logo

| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
549
It was narrated that Abu Umamah ibn Sahl said: We prayed Zuhr with ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, then we left and came to Anas ibn Malik, and we found him praying ‘Asr. I said: O uncle, what is this prayer that you were praying? He said: ‘Asr, and this is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that we used to offer with him..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged the Muslims to pray and to offer the prayer at the beginning of its time. The Sahabah were keen to follow the commands and instructions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but some of the rulers and governors after the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs delayed the prayers until the end of their times.
In this hadith, Abu Umamah ibn Sahl says: “We prayed Zuhr with ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, then we left and came to Anas ibn Malik, and we found him praying ‘Asr.” ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz had prayed Zuhr at the end of its time, and Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray ‘Asr at the beginning of its time, upholding the Sunnah. The beginning of the time for ‘Asr – as is stated in the reports – is when the sun is in the sky and the length of the shadow of a thing is double its height.
When Abu Umamah saw him praying ‘Asr just after they had prayed with ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, he asked him what prayer he had been praying. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he had been praying ‘Asr, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had enjoined, and as we used to pray it with him at this time.
It was said that ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz used to pray Zuhr sometimes at the end of its time. That was when he was a governor in Madinah. In this matter, he followed the example of those of Banu Umayyah who used to delay it, until ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr advised him, then he stopped doing that and began to offer the prayers at the beginning of their times.
This hadith highlights the keenness of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), no matter how much people changed it.
It also indicates that with the passage of time, people and rulers became less committed to following the Sunnah..

550
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still high and bright, then someone would go to al-‘Awali and come to the people there when the sun was still high. Some of the areas of al-‘Awali were four miles or so from Madinah..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen about the matter of prayer, and was very keen to teach his companions the beginning and end of the time for each of the five daily prayers.
In this hadith, the Sahabi Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still high and bright, meaning that it was still clear, before it began to turn yellow or change colour. The beginning of the time for ‘Asr – as is stated in the reports – is when the sun is in the sky and the length of the shadow of a thing is double its height.
If a person went to al-‘Awali after having prayed ‘Asr with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he would come to the people there whilst the sun was still high, but not a high as it had been previously. al-‘Awali refers to villages and clusters of houses around Madinah in the direction of Najd, some of which were four miles or so – or approximately six kilometres – from Madinah. This is indicative of how early the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed ‘Asr, as soon as the time for it began..

552
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who misses ‘Asr, it is as if he lost his family and his wealth.”.

Commentary : ‘Asr prayer is of great importance, for it is the middle prayer. We have been enjoined to uphold all prayers, especially ‘Asr prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the one who misses ‘Asr prayer and does not offer it on time, delaying it until the sun has set with no excuse, it is as if he lost his family and his wealth, and ended up bereft of family or wealth; when he sees the reward [that he missed out on], he will be filled with sorrow and regret like that of one who loses his family and his wealth.
This hadith is a warning against neglecting and missing ‘Asr prayer..

553
It was narrated that Abu’l-Malih said: We were on a campaign with Buraydah on a cloudy day, and he said: Pray ‘Asr early, for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever misses ‘Asr prayer, his good deeds are rendered invalid.”.

Commentary : ‘Asr prayer is of great importance, for it is the middle prayer. We have been enjoined to uphold all prayers, especially ‘Asr prayer.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu’l-Malih ibn Usamah al-Hudhali narrated that they were on a campaign with Buraydah ibn al-Husayb al-Aslami, on a cloudy day. This indicates that the sun was not visible in the usual fashion, which would enable them to be certain that the time for prayer had begun. So he instructed them to hasten to pray ‘Asr at the beginning of its time. It was said that the reason why he mentioned in particular that it was a cloudy day was because that would be a cause of delaying the prayer, either because of one who was overly cautious and wanted to be sure that its time had begun, but would delay it so much that its time would end, or because of one who was preoccupied with something else, so he would think that there was still time, then he would get carried away in what he was preoccupied with until the time for the prayer ended.
Then Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to them that the reason for urging them to pray ‘Asr at the beginning of its time was that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever misses ‘Asr prayer,” and deliberately delays it until its time has ended, with no excuse, “his good deeds are rendered invalid,” and the reward for them is lost, so he will have no reward at all.
This hadith indicates that it is better to be on the safe side and offer prayer at the beginning of its time when the weather changes and the sun is not visible as it usually is, for fear that the time for the prayer will end.
It is also a warning against neglecting ‘Asr prayer and missing it..

554
It was narrated that Jarir ibn ‘Abdillah said: We were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he looked at the moon one night – meaning when it was full – and said: “You will see your Lord as you see this moon; you will have no trouble looking at Him. If you can avoid being overwhelmed by something that prevents you from praying before the sun rises and before it sets, then do that.” Then he recited the verse: {and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting} [Qaf 50:39]. Isma‘il said: Do that, so that you will not miss it..

Commentary : Islam urges the Muslim to attend the prayers in congregation in general, and to attend ‘Asr and Fajr prayer in particular. The emphasis on these two prayers is because the angels gather at these two times, and take up people’s deeds.
In this hadith, Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that they were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he looked at the moon on the night when it is full, which is the night of the fourteenth of the Hijri month, and said: You – O believers – will see your Lord on the Day of Resurrection as you see this moon, in a real sense, with no doubt about that. The phrase “you will have no trouble” means: You will not crowd one another when you look at Him as you do when there is uncertainty as to whether what you are looking for is visible or not, as you do when looking for the new moon, and so on. In a variant reading of the same phrase, the meaning indicated is that there will be no unfairness with regard to seeing Him, and no toil involved, so it will not be the case that some of you see Him whilst others do not; rather you will all see Him. A third variant indicates that you will not push and shove one another, or dispute.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged them, saying, “If you can avoid being overwhelmed” that is, if you are able to avoid causes of being overwhelmed which make you unable to pray, such as sleeping or being busy with things that keep you from praying, then avoid them. So do not neglect to pray before the sun rises, namely Fajr, or before the sun sets, namely ‘Asr. “… then do that,” i.e., offer these two prayers at these two times. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the verse: {and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting} [Qaf 50:39].
This hadith highlights the virtue of offering the two prayers of Fajr and ‘Asr..

