It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith used to show us how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He would do that at a time other than the time of prayer. He stood fully upright and paused, then he bowed perfectly and paused, then he raised his head and stood up straight, pausing for a little while. He led us in a prayer like the prayer of this shaykh of ours, Abu Burayd. When Abu Burayd raised his head from the second prostration, he would sit up straight, then he would get up..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to teach the Muslims about their religion, and prayer was their top priority and foremost concern.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd tells us that Malik ibn al-Huwayrithused to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in practical terms, by demonstrating it to them. The apparent meaning of this report indicates that he (may Allah be pleased with him) showed them how each essential part of the prayer was to be done, and he did not teach them that at the time of prayer; rather it was at a time other than the time of prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the intention of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) began to teach them about the prayer, he stood fully upright, then he bowed properly, meaning that he made his back level, such that if water were to be poured on his back it would stay there, as it says in the hadith ofWabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to the same posture as before he bowed. “For a little while” means that he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, who narrated this hadith, that the prayer of Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it was done, the prayer as done by their shaykh, meaning Abu Burayd. His name was ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, as stated by Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani. When the Sahabi ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his head from the final prostration – which means the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs – he would sit up straight, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would sit up completely, and did not get up from prostration immediately. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest), and it was said that this is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either old age or sickness. It was also said that it is, in fact, intended to be part of the prayer, but it should be brief. Then ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up for the final rak‘ah, to complete his prayer.
This hadith indicates that one should pause and be at ease in each of the essential parts of the prayer.
It indicates that it is encouraged to learn and teach others.
It indicates that the jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

806

It was narrated from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and ‘Ata’ ibn Yazid al-Laythi that Abu Hurayrah told them that some people said: O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full and there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No. He said: “You will surely see Him like that. The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection, and He will say: ‘Whoever used to worship something, let him follow it.’ So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, some of them will follow the false gods, then there will remain this ummah, including its hypocrites. Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say: ‘We will stay here until our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.’ Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say: ‘You are [indeed] our Lord.’ He will call them, and the sirat (bridge) will be set up over Hell, and I will be the first of the Messengers to cross it with his ummah. On that Day, no one will speak except the Messengers, and the words of the Messengers on that Day will be: ‘O Allah, grant safety, grant safety.’ In Hell there will be hookslike the thorns of al-sa‘dan; have you seen the thorns of al-sa‘dan?” They said: Yes. He said: “They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, but no one knows how big they are except Allah. They will snatch the people on the basis of their deeds. Some of them will be doomed by their deeds, and some of them will be cut into tiny pieces, then saved. Then when Allah wants to show mercy to whomever He wills of the people of Hell, Allah will command the angels to bring forth anyone who used to worship Allah. So they will bring them forth, and they will recognize them by the marks of prostration, for Allah has prohibited the Fire to consume the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, and all of the son of Adam will be consumed by the Fire except the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned to cinders, then the water of life will be poured onto them, and they will grow like a seed grows in the mud left by a flood. Then Allah will finish judging between the people, and there will be left a man between Paradise and Hell – he will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – with his face turned towards Hell. He will say: ‘O Lord, turn my face away from Hell, for its smell is poisoning me and its flames are burning me.’ He will say: ‘If that is done for you, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: ‘No, by Your glory.’ And he will give Allah whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. And when He turns him towards Paradise and he sees its beauty and opulence, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, bring me closer to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had asked for?’ He will say:’ O Lord, I hope that I am not going to be the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah will say: ‘If you are given that, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: No, by Your glory, I will not ask for anything else.’ And he will give his Lord whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then He will bring him closer to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty, and what it contains of delights and happiness, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, admit me to Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had been given?’ He will say: ‘O Lord, do not make me the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will smile at him, then He will give him permission to enter Paradise. Then he will say: ‘Wish.’ So he will wish until, when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say: ‘What about such and such?’thus his Lord will remind him, until when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be exalted) will say: ‘You will have this and as much again.’” Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will say: ‘You will have this and ten times as much.’” Abu Hurayrah said: I do not remember anything from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except that he said “You will have this and as much again.” Abu Sa‘id said: I heard him say: “You will have this and ten times as much.”.

