| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

604

It was narrated from Nafi‘ that Ibn ‘Umar used to say: When the Muslims came to Madinah, they would gather and wait for the prayer, because there was no call to prayer. One day they spoke about that, and one of them said: We should have a clapper (naqus) like that of the Christians. Others said: Rather we should have a trumpet like that of the Jews. ‘Umar said: Why don’t you send a man to call people to prayer? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Bilal, get up and call the people to prayer.”.

Commentary : The Muslims used to pray without any adhan (call to prayer) from the time when the prayer was enjoined in Makkah during the Mi‘raj (Prophet’s ascent to heaven), and the matter remained like that until they migrated to Madinah, and until they discussed this matter and the adhan was prescribed, as mentioned in this hadith. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Muslims, after they migrated to Madinah, used to gather and wait for the time of prayer. In other words, they would estimate its time, then they would come and gather for prayer in the mosque. At that time, the adhan had not yet been prescribed. Then one day they spoke about that, wanting to have a signal by means of which they could know that it was time for them to gather for prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to consult them and listen to their views, and see how they could work out the best method, based on the general principles of Islam. Some of them suggested a clapper (naqus), which is like the bells that are found in the churches of the Christians. Others suggested a trumpet, like that of the Jews, which they blow into and it makes a sound; those trumpets were made from the horns of animals. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Why don’t you send a man to call people to prayer? This was an example of ‘Umar’s wisdom, virtue and smartness. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) adopted his suggestion, and said to Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him): “O Bilal, get up and call the people to prayer.” There are other hadiths which state that the words of the adhan came to ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) in a dream, and he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Bilal to get up and call people to prayer with these words that had come to ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) in a dream. These are the words of the adhan until today. In Sunan Abi Dawud and elsewhere, it was narrated that the adhan was shown to ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd in a dream, and the next day he went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and told him about that. He said to him: O Messenger of Allah, whilst I was between sleep and wakefulness, someone came to me and told me about the adhan. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had seen that in a dream before that, but he had withheld the news for twenty days. Then he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about it, and he said to him: “What kept you from telling me?” He said: ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd beat me to it, and I felt shy. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Bilal, get up and see what ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd instructs you to do, then do it.”
This hadith constitutes strong proof for one of the basic principles of fiqh, which is the view that one may use an analogy (qiyas) to work out matters of religion, in the process that is known as ijtihad.
It also indicates that there is divine wisdom in the fact that the adhan came from one of the believers, someone other than the Prophet, because the adhan contains praise from Allah for His slave (meaning the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) and highlighting his high status. Allah (may He be exalted) says: {And raised high for you your repute} [al-Sharh 94:4].
It highlights the high calibre of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and his wisdom..

606

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: When the number of people increased, they began to discuss how they could know that it was time to pray by means of something they could recognize. They thought of lighting a fire, or beating a clapper. And [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] instructed Bilal to repeat the phrases of the adhan twice, and the phrases of the iqamah once..

608

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When the call to prayer is given, the Shaytan runs away, breaking wind loudly so that he will not hear the call. When the call ends, he comes back, then when the iqamah for prayer is given, he runs away again. Then when the iqamah ends, he comes back, until he comes between a man and his thoughts, and says: Remember such and such, remember such and such – mentioning things that he had not remembered, until the man becomes unsure of how much he has prayed.”.

