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Hadith
145
It was narrated from Wasi‘ ibn Habban from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, that he used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself, do not face towards the qiblah or towards Bayt al-Maqdis. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: I climbed up on the roof of a house of ours one day, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks to relieve himself, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis. He said: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs? I said: I do not know, by Allah. Malik said: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the etiquette, both words and deeds, of relieving oneself, and in his Sunnah he highlighted what should and should not be done.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Wasi‘ ibn Habban tells us that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself – and he referred to sitting because that is what is usually the case, otherwise there is no difference between sitting and standing – then do not face towards the Holy Kaaba, which is the qiblah, or towards Bayt al-Maqdis, which refers to al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]. He singled out Bayt al-Maqdis for mention because it was the first qiblah of the Muslims. What he meant by the people was those who used to say that the prohibition on facing towards the qiblah or turning one’s back towards it when relieving oneself was general in meaning and applied whether one was relieving oneself in the desert or in a structure. Those who said that included Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Abu Hurayrah, Ma‘qil al-Asadi and others (may Allah be pleased with them all).
Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one day he climbed up on the roof of a house; according to a report in al-Sahihayn, it was the roof of Hafsah’s house – she was his sister and the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as was stated clearly in a report narrated by Muslim. He saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks – which are rectangular or square moulded objects made of clay, used in construction – facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis when he was relieving himself. According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, he was facing towards al-Sham (Greater Syria) with his back towards the Kaaba. What Ibn ‘Umar saw was what was visible of the Prophet’s body, not what it is not permissible to look at, such as the ‘awrah and so on; he only saw the upper part of his body and what was clearly visible of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that Ibn ‘Umar did not deliberately look at the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that situation; rather he climbed up to the roof for some purpose, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari – I climbed up to the roof of Hafsah’s house for some purpose – and he turned by accident, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bayhaqi. When it so happened that he saw him in that situation without intending to, he did not want that to pass without learning something from it, so he learned this Islamic ruling. The hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explains that there is nothing wrong with relieving oneself in a place built for that purpose, whether one is facing towards the qiblah or has one’s back towards it. Rather the prohibition applies only when relieving oneself in places where it is possible to turn away from the direction of the qiblah, in the desert or the wilderness and the like.
Then Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Wasi‘ ibn Habban: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs?, meaning one of those who are unaware of the Sunnah when prostrating, which is to keep the belly away from the thighs. The narrator explained that in the hadith by saying: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground. This is by way of warning him not to pray in this manner, and criticizing those who do that. It also means: if you are one of those who are not unaware of that, then you would know the difference between relieving oneself in an open space or in an enclosed space, and the difference between facing towards the Kaaba and facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis.
This hadith indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) sometimes differed in their understanding of some Sunnahs, and that each of them understood and applied what he heard in general terms.
It also indicates that they would try to learn what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in all situations and they transmitted it, and that all of it is a source of Islamic rulings..

146
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature in al-Manasi‘, which was a vast open space. ‘Umar used to say to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Prevent your wives from going out, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do that. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out one night at ‘Isha’ time; she was a tall woman, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! – hoping that the command of hijab would be revealed, then Allah sent down the verse of hijab..