Commentary : The believers’ seeing their Lord on the Day of Resurrection will be the greatest blessing that is granted to them. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to learn more about this and they asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about it, as we see in this hadith, in which Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He responded with a clear explanation that left no room for doubt about their seeing Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection. He said: Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full, when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. Then he asked them: Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No. So he said: You will surely see Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in like manner, beyond a doubt, very clearly. This was comparing the clarity of seeing, not comparing the two objects seen, for there is nothing like unto Allah (may He be glorified).
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of different types of people and what their situation will be on the Day of Resurrection, for just as people differ in terms of their beliefs in this world, by the same token their situations will differ on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah (may He be exalted) will say to them: Whoever used to worship something, let him follow what he used to worship. So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, and some of them will follow the false gods. The word tawaghit (sing. taghut; translated here as false gods) refers to the Shaytan, idols and every leader of misguidance, or everything that was worshipped besides Allah and was content with that, and barred people from worshipping Allah. There will remain the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), including its hypocrites. As the hypocrites tried to conceal themselves by pretending to belong to this ummah in this world, in the hereafter they will follow them when reality becomes clear to them, hoping to benefit thereby, until {a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment} [al-Hadid 57:13]. It may be that they will be gathered with them because of what they showed outwardly of being Muslim, so they will be kept as they are until Allah distinguishes between the good and the bad. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will come to them, and His coming will be in a manner befitting His essence, without interpreting the matter in a manner other than it appears to be, or denying it, or likening His attributes to those of His creation – but it will be in a manner other than what they know of Him, as a test from Him, to differentiate between them and those who used to worship others. Then He will say: I am your Lord. But they will seek refuge with Allah from Him, because He will not have appeared to them with the attributes that they recognize; rather He will appear with attributes that no one knows except Him (may He be exalted), because with them will be the hypocrites who do not deserve to see Him, and they will be prevented from seeing their Lord. So they will say: We will stay here until our Lord appears to us, and when our Lord appears, we will recognize Him. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will appear to them, with the attributes that are known to them, after the believershave become distinct from the hypocrites. Then He will say to them: I am your Lord. When they see that, they will recognize Him (may He be exalted) thereby, so they will say: You are [indeed] our Lord.
Then the Lord will call them, and the Sirat will be set up across the middle of Hell, or over it. The Siratis a bridge that will extend over the top of Hell; it will be narrower than a hair and sharper than a sword. The people will cross it on the Day of Resurrection, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will be the first of the Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) to cross the Sirat, along with his ummah. The supplication of the Messengers at that time will be: “O Allah, grant safety,” out of pity and compassion for them. In Hell there will be many-branched hooks of iron on which people’s flesh will be caught. They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, which is a thorny plant that is good for camels to graze on; it is mentioned by way of comparison. It will snatch people quickly, because of their bad deeds, or according to their deeds. Some of them will be doomed, and some of them will be cut into small pieces like mustard seeds; in other words, the hooks of the Sirat will cut them into pieces until they fall into the Fire. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will save from it whoever used to worship Allah alone, namely the sincere believers, for the disbeliever will never be saved from it and will abide therein for eternity.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that on the Day of Resurrection, the angels will recognize the believers by the marks of prostration, for the Fire will not consume the marks of prostration. There is a difference of scholarly opinion as to what is meant by the marks of prostration. It was said that it is the seven parts of the body (the forehead, the two hands, the two knees, and the two feet). It was also said that what is meant is the forehead only, and this is supported by what is mentioned in the report narrated by Muslim: “Then some people will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned in it, except for their faces.” They will be brought forth from the Fire having been burned and turned black, then the water of life will be poured over them; whoever drinks it or has it poured over him will never die. Then they will grow as a seed grows in mud and the like, which is what is meant by the mud left by a flood; this phrase refers to mud and other things carried by floodwaters. The word translated here as seed refers to the seeds of desert plants that are not used for food. His growth is likened to the growth of the seed of desert plants, because they are white and grow quickly.
