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Hadith
337
It was narrated that ‘Umayr, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, said: ‘Abdullah ibn Yasar, the freed slave of Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), went to visit Abu Juhaym ibn al-Harith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansari. Abul Juhaym al-Ansari said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came from the direction of Bi’r Jamal and was met by a man who greeted him with salaam, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not return the greeting until he turned to the wall and wiped his face and hands, then he returned the greeting..

Commentary : Tayammum is a concession that Allah (may He be exalted) has prescribed for His slaves when water is not available or it is not possible to use it, so as to make things easy for them, as it makes it permissible to offer the prayer and do other acts of worship. So if a Muslim is not in a state of purity, and cannot find water, but he wants to mention the name of Allah (may He be exalted), then he may do tayammum before mentioning Him, as is indicated by this hadith. Abu Juhaym ibn al-Harith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansari narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came from the direction of Bi’r Jamal – which is a place near Madinah – he was met by a man who greeted him with salaam, but he did not return the greeting until he turned to a wall, patted it with his hands, and wiped his face and hands, then he returned the man’s greeting. That was because al-Salaam is one of the names of Allah (may He be exalted), so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to mention the name of Allah when he was in a state of purity. Hence he did tayammum, then he returned the man’s greeting.
This hadith indicates that tayammum may be done for supererogatory actions and virtuous deeds, and not only for obligatory deeds.
It indicates that tayammum may be done when not travelling, if there is no water available, or if one is not able to use it.
It indicates that tayammum consists of patting the dust once to wipe the face and hands..

338
It was narrated that ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abza said: A man came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and said: I became junub and could not find any water. ‘Ammar ibn Yasir said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab: Do you not remember when we were on a journey, you and I? As for you, you did not pray; as for me, I rolled in the dust and prayed. I mentioned that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) patted the ground with his hands and blew onto them, then he wiped his face and hands with them..

Commentary : Tayammum is a concession that Allah (may He be exalted) has prescribed for His slaves when water is not available or it is not possible to use it, so as to make things easy for them, as it removes impurity (hadath) and makes it permissible to offer the prayer and do other acts of worship. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abza narrates that a man from the desert – as mentioned in the report of ‘Abdul Razzaq – came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him that he had become junub, but he could not find any water with which to do ghusl to cleanse himself from janabah. The word janabah refers to anyone who emits maniy (semen) or has intercourse; it is so called because he must avoid (ijtinab) prayer and other acts of worship until he has purified himself from it.
The response of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), according to a report narrated by Muslim, was to say: Do not pray. He told him not to pray until he could find water. According to a version narrated by Abu Dawud, he said: As for me, I would not pray until I could find water. It is as if ‘Umar thought that he should not pray until he found water with which to purify himself, then he could pray. At this point, ‘Ammar ibn Yasir reminded ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them) of something that had happened to both of them, as he said: O Commander of the Faithful, do you not remember when you and I were on a journey? According to a report narrated by Muslim, he said: …and we became junub. They both became junub whilst they were on a journey, and they could not find any water. As for ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he refrained from praying, because he expected to reach water before the time for the prayer ended, or because he believed that tayammum was only valid in the case of minor impurity, not major impurity (janabah). As for ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), he drew an analogy between major impurity and minor impurity, and therefore he rolled in the dust in order to remove the major impurity. It is as if, because he believed that tayammum could be an alternative for wudu’ and it is done in a similar manner to it, he thought that tayammum could also be done in a manner similar to ghusl. Then he prayed after that. When he returned to Madinah, he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this,” then he patted the ground with his hands and blew onto them, to reduce the dust, then he wiped his face and hands with them. Thus he taught him how to do tayammum, and he taught him that it is valid for both major impurity (janabah) and minor impurity.
In this hadith, we see that the Sahabah strove to work out issues (ijtihad) at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that making analogies (qiyas) is valid..

347
It was narrated that Shaqiq said: I was sitting with ‘Abdullah and Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, when Abu Musa said to him: What if a man becomes junub and cannot find water for a month; would he not do tayammum and pray? Then how do you understand this verse in Surat al-Ma’idah, {[But if you] do not find water, then seek clean earth…} [al-Ma’idah 5:6]? ‘Abdullah said: If that concession was granted to them, then you would most likely see them, every time they found the water to be cold, seeking clean earth [to do tayammum]. I said: So you dislike it for that reason? He said: Yes. Abu Musa said: Did you not hear what ‘Ammar said to ‘Umar? [He said:] The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent me on an errand, and I became junub but could not find any water, so I rolled in the dust as an animal does. I mentioned that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) patted the ground with his hands once, then he shook them [to remove excess dust], then he wiped the back of his [right] hand with the palm of his left hand, or the back of his left hand with the palm of his [right] left, then he wiped his face with them. ‘Abdullah said: Did you not see that ‘Umar was not convinced by what ‘Ammar said? Ya‘la added, narrating from al-A‘mash, from Shaqiq: I was with ‘Abdullah and Abu Musa, and Abu Musa said: Did you not hear what ‘Ammar said to ‘Umar? [He said:] The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent me and you, and I became junub and rolled in the dust. Then we came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and told him about that, and he said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this.” And he wiped his face and hands once..

Commentary : Tayammum is a concession that Allah (may He be exalted) has prescribed for His slaves when water is not available or it is not possible to use it, so as to make things easy for them, as it removes impurity (hadath) and makes it permissible to offer the prayer and do other acts of worship.
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that in the beginning, tayammum was an alternative to wudu’ only, not to ghusl. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Shaqiq ibn Salamah reports the discussion that took place between ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud and Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with them both) about this matter, as Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him): What if a man becomes junub and cannot find water for a month; would he not do tayammum and pray? Abu Musa objected to the view of Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) which said that tayammum cannot be done in the case of janabah, and a person in this situation cannot pray until he finds water. Then he [Abu Musa] quoted as evidence [to refute the view of Ibn Mas‘ud] the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {[But if you] do not find water, then seek clean earth…} [al-Ma’idah 5:6] ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) responded to him by saying that if people were granted a concession allowing them to do tayammum in this case, then people would most likely, every time they found the water to be cold, seek clean earth [to do tayammum] and they would stop washing with water. Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) suggested that if we go along with the view that it is permissible for the one who is junub to do tayammum, that might open the door to being too heedless with regard to tayammum, so everyone who found the water cold would do tayammum [instead of ghusl]. Thus he wanted to prevent people from resorting to it for trivial reasons, by preventing them from doing tayammum to cleanse themselves from janabah instead of doing ghusl. But Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) quoted the hadith of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent him on an errand, and that during this journey he became junub, so he rolled in the dust like an animal. According to a report narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was with ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he also became junub, but he refrained from doing tayammum and decided not to pray until he was able to find water. Then when ‘Ammar returned, he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, and that he had rolled in the dust with the intention of doing tayammum to cleanse himself of janabah. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him how to do tayammum, which is to pat the dust with both hands, then blow on them to reduce the dust, then wipe the hands and face with them. This proves that it is valid for one who is junub to do tayammum. Thus ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud disagreed with Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with them both), and said to him: Did you not see that ‘Umar was not convinced of what ‘Ammar said? Here he was referring to when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) did not remember that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said this to ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) when ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him about this incident. It was as if ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) was using ‘Umar’s view as evidence to prove that tayammum was not valid in the case of janabah and major impurity.
This hadith highlights the fact that the Sahabah used to discuss issues of knowledge and quote as evidence the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and sound analogies to both. .

