Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The people of the tribes of the tribe of Ra‘l, Dhakwaan, Banee ‘Usayyah, and BaneeLihyaancame to the Prophetﷺand claimed that they had embraced Islam, and they requested him to support them with some men to fight their own people. The Prophetﷺsupported them with seventy men from the Ansaar whom we used to call Al-Qurraa'(i.e., Reciters and scholars of the Quran) who (out of piety) used to cut wood during the day and pray all the night. So, those people took the (seventy) men till they reached a place called Bi’rMa‘oonah where they betrayed and martyred them. So, the Prophetﷺinvoked evil on the tribe of tribe of Ra‘l, Dhakwaan, and BaneeLihyaanfor one month in the prayer.
Qataadah narrated: Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told us that they (i.e., Muslims) used to recite a an ayah concerning those martyrs which read: "O Allah! Let our people be informed on our behalf that we have met our Lord Who has got pleased with us and made us pleased,” but the ayah was abrogated later on. .

Commentary :
Supplication is the resort of the servants of Allah, to seek refuge with their Lord. Allah, Exalted is He, prescribed Qunoot (i.e., supplication recited in prayers) whenever calamities and adversities should befall Muslims, because supplication strengthens the heart, boosts faith, and relieves distress.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that people from the tribes of ofRa‘l, Dhakwaan, Banee ‘Usayyah, and BaneeLihyaancame to the Prophetﷺand claimed that they had embraced Islam and requested him to support them with some men to invite their people and teach them Islam. The Prophet ﷺsent seventy men from the Ansaar, led Al-Munthir ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), and it was also said that they were led by Mathrad ibn AbeeMathrad(may Allah be pleased with him). These seventy Muslims were known as the ‘Reciters of the Quran,’ because they devoted their lives to the Quran and its recitation. They used to cut wood during the day to buy food for the People of Suffah (i.e., the poor homeless Muslims who were sheltered in a place annexed to the Prophet’s Mosque) and pray all night long.
They took the (seventy) men till they reached a place called Bi’rMa‘oonah, i.e., a place in the land of Hudhayl between Makkah and ‘Usfaan, where they betrayed and killed them. This took place in Safar, 4 A.H. The Prophetﷺ observed Qunoot for a month,invoking evil on the tribes of Ra‘l, Dhakwaan, BaneeLihyaan, and Banee ‘Usayyahin the prayers. He ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, against all these tribes because the news about the betrayal of the Muslims in the incidents of Bi’rMa‘oonah and Al-Rajee‘ reached him on the same night. It is also possible that the incident of Bi’rMa‘oonah marked the beginning of the Prophet’s Qunoot, and afterward he ﷺ observed Qunoot supplication due to following incidents.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)said that they (i.e., Muslims) used to recite an ayah concerning those martyrs which reads: "O Allah! Let our people be informed on our behalf that we have met our Lord Who was pleased with us and made us pleased,” but the ayah was abrogated later on.

It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prescribed to supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, against the unjust people and those who betray and harm Muslims, proclaiming their names and openly supplicating against them.

The hadeeth also highlights the Companions’ keenness to seek martyrdom and their joy upon attaining it.

It is also inferred that the people of the truth may be harmed by the people of falsehood, and this does not indicate that the people of the truth are not right but is rather an indication of their honor and that the people of falsehood would be ruined and destroyed.
.

3067

Naafi‘ narrated:
A horse of Ibn ‘Umar fled and the enemy took it. Then, Muslims conquered the enemy and the horse was returned to him during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ. And also, once a slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) fled and joined the Byzantines, and when the Muslims conquered them, Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed returned the slave to him after the death of the Prophet ﷺ..

Commentary :
Islam upholds people’s rights in all situations and contexts; it has laid down the Islamic rules and provisions regulating the affairs of war, and what Muslims get from the spoils of war and prisoners of war, and the deduction of the due rights from the spoils of war before their division.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar’s horse fled and the enemy seized it. Afterward, the Muslims conquered the enemy and the horse was returned to him during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, because it was his property. The version of the hadeeth recorded by Aboo Daawood reads: “The Prophet ﷺ returned it to Ibn ‘Umar and did not divide it along with the other spoils of war.” Similarly, once a slave owned by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) fled and joined the Byzantines, and when the Muslims conquered their land and triumphed over them, Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) returned the slave to him after the death of the Prophet ﷺ. This took place at the Battle of Al-Yarmook during the reign of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), as reported in the version compiled by ‘Abd Al-Razzaaq. The battle took place in 14 A.H. between the Muslims and the Byzantines.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when the enemy seizes the property of a Muslim person during war, and then the Muslims retrieve it as part of the spoils of war, this Muslim person is more entitled to his property, and it must not be divided up along with the other spoils of war. It was also said that if the owner was present before the division of the spoils of war, he is entitled to take it back, otherwise he is only entitled to its monetary value..

3073

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophetﷺ got up amongst us and mentioned Ghulool(i.e., stealthily take something from the spoils of war before they are divided among the soldiers, without the commander’s knowledge), emphasized its gravity and declared that it was a great sin saying, "Do not commit Ghulool, for I should not like to see anyone amongst you on the Day of Resurrection, carrying over his neck a sheep that will be bleating, or carrying over his neck a horse that will be neighing. Such a man will be saying: 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me,' and I will reply, 'I cannot help you, for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you nor should I like to see a man carrying over his neck, a camel that will be grunting. Such a man will say, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me, and I will say, 'I cannot help you for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you,' or one carrying over his neck gold and silver and saying, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me,' and I will say, 'I cannot help you for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you,' or one carrying clothes that will be fluttering, and the man will say, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me.' And I will say, 'I cannot help you, for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you."
.

Commentary :
The Islamic law sternly warns against Ghulool (i.e., stealthily taking something from the spoils of war before they are divided among the soldiers, without the commander’s knowledge), which involves treason and theft from the spoils of war before they are divided, and clarifies the punishment designated for it which will be executed on the Day of Judgment before all people.
In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ delivered a speech once and warned against Ghulool and the gravity of this sin, emphasizing the prohibition in this regard. He ﷺ stated that none is entitled to take anything from the spoils of war before their division, and whoever commits Ghulool will carry over his neck what he had stealthily taken from the spoils of war before the division. He ﷺ stated that such a man would be carrying over his neck a sheep that would be bleating, a horse that would be neighing, a camelthat would be grunting, gold and silver, or clothes that would be fluttering, on the Day of Resurrection.
All these people would call upon the Prophet ﷺ saying, “O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me.” To their shock, he ﷺ will say, “I cannot help you,“ meaning that he ﷺ cannot help them have their sins forgiven nor intercede for them, because the intercession requires the permission of Allah, Exalted is He. Afterward, he ﷺwill say, ”I have conveyed Allah's Message to you,“ meaning that he ﷺ had duly delivered the message and warned against the gravity and punishment of that sin, but they still committed it and deserved His punishment. The wisdom behind the fact that such people will carry the stealthily stolen items over their necks is to expose them before all people on the Day of Judgment. Some scholars underlined that this hadeeth explains the ayah that reads (what means): {It is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection.} [Quran 3:161]. The Arabic word Ghulool used in the ayah denotes carrying something over one’s neck (on the Day of Judgment).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that punishments may be of the same nature as the sins committed; Allah, Exalted is He, may punish sinners with a punishment of the same nature of the sin they have committed.
The hadeeth underlines different forms of Ghulool and edifies Muslims on them..

3074

‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
There was a man who looked after the family and the belongings of the Prophetﷺ and he was calledKirkirah. The man died and Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "He is in Hellfire." People ﷺ then went to look at him and found in his place, a cloak he had stolen from the spoils of war.
.

Commentary :
The Islamic law sternly warns against Ghulool (i.e., stealthily take something from the spoils of war before they are divided among the soldiers, without the commander’s knowledge), which involves treason and theft from the spoils of war before their division, and clarifies the punishment designated for it which will be executed on the Day of Judgment before all people.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that there was a man who looked after the family and the belongings of the Prophetﷺ, meaning the luggage during travels, and his name was Kirkirah. After this man died, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "He is in Hellfire." This was one of the incidents when Allah, Exalted is He, imparted knowledge of the unseen (which is exclusive to Him) to the Prophet ﷺ. People were astonished and went to investigate the matter and look at him and found in his place a cloak he had stolen from the spoils of war before they were divided. This indicates that Ghuloolis forbidden regardless of the value of what is being stealthily taken from the spoils of war before their division, and that the thief bears the sin in all cases..

3075

Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"We were in the company of the Prophetﷺ at Dhul-Hulayfah, and people suffered from hunger. We got some camels and sheep (as spoils of war) and the Prophetﷺ was still behind the people. They hurried and put the cooking pots on the fire. (When he ﷺ came) he ordered that the cooking pots should be upset and then he ﷺ distributed the spoils of war (amongst Muslims) regarding ten sheep as equal to one camel then a camel fled and the people chased it till they got tired, as they had a few horses (for chasing it). So, a man threw an arrow at it and caused it to stop (with Allah's Permission). On that, the Prophetﷺsaid, 'Some of these animals behave like wild beasts, so, if any animal flees from you, deal with it in the same way." He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophetﷺ, “We hope (or are afraid) that we may meet the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives. Can we slaughter our animals with canes?" Allah's Messenger ﷺreplied, "If the instrument used for killing causes the animal to bleed profusely and if Allah's Name is mentioned on killing it, then eat its meat (i.e., it is lawful) but will not use a tooth or a nail and I am telling you the reason: A tooth is a bone (and slaughtering with a bone is forbidden), and a nail is the slaughtering instrument of the Ethiopians.”
.