555
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Angels come to you in succession, angels by night and angels by day, and they meet at Fajr prayer and ‘Asr prayer. Then those who spent the night among you ascend [to heaven] and Allah asks them, although He knows best about them: ‘In what state did you leave My slaves?’ They say: ‘We left them when they were praying, and we came to them when they were praying.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to urge and encourage his companions to do any deeds that were good and beneficial for them, because of the increased virtue and reward that those actions brought.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that the angels take turns in guarding the people. One group guards them by night and another group guards them by day, then the angels of the day and the angels of the night meet at two times, the first of which is at Fajr prayer, when the angels of the day come down at the beginning of the prayer, and the angels of the night are still present, so they meet them. And the angels of the night meet the angels of the day at ‘Asr prayer which is the second time. Then the angels of the night ascend after Fajr prayer, and the Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) asks them – although He knows best about them – In what state did you leave My slaves? He has no need to ask them that, because He is all-knowing about them; rather He asks them about that among those on high by way of emphasizing the status of the sons of Adam and to highlight their virtue and boast about them before the angels. So they say: We left them when they were praying Fajr and we came to them when they were praying ‘Asr; they are always praying. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) asks the angels of the day the same question, and they give the same answer as the angels of the night.
This hadith indicates that prayer is the most sublime act of worship, because the question and answer in this hadith have to do with it.
It also indicates that Fajr and ‘Asr are among the greatest of the prayers.
It indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) speaks with His angels as He wills, without likening that speech to human speech, or denying it, or interpreting it in a way other than the apparent meaning..

556
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If one of you catches up with a ‘sajdah’ of ‘Asr prayer before the sun sets, let him complete his prayer. And if he catches up with a ‘sajdah’ of Fajr prayer before the sun rises, let him complete his prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that is limited to the way it is prescribed in the religious texts. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) defined its times, and explained the beginning and end of each time, and how one may catch up with the prayer before its time ends.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) described the minimum amount of the prayer that one may do (before the time for it ends) so that he may be regarded as having caught up with the prayer, and that the one who delays doing an obligatory prayer until its time has almost ended, but he manages to catch up with even one ‘sajdah’ before its time ends, is regarded as having caught up with the prayer within its time, even if he does the remaining rak‘ahs after the time for the prayer has ended. What is meant by ‘sajdah’ (lit. prostration) here is a complete rak‘ah, with its ruku‘ (bowing) and sujud (prostration). The prayer may be called sujud (lit. prostration), just as it may also be called ruku‘ (bowing).
It was also said that what is meant by sajdah in the phrase “If one of you catches up with a sajdah” is sajdah in the true sense (that is, prostration), and not an entire rak‘ah. If catching up with the prayer has to do with the ruling on the prayer, it is the same whether one catches up with a complete rak‘ah or less than that. It is sufficient to catch up with the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) [before the time for the prayer ends], because this is the issue of catching up with the prayer (and avoiding falling into sin by missing the prayer), therefore catching up with the rak‘ah is the same as catching up with the takbirat al-ihram.
These two prayers (Fajr and ‘Asr) are singled out for mention, to the exclusion of others – even though this ruling is not specific to them; rather it includes all the prayers – because they are done at the two ends of the day, and if the worshipper has offered part of the prayer, then the sun rises or sets, he will realize that the time for the prayer has ended. So if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not explain this ruling, the worshipper would think that he had missed the prayer and his prayer had been rendered invalid because the time had ended. Moreover, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had forbidden praying at the time of sunrise and sunset. Therefore he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the prayer of the one who catches up with a rak‘ah of these two prayers (before the time for them ends) is valid, lest the worshipper think that his prayer had been rendered invalid with the ending of these two times.
This applies to one who has a legitimate excuse for not having offered the obligatory prayer at the beginning of its time. He may pray at the end of that time, and catch up with the prayer before sunrise and before sunset; otherwise, the best of deeds is offering prayer on time.
It was said that what is meant in this hadith is that if a person is among those who are accountable and required to pray, and is able to catch up with as much as one rak‘ah of the prayer before the sun rises, then he is regarded as having caught up with it and fulfilled the obligation of praying Fajr. This applies only to those with legitimate excuses; if a menstruating woman becomes pure (and rushes to do ghusl), or an insane person recovers his sanity, or a Christian becomes Muslim, or a boy reaches puberty, if any of these people catches up with one rak‘ah then he or she has fulfilled the obligation of praying..

557
It was narrated from Salim ibn ‘Abdillah, from his father, that he told him that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The duration of your stay, in comparison to the nations who came before you, is like the time between ‘Asr prayer and sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah, and they acted upon it until midday and became exhausted. They were given one qirat (carat; a measure of gold) each. Then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel, and they acted upon it until the time of ‘Asr prayer, then they became exhausted. So they were given one qirat each. Then we were given the Qur’an, and we strove until sunset, and we were given two qirats each. The people of the (previous) two Books said: ‘O our Lord, You have given these people two qirats each, and You gave us one qirat each, although we did more work?’ Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) said: ‘Have I wronged you with regard to your reward?’ They said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘That is My grace that I bestow upon whomever I will.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlighted the precedence given to this ummah over the nations who came before them, namely the Jews and Christians. That is because of their good response to the commands of Allah and His Messenger.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The duration of your stay, in comparison to the nations who came before you”, namely the followers of Musa and ‘Isa (peace be upon them), “is like the time between ‘Asr prayer and sunset.” This is indicative of how close the onset of the Hour is. This is a likeness that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave of the efforts of the three nations. The people of the Torah – namely the Jews – were given the Torah, which is the Book that Allah (may He be glorified) sent down to Musa (peace be upon him), and they acted in accordance with what it contained, until midday, whereupon they became exhausted and fell short, and were unable to complete the full day’s work. So Allah gave each of them his reward, one qirat each.
Then the people of the Gospel – namely the Christians – were given the Gospel, which is the Book that Allah (may He be glorified) sent down to ‘Isa (peace be upon him), and they acted in accordance with what it contained until the time of ‘Asr prayer, whereupon they became exhausted and stopped striving. They were given their reward, one qirat each.
Then we – namely the Muslim ummah – were given the Qur’an, and we strove until sunset, then Allah gave us our reward, two qirats each, which is double the reward given to the previous nations.
The people of the two Books – the Jews and the Christians – said: O our Lord, You have given these people two qirats each, and you gave us one qirat each, although we strove more! In other words, You have given them more than us, although they did less work than us. But Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) said: Have I wronged you and detracted anything from your reward? They said: No, You have not detracted anything from our reward. He said: Everything that I give of reward is by My grace, and I bestow it upon whomever I will.
This hadith indicates that this ummah is given precedence and a great reward, even though its efforts are less.
It also indicates that deeds are judged by the last of them..