350
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers said: When Allah first enjoined the prayer, each prayer was two rak’ahs, whether one was at home or travelling. Then the prayer when travelling was confirmed and remained as it was, and the prayer when not travelling was increased..

Commentary : The revelation came down to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gradually. By the wisdom of Allah (may He be exalted), some rulings were abrogated. This gradual approach was done to achieve some purposes, or to make things easy, or for other reasons.
In this report, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that in the beginning, before the Mi‘raj, all the prayers consisted of two rak‘ahs, whether one was at home or travelling. After that, the five daily prayers were enjoined, then obligatory prayers that were offered when not travelling were increased; Zuhr, ‘Asr and ‘Isha were increased to four rak‘ahs when not travelling, after having been two. Fajr, however, remained as two rak‘ahs because of the lengthy recitation in it; and Maghrib became three rak‘ahs, because it is the Witr of the day. Prayer offered when travelling remained two rak‘ahs, as it had been originally, except for Maghrib, which cannot be shortened.
It was said that after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reached Madinah and settled there, prayer offered when travelling was made lighter with the revelation of the verse, {And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you. Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy} [al-Nisa’ 4:101]. Thus we may say that when they said that prayer when travelling remained as it was, the Arabic phrase may be understood as meaning that the prayer when travelling ended up lighter and did not continue to be the same as it was initially enjoined..

355
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying in a single garment in the house of Umm Salamah, with the ends of it wrapped over his shoulders..

Commentary : One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Islamic religion is that it makes things easy for people. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has not enjoined anything but that which is easy to apply. One example of that is making it easy to do acts of worship. In this hadith, ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah – the stepson of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he was the son of Umm Salamah the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – narrates that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying in a single garment in the house of Umm Salamah, with the ends of it wrapped on his shoulders. The word translated here as shoulder refers to the place where the shoulder meets the side of the neck and it is the place where the garment is placed on both sides. What that means is that he put the right edge of his garment on his left shoulder and the left edge of his garment on his right shoulder, then he tied the two ends over his chest, which is known as ishtimal; it is done to prevent the garment from falling and uncovering the ‘awrah. This ruling applies to one who only owns one garment, if the garment is big enough for that and can cover the entire body. But if the garment is narrow or small, then the individual should pray with it wrapped around his waist to cover his ‘awrah and the lower half of his body, as is mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih al-Bukhari..

357
It was narrated from Abul Nadr the freed slave of ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydillah, that Abu Murrah, the freed slave of Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib told him that he heard Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib say: I went to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during the year of the conquest [of Makkah], and I found him doing ghusl, with his daughter Fatimah screening him. I greeted him with salaam, and he said: “Who is that?” I said: I am Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib. He said: “Welcome, Umm Hani’!” When he had finished his ghusl, he stood and prayed eight rak‘ahs, wrapped in a single garment. Then when he had finished, I said: O Messenger of Allah, The son of my mother is saying that he is going to kill a man to whom I have offered my protection, So-and-so the son of Hubayrah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “We grant protection to whomever you grant protection to, O Umm Hani’.” Umm Hani’ said: That happened at midmorning..

Commentary : Offering protection is a promise that one of the Muslims may give to a disbeliever, according to which that person becomes safe on the basis of that promise, and his life and property are protected.
In this hadith, Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with her) – who was a paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – narrates that she went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during the year of the conquest [of Makkah], which occurred in 8 AH. According to a report in Sahih al-Bukhari, that happened at midmorning; midmorning (duha) extends from the time when the sun has risen to the height of a spear until just before Zuhr. That happened in her house, as is stated in a report narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari. She found him doing ghusl, with his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) shielding him from view, so that he would not be seen. She greeted him with salaam, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, so she told him that she was Umm Hani’, whereupon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed her.
Then she narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had finished his ghusl, he prayed eight rak‘ahs, wrapped in a single garment. The way in which that garment was worn was that he placed the right edge of the garment on his left shoulder, and placed the left edge of it on his right shoulder, then tied the two ends over his chest. This is what is called ishtimal, and it is done to make the garment more secure in covering the ‘awrah.
When he finished his prayer, she said to him: The son of my mother – meaning ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib – is threatening that he is going to kill a man to whom I have granted protection. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “We grant protection to whomever you grant protection to.” Umm Hani’ said: That happened at midmorning.
This hadith indicates that a woman may grant protection to a polytheist (mushrik).
It highlights the good manners of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how he upheld the ties of kinship, how he spoke kind words, was of a gentle nature, and welcomed visitors warmly.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to offer the Duha prayer..

358
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not aim to offer your prayer when the sun is rising or setting.”.

Commentary : There are specific times for the five daily obligatory prayers. With regard to supererogatory and voluntary prayers, it is permissible to offer them at any time, apart from the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade praying at certain times, which include what is mentioned in this hadith, namely the time when the sun is rising and the time when it is setting. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not aim to offer your prayer when the sun is rising or setting.” In other words, do not seek out these two times to pray. The reason for that – as mentioned in other reports – is that the sun rises between the two sides of the head of a devil, or the side of the head of the Shaytan rises with it, and because some of the disbelievers used to prostrate to the sun and pray to it at these two times. Therefore it is prohibited to pray at these two times, in order to differ from these disbelievers.
This prohibition is understood to refer to voluntary prayers at these times. In the case of one who has an excuse for not having caught up with the obligatory prayer at the beginning of its time, he may pray at the end of its time and catch up with the prayer before the sun rises and before it sets, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “Whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr before the sun rises has caught up with Fajr.” Or it may be that the prohibition is on praying deliberately at the time of sunrise or sunset. However, if it is not done deliberately – as in the case of one who wakes up or remembers after having forgotten – he may pray (at those times) and there is no blame on him..