Commentary :
The spoils of warare the gains taken by the warriors from the enemy's property and goods after attaining victory over them. The Prophet ﷺ clarified the Islamic rules and provisions regarding the spoils of war and made it clear that nothing may be taken from the spoils of war before they are duly divided (among the rightful recipients).
In this hadeeth, Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they were in the company of the Prophet ﷺ at Dhul-Hulayfah, a land in Tihaamah between Al-Taa’if and Makkah, and not the one near Al-Madeenah. It was said that it was a village about fourteen kilometers from the Prophet’s Mosque, and it is the Miqaat (i.e., appointed place for assuming Ihraam in Hajj and 'Umrah) for the people of Al-Madeenah. People suffered from hunger there and had seized some camels and sheep (as spoils of war) from the disbelievers, and the Prophet ﷺ was still behind with the people to provide the needed help for the weak who needed a ride and urge those who were moving slowly. People hurried and put the cooking pots on the fire to cook the meat of these camels and sheep without seeking the permission of the Prophet ﷺ. When he ﷺ came, he ﷺ ordered that the cooking pots should be turned upside down, as a punishment for them, because the spoils of war had not been divided yet. However, the meat in these pots was not destroyed, but was rather collectedand given back to the rightful recipients of the spoils of war. It is inconceivable that the Prophet ﷺ should command them to dispose of it, for he ﷺ forbade wasting property, and this meat was the property of the rightful recipients of the spoils of war. Moreover, the mistake was committed by some of the rightful recipients of the spoils of war and not all of them; some of them did not partake in the cooking, and others were entitled to one-fifth of the spoils of war. Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺ distributed the spoils of war (amongst the Muslims); ten sheep as equal to one camel. Meanwhile, a camel fled and people chased it till they got tired, and were not able to catch it, as they had few horses (for chasing it) and given their exhaustion. So, a man shot an arrow at its leg and caused it to stop (with Allah's Permission). On that, the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Some of these animals behave like wild beasts, so, if any animal flees from you, deal with it in the same way," meaning shoot an arrow at it to slow it down or stop it from moving, and thus you would be able to catch it.
Then, Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet ﷺ, “We hope (or are afraid) that we may meet the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives. Can we slaughter our animals with canes?" The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Madaa, which refers to sharp canes used as knives. They feared to use their own swords and blades to slaughter animals lest they should become blunt for the battlefield. The Prophet ﷺ replied, "If the instrument used for killing causes the animal to bleed profusely and if Allah's Name is mentioned on killing it, then eat its meat (i.e., it is lawful) but do not use a tooth or a nail,” meaning that the meat is lawful whenever any tool is used to slaughter the animal causing it to bleed profusely and the name of Allah is mentioned during the slaughter, except when the animal is slaughtered using a tooth or nail, being the slaughtering instruments used by the Ethiopians, who were disbelievers; Muslims are enjoined to avoid resembling the disbelievers. They would stick their nails in the animal’s throat and suffocate it, so it would be strangled, not slaughtered.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s humbleness, as he ﷺ marched behind the army, taking care of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their needs, checking on them, and taking their advice.
The hadeeth also underlines the Companions’ swift compliance with the Prophet’s commands.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is impermissible for Muslims to take anything from the spoils of war before their division.
It also highlights that Islam promotes facilitation regarding slaughtering instruments.
.

3077

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.”
.

Commentary :
In the early days of Islam, the migration to Al-Madeenahwas deemed obligatory on every Muslim, to fight alongside the Prophet ﷺ to raise high the word of Allah (i.e., His religion). After the conquest of Makkah in 8 A.H., the stubborn disbelievers of Quraysh were destroyed (and disarmed), people converted to Islam in large numbers, and Allah, Exalted is He, made Muslims triumphant over their enemies.The migration to Al-Madeenahceased to be obligatory. On the day when Makkah was conquered, the Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.” The obligation that remained binding on Muslims was Jihaad whenever they should be called to defend their lands against enemies’ attacks or to conquer new lands. The migration was deemed obligatory for two reasons: 1) to support the Prophet ﷺ when the number of Muslims was small, and it was incumbent on all Muslims to hasten to his support against his enemies, and 2) to acquire knowledge and understand their religion. The most serious threat for Muslims was the disbelievers of Makkah. When the Muslims conquered Makkah and Islam became widespread, Muslims were taught that they were no longer obliged to migrate to Al-Madeenah, yet they were still required to hold the intention of partaking in Jihaad (whenever they were called for it). This is why the Prophet ﷺ said: “… whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call,” meaning that Muslims should be ready and well-prepared to respond to calls for Jihaad at any given time.
The hadeeth includes the glad tidings that Makkah shall remain a Muslim land for ever. This is because he ﷺ stated that migration from Makkah was no longer obligatory, and this indicated that it would never become a non-Muslim land in the future; migration is only required from non-Muslim lands..

3080

‘Ataa’ narrated:
I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.”
.

Commentary :
The migration to Al-Madeenahwas deemed obligatory on the Prophet ﷺ and Muslims in the early days of Islam, to escape religious persecution in the disbelievers’ lands and to support the Prophet ﷺ. The best of the believers were those who migrated to Al-Madeenah. Theywere given the title ‘emigrants,’ and Allah, Exalted is He, singled them out for praise.
In this report, the Taabi‘ee (Follower) ‘Ataa’ ibn AbeeRabaah narrated that heand ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayr, the Judge of Makkah, went to the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) while she was staying near Thabeer, i.e., a huge mountain in Al-Muzdalifah to the left on the way to Minaa. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and the conquest of Makkah.” This is because the believers escaped religious persecution in their lands and fled to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah, lest they should be proselytized and forced out of their religion. However, Islam became triumphant after the conquest of Makkah,so this ceased to be the case. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that Muslims were no longer required to migrate, yet they were enjoined to be ready to respond whenever they should be called for Jihaad, to fight against the enemy.
The hadeeth highlights the keenness of the Taabi‘oonfor learning and acquiring knowledge from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet ﷺ..

3082

Ibn AbeeMulaykah narrated that Ibn Al-Zubayr said to Ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with them), "Do you remember when I, you and Ibn ‘Abbaas went out to receive Allah's Messengerﷺ?”Ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative. Ibn Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "And Allah's Messenger ﷺmade us (i.e., I and Ibn ‘Abbaas) ride along with him and left you."
.

Commentary :
Receiving travelers and those coming from Jihaad and Hajj and giving them a warm welcome is an act of righteousness, and it shows the joy and the mutual love between the travelers and their friends and families.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (Follower) ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubaydullaah ibn AbeeMulaykah narrated that Ibn Al-Zubayr said to ‘Abdullaah ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with them), "Do you remember when me, you and Ibn ‘Abbaas went out to receive Allah's Messengerﷺ?”‘Abdullaah ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative. Ibn Ja’far(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "And Allah's Messenger ﷺmade us (i.e., Ibn ‘Abbaas and me) ride along with him and left you." He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the Prophet ﷺ gave him and ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) a ride and not ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with him)on that occasion.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s humbleness.
.

3083

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘.
.

Commentary :
Receiving travelers and those coming from Jihaad and Hajj, and giving them a warm welcome,are acts of righteousness, which show the joy and mutual love between the travelers and their friends and families.
In this hadeeth, As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and some other boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘ when he ﷺ was coming back to Al-Madeenah after the Battle of Tabook in 9 A.H. The Arabic word Thaniyah means a mountainous pathway, and Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘ refers to the mountainous pathway on the way from Al-Madeenah to Tabook.It was given this name because people, young and old, used to bid farewell to their travelers who set out on their journeys for Jihaad or Hajj purposes, and it became the regular place for bidding farewell to the travelers.
.

3086

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with them) came in the company of the Prophetﷺ and Safiyyah(may Allah be pleased with her) was accompanying the Prophet ﷺ and he let her ride behind him on his she-camel. During the journey, the she-camel slipped and both the Prophetﷺand (his) wife fell down. AbooTalhah (the sub-narrator thinks that Anas said that AbooTalhah jumped from his camel quickly) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!May Allah sacrifice me for your sake! Did you get hurt?" The Prophetﷺ replied, "No, but take care of the lady." AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) covered his face with his garment and proceeded towards her and covered her with his garment, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) got up. He (may Allah be pleased with him) then set right the condition of their she-camel and both of them(i.e., the Prophet ﷺ and his wife)rode and proceeded till they approached Al-Madeenah. The Prophetﷺsaid, "We are returning with repentance and worshipping and praising our Lord." The Prophetﷺ kept on saying this statement till he ﷺ entered Al-Madeenah.
.

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) dearly loved the Prophet ﷺ more than themselves and were eager to please him and preserve his sanctity and were even willing to sacrifice their own lives to spare him any harm, when needed.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with them) came in the company of the Prophet ﷺ after the Battle of Khaybar, as reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and his wife SafiyyahbintHuyay ibn Akhtab(may Allah be pleased with her) was accompanying him, for he ﷺ had married her during that journey. He ﷺ let her ride behind him on his she-camel. During the journey, the she-camel slipped and both the Prophet ﷺ and his wife fell down. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) jumped from his camel quickly, and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! May Allah sacrifice me for your sake! Did you get hurt?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "No, but take care of the lady," meaning Safiya (may Allah be pleased with her); help her. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) covered his face with his garment, to respect her privacy, and proceeded towards her. He (may Allah be pleased with him)covered her with his garment, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) got up. He (may Allah be pleased with him) then set right the condition of their she-camel, and the Prophet ﷺ and his wife (may Allah be pleased with her) rode and proceeded till they approached Al-Madeenah. The Prophet ﷺ said, "We are returning with repentance and worshipping and praising our Lord." The supplication means, ‘We return to Allah, Exalted is He, repenting of all which is unprescribed as per the Islamic law and renewing our commitment to all which is prescribed, devoting our worship, including our praise and expression of gratitude, exclusively to Allah, Exalted is He.’ He ﷺ kept on repeating this supplication till he ﷺ entered Al-Madeenah.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable for a woman to ride behind a man on his riding animal, and that her privacy must be respected.
It is also inferred therefrom that a Muslim man should cover the (‘Awrah of the) women whom he is not allowed to see as per the Islamic law and cover his face to avoid accidentally looking at them.
The hadeeth also encourages travelers to praise Allah, Exalted is He, thank Him for returning safely to his family, and ask Him for steadfastness in repentance and worship..

3088

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.
.

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was an excellentmentor and educator; he ﷺ taught us the Islamic etiquette of travelling and returning back, what a traveler should do when he returns back to his family, and the activity that should be done first.
In this hadeeth, Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey, for Jihaad or Hajj purposes, or otherwise, in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting down. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “The Prophet ﷺ always came back from a journey at daytime in the forenoon.” Upon arriving back to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ would go first to the mosque to perform two Rak’ahs, to express gratitude to Allah, Exalted is He, for his safe return, before he ﷺ would sit down with people,so they could greet him and welcome him back..