558
It was narrated from Abu Musa, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The likeness of the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians is that of a man who hired some people to do work for him until nightfall, so they worked until midday, then they said: We have no need of your wages. So he hired some other people, and said: Work for the rest of the day, and you will have what I promised [to the people before you]. So they worked until the time of ‘Asr prayer, then they said: Whatever we have done is for you. Then he hired another group of people, and they worked for the rest of the day, until the sun set, and they received in full the wages of the two previous groups..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlighted the precedence given to this ummah over the nations who came before them, namely the Jews and Christians. That is because of their good response to the commands of Allah and His Messenger.
In this hadith, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: The likeness of the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians – that is, with their Prophets – is that of a man who hired some people to do some work for him until nightfall, so they worked until midday, but they did not complete their work, and they said: We have no need of your wages, and we will not ask you for anything. What is meant by these people is the Jews.
Then the man hired some other people, and said: Complete the work that they began, and I will give you what I had promised them of wages. So they worked until the time for ‘Asr prayer came, then they said: What we have done is not valid, and we have no need of the wages that you promised us. What is meant by these people is the Christians.
Then the man hired some other people, and they worked for the rest of that day, until the sun set. And they received in full the wages of the two earlier groups. What is meant by these people is the Muslim ummah.
This is the likeness of the Muslims who accepted the guidance brought by the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the likeness of the Jews and Christians, who disbelieved and rejected the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, we see that precedence is given to this ummah, and they are granted their reward in full, despite the fact that their effort was less.
It also indicates that deeds are judged by the last of them.
And it indicates that likenesses may be given for the purpose of teaching and explaining..

559
It was narrated that Rafi‘ ibn Khadij said: We would pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then one of us would leave and still be able to see as far as his arrows would fall..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very concerned about the matter of prayer, which included his being concerned to teach his companions the beginning and end of the time for each of the five daily prayers.
In this hadith, Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that they would pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they would finish the prayer and leave the mosque, and one of them would still be able to see as far as his arrows would fall when shot from a bow. What is meant is that there was still enough light after sunset for them to be able to see where their arrows would land, even though that was so far away. This is a metaphor to indicate that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Maghrib at the beginning of its time, as soon as the sun set. The time for Maghrib begins when the sun disappears.
This hadith indicates that we should hasten to pray Maghrib and keep it brief..

560
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali said: al-Hajjaj came and we asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah, and he said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Zuhr when it was very hot, ‘Asr when the sun was still bright, Maghrib when the sun dropped below the horizon, and ‘Isha’ at different times; if he saw that the people had gathered, he would hasten to pray, and if he saw that they were slow to come, he would delay it. And they, or the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), would pray Fajr when the light of dawn began to appear..

Commentary : Allah (may He be exalted) has commanded us to establish prayer, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to establish it; he instructed us to do its essential parts and sunnahs properly, observe the etiquette of prayer, and do it on time.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali narrated that al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi came to Madinah as its governor during the caliphate of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, following the killing of Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) in 73 AH. The people asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) about delaying the prayer, and how they should pray, and when? That was because al-Hajjaj used to delay the prayer. So Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Zuhr when it was very hot [bi’l-hajirah]; he would pray immediately after the sun passed the meridian, at the time when it was extremely hot. The word hajirah refers to extreme heat, but comes from a root that refers to stopping or refraining, because the people stop their dealings and their comings and goings at this time, due to the extreme heat, and they take a nap.
He used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still clear, pure in colour and bright, and he would pray Maghrib when the sun disappeared and its disk dropped below the horizon. He would pray ‘Isha’ at different times; if he saw that the Sahabah had gathered, he would hasten to pray ‘Isha’, but if they were slow, he would delay the prayer. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray Fajr at the beginning of its time, when the first light of dawn began to mix with the darkness of night.
Jabir answered the people’s questions by specifying these times to indicate that they should adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that they should offer each prayer at the beginning of its time. A report narrated by Abu Dawud from Ibn Mas‘ud indicates that when he asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) what he should do if he lived to see governors delaying the prayers, he told him: “Offer the prayer on time, and make your prayer with them supererogatory (nafil).” This was prophetic advice to the Muslims at such times, telling them that they should offer the prayer at the beginning of its time amongst themselves, or in their houses, and not to do that openly, then they should pray with the governors at the later time when they offered the prayer in congregation, or they issued instructions that the prayer was to be offered at that time, so as not to cause division in the Muslim community by openly opposing those in authority and not praying with them, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslims to obey those in authority so long as they establish the prayer – as is stated in other reports. But there is a report which prohibits offering the same prayer twice in one day, if there is no reason to do so. However, in this case, there is a valid reason for repeating it, which is obeying those in authority and not causing division in the community. So the first prayer is regarded as obligatory, and the second prayer is regarded as supererogatory.
This hadith indicates that Zuhr prayer should be offered at the beginning of its time, after the sun passes the meridian.
It indicates that it is prescribed to delay ‘Isha’ prayer according to when the worshippers prefer to gather.
It highlights the virtue of praying at the beginning of the time for the prayer, and warns against delaying it; and it tells us that we should continue to attend the prayers with the leaders of the Muslims, even if they are wrongdoers..

561
It was narrated that Salamah said: We used to pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when the sun disappeared below the horizon..

Commentary : Allah has ordained specific times for the obligatory prayers during which they must be done, as He (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times} [an-Nisa’ 4:103]. This hadith describes the time for Maghrib prayer, as Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when the sun was concealed and disappeared below the horizon, and the horizon was like a screen or curtain that prevented us from seeing it. The time for praying Maghrib lasts until the dusk or red afterglow disappears, as it is narrated in Sahih Muslim from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “… and the time for Maghrib prayer lasts so long as the dusk has not disappeared…”
This hadith indicates that we should hasten to pray Maghrib when the sun sets.
It also describes the beginning of the time for Maghrib prayer..

563
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your Maghrib prayer.” The Bedouins used to call it ‘Isha’..