358
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that someone asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about praying in a single garment. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?”.

Commentary : One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Islamic religion is that it makes things easy for people. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has not enjoined anything but that which is easy to apply.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah narrates that someone came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about the ruling on praying in a single garment: was that permissible and valid, or not? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave a response which implied the answer and gave a fatwa, as he said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?” This was a question which indicated that he found the first question somewhat odd, for if not everyone among you can afford two garments, and the prayer is obligatory, then it should be valid to pray in a single garment so long as it covers the ‘awrah, because this is a religion of ease and Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear. At the beginning of Islam, the Sahabah were extremely poor, and perhaps they could only afford one garment, which they would use in various ways for various purposes, including prayer. When Allah enabled the Muslims to make conquests, they prayed in two garments, a rida’ (upper garment) and izar (lower garment), so that this would be more covering for the body and the ‘awrah, and it would be more appropriate for the one who was standing in prayer, in addition to improving his appearance when standing before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted)..

359
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should pray in a single garment of which nothing is on his shoulders.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible. This hadith includes the Prophet’s instructions not to pray in a single garment, leaving the shoulders bare, in such a manner that nothing is placed over them to cover them. The word translated here as shoulder refers to the place where the shoulder meets the neck. That is because, even though the shoulder is not ‘awrah, covering it will make the covering of the ‘awrah more secure, because if a man wraps his garment around his waist with nothing on his shoulders, there is no guarantee that his ‘awrah will not become uncovered. This is in contrast to the situation when he puts part of it on his shoulders. This is more respectful before Allah (may He be exalted).
This is indicative of how Islam makes it easy to pray in a single garment, if the garment is loose and wide enough to do that. But if it is narrow or small, then the individual may pray with it wrapped around his waist, to cover his ‘awrah and the lower part of his body, as is mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah in Sahih al-Bukhari..

360
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever prays in a single garment, let him put each end of it on the opposite shoulder.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoins the one who prays and only has one garment to put each end of it on the opposite shoulder, by placing the right edge over his left shoulder and the left edge over his right shoulder, to make the garment cover his entire body and thus take the place of both the rida’ and izar. The benefit of putting the ends of the garment on opposite shoulders is that the worshipper will not be looking at his own ‘awrah when he bows, and his garment will not fall open when moving between the postures of the prayer.
This is indicative of how Islam makes it easy to pray in a single garment, if the garment is loose and wide enough to do that. But if it is narrow or small, then the individual may pray with it wrapped around his waist, to cover his ‘awrah and the lower part of his body, as is mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah in Sahih al-Bukhari..

361
It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn al-Harith said: We asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah about praying in a single garment, and he said: I went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys. I came to him at night for some reason, and I found him praying. I was wearing a single garment, so I wrapped myself in it and prayed beside him. When he finished he said: “What brought you here at night, O Jabir?” I told him what I needed, and when I had finished speaking, he said: “What is this wrapping that I see?” I said: The garment is narrow. He said: “If it is wide, then wrap yourself with it, and if it is narrow, then wrap it around your waist.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Sa‘id ibn al-Harith narrates that they asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) about the ruling on praying in a single garment, and Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) responded by telling them what happened to him with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when he went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys. That was the campaign of Buwat – as was specified in Sahih Muslim. Buwat is the mountains of Juhaynah; between Buwat and Madinah there is a distance of approximately 36 miles. This campaign was one of the first campaigns of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Jabir went by night for some purpose, and he found the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) standing in prayer. Jabir was wearing a single garment, so he wrapped it around himself because it was narrow, and he put its edges on his shoulders, and prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished praying, he asked Jabir why he had come at night; he only asked him that because he knew that what had made him come at night was a serious matter. So Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told him what he needed, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What is this wrapping that I see?” This is a question which reflected disapproval; the reason why he did not approve was that the garment was narrow, and Jabir had put its ends on opposite shoulders; so it was as if when he put its ends on opposite shoulders, the garment was no longer covering him properly. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) replied by telling him that he was wearing a single garment that was narrow, so he had wrapped himself in it. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him that the time to wrap oneself in that manner was when the garment was wide enough, in which case he could wrap himself in it by using one end as an izar and the other end as a rida’. But if the garment was narrow, then it would be sufficient to wrap it around his waist, because the aim is to cover the ‘awrah, which may be achieved by wrapping it around the waist only, if it is small and narrow..

362
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: Some men were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), with their izars tied on their shoulders, like children, and it was said to the women: Do not raise your heads [from prostration] until the men have sat up completely..

Commentary : Some of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were so poor and needy that they did not own more than one garment with which to wrap themselves and cover both the upper and lower parts of their bodies whilst praying. The basic principle concerning the izar is that it is used to cover the lower part of the body, but they were wrapping it around their shoulders, to serve as both a rida’ and an izar, covering the entire body as small children used to do at that time.
This is indicative of how Islam makes it easy to pray in one garment when necessary, if the garment is large enough to do that. But if it is too narrow or small, then the individual should pray with it wrapped around his waist, so as to cover his ‘awrah and the lower part of his body, as mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih al-Bukhari.
It was said to the women: Do not raise your heads [from prostration] until you are certain that the men have sat up completely after rising from prostration. That was to prevent them seeing the ‘awrahs of the men, if they raised their heads from prostration before them. That was because the women stood behind the men, and the men’s ‘awrahs might become uncovered as they were standing up. Therefore the women were prohibited to raise their heads too soon, for that reason.
This hadith indicates that the garments of those men were short and might uncover their ‘awrahs.
It also highlights the fact that averting the gaze and avoiding looking at ‘awrahs is more emphasized in the case of prayer..

363
It was narrated that Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah said: I was with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and he said: “O Mughirah, pick up the vessel.” So I picked it up, then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out, until he disappeared from my view and relieved himself. He was wearing a Syrian jubbah, and he went to bring his arm out from its sleeve, but it was too narrow, so he brought his arm out from beneath the garment, and I poured water for him and he did wudu’ as for prayer and wiped over his khuffs, then he prayed..