Commentary : Since Allah cast him out from His mercy, Iblis has been trying to mislead humankind, but when he hears the adhan and iqamah – as is mentioned in this hadith – he runs away and flees, breaking wind loudly so that he will not hear the calls to prayer, because he is so afraid when he runs away. Then when the adhan ends, the Shaytan comes back to the person to whisper to him and distract him from doing acts of worship. Then when the iqamah is given for the prayer, he runs away again. He only runs away because of what he hears of the testimony of Allah’s oneness (Tawhid) and what he sees of the teachings of Islam being followed, as he does on the Day of ‘Arafah, and because of what he sees of everyone coming together to testify to the oneness of Allah (may He be exalted), and of mercy coming down to them, for he despairs of ever making them give up what they have proclaimed, and he is certain that he will fail because of what Allah bestows upon them of reward for that. Hence he comes back, after the adhan and iqamah have ended, to whisper to the worshipper whilst he is praying, saying to him: “Remember such and such, remember such and such,” seeking to remind him of worldly matters that he is not usually concerned about when he is not praying. The Shaytan keeps whispering to the worshipper until he makes him confused about his prayer, and he does not know how much he has prayed; what is meant is that he forgets the number of rak‘ahs he has prayed and other parts of his prayer, so he adds something to it or omit something, because he is distracted by the whispers of the Shaytan.
This hadith highlights the virtue of the adhan and iqamah, and the impact that they have, as they cause the Shaytan to flee and keep him and his whispers away from the Muslim.
It also points out to the worshipper that he should focus and show humility in his prayer, and avert the whispers of the Shaytan from himself, and that he should show devotion to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) whilst praying..

609

It was narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Sa‘sa‘ah al-Ansari al-Mazini, from his father, that he told him that Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri said to him: I see that you love sheep and the wilderness. When you are with your sheep or in your wilderness, and you give the call to prayer, raise your voice when you give the call, for no jinn, human or anything else hears the voice of the mu’adhdhin but he will testify in his favour on the Day of Resurrection..

Commentary : The adhan and the mu’adhdhin have many virtues, one of which is what Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke of in this hadith, when he said to the Tabi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Sa‘sa‘ah, who had sheep which he tended: I see that you love sheep and the wilderness. In other words, you love to tend sheep in the desert – which indicates that he would be on his own when the time for prayer came. So he (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed him, if the time for prayer came when he was in that situation, to raise his voice with the adhan. Then he told him a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in which it says that no jinn, human or anything else hears this call but he will testify on the Day of Resurrection that the mu’adhdhin did that. He only instructed him to raise his voice when giving the call so that whoever is far away from him could hear it, and thus he would have more witnesses to speak in his favour on the Day of Resurrection. Thus on the Day of Resurrection, he will become famous among those who testify to his virtue and high status. Just as Allah (may He be exalted) will humiliate some people and expose them to shame on the basis of the testimony given by witnesses, by the same token He will honour others, perfect their happiness and bring joy to their hearts.
This hadith highlights the virtue of practicing sunnahs and religious matters openly, even in the wilderness..

611

It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When you hear the call [to prayer], say what the mu’adhdhin says.”.

Commentary : The adhan and the mu’adhdhin have many virtues and are matters of high status before Allah (may He be exalted). In order that the listener will not be deprived of this reward, he is instructed to repeat after the mu’adhdhin, as mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: “When you hear the call [to prayer]”; this refers to the call for the five obligatory prayers. “say what the mu’adhdhin says.” So the listener should say the word of the adhan as the mu’adhdhin does. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us how to do that. In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When the muezzin says, ‘Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar (Allah is most great, Allah is most great),’ and one of you says, ‘Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar’; then he says, ‘Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah’; then he says, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-salah (Come to prayer),’ and you say, ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah (there is no power and no strength except with Allah)’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-falah (Come to prosperity),’ and you say, ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah’; then he says, ‘Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar,’ and you say, ‘Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar’; then he says, ‘La ilaha illa Allah,’ and you say, ‘La ilaha ill-Allah,’ sincerely from the heart, you will enter Paradise.” Thus it is clear that the reward for repeating the adhan after the mu’adhdhin is a means of admittance to Paradise..

613

It was narrated from Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he [the mu’adhdhin] said Hayya ‘ala al-salah, he said: La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah; and he said: This is what we heard your Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying..