Commentary : One aspect of proper etiquette towards Allah and His Messenger is to keep the names of things as Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and His Messenger named them, especially the names of the prayers. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin” meaning the Bedouin of the Jaahiliyyah, “with regard to the name of your Maghrib prayer.” The Bedouin are the desert-dwelling Arabs who do not reside in towns, and only enter the towns when necessary. Al-‘Arab (the Arabs) was the general name for the people of Arabia at that time, regardless of whether they lived in the desert or in cities and towns. What is meant is: do not be influenced by their habits, for they call Maghrib ‘Isha’; do not use the word ‘Isha’ to refer to Maghrib as they do, because they used to change the names, and they would call ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah (lit. darkness), because they used to delay milking the she-camels until the time when it was extremely dark. Then Islam came to correct this mistake, and taught them the proper name for each prayer.
This hadith criticizes calling Maghrib ‘Isha’.
It indicates that if the names given to things by Islam differ from their customary names, we should give precedence to the Islamic names over the customary names.
It indicates that the Muslim should not imitate the practices of the Jahiliyyah even with regard to names; rather he should follow Islamic teachings in all his affairs, because there is divine wisdom in the selection of names and other things, so it is not appropriate to choose something different..

564
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him led us in ‘Isha’ prayer one night – which is what the people call al-‘atamah (lit. darkness) prayer – then when he finished, he turned to us and said: “Do you see this night of yours? In one hundred years from this night, there will be no one left of those who are on the face of the earth tonight.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah and informed them of everything that was in their best interests, which includes telling them of some future events of which Allah (may He be exalted) had granted him knowledge. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in praying ‘Isha’ one night; this is the prayer that the people call al-‘atamah. The fact that he mentioned here that ‘Isha’ was called al-‘atamah indicates that the use of this name had become very common, even though the name for this prayer as ‘Isha’ is mentioned in the Book of Allah, in the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {and after the night prayer [salat al-‘Isha’]} [al-Nur 24:58]. There were also reports which forbid calling ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, as in the hadith narrated by Muslim from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your prayer; indeed it is ‘Isha’, but they delay milking the camels until it is very dark [yu‘timuna].” Those who were aware of the prohibition on that needed to mention it in order to make people aware of the matter. However, it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he called it ‘atamah, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated in al-Sahihayn: “If they knew what there is in al-‘atamah (i.e., ‘Isha’ prayer) and al-subh (i.e., Fajr prayer), they would come to them, even if they had to crawl.” It was said that the mention of this prayer as al-‘atamah was addressed to those who only knew of ‘Isha’ by this name, so he mentioned it by the name with which they were familiar, or he mentioned that to explain that there is nothing wrong with mentioning it by that name, even though it is different from what is more appropriate.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer and turned to face those present, and told them that after one hundred years, none of those on the face of the earth would remain. This does not mean that no one who was alive then would not live past the age of one hundred years; rather it meant that everyone on the face of the earth that night would not live longer than one hundred years from that night, whether he was young or old at that time. This is an example of knowledge of the unseen that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) granted to him; it is one of the proofs of the truthfulness of his prophethood (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

565
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, who was the son of al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, said: We asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah about the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he said: He used to pray Zuhr when it was very hot, ‘Asr when the sun was bright, and Maghrib when the sun dropped below the horizon. With regard to ‘Isha’, if a large number of people had gathered he would hasten to pray, but if they were few he would delay it. And he would pray Fajr when the first light of dawn began to mix with the darkness of night..

Commentary : Allah has ordained specific times for the obligatory prayers during which they must be done, as He (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times} [an-Nisa’ 4:103].. By His mercy towards His slaves, Allah has allocated plenty of time (for each prayer), out of consideration for their circumstances and situations. This hadith highlights the best time at which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered each prayer. Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Zuhr at the time when it is very hot, which is the middle of the day when heat is most intense. This time is called hajirah in Arabic, which comes from a root that refers to stopping or refraining, because the people stop their dealings and their comings and goings at this time, due to the extreme heat, and they take a nap..
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still bright, before it had become yellow or changed. He would pray Maghrib when the sun disappeared, meaning that the disc of the sun dropped below the horizon. In the case of ‘Isha’ prayer, if a large number of people had gathered he would hasten to pray it, but if their numbers were few, he would delay it. In other words, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) paid attention to the situation of the worshippers. If they were present at the beginning of the time for the prayer, which is when the red afterglow disappears, they would pray, but if they had not yet come, he would delay it until almost half of the night had passed, for that is the best time for it, if it does not cause hardship. Then he would pray Fajr when the first light of dawn began to mix with the darkness of night.
This hadith highlights the best times for offering the five daily prayers..

49
Tareq ibn Shehab narrated, “Marwan was the first one to deliver a sermon before the Eid prayer. A man stood up and said, ‘Prayer should precede sermon.’ He (Marwan) said, ‘It has been done away with.’ Abu Saeed remarked, ‘This man has performed what he should do. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, ‘Whoever among you sees something abominable should modify it with his hand, if he is not able to do it, then (he should modify it) with his tongue, and if he is not able to do it, then (he should modify it) with his heart, which is the least level of faith.’”.

Commentary : Allah honors and prefers the Muslim nation to other nations, for it enjoins goodness, forbids evil, and gently advises people, the qualities that transform any society into a virtuous one. This hadith related that the first person who delivered the Eid speech before performing the prayer was Marwan ibn Al-Hakam, the governor of Medina assigned by Caliph Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufian. He became the caliph in the year of 64 after Prophetic immigration. It was mistakenly narrated that the first person did that was Omar, Othman, Muawiyah, or Abdullah ibn Az-Zubeir. On the contrary, it was proven that the Prophet ﷺ and his four Caliphs used to pray before delivering the Eid speech as Ibn Abbas narrated in the two Sahihs, “I witnessed the Eid with the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, Omar, and Othman. They all prayed before the speech." In the narration of Bukhari, Marwan mentioned why he did that. He said, "People do not sit to listen to our speech after the prayer, so I delivered it before the prayer." Most of the people used to leave after the prayer and only some listened to Marwan's speech. He may have done that thinking that it was something in which he could follow his own opinion. Once he changed the Prophet's tradition, one of the attendees came and denounced his behavior. That person may have been Abu Masoud as in Imam Abderazzaq's narration but it was narrated in Sahih Bukhari that he was Abu Saeed himself, this hadith's narrator. Perhaps, this situation happened more than once and that every time Marwan was contradicted by someone. On the other hand, if it happened once, it would be possible that Abu Saeed first denounced Marwan's behavior, as in Bukhari's narration, then Abu Masoud. Marwan's response, "It has been done away with" may mean that: (1) People used to leave, for they were in a hurry, or (2) He left the proven tradition of praying before delivering the speech on purpose. Abu Saeed approved the man’s denouncing Marwan and said, "This man has performed what he should do." He denounced the evil with his tongue, for he could not change the ruler's behavior by his hands. Then Abu Saeed narrated the Prophet's hadith. The hadith states that if a person sees something evil and corrupting, he has to change it with his hand provided that his knowledge and ability. If he cannot change it with his hands, he has to wisely and kindly remind people about its prohibition. Changing the reality may be achieved by gentleness and wisdom away from swords. If he is unable to change it by word or tongue, he has to denounce it with his heart and resolve that if he were able to remove it, he would do it. Denouncing evil with one's heart is the lowest reaction that a believer has to bring, so the Prophet ﷺ said as in Ibn Masoud's narration in Sahih Muslim, "Beyond that, there is no faith even as the extent of a mustard seed." This hadith shows that there are two conditions of the obligation of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil: (1) Knowledge of whether that action is good or evil, for the ignorant person cannot determine that, and (2) The ability to do so, for it is enough for the unable person to hate the evil with his heart. Abu Saeed's comment confirmed that Marwarn was the first one to display that behavior, for if the Prophet ﷺ or his companions showed that behavior, Abu Saeed would not call it evil as in his comment. Moreover, Abu Saeed held Marwan to prevent him from delivering the speech but the latter insisted on doing so. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It urges us to gradually enjoin the goodness and forbid the evil, each based on his ability, (2) It confirms the legitimacy of opposing rulers' behavior if they accept advice in public and this does not lead to another evil, (3) It clarifies that denouncing evil is a part of faith, (4) It shows that one's faith is subject to increase and decrease, (5) It stresses that Islam's rites cannot be changed or reordered. Once rulers try to do so, they have to be opposed as long as a person is able to do so and his denouncing will not lead to a greater evil..