Commentary : The wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are the mothers of the believers, and they are held in especially high esteem by people. Allah sent down some rulings that were specific to them, to protect them and raise their status. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature – meaning to relieve themselves by urinating or defecating – in al-Manasi‘, which refers to places on the edge of Madinah, near al-Baqi‘. This was a vast open space, in which there were no buildings. They used to go out to that place at night. In the beginning, they used to go out to that place because there were no outhouses or bathrooms in people’s houses, and that was a concession that was granted to them. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) started to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to prevent his wives from going out of their houses, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do what ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to do. That was because their going out was something that could not be avoided. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), went out one night at ‘Isha’ time, when it was dark, so that no one would notice her. But she was a tall woman, and was distinct for that reason, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! because he wanted the command of hijab to be revealed. Then Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) revealed the verse of hijab, in which He says: {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful} [al-Ahzab 33:59].
With regard to concealing themselves when going out to relieve themselves, the women went through three stages, the first of which was covering themselves with darkness, because they used to go out at night, not by day. ‘A’ishah said in the story of the slander (al-ifk): Umm Mistah went out with me towards al-Manasi‘, which was where we would go to answer the call of nature, and we only went out at night. Then the command of hijab was revealed, so they covered themselves with garments, but some of them might have a distinctive appearance, hence ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We recognize you, O Sawdah! This was the second stage. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, the women were prevented from going out of their houses except for a need or an essential reason. That was the third stage.
In this hadith, we see that one who is of lower standing may suggest something to one who is of higher standing with regard to an issue that he feels is important, and we see the virtue of this sort of discussion if the intention behind it is not to cause trouble, for by means of it some hidden issues of knowledge may become apparent.
It highlights the importance of being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger.
It indicates that women may go out to do errands if there is a need for that.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)..

147
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Permission has been given for you to go out to tend to your needs.” Hishaam said: That is, to answer the call of nature..

Commentary : This hadith has to do with the hijab of the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They used to go out to relieve themselves, but ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about their observing hijab and being prevented from going out of their houses. The reason for this hadith – as was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim – was that Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out to answer the call of nature after the hijab had been enjoined – and what is meant by hijab here is covering the head and face – and she was a woman of large build, so when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw her, he said: O Sawdah! By Allah, you cannot hide yourself from us, so think about how you go out. She went back and complained about that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was he was eating his supper. Revelation came to him, then he said: “Permission has been given to you to go out to relieve yourselves.” What is meant in this hadith, as was explained by Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, one of the narrators of the hadith, was answering the call of nature. At that time they used to go out to a spacious flat piece of land to answer the call of nature. Women are also allowed to go out if they have errands to do and valid reasons for going out, and their going out is not limited to relieving themselves, because Allah gave them permission to go out to answer the call of nature after the command of hijab had been sent down, and before people began to have outhouses and bathrooms in their houses. When permission was given to them for that, it was also given for them to go out for other purposes, or to uphold ties of kinship as Allah had enjoined upon them, and the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had also instructed the women to go out to the prayer on the two Eids, which indicates that what is meant is that women may go out for all kinds of needs..

153
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel, and if he goes to relieve himself, let him not touch his penis with his right hand or wipe himself with his right hand.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator. He taught his ummah everything that is beneficial for them, which includes his teaching them the etiquette of eating and drinking, and of relieving oneself, as in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade breathing into the vessel when drinking. If the individual wants to breathe whilst drinking, he should breathe outside the vessel, whilst holding it in his hand, lest that be off-putting to others who will then refuse to drink from the same vessel, and so that the smell of the vessel will not be changed by too many people breathing into it. That was also for the sake of cleanliness and the well-being of all, and to protect against contagion and so on. This is general in meaning and applies to all kinds of drinks, water and others.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also forbade wiping oneself with the right hand, which refers to cleaning oneself after relieving oneself. And he forbade touching the private part with the right hand. So the individual should not touch his penis with his right hand after urinating. That is because the right hand is to be used for good things, and should not be used to remove filth and dirt. Everything else should be done with the left hand.
This hadith highlights how Islam was the first to highlight proper etiquette when eating and drinking, and to promote personal and public hygiene, for the well-being and safety of all..