3089

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "When Allah's Messenger ﷺarrived at Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ slaughtered a camel or a cow." Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "The Prophetﷺbought a camel from me for two Awaaq (pl. Ooqiyyah, i.e., a weight measurement that varies based on the weighable goods as well as countries) (of gold) and one or two Dirhams. When he ﷺ reached Siraar, he ﷺ ordered that a cow be slaughtered and they ate its meat. When he ﷺ arrived at Al-Madeenah, he ordered me to go to the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs and weighed (and gave) me the price of the camel."
.

Commentary :
Returning back to one’s home safely after travel is a blessing that should entail expressing gratitude to Allah, Exalted is He, for blessing the traveler with a safe trip and return back to his home.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that when the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ slaughtered a camel or a cow, to express gratitude to Allah, Exalted is He, for returning safely to Al-Madeenah. Giving out food is one of the best and most rewardable good deeds that draws a person closer to Allah, Exalted is He.
In another version of the hadeeth, Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ bought a camel from him for two Awaaq (pl. Ooqiyyah, i.e., a weight measurement that varies based on the weighable goods as well as countries) of gold and one or two Dirhams. When he ﷺ reached Siraar, a place located three miles to the east of Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ ordered that a cow be slaughtered, and they ate its meat. The banquet thrown by a person after returning safely from a journeyis called ‘Al-Naqee‘ah,’ derived from the Arabic word Naqa‘ denoting the dust, because when a traveler returns home, he needs to wash off the dust of travel and have a satisfying meal to replenish his energy.
When he ﷺ arrived at Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ ordered Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) to go to the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs and weighed (and gave) him the price of the camel that he ﷺ had bought from him during their journey. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “When he ﷺ arrived in Al-Madeenah, I went to him to give him the camel; he ﷺ gave me the price of the camel, the camel itself (as a gift), and my share of the spoils of war like the others.”
The hadeeth encourages the Imaam (i.e., ruler) and chief of the people to throw a banquet for his companions upon returning from travels.
.

3094

Maalik ibn Aws ibn Al-Hadthaan narrated:
While I was at home, the sun rose high and it got hot. Suddenly the messenger of ‘Umar ibn Al- Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to me and said, "The Commander of the Believers has sent for you." So, I went along with him till I entered the place where ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting on a bedstead that is made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was leaning over a leather pillow. I greeted him and sat down. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Maali! Some persons of your people who have families came to me and I have ordered that a gift should be given to them, so take it and distribute it among them." I said, "O Commander of the Believers! I wish that you order someone else to do it." He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O man! Take it." While I was sitting there with him, his doormanYarfa’ came saying, "‘Uthmaan, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Al-Zubayr and Sa‘d ibn AbeeWaqqaas(may Allah be pleased with them) are asking your permission (to see you); may I admit them?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Yes", So they were admitted and they came in, greeted him, and sat down. After a while Yarfa’ came again and said, "May I admit ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "yes." So, they (may Allah be pleased with them)were admitted and they came in and greeted (him) and sat down. Then ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Commander of the Believers! Judge between me and this (i.e., ‘Alee)." They had a dispute regarding the property of Banne Al-Nadeer which Allah, Exalted is He, had given to His Messenger ﷺ as Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting). The group (i.e., ‘Uthmaan and his companions) said, "O Commander of the Believers! Judge between them and relieve both of them front each other." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Be patient! I beseech you by Allah by Whose Permission the Heaven and the Earth exist, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (i.e., Prophets') property will not be inherited, and whatever we leave, is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity),' and Allah's Messenger ﷺ meant himself (by saying "we'')?" The group said, "He said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then turned to ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "I beseech you by Allah, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said so?" They replied, " He said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then said, "So, I will talk to you about this matter. Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed on His Messenger ﷺ a special favor of Fay’ which He gave to nobody else." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then recited the ayaat (which mean): {And what Allah restored [of property] to His Messenger from them - you did not spur for it [in an expedition] any horses or camels, but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.} [Quran 59:6] ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "So, this property was especially given to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, but, by Allah, neither did he ﷺ take possession of it and leave you, nor did he ﷺ favor himself with it to your exclusion, but he ﷺ gave it to all of you and distributed it amongst you till this property remained out of it. Allah's Messenger ﷺused to spend the yearly expenses of his family out of this property and used to keep the rest of its revenue to be spent in Allah's Cause. He ﷺ kept on doing this during all his lifetime. I ask you by Allah do you know this?" They (may Allah be pleased with them) replied in the affirmative. ‘Umar then said to ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them), "I ask you by Allah, do you know this?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "When Allah had taken His Prophet unto Him,’ Aboo Bakr said, 'I am the successor of Allah's Messenger ﷺso, Aboo Bakr took over that property and managed it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺused to do, and Allah, Exalted is He, knows that he (may Allah be pleased with him) was true, pious and rightly guided, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower of what was right. Then, Allah took Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) unto Him and I became Aboo Bakr's successor, and I kept that property in my possession for the first two years of my Caliphate, managing it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to do and as Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and Allah knows that I have been true, pious, rightly guided, and a follower of what is right. Now you both (i.e., ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas) came to talk to me, bearing the same claim and presenting the same case; you, ‘Abbaas, came to me asking for your share of your nephew's property, and this man, i.e., ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), came to me asking for his wife's share of her father's property. I told you both that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (prophets') properties are not to be inherited, but what we leave is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spend in charity).' When I thought it right that I should hand over this property to you, I said to you, 'I am ready to hand over this property to you if you wish, on the condition that you would take Allah's Pledge and Convention that you would manage it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to, as Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and as I have done since I was in charge of it.' So, both of you said (to me), 'Hand it over to us,' and on that condition I handed it over to you. So, I ask you by Allah, Exalted is He, did I hand it over to them on this condition?" The group aid, "Yes." Then ‘Umar faced ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) saying, "I ask you by Allah, did I hand it over to you on this condition?" They (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Yes. " He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, " Do you want now to give a different decision? By Allah, by Whose Leave both the Heaven and the Earth exist, I will never give any decision other than that (I have already given), and if you are unable to manage it, then return it to me, and I will do the job on your behalf."
.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, singled out the Prophet ﷺ for the Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting) rather than the spoils of war (for they were distributed among the Muslim fighters). The Prophet ﷺ stated what should be done with the Fay’ and how it should be spent, and also underlined what should be done with his personal property after his death.
In this hadeeth, Maalik ibn Aws – scholars held different opinions as to whether or not he was a Companion – narrated that while he was sitting with his family at home once, the sun rose high and it got hot. Suddenly the messenger of the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al- Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came and asked him to come and meet the Commander of the Believers. He went along with him to a place where ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting on a bedstead made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was leaning over a leather pillow. Maalik greeted him and sat down. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Maali,” which is a term of endearment indicating emotional proximity and friendliness, “Some persons of your people who have families came to me;” it was said that they belonged to Banee Nasr ibn Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Bakr ibn Hawaazin,that they were afflicted with drought, and that they came to Al-Madeenah asking for financial support and supplies. Thereupon, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered that a gift (a small, unfixed grant) should be given to them. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Radkh (i.e., a smallportion of the war gains which is less than the share of a single fighter, given by a ruler or his deputy to a person who is not entitled to a share despite taking part or helping in the fighting, such as a woman, a child, or a disbeliever). ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded Maalik to take this grant and distribute it among them. Maalik apologized and said, "O Commander of the Believers! I wish that you would order someone else to do it." He said, "O man! Take it." While Maalik was sitting there with him, his doormanYarfa’, one of ‘Umar’s freed slaves, came saying, "‘Uthmaan, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Al-Zubayr and Sa‘d ibn AbeeWaqqaas(may Allah be pleased with them) are asking your permission (to see you); may I admit them?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Yes." So, they (may Allah be pleased with them)were admitted and they came in, greeted him, and sat down. After a while Yarfa’ came again and asked to admit ‘Alee ibn AbeeTaalib and Al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd Al-Muttalib(may Allah be pleased with them).They came seeking the settlement of their dispute over the property of Banee Al-Nadeer.This was property which Allah had given to His Messenger ﷺas Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting).They (may Allah be pleased with them) were seeking ‘Umar’s judgment as to who should manage it. The group (i.e., ‘Uthmaan, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Al-Zubayr, and Sa‘d ibn AbeeWaqqaas(may Allah be pleased with them)) asked ‘Umar to judge between them (i.e., ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them)) and relieve each of them of the other. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Raht, and it means a group of men below ten or forty. Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Be patient! I beseech you by Allah, by Whose Permission the Heaven and the Earth exist, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (i.e., prophets') property will not be inherited, and whatever we leave is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity),' and Allah's Messenger ﷺ meant himself (by saying ‘we'’)?" The group (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "He said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then turned to ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "I beseech you by Allah, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said so?" They replied, "He ﷺ said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then said, "So, I will talk to you about this matter. Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed on His Messenger ﷺ the special favor of Fay’ which He gave to nobody else." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then recited the ayaat (which mean): {And what Allah restored [of property] to His Messenger from them - you did not spur for it [in an expedition] any horses or camels, but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.} [Quran 59:6].
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explained how the Prophet ﷺ used to manage this Fay’ and that he ﷺ used to cover the yearly expenses of his family from this property and allocate the rest of its revenue to the Muslim Treasury, to be spent in Allah's Cause. He (may Allah be pleased with him) continued to remind them of what the Prophet ﷺ did and how he ﷺ managed this Fay,’ stressing that he ﷺ did not keep it all for himself. They (may Allah be pleased with them) availed themselves of such property as members of his family. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them as to whether the Prophet ﷺ did so during his lifetime and they (may Allah be pleased with them) replied in the affirmative. ‘Umar then reminded ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), being the successor of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, took over that property and managed it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to do, and so did ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: “Allah, Exalted is He, knows that he (i.e., Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)) was true, pious and rightly guided, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower of what was right.”
He (may Allah be pleased with him) also reminded them that he (may Allah be pleased with him) became Aboo Bakr's successor and kept that property in his possession for the first two years of his Caliphate, managing it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and said about himself, “Allah knows that I have been true, pious, rightly guided, and a follower of what is right.”
Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) of what they did when they came to him before this dispute. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “You both came to talk to me, bearing the same claim and presenting the same case;” meaning that there was no dispute, “you, ‘Abbaas, came to me asking for your share of your nephew's property,” being the Prophet’s paternal uncle, “and this man, i.e., ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), came to me asking for his wife's share of her father's property. I told you both that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (prophets') properties are not to be inherited, but what we leave is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity).' When I thought it right that I should hand over this property to you, I said to you, 'I am ready to hand over this property to you if you wish, on the condition that you would take Allah's Pledge and Convention that you would manage it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to, and as Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and as I have done since I have been in charge of it.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed to put them in charge of the property on that condition.
Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked ‘Uthmaan and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) with him whether he was speaking the truth, and they replied in the affirmative. He (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) and they both replied in the affirmative. He (may Allah be pleased with him) then rebuked them for seeking a different judgment. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “By Allah, by Whose Leave both the Heaven and the Earth exist, I will never give any decision other than that (which I have already given), and if you are unable to manage it, then return it to me, and I will do the job on your behalf,” in the manner that the Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) managed it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a knowledgeable ruler may settle complicated disputes and govern the affairs of the Muslim state in the way that serves the best interests of Muslims, after consulting with thepeople of knowledge and specialists.
The hadeeth states that the Prophets of Allah did not leave personal properties (i.e., estates), and rather their inheritance was knowledge, and whatever property they left was Sadaqah.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is allowable to decline assignments and mandates that are assigned to a Muslim individual by the ruler if the person knows his weakness and inability to fulfill the rights of such office.
It also highlights the virtues of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his (outstanding)asceticism, justice, and good judgment when settling disputes. .