Then Allah will judge between people, and one man – who will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – will remain between Paradise and Hell, facing towards the Fire. He will say: O Lord, turn my face away from the Fire, for its stench is killing me, meaning that it has poisoned and destroyed me, for it is like poison in my nose, and its flames have burned me, referring to its extreme heat. Allah (may He be exalted) will say: Perhaps if I do what you want for you, you will aspire and ask for more. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will turn his face away from the Fire. Then when he is facing towards Paradise, he will see its beauty and opulence, so he will say: O Lord, bring me nearer to the gate of Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Did you not give your promise and oath that you would not ask for anything except what you already asked for? He will say: O Lord, I gave you my promises, but Your generosity raised my hopes; I do not want to be the most wretched of Your creation. If you leave me in this situation, and do not admit me to Paradise, I will surely be the most wretched of Your creation. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will smile at him in a manner that is befitting to Him, without interpreting that in a manner other than the apparent meaning, and without denying it or likening Allah to His creation. Our Lord will say to him: Perhaps if I grant you what you want, you will ask for something else. Allah (may He be exalted) will only say that, although He knows best what has happened and will happen, so as to show how the son of Adam breaks his promises. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah will bring him close to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty and what it contains of splendors and delights, he will be dazzled. He will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, out of shyness before his Lord, then he will ask his Lord to admit him to Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! The word wayhaka (translated here as woe to you) is a word of compassion, whereas the word waylaka (which may also be translated as woe to you) is a word of punishment. And it was said that they both mean the same thing. Treachery means failing to fulfil promises. This man will not break his promise out of ignorance; rather he will do that because he will be aware that breaking his promise in this case is more appropriate than keeping it, because asking of his Lord is more appropriate than fulfilling his oath.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that Allah will give this man permission to enter Paradise, then He will say: Wish. So the man will wish until, when he runs out of wishes and has told his Lord everything that he wants and hopes for, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: You will have what you wish for and as much again. When Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was in the gathering in which Abu Hurayrah narrated this hadith –heard that, he told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “You will have this, and ten times as much.” It was said concerning this that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) initially told the people what is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, then Allah, by His generosity, increased what He will give to this person, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of that, and Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated it from him, but Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not hear that.
This hadith affirms that the believers will see their Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection.
It indicates that prayer is the best of deeds, because of what it involves of bowing and prostration, for the Fire will not consume the mark of prostration.
It affirms the existence of the Sirat, and that the believers will cross it.
It highlights the virtue of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his ummah, for they will be the first to cross the Sirat, before all other nations.
It indicates that some of the believers will be punished by being admitted to Hell, then Allah (may He be exalted) will show mercy to them by bringing them forth from it.
It indicates that the punishment of the believer will be different from the punishment of the disbeliever, because it will not include all of their bodies; rather the mark of prostration will be safe, and will be a sign for them, by which the intercessors will recognize them and bring them forth from the Fire.
It affirms some characteristics that are unique to the Essence of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Ahl al-Sunnah affirm for Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) what He has affirmed for Himself, without likening Him to His creation, or discussing how those attributes are, and without denying them or misinterpreting them. Rather they accept this and say: We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord..