Commentary : Al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) was with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during a journey on one of his campaigns, which was the campaign to Tabuk in 9 AH. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to pick up “the vessel” – the vessel in question was a small vessel that was used for carrying water for wudu’ and the like. So al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) picked it up, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out until he had moved away from al-Mughirah and disappeared from his sight. Then he relieved himself, urinating or defecating. He was wearing a jubbah that had been woven in Syria. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tried to bring his arm out of the sleeve, but he could not do that, because it was too narrow. So he brought his arm out from beneath the jubbah so that he would be able to wash it in wudu’, and he lifted the jubbah up onto his shoulders; the word translated here as shoulder refers to the point where the arm meets the shoulder. Al-Mughirah poured water for him, and he did wudu’ as prescribed for prayer, and wiped over his khuffs. The khuff is a kind of footwear made of leather, which covers the foot. It is usually worn for warmth. He wiped over his khuffs because he had put them on his feet when he was in a state of purity, so he availed himself of the concession allowing one to wipe over the khuffs without taking them off. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.
The Sunnah explains that wiping over the khuffs may be done for one day and night for one who is not travelling, and for three days and nights for one who is travelling.
This hadith indicates that one may pray in clothes that were made by the polytheists, because there were Christians in Syria.
It also indicates that it is valid to wipe over the khuffs..

364
It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn Dinar said: I heard Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah narrating that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was moving stones with them for [the rebuilding of] the Kaaba. He was wearing his izar, and his uncle al-‘Abbas said to him: O son of my brother, if you undo your izar and put it on your shoulders, it will protect you from the stones. So he undid it and placed it on his shoulders, then he fainted. And he was never seen in a state of undress after that, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him..

Commentary : Allah (may He be exalted) cared for His Prophet from childhood and before He sent him with His message; He protected him from anything shameful or inappropriate. One example of this divine care is mentioned in this hadith, in which Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was moving the stones to rebuild the Kaaba with his people, when Quraysh wanted to rebuild it. That was some time before his mission began. It was said that at that time he was fifteen years old. Whilst he was carrying the stones, he was wearing his izar, which is a garment that is worn to cover the lower part of the body. His uncle al-‘Abbas said to him: If you undo your izar and put it on your shoulders, making it a barrier between the skin and the rocks, it will be less painful and less tiring for you to carry the stones. The word translated here as shoulder refers to where the top of the arm meets the shoulder. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that. Then he fainted, because his ‘awrah had become uncovered, for he had a natural inclination towards the best of manners and attitudes, and was created with a complete sense of modesty and shyness, and fainting was more covering for him. This is an example of Allah’s care for His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and of His guiding him to follow the best manners and attitudes. From that time on, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was never seen in a state of undress with his ‘awrah uncovered.
It was also said that he fainted because of something he saw behind him, or because of a caller who called out to him to alert him to his being in a state of undress. In al-Sahihayn it says: He fell to the ground and his eyes rolled up, then he woke up and said: “My izar, my izar!” Then he tied his izar on firmly..

365
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A man went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about praying in a single garment. He said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?” Then a man asked ‘Umar [a similar question] and he said: If Allah has enabled you to afford it, then cover yourselves properly; a man may wear whatever he has of garments. A man may pray in an izar and rida’, or in an izar and chemise, or in an izar and a qaba’, or in a sirwal and a rida’, or in a sirwal and a chemise, or in a sirwal and a qaba’, or in a short sirwal and a qaba’, or in a tubban and a chemise. And I think he said: in a tubban and a rida’..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about praying in a single garment: was that permissible and valid, or not? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave a response which implied the answer and gave a fatwa, as he said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?” This was a question which indicated that he found the question somewhat odd, for if not everyone among you can afford two garments, and the prayer is obligatory, then it should be valid to pray in a single garment so long as it covers the ‘awrah, because this is a religion of ease and Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.
Then a man asked ‘Umar about praying in a single garment. That occurred during the caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). It seems that they differed concerning that matter, so they asked the caliph about it, and he said: If Allah has enabled you to afford it, then cover yourselves properly. Here he was urging people to let the blessings of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) be seen clearly. This indicates that a single garment is sufficient, but anything in addition to that is better. Then ‘Umar said: A man may wear whatever he has of garments. A man may pray in an izar and rida’… What is meant is: let him put on his garments and pray in them. So a man may pray in an izar and rida’; the izar is the garment that covers the lower part of the body, and the rida’ covers the upper part. Or he may pray in an izar and a chemise, which refers to a garment with sleeves and pockets that is shaped to fit the body, and is put on and taken off over the head. It is like the thobe that people wear nowadays. Or he may pray in an izar and qaba’; the qaba’ is a garment with narrow sleeves and a narrow middle, and a slit at the back. Or he may pray in a sirwal (loose trousers) and a rida’; or in a sirwal and a chemise; or in a sirwal and a qaba’; or in a tubban and a qaba’; or in a tubban and a chemise. Sirwal refers to trousers that cover the body from the navel to the knees, or to the feet. Tubban refers to something that is like the sirwal except that it has no legs; it covers the most private part of the ‘awrah only. These nine types of clothing are listed with a conjunction, because ‘Umar said that by way of listing options. It is as if he was saying: if a man puts on whatever he has of garments, that is good enough, then he explained what garments may go together.
This hadith indicates that praying in two garments is better, even though it is permissible to pray in one garment.
It indicates that the matter of what garments may be worn when praying is easy and broad in scope, and that it may vary according to what one is able to afford, without falling short with regard to covering the ‘awrah..

833
‘Ā’ishah reported: 'Umar made a mistake. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has only forbidden seeking the rising of the sun and its setting..

Commentary : The five obligatory prayers have definite times; however, the supererogatory and voluntary prayer is permissible at any time except that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden praying at certain times. Out of their extreme keenness to carry out obligations and the acts of Sunnah, avoid prohibitions, and maintain the trust of reporting the Shariah, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to correct each other's mistakes and comment on one another.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "'Umar made a mistake," referring to 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) in reporting the absolute prohibition of prayer after 'Asr. She reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had only forbidden "seeking the rising of the sun and its setting." i.e., he forbade intentionally and deliberately praying when the sun rises or sets but did not forbid praying in general after dawn or after ‘Asr. It is said: Rather, the prohibition of prayer during these two times is not a mistake, and ‘Ā’ishah's opinion was based on her own deduction and interpretation. As for the Hadīth text narrated by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), others from the Companions also narrated it, and more than one understood it the way ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) understood it.
The reason behind the prohibition of prayer during these two times is that the sun rises and sets along with the devil's horn and because some of the disbelievers used to prostrate to the sun and offer prayer to it during these two times. Hence, he forbade praying during them to oppose those disbelievers. Other narrations were reported about permitting prayer at sunrise and sunset, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections: "Whoever catches up with one Rak'ah before the sun rises, he has caught up with the Morning prayer..." When combined with this Hadīth, it is understood that the prohibition refers to the voluntary and supererogatory prayer during such times. As for the one who could not catch up with the prayer at the beginning of its time for a valid excuse, he is permitted to pray at the end of its time and to catch up with the prayer before sunrise and before sunset. Or perhaps the prohibition refers to the act of seeking the rising and setting of the sun on purpose, as for the one who does not do this on purpose - like the one who wakes up from his sleep or the one who remembers after being forgetful - it is permissible for him to pray and there is no blame on him.
The Hadīth warns against keenness on praying at the time when the sun rises and sets..