Commentary : The adhan and the mu’adhdhin have many virtues and are matters of high status before Allah (may He be exalted). In order that the listener will not be deprived of this reward, he is instructed to repeat after the mu’adhdhin. Our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to repeat the adhan after the mu’adhdhin. This hadith explains some of that, as the Tabi‘i Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrates from Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he heard the mu’adhdhin say Hayya ‘ala al-salah, Mu‘awiyah said: La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah, and stated that he did that as he had heard it from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Hence this is the Sunnah of repeating after the mu’adhdhin and responding to his words in the case of the two phrases “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” and “Hayya ‘ala al-falah.” When the mu’adhdhin says these two phrases, the listener should respond by saying: La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah. That is because in the case of phrases other than “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” and “Hayya ‘ala al-falah”, both the listener and the mu’adhdhin share in the reward – such as when saying “Allahu akbar” and “La ilaha illa Allah”, and the other phrases of the adhan – because they are a kind of dhikr. However, with regard to the phrases “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” and “Hayya ‘ala al-falah”, the aim is to call the people to prayer, because these phrases effectively mean: Come to prayer, come to strive. This is what the mu’adhdhin is doing when he says these words. Therefore Allah compensates the listener for what he misses out on of the reward for that, with the reward for saying La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah. And it was said that the listener says La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah at this point because the meaning of the phrases “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” and “Hayya ‘ala al-falah” is: Come with your devotion and clean heart to guidance in the immediate moment, and come to great success later on. So it is appropriate for him to say: This is a momentous matter that I cannot do with the weakness that is inherent in me, unless Allah helps me with His power and strength.
This hadith highlights Mu‘awiyah’s knowledge and keenness to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

614

It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says when he hears the call to prayer, ‘Allahumma Rabba hadhihi’l-da‘wat il-tammati wa’l-salat il-qa’imah, ati Muhammadan al-wasilata wa’l-fadilah, wab‘athhu maqaman mahmudan alladhi wa’adtahu (O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer that will always be offered, grant Muhammad the privilege and also the eminence, and resurrect him to the praised position that You have promised him),’ will be granted my intercession on the Day of Resurrection.”.

Commentary : Du‘a’ (supplication) is one of the best acts of worship and a means of drawing closer to Allah, and it is a means of attaining good things and blessings. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us many blessed supplications, and has recommended them at certain times and in certain circumstances; he has also highlighted the immense reward that they bring. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that whoever says, after hearing the adhan and after the mu’adhdhin has finished giving the call to prayer: “‘Allahumma Rabba hadhihi’l-da‘wat il-tammah (O Allah, Lord of this perfect call)” that is, the phrases of the adhan with which people are called to worship Allah (may He be exalted). What is meant by perfect is that they are complete, with no change or alteration; rather they will remain as they are until the Day of Resurrection. “wa’l-salat il-qa’imah (and the prayer that will always be offered)” – which is constantly offered. Give Muhammad al-wasilah (the privilege)” – this refers to a lofty status in Paradise that no one will attain except him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); and also al-fadilah (the eminence)” – this refers to a higher status than all other created beings; it may be understood that al-fadilah is a second lofty status. And resurrect the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the praised position” – this refers to a position on the Day of Resurrection for which all those who are standing on the Day of Resurrection will praise him; it is the position of great intercession. “alladhi wa’adtahu (that You have promised him)” – that is the status that You have mentioned in Your Book, where You say: {it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station} [al-Isra’ 17:79].
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned the reward for the one who recites this supplication: it is that he will be entitled to and deserve the intercession of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on the Day of Resurrection. His intercession will be for the sinners (to be forgiven), or for others to be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account, or for others to be raised in status on the Day of Resurrection – each according to his situation.
This hadith highlights the virtue of reciting this dhikr after the adhan, and encourages the Muslim to offer supplication at the times of prayer, when the gates of heaven are open for mercy.
It also affirms the great intercession of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

616

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn al-Harith said: Ibn ‘Abbas addressed us on a muddy day, and when the mu’adhdhin reached the words “Hayya ‘ala al-salah”, he instructed him to call out “Al-salatu fi’l-rihal (Pray where you are).” The people looked at one another, then he said: One who was better than him did this, and this prayer is an obligatory prayer..