812

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the two hands, the two knees, and the toes of the two feet, and we should not tie up our garments or hair.”.

Commentary : Prostration is an important and essential part of the prayer, and is a way in which a person shows submission and humility to his Lord. Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined it in several places in His holy Book.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains the correct way to prostrate. He tells us that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) commanded him to prostrate on seven “bones”, meaning bones of the body. These seven parts are the forehead, which is the part of the face above the nose and eyes, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed to his nose, explaining that the forehead and nose together form one of these seven, and confirming that the one who prostrates should make his nose touch the ground. [These seven] also include the two hands, the two knees and the toes of the two feet and what is next to them. The two hands, the two knees and the two feet are the other six parts. And we should not tie up our garments or hair. Tying up the garment means tucking it up so that it will not drop or hang down. Tying up the hair means tying it with something so that it will not drop down and fall loose. What is meant is that we should not tuck up our hair or garments when prostrating on the ground in order to protect them; rather we should leave them as they are, so that they will fall on the ground and prostrate with the other parts of the body. The wisdom behind that is that if a person lifts up his garment and hair, and prevents them from touching the ground, he will be like one who is arrogant. It was also said that the hair will prostrate with the head if it is not tied up or wrapped up..

813

It was narrated that AbuSalamah said: I went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and said: Will you not come out with us to the palm trees so that we may talk? So he came out. I said: Tell me what you heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Laylat al-Qadr. He said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observedi‘tikaffor the first ten days of Ramadan, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. ThenJibril came to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So he observed i‘tikaf for the middle ten days, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. Then Jibrilcame to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up to address us on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, and said: “Whoever was observing i‘tikafwith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), let him come back, for Laylat al-Qadr was shown to me, but I was caused to forget it. It is in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, and I saw myself [in a dream] prostrating in mud and water.” The roof of the mosque was made of palm branches, and we did not see anything in the sky, then asmall cloud came and it rained, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in prayer,then I saw the traces of mud and water on the face of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and on the tip of his nose, in fulfillment of his dream..

Commentary : The month of Ramadan is the greatest of months in the sight of Allah (may He be exalted), and the greatest of its nights is Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) strove hard in seeking it and trying to determine which night it was. There are many reports that speak of when that night occurs, including this hadith, in which the Tabi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awfnarrates that he went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to go with him to a piece of land in which there were palm trees, and he asked him to tell him what he had heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about whenLaylat al-Qadr occurs. He told him that one year, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days of Ramadan. Then after that Jibril came to him and told him: Laylat al-Qadr, that you are seeking, is in the nights yet to come. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaffor the middle ten nights, and the Sahabah observed i‘tikaf with him. On the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, Jibril came to him a second time, and told him something similar to what he had said the first time, referring to the last ten nights of the month. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed his companions, saying: Let whoever has observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days or the middle ten days, and has left the mosque, come back, for I have been told about Laylat al-Qadr, or I have been told when it will be – for Jibril (peace be upon him) had told him when it would be that year, but he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told his companions that he had forgotten it;however, he was certain that it would be in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, which would be the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, one of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of the sign of that night in that year, on the basis of a dream that he had seen, and the dreams of the prophets are true. He dreamt that he was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The roof of the Prophet’s Mosque was made of palm branches, and nothing appeared in the sky to suggest that it was going to rain, then suddenly asmall cloud appeared – referring to a thin piece of cloud, then rain fell and the Muslims prayed, and the Prophet’s dream about prostrating in water and mud was fulfilled. The traces of mud appeared on the forehead of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and on the tip of his nose. This happened on the morning of the twentieth, which was the night before the twenty-first, as it says in a report narrated in al-Sahihayn. Thus the dream of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came true.
This hadith indicates that we are encouraged to seek out Laylat al-Qadr and make the most of it by doing righteous deeds, because of what this brings of increased virtue and reward.
It indicates that we are encouraged to observe i‘tikaf in Ramadan.
It confirms that when prostrating, we should make sure that the forehead and nose touch the ground. .

818

It was narrated from Abu Qilabah that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith said to his companions: Shall I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? And that was at a time that was not the time for prayer. He stood up, then he bowed and said takbir, then he raised his head and stood,pausing for a little while. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while. And he prayed a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah, this shaykh of ours. Ayyub said: He used to do something that I never saw them do: he would sit in the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. He said: We came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and he said: “When you go back to your families, pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time; pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time…When it is time to pray, let one of you give the call to prayer, and let the oldest of you lead you in the prayer.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit them to those who came after them, especially the prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to his companions how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: Shall I not show you how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed? This was not at the time for an obligatory prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the aim of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) started to pray, he stood and said the takbir to start the prayer (takbirat al-ihram). Then he bowed and said takbir; the takbir for bowing came after it, not before it. Then he raised his head and stood, pausing for a little while between bowing and prostrating. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while between the two prostrations, then he did the second prostration.
The Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd narrated that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was their shaykh and imam.
Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who narrated this hadith from Abu Qilabah and was one of the students of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) – said that he used to do something that he did not see anyone else do, which was that he used to sit briefly between the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. What is meant is that he used to sit briefly, after the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs, then stand up after that. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or because of sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
Then Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) told them, after finishing his prayer, that they came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after they had become Muslim, and they stayed with him. When they asked his permission to go back to their families, he gave them permission and told them the times of the prayers when they must pray. Then he instructed them, when the time for prayer began, whether they were at home or travelling, that one of them should give the call to prayer and that the oldest of them should lead them in the prayer.
We may reconcile between this and the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “The people should be led in prayer by the one who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah”– which is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) – by noting that giving precedence on the basis of age is applicable when the people praying are all equal in terms of knowledge of Qur’an and recitation. This may be understood from the story in this case, because they had become Muslim and migrated together, and they had all accompanied the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and they were equal in terms of what they had learned from him, so there was no criteria to determine who should lead the prayer except age.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible.
It indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) varied in their knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that some of them had knowledge that others did not have.
It indicates that prayer may be done at a time other than the time for prayer, for the purpose of teaching.
It indicates that the Muslim should be keen to teach his family about how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed..