835
Abu Salamah reported that he asked 'Ā’ishah about the two prostrations that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray after 'Asr, she said: "He used to pray them before 'Asr, but then he got distracted or forgot them, so he prayed them after 'Asr; then, he continued observing them, for whenever he offered a prayer, he would stick to observing it.".

Commentary : Prayer is the best matter, and a Muslim is allowed to offer voluntary prayer at any time of night or day except for the times in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited voluntary prayer, namely after dawn until sunrise and after 'Asr until sunset.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi'i Abu Salamah ibn' Abdur-Rahmān ibn' Awf reports that he asked the Mother of the Believers, 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about the two Rak'ahs (unit of prayer) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray after 'Asr, and why he prayed them, or whether the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed them regularly or not. Thereupon, 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "He used to pray them before 'Asr," i.e., as a supererogatory and Sunnah Qabliyyah (before the obligatory prayer) of the 'Asr prayer. "Then, he got distracted from them or forgot them," being doubtful about the reason why he did not pray them before 'Asr that time. "Then, he continued observing them" after that, "as whenever he offered a prayer, he would continue observing it" regularly.
In the Two Sahīh Collections, the reason why he did not pray the two Rak'ahs before 'Asr is mentioned, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said while talking to' Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): "O Daughter of Abu' Umayyah, you asked about the two Rak'ahs after 'Asr. Some people of 'Abdul-Qays came to me and distracted me from the two Rak'ahs after Zhuhr, so those are the two (Rak'ahs I was praying)." This indicates that the two Rak‘ahs were offered to make up for the missed Sunnah Ba‘diyyah (after the obligatory prayer) of Zhuhr and not to make up for the missed two Rak‘ahs before ‘Asr..

836
Mukhtār ibn Fulful reported: I asked Anas ibn Mālik about the voluntary prayer after ‘Asr, and he said: "'Umar used to strike hands for a prayer (offered) after 'Asr, and we used to offer two Rak'ahs after sunset before the Maghrib prayer during the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." I asked him, "Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) observe them?" He said: "He used to see us observing them, but he neither commanded nor forbade us.".

Commentary : Prayer is one of the best acts that bring closeness to Allah Almighty; hence, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen on it as a means of drawing closer to Allah Almighty.
This Hadīth emphasizes the Muslims' keenness to learn the religion. The Tābi‘i Mukhtār ibn Fulful narrates that he asked Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) about offering voluntary prayer after the ‘Asr prayer. Anas informed him that during the Caliphate of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he used to strike hands for praying after 'Asr, which is an indirect reference to his prohibition of such a prayer because he did not see the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing this. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) used to follow the Prophet's example in everything; so, whenever he did something, they would race to do it, and whenever he abandoned something, they would leave it. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to forbid praying after ‘Asr for fear of offering a prayer during the prohibited time, namely at sunset. Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And we used to offer two Rak‘ahs after sunset before the Maghrib prayer during the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), i.e., between the Adhān (call to prayer) and the Iqāmah (second call to prayer). Mukhtār ibn Fulful asked him: Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) observe them? Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied saying: He used to see us observing them, but he neither commanded nor forbade us, which denotes his approval of the permissibility of this voluntary prayer.
The Hadīth encourages the act of offering supererogatory prayers.
It also points out the Prophet's approval of offering prayer before Maghrib..

840
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: I witnessed the prayer of fear with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). We stood in two rows behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the enemy was between us and the Qiblah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said takbīr and we all did. He then bowed and we all bowed. He then raised his head from bowing, and we all did. He then prostrated with the row behind him, while the back row stood in the face of the enemy. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prostration and the row behind him stood, the back row prostrated and then stood up. Then, the back row moved to the front and the front row moved to the back. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed and we all bowed. He then raised his head from bowing, and we also raised our heads. Then, he and the row behind him, which was back in the first Rak‘ah, prostrated, whereas the back row stood in the face of the enemy. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the row behind him finished the prostration, the back row prostrated. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ended the prayer with taslīm and we all did the same. Jābir said: ''As those guards of yours do with their leaders.'.

Commentary : The prayer of fear is the prayer whose time comes when the Muslims are engaged in fighting the enemy. Since prayer is the greatest among the practical pillars of Islam, it does not cease to be due under any condition, even during war.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reports on one of the ways of performing the prayer of fear during war, as he witnessed the prayer of fear with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The entire army was lined up behind him in two successive rows, with the enemy standing between them and the Qiblah. This indicates that everyone will face the enemy, whether those who stand for prayer or those who stand for guarding. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commenced the prayer and said the takbīr of ihrām, and the whole army said takbīr with him. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed after the recitation, and they all bowed. Then, he raised his head from Rukū‘, and they all raised their heads. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, and the row behind him prostrated, whereas the back row remained standing to guard those who were prostrating in front of them. They stood in the face of the enemy and opposite them, lest the enemy might attack while they were prostrating. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the two prostrations, and the row behind him, that prostrated the first time, stood up, the back row came down to prostrate. Then, when they finished the prostration, they stood up. Then, the back row stepped forward and stood in the place of the first row—after becoming equal to them in terms of standing behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the second Rak'ah—and the first row stepped back. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed after the standing and recitation, and the entire army bowed. Then he raised his head from Rukū‘, and the entire army raised their heads. Then he came down to prostrate, and so did the row behind him, who stood in the back in the first Rak'ah, whereas the back row got up and stood in the face of the enemy to guard those who were prostrating. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the row behind him finished the prostration, the back row came down to prostrate, and after they finished the prostration and tashahhud, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made taslīm, and all worshipers made taslīm after him, for they completed their prayer.
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said to those around him: ''As those guards of yours have a certain protocol with their leaders," i.e., the servants of the ruler who are assigned to protect and guard him, their prayer is like the prayer the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he faced the enemy.
Numerous ways are reported for performing the prayer of fear, and this is one of the versions about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in this regard. He performed it on different days and in diverse ways in which he sought what is more cautious for prayer and more effective for guarding. This prayer has different forms, but they are all consistent in intent.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the manner and form of the prayer of fear
And in it: Demonstrating the significance of congregational prayer, as its performance was prescribed in the state of fear. So, it is more appropriate for a person who is safe and secure to observe it.
And in it: Taking precautions against the enemy at the time of the battle by all means
And in it: The religion enjoins the acts of worship that preserve a person before Allah in the Hereafter and enjoins the pursuit of means that preserve a person in worldly life
And in it: It shows the ease of the Shariah for those accountable to perform prayer.