Commentary : The teachings of Islam are easy-going and seek to make things easy for people. One example of that is that despite the importance of prayer in congregation in the mosque, Islam takes into consideration people’s circumstances at difficult times, when going to the mosque is hard, such as in the event of high winds, rain, fear, and so on.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrates that whilst Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was addressing the Muslims on a muddy day, when there was a great deal of mud because of rain, he instructed the mu’adhdhin to say, when he reached the words “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” to say: “Al-salatu fi’l-rihal (Pray where you are)” – meaning in their houses and homes. Giving the call in this manner is a concession to allow people to pray at home, and not to pray in congregation, so that no one will encounter difficulty in coming to the mosque. When he instructed the mu’adhdhin to do that, those who were present questioned his doing that, and they looked at one another in astonishment, finding that odd, because they had never seen such a concession before that from any of the other Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all). When Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) saw their reaction, he said: One who was better than me did that – meaning the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to them that this was not something new that had been introduced into the adhan, and nothing had changed; what he instructed the mu’adhdhin to do was something that the Prophet himself (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done. This indicates that on a rainy or muddy day, the mu’adhdhin may say in the adhan: “Sallu fi rihalikum (pray in your houses).” Thus it becomes clear to the people that it is permissible to pray in their houses on rainy and muddy days. This is what is meant by the words of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), “and this prayer is an obligatory prayer”: Jumu‘ah prayer is an obligatory prayer. According to another report, he said: Indeed Jumu‘ah is an obligatory prayer, and I did not like to make you come out and walk in the mud. That was because they would be reluctant to stay away from Jumu‘ah prayer, and would put up with hardship in order to go there in the mud. Hence he instructed the mu’adhdhin to say “Sallu fi rihaalikum” so that they would know that doing so was permissible, and they would not be upset about it.
This hadith highlights the easy nature of Islamic teachings, and that the teachings of Islam seek to spare the Muslims hardship by granting concessions allowing them not to pray in congregation in the event of rain, hail and disasters.
It also highlights the knowledge of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

617

It was narrated from Salim ibn ‘Abdillah, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Bilal gives the adhan at night, so [continue to eat and drink] until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer.” Then he said: “He is a blind man; he does not give the call to prayer until he is told: Dawn has broken, dawn has broken.”.

618

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: Hafsah told me that when the mu’adhdhin started to watch out for the break of dawn, and when the time of Fajr had begun, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray two brief rak‘ahs before the iqamah was given for the prayer..

Commentary : The supererogatory prayers make up for any shortcomings that occur in the obligatory prayers, and they are like an arena in which people may compete to earn hasanat (rewards for good deeds) and attain high status before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to offer the sunnah prayers and explain them to the people in word and deed. The sunnah prayer of Fajr is one of the sunnah prayers that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) upheld most assiduously.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the mu’adhdhin started to watch out for the break of dawn – it was said: perhaps what is meant by watching out was that he would sit and wait for the break of dawn, and remain there for that purpose, or that when the mu’adhdhin stood up, ready to give the adhan; that is explained in other reports. In al-Sahihayn, it says: when the mu’adhdhin had finished giving the adhan for Fajr prayer. Al-Bukhari narrated from Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her): When the mu’adhdhin had given the adhan for Fajr. What we may understand from the variation in these reports is that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) became certain that the adhan for Fajr would be given soon, and the light of dawn began to appear – which is what confirms that the time for Fajr has begun – at that time, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would stand up and offer two brief sunnah rak‘ahs before standing up to offer the obligatory prayer of Fajr.
This hadith indicates that the sunnah prayer of Fajr is two brief rak‘ahs, which are to be done after the adhan and before the iqamah for the (obligatory) prayer..

621

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should stop eating suhur when he hears the adhan of Bilal, for he gives the adhan – or he gives the call to prayer – at night, so that the one who is praying qiyam may rest, and the one who is sleeping may wake up. And one should not think that the dawn has come – and he gestured with his fingers, up and down – until it is like this – and Zuhayr (one of the narrators) gestured with his two fingers, holding one above the other, then pulling them apart, right and left..

