad purposes (i.e., conquests) on Thursdays, except for a few occasions. It was authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺtravelled on Saturday, and perhaps this was one of the examples of the few occasions mentioned by Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) in the other version of the hadeeth recorded by Al-Bukhaaree when he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “It was rarely that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out on a journey on any day other than Thursday.”
The point is that he ﷺ used to set out on Thursday for most of his travels and conquests, and the wisdom behind that is known only to Allah, Exalted is He. It was said that he ﷺ hated to travel on Fridays, and therefore used to set out on the day before (Thursday) or the day after it (Saturday). It was also said that Thursday is a blessed day during which people’s deeds are presented to Allah, Exalted is He, and he ﷺ only set out on his journeys or battles for the sake of Allah, Exalted is He, and therefore he ﷺ wanted to perform such good deeds on that blessed day in particular. It is also possible that he ﷺ believed it was a good omen to embark on his journeys and battles on Thursdays in particular, for the Arabic word Khamees (i.e., Thursday) means ‘army,’ which consists of five divisions: front, rear, left, right, and center. He ﷺ might have believed that going out for conquests on Thursday would be a good omen that Allah, Exalted is He, would protect him and bless him with the support of his soldiers (army). He ﷺ may have also found it a good omen to set out on his conquests on Thursday, hoping that he ﷺ would defeat the enemy’s army, denoted by the very Arabic word for Thursday, Khamees, and because he ﷺ would avail himself of the fifth of the gained spoils of war (i.e., the Arabic word for ‘five’ is Khamsah, derived from the same root as Khamees)..

2954

AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ sent us on military expedition telling us, "If you find such and such persons (he ﷺ named two men from Quraysh), burn them with fire." Then we came to bid him farewell, when we wanted to set out, he ﷺ said: "Previously, I ordered you to burn so-and-so and so-and-so with fire, but as punishment with fire is exclusive to Allah, Exalted is He, if you capture them, kill them (instead).".

Commentary :
Many of the disbelievers committed heinous crimes against Muslim men and women before and after the emigration, and accordingly deserved punishments for that. An example of such crimes was that when Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, decided to migrate and headed towards Al-Madeenah, two men from the disbelievers, Habbaar ibn Al-Aswad and another man who was said to be Naafi‘ ibn Qays, encountered her. They hit the camel that she was riding, she fell to the ground while being pregnant, and had a miscarriage as a result.
In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ sent him on a military expedition, led by Hamzah ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee(may Allah be pleased with him) to kill these two men (in retribution). He ﷺ commanded them to kill these two men by burning them with fire. When the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) went to bid the Prophet ﷺ farewell, before setting out on the journey, he ﷺ said: "Previously, I ordered you to burn so-and-so and so-and-so with fire, but as punishment with fire is exclusive to Allah, Exalted is He, if you capture them, kill them (instead)." This means that only Allah, Exalted is He, punishes His creation with fire, and such punishment is exclusive to Him; none may use burning with fire as a punishment. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ commanded them to kill these two men instead. His second statement forbade the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) from punishing them with fire and it abrogated the first command, whether it was abrogated based on new divine revelation or based on the Prophet’s personal Ijtihaad (i.e., scholarly reasoning). The prohibition in this regard means that none should deliberately burn a particular person with fire.
Anyway, the Muslim army could not find the two men in question, and afterward Habbaar embraced Islam and lived until the reign of Mu‘aawiyah(may Allah be pleased with him), but no further information was reported about the other man. His name was not recorded among the Companions’ names (in the Sunnah books); he may have died as a disbeliever.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to judge a situation based on one’s personal reasoning and then change one’s judgment afterward.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is prohibited to burn someone with fire.
It is deduced therefrom that Sunnah texts may abrogate one another.
It is also inferred that it is permissible for someone to bid farewell to the elite people in one’s town before traveling, and his companions may bid farewell to him as well..

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..

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‘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.

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‘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

AbooUsayd Al-Saa‘idee(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
On the day (of the battle) of Badr when we stood in rows against (the army of) Quraysh and they stood in rows against us, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "When they do come near you, throw arrows at them."
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Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
AbooTalhah and the Prophetﷺ used to shield themselves with one shield. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) was a good archer, and when he threw (his arrows) the Prophetﷺwould look at the target of his arrows.
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AbooUmaamah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that some people conquered many countries and their swords were decorated neither with gold nor silver, but they were decorated with leather, lead, and iron..

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf and Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ about the lice (that caused itching) so he ﷺ allowed them to wear silken clothes. I saw them wearing such clothes in the battles.
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Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The Last Hour will not come until you fight against the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so (come and) kill him.’”
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Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophetﷺ set out on Thursday for the Battle of Tabook and he used to prefer to set out (i.e., travel) on Thursdays.
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Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

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

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

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

AbooUsayd Al-Saa‘idee(may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the day (of the battle) of Badr when we stood in rows against (the army of) Quraysh and they stood in rows against us, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "When they do come near you, throw arrows at them." .

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: AbooTalhah and the Prophetﷺ used to shield themselves with one shield. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) was a good archer, and when he threw (his arrows) the Prophetﷺwould look at the target of his arrows. .

AbooUmaamah(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that some people conquered many countries and their swords were decorated neither with gold nor silver, but they were decorated with leather, lead, and iron..

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf and Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ about the lice (that caused itching) so he ﷺ allowed them to wear silken clothes. I saw them wearing such clothes in the battles. .

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The Last Hour will not come until you fight against the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so (come and) kill him.’” .

Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophetﷺ set out on Thursday for the Battle of Tabook and he used to prefer to set out (i.e., travel) on Thursdays. .

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.".

AbooUsayd Al-Saa‘idee(may Allah be pleased with him) said:
On the day (of the battle) of Badr when we stood in rows against (the army of) Quraysh and they stood in rows against us, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "When they do come near you, throw arrows at them."
.

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
AbooTalhah and the Prophetﷺ used to shield themselves with one shield. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) was a good archer, and when he threw (his arrows) the Prophetﷺwould look at the target of his arrows.
.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf and Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with them) complained to the Prophet ﷺ about the lice (that caused itching) so he ﷺ allowed them to wear silken clothes. I saw them wearing such clothes in the battles.
.

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The Last Hour will not come until you fight against the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so (come and) kill him.’”
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Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophetﷺ set out on Thursday for the Battle of Tabook and he used to prefer to set out (i.e., travel) on Thursdays.
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