853
Abu Burdah ibn Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari related: ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said to me: "Did you hear your father narrating from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hour on Friday?" I said: "Yes, I heard him say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'It is between the time when the Imām sits down and the end of the prayer.''".

Commentary : Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty favored some creatures over others and favored some places over others, like favoring Makkah over all other places; and He favored some times over others, like favoring Friday over other days of the week.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Burdah ibn Abi Mūsa al-Ash‘ari informs that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: Did you hear your father - that is Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) - narrating from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hour of Friday. By this, he meant the hour when supplications are answered - about which Al-Bukhāri and Muslim narrated a Hadīth - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is a time on Friday at which no Muslim asks Allah for what is good except that He will grant it to him." So, Allah responds to he who supplicates and asks of Him by granting him his request or better than that, averting affliction or evil from him, or keeping it in store for him until the Day of Judgment. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant to ask about its specific time, as to which part of the day it is exactly. In response, Abu Burdah told him that he heard a Hadīth regarding this from his father (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "It is between the time when the Imām sits down" on the pulpit after ascending it. And it was said: When he sits down between the two sermons - until the Friday prayer is finished.
There is a difference of opinion over the specification of this hour, with numerous views involved. The strongest among these views are two: First: What is mentioned in the Hadīth: It is between the time when the Imām sits down and the end of the prayer. Second: It is from after the ‘Asr until sunset, in the latter time of Friday.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the time of the hour of answered supplications on Friday
And in it: We are urged to look for the time of answered supplications on Friday and utilize them..

854
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best day the sun has risen upon is Friday: on it Adam was created, on it he was admitted into Paradise, and on it he was driven out of it. The Hour will not come except on Friday.".

Commentary : Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty favored some of His creations over others. This includes favoring some days over others, like the day of ‘Arafah, the Night of Decree, and Friday; each time of them has a different merit than others.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that the best day among the days of the week upon which the sun rises is Friday. One of the characteristics of this day is that Allah Almighty created Adam, the father of humanity (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty made him dwell in Paradise, and on this day, Adam and his wife were driven out of Paradise, and he descended to earth for viceregency thereon. His departure from it is the departure of someone who will return to it, for Paradise is originally his dwelling, as Allah Almighty says: {Dwell in Paradise, you, and your wife.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 35] The day Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise is the day he assumed viceregency on earth and came down to it. The Hour - i.e., the Day of Judgment - will not come except on Friday between dawn and sunrise.
It was said that the mention of these important events and these few issues, which took place on Friday, is not meant for mentioning the merit of this day, since what happened on Friday, like driving Adam out and the coming of the hour, is not regarded as meritorious; rather, this is intended to highlight the significance of the events that took place on it, like the beginning and end of creation. It was also said: Rather, these are merits because the departure of Adam from Paradise is a reason for producing these progeny and huge descendants and the existence of the messengers, the prophets, and the pious people. Also, the events of the Hour enjoy great significance, for they constitute a reason for Allah to hasten His promise to the believers and His threat to the disbelievers, the appearance of the recompense of the prophets, the people of the truth, the pious persons, and others, and the display of their honor and noble statue. On the Day of Judgment, the banners of the Muslims will go high in confirmation of their Imān (faith).
In the Hadīth: The superiority of Friday to the other days.

856
Abu Hurayrah and Hudhayfah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah diverted from Friday those who were before us. For the Jews there was Saturday, and for the Christians there was Sunday. And Allah brought us and guided us to Friday. He made Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and they, likewise, will come after us on the Day of Judgment. We are the last among the people in this world and the first ones on the Day of Judgment for whom judgment will be passed before all creation." In a version: among whom judgment will be passed. [And in a version]: We were guided to Friday, and Allah diverted from it those who were before us..

Commentary : Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty favored some of His creation over others. This includes favoring some days over others, like the day of ‘Arafah, the Night of Decree, and Friday; each time of them has a different merit than the others.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that Allah Almighty diverted from Friday and from holding it in high regard to the nations who came before us. This was because they opposed their prophets. The Jews chose Saturday, claiming that Allah had finished the creation on Saturday. And the Christians chose Sunday, claiming that Allah Almighty began the creation on it. Then, Allah brought the Ummah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who believed in him and acknowledged his message, so Allah guided us to Friday and directed us, out of His bounty and mercy, to extolling and worshiping Him on it. "So He made Friday" an Eid for the Muslims, "Saturday" an Eid for the Jews, "and Sunday" an Eid for the Christians.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that the Jews and the Christians will come after this Ummah of Muhammad on the Day of Judgment, as they came after them in the order of days. So, they will be after them in terms of the reckoning, the judgment, and entering Paradise. Although this Ummah existed in this world later than the previous communities, they will be ahead of them in the Hereafter, in that they will be the first to be resurrected and reckoned and the first to be judged among the people, to enter Paradise. In a version: "among whom judgment will be passed" instead of "for whom judgment will be passed," i.e., judgment will be passed among them with regard to their rights.
In the Hadīth: Allah Almighty honored this Ummah and preferred it over the other nations that came before it..

857
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever takes a bath and then comes to the Friday prayer, and then prays as much as is written for him, and then keeps silent until the Imām finishes the sermon, and then prays along with him, his sins between that time and the next Friday will be forgiven, with an addition of three days.".