50
Abdullah ibn Masoud narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah has not sent a prophet to a nation before me but he (a prophet) had disciples and companions following his way and obeying his command. Afterward, there came successors who said what they did not practice and practiced what they were not commanded to do. Whoever strove against them with his hand was a believer, whoever strove against them with his tongue was a believer, and whoever strove against them with his heart was a believer. There is no faith beyond that even to the extent of a mustard seed.” Abu Rafi' said, “I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Umar but he disapproved of the narration. When Ibn Masoud came and stayed at Qanat, Abdullah ibn Umar asked me to accompany him to visit him (Ibn Masoud) during his illness. I went with him and asked Ibn Masoud about the Hadith when we sat (before him). He narrated it in the same as I narrated it to Ibn Umar.”.

Commentary : The Prophets' calls are of common features. All were resisted by some or lots of their people. All were followed by some of their people who afterward conveyed their calls. Over decades and centuries, people began to gradually move away from the truth. The one adhering to this truth had to resist them as much as he could. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that all Prophets that Allah had sent had disciples and companions following their ways and obeying their commands. Afterward, there came successors and hypocrites who said what they did not practice and practiced what they were not commanded to do while claiming and complimenting themselves on following their prophet's guidance. On the contrary, they were committing and spreading corruption. Every believer has to strive against those people based on his ability. Whoever strives against and tries to remove their evil with his hand or tongue is a believer. Moreover, whoever hates their evil with his heart is a believer, for he wishes he had been able to remove these evils with his hand or tongue but he was unable to do so. There is no faith beyond that even to the extent of a mustard seed, for if one does not hate the evil even if with his heart but pleases it, it is an approval of disbelief. This hadith shows that there are two conditions of the obligation of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil with hands or tongue: (1) Knowledge of whether that action is good or evil, for the ignorant person cannot determine that, and (2) The ability to do so, for it is enough for the unable person to hate the evil with his heart. Striving against evils by one's hands is only for those being able to change them without a conflict such as those in charge and rulers. Striving against evils by one’s tongue is by showing and calling for the truth. Striving against evils by one's heart is by rejecting, hating, and displeasing them. Abu Rafi' said, “I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Omar but he disapproved of the narration.” Ibn Omar’s disapproval may be interpreted that he wanted to check the authenticity of the hadith, for one may unwillingly increase, decrease, or even distort his own narrations. He did not mean to accuse Abu Rafi’, for all people were vulnerable to forget. Ibn Omar knew that Abu Rafi’ was a great companion with a high level of justice and honesty. When Ibn Masoud came to Medina, Ibn Omar commanded Abu Rafi’ to go with him to visit Ibn Masoud. When they sat with him, Abu Rafi’ asked Ibn Masoud about this hadith, so Ibn Masoud narrated it to him just as Abu Rafi’ had narrated it to Ibn Omar. Abu Rafi’ did that to make sure of the hadith context and defend his narration. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It includes one of the signs of the Prophet’s prophethood, (2) It stresses the necessity of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, according to people’s conditions, (3) It clarifies the virtue of the Prophet’s companions, for they presented his properties and selves for the sake of this religion, (4) It shows that changing the evil is part of the Islamic faith, and (5) It refers that one’s faith increases and decreases..

53
Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Hearts’ callousness and sternness is in the East while faith is among the people of the Hijaz.’”.

Commentary : People vary in faith, piety, behavior, and even the degrees of their evil acts. The Prophet used to teach us people's various attributes so that we can deal with them in the proper way they deserve. In this hadith, he informed us that we find people of hard hearts, lack of understanding, and refusing the truth due to disbelief in the East. A narration in the two Sahihs reported by Abu Masoud Uqbah ibn Amr clarified that they are the people of Rabi’a and Mudar. This was during the era of the Prophet ﷺ. They were hard people due to the harsh conditions they were living in. It was said that he may have meant all areas of the East: Middle, Near, and Far. After the Prophet's death, these two tribes had many trials such as: (1) Many people disbelieved once again, and (2) Some claimed prophethood as Museilemah, the Liar. The Prophet meant that they were subject to obey the devil and disbelieve the Islamic message. On the other hand, he informed us that we find deep faith, tranquillity, and comfort in the people of Hijaz, i.e. Mecca, Medina, and their environs. It is called "hijaz," for some potential reasons: (1) It separates Najd from Sara, (2) It separates Ghaur from Levant, or (3) It is surrounded by mountains. Finally, this hadith confirms the virtue of the people of Hijaz over other people..