155
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he went out to relieve himself, and he did not look around him. I came close to him, and he said: “Bring me some pebbles so that I can clean myself with them – or words to that effect – but do not bring me any bone or piece of [dried] dung.” I brought him some pebbles, carrying them in the edge of my garment, and put them next to him, then I walked away from him. When he had finished, he used the pebbles..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to follow the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stay close to him, in order to learn about their religion from him.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he walked behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), following him, when he was going out to relieve himself. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not usually look to his right and left when walking. Then Abu Hurayrah came close to him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) noticed that he was there, so he asked him to find him some clean pebbles with which to purify himself and remove the traces of impurity (najasah) that were left after urinating or defecating. Then he said to him: “But do not bring me any bone or piece of dung”; they cannot be used to clean oneself, because bones are the food of our brethren among the jinn, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari, so they should not be contaminated with impurities. The word translated here as dung refers to the dried droppings of animals and it is not pure (tahir).
So Abu Hurayrah collected the pebbles in the hem of his garment, then placed them beside the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he did not look at him in this situation. This highlights the etiquette of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he had learned from the Prophet’s teachings. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished relieving himself, he used those pebbles to remove the traces of impurity, until he was clean.
In this hadith, we see that one may use pebbles to clean oneself after relieving oneself (istinja’), and it is forbidden to use bones or dried dung.
It indicates that one may help the person who is relieving himself by looking for pebbles for him. The report indicates that one should respond to anyone who asks for help, if one is able to help.
It indicates that it is prescribed to follow prominent people and scholars, even if they do not instruct you to do that.
It indicates that a leader may give tasks to some of his followers. .

156
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to relieve himself, and he instructed me to bring him three pebbles. I found two pebbles, and I looked for a third but I could not find another, so I picked up a piece of dried dung and brought it to him. He took the two pebbles and threw away the dried dung, and said: “This is unclean.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the Sunnahs of purifying and cleansing ourselves from urine and stools when we relieve ourselves by using whatever is available of that which may be used to cleanse and purify.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him explains that it is acceptable to clean oneself with pebbles (istijmar) after relieving oneself. After he had relieved himself – and the word used originally refers to low-lying land, then was used to refer to relieving oneself because the one who relieves himself looks for low-lying land in which to conceal himself from the eyes of other people – he instructed Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to bring him three pebbles with which to clean himself. Ibn Mas‘ud brought him two pebbles, but he could not find a third, so he brought a piece of dried dung; it was said that the word used in the original Arabic refers specifically to the dung of horses, mules and donkeys. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rejected it and said: This is unclean. In other words, dried dung is impure, or it is not permissible to use it.
In this hadith, we see that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cleaned himself (instinja’) with two pebbles only. It was narrated by Muslim, from Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should clean himself with fewer than three pebbles.” We may reconcile between the reports by noting that using three is recommended in order to be on the safe side and ensure that cleaning oneself is done properly, and to use an odd number, because he said, “Whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number.” But if someone is unable to find three pebbles, then using two is sufficient..

157
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make things easy for his ummah, and explained to them what it was permissible to do when purifying oneself and doing wudu’, and what was sufficient in that regard.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once. This highlights the minimum extent that is required in wudu’, which is an obligation without which prayer is not acceptable.
This hadith indicates that wudu’ is acceptable if each part is washed once. It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also washed each part twice, as is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd that was narrated by al-Bukhari, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part twice. But the Sunnah when doing wudu’, and the most perfect way of doing it, is to wash each part three times, as mentioned in the hadith of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan that was narrated by al-Bukhari..

160
It was narrated from Humran that when ‘Uthman did wudu’, he said: Shall I not narrate to you a hadith which, were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you? I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “No man does wudu’ and does it well, and offers the prayer, but Allah will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer and the next prayer until he has prayed it.” ‘Urwah said: The verse is: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined doing wudu’ well, and explained the goodness that there is in it, and the reward that results from it, in many hadiths, including this one. In this hadith, he explains that whoever does wudu’ well, then offers the prayer for which he did wudu’, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer that he prayed and the following prayer, as is mentioned in other reports. So if a person does wudu’ well for the five daily prayers, he will be forgiven for the sins of that entire day. What is meant here is minor sins, as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say: “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiates whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”
The caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith after he did a complete wudu’, washing each part three times, then he narrated that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in this manner. Then ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you. In other words, were it not that Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined the one who acquired some knowledge to convey it, I would not have been keen to narrate this hadith to you. ‘Urwah said: The verse is the one in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. This highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to convey the Sunnah and teach it to people, and it indicates how a ruler should play a role in carrying out the duty to preserve and promote Islam..