821

It was narrated from Thabit that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will do my best to lead you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lead us in prayer. Thabit said: Anas ibn Malik used to do something that I have not seen you do. When he raised his head from bowing, he would stand for so long that one would think that he had forgotten, and [he would sit up] between the prostrations for so long that one would think that he had forgotten..

823

It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith al-Laythi told us that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying, and in the odd-numbered rak‘ahsof his prayer, he did not get up until he had first sat up straight..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, then they were keen to teach this to the Muslims who came after them.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) – who used to watch the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he prayed, so that he could learn how he prayed and teach it to those who came after him – tells us that in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer – meaning the first and third rak‘ahs – the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not get up to start the following rak‘ah straight after prostrating in these odd-numbered rak‘ahs. Rather he would sit briefly, which is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. And it was said that it is in fact part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

825

It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn al-Harith said: Abu Sa‘id led us in prayer and recited the takbir out loud when he lifted his head from prostration, when he prostrated, when he raised [his head again], and when he stood up following the [first] two rak‘ahs, and he said: This is what I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) do..

827

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah that he told him that he used to see ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when sitting during the prayer, so I did that too. At that time I was very young, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me not to do that, and said: The Sunnah in prayer is to hold your right foot upright and tuck your left foot underneath you. I said: But you do that. He said: My feet do not carry me. .

Commentary : Conveying the teachings of Islam and teaching them to the people is obligatory upon every Muslim, to the extent of his knowledge and ability, and no Muslim should refuse to convey the teachings even if he is not able to put them into practice himself because of sickness, weakness and the like.
In this hadith, it says that the Tabi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Umar saw his father (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when he sat to recite the tashahhud. This manner of sitting means that a person sits on his buttocks, and tucks his right and left feet under him and sits on them. When his son ‘Abdullah saw him doing that in the prayer, he imitated him and did the same as he did. But Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him not to do that, and when his son said to him,” But you do that,” he told him the reason why he did it, which was that his feet were not able to carry him because of old age or sickness. And he told him that the Sunnah is to sit with the right foot held upright, and to sit on the left foot which is tucked underneath one.
This is the description of sitting to recite the first tashahhud if the prayer consists of four rak‘ahs. In the final tashahhud, the Sunnah is to sit in the manner called tawarruk, because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him): When he [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] sat following the [first] two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot, holding the right foot upright, and when he sat in the final rak‘ah, he pushed his left foot forward a little and held the other foot upright, and sat on his buttocks on the ground..

828

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Halhalah, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Ata’, that he was sitting with a group of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we mentioned the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi said: I know best among you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). I saw him when he said takbir; he lifted his hands level with his shoulders. When he bowed, he placed his hands firmly on his knees, then he made his back straight. When he lifted his head, he stood up straight until each vertebra returned to its place. When he prostrated, he put his hands [on the ground] without resting his forearms on the ground or holding them close to his body, and his toes pointed towards the qiblah. When he sat after the first two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot and held his right foot upright. When he sat in the final rak‘ah, he brought his left foot forward a little underneath him, held his right foot upright, and sat on his buttocks..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch the movements of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow his practice in all things, and to transmit it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) describes how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who were talking about the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I am the one among you who has most knowledge of how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said to him – as is mentioned in a report narrated by Abu Dawud: how is that, for by Allah you did not keep closer to him than us, and you did not accompany him for longer than us? He said: I kept watching him pray until I learned how he prayed. What he meant was that even though he did not accompany the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for the longest time, he made up for that by watching the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until he had memorized how he prayed. Then he began to describe the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He told them that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram), he would raise his hands level with his shoulders, and when he bowed he would place his hands firmly on his knees, then make his back straight, meaning that when he bowed, he kept his back straight, from the neck, without any bend in it. When he lifted his head from bowing, he would stand up straight until each vertebra returned to its place; the vertebrae are the bones of the spine. What is meant is that he would stand up straight after bowing, then pause briefly whilst standing. When he prostrated, he placed his hands on the ground, without resting his forearms on the ground, which is a posture that resembles that of wild animals and the like. He also did not rest his belly on any part of his thighs, or bring his arms in close to the body or hold them underneath his belly. He would make his toes point towards the qiblah. Then [Abu Humayd] described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat between the two prostrations: he would hold his right foot upright and tuck his left foot under him and sit on it. This is the manner of sitting that is called iftirash. When he sat in the final tashahhud, he would bring his left foot forward a little and hold his right foot upright, and he would sit on his buttocks. This is the manner of sitting that is called tawarruk.
This hadith encourages the Muslim to study and seek knowledge, and to verify what is learned by checking with people of knowledge.
It indicates that it is permissible for a man to describe himself as being more knowledgeable than others, if that will not lead to self-admiration and he wants to explain that to others who hear him.
This hadith describes the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how he paused and how he stood up straight in the prayer..