Commentary : The practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was to have two adhans for Fajr prayer. The first was an adhan given at night, allowing enough time before the time for the prayer began so that one who was sleeping could wake up, and one who was praying qiyam could rest, and one who wanted to fast could eat sahur. The second was an adhan given when the time for Fajr began; this is the time when people stop eating and drinking, and begin the fast.
This hadith confirms that, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained, the adhan that Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) gave for Fajr prayer was given before the time for the prayer began, so this adhan should not make anyone stop eating sahur. The word sahur refers to what is eaten, and suhur refers to the action of eating food before the time of Fajr begins, for the one who intends to fast. The reason why he should not stop eating sahur when hearing the adhan of Bilal was that he only gave the adhan at night, before the time for the prayer had begun, in order to alert the one who was praying qiyam al-layl that dawn was approaching, so that he could go back and sleep a little, and thus be able to get up refreshed to pray Fajr, or so that the one who needed to eat sahur could get up and eat sahur, and so that the one who was asleep could get up and get ready to pray.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the difference between the false dawn and the true dawn. The false dawn is of no significance, so the one who wants to fast should not stop eating when he sees it, and the people should not pray Fajr when they see it. The way in which it may be recognized is that it is a vertical line of light that appears in the sky; hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured with his fingers, moving them up and down, to explain with this gesture that the vertical light that appears from top to bottom of the sky is not dawn. Rather the true dawn is that which, when people see it, means that the one who wants to fast should stop eating, and it marks the beginning of the time for prayer. This is the light that appears along the horizon, and is explained in the hadith by the words “until it is like this”, meaning: until the dawn appears like this, referring to the width of the sky. Zuhayr ibn Mu‘awiyah al-Ju‘fi [one of the narrators of the hadith] described the gesture of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by gesturing with his forefingers, holding one above the other, then pulling them apart, right and left, to demonstrate that the true dawn is the light that appears along the horizon in the east, extending south and north.
This hadith indicates that further clarification may be done with gestures in order to make clear what is being taught.
It highlights the difference between the true dawn and the false dawn.
It indicates that the time for Fajr prayer begins and the time for suhur ends after the true dawn has broken..

624

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Between the two calls there is prayer – three times – for whoever wishes.”.

Commentary : One of the wisdoms behind the supererogatory and sunnah prayers is that they make up for any shortcomings that occur in the obligatory prayers, and they are like an arena in which people may compete to earn hasanat (rewards for good deeds) and attain high status before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to offer the sunnah prayers and explain them to the people in word and deed.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains a supererogatory and sunnah prayer that is connected to an obligatory prayer, as he says: “Between the two calls there is prayer.” What is meant by the two calls here is the original adhan before any obligatory prayer, and the second call is the iqamah which comes just before the prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said this three times, to make sure that everyone understood it and to emphasize the importance of what he was saying. And so that no one would think that this prayer was obligatory, after the third time, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “for whoever wishes”; that is, for whoever wishes to pray between the adhan and iqamah. Thus he explained that the matter was broad in scope and based on individual choice and that it was for the purpose of doing more acts of worship and attaining more reward, but it was not obligatory.
This hadith encourages the Muslim to offer the voluntary prayer between the adhan and iqamah.
It also indicates that there should be a pause between the adhan and iqamah, even if it is only short..

625

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: When the mu’adhdhin gave the adhan, some of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up and rushed towards the pillars, until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out whilst they were like that, praying two rak‘ahs before Maghrib, and there was hardly any time between the adhan and iqamah. ‘Uthman ibn Jabalah and Abu Dawud narrated from Shu‘bah: There was only a short time between them..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to do anything that would bring them closer to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). That included offering supererogatory and sunnah prayers before and after the [obligatory] prayers.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik says that when the mu’adhdhin gave the adhan for Maghrib, some of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up and rushed towards the pillars that held up the roof of the mosque. The purpose behind rushing to the pillars was so that they could use them as sutrahs to screen them from those who were walking in front of them, so that they could pray individually before Maghrib prayer, until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out of his apartment to pray Maghrib whilst they were like that, rushing and hastening to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib prayer. A report narrated by Muslim from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) adds: A stranger would come and think that the prayer had already been offered, because of the large numbers of people who were praying these two [voluntary] rak‘ahs.
This is indicative of the large numbers of people who did these two rak‘ahs. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And there was hardly any time between the adhan and iqamah; in other words, there was not much time, so they would pray those two rak‘ahs within a brief period of time. This is what was explained and affirmed by Shu‘bah ibn al-Hajjaj al-Wasiti, one of the narrators of this hadith, when he said: There was only a short time between them.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to pray two supererogatory rak‘ahs before Maghrib.
It also indicates that the one who is praying on his own should have a sutrah (screen)..

632

It was narrated that Nafi‘ said: Ibn ‘Umar gave the adhan on a cold night in Dajnan, then he said: Pray where you are staying. Then he told us that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would instruct a mu’adhdhin to give the call to prayer, then say immediately afterwards: Ala sallu fi’l-rihal (Attention! Pray where you are), on a cold or very rainy night, when travelling..

Commentary : Islam urges the Muslim to regularly pray in congregation in the mosques, but if it is difficult to attend the prayer in congregation, then Islam grants a concession allowing the Muslim not to pray in congregation. The types of excuses allowing that include severe cold and rain.
This hadith highlights that, as Nafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, narrates that Ibn ‘Umar gave the call to prayer on an extremely cold night in Dajnan, which is a mountain in Tihamah, twenty-five miles from Makkah. Then Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, straight after giving the adhan: Pray where you are; that is, in the places where you are staying and your tents. And he told him that this was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as he would instruct a mu’adhdhin to give the adhan, then say straight after finishing the adhan: Ala sallu fi’l-rihal (Attention! Pray where you are). That would be on a cold or very rainy night, whilst travelling. The apparent meaning of the report is that this concession is only for travel, but the scholars stated that this concession is general and also applies to anyone who is not travelling but could find it difficult to attend the prayer in congregation.
This report states that when this phrase, “Sallu fi rihalikum (pray where you are)” is to be said is immediately after finishing the adhan. In al-Sahihayn it is narrated in the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas that it is to be said in place of the phrases Hayya ‘ala al-salah and Hayya ‘ala al-falah. Whichever of the two options the caller chooses, there is nothing wrong with it.
This hadith highlights the kindness of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), and how He makes things easy for His slaves.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to stay away from attending prayers in congregation when there is fear of harm that could result from that..

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It was narrated from ‘Awn ibn Abi Juhayfah that his father said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in al-Abtah, when Bilal came to him and told him that it was time to pray. Then Bilal brought out a long stick and set it up in front of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in al-Abtah, then he gave the iqamah for prayer..

Commentary : The Sahabah showed a great deal of etiquette with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that they (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow his guidance and practice in all things, and to transmit it to those who came after them, especially with regard to prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, Abu Juhayfah Wahb ibn ‘Abdillah al-Suwa’i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates something that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do in prayer, as he says: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in al-Abtah, which is a place outside Makkah al-Mukarramah; it was originally a watercourse that runs through the valley of Makkah. It is located south of the Haram, in front of Jabal Thawr. Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him and told him that the time for prayer had begun, then Bilal came out with a long stick and set it up in front of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to be a sutrah for him and to mark the place where he would be praying, so that no one would pass in front of him. He used to do that on his journeys, because the traveller usually cannot find a wall to use as a sutrah, and he usually prays in open ground. However, if he prays in the mosque, or behind a wall or fence, that forms a natural sutrah.
Then Bilal gave the iqamah for prayer. That happened during the Farewell Pilgrimage. This report clearly refers to the iqamah without an adhan, but in another report, al-Bukhari mentions the adhan.
This hadith highlights the great respect that the Sahabah showed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also refers to giving the adhan and iqamah whilst travelling.
It also indicates that the one who wants to pray should set up a sutrah if he fears that people will pass directly in front of him..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

Book of Hadith