162
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you does wudu’, let him put water in his nose then blow it out, and whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number. When one of you wakes up from his sleep, let him wash his hand before putting it into his vessel of wudu’ water, for one of you does not know where his hand spent the night.”.

Commentary : This hadith highlights some points of Islamic etiquette and teachings. In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: When one if you does wudu’, meaning that when he wants to do wudu’ and starts to do it, then let him put water in his nose by sniffing it up until it gets into his nose, then let him push it out with a forceful exhalation, so as to clean out any dirt that may be inside the nose. And whoever cleans himself with pebbles, meaning that he wants to wipe his front or back passage after relieving himself by using pebbles, let him use an odd number, so let him use three or five pebbles, and so on, so that the place will be thoroughly cleansed of dirt. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the one who wakes up from his sleep to wash his hand and purify it with water before he puts it into the vessel containing the water with which he will do wudu’. That is because the sleeper does not know where his hand spent the night whilst he was sleeping, and he cannot be certain that it did not become unclean by touching some impurity on the body. This is a precaution so that the water will not become contaminated with something that may have got stuck to his hand whilst he was sleeping.
This hadith encourages us to take precautions and be careful in the case of doubt and uncertainty, and to take measures to protect and maintain the original state of water, which is originally clean and pure.
It indicates that one may use ambiguous words when it is not appropriate to be blunt or explicit. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “One of you does not know where his hand spent the night,” instead of saying something explicit..

164
It was narrated from Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, that he saw ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan call for water for wudu’. Then he poured some of the water onto his hands from the vessel and washed them three times. Then he put his right hand into the water then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water up into his nose and blew it out. Then he washed his face three times, and his arms up to the elbows three times. Then he wiped his head, then he washed each foot three times. Then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, and he said: “Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, Allah will forgive him his previous sins.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to transmit the Sunnah and teach it to those who came after them, so that they could spread the true religion and the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, narrates that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), during his time as caliph of the Muslims, called for a vessel containing water for wudu’. He poured some water from the vessel onto his hands and washed them three times, before putting his hands into the vessel, so as to cleanse and purify them. Then he put his right hand into the  water and took out a handful of water, then rinsed his mouth by putting the water into his mouth and moving it around, then spitting it out, so as to wash his mouth thoroughly. Then he spat out the water from his mouth. Then he sniffed water up to make it reach the top of his nose, then he blew it out, so as to cleanse his nose of any dirt that might be in it. Then he washed his face three times. The definition of the face is from the hairline to the bottom of the chin, and from one earlobe to the other, right and left. What is meant is that he made the water reach every part of the face. Then he washed each arm up to the elbow three times. Then he wiped his head, and wiping is less than washing. What is meant by the head here is where the hair grows. Then he washed each foot up to the ankle, as is mentioned in the reports. In all of that, he gave each part its fair share of water and washing.
Then after finishing his wudu’, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine. Thus he stated that his wudu’ was a precise imitation of the wudu’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was done to teach those around him of the Tabi‘in and those who wanted to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, so that he does those two rak‘ahs with sincerity and proper focus, in an unhurried manner, Allah will forgive him his previous minor sins, because in the case of major sins, repentance is essential. So major sins are excluded from the general meaning of the statement, based on the report narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiate whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.” It is also stipulated that the one who repents should put right any wrongs that he did, and fulfil other conditions of repentance.
This hadith highlights the virtue of wudu’ and praying with sincerity, without showing off.
It indicates that teaching by demonstrating actions is more effective than teaching by words alone.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to teach people about matters of faith even when he was caliph. .

166
It was narrated from ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj that he said to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar: O Abu ‘Abdul Rahman, I saw you doing four things that I have not seen any of your companions doing. He said: What are they, O Ibn Jurayj? He said: I saw that you do not touch any corners [of the Kaaba] except the two Yemeni corners; I saw that you wear sandals made of tanned leather; I saw that you use wars [memecylon tinctorium] as a dye; and I saw that when you were in Makkah, the people entered ihram when they saw the new moon, but you did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah. ‘Abdullah said: As for the corners, I never saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touch any but the two Yemeni corners. As for the sandals of tanned leather, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there were no hairs, and doing wudu’ in them, so I like to wear them. As for using wars as a dye, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using it as a dye, so I like to use it as a dye. As for entering ihram, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entering ihram until he set out on his mount [on the day of al-tarwiyah]..