3096

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."'
.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, blessed His Prophets with non-attachment to worldly pleasures and gains; they led the mostascetic lives and were content with their modest shares of worldly property. They availed themselves of their worldly gains within the scope of their needs only, and graciously offered the excess to be spent on what benefits people.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that his private property must not be inherited by his heirs. He ﷺ stated that his heirs had no right to even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from his private property) after his death, and whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave, beyond the due expenditure of his wives and laborers, should be given as Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity) for the benefit of Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ used to take his share of the (conquered) lands (i.e., Fay,’ meaning war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting, and spoils of war) to provide for himself and his dependents and spend the rest for the benefit of Muslims. The reference to his ‘laborers’ here is said to mean his successors (Caliphs) after his death, and it was also said that it means the workers whom he ﷺ had appointed to tend to the palm trees in his lands.These lands were part of the Fay’ gained after the battle with Banee Al-Nadeer, the land of Fadak, and his share of the lands of Khaybar. It was also said that it means his servants or the workers whom he ﷺ had appointed to collect the Zakaah funds.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness in taking care of his family and dependents and allocating allowances for the workers and employees appointed to manage the Muslims’ affairs to keep them secure and able to shoulder the tasks entrusted to them.
It is inferred therefrom that the Prophets of Allah did not leave behind personal properties to be inherited by their heirs, and that their estates were rather spent in charity. .

3097

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed.
.

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to invoke Allah, Exalted is He, to bless him and his family with enough sustenance that would spare them the need to ask others for financial help. His wives and household members (may Allah be pleased with them) were content (with their modest shares of worldly pleasures and properties) and endured the strained living conditions, aspiring to the rewards of Allah, Exalted is He, and the everlasting bliss in Paradise.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when the Prophet ﷺ died, there was nothing in her house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, she (may Allah be pleased with her) ate of it for a lengthy period and it was not consumed. She (may Allah be pleased with her) measured it, and (after a brief period) it was consumed. This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) used to eat of this small quantity of barley for an extended period of time and it was not measured. When she (may Allah be pleased with her) measured it and knew its exact weight and amount, it was no longer so blessed and was consumed (after a short period). Not knowing the exact measure of the foodstuff made it blessed; each day she would think that the barley would be consumed, as it seemed a small quantity, and this is why it lasted for longer before being ultimately consumed. It is also possible that this was related to the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ, and when she measured it, such blessing ceased. It was recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Asmaa’ bintAboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Spend in charity and do not calculate, (for) Allah would calculate in your case; and do not hoard, otherwise Allah would be withholding from you.” It means, ‘Do not measure and meticulously calculate what you spend in charity, lest Allah, Exalted is He, do the same to you (i.e., in terms of reward and blessing). When one relies on the blessing of Allah, Exalted is He, refrains from measuring and meticulously calculating his foodstuff, and eats thereof until it is consumed, he would avail himself of the blessings bestowed by Allah, Exalted is He.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to give precedence to the enjoined reliance on Allah, Exalted is He, (over the reliance on the worldly and material causes) in all matters.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when a person measures and meticulously calculates the quantity of foodstuff, closely monitoring the consumed or remaining amount, it becomes unblessed. .

805

An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘ān al-Kilābi reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment, preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened them to three things, which I did not forget afterward. He said: "As if they were two clouds, or two black canopies with 'sharq' (light) between them, or as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for their companion.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it and act upon it, for it is the extended rope of Allah, and it leads to salvation on the Day of Judgment, particularly Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān, given their great status.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth," i.e., those who recite the Qur'an, have faith in its information and believe it, and act upon its rulings. The Qur'an will be an argument for those people on the Day of Judgment. Excluded from this are those who do not believe in its information or establish its limits; the Qur'an will be an argument against them. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "The Qur'an is an argument for you or against you." This is supported by the verse that reads: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29]
And by the Prophet's words: "preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān," i.e., they come ahead of the Qur'an. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān to three things, saying: "As if they were two clouds"; in Arabic "Ghamamatān", which means two clouds or two white clouds. A cloud is called such because it clouds the sky and conceals it. "or two canopies," i.e., two clouds that shade their companion from the heat of this situation of standing. He described these two clouds as 'black' because they are thick and piled upon each other. "with 'sharq' between them," i.e., light. The light of 'sharq' is the sun. This indicates that they, albeit thick, do not conceal light. It was said: Sharq means rift, i.e., a gap and break between them. This is like separating every two Surahs in the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) with Basmalah (mentioning Allah's name). "or as if they were two flocks," i.e., two herds or two groups. "of birds in ranks," i.e., extending their wings and being linked to one another. The intended meaning is that they will protect their reciter from the heat of this situation of standing and the distress of the Day of Judgment. 'pleading' i.e., pushing against Hellfire and its keepers or pleading for him in intercession or when he is questioned, when his tongue keeps silent, his lips are distraught, and his arguments are lost. Their companion means: He who acts upon them and what they contain, of rulings and legislations, whether he is a memorizer or a reciter of them.
In the Hadīth: Urging the recitation of the Qur'an and acting upon it; and the merit of Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān..

806

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: As Gabriel (Jibrīl) was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he heard a creak from above. So, he raised his head and said: "That is a gate in the heavens that was opened today; it had never been opened before today." An angel descended from it. He said: "That is an angel that descended to earth; he had never descended before this day." He gave the greeting of peace and said: "Have glad tidings with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it.".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth a divine gift is mentioned for those who recite Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Gabriel (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation, was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the version by An-Nasā’i: "As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting and Gabriel (peace be upon him) was with him." This means that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), including Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), about Gabriel (peace be upon him) sitting with him. "he heard" refers to Gabriel (peace be upon him), and it is also probable the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the one who "heard a creak from above," i.e., in heaven. A creak is a sound released because of the movement of something. Gabriel (peace be upon him) - or the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - raised his head to look at the source of this sound. Gabriel (peace be upon him) said that this is a gate in the heaven of the world, which was opened today and had never been opened except today; and an angel descended from it to the earth, and he had never descended before today. This is all to prepare for something great. Indeed, the opening of one of the gates of the heaven for the first time and the descent of an angel other than Gabriel to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for the first time points to the significance of the matter for which he was sent. When the angel descended, he greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said to him: "Have glad tidings" - glad tidings are only given about good things - "with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah," i.e., their special reward of their recitation was not given beforehand; otherwise, the entire Qur'an was not given to any prophet before him. Surat al-Fātihah was endowed with this particular merit because it summarizes all the meanings of Imān (faith), Islam, and Ihsān (excellence). It comprises the fundamentals of the Fiqhi rules and knowledge principles. And the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah, beginning from {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers...} to the end of the Surah, are endowed with this particular merit because they contain praise for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This is because they comply with their content and submit to their meanings and for their supplication to Allah Almighty and return to Him in all their affairs; and also, because those verses contain the response to their supplications after they were taught to them and they said them, and so He made things easier for them and forgave and supported them.
Then, the angel said: "You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it." This stems from the great bounty of Allah towards His Prophet and his Ummah. He called them two lights because the recitation of each verse in them brings light to the reciter that illuminates his way and leads him to the right path and the true course, given the sublime meanings contained therein, which include acknowledgment of the Lordship and absolute resort to Allah with the great supplication using their words.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great status of Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah and urging their recitation.
And in it: Pointing out that there are angel messengers to the prophets other than Gabriel
And in it: Showing the honorable status of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with his Lord, as He honored him with such things that He did not honor the previous prophets with, giving him these two lights
And in it: Affirming the existence of the gates of heaven, that they are opened and closed, and that some angels do not descend to earth except for such glad tidings.