831

It was narrated that Shaqiq ibn Salamah said: ‘Abdullah said: When we prayed behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we said: Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il; peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to us and said: “Indeed Allah is al-Salaam, so when one of you prays, let him say: Al-tahiyyatuLillahiwa’l-salawatuwa’l-tayyibat. Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu. Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah). If you say that, it will include every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth. [Then say:]Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to pray and what supplications to say in the prayer. He has taught us what is to be said and when, including the tashahhud following the first two rak‘ahs and the final tashahhud of every prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in their prayer, in the tashahhud, they used to say, “Peace be upon Allah (al-salaamu ‘ala Allah),” as is clearly stated in another report in al-Sahihayn. Then they would say, “Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il, and peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so,” mentioning the names of other angels. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard them, he turned to face them and said to them: Indeed Allah is al-Salaam – meaning that it is not right to say Peace be upon Allah. He objected to them saying that, and taught them that what they were saying was the opposite of what should be said, for all well-being (salamah) and mercy belongs to Him and comes from Him, for He is the owner and giver thereof. And it was said that he instructed them to direct their salutation of salaam to people, because people are in need of well-being, whereas Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) does not need that. Al-Salaam is one of the names of Allah (may He be exalted), which is indicative of His being free of (salamah) all shortcomings and defects.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them what they should say in the tashahhud. “Al-tahhiyatuLillah (all compliments are due to Allah) – this refers to salutations, or to being free of defects and shortcomings. It was also said that it refers to sovereignty, everlastingness or greatness. It was also said that what is meant by compliments is all types of glory and greatness. What is meant is that all of this belongs to Allah (may He be exalted) by right. “Al-salawat (prayers)” – it was said that what is meant here is the five daily prayers, or all acts of worship, or supplications, or mercy. And it was said that tahiyyat (translated here as compliments) refers to verbal acts of worship and salawat (translated here as prayers) refers to physical acts of worship, and tayyibat (translated here as pure words) refers to financial acts of worship. With regard to the word “wa’l-tayyibat (translated here as ‘and pure words’)”, this refers to a good word, or it refers specifically to the remembrance of Allah (dhikr). It was also said that it refers to righteous deeds in general. “Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu” – salaam here is meant in the sense of greeting; what is meant is that we direct to you greetings and salutations. And it was said that what is meant is well-being and safety, in which case the meaning is: May you be safe from any harm. And it was said that it refers to the name of Allah al-Salaam, in which case the meaning is: May you be blessed by virtue of the divine name al-Salaam. Barakah (blessing) is an increase in goodness. “Al-salaamu ‘alayna (peace be upon us)” is addressed to ourselves; “wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi’l-salihin (and upon the righteous slaves of Allah)” refers to those who obey the commands of Allah and carry out their duties towards Him and towards His slaves. Thus the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them to refer to him separately, because of his honourable status and the great rights that he has over them, then he taught them to mention themselves in particular, because it is more appropriate to be more concerned about themselves. Then he instructed them to send greetings and salutations to all of the righteous, indicating that supplication for the believers should include all of them. Then he told them that when they say “Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah),”the benefit of this salaam will reach every righteous slave on earth or in heaven. This includes the angels, the jinn and humans.
“Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah)” – a report narrated by Abu Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar adds the words “wahdahu la sharikalah (alone, with no partner or associate).” This is testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified), and there is none that is deserving of worship except Him. The words “waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)” are an affirmation that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah is a Messenger from Allah to all people, and that he is the last of the Messengers whom all people are required to obey and follow..