Commentary : ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to follow the Prophet’s Sunnah in every aspect of his life and in his acts of worship. He would do some things that others did not do, because of this great keenness of his to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
This hadith highlights some of those things, as the Tabi‘i ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about four things that he had not seen any of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing. It may be that what he meant was that no one else did all four of those deeds, although some might do one or two of them. The first of these four things was: he saw that he did not touch any of the corners of the Kaaba when circumambulating it (tawaf) except the two Yemeni corners which are on the southern side of the Kaaba. What is meant is the “black corner” [where the Black Stone is], which is the corner of the Kaaba that is next to the door, on the eastern side, and the one that is parallel to it, opposite al-Safa. As for the other two corners on the northern side, he did not touch them; Hijr Isma‘il is on that side. Perhaps he used to do that because the two Yemeni corners are built on the foundations of Ibrahim, and the corner where the Black Stone is has two characteristics: it was built on the foundations of Ibrahim and it contains the Black Stone.
The second action was wearing sandals made of tanned leather, on which there was no hair. It was said that they were made from the tanned hide of a cow. It was said that he only objected to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) doing that because that was the footwear of people of luxury, and ordinary people used to wear sandals made of hides that still had hair and was not tanned.
The third action was dying his hair with wars, which is a plant similar to saffron and may be mixed with it.
The fourth action was that when he was staying in Makkah, he did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah, which is the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah. It is so called because on that day they used to prepare water (yatarawwawna), preparing it and carrying it so that they could use it in ‘Arafah for drinking and other purposes. His companions used to enter ihram when they saw the new moon of Dhul Hijjah. The word translated here as entering ihram refers to raising the voice in reciting the Talbiyah with the intention of entering ihram for Hajj or ‘umrah.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) responded that he did these things as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done them. He never saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touching any of the corners of the Kaaba except the two Yemeni corners. He saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there was no hair and doing wudu’ in them, so he liked to do what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did. He saw him using wars as a dye, and this may refer to dyeing his garment, because of the report in Sunan Abi Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using wars as a dye, and nothing was dearer to him than that. He used to dye all of his garments with it, even his turban. Most of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in used to dye their hair and beards with wars. It was also suggested that perhaps he used to perfume himself with it, not that he used it as a dye.
And he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) not entering ihram until he set out on his mount; that is, when his camel stood up fully with him in the saddle, setting out on his way. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only entered ihram when he began to do the actions of Hajj and started moving [towards Mina]. Hence Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delayed entering ihram until the time when he began to do the actions of Hajj and headed towards Mina, which is the day of al-tarwiyah. At that time they would set out from Makkah towards Mina. Thus Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower, not an innovator. May Allah be pleased with all the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights the fact that it is valid to do wudu’ wearing sandals.
It indicates that goodness is in following the Sunnah, and in striving to reach conclusions (ijtihad) and make analogies (qiyas) on the basis thereof, for those who are qualified to do that.
It indicates that the learner may ask the knowledgeable person about what he sees him doing, and does not know or understand the basis for that, and the knowledgeable person may explain that to the one who asks..

168
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right when putting on his shoes, combing his hair, purifying himself and in all things..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did and listen to his words, so that they could acquire knowledge from him, act upon it and convey it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right. In addition to starting on the right, the Arabic term also includes taking and giving with the right hand, by way of seeking blessing (barakah). It was pleasing and comfortable for him to start on the right in all his actions; that was because he liked optimistic attitudes, for the companions of the right are the people of Paradise. In one report, al-Bukhari added the words “as much as he could.” Here the hadith points out that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would maintain this habit so long as there was no reason that would make it impossible. One aspect of that is that he would start on the right when putting on his sandals or shoes, so he would put the shoe on the right foot before the left foot. When combing his hair, he would start on the right, and when doing wudu’ or ghusl to cleanse himself of impurity, he would start on the right before the left. He would also do that in other actions. As for dirty or off-putting matters, he would use his left hand and would start on the left, such as when cleaning himself after relieving himself, or entering the outhouse.
It was said that it is as by mentioning putting on shoes, which has to do with the feet, and combing the hair, which has to do with the head, and purification, which is the key to different acts of worship, he was referring to all parts of the body, as he would start on the right in all of these cases, when doing noble actions concerning them..

170
It was narrated that Ibn Sirin said: I said to ‘Abidah: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which we obtained from Anas or from the family of Anas. He said: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it..

Commentary : The Sahabah and Tabi‘in were the people who had the greatest love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and were the keenest to seek his relics.
In this hadith, Muhammad ibn Sirin, one of the Tabi‘in, narrates that he said to ‘Abidah – who was ibn ‘Amr al-Salmani, one of the senior Tabi‘in: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in our possession; it was given to us by Anas ibn Malik, the servant of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or by his family. It is as if he was saying that they sought blessing (barakah) from this hair, and held it in high esteem. Anas ibn Malik was the son of the wife of Abu Talhah; she was known as Umm Sulaym. Abu Talhah acquired some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when his head was shaved during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it remained until it was inherited by his heirs and his freed slaves. Sirin, the father of Muhammad, was a freed slave of Anas ibn Malik, and he obtained some of this hair.
‘Abidah said to Ibn Sirin: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it. Thus ‘Abidah wished that he could have one hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is indicative of the high esteem in which they held the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as his worth in their view was far greater than this world and everything in it. That was because of their great love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It was proven that some of the Sahabah used to take the sweat of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and add it to their perfume. Others would seek where he had put his fingers in the food, and eat from that place. Yet others would drink his leftover water and other drinks. This is in addition to their keenness to follow his Sunnah and teachings, out of love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and seeking blessing from his relics. This applies only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also highlights the great love that the Tabi‘in had for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

171
It was narrated from Anas that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head, Abu Talhah was the first one to take some of his hair..

Commentary : The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to race to take his relics, seeking blessing from them; this is applicable only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself. In this hadith, we see one example of that. Anas ibn Maalik narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH, he shared out his shaved hair among the people, and Abu Talhah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), the husband of Umm Sulaym, who was the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), was the first one to take some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Muslim narrated that when [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] had stoned the Jamrah and offered his sacrifice, he turned the right side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, then he called Abu Talhah and gave the hair to him, then he turned the left side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, and he gave that hair to Abu Talhah too, and said to him: “Share it out among the people.” According to a report narrated by Ahmad, Abu Talhah gave it to Umm Sulaym to put it in her perfume.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also indicates that one may seek blessing from the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and it is permissible to keep it..

172
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If a dog drinks from the vessel of one of you, let him wash it seven times.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to explain issues pertaining to purification, and to explain to them which substances were impure, and how to remove their traces and purify an item that had been contaminated with them. An example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined washing a vessel seven times if a dog drinks from it. The procedure that is sufficient to purify the vessel from which a dog has drunk is to wash it seven times, one of which should be with dust or soil, as was narrated by al-Nasa’i: “… one of which should be with dust.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “The first of which should be with dust”; according to another report narrated by Muslim, “and the eighth time rub it with dust.” The dog is singled out for mention in this regard, because of what is known about how impure (najis) the dog is, and how it may carry many diseases in its saliva. There is wisdom behind cleaning the vessel this number of times in this manner, which is known to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). It was said that using dust or soil to wash the vessel is to be done because dust or soil has the ability to kill the diseases that are usually caused by the dog and may attach themselves to the vessel, which water alone cannot remove. Repeatedly washing the vessel with water will ensure that it is clean.
There is no difference between different types of dogs in this regard, and whether they are the types of dogs that it is permissible to keep, such as hunting dogs, or they are types that it is not permissible to keep..

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.