809

Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur’an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it, as it is the extended rope of Allah, causing tranquility of the soul and an abundance of rewards, and it protects a servant from the distresses and trials of worldly life and the horrors and hardships on the Day of Judgment.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf, Allah will guard, protect, and preserve him from the trial of the Dajjāl, who will emerge at the end of time and claim to be God. The Dajjāl originally refers to someone who often engages in lying and deception. His emergence is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment, and his trial is the gravest on earth from the creation of Adam to the coming of the Hour, as Allah Almighty will enable him to perform some miracles whereby he will mislead his followers. Verily, the memorization of these verses is a cause of protection against the Dajjāl. It was said: This is due to the wonders and miracles existing in these verses. So, whoever knows them will not wonder at the matter of the Dajjāl or be misled by him; and he will patiently endure the trials of the Dajjāl and his apparent bliss and punishment; or that the protection from the Dajjāl is granted by Allah to those who memorize these verses.
Also, there are means of protection against the trial of the Dajjāl, which are not mentioned in this Hadīth, but are authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in other Hadīths: Knowing the names and attributes of Allah, which makes one know that the Dajjāl is a human being who eats and drinks, and Allah is far Exalted above that; the Dajjāl is one-eyed, whereas Allah is not one-eyed; and no one sees his Lord until he dies, whereas the people, including the believers and disbelievers, will see the Dajjāl when he emerges. It also includes the pursuit of Allah's refuge from the trial of the Dajjāl, particularly in prayer, as reported in a Hadīth by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the Two Sahīh Collections that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in prayer: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjāl." And it also includes fleeing and turning away from the Dajjāl, for those who will be present at his time, given the suspicions and amazing supernatural incidents that appear with him and by which a person might be tempted.
In the Hadīth: The merit of the ten verses at the beginning of Surat al-Kahf.
And in it: Clarifying that the trial of the Dajjāl is so severe that protection against him is needed.

810

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]. Thereupon, he struck me on the chest and said: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir!".

Commentary : The glorious Qur'an is the strong rope of Allah and His straight path. Its recitation brings goodness and blessing and affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of reward. Allah endowed some of its Surahs and verses with a special merit.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day asked him: "O Abu al-Mundhir", a surname for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him). "Do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" i.e., in terms of the reward and benefit for its reciter in this world and the Hereafter. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said: Allah and His Messenger know best." This stems from the Companions' politeness towards the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: ’Ubayy knew which verse was the greatest when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about it, but he did not reply out of respect, modesty, and politeness towards him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). If he had answered him the first time he asked him, he would have thus displayed his knowledge. He also probably did not give the answer because he expected that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would probably tell him that another verse is greater than that or inform him of some other benefit. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated the question, he knew that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted him to answer and wanted to test his memorization and information. Thereupon, he answered him that the greatest verse - as far as he knew - is the one that reads: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursī [footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255] It is called the verse of Kursī. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved his answer and accepted it as correct, and he struck with his honorable hand on the chest of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him). This behavior on the Prophet's part was done by way of gentleness, given his approval and acceptance of this answer and his admiration of the answerer. He said to him: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir," i.e., may knowledge be blissful for you. This is meant as a supplication for him to find knowledge easily and be versed therein.
The verse of Kursī is the greatest verse in the Qur'an because it combines such fundamental divine names and attributes that are not combined in any other verse. In it, Allah Almighty describes Himself as the worshiped God other than Whom none is truly worthy of worship. He alone is worthy of worship, out of love and exaltation for Him, given the perfection of His attributes. To Him belongs the complete life, which was not preceded by non-existence, will not be followed by an end, and entails all attributes of perfection. He is Self-Sustaining and does not need anyone, and He undertakes the affairs of His creation, including sustenance and other things. All creatures stand in need of Him and cannot exist without Him. His support of their existence entails all actions of perfection. Part of the perfection of His life and sustainability is that He does not suffer drowsiness or get overcome by sleep, and He is the sole Possessor of all that is in the universe. No one dares to intercede with Him unless He gives him permission. He is the One Who knows all the affairs of His creation; past, present, and future, and all else do not possess anything of Allah's knowledge whatsoever except what He taught them, by His will. His Kursī - the place of His feet - encompassed the heavens and the earth, despite their vastness and greatness, and their preservation is not heavy or hard for Him; rather, this is something easy and simple for Him, Exalted be He. He is the Possessor of absolute exaltedness above all His creation. He is Exalted by His Essence above His Throne and High above His creation by His absolute power and perfect attributes. He is the Possessor of absolute greatness in His Essence, attributes, and authority, and all other than Him are humble before Him and so little next to Him. Nothing is greater than Him, Exalted, Glorified, and Blessed be He.
In the Hadīth: A great merit for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him).
And in it: Praising a person to his face, if it serves a good purpose and if self-admiration is not feared, and so on
And in it: The knowledgeable person's great respect for his virtuous companions.

811

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

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing, as it is the strong rope of Allah, and it affords tranquility of the soul and abundant reward. Allah Almighty has particularly endowed Surat al-Ikhlās with great merit.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asks his Companions, by way of teaching them: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" Since this is hard to do, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wondered and asked him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): How does one recite one-third of the Qur'an in a night?! In response to them, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the recitation of Surat al-Ikhlās {Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals the recitation of one-third of the Qur'an. So, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd (monotheism), and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one-third based on this consideration. In a version of the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās
And in it: The vast bounty of Allah Almighty towards His servants, as He made the recitation of a short Surah equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an.

811

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

812

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'an." So, there gathered those who gathered. Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he went back in. We said to one another: "I think this is a revelation that came to him from heaven. That is why he went in." Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and said: "Indeed, I said to you that I would recite to you one-third of the Qur'an, and it is indeed equal to one-third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Surat al-Ikhlās is a great surah despite its few words, as it contains great and sublime meanings. In it, the meaning of Tawhīd (monotheism) for Allah is refined, worship is solely devoted to Him, and refuge is sought with Him alone, and the son and father are negated from Him, Exalted be He. This is one of the fundamental topics to which the Qur'an refers.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: 'Gather together' i.e., come together. This command indicates that he will inform them about something important, namely that he will really recite to them one-third of the Qur'an, or what equals its third in terms of the meaning and reward. So, there gathered those who gathered from among the people. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited to them Surat al-Ikhlās only: {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he entered his room. When they saw that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited nothing but this Surah and did not recite one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the amount and the number of verses, they thought that he entered because the revelation was coming down to him and that he would thereafter come out and recite to them the rest of the third of the Qur'an. Then, when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out, it was as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) knew what they were thinking about and that they were waiting to hear from him the rest of the third of the Qur'an. So, he informed them that Surat al-Ikhlās equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward. Thus, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd, and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one third based on this consideration. In a version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: The good way in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions, and the Companions' politeness towards him
And in it: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās and that it equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward and recompense.

814

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?! They are: {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?!" This is an exclamatory question, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wondered at the great merit of these verses, the like of whose meanings and blessings were not revealed in other Surahs to him before. Then, he identified those verses, saying that they are the two Surahs: "{Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}" They are the two refuge-seeking Surahs. They mention the pursuit of refuge, resorting, and asking for protection from Allah, the Lord of creation and the Lord of mankind. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used these two Surahs in seeking refuge with Allah Almighty and performing Ruqyah (faith healing) for himself.
Surat al-Falaq contains the verses that read: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak, from the harm of all what He has created; from the harm of the darkening night when it spreads around, from the harm of the sorceresses who blow on knots, and from the harm of the envier when he envies."} The meaning is: Say, O you, the Messenger—I resort to the Lord of the Morning. The Surah begins by describing the One with whom refuge is sought as the Lord of the Daybreak, for this is the time for the outpouring of lights and the descent of goodness and blessings. I seek refuge in this Lord, Who possesses this description, from what is harmful among the creatures. He solely attributes to the One with Whom refuge is sought what He created. He begins with the general words: {from the harm of all what He has created}, i.e., from the evil of His creation, the evil committed by the accountable servants in the form of sins and mutual harm among themselves, and what is done by unaccountable creatures of animals, such as the predatory beasts and insects, by eating, nipping, stinging, and biting, and the different kinds of harm Allah caused to exist in other than animals, like burning in the fire and killing by poison.
Then, He follows it with that whose harm is more hidden in terms of time, and it is the opposite of the break of the day, namely the coming of darkness, with His words: {from the harm of darkening [night] when it spreads around.} This is because harm spreads more easily at this time and getting rid of it becomes more difficult.
He particularly mentions the time in which wickedness is hidden, like the sorceresses who blow on knots and the enviers, and He links the envier with the conditional {when he envies}, because when an envier displays his envy, his evil and harm becomes more effective. Allah combines the evils in this Surah and concludes them with envy, so that it should be known that it is the meanest trait.
And Surat an-Nis is the verses that reads: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the harm of the lurking whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind, from among jinn and mankind."} [Surat an-Nās: 1-6] The meaning: Say - O you the Messenger -: I resort to the Lord of mankind and seek refuge in Him. He is the Sovereign of mankind and does whatever He wills to them. There is no other sovereign for them but Him and no true deity for them but Him. I seek refuge in Him from the evil of the devil who throws his whisperings to man if he fails to remember Allah and he goes backwards if he remembers Him. He throws his whisperings into the hearts of people. Such a whisperer could be among humankind and jinns alike.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great significance of the two refuge-seeking Surahs
And in it: Pointing out that there is nothing in the Qur’an like the two refuge-seeking Surahs in terms of the meanings, blessings, and pursuit of Allah's refuge through them.

817

‘Āmir ibn Wāthila reported: Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abdul-Hārith met ‘Umar at ‘Usfān, and ‘Umar had employed him as a governor of Makkah. He said: "Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of the valley?" He said: "Ibn Abza." He said: "Who is Ibn Abza?" He said: "He is one of our freed slaves." He said: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" He said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty and he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance." ‘Umar said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book some people and degrades others.'".

Commentary : The Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen that the rulings of Islam should be applied in all corners of the state. Therefore, he used to ask the governors about their conditions and how they acted in different situations, correcting their errors and holding them accountable for them. He would put in a high status the knowledgeable people of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Shar‘i rulings, in compliance with the principles of the honorable Shariah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Āmir ibn Wāthila (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Companion Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), was one of those who embraced Islam at the time of the Conquest of Makkah and was approved by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate as a ruler and governor of Makkah, and stayed there until he died. Nāfi‘ met ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), who stopped at ‘Usfān on the way to Hajj. He called him for a meeting, and he met him in ‘Usfān, a village 80km north of Makkah on the way to Madīnah. When they met, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of Makkah in your place for the period of your absence as you meet the Commander of the Faithful? The valley here refers to the valley of Makkah and Tā’if. He informed him that he had appointed Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abza (may Allah be pleased with him), as a governor over them, a freed slave of Nāfi‘ ibn al-Hārith. He embraced Islam during the Prophet's lifetime and lived in Kufa. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as a governor of Khorasan.
‘Umar said to him, disapprovingly: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" i.e., have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over the people of Makkah, the people of the Sacred City, and the people of nobility and high status?! It was said: ‘Umar's disapproval of his appointment as a governor over them was not because he belittled or disdained him, but because of the non-fulfillment of the purpose behind such an appointment, namely to set people's affairs in order and manage them, which requires the governor appointed over them to be a man of awe, greatness, and noble status in the hearts of the general public. To this end, he should be free and of noble descent and high standing; otherwise, people would disrespect and disobey him. Thus, the objective of such a post would fail.
Clarifying the reason behind appointing him over them, Nafi‘(may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty," i.e., he is a memorizer of it and knowledgeable about its rulings. "And he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance," i.e., about the division of inheritance according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In other words, Allah Almighty elevated this governor over them by virtue of these things, and they know him to be like that, so they would respect and revere him and obey his command; thus, their affairs would be set aright, and their conditions would become stable. Hence, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), liked what he heard about the traits of Ibn Abza and approved the action of Nafi‘ ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), and thereupon said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book" the noble Qur'an "some people." Allah elevates those who believe in it, recite it, and sincerely act according to it. He elevates them in this world, by making them lead a good life, and in the Hereafter, by making them among the people of high ranks along with those upon whom Allah bestowed His favor. "and degrades others,", lowering their status; those are the people who do not believe in it, or believe in it yet neglect it and abandon its application. So, He causes them to live in misery and straits in this world and makes them the lowest of the low in the Hereafter.
In the Hadīth: Putting a freed slave in authority over free people if he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance
And in it: Knowledge and the Qur'an redress the deficiency in one's lineage
And in it: The merit of knowledge
And in it: The approach of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as he used to follow up on his governors and observe how they ruled their subjects, lest they might neglect their rights, and thus, he would be the one to blame, for he was the chief caretaker.
And in it: The merit and honor of the knowledge of inheritance, for it is the knowledge to which Allah Almighty gave high status, as He Himself undertook the division of inheritance in His glorious Book and did not leave it to anyone..

820

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: As I was in the mosque, a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner that I found to be strange. Afterward, a man entered and recited in a manner different from the other. When we finished the prayer, we all went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I said: "This man recited in a manner that I found to be strange, and another man entered and recited in a manner different from his recitation." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them to recite, and when they did so, he expressed approval of both. This made me inclined to disbelieve in him, even to an extent I had never reached in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance). When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) noticed how I was affected, he gave me a pat on the chest. Thereupon, I broke into a sweat and was filled with fear as though I were looking at Allah Almighty. He said to me: "O ’Ubayy, a message was sent to me: Recite the Qur'an in one mode, but I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the second message: Recite it in two modes. I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the third message: Recite it in seven modes. And you may ask Me for something in return for each reply I sent to you. I said: O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah. And I delayed the third request until the Day when all humankind, even including Abraham (Ibrāhīm) (peace be upon him), will seek my intercession. [In a version]: ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b told me that he was sitting in the mosque when a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner... and he related a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions the Qur'an to perfection, and he would recite it to them in modes and manners that suited various dialects, all of which belong to Arabic, to make things easy and simple for the Muslims.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was sitting in the Prophet's Mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not present at the time - and ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the memorizers of the Book of Allah Almighty - as a man entered and prayed. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him recite the Qur'an in a way he found to be strange, i.e., ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know this way of recitation and did not hear it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier man. When they all finished the prayer, they went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in one of his rooms. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): This man recited in a way I found to be strange, as his recitation differed from that of mine. And another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier one. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered both men to recite so that he could hear their recitation and make sure whether it was correct or wrong. The two men recited, and he expressed approval of the recitation of both and said that both were good, or he said to each of them: You have done well. When ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) express approval of their recitation, he thought about denying the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and felt confused and surprised in a way he could not describe and the like of which he had not experienced during Jāhiliyyah, when he was in misguidance and disbelief, which are worthier of this kind of denial. Jāhiliyyah: It is the period during which people were polytheists before the Prophet's mission, and it was called as such because of the prevalence of their ignorance.
When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived that ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) experienced the whisperings and promptings of Satan, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck him with his noble hand on his chest, to reassure him. As a result, sweat flowed from all over the body of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), as if he were looking at Allah out of fear and embarrassment about the devil's whispering that influenced him. This indicates that it was a prompting from the devil, which disappeared immediately after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck with his hand on ’Ubayy's chest, and the sweat overflowed from him.
At this point, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed ’Ubayy - by way of reassuring him and making things clear to him - that Allah Almighty revealed to him that he should recite the Qur'an in one mode, i.e., in one way. "but I replied to Him," i.e., to Allah Almighty through Gabriel (Jibrīl) (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation. "Make matters easy," i.e., he asked Him, Exalted be He, to make the recitation of the Qur'an simple and easy for the Muslim Ummah. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was going back to his Almighty Lord to ask Him to facilitate things for his Ummah, as he is reported to have done regarding prayer. Allah Almighty replied to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the second time: "Recite it in two modes," and on the third time Allah facilitated the matter for the Ummah by its recitation in seven modes. In other words, the Qur'an was revealed in seven ways or seven dialects, intended to make the matter simple and easy. It was said: The Qur'an was first revealed in the language of the Quraysh tribe and the surrounding eloquent Arabs. Then, it was made permissible for the Arabs to recite it in their own languages which they habitually used, along with their different words and rules of parsing. He did not oblige any of them to shift from their language to another because it involved difficulty. This was also for their tribalism and their need for facilitation, so that they could understand the intended meanings. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations such that everyone could change any word to its equivalent in his language. Rather, the criterion in this regard was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, the Almighty Lord said to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "In return for each reply I sent to you," i.e., in return for each time you came back to Me to ask for facilitation and ease for your Ummah and I replied to you, "you may ask Me for something," i.e., an answered supplication, which you should make, and you will not be disappointed or rejected regarding it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah" twice. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the third request until the Day of Judgment. It is the Grand Intercession. All humankind will need his intercession, when everyone will say "myself, myself," even Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).
In the Hadīth: Allah's facilitation of things for the Ummah and His mercy towards them
And in it: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the best among the prophets and all humankind.
And in it: The superiority of Abraham (peace be upon him) over all the other prophets, except for our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
And in it: The Prophet's compassion towards his Ummah
And in it: It shows how much the Companions cared about the Qur'an, defended it, and preserved it and its words as they had heard it, without deviation from it.
And in it: Pointing out that the Qur'an was revealed in seven modes
And in it: Pardoning people for the devil's promptings and not holding them accountable for them
And in it: Showing the noble status of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), for the devil did not gain control over him and so he could not allure him as he allured many others who were predestined by Allah to suffer misery by persisting in denial. Rather, Allah Almighty inspired him to repent through the Prophet's striking on his chest and his supplication for him.
And in it: Establishing the intercession for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

821

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by a pond belonging to Banu Ghifār when Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah Commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in one letter." He said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." He then came to him for the second time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in two letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the third time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in three letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the fourth time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in seven letters, and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right.".

Commentary : The Noble Qur’an is the speech of Allah Almighty revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Allah has made its recitation easy for people so that they reflect upon its verses. A form of this facilitation and flexibility is that Allah has permitted its recitation in seven letters and in Qirā’āt (modes of recitation) that He taught to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who taught them to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who reported these Qirā’at to those who succeeded them.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by "Adā’ah (pond) belonging to Banu Ghifār." Adā’ah: still water. It is said that it is a place in Makkah, as Ghifār was a tribe from Kinānah, and their location was near Makkah. It is also said that it is a place in Madīnah attributed to Banu Ghifār because they settled therein.
Gabriel (peace be upon him) - the angel entrusted with the revelation - came to him and said: "Allah Almighty commands you to recite the Qur'an to your Ummah," referring to the Ummah that responded to his call, "in one letter," i.e. in one manner. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness," i.e. I ask Allah Almighty for His ease, facilitation, and forgiveness for them. The Prophet's request for forgiveness was out of fear of negligence committed on their side regarding how they must recite. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, my Ummah cannot bear that," i.e., they cannot stand to agree on one letter given their different dialects. So, uniting them into one dialect is hard for them and challenging for their tongues. Then, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him for the second time and informed him that Allah Almighty commands him to make his Ummah recite the Qur’an in two letters. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said the same thing he said the first time. Then, Gabriel came to him for the third time and informed him that Allah commands him to make his Ummah recite in three letters. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said what he had said in the two previous times. Then for the fourth time, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur’an in seven letters," thus, each one could recite in the manner that suits him, and that is easy for him, "and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right" and correct and their recitation will be sufficient and valid. His saying: "seven letters", means It was revealed in seven manners or seven dialects, which refers to facilitation and ease. It is said that the Qur'an was first revealed in the language of Quraysh and those who lived next to them from among the eloquent Arabs. Then, the Arabs were allowed to recite it in their usual languages despite the difference between them in words and grammatical rules. None of them was asked to leave his language for another one, given the difficulty involved and the pride they had and to make it easy for them to understand the intended meaning. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations in such a way that everyone would change any word to its equivalent in his language; instead, the criterion here was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth reflects the Prophet's keenness in facilitating and making things easy for his Ummah.
It also sheds light on the mercy of Allah Almighty towards His slaves by lightening their burden and revealing the Qur’an in seven letters..

822

Abu Wā’il reported: A man called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to ‘Abdullah and said: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter? Do you recite it as 'alif' (first letter of the Arabic alphabet) or as 'yā’' (last letter of the Arabic alphabet) {min mā’in ghayri āsin (of fresh water)} [Surat Muhammad: 15] or: min mā’in ghayri yāsin?" He said: 'Abdullah replied, "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" He said: "Indeed, I do recite the Mufassal (from Surat Qāf till the end of the Qur'an) in one Rak'ah (unit of prayer)." 'Abdullah said: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry! Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones. But if it were to reach the heart and settle therein, then it would be of benefit. The best (acts) of prayer are Rukū' (bowing) and Sujūd (prostration). I am well-acquainted with the Nazhā’ir (pairs of similar Surahs) which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine two Surahs in every Rak'ah." Then, 'Abdullah stood up and 'Alqamah followed him; he came out and said: "He informed me about them." [Another version reads]: A man from Banu Bajīlah came to ‘Abdullah, and he did not say: Nahīk ibn Sinān. [Another version reads]: 'Alqamah came to enter upon him, so we said: "Ask him about the Nazhā’ir that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in one Rak'ah." So, he entered upon him and asked him, then, he came out and said: "Twenty Surahs of the Mufassal according to the order (of the Surahs) set by 'Abdullah.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty commanded reflection upon the Qur’an, as He says: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29] Allah Almighty also says: {Do they not then ponder on the Qur’an?} [Surat an-Nisā’: 82] This is the purpose of its recitation, not just the mere recitation of its letters without understanding or reflection.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi'i Abu Wā’il, brother of Ibn Salamah, reports that a man - and in another version: "from Banu Bajīlah" - called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu' Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter?" i.e., how do you recite this verse in the Qur'an? "Do you recite it as 'alif' or 'yā"? {{min mā’in ghayri āsin} or (min mā’in ghayri yāsin)?" This means: Does the word start with an alif or a yā'? "Āsin" water is water that has a changed taste and color, whereas "Yāsin" water is smelly and stinking water that affects whoever goes in it with its steam. Thereupon, ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" i.e. Have you memorized the whole Qur'an and perfected its words except for this verse and the word you are asking about?! As if he was shocked and rebuking him. Nahīk ibn Sinān gave him an answer denoting how he believed that he had perfected the recitation of the whole Qur’an, as he informed him that he used to recite the Mufassal (short Surahs) in one single Rak‘ah, which indicates the great extent of his memorization and perfection. It is said: The Mufassal starts from Surat Muhammad, and it is said: Surat Qāf, until the end of the Noble Qur’an. It was called so because of the frequent separation between its Surahs with the line "Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful). ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) did not answer his question because he got the impression that he was not seeking guidance; rather, he said to him: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry?!" "Hadhdh" (hasty recitation) means excessive hastiness and extreme speed, i.e., do you recite the Qur’an hastily without reflecting upon it as if you are reciting poetry?! As if Ibn Mas‘ūd was criticizing him for reciting the Mufassal in one single Rak‘ah without reflecting upon and contemplating the verses.
Then, Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones," which is an indirect reference to incomprehension, i.e., there are people who recite the Qur'an without reflecting upon its verses or contemplating its meanings. Hence, it does not reach their hearts through contemplation and humility, and it does not ascend to heaven, and they do not, thus, receive a reward for it. "Turquwah" (collarbone): It is the protruding upper chest bone from the beginning of the shoulder to the bottom of the neck.
Then, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that when the Qur’an is recited in a reflective and contemplative manner, and the heart consequently grasps its meanings and understands its lessons, it becomes of benefit to its reciter, and this is what is required of a Muslim and is the objective of reciting the Qur’an. Then, he clarified to him that the acts of prayer that have a better and bigger reward are more Rukū‘ and Sujūd, not the lengthy recitation in which the reciter does not reflect upon the meanings of the verses.
Then, he taught him, saying: I am well-acquainted with the Surahs, which are called "Nazhā’ir" and which are the Surahs that have similar meanings or have a similar length, that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine in his Rak'ahs during prayer reciting two of them in every Rak'ah.
Ibn Mas‘ūd then stood up and entered his house, followed by the Tābi'i' Alqamah ibn Qays, who wanted to ask him about these Surahs which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine. Then, ‘Alqamah came out and said to the people: Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed me about them.
Another version reads: 'Alqamah informed them that the Nazhā’ir are "twenty Surahs from the Mufassal," i.e., twenty of the small Surahs according to the order of the Mus-haf that was arranged by 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd whose order varied from that of Zayd ibn Thābit. These Surahs were mentioned by Abu Dāwūd on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and they are: Ar-Rahmān and An-Najm in a Rak‘ah, Al-Qamar and Al-Hāqqah in a Rak‘ah, At-Tūr and Adh-Dhāriyāt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Wāqi‘ah and Al-Qalam in a Rak‘ah, Al-Ma‘ārij and An-Nāzi‘āt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Mutaffifīn and ‘Abasa in a Rak‘ah, Al-Muddaththir and Al-Muzzammil in a Rak‘ah, Al-Insān and Al-Qiyāmah in a Rak‘ah, An-Naba’ and Al-Mursalāt in a Rak‘ah, and Ad-Dhukhān and At-Takwīr in a Rak‘ah. If it is said Ad-Dukhān is not from the Mufassal, how did he count it from the Mufassal? The answer: It is a metaphor, as it was mentioned in a version in the Two Sahīh Collections: Eighteen Surahs from the Mufassal and two Surahs from the {Hā Mīm} family.
The Hadīth encourages reflection upon the Qur’an and abstention from reciting it hastily.
It also emphasizes the status and knowledge of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him)..

830

Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer at Al-Mukhammas and said: "This prayer was presented to those before you, but they wasted it. So, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled, and there is no prayer after it until the Shāhid appears." Shāhid: the star..

Commentary : Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The 'Asr prayer has a great merit. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges Muslims to observe it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led some of his Companions in the ‘Asr prayer at Al-Mukhammas, which is the name of a path in Mount ‘Ayr on the way to Makkah. Then, he informed them that the 'Asr prayer was enjoined upon the preceding nations, but they did not observe it properly, not performing it in its due time, taking it lightly, and abandoning it. Then, Allah gave it to the Ummah of Islam, "so, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled"; the first reward is for observing it, unlike those who neglected it, and the second is a recompense for his deed like the rest of prayers. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then forbade them from offering any supererogatory prayer until the sun sets and the "Shāhid", which is the star, appears. It was called "Shāhid" (witness) because it appears and is present at night and because a star does not appear and is not seen except after sunset. This does not contradict the confirmed texts that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Maghrib by sunset, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections and others.
This is a prohibition of prayer at sunset because it was when those who worshipped the sun used to pray. The word "after" here is not meant in a general sense; rather, it is meant to refer to the time of sunset and what is close to it. It is said that the prohibition of prayer during this time is only meant to prohibit delaying the obligatory prayer without a valid excuse until it is performed close to sunset. This prohibition does not include performing obligatory prayers or making up for missed prayers; it is exclusive to the supererogatory prayer.
The Hadīth encourages the observance of prayer.
It also encourages the observance of prayers in their due time.
It clarifies the merit of this Ummah as it carefully maintains a prayer that was not maintained by the preceding nations.
It also points out that the reward of whoever observes the ‘Asr prayer is doubled..

831

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir al-Juhani reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid us from praying or burying our deceased ones at three times: when the sun begins to rise until it is fully risen; when the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon until it passes its zenith; and when the sun starts setting until it fully sets..

Commentary : Allah Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to all humankind as a guide, bringer of good news, and a warner. There is no goodness for them concerning their life or death except that he guided them to it and urged them to do it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to preserve for the Muslims their creed. For example, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from praying or burying their dead at three times, which are: "When the sun begins to rise;" this is at the beginning of its rise and appearance. In modern estimation, this is nearly 15 minutes after sunrise. He forbade this because it is a time in which the sun-worshipers used to pray and prostrate to it, as it is a time in which the the sun rises between the two horns the devil. The second time: "When the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon;" this is at midday, when the sun is in the middle of the sky. This is a time when any standing object at noon no longer has a shadow towards the east or the west, and it is the time of extreme heat. He forbade this timing because Hellfire is flared up during it. The forbidden time continues until the sun passes its zenith for a little towards the west, and there comes the noon at which the time of the Zhuhr prayer comes. The third timing: "and when the sun starts setting," i.e., it moves towards setting until it completely sets, and the disc of the sun disappears. This is a time in which the sun sets between the two horns of the devil. This prohibition does not apply to the obligatory prayers that are performed within their appointed times or as missed prayers; rather,, it applies to supererogatory prayers.
In the Hadīth: The prohibition of praying at these times
And in it: The prohibition of burying the dead at these times.

832

‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: In Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance), I used to think that people were misguided and that they were not on the right path, as they worshipped idols. Then, I heard of a man in Makkah who was telling new things. So, I mounted my camel and went to him. I found that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was hiding, for his people were aggressive toward him. So, I acted gently until I entered his place. I said to him: "Who are you?" He said: "I am a Prophet." I said: "What is a Prophet?" He said: "Allah sent me.'' I said: "What did He send you with?" He said: "He sent me with [a message] of maintaining kinship ties, breaking the idols, and upholding the oneness of Allah without associating anything with him." I said: "Who is with you on that?" He said: "A free man and a slave man.'' He said: At that time only Abu Bakr and Bilāl were with him. I said: "I shall follow you.'' He said: "You cannot do that today. Do you not see my situation and that of the people? However, return to your people, and when you hear that I have succeeded in my mission, come to me.'' So, I went to my people. Later, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to Madīnah. It was until some of my people went to Madīnah that I said: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" They said: "People are hastening to him. His own people wanted to kill him, but they could not." So, I went to Madīnah and entered his place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He said: "Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me of what Allah has taught you, which I am ignorant of. Tell me about prayer." He said: "Perform the morning prayer. Then, do not pray until the sun has risen up to the height of a lance, for when it rises, it rises between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it. Then, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until the shadow of the lance shrinks. Then, do not pray, for at that time Hell is fired up. Then, pray when the shadow becomes longer, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until you perform ‘Asr. Then, do not pray until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it." I further said: "O Prophet, tell me about ablution.'' He said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water and rinses his mouth and nose, the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose will ‘fall’. Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him, the sins of his face fall with water from the edges of his beard. Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows, the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair. Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles, the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes. Then, when he stands up for prayer, praises Allah Almighty, extols Him, glorifies Him as He deserves, and empties his heart for Allah, he becomes free from his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.'' ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah narrated this Hadīth to Abu ’Umāmah, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, Abu Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about what you are saying. Will a man be getting all of this on one occasion?" ‘Amr said: "O Abu ’Umāmah, I am old in age, weak in bones, and close to death. I do not need to tell lies about Allah or the Messenger of Allah. Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times - I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that.".