Commentary : Friday is a momentous day, and it is the best of the days of the week. On it, the Muslims gather for the prayer. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged us to purify ourselves and beautify our appearance on this day, especially at the time of the Friday prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that if a person takes a bath, pouring water all over his body - the bath on Friday is affirmed regarding every male adult Muslim who is obligated to perform the Friday prayer - and then goes to the mosque and attends it early before the Imām ascends the pulpit, and he offers supererogatory prayers as much as is predestined for him and as Allah wills him to pray, performing two Rak‘ahs at a time, as reported about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the supererogatory prayer; and then he keeps silent until the Imām finishes the sermon, and then prays the two-Rak‘ah Friday prayer with him, his reward will be that Allah will forgive his sins from this time in which he performs the Friday prayer to the similar time the next Friday, in addition to three days. Thus, a good deed is multiplied ten times, as Friday becomes equivalent to ten days.
The intended meaning here is that Allah forgives the minor sins; as for the major sins, they require full repentance. In Sahīh Muslim Collection, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The five prayers, and the Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and Ramadan to the next Ramadan are expiations of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided."
The etiquettes reported in the Sunnah in relation to Friday include applying perfume, wearing the best clothes for the Friday prayer, going to the mosque early, and not passing through the rows.
In the Hadīth: The merit of taking a bath on Friday
And in it: Urging the performance of supererogatory prayers before the Imām ascends the pulpit on Friday
And in it: We are urged to listen to the sermon.

858
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported: We used to pray with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then return and give rest to our Nawādih (camels used for carrying water). Hasan said: I said to Ja'far: What time was that? He replied: At the sun's decline, its zenith..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has set an appointed time for prayer; thus, a Muslim is not allowed to offer the prayer before or delay it after its time except with a valid excuse.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that people used to pray - referring to the Friday prayer as clarified by another version of Muslim - with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, after finishing the prayer, they would return from the mosque to their houses, where they would rest and give rest to their Nawādih, the plural of Nādih, which is the camel used for carrying water. It is said: "Rawāh" (from which "nurīh" (give rest) is derived) means returning with the livestock from the pasture.
Then, Hasan ibn' Ayyāsh - one of the Hadīth narrators - reported that he asked his Shaykh, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, about this hour when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Friday prayer. Ja‘far informed him that the time of prayer was the time of the sun's decline, which is the time when the sun moves from the middle of the sky, and it is a sign of the beginning of the Zhuhr prayer or the Friday prayer. It is possible that his question was about the time of their return, and in this case, their prayer would be before the sun's decline.
The Hadīth indicates exaggeration in hastening the Friday prayer and that they used to delay their lunch and siesta on that day until after the Friday prayer because they were recommended to go early to this prayer. So, if they got distracted by anything of this before the Friday prayer, they would fear missing it or missing the chance of going there early..

860
Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ reported: We used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after the sun had passed the meridian, and then we would return and try to find "al-Fay'' (the shadow)..

Commentary : The Friday sermon is one of the rites of religion and it has a profound impact on the lives of Muslims, as everyone, young and old, attends it, listens to the preacher, and learns the matters of their religion.
In this Hadīth, Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘(may Allah be pleased with him) says that they used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "after the sun had passed the meridian," which happens when the sun moves from the middle of the sky. Then, they would return and try to find "al-Fay,’'' the place on which the sun ray falls and then goes away and leaves behind a shadow.
In a version of the Two Sahīh Collections it is reported by Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him), and the wording here is by Muslim: "When the walls had no shadow for us to take shelter in it." This is because they used to go for Friday prayer early and return before the walls had shadows in which they could take shelter, as the heat was severe in Madīnah and they would look for places having shadows to sit there and take rest.
In the Hadīth: The keenness to perform prayer at its earliest time.

862
Jābir ibn Samurah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to deliver the Khutbah (sermon) while standing. He would then sit down, stand up, and give the Khutbah while standing. Whoever informs you that he used to deliver the Khutbah while sitting has, indeed, lied. By Allah, I prayed more than two thousand prayers with him..

Commentary : The Friday Khutbah is one of the religion's rituals, and it greatly impacts Muslims' lives. It is attended by the young and the old, who all listen to the Khatīb (preacher) and learn the affairs of their religion.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he used to offer the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He used to see him delivering the Friday Khutbah while standing on the pulpit. After the first Khutbah, he would then sit for a short while on the pulpit. Then, he would get up and deliver the Khutbah while standing, preaching to people and teaching them their religion. Jābir ibn Samurah, then, said to the Tābi‘i Simāk ibn Harb: "Whoever informs you that he used to deliver the Khutbah while sitting has, indeed, lied," i.e., made a mistake, as the Arabs used to say to the one who made a mistake: He lied. "By Allah, I prayed with him more than two thousand prayers," which confirms the great extent of his knowledge and memorization of the manner adopted by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in his prayers and sermons, including delivering his Khutbah on Friday while standing.
The Hadīth clarifies the Prophet's guidance in delivering the Friday sermon..

864
Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah reported: He entered the mosque while ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ’Umm al-Hakam was delivering a Khutbah (sermon) while sitting, so he said: Look at this deceitful person; he is delivering a sermon while sitting, whereas Allah Almighty says: {When they see some merchandise or amusement, they rush towards it and leave you standing.} [Surat al-Jumu‘ah: 11].

Commentary : Enjoining good and forbidding evil are the characteristics of the Islamic nation and among its best merits and causes of its superiority over other nations. The most entitled among people to this, and the first ones addressed with this in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, are the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu ‘Ubaydah ‘Āmir ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd narrates that Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the mosque, referring to the mosque of Kūfah, a city in Iraq, to offer the Friday prayer. He found ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ’Umm al-Hakam - nephew of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān ibn Harb whom Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) assigned as the ruler of Kūfah in 58 AH, then after a year or more, he was dismissed - preaching to people while sitting on the pulpit, not standing as known in the Friday sermon. Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) condemned this saying: "Look at this deceitful person," because he was angry at the one who had violated the Prophet's Sunnah, "he is preaching while sitting," not doing what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did and not following his example, although the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) adopted this practice persistently. Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, you have an excellent example in the Messenger of Allah.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21] Allah Almighty also says: {Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it.} [Surat al-Hashr: 7] Moreover, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray as you saw me pray." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri] Hence, his example should be followed when it comes to prayer and the delivery of the Friday sermon.
Then, he supported his words with a verse from Allah's Book, in which Allah Almighty says: {When they see some merchandise or amusement, they rush towards it and leave you standing.} [Surat al-Jumu‘ah: 11] Here, Allah mentioned that His Prophet was standing while delivering the Friday sermon.
The Hadīth draws the preacher's attention to standing while delivering the Khutbah.
It also calls the scholars' attention to enjoining good and forbidding evil.
The Hadīth sheds light on how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to intensely get angry with whoever violated the Sunnah, even if it was someone who must be obeyed and respected from among the rulers, for no obedience is due to a creature when it comes to disobeying the Creator..