54
Abu Hurairah narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. May I tell you something you can do to make you love one another? Spread the greetings of salam (peace) among you.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to teach his companions and nation the virtues of righteous deeds that display a feeling of affection among them and raise their ranks in the Hereafter. He also warned us against reasons for hatred and disharmony. Spreading the greetings of peace is one of the causes of love and harmony among Muslims. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ clarified that only believers will enter Paradise and added that love among believers is part of the perfect faith. He said, "You will not enter Paradise until you believe." He means that our faith is neither complete nor benefits us until we love one another. Then he guides us to the best attributes for getting that kind of love in Muslim society which is to declare, act upon, and spread peace among Muslims. Peace is the greeting that Allah, the Almighty, has prescribed for His servants. Once a Muslim passes by another Muslim, relative or stranger, he greets him with peace. Allah made spreading peace a reason for love and affection among Muslims, which is a reason for getting a perfect faith and prevailing the word of Islam. On the other hand, hatred and conflict are reasons for spreading division among Muslims. The form of that greeting as in the narration of Abu Daoud and others is to say, “Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.” Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits such as: (1) The command to spread the greeting of peace among Muslims, for it spreads love and safety among them and (2) It is proof that love is a reason for the perfect faith..

55
Tamim Ad-Dary narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Religion is sincerity." They said, "To whom?" He said, "To Allah, to his Book, to his Messenger, to the leaders of Muslims and their common folk.".

Commentary : Sincere advice is one of the features of our true religion. Muslims should advise each other in a good manner, and without making a greater evil than the benefit they want to achieve. This should be with loving and knowing the rights of the one who is advised in the society for his being a Muslim. This hadith clarifies the methods of this supreme behavior. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that sincere advice is Islam's essence and a means for its spreading. It is to say or do something that contains goodness for a person(s) sincerely. It is to seek goodness for the one who is advised. Moreover, it is a comprehensive term with various meanings. The Prophet's companions asked him to whom they offer it, so he answered, "To Allah, to his Book, to his Messenger, to the leaders of Muslims and their common folk." As for one's dealing with Allah, it means glorifying His command, showing mercy on His creation, calling people to believe in Him, and avoiding any acts of polytheism while worshiping him only. As for one's dealing with the Quran, it means to believe that it is Allah's word, deeply love and glorify it, recite it as it should be recited, face those distorting its authentic interpretations, ratify its stories, ponder over its lessons and miracles, act upon its rules, spread its knowledge, and call people to believe in it. As for one's dealing with the Messenger, it means to believe, follow, obey his commands, and avoid what he forbade. Moreover, it means to be loyal to those who are loyal to him and hate those who hate him. In addition, it means glorifying him, spreading his teachings, and facing people's accusations against him. As for one's dealing with leaders of Muslims, it means helping them in what is right, obeying them in goodness, gently reminding them if they neglect something, and avoiding disobeying them unless we see them doing an act of clear disbelief that Allah obviously showed in his religion, which is conditional on ability and avoiding having greater harms. The Muslim's leaders may include the scholars as well. As for one's dealing with Muslim scholars, it means accepting what they narrated and thinking well of them. As for one's dealing with common Muslim folk, it means gently teaching them Islam's laws, providing them with what is beneficial, having mercy on them, respecting them, avoiding cheating or envying them, loving for them what one loves for himself, hating for them what one hates for himself, and defending their properties and honor. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) It confirms that advising people is the essence of Islam, and (2) It urges people to advise all people types, from the ruler to lay people..

59
Abu Hurairah narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'There are three signs of a hypocrite ... even if he fasted, prayed, and claimed he is a Muslim.'".

Commentary : Hypocrisy has two types: (1) Doctrinal: It expels the person from Islam, for he shows Islam and conceals disbelief and (2) Practical: It does not expel the person from Islam, for he just imitates the hypocrites in their morals, which is a major sin. This hadith identifies some attributes of hypocrites by clarifying the second type of hypocrisy. This hadith is part of another hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ informed that a hypocrite has three signs: (1) He used to tell lies and fabricate unrealistic stories. Lying is to say something contrary to reality. Its greatest form is to lie to Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger ﷺ. It also includes lying in one's acts, so the hypocrite is a liar, for he shows faith but conceals disbelief inwardly. The Prophet ﷺ indicated that lying sometimes is permissible for some overriding interests. Bukhari and Muslim narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “He is not a liar who reconciles between people, so he conveys or says goodness.” Islam urges us to reconcile between people even if it is achieved by lying to settle quarrels and avoid feelings of hatred and enmity, (2) He used to break his promises willingly, and (3) He used to betray people's trust. He loses, betrays, and uses their trust. The Prophet ﷺ informed that whoever used to act upon these three attributes is a hypocrite even if he performs the practical acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, etc. This hadith clarifies that these qualities belong to hypocrites so whoever behaves like that resembles hypocrites. It does not mean he is a hypocrite who shows Islam and conceals disbelief, for the Prophet ﷺ did not mean that he is a hypocrite who will be eternally in the lowest degree of Hell..

68
Jarir narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If any slave escapes from his masters, he becomes an infidel till he returns to them.”.

Commentary : Islam regulated the relations between masters and slaves. It called for kindly treating slaves and urged masters to emancipate them. It also encouraged slaves to care for Allah's and their masters' rights, for their masters bought them so it does not make sense that their properties may be wasted. Islam makes obeying masters, for the sake of Allah, is one of the greatest acts of worship. In this hadith, Jarir ibn Abdullah narrated that if any slave flees from his masters, he is a disbeliever. It may mean that he denies his master's rights or behaves like disbelievers do. It may also mean that his behavior leads to disbelief. It does not mean the literal meaning of disbelief. It means that he disbelieves Allah's graces by fleeing from his master until he returns to him willingly or unwillingly. Allah neither pleases him nor accepts his righteous deeds until his return, repentance, and righteousness. The complete narration of this hadith is that Mansour ibn Abdurrahman (the hadith narrator on the authority of Amer Ash-Sha’by) said after his narration, "By Allah, it is a Prophetic hadith, but I hate that it may be narrated on my authority here in Basra.” This means that Mansour traced back this hadith to the companion but he then swore that it was the Prophet's hadith to let his knowledgeable companions know about that. He feared that his transmitted narration to the Prophet may have spread in Basra which was full of Kharijites and Mutazilites who believed that one would eternally remain in Hell due to his sins. The former added that he is a disbeliever, depending on the apparent meaning of this hadith. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The slave’s fleeing from his masters is a major sin that contradicts the faith's requirements of obeying them and (2) Muslim predecessors cautioned against the wrong concepts that people of heresies may deduce from the Islamic texts that may apparently support their heresies..

70
Jarir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If a slave escapes (from his master), not a single prayer will be accepted from him.”.

Commentary : The slave’s obedience to his master according to the obedience of Allah, the Almighty, is one of the greatest acts of worship. Allah organized the relations between masters and slaves. He urged masters to gently deal with them and recommended them to set them free. On the other hand, he encouraged slaves to preserve Allah's and their masters' rights. A master buys his slave with his money, so he has the right not to waste his money. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that if a slave escapes from his master, "not a single prayer will be accepted from him.” This is because the slave is completely owned by his master so if he escapes, his master misses some benefits. It was said that the hadeeth refers to a slave who considers escaping lawful so he becomes a disbeliever and neither his prayer nor any other acts of worship are accepted from him. The Prophet ﷺ exclusively mentioned prayer for its greatness and virtue. It was said that the hadeeth is general and that rejecting his worship does not necessitate its invalidity. The escaped slave's prayer (who does not think that escaping is lawful) is correct, for he fulfils its pillars, but it is still unaccepted because it is associated with disobeying his master. There is no contradiction in that, for rejecting his worship means losing the reward but its validity means he is neither required to re-perform it nor he may be punished as the one used to abandon the prayer. Finally, this hadith confirms that a slave's escaping from his master is a great sin which contradicts faith's requirements commanding him to obey his master..

76
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A person who believes in Allah and the Last Day never bears a grudge against the Ansar.".

Commentary : The Ansar, the people of Medina from the Prophet's companions before his immigration, reached a high rank in Islam for their great effort in supporting Islam, sheltering the Messenger and his immigrant companions, loving him, and his love for them. They used to present all that they had for him to the extent that lots of people became their enemies due to Islam. As a result, the Prophet ﷺ urged all Muslims to love them. Moreover, he made loving them a sign of one's truthful and perfect faith and hating them is a sign of one's hypocrisy and lack of faith. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed that a person who believes in Allah and the Last Day never bears a grudge against the Ansar, for whoever knows their right, initiative to support and spread Islam, and fighting against all people in defending the prophet will definitely love them out of necessity, which is a sign of his sincere faith. On the other hand, if one hates them, it is a sign of hypocrisy and corrupted intention. Because these great people with those supreme attributes are loved by only believers and hated by only hypocrites. Whoever loves them is loved by Allah and whoever hates them is hated by Allah as in the hadith narrated in the two Sahihs. Finally, this hadith contains some lessons: (1) It shows the Ansar’s virtues, (2) It confirms that loving them is a sign of one's sincere faith while hating them is a sign of corruption or lack of faith, and (3) It calls every Muslim to give Medina's people their rights..

78
Ali said, "By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, it is the illiterate Prophet's promise ﷺ that he gave me that none but a believer would love me and none but a hypocrite would bear grudge against me.".

Commentary : Ali ibn Abi Taleb had great status with the Prophet ﷺ for the following reasons: (1) His father, Abu Taleb, used to support and defend the Prophet against Qureish disbelievers, (2) He is the husband of Fatema, the Prophet's daughter, his most beloved daughters, and (3) The father of Prophet's grandsons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husein. In this hadith, Ali swore in Allah Who split up the seed, placed it in the soil, and created the plant by His power. He swore in Allah Who created the men and souls. His saying, "It is the Prophet's promise ..." means a covenant. His saying, "illiterate ..." is the attribute with which the Prophet was described in the previous books and in two places in the Quran: (1) "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel." {Al-A'raaf: 157) and (2) "So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words." {Al-A'raaf: 158) It was the Prophet's promise to Ali that he had a virtue that all believers would love him, but hypocrites would hate him. It means that if one loves and knows Ali's prestige, his closeness to the Prophet, the Prophet's love for him, and his support of Islam, it is proof of his authentic faith and truthfulness as he is doing what Allah and his Prophet please. On the contrary, if one hates him, it is proof of his hypocrisy and evil intention. It is an additional recommendation for Ali, for the Prophet ﷺ recommended us to care about his companions and follow their methods. Also, he guided us to give a high prestige to his rightly guided caliphs, including Ali. It is neither proof of Ali's specific guardianship, nor his caliphate after the Prophet's death. It may have been the Prophet's appreciation for Alai and call for Muslims to give him his considerable prestige and avoid belittling him after the Prophet's death. On the other hand, it was a sign of prophethood, for the Prophet knew that some people would go to extremes when dealing with Ali after the Prophet's death whether they would love him exaggeratedly or belittle him. As a result, he confirmed the believers' hearts would love Ali and the hypocrites' hearts would hate him..

79
Abdullah ibn Omar narrated, “The Messenger of Allah said, “O Women, give charity and frequently ask Allah for forgiveness, for I saw you form the majority of Hell.” A wise woman from them asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why will we form the majority of Hell?” He answered, “You frequently curse and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen someone lacking in discernment and religion more overwhelming a wise man than you.” She asked, “What is the lack of discernment and religion?” He answered, “As for the lack of discernment, the testimony of two women is equal to a man’s one. She does not pray for some days and breaks fast in the month of Ramadan. This is the lack of religion.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to preach to women just as he did to men, ask them to protect themselves against evilness, and frequently remind them of rectify their faults. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that after the Prophet ﷺ delivered his speech on the day of eid, he preached to women only, as in the narration in the Two Sahihs that Abu Saeed Al-Khudry reported that the Prophet ﷺ commanded them to give charity and ask Allah for forgiveness. He justified this matter by the fact that he knew that most of the people of Hell were women. Giving charity is a means to increase good deeds and avoid Allah's anger and punishment. When hearing so, a wise woman asked about the reason. He showed two reasons: (1) They used to frequently curse those who did not deserve it. Cursing is to supplicate Allah to expel someone from his mercy, which was a habit of women before Islam and (2) They used to be ungrateful to their husbands. He explained it in another narration in the Two Sahihs when he addressed men, "If you treated one of them kindly forever, but she later saw something (disliked) from you, she would say, 'I never saw any good from you.'" She may be ungrateful to her husband while he treats her kindly. This continuous deliberate behavior enlarges this sin to be a major one. His help, protection, sacrifice, and care should be met with her gratitude and appreciation. Allah commands us to thank whoever gives us a favor. How is it the case with a woman's husband who gives her all that he owns throughout his entire life?! Then, he ﷺ described them with three attributes: (1) A woman has the ability to affect her wise husband's decision whether it is right or wrong. What about the unwise husband? (2) A lack of discernment: This is because a man's testimony is equivalent to two women's testimony. Allah said, "... so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her." (Al-Baqarah: 282), (3) A lack of religion: This is because she does not pray for some days and breaks fast in the month of Ramadan due to her menstruation. The Prophet ﷺ did not mean to blame them for these attributes with which Allah created them but wanted to warn men against the tricks that women sometimes use. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) A person has the right to discuss the scholar and others if he does not understand his words, (2) Encouragement of charity acts, frequent seeking of Allah’s forgiveness, and all other acts of obedience, (3) One's righteous deeds eliminate his evil deeds, (4) Some Islamic texts may call something disbelief but do not mean the disbelief in Allah such as disbelief in marital life, benevolence, grace, and truth..

81
Abu Hurairah narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When a son of Adam recites a verse mentioning prostration then he prostrates, the devil withdraws weeping and saying, ‘Woe to him! - in another narration, ‘Woe to me!’ - The son of Adam has been commanded to prostrate, has done so, and will be rewarded with Paradise but I have been commanded to prostrate, have refused, and will be punished with Hell.’ In another narration, ‘ … have disobeyed, and will be punished with Hell.’”.

Commentary : There are Quranic verses that one is prescribed to prostrate after reciting them, which the Prophet's noble tradition specified. It is an act of worship and a reward for those who prostrate. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed that when a Muslim prostrates after reciting this type of verse, the devil withdraws weeping due to the reward that a Muslim gets for his obedience and prostration. He is crying and saying, "Woe to him!" In another narration, "Woe to me!" It means, "Oh, my sorrow, oh my doom." He regrets his previous disobedience to Allah. The son of Adam has been commanded to prostrate, has done so, and will be rewarded with Paradise due to his obedience. On the other hand, Satan has been commanded to prostrate but has refused. In another narration, "I have disobeyed, and will be punished with Hell." He deserved to enter Hell for disobeying Allah's command. Allah says, "And [mention] when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate before Adam;' so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant ..." (Al-Baqarah: 34) He is deeply sad for some reasons: (1) His failure in luring the son of Adam to commit sins, (2) His committing a fatal sin of being arrogant to Allah's command, and (3) Muslim's being deserved to enter Paradise for his obedience, while Satan is condemned to be expelled from Allah’s mercy. Blessed are those believers whose hearts become fearful when Allah is mentioned, their faith increases when Allah's verses are recited to them, and those who trust in their God. As for what a Muslim can say during this prostration, he can say the same supplications he says during the prostration of prayer, such as glorification. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) The virtue of prostration which is a reason for entering Paradise and (2) A Quran reciter is permissible to prostrate after reciting a verse of prostration..

82
Gaber said, "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, 'Verily, between a man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of prayer.'".

Commentary : Prayer is an obligatory act for every assigned Muslim. It is the second pillar of Islam and the greatest practical pillar after monotheism testimony. In this hadith, the Messenger ﷺ strongly warned against abandoning it and confirmed that between a man and polytheism is to abandon prayer. If he abandons it out of denial of its obligation, he is unanimously a disbeliever but if he abandons it out of negligence or laziness, he is a disbeliever according to the opinion of many scholars and the consensus of the Prophet's companions. If he sometimes performs and neglects it, he is also included in the description mentioned in the hadith, which is consistent with Allah's sayings, "But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil. Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all." (Maryam: 59, 60) In this verse, Allah condemned those neglecting prayer either abandoning it completely, abandoning some of its pillars and conditions, neglecting its duties, or performing it after its appointed times, etc. He condemned those being busy with their own whims and desires and preferring them to Allah's obedience and Paradise. Thus, he deserves to be punished except those who rectify their mistakes, struggle in the path of truth, regularly perform prayer, refrain from following their whims. They will enter Paradise and be saved from Hell. One has to caution against abandoning or neglecting this great worship. On the other hand, polytheism and disbelief may be used in the same sense, which is disbelief in Allah, the Almighty. There may be a distinction between them, so polytheism is specific to worshipping idols while acknowledging Allah, the Creator, like the infidels of Qureish. In this meaning, disbelief is more general than polytheism. Finally, this hadith deeply warns against abandoning or neglecting prayer..

91
Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "None will enter Hell as long as he has the weight of a mustard seed of faith in his heart and none will enter Paradise as long as he has the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance in his heart.”.

Commentary : Faith is a reason for salvation from Hell and winning Paradise while arrogance is an attribute that refers to corrupted hearts and a reason for entering Hell. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed that a Muslim will neither enter Hell nor even remain there forever if his heart has the weight of a mustard seed of faith. Mustard is a plant with very small black fruits. It is a linguistic usage referring to smallness. It is Allah's great blessing that he will save the believers for their faith, even if He holds them accountable for their deeds first and admits them to Paradise by His grace and mercy. Afterward, the Prophet informed that a Muslim will not enter Paradise if his heart has the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance. Arrogance is to give oneself a high prestige that it does not deserve and belittle people. Allah is the only one that deserves this attribute. Mentioning the infinitesimal mustard seed indicates that even the slightest amount of arrogance in a Muslim's heart is a reason for not initially entering Paradise until he is held accountable for this arrogance which may necessitate punishment. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is proof that faith increases and decreases in hearts and (2) It forbids arrogance..

91
Abdullah narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance will not enter Paradise.' A man said, 'Verily, a person loves that his dress should be fine and his shoes should be fine.' The Prophet said, 'Verily, Allah is beautiful and likes beauty. Arrogance is to reject the truth and despise people.'".

Commentary : Arrogance is an attribute that indicates the corruption of hearts, which Islam forbade because it means self-aggrandizement while despising others. It is only Allah who deserves to be proud, for everyone else is His servant. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ explained the severe consequences of arrogance and dispelled some people’s misconceptions related to good appearance. He told us that Allah would not admit anyone to Paradise if his heart had the weight of an atom (or dust particle) of arrogance. This indicates that even the slightest bit of arrogance in one's heart is a reason for not initially entering Paradise. He should be reckoned first then will be punished or forgiven. One of the Prophet's companions thought that arrogance includes beautifying one’s clothing and appearance. So, he asked the Prophet ﷺ if a person loves that his clothes should be fine, is this considered arrogance? The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Verily, Allah is beautiful and likes beauty." He confirmed that Allah loved this manner as long as it did not lead to despising people. One's caring for his appearance is an indication of Allah's blessings upon him. Then the Prophet ﷺ clarified that the intended meaning of arrogance is to reject the truth and look down on people. So, this bad manner leads to oppress and disdain people. As a result, he will not initially enter Paradise but be punished for this great sin. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is forbidden to be arrogant and reject the truth, (2) Islam allows beautifying oneself by wearing beautiful clothes and shoes, (3) It proves that the name “the Beautiful” is one of Allah's names..