Commentary : Islam emerged in a world filled with oppression, Shirk (polytheism), and ignorance. The brightness of its teachings was strange to those who lived in complete darkness. Its earlier followers suffered severe tribulations, as they were very few and their enemies regarded them as weak and humiliated, and they would subject them to subjugation and harm, for they did not possess the means of protection either by being large in number or by strength. This was before Allah Almighty endowed them with Hijrah (emigration) to Madīnah, where He provided them with refuge, empowered them, helped them, and made them victorious over their enemies. In this Hadīth, the Companion ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him)—who was the half-brother of Abu Dharr from the mother's side; their mother was Ramlah, from Banu al-Waqī‘ah ibn Harām ibn Ghifār, and he was from Banu Sulaym—says that in Jāhiliyyah, people were polytheists. It was called as such due to the prevalence of their ignorance. He used to think that people were misguided and did not follow anything of the truth or the religion that would benefit them with Allah Almighty. "as they worshipped idols." An idol is anything worshiped apart from Allah, be it made of stone, wood, or trees, and whether it takes the form of a human being or not. Later, he heard about the emergence of a man - meaning the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - in Makkah who was telling new things concerning Allah Almighty, i.e., the new things related to the prophethood, the message, and the revelation of Allah to him, and the command He sent to him about Tawhīd (monotheism) and the falsity of associating partners with Allah Almighty. So, he mounted his riding animal and traveled to Makkah to learn about the affair of this Prophet. He found the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) hiding from the disbelievers because they were aggressive to him. So, he searched for him in Makkah in a gentle and kind manner so that the Quraysh disbelievers would not repel him, until he found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "What are you?" i.e., what about your condition and your affair? He did not say, "Who are you?" because he did not want to ask about himself but about his traits. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "I am a Prophet," one of the prophets of Allah, as Allah sent revelation to me. He asked him about the reality that distinguishes a prophet from others, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him that Allah sent him to all humankind. He further asked him: "What did He send you with?" In reply, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that He sent him with a message of upholding the ties of kinship, who are a person's relatives and all those who are related to him by blood, whether he is an inheritor of them or not. The tie becomes more affirmed if they have a closer blood relationship. The Prophet's response here was appropriate for the questioner or considering the time and condition. The upholding of kinship ties is probably singled out in consideration of the condition of the Arabs, or because other obligations had not yet been prescribed. And he informed him that Allah Almighty sent him with a message of breaking and destroying the idols, prohibiting the devotion of worship to them, and that oneness must be attributed to Allah alone and worship be devoted to Him alone, not associating any of the creation as partners with Him. ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Who is with you on that" Tawhīd and religion? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A free man and a slave man." ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at the time had with him Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the free man, and Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the slave man, among those who believed in him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), believed his message, and followed his religion. ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "I shall follow you" and this religion, referring to his conversion to Islam. Hence, I shall accompany you and be with you in this position you are in. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You cannot do that on this day of yours," i.e., at the present time. This is due to the weakness of the Muslims. It is feared that you will be harmed by the Qurayshi disbelievers. He did not reject his conversion to Islam, but rejected the idea that he would remain with him, citing as the reason for that the few supporters of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the strength of the disbelievers and the severe animosity they displayed. So, he ordered him to go back to his people, remain among them, and continue to be Muslim, and when he hears about the dominance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his victory over the polytheists and the spread of his call across the land, he should come to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This is an example of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talking about future and unseen things, and it falls under the signs of his prophethood (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to his people Banu Sulaym. Then, after a while, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated to Madīnah after staying in Makkah as a prophet for thirteen years, calling people to Tawhīd and the abandonment of Shirk. Meanwhile, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was living among his people. So, he began to look out for news about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in Madīnah, asking travelers who would pass him by. This continued until there came a group, between three and nine persons, from the people of Yathrib, which was the old name for Madīnah, before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) changed it to Taybah and Tābah. He asked them: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" He posed the question in this way so as to conceal his condition from whom he asked, lest they might be enemies of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and so they would not tell him the truth, if they knew he was following his religion. This reflects the good understanding, wisdom, and intelligence of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him). They answered him: People are hastening to him to follow his religion and enter Islam. "His people wanted to," i.e., the Quraysh disbelievers wanted to "kill him" by various methods of cunning and deception, "but they could not." Rather, Allah turned their plots back on their necks and protected His Prophet from that. It was said: This is intended to refer to what the Quraysh tribe plotted against the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after his Hijrah, including the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, and Al-Ahzāb, and others. But they could not eliminate him, as Allah Almighty granted him victory over them. Also, the intended meaning is probably what Allah Almighty mentions in the verse that reads: {And [remember] when the disbelievers plotted against you to take you as captive, kill you, or expel you. They plan, and Allah also plans, but Allah is the Best of those who plan.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 30] This is when they plotted against him in these ways. So, Allah permitted him to immigrate, and after he went to Madīnah, Allah Almighty revealed to him "Surat al-Anfāl" wherein He mentions His favors upon him and the affliction he had suffered.
Then, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he came to Madīnah - after the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar - and entered the Prophet's place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He replied: Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah. So, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked to tell him about what Allah taught the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of which ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was ignorant. He also asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to tell him about the prayer and its time. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to offer the morning prayer - and its time begins with the appearance of the true dawn - and then desist from prayer until the sun appears and rises to the height with which prayer is no longer disliked; that's 15 minutes after sunrise, according to modern estimation. This demonstrates the times in which prayer was prohibited, and he explained to him the reason behind this prohibition, saying that the sun rises between two horns of a devil, and at that time the disbelievers who worship the sun prostrate themselves to it. The meaning: The devil adorned to some people the worship of the sun at this time, and he used to take sunrise between the two horns in his head and approach it, and so it would rise between his two horns. And the same happens at the time of sunset. It is as if those who prostrate to the sun do prostrate to him. So, this is meant to keep away from imitation of the disbelievers at their time of prayer. This prohibition pertains to supererogatory prayers whose performance is not associated with a specific reason. A Muslim should not offer them at these two times. As for the missed obligatory prayers, they may be performed at all times of prohibition.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that after that time he could offer as many supererogatory prayers as he wished, as related in the version by Abu Dāwūd, "for the prayer is witnessed and attended," i.e., the angels attend it to write down its reward and bear witness for those who perform it. So, it is closer to acceptance and the attainment of mercy. So, he prays "until the shadow of the lance shrinks," i.e., the shadow rises with the lance or in the lance, and nothing of it remains on the ground. This refers to the Arab martial lance, which is nine mediocre spans long. The lance was particularly mentioned because when the Arabs wanted to know the time, they would erect their lances on the ground and then look at their shadows.
When things no longer have a shadow, one should refrain from offering supererogatory prayers that are not associated with a specific reason, for this time is one in which "Hell is fired up," i.e., it is intensely kindled. "when the shadow becomes longer" towards the east, "then pray" any prayer you want to offer. "for the prayer is witnessed and attended." Continue to pray as much as you wish "until you perform ‘Asr." Then, stop offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr, until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil, and this is a time at which the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it, as previously mentioned.
Then, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about ablution and how to perform it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water," i.e., brings water to perform ablution therewith. "and rinses his mouth" by moving water inside the mouth and then discharging it out. "and nose" by inserting water into the nose and then blowing it out to remove any filth inside. the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose "fall." "Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him," i.e., in the verse that reads: {when you rise up for prayer, wash your faces.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 6] "the sins of his face will fall with water from the edges of his beard." He mentioned the beard in light of what is more common; yet, it also applies to those who have no beard, such as the beardless men or women. "Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows," which are the joints in the middle of the arm, "the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair." He mentioned hair in light of what is more common, yet it also applies to those who have no hair. "Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles" - the two protruding bones at the joint connecting the foot and leg - "the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes." If a person performs ablution in this way and enters the prayer, praises Allah, lauds Him by the well-established attributes, lauds Him by exalting Him above what does not befit Him, and extols Him by ascribing to Him the attributes of glory, might, and honor of which He is worthy; "and empties his heart for Allah," Almighty, i.e., he empties his heart from the impurity of attachment to and reliance upon other than Allah, "he becomes free from his sins" and misdeeds and gets purified from them as he was pure from all sins "on the day his mother gave birth to him."
‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this Hadīth before Abu ’Umāmah, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Abu ’Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about," i.e., consider, ponder, "what you are saying" about this abundant reward in return for this little act in one situation and one place; a man is given this great reward! The wording by An-Nasā’i: "Is all of this given in one situation?!" This does not denote suspicion by Abu ’Umāmah of ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with both of them). It is only wonder at the immensity of Allah's bounty. ‘Amr replied: "O Abu Umāmah, I am old in age," "weak in bones," i.e., my bones have become thin and lean - a reference to his weakness. "and close to death." "I do not need" or am prompted "to tell lies about Allah" Almighty" or the Messenger of Allah" (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning: The usual causes of lying are non-existent in me. I am not a liar. So, "Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times," i.e., he said: four times, until he said: seven times. "I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that." In the version by An-Nasā’i: "My ears heard it, and my heart understood it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." This means he was scrupulous in narrating these words about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Besides, his heart kept it for himself, and he did not undergo forgetfulness. This is all due to keenness to ascertain the validity of the narration.
In the Hadīth: Urging the upholding of kinship ties, as Allah Almighty couples it with Tawhīd
And in it: Supererogatory prayers may be offered at any time, except for the prohibited times.
And in it: Demonstrating the time of the morning prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the times in which it is prohibited to offer non-obligatory prayers
And in it: The merit of performing ablution perfectly
And in it: The merit of Khushū‘ (humility and focus) in prayer
And in it: It is prohibited to imitate the disbelievers in their worship
And in it: Showing the merit of Abu Bakr and Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with both of them), as they embraced Islam ahead of others
And in it: Showing the merit of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his wisdom, for he realized during Jāhiliyyah that people were misguided, as they worshiped idols apart from Allah Almighty, and he embraced Islam early on.
And in it: It points out that a Muslim should ask about the best times and places in which he should seek closeness to his Lord and perform a lot of worship to Him.
And in it: News should be verified, even if the reporter is truthful, for he may undergo forgetfulness or the like..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.”
.

‘Ataa’ narrated:
I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.”
.

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘.
.

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.
.

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."'
.

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed.
.

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

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.” .

‘Ataa’ narrated: I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.” .

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘. .

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting. .

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."' .

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed. .

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.".

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.”
.

‘Ataa’ narrated:
I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.”
.

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘.
.

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.
.

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."'
.

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed.
.