865
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah reported that they heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers, or Allah will seal their hearts and then they will be among the heedless.".

Commentary : The Friday prayer is of great significance in Islam. Allah Almighty made it obligatory for non-traveling men to go out for it when the Muezzin makes the Adhān, calling for it, and He urged them to attend this prayer and warned against neglecting it. An example is this Hadīth in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers," i.e., they abandon and fail to perform it out of negligence and laziness, without an excuse. If they do not comply and attend the Friday prayer, Allah will seal their hearts, by putting a seal and cover over them, and deny them His grace and bounty and place in them ignorance, roughness, and hardness. "and then they will be among the heedless" away from doing the deeds that benefit them and leaving what harms them. Thus, they will be among those overtaken by heedlessness, as they forgot Allah, and so He forgot them. This serves as a strong deterrent against the abandonment and neglect of the Friday prayer..

866
Jābir ibn Samurah reported: I used to perform the prayers with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and his prayer was moderate in length and his sermon was moderate in length..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to enjoin the facilitation of worship and not going into hardship in performing it, and he would set an example of this through his own practice, so that every Muslim would imitate him.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he would persistently perform the obligatory prayers - the five prayers and the Friday prayer - with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and his prayer was moderate in length, suitable for the young and old and not hard for anyone. He would do that to avoid making the prayer too long for people.
As for the Muslim-narrated Hadīth in which ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The lengthiness of a man’s prayer and the shortness of his sermon are a sign of his proper understanding; so, make the prayer long and the sermon short." The intended meaning here is that prayer should be long compared to the sermon, not so long in a way that proves hard for the worshipers.
In the Hadīth: We are urged not to prolong the sermon and the five prayers..

867
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, his voice would become louder, and his anger would become more intense, as if he were warning of an army, saying: "They will attack you in the morning, or they will attack you in the evening." And he would say: "I and the Hour have been sent like these two," holding his index and middle fingers. Then, he would say: "To proceed: Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah; the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad; the evilest matters are those that are newly invented; and every innovation is misguidance." He would then say: "I am nearer to every believer than himself. So, whoever leaves behind some wealth, it is for his family, and whoever leaves behind a debt or dependent children, then they are both my responsibility." [In a version]: In the Prophet's sermon on Friday, he would praise Allah, laud Him, and then he would subsequently speak, as his voice went loud; then, he narrated the same Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was an eloquent preacher, and he would say what moves people, admonishes them, gives them glad tidings, and warns them. He would also use the tools of rhetorical effects, such as raising and lowering the voice and using the movement of the hand and the body, as well as other things in which preachers should follow his example.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs about what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do in the Friday sermon. He says that when he delivered a sermon to the people and reminded them of the promise and warning, and the commands and prohibitions, "his eyes would turn red," i.e., their redness would become greater than usual. "his voice would become louder, and his anger would become more intense," which means that he would interact with the topic of the sermon; hence, this would happen to him. By intense anger, he meant to describe his condition as a person in anger, and this was probably because some of them were found to disobey his commands and prohibitions, and some were neglectful of their duties. This is how a preacher's condition should be - consistent with the topic he speaks about. He should not enjoin something while his outward appearance denotes the opposite. "as if he were warning of an army," alluding to the loudness of his voice (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) among them. The warner of an army is a person who watches the enemy and informs the people about their condition so that they can get prepared. So, the Prophet's admonition was given in this manner, due to his care about the people and his desire to warn them of the Hereafter and their lack of preparedness for it. Thus, it was as if he was warning them of the emergence of an attacking army that would come to them in the morning or in the evening.
One of the statements the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make in his sermons: "I have been sent and the Hour is like these two," joining his two fingers: the forefinger and the middle finger, i.e., the period between the Prophet's time and the coming of the Day of Judgment is short like the distance between the forefinger and the middle finger. He is the last Prophet before the Hour. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is one of the signs of the imminence of the Hour. After his mission, the time remaining for the coming of the Hour is less than the time that passed.
At the start of the sermon, he used to say: "To proceed;" is a phrase to separate between parts of speech when the speaker wants to shift from one topic to another. The meaning: I say after the previous testimony of faith and praise of Allah Almighty. "Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah;" there is no speech except that the speech of Allah is better than that. The speech of Allah means the noble Qur'an. "the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad;" guidance is the way of life and manner. There is no way and path except that the path of the Prophet is better than that. So, his path, way of life, and manner - including Tawhīd, rulings, and acts of worship - should be followed. "the most evil matters," i.e., the ugliest religious matters, not the worldly ones. "are those that are newly invented," i.e., inventions and innovations that have no basis in the Shariah that attests to their validity and permissibility. These are called Bida‘ (innovations). "and every innovation is misguidance," i.e., and every invention in the religion in a way not done by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions is misguidance and deviation and departure from the Prophet's path; it is not part of the guidance and the right course he came with.
In one of the Prophet's statements in his sermons, he said: "I am nearer to every believer than himself," i.e., I am the most entitled among people to him regarding all matters of worldly life and the Hereafter. As Allah Almighty says: {The Prophet has a greater claim over the believers than their own selves.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 6] He is the most compassionate of all people towards them. Their souls call them to ruin, while he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) calls them to salvation.
He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that if any Muslim dies and leaves behind some wealth, his inheritors and relatives - i.e., his inheriting relatives - are more entitled to this wealth, which they take as an inheritance; and if anyone leaves behind a debt or dependents - children, wife, and those who cannot provide for themselves - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has a greater claim to him, repaying his debt and supporting those children and women he left behind. This stems from the Prophet's good character, his support of the Muslims, and his keenness that they should not be neglected.
And in a version: "In the Prophet's sermon on Friday, he would praise Allah and laud Him," i.e., he would begin it with praise and laudation. Part of what was reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in Khutbat al-Hājah (the sermon of need) which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions is to say: "Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whoever Allah leads astray, none can guide. I testify that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger." This praise and laudation is valid to say at the start of every sermon.
In the Hadīth: We are urged to follow the Prophet's guidance in the sermon.
And in it: A preacher should interact with the topic while addressing the sermon to influence the people.
And in it: Beginning the sermon with praise and lauding Allah.