834

It was narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Teach me a supplication that I may offer in my prayer. He said: “Say: Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran, wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (O Allah, indeedI have wronged myself greatly, and no one forgives sins except You, so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).”.

Commentary : No one can avoid falling short in his duty to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and committing some sins. In this hadith, we see a concise supplication that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked him to teach him a supplication that he could offer in his prayer. What appears to be the case is that he wanted something that he could say following the final tashahhud and sending blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: Say: “Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran (O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly),” by committing sins and falling short in my duty to Allah (may He be exalted). “wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta (and no one forgives sins except You)” – and this is an admission of sin and an acknowledgement that sin is the action of the person himself, and it is an admission and acknowledgement that no one forgives sins except Allah, because of His perfect sovereignty. “faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)” – this is like the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {and who can forgive sins except Allah?} [Al ‘Imran 3:135]. This is an affirmation of the oneness of the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted), and seeking His forgiveness by means of this admission.
This supplication is an example of concise speech, as it contains an admission of serious shortcomings – which is the fact that the individual has wronged himself greatly – and seeking the greatest blessing, which is forgiveness and mercy, for forgiveness conceals and erases sins, and mercy is the sending of blessings and granting of good. Thus the former is akin to being drawn away from the Fire and the latter is akin to being admitted to Paradise, and this is the great triumph..

837

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim, the women would get up and leave when he finished his taslim, and he would stay where he was for a while, before he got up to leave..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen that women should not mix with men, and he would take measures to prevent them mixing with men, because of the great mischief that results from that. In this hadith, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim at the end of the prayer, the women would get up as soon as he finished the taslim, and hasten to leave the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not rush to get up. Rather he would stay where he was for a little while after finishing the prayer, so that the women would have the chance to exit the mosque and leave before the men started leaving, lest some of the men who were leaving after the prayer come in close contact with the women. All of this was by way of barring means that could lead to evil, and keeping men and women separated for fear of fitnah (temptation). In congregational prayers, the women’s rows were at the back, with the children’s rows in front of them, and in front of the children were the men’s rows, behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith indicates that the imam should pay attention to the circumstances of those praying behind him, and he should take measures to avoid any situation that could lead to impropriety.
It indicates that one should avoid being in any dubious situation in which one could be accused of mischief.
It indicates that men should not mix with non-mahram women in the streets, let alone in houses..

838

It was narrated that ‘Itban ibn Malik said: We prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we said the taslim when he said the taslim..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them, especially with regard to prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, ‘Itban ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates a report about when to say the taslim when praying behind an imam. He tells us that the taslim of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), when they were praying behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), came at the same time as the taslim of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other words, they would begin to say their salaam after he began to say his salaam and before he finished saying it. And it was said that this is not what is meant; rather what is meant is that they said the taslim straight after he finished his, with no lag, and this was expressed by suggesting this it happened at the same time, because when things come immediately after one another, it is almost like they are happening at the same time..

841

It was narrated from Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr when the people have finished an obligatory prayer is something that used to take place at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And Ibn ‘Abbas said: I used to know that they had finished the prayer when I heard that..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them. Part of the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions was to remember Allah (dhikr) after the prescribed prayers, and to raise their voices in doing that.
In this hadith, Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas(may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr is something that was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), meaning the dhikrs and du‘a’s that followed the prayer, such as seeking forgiveness (istighfar), glorifying Allah (tasbih), praising Him (tahmid) and magnifying Him (takbir), when the people had finished the obligatory prayer. This is something that happened and was practised at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What is meant by finishing the prayer is the taslim. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) would know that the people had finished the prayer when he heard the dhikr. This highlights the fact that it is permissible to say dhikr out loud following the prayer. This hadith may be understood as meaning that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only said it out loud in order to teach the people what to say in dhikr, not that he always did that..

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.

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths